All recognizable characters are the intellectual property of Mrs. Stephenie Meyer. The plot and the other characters are the intellectual property of ME. No part of this fanfiction may be reproduced without my permission. No monetary gain is being made from this work.


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Abby POV

More than a week had passed, and yet we moved at the same dizzying speed. Father Savoi only grunted one word answers to my questions as we passed through city after ruinous city. I was fascinated by the obvious cultural differences between each heavily fortified ruin, though he seemed to loathe every situation that brought him here.

"Have you been here before, Father?" I asked him as we jumped over a tumbled stone wall.

"No, but I've heard stories."

"What are we searching for?" I asked him as he pulled to a grinding stop. Pebbles skittered beneath his feet, and I looked up at the stone forest before me.

"It's not what we're looking for, my Abby, yet what we have found." Self consciously, I watched him dust at the heavily accumulated grime on his clothes. He was struggling to clean himself, but for what, I had no idea. "We must use caution, macherie. Dust yourself off, and wipe your face." After we were as grime free as we were going to get, he dragged me into the intricately carved woods. It struck me that vampires would go through so much effort, simply to replicate an earthly forest.

Suddenly, we found ourselves in a clearing—nearly a perfect circle. Had we been above ground, I might have pictured the area covered in thick grasses and wildflowers. A meadow lush with life, instead of a barren and bereft subterranean imitation. My fresh new eyes scanned the perimeter until they rested upon a statue fashioned of thick stone. It was a heavy, ancient thing, and I found myself cautiously strolling towards it. There was something about the ancient stone that I didn't entirely trust. "A throne?" I asked him as he dug through the bag he had so diligently carried on his person throughout this entire journey.

"Yes and no." He pulled out several thick containers of what looked like blood. A burning came over me, so intense it nearly knocked me off my feet. As he pulled the blood from the bag, he eyed me warily. "You must control yourself, Abby. You must remember that you've recently fed.." He warned as he crouched defensively over the small packages in his grasp.

"I cannot!" I yelped as I viciously fought the instinct to hurdle towards him and rip the life giving containers from his person.

Seeing my struggle, his eyes grew stern. "You can and you will." He held his hand before him in warning, "Run away if you must. I'll find you when all's completed."

Instead of running away from him, as I'd once intended, I ran towards him. Just as I was about to pulverize the little boxes that held the desirous elixir, Father Savoi pinned me to the ground. I fought him, and found myself gaining ground. Amazing! I was stronger than he! Reveling in my good fortune, I rolled overtop of him, and pressed his body firmly into the stone floor of the forest. My mind was only on getting to the blood filled containers, and I found I no longer had any pity for my mentor. Savagely, I began to tug at his arm, but his experience worked against me.

"You may have your newborn strength, cherie, but I have both skill and speed."


Soren Savoi POV

I wrenched both arms and legs from her torso and piled them beside me. She was howling and snarling in my direction, but found herself unable to do anything other than roll. Even rolling isn't such an easy feat when you find yourself without limbs to help you along. I felt guilty for hurting her, but I found myself without choice.

"The time has nearly come, Majesty." I whispered to the granite woman perched elegantly on the ancient throne. After all this time of absolute stillness, it was difficult to tell where the stone throne ended, and where she began. Even her eyes were flat like rock, and her slender fingers were gripped tightly, like claws, on the arms of her perch. She was likened to a gargoyle perched atop a church. The statuesque ruler's robes had been encased along with her body, but the stone had not totally obscured a rich paisley pattern that flowed like liquid down her rigid frame. The blood I protected from Abby was for her, to awaken her and plead our case. Surely she would hear the voice of her children, and aid them in rescuing her brothers.

Surely.

History has not been kind to her, however. She was painted as a harsh woman, who ruled with an iron fist. Rumor has told that she was turned to stone by one of the original Volturi guards. While the vampire's power was no match for Ileana, she chose to stay in this form, as her world had been utterly destroyed. Ileana may not take too kindly to being awakened, and the thought of her displeasure sat like a stone in the pit of my undead stomach.

I knelt before her, and bowed my head, holding the bagged sustenance before me as an offering. Deep within the earth, I felt a deep rumbling. I sucked in an unnecessary breath, and glanced up. Two flint-like eyes glinted in the darkness.


EPOV

"I'm just saying! Only you, Edward Cullen!" My sweetling replied, with a giggle, as I guided her into "Tomatillos", a Texmex restaurant in the city. She had admitted to craving food of the Hispanic variety, and who was I to deny her? The fact that the restaurant offered live music and dancing did nothing to sway my decision.

Dancing with Bella was like taking a stroll through the heavens. Of course she struggles a bit now, as round as she is, but she still seems to enjoy my holding her in my arms. Dancing is all in the leading, anyway, and I'd never let her feel any less graceful than the gorgeous Swan that she is.

The walls were a variegated sponged gold, and the tables were rough hewn wood, painted bright red. The stone tiled floors added a homey elegance to the small place, and joy crept across Bella's face as she took it all in. "It's perfect." She whispered, and moved her arm from my elbow, and placed my hand in hers. I stroked it lovingly, as we sat down at a table. The soft sounds of The Buena Vista Social Club's famous song "Chan Chan" filtered throughout the restaurant's expensive speakers. Remembering the last time I heard the song, by the actual artists who wrote it, made me grin.

"Won't you order for the both of us, my darling?" I said with a smile, and she laughed as the waitress stumbled away with our order.

We were very near the bar, and the restaurant was rather crowded that night. "God, Edward, what I wouldn't do for a Cosmo." Bella sighed as she rubbed her swollen belly. I unfolded my newspaper and began to read the local headlines as we waited for our dinner to arrive. I, of course, would be eating nothing, but Bella was eating for two. Or three, as I sometimes chose to tease.

"Only you would sit and idly read a newspaper in the middle of a New Orleans bar, Edward." She scolded with a smile. "For that matter, only you would bring your very pregnant wife to a bar and watch her drool helplessly at the other women holding drinks."

"Soon, Bella, I'll order you a...'Cosmo', was it?" When she nodded her head, I continued, "I'll order you a Cosmo large enough to swim in. You'll be up to your lovely blue eyes in Vodka." I winked at her, and returned to my paper. I had just crossed my legs when I heard her huff. "I love you, Bella." I chuckled with a smile.

"You're impossible, you know!" She groaned as the waitress brought a tray filled with food. I fought back a smile, knowing exactly which button I was about to press. Slowly, very slowly, I lowered my newspaper with a flick. Her eyes were boring holes into my granite skin, and I noticed the flat black they had become. God bless hormonal pregnant women.

"Mrs. Pot?" I said as I gestured to her, "Meet Dr. Kettle." I pointed to myself, and not even she could stifle her laughter. "Besides, Love, I didn't bring you here for the alcohol, obviously. I brought you here for the music..."

I let her sit with that thought as she tucked into her supper with gusto.

"¿Baila con migo?" I asked her as she set down both her fork and knife. A happy, healthy glow rested upon her features as she peeked up at me through her lashes.

"You make me want to do a great. Many. Things." She whispered as she placed her linen napkin down onto the table. Her fingers idly turned her new necklace in her hands, and she smiled as she memorized the details.

"Really?" I said with a knowing smile. Her mind had become most filthy since she'd become pregnant, and I can't say that I did much to dispel such thoughts. "Like what, for example?"

"Teach my child to pay closer attention in Spanish class, for example."

"It's simple enough, Bella. Dance with me?" I stood, and held my hand out to her. Without hesitation, she slid her fingers in mine, and squeezed gently.

I guided her to the dance floor as if she were Ginger Rogers. "Salsa, Dr. Cullen, really?" I possessively brought her close to me, and unbuttoned the buttons of my suit jacket.

"I've spent quite a few years in Cuba, Bella. You knew that." I'd spent many nights lulling her to sleep with my tales of worldly travel. She had been quite dissatisfied when I came to the point in my story where I holed myself up in that Irish castle. I reminded her that we wouldn't have met otherwise, and her frown had slowly morphed into a small smile.

"The beat is awfully fast, Edward." She complained as she placed her hand on my shoulder. We began with a quick box step, and she stumbled only slightly. "Don't you think I'm a little too...umm...big to be moving so quickly?"

"Nonsense, Bella." I pulled her closer, and we began to sway to the music. She was awkward at first, but she slowly relaxed into my touch. The beat of the music began to flow through her, and her natural rhythm began to resurface. I offered her a subtle cue, and then spun her away from me. My jacket and tie flared away from me as we moved together. I pulled her close, her back to my chest, and we let the music move us.

After a few minutes, Bella finally realized that a circle had formed around us. The club was staring. I would be too; her technique was flawless, and I found myself very proud. How I landed such a fantastic woman was beyond me, but I wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Bella's face flushed as she took in the faces of all of the restaurant's patrons, but it didn't stop me from leading her to the hypnotic beat of the music. Dance after dance we whirled, through tunes both quick, and sensuously slow. Bella wrapped one leg securely around my back, and I dipped her softly. Her neck lay exposed to me, and I found myself aching to trail my lips from her collar bone to her jaw. Bella moaned as I did. Instinctively, she pulled me closer. I righted her, and spun her away from me one more, feeling the winding down of yet another excellent song. People were clapping to the beat and cheering us on. Just for show, I embellished with a hardy spin, and Bella laughed with glee as I gently dipped her backwards.

"You don't want me to deliver this baby here, now do you?"

I thought about the implications of her delivering here, in clean conditions, with Carlisle and I able to help. She wouldn't have such luxuries, and we both knew it. She would birth in the middle of a war zone, amidst a battlefield of feuding immortal creatures. The blood from her body, from her womb, would feed the awakening of the Romanians.

Since she was a virtual clone of her mother, she carried Marie's memories within her. Bella's blood was our only chance, though I intended to pull her away from them before they could drain her to her death. We would carry enough synthetic blood to fully sate the two of them, so that I could properly turn Bella. I'd never wanted this life for her, but there was never anything we could do about it. The moment I laid eyes on her, I destroyed her chance at a normal, happy future. All I could do was love her, protect her, and hope.

She watched the train of my thoughts flit through the air, and her face fell. I wasn't about to allow that, so I guided her into yet another ravishing dance. I only hoped that she could feel my love for her flowing though our connected limbs.

"I'd like to go there one day." She said as I pulled her down from the carriage.

"Thinking out loud again, Bella?"

"Sorry. Chicago, I mean. I've never been there." I held the door for her as we stepped back into the silent mansion. "You grew up there; I was just curious." She averted her eyes, and I wondered what she was thinking. "Were you...Do you..."

"Well? Spit it out, Bella. Don't keep me in suspense!" I don't think I'd ever be used to not hearing her thoughts.

"I wanted to meet your father and your sister." She blurted so quickly that it almost sounded like one ridiculous word.

"Visit their graves, you mean?" I asked her as I was brought up short.

"Yes, well, you see..." I was becoming desperate to change the subject from my late relatives, so I pressed my lips to hers fervently, and carried her up the stairs.


*~Get excited~*

Aro Volturi was in a near panic as he paced the floors of his castle with wild abandon. Marcus and Caius sat stoically, with little interest, as they awaited an overdue phone call from Felix or Demitri. Marcus' disinterest was nothing out of the ordinary, but Aro found himself surprised over Caius' blasé attitude.

"What are you thinking, brother?" Aro held his hand out to Caius, who took it willingly enough. Quickly, he separated the newest information, and processed what Caius was sharing with him. "You think they've been captured, then?"

"You've always underestimated Marie of Chevalier, Aro. I don't think that they're captured; I fear that they're ash. I fear that she'll garner an army large enough to threaten us." Aro listened to his words with more than an element of disbelief. How could anyone rival the strength of the Volturi? The coven who'd come closest had been Marie's, and he'd seen to it that it was totally destroyed.

Aro knew that he should not sit idle. He'd been under the impression that She'd perished in the battle for dominance over Her coven, and now that She's reappeared, he knew that She would garner supporters. Quickly. Marie had a natural charisma, and with Her unique and powerful gifts, she could impress even the most rigid disbeliever.

If She would attack, as he knew that She would, and any harm was to become of Aro's vampiric shields, he would be in a heap of trouble. Marie could set his body on fire merely by looking into his eyes. Thankfully, eye contact was a necessity. He would simply need to stay out of eyeshot, and he'd be fine.

"For the first time, in over two thousand years, Caius, you think that we'll lose?" Aro was aghast at his brother's uncharacteristic morbidity. Aro's questioning was cut short by the vibration of the sleek silver cell phone in his hand. Less than a second after it first began to vibrate, he'd pushed the button, and awaited an answer from the other end of the line.

The sounds of heavy pursuit were the only sounds breaking through the line, and Aro demanded to know what was going on. "They're!" Aro strained to hear the voice of Demitri grow panicked. "Felix destroyed!" There was the sound of a scuffle, and the last words Demitri could utter were about Jane Chevalier.

The implications were heavy as Aro Volturi stared at the line in shock, and abject horror. His two brothers also held a look of surprise after the discovery of Jane's new alliance. His mistress, and trusted advisor had gone rogue. As Aro listened closely, he could hear Demitri's shrieks in the background, and then two loud pops. It sounded like gun fire, which hadn't made sense at all, seeing as vampires are impervious to bullets. Before the connection died between them, Aro heard the roar of a blazing fire, and then, he heard naught but silence.

"We're comin' fo you next, you hear?" A strong masculine voice drawled over the line. It was a voice neither Aro, nor his brothers, recognized, but the timbre of the voice was reminiscent of the American "Old South". The whole of the Volturi court stood stunned as another clattering sounded over the line, and the phone went dead.

Both Felix and Demitri had been destroyed, and Jane was involved. Marie was now back in the hands of her once dutiful servant, and he decided that it was time to make a trip to visit his dear friend Carlisle. After all, where he is, she is never far behind. Her love had made Her predictable, and it would be Her final downfall.

He would deliver the death blow himself, and enjoy every moment of her suffering.


SWEET MERCIFUL CRAP! was that the Volturi? Why, yes it was! Review, or next chap I'll skip over the lemon, and they'll go straight below ground!

Would you like to hear more from the big bad Volturi? Let me know!