Disclaimer:

I own no part of the 'Twilight Universe'. Only the idea to this story. This is strictly for fun.

Author's note:

Enjoy!

Recap:

"Dora, dear, I was not talking to you, but your mate. If he is unwilling to admit to his errors, I will not pay him any more respects, as he is unworthy of such in my eyes. Actually, I wanted to ask for your and Cia's help with something I have planned." I was ignoring Caius' disbelieving stare for now, intent to leave him to stew in his own juice.

"Yes, anything." My sisters voice was saturated with relief.


Chapter 29 (Bella's pov)

I woke up from one of my nightmares for the third time this night, felling absolutely whacked. I ached all over, my eyes burned and felt swollen and hot, my throat was on fire.

'Might have felt better without any sleep' I thought, while I tried to get myself upright.

When I finally sat on my bed, feet dangling, I got dizzy like so often. This time, it took a little longer for the black spots to retreat. A soft knock came from the door to the study, and Marcus stepped in, graceful as ever, after I rasped "Come in." My voice sounded terrible. And I tried to clear it, which caused it to hurt worse. I remembered my nightly screaming, but I was too exhausted to feel embarrassed, that I might have disturbed everyone else in this castle.

His dark ruby eyes portrayed nothing but concern.

"Good morning, Isabella. I would ask how you slept, but I already know. How do you feel? Would you like some help getting ready for the day?" Today this offer was tempting. I wasn't even sure whether I'd make it to the bathroom, right now, without a pause.

"' Morning Marcus. Honestly, I've been better." After that I took a deep breath, evaluated my strength, and admitted defeat. The air came out in a loud sigh, and I looked down to his shoes, when I continued, "I think I would really like some help today, that is if-"

"Good. Heidi will be here in a few moments. It is okay, and not asked for too much," he interrupted. "There is something I would like to discuss with you, when you are done? You can have breakfast in the study, like yesterday. Or, if you would prefer, you could stay in bed today. Forgive me for addressing such a personal matter, but you look exhausted and even paler than usual. Is there anything I could get you?" Practically, he just told me I looked like shit, but really, he was probably right. I felt like it, too.

Was there anything he could get me? No, I didn't think there was.

"No offence taken. Unfortunately, I don't think there is anything to help me though. But thanks for asking.

The study is just fine, if I don't disturb you," I added to clarify.

"Very well. Take your time. I will have your breakfast ready,"he told me and left.

Just a moment later there was a knock on the door again, but it was lighter, not as strong or loud as Marcus' had been, so I guessed Heidi had arrived.

"Please come in, Heidi. And thank you." I hadn't forgotten what I had been told repeatedly. I should not apologize and ramble all the time.

After she had taken in the picture I presented, her eyes showed concern, too.

"Good morning, Bella. You just stay here, I'll get the bathroom ready" With these words she disappeared.

I gave myself a proverbial kick in the arse and stood up. Too fast it would seam, as for the second time this morning I saw black spots. This time it had brought a companion though, I felt funny, almost queasy, but not truly, just somehow not normal, funny. Suddenly I felt a cool grip on my shoulders, and with a push I was back on the mattress.

"Bella! What were you doing?" Heidi sounded alarmed and slightly frustrated and scolding, but I only realized this as a sideline, because I was too preoccupied with the spinning room. It just wouldn't stop. And instead of fading, the black spots grew. I could tell, that Heidi was saying something, but there was a ringing, that grew louder and louder, while the tinkling of Heidi's voice grew more and more distant. At last, the spinning stopped and my world was overcome with blackness.

"Calm, brother... will be here soon... breathing... heart rate... ..." A calm voice faded in and out, as if someone was plying with the volume.

Slowly the world came back in focus. I vaguely remembered I had been up before, but it was all very fuzzy.

With Herculean effort I pried my eyes open, yet it still took a few tries till I finally managed to keep them open. My gaze focused, and the first thing I saw was Marcus. He was sitting to my right and was leaned towards and slightly over me.

"Bella, can you hear me? Keep your eyes open. Look at me, please? How are you feeling? Does anything hurt? How can I help you? " He said more, but the tone registered more than the spoken words. He sounded panicked, almost frantic.

"Huh?" Was all I could come up with in my haze. Someone behind his towering form chuckled, which caused him to growl. His eyes never left mine.

What happened? I was certain I would understand it all if I only remembered what had happened.

"Dear, you fainted after you tried to stand up. Marcus, come now, give her some space. We don't want to overwhelm her, do we?" I knew this voice, it belonged to Aro. He was here, too. And now he stood next to Marcus, with his right hand placed on his brother's shoulder, pushing him back into a more upright position.

Wait...

"I said that out loud, didn't I?" I asked, although I was sure about the answer.

This time, Marcus chuckled, too, and some of the former tension seamed to leave his body.

"Oh Bella, you had me so worried." He shook his head and went on,"when I came in after Heidi had called, and I saw you, paler than ever, lying limply on the bed, heard your heart beating so erratically..." His gaze softened and he tentatively reached out with one hand and, after I did nothing to detain him, took my cold, sweaty right hand into his and held it.

"Just, please, never do that again. It was unbearable." He sounded so pained, tortured, but there was nothing I could do to help him.

"I'll try?" It sounded like a question, but there was no way I could promise something like that, it was out of my control.

"But why would you care?" It just made no sense to me; back to square one. It appeared, no matter what, we would come back to this question. It was essential.

"I told you I was glad you came here, I'm grateful for your company." He squeezed my hand gently, while he repeated yesterday's words.

"And," Aro cut in, " you are a most esteemed guest; what kind of hosts would we be, if we didn't care about your well-being? Isabella, I am glad to see you awake, but please understand, that your health issues truly have us worried." His voice was caring, but matter of fact, and I sensed, that he wasn't done yet, so I nodded. A small genuine smile curled his lips and he spoke again,"You have been out for approximately ten minutes, which was entirely too long for our patience, so we took the liberty to call for a doctor. Of course you have the right to deny to see him, but we would all rest more assured, if you you allowed him to give you a once over. Besides, we had planned a check anyway, hadn't we?"

He was right, and when I thought about it, it was probably better to get it over with as soon as possible. At the very least I wouldn't have the time to get all nervous about it beforehand.

"Okay," I whispered. Marcus relaxed further at my words and gave me an encouraging smile.

He took a deep, unnecessary breath and offered, "If you would like me to, if you would feel better, I would gladly stay with you throughout the examination. I could translate for you, too, if there was anything you didn't understand." He still held my hand carefully in his large one. His touch didn't feel as cold as it usually did. The difference in size was startling, but what caught my eye was how muscled it was. You could see the tendons and the well defined muscles. When I concentrated, I could feel calluses, but his skin was so smooth, that they were not as pronounced as they surely had been at the time of his change. He had been formed by a hard life. He was so strong, but he took the care to be gentle with me, they all did. And now, I could appreciate the effort they put forth; now I had a better understanding of what their kind was truly capable of doing. I needed to stop thinking a bout that; a change of subject.

Why did Aro change him, not somebody else? Had he been dying? Was it just a coincidence? What had life been like back then? Did he remember? Would he tell me? Would Aro tell me his story?

"Bella? Isabella!" Marcus' loud voice brought me back to the presence.

"Hm? Yes?" Slowly I brought my eyes back up to meet his. My thoughts were still swirling with my previous questions.

"What is your opinion on my offer? What do you say?" He looked at me curiously, but his amusement was also clear in his dark ruby orbs.

Dark ruby? Staying for the check up, a blood sample? Not a good combination, I summarised.

"Erm, Marcus, I don't know, I mean, I'm not sure, but, um, your eyes, they are, well, aren't you hungry? Not that I think you're weak, just, you know?" I knew I was rumbling, but how can you tell someone, who you might begin to consider a friend, that you were worried he'd loose control, succumb to his blood- lust, and kill not only you but the poor doctor assigned to check on you? Would he regret killing me? Did he consider me a friend, too? What do they do with all the bodies?

"Bella, please be assured, that I know for sure I will not hurt you in any way, if you decide to take me up on my offer. I wouldn't propose it, if I wasn't absolutely sure about your safety. My family and I, we are all very well controlled," Marcus explained. Aro simply nodded in silent agreement.

Suddenly both their heads snapped to the right.

"The doctor is in the castle now and Alec is leading him here. What do you say, Isabella?" Aro asked the last part softly.

What do I think? Did I want Marcus here? Did I want to face the Doc alone? That seemed creepy. How was the routine here? I had only ever been treated at the ER, never once had someone come on a house call, well apart from Carlisle. I winced at that.

"Bella, do you hurt?" Marcus' pose tensed again.

"No, no. Well a little, but I was just thinking about something unpleasant.

"Uhm, I don't know. Honestly, I don't think I would like being a lone in a room with the doctor, but, no offence, I don't think you being here would make me more comfortable. What I mean is-" I broke off. I had just felt funny again, but this time for just a moment. Aro's and Marcus' eyes had instantly focused on my chest.

Way to make things worse! Hello? I think I never felt so uncomfortable before, that was a new record. The funny feeling returned, leaving me dizzy.

"Isabella, take deep breaths, calm your nerves. The physician will be here shortly. I understand how Marcus' presence would make you feel uncomfortable. How about my wife? Would you mind her being here?" Aro really wanted someone here, and Sulpicia had been nice, when I had met her before. I'd definitely feel better with her here. Would she mind though?

"I'd feel better with her here, sure, but I'd understand if she couldn't," I told them honestly, not looking up.

"Well, Darling? Would you stay with our dear guest?" Aro didn't raise his voice in the slightest, he spoke like she was just in the same room with us.

"She will be right here, Isabella," Marcus told me quietly, sadly. "As I told you, she is very well in control, too. Don't fear. Aro and I, we will remain close. We will be in the study." While his voice was calm and reassuring, he still looked off somehow. Before I could scrutinize him longer, I heard another knock on the door and a second later Sulpicia was in the room, standing close to Aro.

"Bella, don't worry, I'll be right here with you. How are you feeling now?" She was upbeat, optimistic and supporting, but not suffocatingly so.

"Thank you, Sulpicia. You'll never know much that means to me, really. It's just, everything is so different here. I have no idea, what a check up here includes..." While I told her all this, she had stepped closer, and was now next to me.

"It is not worth mentioning, Bella. Besides, I am curious to see a doctor in action, too. Is it much like they portray it on those television broad casts? But we can talk about that later, they are almost here. And please, Bella, call me 'Cia'." She had bowed down to my eye-level while she spoke. Her eyes were a lighter shade of red. I knew deep down, that I should be repulsed by their way of life, the blood of their latest victim swirling in their eyes; proof of their status as predators. I should be afraid, panicked. Her gaze and the thoughts it caused. had me sidetracked again. I was so damn easily distracted these days. My attention span was close to none existent.

"What are you contemplating, Bella?" Cia's voice was full of childish curiosity, and she reached out and tried to smooth out the 'v' shaped wrinkle, which always formed, when I was thinking hard; it was a dead giveaway. Her touch broke me free off my train of thoughts, and I was able to answer.

"I was just bewildered. I mean here you are, the world's greatest predator, only mere inches from me, red eyes and all, but I can't seem to feel afraid, or repulsed, or any of the other emotions I know I should feel. There must be something wrong with my brain..." I trailed off, to the chuckles of Marcus and Aro, Cia tried very hard to keep in the giggle, that tried to escape her. I could just sit here and observe them all day long. In some strange way, despite their obvious otherness, they seemed human.

"Allright, allright, we can elaborate on this certainly intriguing topic later. For now, you my love, and you, brother dear, need to leave the room. I will stay here with Bella, and we will both be fine." Marcus looked more than reluctant, and while Cia gave her whole attention to Aro, Marcus spoke quietly and rushedly, "Bella, please cooperate with the doctor. You have me worried and I believe the best way for the doctor to figure out, what is wrong with your health, is with your help. Aro will introduce you as his cousin from the Americas. If you need anything at all, just call for me. We will tell him the unusual scarring was due to some experimenting with a new chemical substance, so he can judge your injuries from a more realistic point of view. Please don't work yourself up about anything. You are our guest and we will care for you, including all expanses."

His eyes bore into mine, urging me to accept this. And while I usually would have argued about it, something in his voice, and the fact, that I felt like crap, kept me from objecting. A headache had built over the short time and was getting more and more annoying by the minute.

"Okay."I simply conceded. I squeezed his hand for a last time to reassure him, then Cia was dragging him out.

When she was back, she sat down on my left side.

Only a few moments later, I could hear the beginning of a conversation in the other room. The words were muffled by the heavy door though.

Cia sat still beside me, but her concern and excitement shone through her eyes.

A short minute later, a knock resounded, and the door opened, a middle aged man with salt and pepper hair came in, a generic, reassuring smile plastered on his face.

"Buon Giorno, Signorina Isabella e Signora Volturi." His voice was rich, but held nothing to the voices I had continuously heard over the past few days, and while his accent was pronounced, it was nowhere near as bad as the taxi driver's, who had taken me here. He was rather short and stocky, his skin was tanned. He looked friendly enough in my book. A huge plus: He didn't wear one of those white lab coats, but was dressed casually elegant. It made for a nice change.

"Hi, uhm, Mister, I mean Doctor...?" I squeaked, my anxiety building.

Way to go Bella, you're so eloquent!

"Galiano, Miss Isabella. No need to become nervous. This will be over quicker than you thought.

First, I would like to simply talk with you. Would that be okay? If you have any questions or don't understand something I say, you can ask away any time, yes? I have been informed, la Signora Volturi has agreed to translate, should there be troubles."

With these words it began. He asked me all kinds of things, my age, whether I had allergies, how I mentally fared with the knowledge that I had been attacked by an animal, how long it had been, what kinds of troubles I had observed over the past days, and many more. He tried to be discreet about the glances he threw Cia's way, but they were still so very much obvious. He was torn between utter amazement and simple fright.

While we had been talking casually, he had come closer, and was now sitting on a chair to my right.

I got a bit jittery, when he asked for permission to feel my pulse, and promptly I had the funny feeling again. Cia looked at me strangely, and the doctor took a moment longer than I liked. After that he made to examine the rest of me thoroughly. He looked into my eyes, ears and mouth, felt for swollen nodes, took my temperature and my blood pressure, amongst several other things. It was uncomfortable, when he used his thumb to pull down my lower eyelids. He pursed his lips at what ever he saw there. When there was nothing else left to do, he asked me to sit up slowly. I managed with his and Cia's help, but got dizzy again, just like when I first woke up. He proceeded listening to my heart and lungs, frowning slightly, when he did so. After that he prodded the scars on my belly for a good time, then told me he would have to come back with a portable ultrasound unit, to judge those better, but informed me straight away, that he thought there might be a dehiscence in the lower part of one of the wounds, now scars. He talked me through all his actions and I relaxed more and more.

At the end came what I feared most, he had to take a blood sample. When, I tried to talk him out of it in my desperation, he answered with a smile, that he feared I had a serious systemic infection, which was obviously progressing despite the antibiotics I was taking already; to determine which substance would be best for me, he had to draw blood, as well as to see other parameters. Also, he would hook me up on an IV because I was close to dehydration. The tube would serve as a means to get the antibiotics into me in a more effective way, too. Reluctantly and with growing fear I conceded.

During all this time Cia had been silent, completely emotionless, only supplying a correct English term here and there, or telling the Doc a piece of information I didn't understand.

Now, she looked at me with sympathy and took my left hand in hers, rubbing over the back soothingly with the palm of her other hand. It didn't help much. I hated needles! I felt terrible, my body ached, I was tired, exhausted really, and for some stupid reason I felt betrayed.

In the end, I ended up lying in my bed with Cia next to me, holding me to her, while I had struck my right hand back towards the doc. Cia didn't breath. Her chest lay absolutely unmoving, but I feared the offensive, sharp metal object in the doctors hand more than her, right then.

Only a few moments later I felt the cool swipe with the alcoholic pad and then the tell tale prick on the back of my right hand. My body shook, and I realized I was crying. I was wasted and couldn't bring myself to care to hold up the pretence of being strong. I felt small and weak. Cia held me tighter and let my cry.

I must have fallen asleep, because, when I woke up again, there was no trace of the doc anywhere, and the room was empty. I was hooked up on an IV that had improvisationally been affixed to the canopy of the large four poster bed, that I had come to call mine.

I was feeling hot and crappy, still. Wasn't that IV supposed to help?

"Marcus? Aro? Hello? Cia?" A few seconds later the door opened, and all three came in, looking at me with varying emotions. I couldn't place them, because, as soon as I lifted up a little and in consequence tensed up my belly muscles, I realized, how very urgently I needed to pee.

"Erm, sorry, I just need to go to the bathroom, first, really quick," I mumbled embarrassedly. Cia was next to me in a flash and carefully helped me in a sitting position and told the other two to wait in the study until I was done. I was so grateful. I knew they would still hear, but the motion gave me just the needed amount of peace of mind. It took me almost ten minutes to be done with this menial task. Cia insisted she carry me, I conceded. The problem was, that I still had problems with being upright. She didn't trust me not to fall of my 'throne'. I however simply refused to ever pee, if she didn't leave the room. I swear they had no idea about personal space... It was to equal parts irritating, humiliating and exhausting.

When I was back in bed, Aro and Marcus came in, the latter, came straight to sit on the chair next to me. Looking subdued. I never heard what the doc had conducted, and as no one had told me yet, I asked straight out, "So, what's the verdict?"


End note:

Have a merry Christmas everyone! I love you guys to bits. Thank you so much for your support and help!