Title: Intrinsic Fascination
Author: pantheradraconis
Rating: M
Pairing: Bella/Rosalie
Summary: The world is filled with billions of people; a new breath is taken every second. A last breath is taken as well. But the cycle continues, on and on; who would bother noticing when someone doesn't quite fit into this cycle…
"Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored." - Aldous Huxley, Complete Essays 2, 1926-29
Feeling Bella lean into her, Rosalie said, "When do we leave?" Carlisle nodded and immediately started making plans.
Felix and Afton took a small step forward and Carlisle noted their group was to be included as well as anyone else they wish to bring. The whirlwind of plans took over and in an hour's time, the Olympic coven and Volturi guard was on its way back to Washington.
"I just do not understand why so much time was spent on me and yet the two of you ignored what was going on." Aro's voice was growing higher in pitch and causing the small space of the Volturi personal jet to feel even more cramped.
"We did not ignore anything," Caius growled back. "The trio was focused on you. Anything we tried to say to you was pushed off as if nothing mattered."
"When did it grow to such a fate?" Aro swished his arms in irritation. "When did I lose control of my own coven?"
Before Caius could growl out his reply, Marcus interceded. "If I must say, it was a very slow and intricate overtaking. You see, the lines between submissive and dominant are often blurred as the dominant lose their hold and the submissive takes control. It is subtle at first, a delicate balance of willing and pushing back, but Corin was able to make you believe you were getting what you wanted the whole time."
The trio continued to grumble but Bella's eyes had drifted over to Afton's lonely form. He sat, motionless, staring out the window. After a few moments, he lifted his phone, only to lower his hand once again.
"What are you watching?" Rosalie asked, attempting to follow Bella's eyes.
"Afton," Bella said before turning back to Rosalie. "He was hoping when we were released from Laurent's grasp, so would Chelsea."
"Chelsea?" Rosalie asked, her brows pulled together in confusion.
"Chelsea is Afton's mate," Bella replied simply. She reached out and caressed Rosalie's arm with her fingers. "The fact that she has not stopped acting in Laurent's interest provides proof he is not dead."
Rosalie stiffened and turned to better look at Bella. "Where is he?"
"I don't know."
"Why did your connection shut down?"
"I don't know."
"What if it comes back on? What if you can't hold him off? What if we're walking into a huge trap?!" Rosalie's voice grew until she sounded almost as hysterical as Aro. The Volturi and Olympic covens both silenced and turned toward the two girls.
"I. Don't. Know." Bella said cooly. She looked Rosalie square in the eye and slowly said. "Would you prefer for me to bring up all my walls and continue with my zombie farce? Would you prefer if I had stayed in Italy, hiding deep in walls of ancient stone? Do you wish me to be committed like Sulpicia and Athendora?"
Rosalie scowled and spit back, "I wish to know what I'm dealing with."
Caius growled and moved toward Bella. He held his hand out as if he were about to strike her but was suddenly on the ground screaming.
"Jane," Bella called out calmly. Caius was released from his mental torture; he stood up and brushed his hands over his Volturi uniform. He scowled once more but winced before turning back to his seat. Bella listened to him grumble words of rebellion and disrespect.
Bella turned back to Rosalie and lowered her voice attempting to soothe her mate. "You're dealing with a lot of unknowns, that's true, but you're dealing with them at the same rate everyone else is. I don't know how to explain what is going on but I can say with absolute certainty that I can't promise you anything."
Rosalie laughed. At first, Bella was surprised but then she grinned at Rosalie. She felt Edward roll his eyes as he quietly said to Esme, "That's our Bella."
The jet landed in Seattle several hours later, many of which were spent resting and calmly discussing possible situations. Some were spent merely waiting for the unknown. The jet was met by several black SUVs driven by Volturi guard members wearing black suits with small pins depicting the Volturi crest. They could easily pass as FBI Special Agents.
Bella followed Rosalie into the back of one of the SUVs. She held the blonde's hand in a familiar way that also felt strange. Had they been so touchy before all this happened? Was she holding on for lost time? Had all of this really felt strange just a week ago? She held on a little tighter.
When they came to the Quileute land line, the SUVs were stopped by several large wolves blocking the road. The wolves snarled and snapped while moving uneasily.
Bella tightened her grip on Rosalie's arm in a quick squeeze before letting go and bursting out the SUV door. Tripping over the imaginary line, she all but fell directly into Jacob's soft, red-brown fur. The wolf snarled but not at her; his focus was still on the SUVs. Bella leaned further into the fur and breathed in Jake's smokey scent. She then began to cry lightly.
Jake turned to her then and wrapped his large body around her, his breath an even purr like cantor. Bella immediately felt at ease with the peaceful noise surrounding her.
Behind her, she heard Edward speaking softly to the group. "They will not allow the Volturi on their land."
"We understand," Carlisle replied, speaking to another large wolf with a dark mask of fur over her eyes.
Bella realized it was Jared and listened to Edward reiterate the wolf's thoughts. "Bella and her mate may pass. We ask the rest of the Olympic coven to remain to watch over the Volturi."
"Thank you," Carlisle nodded and turned to his daughter. "Take care of her, and give our best to Charlie and the rest."
Rosalie nodded before crossing the line. She stood tall and proud while surrounded by the rest of the pack. Jake's pack. Bella turned back into Jacob's body and gave him one bear hug that causes the wolf to laugh. She knew he could feel her vampire strength.
The two vampires followed the bulk of the pack back to the central lodge of the Quileute village. At the door, Bella immediately spotted her father. He sat close to Sue Clearwater, who looked significantly poorer in health than Bella had ever seen her. She searched the room and noted Harry was nowhere to be found.
Bella took a few steps forward before stopping again. She watched her father as he slowly turned toward her. When their eyes met, he jumped up so quickly it surprised Bella. He took several steps toward her before he slowed. Bella realized she had stepped back.
"Bella?" Charlie's voice cracked out. "Is it really you, Bella?"
The young vampire reached up and touched her throat. It burned, red hot and aching. She heard the loud thumping of heartbeats, so many heartbeats. She closed her eyes and felt the beats like they were thumping against her head, against her chest, against her teeth. She whimpered.
Voices carried across the room, loud and soft and mumbling and clear. She could only focus on the beats, the thumping. Her teeth scratched together, her fangs cut holes in her lips, blood trickling down her throat. Sweet, delicious blood.
"Bella," Her name was said with such sweet conviction. Such soft, tender words. She opened her eyes and saw her father, still standing across from her. Her body was held in a tight grasp by Rosalie, Jake stood close on the other side. Sue, Leah, and Seth were standing behind Charlie, their own hands gently holding him back. Bella barely noticed them as she made eye contact with her dad. "Bella, I love you."
His voice was so sincere, so soft, so caring. Bella swallowed slowly, tightened her lips and nodded her head. "I love you too." Her voice was raspy and sharp, it sounded foreign. "Are you, are you okay?"
Charlie sighed in relief. They still had several hands on them, keeping them apart, keeping them safe, yet they also had each other at that moment.
"It's rough. There was an attack, as I know you've heard. We lost," He sighed and looked down at his hands. "We lost a lot of good people. We lost Sam and we lost Emily. We lost Brady and Joy and…" His voice cracks before he is able to whisper out the last name. He coughs roughly and repeated, "We lost Harry."
"I'm so…" Bella started to say but she wasn't even sure if she was in the position to apologize. If the Olympic coven had been here, couldn't they have made the difference? This was all her fault.
"He will pay for this." Rosalie's proud voice replied. "We cannot bring them back but we can bring them retribution."
"Thank you." This time it was Sue who answered, her voice soft and melodic, so different from her normally loud and precise words.
The two women nodded before Rosalie turned Bella away. They were followed out of the lodge by Jake and a young boy Bella knew to be Collin. He looked so terribly small and scared but also hardened by the previous battle. Bella wondered if he had been there when Brady was killed.
"It was an ambush, that's easy enough to say." Jacob was telling Rosalie. "It was the leader, the dark-skinned one, the red-head and the boy. There were two others who attacked with them, they were Egyptian, unknown, a man and a woman. Lastly, a pair of very fast vampires who spoke French. One was dark-skinned like the leader, the other a small female." He looked out across the forest, watching the trees as they slowly moved in the light wind. "They hit from three different directions and moved with fierce intensity. They attacked and moved, attacked and move, always moving forward, closer to the center of our lands. It was Harry that stopped them at the lodge, that kept them from killing so many."
Bella didn't know what to say, the whole ordeal sounded terrifying. To think, while she was hiding away in a dungeon, her family had been attacked in such a horrid way. It was obvious the attack was meant to harm but not defeat. It was a call to war.
Her voice was deep when she said, "When do you retaliate?"
A/N: So, the whole world has closed down. I hope y'all are staying safe and clean. I know a lot of you are home but I'm still working two jobs for the time being and this ordeal is causing quite a bit more attention than my normal day-to-day. Thank you to all the health care workers and police and such.
[Stoics_Dream] Thank you for the grand compliment! I hope to keep bringing you wild turn after wild turn until you're flipped all around! (Don't worry, you'll still land on the ground!)
In light of things, how is everyone spending their self quarantines?
