RE-MEET

BELLA

"Healer Isabella."

I stood before a semi circle of five females and males in Healer robes, head bowed.

Well, if they were aiming to look imposing, they'd succeeded, I thought. Even the Healers in this place were magnificent.

"My Lords." I responded quietly, hand over my heart, not looking up. I heard a chuckle and a cough.

"Just 'Healer', Healer Isabella. We are the same, you and I." Healer Kate said gravely. Yeah, NOT.

"You don't need to bow to us, Healer Isabella." A gentle female voice said.

Slowly, I raised my head. A few of them were smiling at me, but all of them were looking at me with undisguised curiosity.

"It's my honour to meet you, Healers." I inclined my head slightly.

"I can safely say that we've probably been more to meet you, Healer." A female Healer with bright red hair and the greenest eyes I'd ever seen said. I coughed self-consciously, wishing dearly that I was home in my garden.

"I think we've intimidated her enough without adding the weight of expectation, Tia." A male Healer, of middle age and built like a Warrior with black hair and eyes to match, laughed. "Kate, may I do the introductions?" Healer Kate inclined her head, blue eyes never leaving me.

"Isabella, that's Tia," Indicating the redheaded female who appeared to be the youngest of the group, "Lora," a grey-haired female with kind brown eyes and the most spectacularly coloured robes I'd ever seen smiled at me, "Joran," a serious looking male with spectacles and a beautiful head of nearly white-blonde hair who nodded at me, "I'm Eric and of-course, you know Kate," gesturing at the silver-haired Chief Healer. "We are the senior Healers in Volterra. Welcome." He smiled at me. I smiled back a little hesitantly.

"We look forward to speaking much with you." Lora said in her gentle voice. "But you must rest. It is a long journey from Forks."

"Thank you, my L-" I stopped quickly as Eric grinned.

"Let me take you to your chambers." Tia said stepping forward briskly. The others inclined their heads and I was uncomfortably aware of them watching me leave as I followed Tia out.

"Sorry about that." Tia said as she strode down the corridor with me hurrying to keep up. "Didn't mean to stick you up against the entire senior panel the minute you arrived."

I decided I liked Tia.

"It's just that you're a bit of a celebrity around here at the moment."

I shuddered. She glanced at me as we walked.

"…but I'm guessing you don't much like being in the spotlight."

I really liked Tia.

"Let's just say that I wish that bear hadn't mauled him, but for different reasons." I murmured. She snorted.

"Carmen wasn't kidding." She said cryptically, as we rounded the corner in what seemed like a labyrinth. I was definitely going to get lost in here.

"About what?" I asked, glancing at her.

"About how self-effacing you are – and your propensity for sassiness."

"If you had to spend time around the jokers I deal with, you'd be sassy too, Healer." I said drily.

"I don't doubt it." She broke into a sudden smile. "We're going to get along fine, you and I. Here we are." She stopped in front of a door and opened it, gesturing to me, to enter.

My eyes widened as I stepped into a room that was easily double the size of my chambers at home and, while simply furnished, still better furnished than my own. The walls were lined with books, bottles, framed herbs and there were plants everywhere. It was a garden in a room and I fell in love with it immediately.

"I hope this will do. Get some rest and settle in. I'll come by in a few hours to bring you down for dinner." Tia said from beside the door, about to leave when I stopped her.

"Dinner?"

She nodded and looked at me enquiringly.

"Dinner at Clanholding is a gathering. Anyone in residence attends. You're the Clan Leader's guest, so he will be expecting you." I must have looked like I'd swallowed a ferret because she grinned. "You really shouldn't have saved young Edward, you know."

I'd been thinking the same thing.

OOOOOOOOOO

After I'd unpacked my things, I located a housestaff who gave me a guided tour of Healer's, so thorough that by the time he was finished, I could find my way around easily. I thanked him and headed straight for the gardens. I needed air, I missed my herb garden and the solitude of the forest.

I wandered around the neatly manicured grounds, stopping to examine this plant and that, shaking my head at their tiny glasshouse that served as a herb garden and breathing in the different scents. I passed a charming wooden gazebo, nestled between two laurels, and was heading towards what appeared to be woods at the far end of the garden when a pair of Guard popped up out of nowhere.

"This area is forbidden, My Lord." One of them said, bowing at me. "Please stay within the garden boundaries."

"I just wanted to walk upto the woods." I said, but the other shook his head.

"Off bounds, My Lord. The boundary is the gazebo, no further." I frowned, but didn't push it and walked back to the gazebo, looking back longingly at the woods in the distance.

There was time before dinner so I sat in the gazebo, enjoying the sound of the twilight cicadas, the gentle hum of garden life. I closed my eyes, smiling to myself. In moments like this, I could almost feel like I belonged.

A slight rustle made me open my eyes.

"We meet again, Isabella." Edward said as he sat down opposite me.

"Go away." I told him, closing my eyes again, as my stomach lurched suddenly. I was thankful I'd prepared myself for this, for being able to sound so calm. He laughed softly and was so quiet that I thought he had left. But no, when I opened my eyes again, he was still there, that unmistakable emerald-green gaze I had not been able to forget steady on me.

"How are you?" He asked. Yup, his voice still makes me shiver, I thought, yay.

"Trying to have a moment of peace." I said, looking at him meaningfully.

"Now is that any way to greet a friend?" He leaned back smiling at me.

"Leave me be, my Lord." I said closing my eyes again. "I'll be your friend later."

"I'll hold you to that." There was silence and when I sneaked a peek, I saw that he had closed his eyes too. I exhaled and leaned against the pillar.

We sat there, together, in the gathering dusk and strangely, in the company of this disturbing male, I felt the same sense of belonging I had felt earlier.

OOOOOOOOOO

"This way." Healer Tia lead me unerringly through the corridors to the dining hall. I should have been hungry but my appetite had deserted me.

Like the coward I so was, I had slipped away from the gazebo without disturbing Edward. I couldn't avoid him, not now, but I needed to set the parameters, I needed to manage this on my terms, especially when I was on his turf.

We had reached the Great Hall and I stood for a moment, absorbing it. It was huge, rows of tables, with enough room in between for the housestaff to serve and for diners to walk from one table to another, which many were doing. At the head of the hall, the centre table, presiding, where the Clan Leader and senior Council sat. I could see him now, along with Healer Kate and a few others. The room buzzed with chatter, laughter, even some guitar strings and song, the smell of spices thick in the air, the candle glow not too bright or dark. The general ambience was one of wellbeing and togetherness. Of family.

If only.

"Where do the Healers sit?" I turned to Tia.

"Oh, the Healers don't normally sit together, we sit wherever we can, amidst the others. Kate says it's so we can remain in touch with the Clan, but personally I think it's to prevent us from killing each other. We spend too much time together." Tia grinned at me.

"Well, would you mind if I sat with you tonight?" I asked. She shook her head ruefully.

"I'm afraid that will have to wait - they're waiting for you at the Main Table." She nodded her head at the centre table and when I turned, Healer Kate was beckoning me. I looked back at Tia, horrifed. She gave me a sympathetic smile and gently pushed me towards them.

I walked slowly towards the table, hoping to slip into my seat quietly.

No such luck.

As I approached, Clan Leader saw me and stood. And when he stood, the others at his table stood. And when they stood, those at the tables nearby noticed and nearly cracked their necks looking at me. Great. Way to stay under the radar, Bella.

"Healer Isabella." Clan Leader smiled warmly at me. "Welcome to Volterra. I'm glad you accepted my invitation."

I bowed my head and clenched my fist over my heart in greeting.

"I was honoured to be invited, my Lord."

"I trust your accommodation is to your liking." He said, his eyes twinkling. I blushed.

"Yes, My Lord. No..er..furry roommates." I replied gravely. He laughed.

"Dare I ask?" The male seated on one side of him looked at us curiously.

"It's beyond you, Ces, I assure you." Clan Leader smiled at me. "Come, Healer. Join us."

"Er, My Lord-" I began awkwardly.

"Don't worry, Healer," Healer Kate said, "We don't bite."

"You can keep my son company." Clan Leader said, nodding his head at a point behind my left shoulder, just as Edward appeared at my side.

"Yes, keep me company." Edward said in soft whisper only I could hear. "But I do bite."

I want to go home.