Disclaimer: Only the new story line in mine, the rest is Stephenie Meyers.

Isabella - IPOV

Edward is looking at the rest of the Cullens with a strange look on his face, as if he can't believe that they still want me as part of their family. I smile as Demetri pulls me closer to him, when Aro tells Felix to put Edward back together. We watch as Edward's wounds start healing and he regains focus.

He looks at me with a very strange look on his face and Demetri sees it too. He pulls me behind him in a protective move and I move my hand to his shoulder. This is a statement from the both of us. Demetri is protecting what is his and I'm claiming him as well. Edward looks away when Aro surprises him by taking his hand and we all wait while Aro reads Edward's thoughts again.

I roll my eyes when Aro confirms that Edward still thinks the worst of me. Well, if he wasn't acting like a complete idiot, I would have left him alone. But no, he had to attack my Demi, so he got what he deserved. No one hurts the man I love with all my heart. I just wonder how we can make him understand that I'm happy and very much in love with my husband.

He didn't believe the thoughts in Demetri's head. All the signs of love that Demetri and I shared while he was here, are not registering in his mind. What if I would let him read my mind? Renata and I practiced on retracting my shield from my own mind. We found out that it is possible, but it takes a lot of energy and therefor limited in time. It's worth the try though.

"Master Aro, may I suggest something?"

"Off course, Isabella."

"May I try and let Edward read my thoughts?"

Aro nods and I turn to Demetri. I need him for this. I take his face in my hands and give him a kiss, before asking him to hold me. I will need his loving embrace to steady me. With Demetri's strong arms wrapped around, I start retracting my shield and then I push my thoughts toward Edward.

His eyes flutter shut when the first thought reaches him: him abandoning me in the forest. I let the thoughts out in a rapid succession, knowing I won't be able to do this for long. I think about how Demetri found me and about our first kiss. The next thought is the moment I realized that I loved my Demi with all my heart. I think of the moment where I decided for myself that I would feed off humans.

I see Edward falling to his knees.

I think about the first time Demetri and I made love and about how Demetri changed me. I show Edward that my first thought when I woke up as a vampire was that I loved Demetri more than anything on this earth. I show him the moment when we marked each other as mates and the moment Demetri asked me to marry him.

I want to show him so much more, but I feel Demetri tightening his embrace and I hear him asking me to stop. I pull my shield back up and turn into his embrace. I inhale his scent and kiss him lovingly. I turn around when I hear Edward say:

"You were protecting him… You really love him…"

Yes! He finally understands that I love Demetri with all that I am.

"More than anything. You see, Edward, I may have loved you back then, but that love is nothing, compared to what I feel for Demetri. He is my true love, my mate and I can't live without him. I would lay down my life for him. I wish that for you too, Edward. I hope that someday you will find the person that completes you, but that person isn't me. I found my place in this world and I know it's not what you wanted for me, but it makes me the happiest woman on this planet.

If you really love me, than you will respect all of my choices, even when they differ from your beliefs and you will learn to love me as a sister. I hope that someday we will be able to stand in the same room with all of this a distant memory. It will take time to completely forgive you for what you did, but I want you to be happy. If you can't get past this, we will be enemies forever."

I watch as Edward nods to me, before he turns back to Aro and says:

"I understand where I went wrong and I will accept any punishment you plan to give me. I will never again stand in the way of Isabella's happiness. I hope that in time my family can forgive me for my mistakes, even though I don't deserve it."

Aro surprises us all when he says:

Previous chapter:

"I would like to discuss your punishment with Carlisle. Could you follow me to my study for a moment, Carlisle?"

Demetri - DPOV

I can see by the way that Marcus and Caius are looking at each other, that they don't have a clue about what Aro is up too. Why would he need to talk to Carlisle? The Cullens made it very clear that they don't want Edward anywhere near them, so why involve them again?

I can only hope that Aro isn't planning on making Edward a member of the guard for a defined number of years. That would be more of a punishment for us then for him. I don't want him hanging around us all day. He can say that he will never stand in the way of my Isa's happiness again, but I don't want him here in Volterra while he's clearly still in love with her.

We watch as Aro and Carlisle walk out of the throne room. Isabella and I join Jane and Alec on the dais and Felix and Heidi join us. I smile when I see the shock on the Cullen's face when Jane hugs Isabella and asks if she's okay. Felix and Alec are looking at my Isa with pride and I smile when Felix says:

"Damn, Isabella, you even impressed me with that move. Oh, and the tongue removal was a nice twist. Lol, twist… Do you get it? I'm so hilarious sometimes."

Heidi and Isabella slap him against the back of his head. He yelps:

"Demetri, control your wife. She is a bad influence on mine and now they are ganging up on me."

I pull Isabella in my arms and say:

"Is his talking bothering you too, tesoro? Do you want me to take out his tongue as well?"

Felix's eyes grow wide and he runs over to the other side of the room before Isabella can respond. The rest of us start laughing out loud and Felix looks like a lost puppy. Emmett walks over to him and they start talking. I can feel Isabella's smile when she notices it. She's so happy to have her old family back. I pull her close and kiss her mark. She sighs happily and my death heart soars. She's still mine and she always will be.

Carlisle - CPOV

I must say that Aro surprises me when he asks me to join him in his study. It's only in rare occasions that he asks for anyone's opinion regarding punishment after breaking the law. Aro has always been intrigued by Edward's gift, but I can't imagine him making Edward a member of his guard. I'm quite certain Demetri and Isabelle would hate that idea very much.

I can't say that I blame Isabella. What Edward did to her, is inexcusable, no matter the reasoning behind it. Demetri's reaction is completely natural as well. If someone hurts your mate, that person will pay one way or the other.

Aro and I walk the short distance to his study and sit down at his desk. I look around the room and see that it hasn't changed much since I left Volterra all those years ago.

"You haven't changed much in here over the years. It's still as I remember it."

"Ah, Carlisle, you know me. People think I'm fleeting, but I'm actually quite conservative. And Sulpicia loves this place, so I wouldn't dare to change it too much. I still value my life very much."

I smile at his remark. It's true that a lot of vampires have a wrong idea about Aro. I'm honored that I can call him my friend, even though his thirst for gifted vampires worries me sometimes.

"Please tell Sulpicia I said hello. I must say that I miss our discussions on historical events."

"I will, Carlisle. Now let's discuss young Edward's punishment. You know how much I like the gifted of our species and Edward would be a great addition to my guard. However, I fear that Demetri and Isabella will not share my view on this subject and I can't risk losing them. Isabella has been one of us from the moment she arrived, even as a human and Demetri has been with us for so long that I consider him family. They are true Volturi.

So you see, Carlisle, that's why I can't punish Edward by making him a member of my guard for a defined number of years. The question remains: what will we do with Edward? Do you stand by your decision to expel him from your family or can he retake his place in the future?"

I take a few minutes to think. I expelled Edward from our family when I thought Isabella died in the fire that burned her house down, when I believed that his actions killed her. I still can't believe that my daughter is still alive. She looks so happy and you can see how much she loves Demetri. It's written all over her face and it shows in all her actions.

Can we forgive Edward for his actions now that we have Isabella back? She won't be living with us, but she will be here with her mate, being happy. That thought fills my heart with joy and I realize that in time I can forgive Edward for what he did. I turn to Aro and say:

"It will take the family some time to forgive him completely, but I truly believe that in time we can forgive him for his actions. If Isabella can find it in her heart to wish him happiness, we can forgive him when the time comes. But what will we do with him in the meanwhile?"

Aro walks around his desk and takes place in the chair next to me. He puts the tips of his fingers together and says:

"What would you say to making him live with another coven for fifty years, maybe a change of scenery will do him good? You never know, he might find love along the way."

I contemplate about what Aro said and find myself agreeing with his proposal. Edward needs to find himself again. If he goes home with us, he will still be the single vampire in a coven with only mated pairs. He needs to let Isabella go and find his own way in life. Someday he will find his own true love, even if he has to wait 3000 years to find her, like Demetri.

"Do you have a coven in mind, Aro? I would advise against the Denali coven, knowing we see them as family as well."

"I wouldn't dream of imposing on Eleazar and Carmen like that. It's bad enough that I have to call Eleazar to Volterra once in a while to determine a new vampire's gift. You should have seen how impressed he was with our Isabella. Demetri almost took his head off when he tried to touch Isabella. It was quite funny."

"I always expected Isabella to be special, ever since I learned that Edward couldn't read her mind. She is an extraordinary vampire, this life suite her very well."

"You're so right, Carlisle, she is very special. Now, back to young Edward. I was thinking of sending him to the Irish coven. Does Edward like lamb?"

"I think he will prefer the deer, but I'm thankful that you're taking his diet into consideration."

"Oh Carlisle, always so serious, I thought my remark was rather funny. You need to loosen up some more, my old friend. You might become the first vampire with wrinkles if you keep this up. Imagine that."

I smile at Aro and say:

"I can live with wrinkles if I know that my family is happy and safe, and that includes Isabella and Edward. Are you sure the Irish coven is willing to take him in?"

"I'll give Siobhan a quick call. She owes me for sparing her mate after he almost risked exposure, so I'm certain it won't be a problem."

Aro walks over to his phone and I wait for him to finish the call. I can't help listening in on the conversation and smile when I hear Aro say:

"Ah, my dear Siobhan, it's Aro. I'm calling to collect my IOU. Do you remember?"

"Off course, Aro, we're vampires. We never forget. What can we do for you?"

"I need you to take in Edward Masen, formerly known as Edward Cullen. He broke the law and is being sentenced to living away from his own coven for fifty years. I was hoping you would take him in. He drinks from animals, but that shouldn't be a problem. I'm sure Ireland won't be alarmed if a few sheep go missing now and then."

"Can we consider the IOU fulfilled when Edward leaves us to rejoin his own coven?"

"Yes, Siobhan, when Edward leaves, your debt is paid."

"We are glad that we can help out in this matter, Aro. You may tell Edward that he is welcome to join the Irish coven for the next fifty years. I'll call Gianna to arrange a flight to Dublin as soon as possible."

I believe Edward will learn to like Ireland. It's a beautiful country; it rains there almost as much as in Forks. It might be a good idea if he enrolls at a university, that way time will pass quicker. I need to get him a phone before he leaves so that we can keep in contact. I notice that Aro motions me to follow him, after he finishes the call and we walk back to the throne room together.

Edward - EPOV

I stand to the side as Aro and Carlisle leave the throne room and I look over to where Isabella is standing. I can see the pride in the eyes of other Volturi members as they talk about her attack on me. They are right, it was a well-executed attack; too bad I was at the receiving end of it.

I smile softly when Isabella and Heidi slap Felix. My smile grows even wider, when I hear her laughing at something that Demetri is whispering in her ear. It scares Felix, because he runs across the room in a flash. She is truly happy here. I watch her glow and realize that I never saw her that happy when we were together. I was just the person that led her to her true love.

I look over to the vampires that were my family, until I betrayed them. Carlisle was right to throw me out of the family. I don't deserve their forgiveness, but I hope they can see past my actions somewhere down the line. I sigh and start staring at the doors, wishing for Aro and Carlisle to hurry up. I take deep breath when they reenter the room. It's time to face the music.

Demetri - DPOV

We all stop talking when Aro and Carlisle reenter the throne room. Isabella joins me on the dais next to Caius while everybody else moves back to their place and waits for Aro to speak up.

"Edward, you broke our most important law. You left a human that knew of our existence behind alive. You confessed to this crime and therefor, you will be punished. Please move forward."

Edward moves forward, his gaze fixed on my Isabella. I move in front of her to break his line of sight and growl softly. He redirects his look to Aro and bows. Aro looks at him intensely, before saying:

"Edward, your actions almost killed the true mate of a Volturi guard, they alienated you from your family, but above all, they showed us how misguided you truly are. Killing you would be a waste of a marvelous gift and I will not sentence you to servicing the guard, even though your gift would be of great use to us. Isabella deserves true happiness and she will have that, here with us, far away from you, for as long as she needs. You will leave her and Demetri alone. Any contact, between you and our Isabella, is forbidden, until the day that Isabella decides otherwise.

We are sentencing you to living with the Irish coven for fifty years. We suggest you use that time to find yourself again. Carlisle assured me that he and his family will find it in their heart to forgive you for what you did eventually. You will have a place with them when you return to the States after serving your time in Ireland.

Remember that we don't give second chances. If we find out that you broke the law again, we will kill you. Santiago will escort you to Gianna to get your flight information. You will be leaving for Dublin tonight. Don't try and run. Demetri will find you and with Isabella at his side, you won't hear them coming. You'll be dead before you even realize they are there. Do you understand that, Edward?"

I look at Caius and I can see that he is not pleased. Edward is getting a light sentence, because he's gifted and because of Aro's friendship with Carlisle. What's wrong with some gold old-fashioned torture? Sometimes I really miss the medieval times and I know Caius does too. Edward tries to catch another glimpse of Isabella but I block his view immediately. He sighs and says:

"You're too kind, Aro. I accept my punishment but I don't deserve such a light punishment and I certainly do not deserve my family's forgiveness."

Aro holds out his hand to stop Edward's talking and says:

"A beautiful, intelligent woman told us today that it's not up to us to decide whether we deserve forgiveness or not, Edward. It's someone's to give if they feel that you deserve it. Go now, Gianna is waiting. I'm sure that we will meet again someday."

Edward nods and turns to look at his father. Carlisle puts a step forward and gives Edward a cell phone. He takes it and slips it into his pocket. Both men share a quiet moment and then Edward rushes out of the room with Santiago on his heels. Good riddance. Now we just need to get the Cullens out of here as well, I'm in desperate need of some alone time with my wife.

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