A/N: I had every intention of this being a three-part story but unfortunately, I couldn't make the plot work and flow the way I wanted to. That being said, please enjoy this unplanned addition. :)
Heavy in your Arms IV
My eyes danced around the dimly lit and barren corridor, illuminated only by the flickering of candles mounted on the stonewalls. My eyes lingered as I watched with awe as the wax slowly but surely dripped down and pooled and collected in the ancient bronze collection ring at the base. I felt my feet falter just slightly as I was overcome with the sensation of sight, still not quite accustomed to my heightened senses. Out of what I believed to comfort me, I felt as Chelsea reached out and interlaced our fingers and pulled me closer against her, gently tugging to indicate that we needed to continue with the walk.
I willed my feet to continue to move forward, my dark crimson eyes seemingly glued on the dual wooden doors that were quickly becoming closer. I sucked my lower lip in between my teeth and nibbled as I gripped at her hand tighter out of instinct, realizing that my anxiety was slowly but assuredly climbing, after all, I was about to enter a room full of the vampires, the family who had left me along with Edward, even if it had likely been done so under false pretenses and obvious manipulation by their son.
"Everything will be alright my dear. I know that the weight of the unknown behind those doors is daunting but I assure you, regardless of what happens in that room I will ensure that you will never be alone again. I understand I cannot shelter you from the pain that could come with this meeting, although I would give anything in this world if I could spare you from it but this is merely a stepping stone in your journey to happiness." She spoke reassuringly as if she had read my convoluted and turbulent mind.
Her supportive sentiments cut through my quick moving thoughts but were not enough to silence them completely. They moved towards thoughts of the family members one by one and I slowly but surely became immersed. How on earth could I face them? What would I say? What would they think when they saw that I was no longer human and that I was with a vampire who belonged to a rival coven, regardless of Carlisle's past connection to them?
I stopped at the door and raised my free hand to the large ornately engraved wooden doors and ran my fingertips across the designs, taking unnecessary and deep calming breaths, a mannerism that I still maintained as a vampire. Summoning whatever ounce of courage I had left in my being, I squared my shoulders and exhaled as I eventually moved the door open and glided into the familiar throne room.
I felt the air suddenly become thick with anticipation and anxiety as I was engulfed in the familiar but overpowering unique scent of the Cullens but refused to move my eyes to their direction. I heard their gasps in surprise with the realization that I was clearly no longer human. I heard the rustle of chains and knew Edward was stirring against his hold, likely only not acting out due to the fear of Jane inflicting her gift of unholy agony upon him once more.
Chelsea and I moved forward to stand in front of the patiently waiting Aro, Caius and Marcus. As we made our way to the foot of the stairs, we fell to one knee in sync, my head instantly bowing in a sign of pure submission, an act that caused Aro to clap his hands together in satisfaction.
"Please, the two of you, rise." He grinned as we rose and he quickly moved over and placed his hands to either side of my face, his eyes looking over me with a sense of awe and wonder.
"Magnifica. You seem to have been born to be one of us. I have never in my thousands of years of existence witnessed a transformation which resulted to your level of exquisiteness. I must confess that I had my reservations about turning you before the trial but it appears as if it was unwarranted. You are remarkably in control and it is truly an honor that you stand before me now." He grinned and I could not stop myself from leaning into his comforting touch.
"Thank you for this opportunity. I will be forever grateful and in your debt." I replied as Chelsea smiled and nodded as well as she wrapped an arm around my waist and nuzzled into my neck affectionately.
" It is my hope that you will stay here and become part of our family, Isabella. I understand however that you will likely need some time to consider all possibilities." He replied with a small smile, and I nodded in both confirmation and in appreciation.
"Bella? What's going on?" Carlisle called out and I slowly broke away from the comfort of both Aro and Chelsea to finally meet the gaze of the Cullens, my stomach doing uneasy flips as my eyes took in their appearances.
"I would have thought that Alice would have filled you in." I replied with an almost nonchalant shrug, my tone laced with just a touch of frost. Logically, I knew that their act of betrayal was due to Edward's influence but there was always a possibility that I was incorrect with my assumption. I was not a mind reader after all. How could I be pleasant with them all as if their actions did not leave me with what I knew was likely a permanent scar on my heart?
I watched as Alice almost forcefully removed herself from the family who had attempted to create some kind of barrier in between her and the rest of the Volturi guard. I felt my eye roll at the sight, how absolutely ludicrous. She moved forward despite the warning hiss that escaped Rosalie's lips, clearly advising her not to move from the feeble protection that the family would provide. I shot my eyes to hers momentarily, taken back instead of hatred I saw what appeared to be sadness or even pity. Shaking my head in attempt to clear it, I moved by eyes back to Alice as I opened my arms, smiling as she quite literally squealed and rushed into my arms, jumping up and wrapping me up into a koala like hug.
I chuckled against the top of her head, her dark locks tickling my nose as I wrapped my arms around her and held her close, relishing in her comforting and somehow familiar scent, smiling at her reaction. While the disappearance from the family had caused me to be in pain, the separation from Alice had been the absolute worst and I was in no shape or way ready to ever be separated from her again. I placed her back down on her feet after a few moments, her hands reaching out to grasp my forearms.
"I simply told them of Edward's decision and action that led him into this predicament. The rest is your story and I didn't feel comfortable in sharing it all." She happily chirped and I simply nodded with a grateful smile.
"I'm not sure what there is to say," I paused as I looked over at the group of people I had once considered family, " I came here with Alice to stop your son from his melodramatics. Unfortunately, in the process the Volturi were made aware of my existence as a human and my knowledge of your kind was a violation of their laws and Edward was going to be punished for his involvement. Still desperate to try and save you all from the pain that would come from that, I sacrificed my humanity and made the difficult and life changing decision to be changed so that no laws would be broken." I explained with an uneasy shift of my weight between my feet as I felt the weight of their stare.
" You would sacrifice yourself and your humanity for us, despite the fact you had made it clear that you did not want anything to do with us?" Esme asked with a slight tremor in her voice. I moved my eyes to hers and melted slightly at the comfort and motherly love radiating off of her confused eyes.
My head tilted to the side in my apparent confusion as my eyebrows furrowed.
"I am sorry but what do you mean?" I asked, my mind not able to comprehend her statement. What did she mean that I didn't want anything to do with them? I was not the one who had left. My eyes hardened in thought and I growled at Edward as my eyes shot to his, who looked down in shame, clearly not able to meet my gaze.
"Edward Anthony Masen Cullen. What did you do?" I forced out, causing Alice and Chelsea both to square their shoulders and move to stand on either side of me, Chelsea wrapping an arm around the small of my back.
"You have to understand, I was desperate to stick to my diet and was finding that it was simply not possible after your birthday incident. No one was going to be willing to leave so I had to make it so we didn't have a choice." He spoke with a broken voice and my eyes widened as the realization fell onto me like a load of bricks. I had been right, the family had been lied to and misled, just as I had been. My hands moved into fists as I clenched them tightly. I had my suspicions about Edward's manipulation but this was beyond even my expectations.
"Bella?" Esme asked once more as her eyes shot to look at me, eyes widening slightly as the comprehension slowly flooded across her face.
"I didn't want you to leave. Any of you. I was broken up with in the forest after being told that I was not wanted. That the family was tired of acting human for me. Essentially that I was a toy that you all had outgrown and loss interest in." I sighed out, hearing Alice growl out in annoyance.
"And he made a snap decision so I was not able to receive any warning visions. He knew full well what he was doing and the pain it would cause us all but did not care." She growled and took her hand into my own, clearly signaling to the family and the Volturi both where her loyalty clearly laid.
"Oh, Bella. I am so sorry. That word means nothing I know but it's all that I can say. When we heard you wanted to be free from us and live in a normal human world, it all but destroyed us but we wanted to respect your wishes. I wish more than anything that we had chosen on a different course of action." Esme sighed out, her eyes quite clearly willing me to understand her point of view. My eyes danced from hers to the rest of the family and sighed as I saw mirror expressions from them all, with the exception of Rosalie who was now glaring at me.
" Thank you for your sincere and kind words, but I would not have changed a thing. You see, while as painful as the whole process was, it led me to this path and it allowed me to see just how wrong Edward and I were for each other, which led me to finding the person I was supposed to be with per fate's beautiful but chaotic intervention." I replied, suddenly feeling anxious as Chelsea interlaced our fingers and without hesitation, kissed my cheek with a smile.
The action caused me to smile as well, despite another chorus of shocked gasps that escaped the lips of the family.
"You mean to tell me that Edward and us all are in this position, and she wasn't even his mate? Can someone please explain why she always has the power to completely derail this family and cause us to deal with nothing but a mess while she gets what she wants?" Rosalie snapped out causing me to lower my head in shame.
It was true, and I knew it. As selfish as I was being, I knew she was correct. They all would have been off to have never met me. Alice gripped at my hand, obviously in an attempt to reassure me. I watched out of my peripheral as she snapped her head in my direction, clearly desiring to say so much but was not able to, deciding to try and communicate with the language of her eyes, one that I had mastered even as a human. I tried to reassure her with a smile but found I could not lift my gaze to meet her own and kept my stare fixated on my shoes, feeling Jasper attempt to reign in my turbulent emotions.
To my surprise, the next growl came from Caius as he rose from his throne, his harsh and blackened gaze locking onto the Cullens who stepped back with a twinge of fear reflecting off of their orbs.
"How dare you speak of her in such a manner? She, a human, was drug into your world by your hands, your actions, your decisions. You destroyed her concept of life as she knew it and yet, she took it in stride. She protected that secret to the very end, and decided to exchange her life, her future, her goals and aspirations to protect you, all of you, despite how gravely you betrayed her." He paused as he looked at me with a slightly softening gaze before rounding back at the Cullens as he clearly saw the pain reflecting in my eyes as I looked up to meet his own, " And now that she has found happiness, her second chance at life and her true mate and family, the place where she belongs, you dare to question that as if she is not worthy of such things?"
I watched him with wide eyes, before glancing up at Marcus who had also stood and walked gracefully to where we stood, placing a calming hand on his brother's shoulder and giving a gentle squeeze. Caius tore his murderous gaze from Rosalie and sighed as he shoved his hands through his chin length platinum hair and stepped back to stand next to Aro, who had an almost placid expression on his face, clearly attempting to deescalate the quickly approaching conflict.
"All, please. Allow me to shed some light on this rather convoluted and emotionally charged situation. First though, Felix, please remove the chains from Edward. I believe the Olympic Coven will be more receptive once they see that no harm is to come to their eldest son." He spoke in a deep tone causing me to watch Edward with a slightly wary eye. Logically, I knew that as I was no longer human, my blood would no longer sing to him and I would likely be okay and as a newborn, I was sure I could take him on with vigor and ease but that did not all but remove the memories of him moving to end my life.
The venom infused metallic chains fell heavily onto the tile floor and Edward moved his arms to the front, his hands massaging his wrists where the cuffs had been just moments prior as he looked over at the family with a sheepish expression. Esme moved forward first, and quickly embraced her son, clearly more at ease knowing that he had been spared but still held a certain amount of shame in her eyes, to which Edward looked away and at the ground as he moved to join the family.
"Now then, let me explain." Marcus gently smiled after looking at me and I nodded, giving my silent permission for him to share the information, " You all are aware of my gift of relationship identification I am sure but are you versed with its functionality?"
"I can't say that we are. If it will aid in our understanding of the situation, please do enlighten us." Carlise spoke up, earning nods from the family who clearly rendered their will to the coven leader, with the exception of Alice who had not yet moved from my side.
" My ability allows me to sense the relationships of those around me, of all kinds, paired with the intensity of the ties that bind a person to another. This allows me to see each individual's level of devotion to one another, and determine who would willingly die for another or turn traitor, given incentive. This power enables me to detect several different emotional links at the same time, and has proved to be very crucial in not only keeping ties pure with the Volturi but has proved to be an effective tool at mitigating situations. You see, when utilizing my skill during conflict, I can identify both the strong and weak links of both parties, which allows the potential to end the quarrel in the most efficient and diplomatic manner possible." He explained rather serenely as if it was the easiest and most comprehendible thing in the world to understand.
"And how is this relevant old man?" Emmett practically growled out, his impatience and immaturity shining all in one. I couldn't help but allow the smile to dance across my lips as I took in the dumfounded expression that immediately appeared on Carlisle's face as his head whipped around so fast, I was momentarily worried that his head might pop off of his shoulders. Alice placed a dainty hand over her lips in a failed attempt to drown out her chuckle and Chelsea bit down her lip to stop her own smile.
"Emmett, that was not helpful at all. I am doing everything I can to control the emotions of everyone right now, so if you could refrain from acting like an unruly toddler for more than thirty seconds, it would be greatly appreciated." Jasper shot at him before moving his concerned eyes back to his mate's as they exchanged a silent conversation. I watched the interaction momentarily before moving my gaze back to my own's, causing her to smile at me and squeeze my hand.
Desire shot through my being and I had to fight the urge to act on my feeling. Jasper must have noticed because he shot a knowing glance at me before gracing me with his custom smirk, nodding in my general direction as the pieces of the puzzle clearly had fallen into place for him.
"I suppose that while as brash as Emmett's statement was, I should really move this along" Marcus sighed and continued before he locked his gaze with Rosalie, " To answer your inquiry, you must first understand this. There are three types of bonds and are described in Latin as Familia, Amica, and Amantium, or family, friends and lovers in lament terms. It is rare that I encounter a being with strong ties in all three of these areas. However, as you all stand before me, I can sense all of these bonds, which satisfies your query. You see, Isabella has the strongest Familia bonds I have witnessed in a long time to your family, which explains the reasoning why she has been devoted to you to such an extent. Followed, she and Alice share the closest Amica bond that I have ever witnessed, which is likely why the separation from her was hardest on Alice. However, I will say that now that Alice's venom runs through Bella's being in conjunction with Chelsea's their bond has only intensified." He stopped as he gauged their reactions as they looked wildly from Alice to I and back, frozen in a state of shock.
"In short, this is why, despite your reluctance, you all feel almost an innate pull towards her. It was written in the stars that you and her would meet and these bonds were to solidify. To fight them is pointless and in doing so, you are only hurting yourself and in turn, causing your own familial bonds to be severely damaged." Marcus said in almost a bored tone as the family's eyes widened and then finally moved from me back to him.
"And of the third bond?" Esme inquired as she looked back me, finally understanding the reasoning why she had always felt a pull to me like a mother would to her daughter.
"Ah, yes. You see, when Isabella arrived and walked into our courtroom I felt the strongest mate pull connection that I had ever witnessed, between her and none other than our own Chelsea." He replied with a light smile as he looked over to her and I and then back to the family, " it truly does my undead soul wonders to see the true beauty and pureness of their bond."
The family remained silent as they clearly struggled to comprehend the bomb that Marcus had just dropped. I watched their reactions closely as every fiber of my being practically vibrated in tension, ready at any moment to defend myself or Chelsea if things were to go awry. I felt my eyes dance between the Cullens and my new family and shifted anxiously on my feet, realizing that I had still retained a great deal of my human mannerisms despite my change.
"Bella, I know that this a moot point but I want to extend my sincerest apology for everything and all that I have done. I see now that Marcus is correct. As you stand before me, I have to admit that while I find you to be beautiful, I no longer feel the pull. This has solidified the belief that you were nothing more than my blood singer." Edward finally sighed as he broke the silence, causing my eyes to move to his own.
I looked deeply into his familiar golden orbs and judged the emotions that I could see dancing across them, visible for anyone to see. Seeing no indications of malice or deception, I finally nodded my head.
"I accept your apology, Edward. I harbor no ill feelings toward you. All I want is to be happy and to be free to explore these bonds freely without prosecution or unjust judgement." I sighed as I looked over their faces.
After a few moments of silence, the majority of the family nodded.
" Have you decided on a course of action then, young one?" Aro asked causing me to look at my mate and then back at Aro as I debated my decision, as if I had any choice in the matter. My dead heart had already chosen the path for me.
"I will not leave my mate's side. That being said, I will accept your offer to join the Volturi, at least until Chelsea and I decide otherwise." I paused as I took in the crestfallen expression of Esme, " But I do wish to be able to be free to visit the Cullens and them I when possible."
Aro moved his eyes from my own to have his own silent conversations with Caius and Marcus before turning to meet my own gaze.
"Aro, I have a request, if I may." Alice suddenly spoke up, causing me to raise my eyebrows slightly.
"Yes, little one?" he asked with curiosity.
" I already have found that I am nothing without her. She is my best friend and I will not be separated from her again if it all possible. That being said, I wish to join the ranks." She spoke looking at Jasper, ignoring the questioning and hurt expression from her former family.
"I as well. Wherever my mate leads, I will follow." Jasper nodded as he stepped away from the family, and moved to stand next to Alice.
My eyes slowly began to fill with venom as I watched the scene unfold before my eyes. I never once expected this, but I would not lie and say I was not elated at this random change of events.
"Alice, no. Carlisle, do something!" Rosalie practically screamed. I felt her sheer panic in her tone, and it caused me to wince. I knew that this had to be difficult for her to stomach, but I was not entirely surprised. Marcus' explanation of the bonds were still fresh in my mind, and I knew it was likely because of that connection that Alice was choosing me over the family she had chosen to join all those years ago.
Carlisle remained silent, his eyebrows slightly furrowed deep in contemplation. I watched as Esme walked over and placed a gentle hand on his bicep, causing him to look at her for a few moments before he turned his gaze to Alice.
"Rosalie, Jasper and Alice are their own beings and can choose whatever path they feel is best for them. I will not do anything to prevent them from making those decisions. They came to us seeking refuge and a family, and we have provided that to them. Circumstances have now shifted, and it is time for them to once again start down a new path and as family, we should support them." He finally murmured, causing Rosalie to huff loudly in annoyance and storm out of the courtroom.
Emmett paused only long enough to smile in my direction.
"Before you outgrow your newborn phase, I want a sparring match!" He grinned, causing me to laugh and I nodded. He grinned back and then took off after Rosalie, clearly ready to do some damage control. Edward smiled at me before he too exited, leaving me alone with Carlisle and Esme.
Esme walked forward and wrapped me in her arms, running a soft and gentle hand through my hair. I felt myself melt into her loving embrace before she pulled back, her hands gently placed on my arms.
"You are always welcome with us, Bella. Please, take care of yourself and thank you for doing all that you did for the family. It may not exactly show, but we are grateful." She smiled and I nodded my head.
"You're welcome." I smiled back and she and Carlisle left the room.
"Are you absolutely positive about this, Alice and Jazz?" I asked a few moments later as I looked over to them both who grinned.
"I can't stay with a coven who will cower to the desires of Edward. We all knew it was wrong, and they went against their moral compass to appease his wishes. It is only a matter of time before something similar happens again. Besides," she paused as she gifted me with her breathtaking grin, " We have a ridiculous amount of shopping to do."
I rolled my eyes playfully, causing Jasper to chuckle.
"Well, then. I suppose it has been decided. Welcome to the family, young ones." Aro smiled after a few moments of silent contemplation and clapped his hands.
A young human woman entered the room, carrying a collection of black robes, and the three of us delicately picked up the garments and put them on.
Felix smiled and approached Jasper and Alice. He motioned them to follow, and they followed his cue, hands interlaced, ready to view their new room. I turned to face my mate, my hand reaching out to cup the left side of her face lovingly.
"Now what?" I asked as my eyes searched her own, instantly becoming lost in a sea of unrelenting love and devotion.
"Now," she paused as she put her hand over my own and nuzzled affectionately into my touch, " Now, we begin our story."