A/N:

You were all so very kind to me when I posted the last chapter and so I just couldn't resist to give you this next one!

Title: The Undecided

Author: MarieCarro

Beta Reader: SarcasticBimbo

Genre: Supernatural/Drama

Pairing: Bella/Edward

Rating: NC-17

Summary: Good and Evil Witches. A Prophecy. An Unfulfilled Destiny. The Promise of a Leader. And it all rests on the shoulders of a "misunderstood" teenage girl.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter Word Count: 3, 627

{Chapter 16}

Edward scowled at the school building when he parked his car along the curb to drop me off. "I still don't get what's so important for you here. You could easily meet the other Witches without all this."

I leaned over until I could support my chin on his shoulder. "I've told you, I can't hole myself up in the cabin."

"You don't have to," he insisted. "Just because I want you to be safe doesn't mean I want to imprison you anywhere, but this," he nodded toward the red brick building, "is unnecessary."

I traced my hand down his arm until I reached his hand and then I looked at it as I entwined our fingers. "I have no idea what I'm doing, you know," I reminded him. "You know better than anyone that I was never the leader of anything. But now that role has been thrust upon me and I'm making everything up as I go. My instincts tell me that instead of becoming an arrogant dickhead who sits on my ass all day while waiting for riches to come my way, I need to go down in the muck myself." I also looked at the main building. "I hated this place from the moment I first set foot in it, but I know there's some unfinished business here that I need to attend to."

"Is that you or your Seer magic speaking?" he asked with a hint of worry.

I shrugged. "Who can tell?" I leaned away from and prepared to step out of the car when I stopped myself and turned back in his direction. "Come with me to her office. I'll have her lift your ban, and I'll feel better knowing I have you covering my back."

He smirked. "So you want me to act as your bodyguard now?"

"No," I told him and rolled my eyes. "I want you to act as my partner and closest confidant because that's what you are, and I see no reason to hide it."

"There is definitely no reason to hide it, but the ban Banshee has put on me is magical, and I physically can't cross this parking lot," he told me regrettably.

"But why has she taken such drastic measures to keep you out now? You had no trouble getting in while I was here before."

He grabbed my hand and kissed my knuckles and gave me a patient look. He'd made a habit of giving me that look when it took longer for me to understand something vital. "That's because I cast a Promise Spell on you before she was able to finish her own. Do you remember?"

I thought back to the time before I was aware of magic, and I remembered something he always told me when I said I was worried Banshee was going to throw him out from the school property.

"She could try, but as long as you attend this school, nothing can keep me away."

The memory caused me to let out an incredulous little laugh. "You know, before I found out about all of this magic stuff, I would have been convinced that it was supposed to be all show and complicated illusions, like in magician shows."

He grinned. "Yeah, you've always had an outrageous fantasy."

I turned serious again. "Please, wait here. I'm going to talk to—" I stopped myself because I was about to use her nickname again, but if I wanted to be seen as a credible leader, I knew I couldn't use derogatory names on those in my community. I couldn't hold in my grimace fully, though, because the truth was that I didn't like the woman. "I'm going to talk to Mrs. Greene, and I'll get her to lift the ban. Then I'll come back out for you, okay?"

Edward let out a somewhat impatient sigh but nodded anyway. "If that's what you want."

"Thank you."

Before I got out, I gave him one last kiss.

The biggest difference with being back at school compared to before was that I could taste the presence of magic now. The entire building vibrated with it, and it was so potent it could only mean that there was quite the number of magical beings in there.

Mrs. Greene had been informed of my return, and she was waiting for me, the door to her office already open, when I entered the administration area.

I saw how she rose from her seat behind her desk, and without any further welcome, I stepped inside and closed the door. The receptionist looked at me curiously, but I didn't give her my attention. She was a mortal—I could feel that in the air around her—and it was better if she remained in the dark.

"Miss Swan," Mrs. Greene started, and it didn't go unnoticed by me that she didn't use my first name this time as she had some many times before. Her greeting felt much more respectful now than previous times.

However, I still had to correct her. "Alistair. I've changed my last name to Alistair."

"Of course," she replied with an overly pleasant smile. "I was uncertain whether you were going to use your father's or mother's name."

I understood her pleasant smile then. She thought that because I had taken my father's name, I was favoring my Good side, and for her, that was exciting news. "My parents were married before their death, and I know my mother took my father's last name. Why wouldn't I?" I questioned her. "It has nothing to do with my magic inclination. I know Renee and Charlie have informed you of my choice."

She entwined her hands on top of the desk. "They have. And I've also heard rumors through the grapevine that your choice has caused quite a stir. Apparently, you're an Original now, unless the rumors are false of course."

Over the past few days since Samhain, I'd gotten better control over my Original magic, and taught myself to change the color of my eyes at will. I did so now to show Mrs. Greene, and her reaction to the icy-blue color was the same as everyone else's.

"They're not false," I told her calmly and then allowed the blue to fade back to brown. "Naturally, I have been informed of your position as well and your intent with working at this school," I continued. "I am not interested in managing what you do here, but I also have to make my opinion known to you about some of your practices."

"Isabella—" So it was back to being 'Isabella' now.

"I'd prefer if you continued to call me Miss Alistair … Hollie," I told her sternly, and despite the fact that she was many years older than me, she recognized the authority in my voice.

"Of course. I'm sorry," she said. "Miss Alistair, if you're referring to our past relationship, I was under strict orders to keep you unaware of your magical heritage and to treat you like any student."

"But that's the problem, isn't it?" I interjected. "You didn't treat me like any student. You treated me as if I was plague-infected but with the right treatment I could be cured, and all of that because of my choice of friends."

She opened her mouth to protest, but I stopped her with a gesture of my hand.

"I am not under the impression that Good and Evil Witches will ever see completely eye to eye, but the fact remains that you hold a position of power in this school, and you're supposed to give guidance and advice to everyone, not just those who favor your side. I remember how you doted on Angela, yet you scorned Edward and Alice and my other friends. How does that sound fair to you?"

"Angela has been a model student from the start. My treatment of her had nothing to do with her ancestry—"

"I beg you to not lie to me, Mrs. Green. Remember that I've experienced both sides, and I continue to do so. Evil Witches are treated like dirt just because they have a different view on magic, and I am not going to accept that."

Mrs. Greene pursed her lips in annoyance. "Miss Alistair, you are young and new to the magic community. I don't expect you to understand the dynamic just yet, but it will come to you eventually."

I felt my anger flare up in a second, but I hurriedly suppressed it. "Don't patronize me. I might be young and I admit that I'm still learning, but don't forget that you answer to me now. I can remove you from this position in a heartbeat and have you replaced. It's not my wish to do so, but that's what will happen if you give me no choice."

We stared at each other for a long time, but then, finally, Mrs. Greene relented. I wanted her verbal consent, though.

"Well? Will my request be a problem?"

She sighed. "No."

"Good. One more thing."

Mrs. Green tilted her head to the side in curiosity as well as irritation. "Go on."

"I feel it's my job to inform you that my relationship with Edward Masen isn't just a High School fling. He and I both know that we're partners for life, and that means I will demand you to show him more respect. Starting with lifting the ban you've put on him."

She shook his head. "I can't allow students who have graduated to walk around on school property."

I laughed softly. "It's not a request, Mrs. Greene."

She immediately stood up and went to one of her shelves where I noticed for the first time that a white candle was burning. Mrs. Greene reached for a small wooden box of ashes and whispered to it.

"Guided spirits, hear my plea," she brought out a small cup with yellow powder, which she sprinkled into the box. From the smell of it, I was quite certain it was sulfur. While I tried to maintain my indifference to her, I couldn't help but to lean forward and take in everything she did.

A pinch of salt was added into the mix in the box, and lastly, she poured pure peroxide and water in the box. "Annul this magic. Let it be." She blew out the candle and then sat back down in her chair. "Done. Was there anything else you wanted, Miss Alistair?" she asked through somewhat clenched teeth.

I had already been warned by Renee that she would react like this, and I knew that Mrs. Greene was a very powerful High Priestess. I didn't want her as my enemy, and I told her that. "I want us to work together, Mrs. Greene. I have intentions to make changes to our community, and that means that sometimes, some things have to be done that everyone won't agree with. Believe me when I say that I didn't come here only to have you do the things I've told you to do. I genuinely believe it will be for the greater good."

She offered me a folder with my name on it, and I knew it was my new schedule. "I hope you're right, Miss Alistair."

I gave her a nod and then stood up to leave. Once I'd exited the administration area, I sent Edward a text.

"You have free passage. Meet me at my old locker. Tell Alice to come as well."

The reply was instant.

"Already bossing me around, are you, Angel?"

"You bet."

Classes had already begun, and I knew Mrs. Greene wouldn't be happy that I pulled Alice out of her math class after our meeting, but I had important things to tell her as well as Edward.

A few minutes later, Edward came walking down the corridor with Alice in tow. She didn't appear particularly surprised with my presence at school even though we'd only notified Mrs. Greene of my return.

"You were out, B," she said instead of a greeting. "Why would you ever choose to come back here?"

I smiled at her. "I have some business here I need to finish before I can move on."

"Tell me you knocked some sense into Banshee like you did with Mr. Masen." She smiled mirthfully. "I would have paid anything to have seen that."

"I found her a lot more cooperative than Marcus, so I didn't have to," I told her. "She has told me that she will stop with her special treatment of the school's Good Witches, and I will take her for her word. However, I couldn't get her to admit that she's been belittling either of you." I looked at them both seriously. "Until she truly starts seeing me as the leader I am supposed to be, I ask you to not antagonize her unnecessarily."

Alice grimaced. "You ask us to change ourselves?"

I immediately shook my head. "Not at all. I would never do that because I love both of you exactly the way you are. But I also need you to look at this rationally. She will look for excuses to treat you less than the others, so don't give her a reason to."

Alice and Edward exchanged a look, and while she appeared less willing, I could see that he was on my side, and he used his own authority over her to make her promise that she would do as I asked.

"Fine. I promise."

The rest of the day remained rather uneventful, and I started to wonder whether my feeling of having unfinished business at the school had been false. I had been so positive there was something besides talking to Mrs. Greene that needed to be done, but nothing out of the ordinary happened.

Until lunch.

I had convinced Edward to stick around for the day, and while he was unable to join me for class, he was there for the time in-between. At lunchtime, I got him to join Alice and me in the cafeteria.

However, as soon as we entered, I immediately sensed something off in the air, and I made a quick scan of the room.

What I saw wasn't what I expected, though.

It was Angela in a hissed confrontation with a girl I didn't recognize. The girl was easily one of the most attractive girls I had ever seen, and when she sneered at something Angela told her, I saw her large, doe-like eyes flash violet for the shortest second.

"Edward," I said and he looked at me questioningly. "Do you know who the girl Angela is fighting with is?"

He turned his eyes to the confrontation and an exasperated sigh escaped him. "That would be Rebecca Carey."

"Is she a Witch?"

His arm, which was around my shoulders, tightened. "What do you sense?"

I focused on the two girls, and I immediately picked up the taste of Angela's white magic, but Rebecca was more difficult to identify. It was similar to dark magic, but it wasn't as pure as in an Evil Witch. It was different. Not tainted or weak. Just different.

"I don't know," I mumbled. "I've never sensed anything like her before."

"You wouldn't have," Edward said. "Rebecca is a Siren."

My eyes widened and I looked at him in surprise. "A Siren? Are you serious?"

"Yes." He led me away from the scene toward a table as far away from them as possible, but I had a hard time letting it go. "I assume you've read about them."

"Of course I have. They're the lowest rank of Witch. Solely inclined toward dark magic. They acquire their strength by getting others to do their bidding until their victims no longer have a sense of free will."

Edward nodded and cast a glance back at the girls. "No one in the magic community really likes Sirens. Fortunately, Rebecca is still young and can't truly use her powers yet. It's the only reason Banshee's allowed her at this school really."

My own eyes were transfixed on the beautiful young girl. "So what you're saying is that even though she's allowed at this school, anyone who knows what she really is treats her like vermin?"

"Basically, yeah."

"That's disgusting," I said and once again felt my anger build up. "It's not her fault that she was born a Siren, and since she's not fully grown, she hasn't done anything that merits being treated with disdain."

"Yet," Edward pointed out.

I glared at him. "Why should she be judged for actions that are not hers? And you're not exactly one to talk. I might not know details, but I'm fairly certain you've done way worse than taking someone's free will from them."

"That's different," he insisted. "Sirens are like parasites."

"To you, perhaps, but certainly not to me," I said and stood up.

"Where are you going?" he asked in confusion.

I straightened my back until I felt I looked like a figure of authority. "I am going to right a wrong." I left Edward at the table and walked up to the girls. "What's the problem here?" I asked, and Angela gasped.

"Bella! I didn't know you were back," she said in a breathless voice.

"No, but I am, and I want to know what's going on here," I told her.

"Stay out of it," Rebecca spit at me, and it caused Angela to grimace at her.

"Do you have any idea who this is?" she rebuked the younger girl. "You should show her some respect."

Rebecca smirked rebelliously. "I know exactly who she is. I might be what I am, but it doesn't make me an imbecile."

I quickly interjected before Angela could reply. "I believe the three of us should have this conversation elsewhere. Somewhere we can talk … undisturbed." I cast a glance toward the nearest table of mortals, and while they were trying to hide it, they were raptly listening to the fight.

Rebecca gave me an uncooperative glare, but I challenged her with a look of my own, and eventually, she rolled her eyes and the three of us left the cafeteria to have our conversation behind the school.

A couple juniors I recognized but didn't know the name of had occupied the space to make out, but it was enough for the three of us to round the corner and they hurriedly buttoned up their clothes and left.

"Okay then," I said when we were finally alone. "I'd like to be informed what your discussion was about inside."

"Why do you care?" Rebecca huffed, and Angela was about to reprimand her again, but I stopped her.

"I care because both of you are a part of my community, and your behavior inside the cafeteria was unacceptable." Angela opened her mouth to protest. "Yes, even your behavior, Angela," I told her, and I noticed how Rebecca narrowed her eyes thoughtfully.

I gestured for any one of them to begin, and with an ashamed sigh, Angela did.

"Rebecca was eating lunch with a mortal boy named Tyler. He was absolutely enthralled with her, and I feared that her powers had grown and that she was 'feeding' from him," she explained. "I went up to their table and said I wanted to talk to Rebecca, and then I reminded her that Mrs. Greene only accepts her attendance at this school as long as she doesn't use her powers on the students."

"And I explained that I haven't received my powers yet," Rebecca said through clenched teeth. "The principal's pet here didn't believe me, or that I might actually like Tyler for real."

"I see," I said and took a deep breath as I thought over my words. I could feel in the air around our trio that both of the girls in front of me expected me to lecture the Siren, but that wasn't what I had understood from the story. "Angela, I don't want to hear of you running on Mrs. Greene's errands anymore. It's not your job to tell other Witches what they can and cannot do, so you'd do best to refrain from that. Is that understood?"

Both girls gaped at me in surprise.

"Angela, would you leave me to speak to Rebecca alone?"

Still speechless, Angela did as I told her and went back inside.

"I was certain you would praise her," Rebecca mumbled. "Witches never take the side of the disgusting Siren."

I nodded because I understood what she meant. "This wasn't about choosing sides. Angela interfered in something that wasn't her business because she felt she had the right to do so. And all because of what she's been taught. It came to my attention today how other Witches see you and your family. It pissed me off to hear it because I know what it's like to be judged beforehand."

Rebecca looked away from me. "You're the first Witch to ever show any sort of sympathy."

I shrugged. "I am not like other Witches."

She let out an incredulous laugh. "No, I'm beginning to see that."

I turned to leave, but I remembered one last thing that I wanted to know. "Also, no matter what others of our community have told you, or what you've been taught, remember that you are also a Witch."

Rebecca's face slacked as she stared at me in shock. "Thank you," she said with such gratitude, it made my insides ache.

A/N:

This whole dispute between Good and Evil Witches and that the rank in which you were born into matters so very much in this world was inspired by a lot of the problems our real-life world goes through right now. The fact that there are still beliefs out there that we are not of equal worth or that one religion/political view/sexuality etc is better than the other.

Since I can't do more than I am doing in my own reality, I'm hoping to at least fix it in the world I have created! :)

Give me your thoughts! I'd love to hear about them, and also, what do you think of Boss Bella? Is she taking her authority too far? Don't worry, I know it seems as if she's favoring the Evil side now, but remember she's neutral. She'll have her go with Good as well ;-)