Hello, I'm temporarily back. I felt very inspired this night and decided to do something great with it. This chapter is emotional. And I might have put some personal experiences in here as part of Bella's transition from her American life to her new European found freedom.
There's also a surprise in here that if I remember correctly was hinted in the first or second chapter. Talking about plot twists, right?.
Btw, whatever mistake you find in here, let me know :)
I hope you love this chapter and love me for making it longer :)
ENJOY!
The Butterfly Effect.
Chapter 5: Reminiscing about the past.
What Aro wanted from Felix was just two simple things. The first, he wanted him to be careful with Bella. He didn't indulge in the details of why he wanted to proceed with caution in her case. He didn't want his guard knowing he was weary of whatever she might become. He knew that from the moment she wakes up from her transformation, she would be unstable, with her emotions, and thoughts all over the place. She would need guidance and patience and he would need a miracle or a former guard member who had the ability to read into someone and decipher their power. The second reason he wanted him to be careful with Bella, was because something inside of him sparked with an instinct of protection. He found her to be endearing, and he kind of like her, and he knew he would care for her as he cared for his favorite members. So, he didn't want any broken hearts.
The second favor he wanted from Felix was just normal proceedings of routine maintenance of relationships. There was a vampire that had established himself in a small town approximately 45 minutes away by drive from the castle. They'd meet with him every few months, and he would report any change or observations he'd made around the area. They did that all around the globe. You could not control the world without having loyal people working for you and reporting back. Felix reassured Aro that he would proceed with caution with Bella, as he had no rush, and that he would take Demetri or any other member of the guard and go meet Kieran, the vampire closer to them in distance.
When he got back to the room Bella and Demetri were talking comfortably on the long sofa. He could hear her laughter from the elevator. He had the theory that when you grew closer to someone, you also grew accustomed to the sounds they made, and therefore, you could identify them easier. That added to the fact that despite the rooms being soundproof, something still got out due to their keen hearing.
He came into the bedroom and was received by a smile -different than the one she would give to Demetri – and his brother also smiling. Demetri's smile held a secret. He knew him enough to know there was something cooking up in his mind. His suspicions were confirmed when he left the room as soon as he asked what was the joke. The last time he saw Demetri that … uneasy was when he thought Heidi was his partner. Who thought for over a decade that two people were together was beyond him.
"Is everything alright with Aro?" Bella asked as soon as Felix took Demetri's seat in front of her.
He smiled. "Yes. He wanted to ask me to be careful with you. He's protective of you. Not that that's new. He tends to be very protective of his favorites. You, crazy human, have earned Aro's favoritism in less than a week." Bella rolled her eyes. She didn't do anything. "He also wants me to go to a routine meeting with one vampire 45 minutes away from here."
At the sound of 'meeting', Bella got nervous. Her last 2 encounters with the guard were honestly unpleasant. The first time, Jane wanted to fry her, Alec to numb her and the second one, well… she still wasn't sure what had happened there. And despite having attested that there was more to the guard that what Edward had told her, she was still wary. And honestly, the word 'confrontation' kept popping in her head.
"Is it dangerous?"
"Not at all. It's a very administrative meeting actually. We meet with Kieran and just catch up. He informs us of any change in the region and lets us know if there's something that needs our intervention." He shrugged. It wasn't the most exciting of tasks but it kept them busy.
Bella sighed in relief. "When do you have to go?"
"Tomorrow. I was going to ask Dem, but he seems distracted these days. Maybe I'll take Alec." And he could take advantage of it and ask what was all that weird behavior at the gym.
Bella giggled at the look on his face. He looked like he was planning a battle in his mind. "You look like a man with a plan. Care to share?" He shook his head. He wasn't ready to tell her he might be jealous of Alec.
"I'll tell you tomorrow, I promise." Bella didn't pressure. She knew that he needed his space just as well as she needed hers. If she had the right to reserve some thoughts when she wasn't ready to share them. So did he.
"Do you mind waiting 20 minutes. I feel gross in these clothes and want to take a shower." She stood up form the chair and took her shoes on her hands.
"Are you mad because I won't tell you about my plan?" His lack of experience in relationships made him hesitate.
Bella opened her eyes widely. She dropped the shoes and took his face on her hands. "No!, not at all. I swear." She assured him immediately and without hesitation. He looked into her eyes and found nothing but pure honesty. "I can relate to not sharing certain thoughts until you're ready. You're entitled to have your small privacy bubble." She kissed his cheek. "I'll never get mad at you for not sharing something while you're not ready. As long as you don't lie about it."
He grabbed her hips and pushed her towards him in a hug. She found it cute that he got scared about it. She broke the embrace giggling. "I really need the shower. I'll be back in 20 minutes." She kissed his cheek and left the room.
She was positively giddy while she took her shower. She pondered on her behavior. She realized that she had been more affectionate with Felix than she had been with Edward. She knew he'd hate the comparisons, but in her mind, it was all she could do. Realistically, she knew that irrespective of their nature, each man was different, with different past experiences and future expectations. She felt her behavior was natural, and he seemed to like it. Every relationship is different, Felix had said, and she was starting to realize that. She needed to fully accept that and move on.
…
…
…
The next day Felix left really early in the morning, leaving a note next to Bella's pillow and softly brushing a kiss on her forehead before leaving as silently as possible. These meetings usually took him all day, so he'd be back late afternoon or early night.
When Bella woke up, she found the note in one of her pillows and read it.
I left for the meetings.
I'll be back at night.
Be safe.
Felix.
It wasn't a romantic letter, and it was short. But she liked the detail that he cared enough to leave a note on her pillow. She smiled, folded the little note and stashed it into her nightstand top drawer.
Whatever could she do with her life this day? She thought about going out. She wasn't a prisoner, and Heidi had told her that they were free to come and go as long as they didn't discard their duties.
She signed in for a day city tour. She had a lot of free time now, and Aro said he didn't want to know what she did with her money, so she didn't worry about it. (Not that she was spending a fortune. She only paid 5 euros). Her only 4 friends (Heidi, Alec, Felix, and Dem) weren't at the Castle that day, and as much as she enjoyed discovering more things about the place she'll call home, she was still a bit nervous about being there. She always felt secure when either of them was there.
She trusted that no one would harm her, apparently, Aro was very strict about keeping the human alive. Most of them just avoided her, which made her a bit sad, but she understood their reluctance. Maybe with time, she could trust everyone at different degrees.
She was enjoying the days of sun and warmth of the summer. The tour had been amazing. Full of history, myths, fun facts and crazy facts about the city. She met a few international students that were visiting Volterra for the weekend. They exchanged numbers and made plans to have beers at night. When was the last time she had felt free enough to make those sorts of plans? She loved Europe and people's openness to making friends with anyone. That made her happy. She secretly enjoyed the fact that there were more people like Angela Weber and less like Lauren Mallory.
She proceeded to keep walking around, just enjoying everything. She felt brave enough to rent a bike. She felt silly and loved it, laughing and giggling away while pedaling through the city. She loved the fact that everyone was in their own world. No one seems to pay attention to what the others were doing. No one minded if she was wearing a matching shirt with her skirt. Or if her skirt rose up with the wind, or that she was wearing a skirt and riding a bike for that matter. She actually spotted many girls in dresses and heels in bikes. She loved Europe. She loved her freedom. She felt she could get drunk on it. That was a huge difference between Europe, Forks and high school. With people like Lauren and Jessica, every minor indiscretion is widely known. And even if she loved Alice dearly, fashion (and colors) was not her area of interest. If she liked it, if it looked good on her and was affordable, she bought it. Alice was very simple in her likes and dislikes, but she also loved high couture.
Bella laughed a little, allowing herself to remember everything she loved and disliked about each of the Cullens. She missed them very much, especially Emmett and his booming voice or Jasper and his silent presence that immediately soothed you even when he was not using his gift. She allowed herself to reminisce about the past. She actively thought about each of them. No one was perfect. And she was sure that there were many things they didn't like about her, but they loved her the same. That's what family did. And for her, the Cullens would always be family. She made her peace with her past, and that felt liberating. She also realized that she wanted to speak with them. To know how Carlisle's practice at the hospital was, how Alice and Jasper were doing with their plans of going to college. She even wondered about Rosalie, the only Cullen that still didn't like her that much but supported her every decision as if it was her own. She missed Esme's motherly nature. She promised herself that after her transformation when she learned to control herself, she'd either travel somewhere near or invite them to come somewhere near Volterra. Probably the second option was the safest for them.
She continued pedaling until her stomach and feet started complaining. She ate a bowl of pasta at a nice-looking restaurant under the shining sun. After she finished, she continued biking around. She passed by the same spot a few times (the first one was her being lost and not able to read correctly the map) the other two were on purpose. She took a lot of pictures and also indulged in buying a polaroid camera and some film for it.
At 5 pm she decided to call it and walk back to the Castle after having left the rented bike in one of the many stations available for it. She arrived at her door at 6 pm. She quickly took a shower and just laid there on her bed. Everything was slowly coming into place and that made her feel at peace. She smiled a happy smile and open up Netflix to kill some time until Felix or someone arrived. The day at the mall Felix had made her buy a laptop so she could do whatever she wanted. In the end, she ended up with a MacBook Air and an iPhone. She complained to Felix when he bought her phone for her. She didn't want a new phone and she didn't want him paying for her things when Aro was paying her. And she felt every bit like an American teenager obsessed with Apple products. But she didn't think much of it. For the use she'd be giving them, she didn't need an astronaut computer. She was comfortable with it. So many things were changing but she was at peace, finally.
She didn't wait long. At 7 pm Felix knocked on her door.
"Your shoulders are read." He said a bit alarmed as soon as he came into the bedroom.
"I know. I went into the city today and underestimated the power of the sun. They'll be fine though." She shrugged and sat. "How was your meeting?"
"It was productive" He chuckled thinking more of his chat with Alec than the actual meeting. "I told you it was about 45 minutes' drive. But the guy moved, and the ride took us two hours." He rolled his eyes but shrugged.
"Is there anything to worry about?"
He shook his head. "We go there once every two or three months. It was just a check-up" she nodded. "Apart from burning your shoulders. How was your day?"
She told him about getting lost and then biking and the day tour and finished telling him that the people she met on the tour invited her for drinks later. She invited Felix along and he accepted asking back if it was ok if Heidi and Demetri joined. Like a double date. She blushed but agreed.
"I also did some thinking while I was riding the bike." The way she said caught his attention and made him nervous. "I would like to contact the Cullens after my transformation." To say he was shocked would be an understatement.
"You know you are free to contact them at any time. You don't have to ask permission." As much as he hated that part of that contact would be with her ex-fiancé. He felt threatened by their history.
"That's not how I meant it." She sat straighter and look into his eyes. She could have never in a million years imagine he would turn insecure at the mention of her past relationship. Him! That probably had more experience than Jasper had in his pinky. "I thought about them today. Like actively thinking of everything we went through, the good and the bad. I allow myself to make peace with the fact that there were things I love about them and things I dislike. And that most likely, the situation is reciprocal. And I was… I am, fine with it."
He nodded sort of understanding where she was going.
"In my reflections, I felt free and truly happy. I don't have any residual conflicted feelings with my decision to stay here. Yes, I'll miss my dad like crazy, and my unpredictable mom and Jake. But I realized that I wanted to start living for myself and not to make everyone else happy, regardless of my own feelings." Felix noted that she was so much mature than she ever let on. He felt extremely lucky to be able to see this side of her. She was quiet, and shy, but opened up like a book if you were genuinely interested in finding out whatever was going on in her mind.
"You are just exceptional." Bella looked at him confused. He leaned over and kissed her deeply. "I am glad that you found your peace. I would never want you to be unhappy here." She smiled and this time she kissed him.
"I also figured out something else." She blushed and Felix's curiosity and amusement peaked.
"And what would that be?" He whispered.
"I don't want to wait" He raised an eyebrow not quite following. "You said we had all the time in the world to be us. I don't want to wait. I want to be with you. You make me happy and I adore finding out more things about you. I want you to teach me crazy and random things." His smile was worth the embarrassment she felt at being all sentimental.
"I have a lot to teach you." He murmured seductively while leaning over to kiss her.
Sometime later Demetri and Heidi barged into the room without knocking. Bella found it hilarious while Felix found it annoying. Dem had always been like that, and he should be used to it, but now that he had a girlfriend, he feared Demetri barging into more compromising situations.
"I found something very interesting." He dropped a big book on the coffee table at Bella's room sitting room. Heidi smiled and greeted her friends with a smile and a soft Hello.
The couple moved to stand next to their friends. "What is this?" It looked old and delicate, much like Aro. Bella laughed at her inside joke.
"Read the title." And there the title said 'Swan'.
Felix looked at Heidi questioningly and she nodded and smiled softly. Now, Demetri's actions made a lot of sense.
Bella opened it and gasped when she realized what it was. "My family tree? Why?"
Demetri turned a few pages and tap on a specific spot on the page. "Demetri Feigen." She read. "That sounds German. Who is he?" Felix was completely silent. He knew who Demetri Feigen, now Demetri Vulturi was.
"That would be me." She looked at him surprised. She looked at the book again and started counting generations. "Five generations removed you are my niece." Bella had tears in her eyes.
"How…Why…How?"
"You had some mannerisms that looked entirely too familiar, and something in your factions was also very familiar. I also felt this protective instinct towards you, so I just dived into researching it and found what I was looking for."
"But I don't recall any of my family actually being from Germany." She was so confused.
"I had a small sister. She married after I was transformed. She married a guy named Christian Swan and moved to the United States." He offered the short version.
"So, you're German?"
"Yes."
"And you're my great-great-great-grand uncle?" He nodded again. She covered her mouth trying to prevent a sob coming out. Felix hugged her and she hid her face on his chest.
Demetri looked lost. He never wanted to make her cry. He thought it would make her happy. To know that she had family, albeit some generations removed. He looked at Heidi confused and bumped. She smiled and mouthed "Happy tears" He didn't know what to do while Bella cried on her boyfriend's shoulder. Heidi nudged him and they both left the room, giving her more time to come to terms with the news.
Yes, people in Europe (for those who haven't been here) are exactly like Bella describes. No one seems to care if your colors match or if you're driving a bike with jeans or a dress. It is pretty great. Also, Europeans (the ones I've met) are really not shy about making friends and meeting people.
What do you think about Demetri's German roots? I wasn't expecting him to be German at all. That came out of nowhere, to be honest.
But three things remain unknown here.
1) What did Felix and Alec talk about?
2) How will Bella react to Felix's and Alec's talk?
3) What does Bella think about Demetri's research and final findings?
Plus. I really want to know how that conversation will go on.
Stay tuned!
Kisses!
Paty4Hale.
