Soul Colored Crimson
C1: How It Started
Standard Disclaimer: I don't any of the recognizable characters
A/N: So, this is the Victoria/Bella story that has been sitting on my PC for about two years before I finally got an inkling of where to go with it. It's going to be mostly family fluff and smut with bits of Edward/Wolf bashing mixed in. I hope you all enjoy.
Bella's POV
Two months. That's how long it had been since he had left me, and coincidentally also how long it had took for me to be completely over his self righteous bullshit. I had found someone far better after all. Someone who did listen to me and respected my wishes, was hot as hell, and more importantly was a hell of a lot more pleasing to the eye and against my body, especially on days like this, when my dad was gone and she would be in bed with me, pressing me close to her body.
Okay, I'm getting ahead of myself here. Perhaps I should explain how exactly I got myself in this situation. My name is Bella Swan and it all started a year ago when I was kind of forced to live with my dad after my mother decided she would rather travel with her new husband than care for her daughter.
My first day back in Forks was either disastrous or spectacular, depending on who you ask. If you'd ask my darling brothers and sisters, all except Edward of course, they would say it was amazing. If you'd ask me, I would still say it was a disaster, mostly because of how Edward reacted to me that first day, and thinking back on it, most days after that to, right up to the moment I was nearly crushed by a van that brought me to figuring out they were vampires.
Had I known at that time he would force a relationship on me, I would've taken the broken bones, since he spent the next three months trying to change me into someone that I'm not.
The balms to my soul were Alice, Rosalie and Esme. My sisters and mother who made sure I stayed exactly who I was.
I still can't help but smile every time I think about them. Esme had basically adopted me as her daughter the moment I walked into the house for the first time after finding out what they were, and I can honestly say that I didn't mind that one bit. She was so warm and loving that I couldn't help but latch onto her as a mother, especially after she told me that everything Carlisle and Edward were telling me were nothing but lies, and that she felt that he was not my mate as he kept claiming.
Alice was everything I had ever wanted and needed in a best friend and sister. She helped me come out of my shell a bit and had long informed me of what he was planning to do. Her visions were a true blessing then, and still were now, because without her I wouldn't be in the arms of my fiery haired Goddess.
Her mate and my brother Jasper was also absolutely amazing, and while we couldn't exactly be as close as I could be with the others, I loved talking to him about history. I just couldn't get enough, much to the consternation of Alice who would usually want to use that time taking me shopping or talking about clothes.
Rosalie was the exact opposite of that, the blonde being my sounding board more often than not, usually when she would take me into the garage to teach me everything she knew about cars, stating that I would need to know these things to keep that hunk of junk I called a truck running.
Emmett took a slightly different route in keeping me away from Edward as much as possible, which was usually the two of us sitting in the middle of the living room surrounded by dozens of comics that he had gotten me to read, and I had to say that I had developed a particular love of Batman, or more particularly Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, which considering my situation now, I still find pretty ironic.
I will never forget the day I saw her for the first time. I had gotten roped into refereeing a baseball game for the family, spending most of the time in Esme's arms by the way, which I certainly did not mind.
The game itself was a lot of fun, don't get me wrong, but the way Edward kept glaring at me the entire time just felt wrong, especially when James, Laurent and Victoria came running onto the field.
Something indescribable happened to me when I saw her. I felt complete for the first time in my life, and the look I sent Esme, and the smile she sent me told me all I needed to know, and I know she felt exactly the same.
But unfortunately crazy is as crazy does and James thought it would be funny to see what would happen if he chose me as his next snack, which led to his death at my mate's hands the second he tried to lunge at me.
From that moment Victoria and I would always find an excuse to meet without Edward finding out, because even then I knew that he would kill me if he ever got an inkling that I would even think about anyone but him, despite his inability to read my mind. But even with him watching me like a hawk, we managed to find moments together, talking about everything and nothing, usually at the same time and she confirmed everything for me. She was my mate and from that moment I was going to fight for her as she would fight for me.
It all turned to shit on the birthday party Alice had insisted they have for me. I had gotten a small paper cut from one of my presents and while Jasper seemed fine at first, Edward was convinced he was going to attack me, and thus thought it was reasonable to throw me through a glass table, because of course he would do that.
Alice and Rosalie managed to get everyone but Carlisle and Esme out without things escalating too much, and even though Carlisle insisted Esme leave too, she wouldn't hear it, staying by my side the entire time he stitched me up.
After that I saw hide nor hair from Edward, or Carlisle for a week, even though the others came to see me almost every day, cheering me up and assuring me that everything would be okay. Alice and Rosalie especially were good at that, and every time they would come over, Esme would be right there with them, cradling me in her arms as we talked, usually with Victoria right there on my bed with us.
Two weeks after basically ghosting me he showed up again, stating that we needed to talk, which is where he dumped me and left me in the woods, going as far as to say that the entire family would leave because I had become a liability.
I knew better though, because everyone besides Carlisle and Edward had promised me that they weren't going anywhere, and they had delivered on that, because now, two months after Edward and Carlisle had left, I was basically waiting to graduate, now only a week away, and move into Esme's home with my mate, since I knew Charlie would kick me out the moment I told him I was a lesbian.
"Good morning Isabella. What are you thinking about?" Victoria asked with a soft smile.
I smiled at her. "You mostly, and what got us to this point. I can't wait to graduate and then tell my father, so he can have his little tantrum and we can just live our lives."
She smiled at me as she pulled me into her. "I can't wait either. I've been on the move for so long that I really have no clue how to act in civilized company anymore. I look forward to be a part of a family that will support us both."
I smiled at her as I turned around to kiss her. "There is no pressure for you to change Vicky. I love you for who you are."
Victoria smiled and kissed me as we spent a little while longer in bed, until my stomach decided it wasn't going to be ignored anymore and luckily that coincided with our expected arrival at Esme's home.
Victoria's POV
Never in my immortal life I thought I could be this lucky. Not only did I find my mate, but apparently the gods had deemed it right to bless me with a family too, which is something I never thought was in the cards for me.
I'll be very honest and say that the only reason I even traveled with James was because of the fact that I just can't be alone, something I have accepted and have learned to live with a long time ago.
But now that I had found my Isabella, I knew I would never be alone again, and even her family had already proven to be a balm to my scarred soul, most of all Esme, with who I was already building a very good relationship, which I thought would be a good idea if I wanted to be with Bella.
Esme had made it quite clear that Bella needed a mother, because of her own mother being such a flighty woman, and of course I had no problems with that. All I wanted for Bella was for her to be happy in life, and I could see that Esme was a part of that happiness.
To my surprise I had also found myself bonding with Alice, despite her being so peppy and bubbly at all hours of the day, which I will admit was a bit difficult for me to get along with in the beginning, since I really wasn't used to that.
Rosalie had been a lot easier to get along with, since we had shared experiences that had led us into this afterlife. That alone had made sure we had plenty of reason to bond, and not surprisingly Bella had been another topic that we bonded over. She told me exactly how she had treated my mate in the beginning, wanting to scare her away from Edward so she would be safe, but my mate had proved to be terribly stubborn in her affections to the blonde beauty, and she couldn't help but come to love her like a sister, the two having become very close over the last months.
Her mate Emmett was another surprising change in my life, having accepted me into the fold without issue, mostly being very glad to see his sister be happy, and he also couldn't stop commenting on how hot it was to see us together, which had earned him several scoldings from Esme, and it was then that I realized that she wasn't a woman to be crossed, being very protective of her children, but over Bella in particular.
Jasper was the only one in the house who triggered all of my instincts at once, making the urge to run very powerful. But after learning of his past, and who he was back then, it made sense. The Southern Wars were infamous in its cruelty and devastation, and to learn that he was the one responsible for training all those newborns was a bit hard to grasp. The God of War was famous after all.
Right now though, I couldn't help but bask in the warmth of my mate slumbering against me, although by the beating of her heart I could hear she was already awake.
She was clearly musing on something and I couldn't help but smile at her as I pulled her closer to my body, and much to my surprise she didn't react much, probably too much lost in her early morning musings.
It gave me a perfect opportunity to revel in her mate's beauty and warmth, albeit for just a little while, since Esme expected us at the house in about an hour.
I slowly traced random lines on her stomach, making her moan ever so softly.
I just couldn't smile at my luck over the last few months. With my mate in my life, there was only one thing I needed to do. I needed to find Heidi and apologize to her for everything I had done to her when we were in that Coven, it was high time. The only problem with that was that I didn't know where she was.
There was of course also the little issue of Bella's mortality, and even though it had been two months, I hadn't found the time to broach the subject, even though Rosalie and Esme told me that she wanted to be turned after graduation.
Finally I felt her stir a little as she seemed to wake up properly and I just couldn't help but press a soft kiss to her neck. "Good morning Isabella. What are you thinking about?" I asked with a soft smile.
She smiled at me. "You mostly, and what got us to this point. I can't wait to graduate and then tell my father, so he can have his little tantrum and we can just live our lives."
I smiled at her as she pulled me into her. "I can't wait for that either. I've been on the move for so long that I really have no clue how to act in civilized company anymore."
She smiled at me as I turned around to kiss her. "There is no pressure for you to change Vicky. I love you for who you are."
I smiled and kissed her as we spent a little while longer in bed, until her stomach decided it wasn't going to be ignored anymore and luckily that coincided with our expected arrival at Esme's home.
Bella's POV
When we walked into the house I was almost immediately attacked with a hug from Alice, who I swore had a daily hug quota she needed to meet when it came to me. "Good morning Alice."
She smiled brightly at me. "Good morning Bella. Did you sleep okay?"
"I had Victoria with me, so of course I slept like a baby." I said with a smile.
Victoria chuckled at that as she wrapped an arm around my waist. "If that was sleeping like a baby, then I'm pretty sure you're the loudest sleeping baby in history."
I quirked an eyebrow at that. "Are you suggesting that I snore?"
She smirked at me, which did the state of my underwear no good. "All I'm saying is that a lumber mill is rather quiet compared to you."
"Not for much longer though, but we'll talk about that later. First I need breakfast."
She smiled at me as we walked into the kitchen where Esme was just putting the finishing touches on my breakfast. "Good morning Mom." I said before hugging her.
"Good morning sweetie. Did you have a good night?" She asked softly.
I nodded and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Yes Mom, thank you for asking, and thank you for breakfast."
She smiled as she sat down next to me, like she usually did when she had cooked my breakfast. "Wait for me. We can't have the feeding of the human without the entire family here." Rosalie said as she hustled into the kitchen before taking her regular seat on my other side.
"Could you please stop with talking about breakfast like it is some sort of ritual with offerings?" I asked with a blush.
Rosalie and Victoria smiled at that. "But you're so adorable when you blush Bella." Rosalie said with a soft smile.
I'm pretty sure my blush only darkened at that. "Stop bullying my baby girl and let her eat her breakfast in peace." Esme said sternly.
"Yes mother, sorry. Bella." Rosalie said softly.
I just smiled at her and gave her hand a squeeze. "It's okay Rose. I know you're only teasing. I don't mind it, just not this early in the morning."
The blonde smiled at me. "I'll keep that in mind, sister."
"I'm sure you will, but I'm sure you all called me here for more than just breakfast and family time. It actually sounded urgent when you called last night." I said with a smile after swallowing the last bit of my breakfast.
Esme smiled at me. "It kind of is sweetie. We received a call ourselves last night from our Queens in Volterra, asking us all to come for a visit to prove to them that Carlisle and Edward have been lying to you and everyone else, and they want us to come as your witnesses to prove that it was all lies he fed you. We are to leave as soon as possible, but in light of graduation coming up, they have agreed to... persuade Carlisle and Edward to stay a while longer."
"And what will happen when we go Mom? Will they kill me because I haven't been turned yet?" I asked softly.
Victoria growled as she wrapped an arm around me and pulled me into her body. "No one is going to kill you. Not without going through me first."
Esme smiled at me. "They're not going to kill my daughter. I will not allow it. The Queens are close friends of mine and I have already told me what I have seen in you. The truth is that I am a lot older than Carlisle and have been a member of Volturi Guard for almost two millennia, but I couldn't let Carlisle get wind of the real reason I was here, which is the only reason I didn't tell you until now."
I smiled and stood to give her a hug. "I understand Mom. It was for everyone's safety. All that matters is that you told me now. But this raises a lot of other questions that I can't wait to ask you."
Esme smiled at me. "And I will answer them all now that I can sweetie. I will start with one more thing that I have wanted to tell you for a while now. Like most in the Guard I have a gift, one that I sort of share with Queen Didyme. I have the power to see mate bonds in people, whereas she has the power to see all bonds. I knew he wasn't your mate, but the Queens instructed me not to tell you until the time was right, as not to realize Alice's vision."
I nodded at that as I shared a smile with my Pixie of a sister. "The vision where he would kill me if I found out that I wasn't his mate. Ali told me about that. It is the only reason I stayed with him."
Esme smiled at me and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. "I know sweetie, and I'm so sorry for letting it go on for so long. There have been so many times I wanted to step in and tell you everything, but I couldn't risk losing my little girl. But now, all that matters is that you have found your mate and that your bond is already strong. Stronger than most I have seen in two thousand years."
I smiled and kissed her on the cheek. "To be honest, I've felt something similar. I can't really explain it but it is a lot like I feel about you all. You're my family and I know that I can always trust you without question, because I feel you always have my best interests at heart. I know Victoria loves me because how she has treated me since the moment I've met her."
Esme smiled at me. "From the moment I saw you lay eyes on her the bond between you two literally exploded into being. It's been an honor to be witness to seeing everything blossom between you."
"I'm not going to lie that after living a nomad's life it was a bit of a shock to my system to find such unconditional love. What I do know is that Bella makes me feel complete, and that I have come to love you all as family over the last two months." Victoria said with a soft smile as she pulled me into her side again.
I smiled at her as we moved our conversation to the living room, since we still had plenty to talk about.
Esme's POV
I was so glad that everything was now out in the open with Bella. It had weighed heavily on my heart to have kept her in the dark about everything, but now that we could be completely honest with each other.
There was much I had to tell her, and I was sure she would have questions about things that I wasn't sure I was allowed to answer, so that is why I wanted to make sure about what I was allowed to tell my darling daughter, and the only reason I could have that certainty was to phone Sulpicia and ask her.
The moment I dialed the number and it had rung once, she answered. "Esme darling, what a nice surprise to hear from you so soon after your last call. What can I do for you?"
"My Queen. I have told Bella about my real reasons for being here and of my gift. She is bound to have tons of questions, being the inquisitive young woman that she is, and I am not sure of what I am and am not allowed to tell her." I said respectfully.
I could hear her laugh lightly at that before I heard the phone being taken away from her. "Esme dear, feel free to tell her what you wish. We trust that you will thread with caution. It won't be long before she will learn our history anyway." Didyme said kindly.
I smiled and nodded, albeit to myself. "Of course my Queen, I merely wanted to be certain."
"We understand that darling. We shall see you soon, and of course we want frequent updates until the time you come to visit." Didyme said with an audible smile.
I smiled at that. "Of course my Queen. I will give daily updates on my daughter until we arrive. She is very keen to meet everyone."
"Daughter. This is a new development. Mind telling me more of this Esme?" Didyme asked kindly.
"Of course my Queen. She was practically abandoned by her mother, and when I met her I felt this need to nourish and protect her. It almost feels like it's as strong as the mating bond at times and so far it is clear to me that she feels the same for me. She never fails to be at ease around me, almost as much as she is with her mate at this point."
I heard her laugh lightly at that. "I think, my dear Esme, that you have found your bond child in Isabella. I will be able to confirm when you arrive, but from the description you've given I would find it highly unlikely if she is not. Congratulations."
I smiled at that. "Thank you my Queen, but I'll be honest and say that whether it is true or not, she will always be my daughter."
"I can understand that Esme, but I'm afraid I have to go. Sulpicia is giving me the look again. We'll speak again soon." Didyme said before disconnecting the call.
I couldn't help but smile at that as I made my way back into the living room, where Bella was lying mostly on top of Alice, Victoria and Rosalie as they watched a movie together.
"I see you girls are enjoying yourselves. Is there still room for your dear old mother?" I asked with a soft smile.
Bella smiled at me. "I'll do you one better Mom. We've been deprived of our customary cuddle time lately and I would really like to rectify that."
"Of course darling, you know I would never object to cuddle with my darling daughter. What movie are we watching?" I asked with a smile as I took a seat in the loveseat where Bella and I usually cuddled together.
She smiled and kissed her mate softly before taking a seat in my lap and getting comfortable. "Night at the Museum. We were due for a good comedy."
I smiled and wrapped my arms around her waist as she rested her head on my shoulder. "I've heard good things about that. Are you going to stay the night?"
She nodded at me. "Charlie is on one of his fishing trips with Billy, so he won't be home until late tomorrow afternoon, so yes, Vicky and I will be spending the night."
"Good, your room is ready of course. I was merely curious." I said with a soft smile.
Bella smiled at that. "It's almost as if I was your actual daughter. Because I'm still stumped on where I get my curiosity from."
I smiled and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "I think with the way you've latched on to me as a maternal figure, and with me doing everything in my power to make you feel loved and wanted, you've picked up a few things from me. You've really come into your own since you accepted yourself and the bond we share."
She smiled at me. "You mentioned that before. What bond do we share?"
"I believe we share child bond sweetie. It is a very rare type of bond in our world where an older female vampire feels the need to nurture someone in their life, as well as shower them with love. Usually this is with a younger vampire or newborn, but rarely it is formed between the older vampire and a human, and I truly believe that is what we have." I said softly.
"Is there a way we can confirm this Mom?" She asked softly.
I nodded at her. "We can when we get to Volterra, but even if we for some reason do not share this bond, which at this point I highly doubt, you will always be my daughter. No matter what happens."
She smiled at me. "I know, I don't care about Renee, or even about Charlie anymore. I've found my family and I am right where I need to be. In the arms of my mother."
I just smiled and pressed a kiss to her cheek as we turned our attention back to the movie, because I was more than content to just enjoy the time I could spend with my daughter.
