Bella's relationship with Alice and Victoria was that of three people who had known each other for a good long while, Rosalie, on the other hand, kept Bella at a distance. It was not evident to an outsider, nor would it have to Bella had she not witnessed Rosalie's relationship with Alice and Victoria. Of course, her imagination could never have conjured up something so despicable to explain Rosalie's distance. Rosalie, it seemed was gearing up to tell Bella the circumstances surrounding her becoming a vampire. Now that she knew, Bella felt that barrier between them fall. Her anger had been palpable, but what happened had happened, there was nothing she could do, Rosalie had taken care of the men herself. "Relax that jaw before you break it." Rosalie teased, despite the palpable tension in her mate. "It was a long time ago, Bells. I won't lie, it has taken me a while to get over it, but I am."

"Thank you for telling me." Bella took Rose's hand in hers.

"I didn't think we could really move forward unless I did. I don't like talking about it, but it was necessary."

"I can understand that." To her surprise, Rose leaned in and kissed her.

The two were quietly lying in bed when Victoria and Alice came in. The two could hear them coming from a mile away as they bickered. "What now?" Rose growled.

"Alice wants to go shopping in Italy." Victoria groused.

"What is wrong with that?" Bella asked, perplexed as Rosalie seemed annoyed with the idea as well.

"The Volturi, that's why. We learned from Eleazar that Aro has a knack for going after gifted vampires whether they want to join the guard or not. We cannot risk running into one of the guards. Maybe we are being overly cautious, but it's better to safe than a guard." Rose chimed in. Bella could tell their fear of Aro learning about their gifted family members truly frightened them.

"But Bella is a shield. Aro would see nothing if he took my hand." Alice seemed to have pinned her hopes on her.

"Actually, I can do one better than that. My grandmother can shield far greater distances than I can. I inherited my gift from her, after all. She could be on another planet, and her shield would still work. If we were separated, I couldn't guarantee my shield would work."

"We can all be shielded from Aro," Victoria asked with such hope in her voice, it made Bella smile.

"Yep, you are family now. You will find she will do so without my asking when she comes to visit. So yeah, Alice can shop in Italy without fear of the Volturi." Bella said with a shrug. Alice squealed before jumping on Bella.

"This is so great." Bella didn't see what the big deal was about being able to shop in Italy, but if it made Alice happy, then it was worth it. "We are going shopping, the minute your grandmother shields us." She added.

"Didn't think there could be a downside to this, but I have just found it," Victoria grumbled at the idea of shopping.

"It surely can't be that bad," Bella muttered.

"The joys of ignorance," Rosalie said with a chuckle.

Several hours later, they were still in bed, getting to know more about each other. The three seemed so fascinated with Bella's life. The idea of vampires having children had never occurred to any of them. Carlisle and Eleazar, who had access to the Volturi library for decades, had never heard of such a thing. "Wait a second." Alice sat up, straddling Bella. "You remember your birth?"

"Yeah, I remember my last few weeks in the womb."

"Wow," Alice muttered. The excitable pixie was bouncing in a somewhat perilous position. Bella gripped Alice's hips and tried moving the girl only for the girl to slap her hands away. "I love this position; it feels good." She moaned. Things just took a very different turn. Bella's willpower at this point was shot, her patience waiting for Rosalie to get past the barrier holding her back had long abandoned her.

Whatever protestation was about to leave her died in her throat when Rose slammed her lips on Bella's. Marble like skin was surprisingly soft as well. It was a contrast she wasn't sure she'd ever get used to. Rose moaned as Bella's tongue found it's way into Rose's mouth. Tongues dueled as the kiss got even more heated. Bella felt hands work their way under her t-shirt.

Suddenly all three girls pulled away, Bella was sure her eyes were just as black as her mates. She was panting hard, trying to catch her breath. The three slowly stripped out of their clothes, she didn't know who to look at. This was too much.

Victoria crawled towards her and ripped Bella's shirt off, swiftly followed by her bra. Rose and Alice had her jeans off in the same breath. "No panty." Victoria purred. There was something incredibly primal about Victoria that Bella would admit scared her a little.

"You have been incredibly patient with our Rosie." Alice sounded like pure sex to her ears. "You should be rewarded for your patience." She had no time to formulate a response before all three descended on her.

Even though someone had bothered to close the shutters, there was light still flittering through the shutters casting a series of lines on the far wall. Bella was alone that much she could tell, she sat up taking stock of her body. She ached for the first time in her life due to sex. Sex with humans certainly didn't leave her bruised, it was nowhere as satisfying as what she just experienced in the last day or so. The door opened and in came Alice. "I've got breakfast." Indeed she had a tray of an assortment of foods.

"Thank you." Bella groaned as she sat up against the headboard. Alice placed a large tray on her lap and arranged the pillows behind Bella.

"How are you feeling?"

"Very sated and a little sore, but I should be good after I hunt." She admitted.

"Did we get carried away?" Rose asked from the doorway.

"Far from it. I'm used to humans and their limited stamina and soft grips. I will get used to you guys soon enough."

"Oh, great we didn't kill you." Victoria sauntered in. Bella was grateful she had swallowed her bacon as she cracked up laughing.

"No, it will take more than that to kill me, despite your biting me." She retorted.

"I like to bite… bite me." Victoria laid behind Rose, spooning her. Bella smiled, shaking her head, and went back to her breakfast.

"Now, grandpa, please behave." Bella pleaded, he could act as if a juvenile delinquent when he felt like it. "Of course, When do I not?" She groaned, knowing it was a lost course. The front door to the Cullen home opened to the sight of Esme and Carlisle.

"There they are, the vampires that kicked me out of my territory." Esme actually chuckled, while Carlisle grimaced.

"You lasted all of two seconds," Charlie grumbled.

"Just stating facts," Robert mumbled.

"Your fact doesn't make it fact," Katherine uttered, shutting him up.

"Oh, you must be Esme, my son talks about you all the time."

"MOTHER." Charlie bellowed.

"Well, you do. You can't expect me to lie." Sniggering could be heard coming from the house. Even Bella and Robert failed to keep their laughter at bay.

"Bella already gave you up," Carlisle said nonchalantly.

"Okay, can we put our filters back in place." Bella murmured as Charlie glared at her. She avoided eye contact with him, choosing to disappear into the house to find her mates.

Grandma, grandpa, this is Alice, Rosalie, and Victoria, my mates." Bella introduced.

Well, every food group is covered between you and your mates." Bella shut her eyes in disbelief.

"Why can't you… you are ancient behave like it." Bella retorted.

"What! A redhead, a blonde, black and brunette, all food groups covered." Emmett lost it as he finally understood what the food group joke meant. A loud noise shut him up.

Robert grabbed the back of his head after Katherine smacked him. "If you are determined to act like such a juvenile, I will treat you like one." Robert looked positively chastised.

Everyone sat around the dining table even though only Charlie and Bella were the only two eating. "Aro is never going to leave you alone with the size of your coven," Katherine commented worriedly for her grandchild and her new family.

"Aro is nothing to worry about." Robert brushed her concerns aside. "I knew the little twerp when he was a human child. His father was a trader, at the time, I was an exporter, and he needed one of my ships to export textiles from China."

"Just how old are you?" Carlisle asked in disbelief.

"I have no real idea. Most likely born around 2500 BC give or take a few hundred years. The first vampires I met were Amun and Kebi."

"That is old." Emmett murmured.

"Even Charlie is older than Aro," Bella added, shocking everyone.

"What!" Alice exclaimed.

"I told you Charlie was old." Everyone stared at the unassuming half-vampire in shock. Nothing about the half-vampire gave away is years on the earth, and that was just how he liked to live his life.

"And he still hasn't found a mate," Katherine muttered worriedly.

"Mother, I am fine with the way my life is, if one comes along, then sure, if not, then so be it," Charlie said with a shrug.

"Certainly not going to happen if you choose to hide in Forks." His father interjected.

"Are we really going to do this here?" Charlie groused.

"I can't take you people anywhere," Bella grumbled under her breath, not that she couldn't be heard. Victoria chuckled at the comment.

"It's so normal, we see this all the time but mostly with human families."

"Yes, Katherine certainly reminded me of my humanity. After all this time, she hasn't lost her's either. She, after all this time, has never taken a human life." Robert added proudly.

"My own personal record, one I intend to keep for however long I am in this world," Katherine added.

"You Swans are full of surprises." Rose intoned as she stared at Katherine in awe.

"I think it helps that I'm a shield. I never went through the newborn phase, not much of a bloodlust to began with and nonexistent in the last several centuries." Katherine turned her attention to Jasper. "I can help you shield other's emotions to the point of not feeling it at all until you choose to. Same with your telepathy." She said to Edward. Both nodded eagerly. "Good, you will find it will help your bloodlust." She said to Jasper something he welcomed wholly. Irina took his hand in hers and smiled at him. She knew more than anyone how much he suffered and fought his bloodlust, especially having to deal with everyone else's.

Bella stared at her mangled neck in the mirror. She was grateful the venom didn't leave a scar on her as it did on vampires, or else her neck would look like mangled meat pressed back together. "Oh, you are fine," Victoria said with a purr. The redhead was still naked in her bed, with zero intention of moving. "Come back to bed." She put her hand out for Bella to join her.

"My neck is off limit," Bella warned.

"Can I bite other parts?" She asked, batting her eyelashes. Bella found the act rather unsettling.

"No, everything is off-limits until I hunt." Victoria pouted but acquiesced.

In the last couple of years, she had settled into life with the Cullen's seamlessly. Charlie had decided to do a little traveling a year ago and was now heading back to Forks with her grandparents in tow. Alice and Rose were currently shopping for her birthday. The Cullen's seemed to use her as an excuse to truly celebrate the human holidays. She was never big on celebrating them much herself, but she indulged her in-laws, especially Esme.

"We are back," Alice called out as if Victoria and Bella hadn't already heard them long before they made it to the house.

"What am I getting?" Bella asked even though she wouldn't find out until the day.

"You will find out soon enough," Rose answered, coming into the bedroom. "I see you two kept busy." She teased as she joined them on the bed.

"I had a very different kind of busy in mind, but Vic also had other ideas. As you see, her idea won." Bella quipped.

"I'm sure you put up a valiant fight." Alice joined in the jesting.

"She did, but in the end, she fell as valiantly as she fought." Victoria went to nuzzle Bella's neck, only to find the half-vampire on the other side of the room, much to her mates amusement.

"I'm going to hunt before you get any more brilliant ideas." She could hear laughing as she leaped over the river into the forest.

She ran past Jasper and Irina, he was a very different vampire since he learned to block emotions. He was even more mischievous than Emmett, though he still had his serious moments. He just seemed free with not having to fight his and other's bloodlust most of the time.

A couple of hours later, when she made it back home, she found all the Cullens in the living room. Something was wrong. "What did I miss?"

"The Volturi are on the Continent, and when Demetri couldn't find Carlisle, Aro worried and is coming to visit. It's all three kings and a few of the guards." Alice answered.

"We do know there are many because there was a threat in Canada, and Aro decided to call on Carlisle after it was dealt with," Eleazar added.

"Well, we know the shield is working as it should." Bella murmured as she got out her phone and send a text. "When is this visit?"

"In two days," Alice answered. Bella nodded, her family would be there by the time the Volturi arrived. It was bound to happen sooner or later. Eleazar had heard rumors Aro was now aware of their combined coven, and their growing numbers. Without Alice, this would have been one hell of a surprise.

Aro looked perplexed when he got nothing from Carlisle. Aro knew Carlisle, he knew Carlisle's mind was one he could get into, but he couldn't. He moved directly to Eleazar and Carmen and found he could not read their minds either. "It seems all your minds are silent to me." There was obvious discomfort among the guards.

"I'm afraid my daughter's mate renders all powers null." Aro's eyes lit up.

"Astonishing." He whispered, then turned to Jane. "I wonder if… dear Jane, could you."

"Of course, master." She said with a saccharine-sweet smile, but it soon turned to anger when she found her gift useless as well.

Aro laughed loud. "Could I meet this vampire?" Aro asked, but everyone knew it wasn't a request that could be turned down.

"I never said she was a vampire," Carlisle replied.

"A human… so powerful already." Aro could not believe his luck. Such a gift would make the Volturi invincible, and Carlisle had just given him a reason to take the human.

"Now, that is just insulting," Bella said as she moved right into the middle of the room with speed.

"No, she is not human," Carlisle added with a smile bothering on smug.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Aro, son of Arius. I had heard of you leading my creations, but I just hadn't found the time to see if it was true."

If Aro had been surprised by the greeting, he didn't show it. His guards and Caius did. "You seem to know who I am."

"My one flaw is the loss of your human memories when your change is complete. The pain must be really excruciating to cause such loss." Bella took a sit in the middle of the three-seater and spread her arms. Like a well-rehearsed plan, Rosalie, Alice, and Victoria moved to sit around her. The rest of the Cullen's sat, including her grandparents, who Aro had paid little attention to. Charlie didn't need to be there as the two of them weren't required.

The Volturi guards appeared unsettled as they had no idea what they had walked into. "Your creations?" Caius asked his sneer firmly in place.

"How is your sister Didyme, if I remember correctly. She was but a newborn baby when I last saw your family." Marcus woke up then.

"You knew me as a human?" Aro's disbelief at the entire display began to show.

"Indeed… well, I knew your father. He used my ships for his exporting business. He was a great businessman. I am pleased to see you as one of my creations. Pray tell, who is your maker. I would know him. There were not many of you then" Though Bella sat, one would swear she was looking down at Aro.

"I have no knowledge..."

"How could you create us?" Caius bellowed interrupting the conversation. Bella turned her golden eyes on him, and Caius appeared to be struggling to get out of something that was squeezing him. Cracks began to appear on him. He put his arm out, only for his wrist to break. Katherine stopped her physical shield then.

"You only speak when you are spoken to. Is that clear, you insolent little child." Caius nodded as he tried to put his hand back together. "I believe you came to visit your friend. Please go ahead." Aro looked at Caius, whose cracked skin was still healing.

"Demetri could not find you, and it left me concerned. You are well as is your coven, so I will bid you farewell." Aro looked around the room and turned to leave.

"Aro, you still have not told me of your sister," Bella called out as he got to the door.

"She is no longer with us." Aro, to her surprise, looked more nervous about Marcus than the supposed creator of vampires.

"That is unfortunate. I will come to Volterra as soon as time allows. We have much to discuss." With a nod, he and the guards disappeared.

Everyone turned to Edward ones they were gone. "First thing, Marcus is out from under Chelsea's influence and plans to kill Aro before they make it Volterra. He does not care if he dies in the process, as he intends to kill himself anyway. That is good for us, as Aro was thinking of ways to get you into his coven. He even considered offering you a seat as a queen."

"So he believed the creator of vampires shit?" Bella asked in shock.

"Why would he not when someone who looks like a human say they knew him as a human child and nearly turned Caius into rubble," Emmett interjected with a laugh.

Actually, he stopped questioning it after Caius was nearly turned into rubble with just a look. Worse, none of their gifts would have worked had we decided to take them on. He would have been a problem, but thanks to Katherine shielding Marcus, we have nothing to worry about." Edward said with a smile. "Thank God for you three because, the minute he walked in here and saw our size, he was planning elimination and taking whichever one of us had gifts. Not being able to read any of us disconcerted him at first because he couldn't figure out which of us had gifts without it." Edward added.

Bella took out the uncomfortable contact lenses. "Can't believe we went through the trouble of finding these, and he didn't even notice." She groused.

"Oh, he did. He was hoping just as much as we were that no one would mention it. Aro thought it was because you created us to live on animal blood." He added with a laugh. "He was disgusted by the idea in ways you would not believe."

"I still can't believe it worked." Rose murmured firmly snuggled into Bella's side.

An hour later Charlie confirmed their departure, Bella at this point was in bed with her mates, each going over how well it had worked out. "We would not be here without you," Victoria whispered.

"Technically, without the shield, Demetri would have found Carlisle and Aro would not have felt the need to check on him," Bella replied.

"I still believe he would have come no matter what. You heard Eleazar, Aro had learned about our numbers." Alice interjected.

"None of that matters now, it all worked out." Bella sighed. Victoria slid up Bella's body and started nuzzling her neck. "For the love of God, Vick, stop biting me," Bella complained, earning uproarious laughter from her mates. She rolled her eyes at them, she loved them and the life she had with them, and no one would disrupt that.