One God Thing Chapter 1
Summary: Bella is having the worst week possible, but things are about to look up.
Bella/Victoria
Victoria stared at the caller ID and answered the phone with a smile. "Hello, mother."
"Yes, I know you are thoroughly amused by my calling, but I cannot help myself. I take it you have everything in order?" Elizabeth asked, knowing her daughter did.
"Yes, although there is one thing I cannot account for, I believe I can work around it if need be. I would have to wait another week, but I'd rather not."
"Call me when it's done." Her mother said just as her target's car came into view and then disappeared under the building to the parking garage.
"I will." She murmured her eyes glued to the fourteenth-floor apartment across the street. She watched as Collin Spencer entered his home. He made his way directly to his office and stayed there until it was time to leave. Collin Spencer was a man of routine, every Friday night was spent at the club, on certain nights he left with a female. Victoria was hoping today would not be such a day because then she would have to wait another week, and she honestly did not want Roman Spencer to deal with his father for another week. In the last six weeks, Collin had taken to physically abusing his eight-year-old son. He had paid the babysitter a lot to look the other way, and she had happily done so. She was next on Victoria's list.
Collin got dressed and left the apartment without so much as a look in on his son, and Victoria knew the boy was grateful for it. Victoria did not care why the man had suddenly taken to abusing his son. All she knew was that he had struck the boy a few days ago, he was forced to stay home from school. The angry bruise on the left side of his face could not be explained away. Victoria knew the boy's maternal grandparents wanted him, but the father had blocked it. Victoria would end Collin Spencer, and his son would find a loving home with his grandparents without objection.
She didn't need to follow him, she knew his route well. She left her apartment half an hour later and took a leisurely stroll towards what would be her hiding place. It was a somewhat convoluted route, but it was done to avoid the CCTV cameras. From the alleyway, she leaped onto the building.
Waiting on the rooftop of an abandoned building with perfect sight to the path Collin would take on his way home, her mind wandered to her own rescue. Victoria's family had been poor, her father worked in the markets if there was work to be found. Victoria, at fourteen summers, carried goods for the wealthy as they shopped. One such wealthy woman was Elizabeth. Elizabeth was beyond kind and often paid far more than the going rate.
Victoria's biggest fear was being sold into slavery, she had seen so many sold as their families struggled. Her fear came to pass when she saw her father in deep discussions with a man she knew to be rather cruel. Her father had been given so much for her and had sold her that day at the market. Victoria had been hiding in an alcove and stayed hidden as her father looked around for her. She stayed hidden as he called for her. She was only delaying the inevitable, that much she knew, but still, she stayed hidden. More words were exchanged, and the man walked away. Her father would soon have to deliver her. She considered running to the Amesbury Abbey and was going to do just that when she turned and bumped into Elizabeth.
"Come with me," Elizabeth said before she had thought to utter a word. Victoria found herself in a part of the market she had never ventured and soon ushered into a carriage. "You will not be sold to that brute," Elizabeth growled as the carriage sped to her home. "I will make your father a much better offer for you. By law, until you are actually in Alwin's hand, the sale is not yet complete, and another can intercede. The relief that left Victoria at those words shook her small but powerful body. Working from a young age had given her a lot of strength.
Elizabeth had offered her father ten times what Alwin had offered, knowing the man could never beat such an offer. Elizabeth arrived home, and that very evening they left Amesbury for Athens, and only returned to England when William the Conqueror was crowned king. At that time, she learned all about vampires, Elizabeth's maternal bond to her, and she at twenty-two became a vampire.
For two more hours, Victoria waited, crouched on the building unmoving as she waited for her target. Collin Spencer walked home from the club, as usual, it was a chance to clear his head before he got home. There was a point in his life when it was full of joy and happiness. Even when they discovered Catherine could not have kids, they were happy. Then by some unholy miracle, Catherine fell pregnant, and despite the doctor's warning, Catherine chose the boy over him. She died giving birth, and he had been forced to raise a son he couldn't stand. During the last few months, he had found the boy looked so much like Catherine, as though tormenting him. Well, not if his face was black and blue, he couldn't. Some nights it took a great deal of strength not to walk into that boy's room and rearrange his face until it was unrecognizable. He was pulled out of his musings when he was yanked into an alley. Before he uttered a word in protest, he felt the cold steel slip right into him. He coughed, and blood sprayed over his cashmere coat.
"You." He groaned. Collin knew his beautiful neighbor from the building across, he had always thought of asking her out, but never got the chance.
"Yes, me, and I bet you are wondering why?" Victoria kneeled in front of him with the grace of a jungle cat. "I can see into your apartment from mine, and I could not stand by and let you kill Roman, which is what you would have eventually done."
"There is nothing wrong with killing a killer." Collin groaned before slumping over. Victoria emptied his wallet, relieved him of his Rolex watch and phone. It was a shame to get rid of the Rolex, but she couldn't hold on to it as such pieces had serial numbers linking it to their owners. She wasn't about to tempt fate.
Four hours later, Roman Spencer's grandparents came for him. The police questioned the babysitter, she was sure it was regarding the rather large bruise on the side of their grandson's face. Naturally, the sitter claimed to know nothing about it. Victoria couldn't hear it, but she could read between the lines well.
Just over a month later, Collin Spencer's death was still unsolved and looked like it would remain so. With no one harassing the authorities to find the culprit, it quickly became a cold case.
As birthdays went, it had been a shitty one for Bella, it was also her eighteenth birthday. Her flight from Phoenix had been delayed due to a passenger suffering a seizure while they boarded. He had to be taken off, and worse, his luggage had to also be taken off the flight. By the time she made it to Seattle, the Bus to Port Angeles had long left. The next available bus was on Monday; Charlie had booked her a room in the Four Seasons of all places. At least that one good thing had put a smile on face her for the first time all week.
She was supposed to have made a move a week ago, but one fucked up incident after another meant she had been forced to make the trip on her birthday so she could at least start her final year at Forks High on Monday. It seemed that wasn't going to be possible either as she would still be in Seattle come Monday. Maybe, she should have let Charlie come and got her when he first offered.
That thought quickly evaporated when she took in the room. It was a large room with a king-size bed and a view of Elliot Bay. The bathroom was all marble; she had a shower and a tub. "Thank you, Charlie." She sang as she collapsed onto the bed with a giggle.
She took a well-earned shower and rifled through her suitcase for something decent to wear. She decided against room service and was bravely going to head to the bar. She was going to try a little alcohol for the first time in her life. Room service might come in handy later.
She entered the elevator and damn near face-planted at the sight of a beautiful woman standing in the corner, legs crossed at her ankles and smiling at something on her phone. Bella found herself feeling grateful, the red-haired hadn't caught her tripping over air. Bella took a shaky breath as the doors closed, she could still see the woman clearly in the reflection of the doors. She was pale with flawless skin, she had long curly hair, it wasn't orange, but not red either. She was taller than Bella by a couple of inches. Bella noticed the bright red eyes when she looked up, and she quickly looked away.
"Hi," Victoria greeted the brunette, who was desperately trying not to stare.
"Hi," Bella replied, turning around to look at the red-haired beauty and quickly averting her gaze.
"Headed for something to eat?" Victoria asked.
"Erm… no, it's my eighteenth birthday, I was going to try a little alcohol." She murmured, feeling incredibly silly all of a sudden.
"Would you mind if I joined you?" Her smile had Bella a little lost for words, so she simply nodded her assent. "Excellent, I'm Victoria by the way." She put her hand out.
"Bella." She took the offered hand, it felt cold and hard and a little too smooth. Something about Vitoria seemed familiar, but for the life of her, Bella couldn't recall how she knew her. "Have we met before?" She blurted without thought, then quickly blushed.
"I'm sure I would have remembered you." Victoria purred, earning another blush from Bella.
The rest of the elevator ride was taken in silence. Victoria found the brunette shyness endearing. She couldn't help but touch Bella as they made their way through the foyer to the bar. "What drink would you like to try first?" She asked as she pulled out a seat in the corner for Bella.
"First?" Bella chuckled. "I just want to try one drink to see what the fuss is about, but I know I'm not a drinker." She'd seen enough alcohol at parties and knew it wasn't for her. No one in school ever threw a party without a copious amount of alcohol, and none interested her.
"Well, then, pick well." Victoria teased.
In the end, Bella went with a fruity cocktail that was so sweet you could easily be fooled into thinking it contained no alcohol. "You'd like another." Victoria laughed.
"It's so good." She moaned, and the vampire shifted unconsciously in her seat. "What drink is it?" Bella asked.
"I have no idea, I asked the bartender to surprise me." Victoria knocked back her whiskey and sat back.
"How strong is that?" Bella asked, noticing the ease with which Victoria knocked back the drink.
"It's strong, but it's the only other thing I can drink, and I do it in moderation." Spirits had no effect on her lack of a digestive system. In fact, it actually had a surprisingly good taste. "If you want to try one, I would not advise you drinking one on an empty stomach," Victoria advised.
"You've eaten already." Bella's disappointment was not missed by the vampire.
"I have, but I would gladly keep you company if you decided to get something for yourself." Victoria offered.
Several hours later, the two had gotten somewhat comfortable with each other, enough to talk about their families. "That was a rather lovely birthday gift from your father." Victoria murmured.
"Yes, it was unexpected. I was in a rather foul mood when I called Charlie. He said he'd call me back and when he did, he had arranged a weekend here for my birthday." Bella said with a smile.
"You are eighteen, why didn't you just stay in Phoenix?"
"Renee had decided to sell the house, and I had no desire to move to Florida." She answered with a shrug.
"Can't say I blame you," Victoria mumbled. She'd lasted all of three days in Florida. "So what are your plans for the rest of the evening?" she asked nonchalantly.
"I don't know, head back to my room and do some sightseeing tomorrow," Bella shrugged.
"You could always come back to my room." The meaning was not hidden. "Unless I have read this wrong." She hadn't, she never did.
"I'm not entirely sure… erm…" Bella desperately wanted to say yes, but there was something about Victoria that scared her.
"There are cameras everywhere. There is one in the elevator and on the corridor. You will be seen entering my room. I have no intention of hurting you." Victoria said, picking up on Bella's concern. Still, Bella hesitated. "The only screaming you will do will be one of pleasure. I do want you, I have since you entered the elevator." Bella blushed and quickly nodded.
"I want to hear you say it," Victoria whispered.
"Okay." She whispered, trying to beat back the blush threatening to turn her into the color of Victoria's eyes.
Victoria had a first-class ticket to London, she'd spend five days and then fly to Athens to see her mother. This time she planned on staying a long while, hopefully, get into a little trouble. That was until she spied Isabella Swan, the human simply walked into Phoenix Sky Harbor International, and turned Victoria's world upside down. She had promptly called Elizabeth and explained the odd pulling sensation in her chest, who laughed and told Victoria she would see her shortly with her mate. She had found her mate just like that. She watched as the girl walked to a desk and checked in for a flight to Seattle. Victoria learned her name was Isabella Swan, and it was her birthday; unfortunately, the poor human's day was not going well.
She looked at her ticket in hand and tossed it. She'd never been so grateful for not having checked in yet. It appeared as though luck was on her side as the flight had one seat left, and far removed from her mate. She was not ready to reveal herself yet. She needed to have a firm idea of the girl's plans before she made her own. The lovely lady at the check-in desk had given Bella an upgrade to First, and Victoria now had her original seat.
Somehow she had managed to stay out of Bella's line of sight, and her hooded jacket help hide her distinctive hair. There was no forgetting that hair, it was a blessing and a curse. Their flight had been delayed, and the girl had missed her bus to Forks. Victoria now had the information she needed. Isabella was moving to Forks to finish her senior year.
Elizabeth, with her seemingly endless resourcefulness, had bought her a vacation home in Piedmont. She apparently made an offer the owner could not refuse. Elizabeth reminded her of the large coven that lived in the area, and as per protocol, Victoria had to formally greet them. She hated such fanfare, but needs must. It was also a chance to warn them to stay well clear of her human.
Thankfully, Bella's father had booked a room at the Four Seasons allowing Elizabeth to get the house in shape even from as far as Athens. Her mother was indeed resourceful. Victoria also booked herself a room for the weekend, two floors above the human's room. She left her room when Bella did and prayed the elevator came from above, not below. She truly was riding her luck that day when the elevator opened two floors down and in entered the human. She reveled at Bella's sudden lack of coordination at the sight of her, her increased heartbeat, and inability to stop staring at Victoria. Signs that boded well for her.
Victoria stood in the doorway to the bathroom staring at a sleeping Bella. She actually enjoyed sex with humans, most of their kind avoided it like the plague unless they had no qualms about killing said human. Victoria liked the human race, all vampires were humans before turned, but it was something they forgot quickly. She still had human connections, her two brothers and three sisters all married and had children, who had children of their own. She had several descendants, most she had help anonymously at one time or another. Centuries of practice meant she could truly enjoy her sexual encounters with humans without leaving a mark. The kind of humans she drained wasn't the kind she bedded. Bella, though, was different, Victoria's very existence would be shattered if anything were to happen to Bella. All of a sudden, the sleeping brunette was the most important thing in her life.
She slipped under the sheets and joined Bella, just lying next to her mate felt good. Then her phone rang, and with a sigh, she answered. "I'm told you found your mate." He said as though he expected the information to be wrong.
"Told or you went digging when I didn't turn up in London." She quipped.
"Yes, thanks for telling me you weren't coming, by the way." He groused, having run all the way there, hoping to see her.
"I forgot." Victoria shrugged petulantly.
"I hear she's human." Victoria sighed.
"She is, and I will tell her… in time…"
"You know the law." He argued. "I'm well aware there is some leeway when it comes to mates, but please be careful. We do not want to give Aro any leeway to finally get what he wants."
"Thank you, I will be, I didn't get to this age by being reckless." He scoffed, and she giggled. She knew how to get into trouble more than most.
"Hey, blame mother."
"I do." He said, hanging up without so much as a goodbye.
"Mother would be appalled by your lack of manners." She whispered to herself, staring at the phone.
When Bella woke up, it took her a few seconds to remember the events of a few hours ago and promptly blushed. "Even when I do nothing, I have you blushing." Victoria teased from the seat in the corner as she looked out the window. "Good morning, Isabella." Something about the way Victoria said her name sent a pleasurable shiver down Bella's spine.
"Good morning." She mumbled, trying her damndest not to hide her face in the pillow. She also unfortunately remembered biting the pillow to stop herself from screaming when Victoria had her at her mercy.
"There is no need to be so shy around me. I truly enjoyed myself with you, and I would like to see you more if you find that agreeable." Bella's eyes widened.
"Okay, but erm… where do you even live?"
"Piedmont." She answered with a rather smug grin.
"Oh, okay, that's close to Forks." Bella murmured as Victoria sauntered closer.
"It is, and hopefully, the work would be done on the house by the end of the week, so I can move in," Victoria said as she ran her finger over Bella's exposed arm.
"How old are you?" Bella asked.
"I'm twenty-two years old." it wasn't entirely a lie, but all the same, she hated omitting the fact that there were millennia in vampire years to boot.
"Okay," Bella whispered. "Yeah, I would like to see you again as well." She added much to Victoria's elation.
"Wonderful. Am I your first? That is if you don't mind me asking."
"I did have a girlfriend in Phoenix but things didn't get far before she moved. I didn't bother much after that." Bella said with a shrug. "So, yeah you are my first. It was not what I expected… it was great." She blushed vermillion. "Okaaay, I'm going to shower." She bolted out of bed and quickly realized she was naked.
"It's nothing I haven't already seen." Victoria made no attempt to hide her leering.
"Erm… I don't have a change of clothes." Bella murmured, shuffling from foot to foot.
"I can grab some things from your room for you if you wish," Victoria offered.
"Thanks." She quickly disappeared into the bathroom, much to Victoria's amusement. She remembered a time when humans weren't so uncomfortable with being naked.
Victoria got Bella's keycard out of her trouser pocket and made her way to the human's room. Victoria knew Bella will more than likely blush at the idea of her getting her panties and a bra. She grabbed a t-shirt and jeans and headed back up. Bella was still in the shower when she got back to the room. She placed the clothes on the vanity and exited the bathroom quickly, as much as she would have loved to join her mate in the shower, she didn't.
By the time Bella was done, she had ordered the human breakfast. Bella called Charlie to thank him for the wonderful gift and they talked about Jake anxious wait for her to get to Forks. The talk of the boy did not please Victoria in the least.
Then it all changed, Bella ended the call with a look of trepidation, Victoria did not need to see it, she could smell the stench of fear coming off the human in waves. Nothing in the conversation with her father should have brought on such a strong negative emotion. "Isabella, are you okay." She got up and moved closer only for Bella to bolt out of her chair and shuffle backward breakfast forgotten. Victoria stopped and put her hand out in a placating gesture.
"You are a vampire."