One God Thing Chapter 3

Summary: Bella is having the worst week possible, but things are about to look up.

Bella/Victoria

Being a vampire had many advantages, but the one Victoria was grateful for at that moment was her inability to feel pain, despite her arm contorted in a weird position. Bella was currently wrapped around her riding her fingers furiously. Her mate was moaning loudly, her words incoherent as her breathing came out rapidly in short gasps. "You are so close, I can feel it." She whispered, sucking on Bella's earlobes.

"Yes." Bella groaned. "Oh, god… yes… Vick, don't stop, please don't stop." Her hips moved back and forth as her next orgasm crept up on her.

"Don't intend to." Victoria chuckled just as Bella threw her head back and came loudly.

"Oh, fuck… Vick." She muttered breathlessly.

"Mmm-hmm." She answered, her fingers still buried in Bella.

"I have missed you." Her words sent a pleasant feeling through Victoria.

"I have missed you too." She laid Bella down and snuggled next to her. They lay there in comfortable silence for a while.

Victoria chuckled. "I didn't even get to show you the house." The minute she got Bella to the bedroom, nothing else seemed to matter.

"And it is entirely your fault." Bella quipped.

"I happily accept the blame." Victoria laughed. The two laid there silently for a good while basking in the glow of being together.

"I have only known you a week, and yet I feel as though it is so much longer." Bella murmured.

"Do you believe in the idea of soul mates?" She rolled onto her stomach and faced Bella. "Vampires do. You feel a pulling sensation in your chest, where our non-beating heart lies. When you meet your mate, you feel as though your heart isn't dead after all. In my thousand years, I have heard several mated couples talk about it, that first moment they laid eyes on their mates. I never knew it felt so good, never knew I would feel so elated until I saw you." Jasper had been right, Bella had looked somewhat defeated as she talked, but at the end, when the human realized Victoria meant her, a radiant smile took over her features.

"The elevator." Bella surmised.

"No, Phoenix. I was sending a message to my brother when I felt it, I looked up, and there you were. I abandoned the message and called my mother. Who confirmed what I already felt. I threw my ticket to London away and followed you. You were upgraded, and I got your seat." Bella's jaw dropped.

"Wait a second, but this house."

"After your conversation with your father, I knew you were moving to Forks, so I tasked my mother with finding me a home. I checked into the hotel two floors above yours, I wanted the one directly above or below you, but it was not available. I heard you leave the room, and I left mine. You know the rest." She waited patiently for Bella's reaction. The girl in question could not seem to find the words to express what she felt. It would not have been such a problem if she knew what she could decipher what she felt.

"So, you were going to tell me about being a vampire eventually." As it stood, it was all she could think to ask.

"Oh, yes… my hesitation was not because I feared how you would react, but our laws. Telling a human either condemns them to our existence or death."

"And you didn't want to turn me?" Victoria held back her triumphant smile at the hurt look her mate wore.

"Oh, Isabella… I have every intention of turning you, but I was waiting until you could not live without me. It is somewhat manipulative…"

"No, I get it, the human is highly unlikely to say no when they have grown so attached to the vampire, life without the vampire is unbearable." She did get it.

"Yes, but then you surprised me, and well, I had to call my brother and inform him you knew. It has bought as time. You will stay human until you are ready to join me as a vampire, no one will rush you."

"Your brother? Why do you need to tell him?"

"My brother is one of three kings that rule the vampire world." That jaw dropped further.

"Right… right… you are going to have to explain that a little more." She whispered.

"Elizabeth is the vampire that turned me, two thousand years earlier she had turned Caius, that's my brother's name. Elizabeth felt a maternal pull towards us and turned us, she actually gave as a choice which is rare in our world. For all intents and purposes, Elizabeth is my mother, and I give her that title. Caius is my brother and also deserving of that title even if he loathes it. Vampires don't have families, they have covens. Despite my age, I am more in touch with my human self than most. It helps that I keep an eye on my human family still."

"Wow." Bella was in danger of unhinging her jaw by the time Victoria was done.

"At some point during this weekend, you will have to talk to them both. Caius, I should warn you, has the manners of a horned lizard. Elizabeth would simply gush over you and would have roped you into visiting her before the conversation is over." Victoria pulled Bella closer to her body. "Either that or come next weekend, and you will find her here ready to ambush you." Bella's eyes widened comically much to Victoria's amusement.

"No, I can talk to them." Even if Elizabeth was human, she'd still prefer a phone call than to meet the in-laws so soon. "What about the two other kings?"

"Aro will not do anything to anger Elizabeth, and Marcus couldn't care less. He lost his mate a long time ago and has never been the same again. He just closed himself off to everything."

"Tell me more about mates… what it means."

"Some vampires live to find their mates, and it does not appeal to others in the least. We are around a long time, and it's easy for the boredom to drive a vampire insane. I never went out of my way to look for my mate, can you imagine if I had been looking for you for the last millennia." Bella shuddered at the idea, she was eighteen years old. She couldn't imagine what that would do to a vampire after searching for so long. "I was of the notion that it would happen when it was meant to… and it did. Your mate is your other half in every sense of the word. You can feel them to a certain extent and know when they are in mortal danger. Distance is a problem in the first few decades, you cannot be without each other for long periods. Over time you learn to deal with it. I have seen what happens to vampires when they lose their mates. They either kill themselves, insane, or shut themselves off to everything."

"Which is what Marcus has done," Bella whispered.

"Yes, Aro is what is keeping him for ending his existence, he would kill himself the first chance he gets."

"How?"

"Chelsea is a vampire with a gift of creating bonds. That is how Aro keeps some of the guards loyal. Their loyalty is created by Chelsea, and Marcus is no different."

"That is not right. Can't your mother step in?" Bella muttered angrily.

"No, it's not, and no mother will not interfere unless it involves Caius and I. If it were not for her, I would be a guard. Aro does not know how to take no for an answer. The only reason he has not come after me is because of Caius and mother."

"What is your gift, if you don't mind me asking?" Bella asked.

"There is no question off limits to you, Isabella." Victoria ran her finger over Bella's cheek and kissed her softly. "Even as a human, I could escape, surrounded, and hide in plain sight. The day my father sold me, my gifts saved me. I hid while he looked for me to hand over to Alwin."

"Your father sold you?" Bella asked in disbelief.

"It was a common occurrence in those days. The wealthy bought children of the poor more often than not. They were sold into slavery, the man who bought me bought me as a sex slave. My father knew, but he could not afford to turn down the amount of money he offered. Elizabeth found me hiding and spirited me away to her home. She paid my father ten times what Alwin offered him and exacted a promise from my father. He was never to sell any of my siblings. Elizabeth, in essence, bought all my siblings."

"She did it for you," Bella smiled as Victoria nodded. The more she learned about Elizabeth, she couldn't help but respect, admire, and love the vampire.

"We digress… as a vampire, my gift reached its full potential. I could be in this very house, and you will never find me. My senses are also very enhanced more than any vampire I know. I believe it's a by-product of my main gift. I would have made a great spy for the Volturi, and Aro wanted me, but Elizabeth shut him down the minute he brought it up." She chuckled, lying on her back. Bella, not liking the sudden distance between them, found herself practically on top of Victoria. The vampire smiled at the move.

"Is this a mate thing?" Bella asked.

"It's like I said distance no matter how minuscule is a problem," Victoria reiterated.

"How do you expect me to function from Monday to Friday?" There was a teasing lilt in Bella's voice, but at the same time, she was serious.

"We will talk every day, and if you wish, I could sneak into your room every night." Bella smiled.

"Sneak away. It's not as though I have to worry about Charlie finding you in my room."

"No, you don't." She moaned as Bella's hand started to caress every inch of skin she could reach. She let the human do as she pleased, and Victoria enjoyed every minute of it.

Bella had been entirely surprised by Victoria's kitchen. The vampire had gone overboard in filling her cupboards and fridge. Most of the food Bella would have to take with her or else it would be inedible by the following weekend. She made herself mac and cheese and steak, with the ridiculously expensive brands Victoria bought. Bella was sure she went all the way to Seattle for the food. She sat on the deck, surrounded by water as she ate. She could see a few houses across the river, but it appeared they were not occupied. It was not all that cold, and the sweater Victoria gave her kept her very warm, that and the heaters on the deck. She could hear Victoria on the phone as she ate, she couldn't help but smile every time she heard Victoria laugh. She still wasn't entirely sure about the mated stuff, but she knew she liked the vampire a lot.

"Sorry about that, I had to stop my mother from showing up in the morning." Victoria sat next to her and draped a hand over the back of Bella's chair.

"And did you succeed?" She asked after swallowing a piece of steak.

"Honestly, I have no idea." Victoria did not seem all that bothered. Bella really hoped she was teasing.

"Edward Cullen seems to have some interest in you." Victoria blurted out, which was unlike her. "I have warned him to stay away from you, Carlisle promised to enforce it…" Victoria finally looked at her. "The boy was disrespectful to his maker and coven leader in front of me, something that is not done. If he could do that, I do not believe Carlisle truly has the power to keep his promise." She would never dare talk to Elizabeth or glare at her the way the boy did. She respected and loved her mother too much to do that more or less in front of another vampire.

"Is it because I'm his singer?" Bella did not want Edward anywhere near her, especially as her blood sang to him.

"That and the fact that the boy cannot hear your thoughts." Bella stared in disbelief. "I know, I have only come across one other telepath in my thousand years, and he has to touch you to see your life. I believe you are a shield, and a very powerful one if it's already this strong. Most gifted vampires show signs of their ability before they are turned, and it appears you are one."

"You mean like you could evade and hide as a human," Bella said.

"Precisely." Victoria turned her body to fully face Bella. "The small one, Alice, can see the future based on decisions. I know it will be difficult to do, but guard your decisions because whatever Alice sees, so does Edward."

"Wait, can she still see my future if I am a shield."

"It's a good question. I do not know, but caution never hurt anybody." Victoria advised.

"Jasper Whitlock is an empath, I do not know the extent of his gift… but the rumor is he can manipulate the emotion of others."

"I thought his name was Hale," Bella muttered. "No, it's the name he might use now, but he was Jasper Whitlock. He has quite the reputation as a fighter, most think he's dead. I did not expect to find him in the Cullen coven. I doubt we have to worry about him and Alice, but..."

"Monitor my emotions and decisions." Bella finished with a smile.

"I will be around as much as I can, but I fear I may end up killing Edward Cullen." Bella prayed Edward stayed away.

"Anything from the wolves?" She asked as Bella settled into her side.

"No, I haven't heard from Jake since Monday night." Bella murmured.

"Come on, let's get inside." Victoria switched off the heaters, and they headed inside. She shut the doors and pulled the shutters down. A few minutes later, they were settled in the living room watching Victoria's massive TV.

"Charlie would love to watch a game on something like this," Bella muttered.

"We should invite him here one weekend, he should at least see where you spend your weekends." Victoria offered.

"Yeah, that sounds good." She smiled. "So, what do you like watching?" Bella asked.

"I love movies, I have quite the enviable DVD collection if I do say so myself. I will have to have a few shipped over. As for Tv, I'm more of a fan of procedural dramas. The ones with law enforcement, not the ones with the police idiot who has a priest, writer, or doctor solving the cases." Bella cracked up laughing. "In that regard, you and Charlie are in agreement."

Bella was beginning to hate Sunday nights and even more Monday mornings. Victoria was usually gone by the time she woke up. Not that morning though, they had a plan in place and one they both hoped would work.

She was not all surprised when Edward was nowhere to be seen, nor did Jasper and Alice's approach surprise her. "Hi, Bella, Victoria." Alice greeted with a smile.

"Hey, Alice, Jasper." She got out of her truck locking it. She didn't see the point, but the last thing she wanted to do was invalidate any insurance claim. "Erm… is it Hale or Whitlock? Victoria says it's Whitlock, but everyone here refers to you as Jasper Hale." Jasper was not the least bit surprised Victoria knew of him.

"It's Hale, but I am a Whitlock." He answered appearing nonplussed.

"You were right," Bella said, turning to Victoria.

"I will not have to change my name to Volturi when I turn, do I? Bella asked with a pout.

"In Elizabeth's time, there were no family names. I don't use Volturi, it is a name others have given me because of Caius. So no, you will not have to use Volturi." She chuckled at the look of relief on Bella's face.

"And you are an empath..." Bella sincerely hoped this plan of Victoria's would keep Edward away. "and you can see the future." That surprised the vampires.

"How do you know that?" Alice had watched for Victoria's decisions all weekend and had seen nothing. This though, was not nothing. Something had happened, and it had gotten past her.

"Victoria told me. Apparently, my blood sings to Edward, and he can read minds but not mine. This is some really fascinating stuff. She said it's a good thing no one knows about you guys or else Aro would have found a way to take you already." The bell sounded then. "See you guys around." She gave Victoria a kiss and reluctantly walked towards the school building. "I hate school." She mumbled earning a laugh from her mate as she ran home. Victoria had been surprised when Bella said she wanted to do the talking. It was her way of agreeing with Victoria's plans if Carlisle failed to keep Edward away. Also, letting the Cullens know that Bella stood by her mate whatever the decision. As if Bella was about to play Russian roulette with Edward Cullen.

Neither Alice or Jasper followed her in. The two got back to their car and drove home, calling Carlisle on the way. The school had received a call from Carlisle with their excuse by the time they got home. "What happened?" Carlisle asked.

"Victoria knows all about us." She reiterated the conversation they had with Bella to the rest of the family.

"It's a warning," Jasper said, staring at Edward knowing he had to have done something for Victoria to turn up at the school that morning.

"Yes, a warning that if he went near her mate, she would be the least of our worries." Rosalie glared at Edward with such contempt. "We should leave." She added.

Carlisle turned to look at Edward. "I cannot trust you to stay away from Isabella Swan, this is no longer just about you, I am not willing to risk everyone. I know you are desperate to find a mate, but it's not her." Carlisle looked around. "I will build on the family emergency excuse I used earlier and tell them we have to leave Forks. Our time here is done, time to pack up."

"Is my word not good enough?" Edward asked.

"Not with what I can feel from you, no," Jasper answered. "My wife and I are not going to become guards in the Volturi because you can't comprehend the fact that Isabella Swan is not your mate. Victoria knows so much about us, and we have no idea how or what else she could know."

"Edward, we are leaving. It is the safest option for all involved." Carlisle made his way up the stairs. "Edward, if you come back here to go after her, you can consider yourself no longer a member of this family," Carlisle warned as Edward stared at him in shock.

Bella was somewhat shocked at the sight of the convoy in front of her house. The moment her truck was parked, a vampire stepped out of the leading car. "Hello, I'm Carlisle Cullen."

Hi, erm… what can I do for you?"

"I was hoping you would get in touch with Victoria for me." He'd barely finished his sentence when the red-haired appeared.

"No need." She said, appearing beside Bella in an instant. Victoria could see Edward in the car, flanked by Jasper and Emmett.

"We have decided it is best to leave Forks. I have made it clear to Edward that should he come back and attempt anything, he would be considered no longer a member of this family. If he comes near your mate, know that he does that without our knowledge and on his own."

"Did you know he was on this property over the weekend." By the look on Carlisle's face, he did not know. Yes, Edward had come onto the property but did not venture far, he stopped when he smelled Victoria's scent, but her keen sense still picked up his scent.

"He left me no choice." Victoria glared at Edward, who avoided eye contact.

"I understand." Carlisle did, Victoria clearly didn't think he could keep Edward away and had, therefore, threatened his entire family, forcing him into action. Considering, Edward had defied him mere hours after he was warned, it was fair to say her assessment was correct.

With everything settled, the Cullens left Forks. "Let's pray he isn't that stupid." Bella murmured.

"He is surrounded by three mated couples, he is desperate, and desperation often breeds desperate measures." Victoria wasn't about to rest on her laurels because the Cullen's were gone.