While I had thought the first day of school went as well as things could have gone, that quickly changed when Bella got in the car with me. She looked devastated and seconds away from crying.

"Are you okay?" I asked concerned, "What happened?".

Bella didn't immediately reply, "…do I smell?".

"What?" I was taken aback by her question, "No! Not at all! Who the heck said that about you?".

"He didn't-," Bella began before I interrupted.

"He? Who is he?" I demanded. How dare someone bully my twin!

Bella looked uncomfortable, "Please don't overreact Lottie. Edward was my partner in Biology and he acted…as if…as if I hadn't showered in weeks".

I stared at her in disbelief, "What a prick".

"It's not a big deal," Bella sighed, "I probably really shouldn't have mentioned anything".

"I completely disagree," I instantly responded, "I don't give a damn about who he thinks he is, he's a prick for doing that to you. What a wanker!".

Bella sighed once again, "Let's just go home". I pierced my lips but held my tongue and didn't say anything else as I started the car up. I pulled out of the school parking lot and desperately thought of anything I could say to break the uncomfortable silence that was happening.

"Can I just say though," I began, "How creepy was it when Tyler kissed your cheek at lunch?". I smiled when I saw the corner of Bella's lips twitch up.

Bella chuckled softly, "Yeah that was pretty weird".

"Right!" I agreed, "I mean, he knew you all of what, one gym period?".

"I would have picked Mike to do something like that," Bella commented.

I laughed, "And risk Jess' rage? Even Mike can sense when he's in danger".

Bella looked confused, "Was Jess mad?".

"Oh Bella," I smiled at my twin's ignorance, "Your ability to miss danger both amuses and concerns me. When Mike made the homegirl comment, I thought Jess was going to lunge herself across the table at you. Mean Girl style. She was furious!".

"Oh," Bella replied as I pulled up in the driveway, "I…I didn't even notice".

"And that my dear twin," I teased, "Probably made her so much madder".

Bella cringed, "I'll pay more attention next time".

I scoffed, "Don't change for her. She is not worth it. Edward Cullen is not worth it. Are you sure you don't want to come to La Push? Em and Q will love you!".

Bella smiled softly at me as she gathered her bag and jumped out of the car, "I have…homework. Enjoy the time with your friends".

I raised my eyebrow, "Your using the homework excuse?".

"We have a lot of homework," Bella quickly defended herself.

I put my hands up in peace not wanting to start a fight with my twin, "I won't pressure you to come but I think you would have a great time Bella. They would welcome you with open arms and they're great people".

"It's fine Lottie," Bella smiled in what I assume was meant to be a reassuring way but looked like she was off to the gallows, "Hang out with your friends. I'll see you later tonight". Before I could even reply, Bella closed the car door. I watched in disappointment as Bella quickly made her way inside the house. I sighed softly and shifted the car in reverse as I backed out of the driveway. My twin's lack of social interaction had always caused me concern. I had a small group of very good friends in Phoenix but Bella never really had that. Despite my best efforts to include her as much as I could, she simply wasn't interested. It broke my heart. Bella didn't seem to mind but you didn't have to be a genius to realise that wasn't healthy. It was only when I realised I was driving up the Black driveway that it occurred how lost in my thoughts I was. I cringed at my carelessness. I was so caught up in my thoughts that I had practically driven to the Black household on autopilot.

'Dad would ground me for the rest of my life if he knew I did that,' I thought. Before I could dwell on it more, I saw three teenage boys burst from the house and run towards my car. I quickly undid my seatbelt and jumped out of the car, just as I was crashed tackled by the trio.

"Lottie!" Jake cheered. Somehow, the boys had managed to wrap themselves around me so I wouldn't feel the impact of the ground when they tackled me to the ground.

"Our baker is back!" Em cheekily added.

"Don't crush her!" Q lectured as the four of us laid tangled on the ground, "At least until we know where the baked goods are!".

I gasped in fake horror, "Em, Jake, the chocolate brownies I made is in a container in my backpack. For that comment, Q doesn't get any". Em and Jake laughed as they quickly untangled themselves from the mess and raced to get my backpack from the car.

As Quil tried to get up, I literally flung myself onto him and was able to pin him down to the ground, "I can't hold him much longer". I watched as Em climbed into the car and tossed my bag to Jake before they both high tailed it to the house. It was then that Quil easily overpowered me and started to follow the boys. I somehow managed to jump on his back and clung to him like a koala.

"I'm sorry Lottie!" Q apologised, "Those two bastards will eat all the brownies just to spite me!".

I just continued to laugh, "Well then onward noble steed!". Quil wrapped his arms around my legs and I quickly wrapped my arms around his neck as he chased after Em and Jake.

"You better not drop me Ateara," I threatened him as Q actually started to pick up some pace, "Actually, better put me down". Quil was more than happy to oblige and practically dropped me to chase after the boys who were wolfing down the brownies. I laughed in amusement as Q crashed tackled them to the floor but somehow, Jake had managed to keep the container of brownies safe.

"Well," I laughed as I approached the boys, "At least you know not to insult me next time Q". Quil had managed to wrestle a brownie off Em and stuffed it in his mouth.

He moaned in delight at the flavour, "I completely regret it and I'm never doing it again".

"Pull yourself together Quil," Jake teased as he too wolfed down another brownie.

I hummed as I watched the brownies disappear, "I forgot you guys are growing boys. I'll make a bigger batch next time".

"Onto business," Em suddenly said though I wasn't sure I could take him seriously with chocolate smeared on his face, "My neighbour has an old 1967 Chevy Impala that he's thinking of stripping and selling for parts. With you now living here Lottie, I was thinking we could maybe buy it together and restore it".

"Really?" I asked in excitement, "What are you thinking?".


"For the Romanian Coven!" Vladimir shouted as he and Stefan pounced towards the Volturi.

"No!" Eleazar shouted, "They'll kill you Vladimir and Stefan!". The group watched in horror as the two Romanians lunged towards the Volturi and then suddenly dropped to the ground, their bodies trembling slightly. The trembling, usually accompanied by screaming, was a commonly known side effect of Jane's power. It was only then that some of the older vampires, who had experienced battle before, saw a hand from the cloaked Volturi guards pointed towards the Romanian vampires.

"That's definitely Jane's power but…not at the same time. Who is that?" Esme whispered softly as she watched the scene in growing horror.

"They're going to bloody get us all killed," Garrett hissed in frustration.

Caius smirked wickedly at the two squirming vampires, "Vladimir and Stefan, for attacking the Volturi, you are sentenced to death".

"Fuck you!" Vladimir cursed, "This is for my coven". The group continued to watch in fear as the Romanians somehow crawled to their feet and continued to head towards the Volturi at an alarming rate.

Tanya looked at Kate and Garrett, "Prepare yourselves for battle. This is going to be a blood bath. With that speed, Vladimir and Stefan are going to take out as many guards as possible. We're about to become collateral damage because of those bloody Romanians". Vladimir and Stefan suddenly dropped to their knees. They both clenched their heads and started screaming in agony.

"That's new," Carmen cringed at the anguish of the Romanians, "Jane's power has never done that before".

"I can only sense Jane's ability," Eleazar added, "I would have said that hand belongs to Jane but she's too tall to be Jane".

"A shield ability then," Carmen concluded.

"Would you be so kind my dear to finish it off?" Aro called out, "Their screams are starting to get annoying". The group watched as the hand closed completely into a fist. There was a small scream from Esme as the heads of the Romanian vampires shuttered into dust.

"What the fuck?" Garrett asked in fear, "W-What the fuck was that?".

'From the panic of the vampires,' Embry thought over the pack's link, 'I'm going to say exploding vampire heads isn't normal'.

'Anyone's head exploding isn't normal,' Jacob snarled back over the link.

"All over my coat," Caius scoffed in annoyance and used his hand to wipe some of the dust off his coat, "Even dead they're still annoying". The group of vampires watched as the hand was lowered and disappeared back into the Volturi cloak.

"I can assure you Aro that we had no idea Vladimir and Stefan were going to do that," Carlisle quickly assured, sensing that his family was in grave danger as a result of the stupidity of the now dead Romanian vampires.

Marcus smiled slightly, "The Volturi are reasonable if nothing else. We are aware that Vladimir and Stefan have been plotting our downfall for centuries. While it is very poor judgment on your behalf Carlisle, your family did not join in the attack so therefore, we will bestow mercy on you".

"But the next lack in judgment won't be forgiven so easily," Caius threatened. Before Carlisle could say anything, Alice and Jasper ran into the field.


"I'm going to confront him," Bella said in a determined voice as we pulled into the high school parking lot on our second day of school.

I put the truck into park and sighed, "Bells, he's honestly not worth it. He's a complete prick, ignore him". Bella seemed to disregard my statement, determined to follow through…hence why we arrived at school a full 30 minutes beforehand.

"It's a matter of principle," Bella argued back.

"Or," I began, "You might have a crush on him and don't like the fact he brushed you off. You should be happy though! Him and his family are a bit…weird…I don't know. I have a bad feeling about them. Besides, Edward's not really attractive".

Bella looked at me horrified, "You don't think he's attractive?".

I shrugged my shoulders, "The whole teenage angst isn't really my thing".

"And your crush on Paul Lahote is so much better?" Bella snapped back. My cheeks turned bright red in embarrassment at my sister's comment. I had been foolish enough to tell my twin about my tiny crush on La Push's bad boy, Paul Lahote. I dared not tell the boys! I would never, ever hear the end of it! He had come to the Black's Christmas celebration last year and we got talking…and I thought he was pretty cool…and cute.

"Bella," I said mortified, "I didn't tell you my crush for it to be used as a weapon against me!".

Bella apologised immediately, "Sorry! That wasn't right of me. Regardless though, taking Edward's appearance out of it, it's still the principle of the matter. I want to hear what he has to say".

"Right, well, you have fun with that," I began as we both exited the car, "I'm going to be a social butterfly". I watched as Bella pulled out her book, put her headphones in and waited by the car for Edward. I restricted the urge to roll my eyes and headed over to where Angela and a few others were. This process happened for several days, we would get to school early for Bella to confront Edward, I would go hang out with some friends and Edward wouldn't show up which made Bella even more frustrated. The pattern was broken however when Bella and I walked into Biology and I literally had to resist the urge to roll my eyes upon seeing the great Edward Cullen.

"Bells," I warned her. She nodded absentmindedly as she walked towards her assigned seat beside him.

I struggled to focus on the rest of the class as I watched the two interact. There was something weird about Edward that I couldn't shake off. While my sister seemingly couldn't get enough, I wanted nothing to do with him. I was grateful when class finished. I quickly collected my books and approached my twin.

"Let's go Bella," I smiled cheerfully at her.

"Edward's actually going to walk me to my locker," she smiled nervously as she looked at Edward from the corner of her eye.

I mentally groaned, 'Oh she has a crush. Literally, any other guy and I wouldn't care. Why Edward though?'. I trailed behind the two as I watched them talk. They lingered by Bella's locker for a few moments before Edward suddenly stormed away.

'And just like that, my crush on Paul is so much better than her crush on Edward,' I thought, 'Someone obviously has some anger management issues'.

"Well that's not creepy at all," I mused as I approached Bella. She scoffed but didn't reply to my comment as she unloaded the books into her locker and headed outside to our car.

"I can drive," I offered as Bella dumped her bag on the hood of the truck and started to finish the keys out.

"I will," Bella smiled slightly which made me internally sigh in relief as it meant she had forgiven me for my stab at Edward, "Besides, it's the only time I can do it since you practically visit La Push every day". I laughed and walked around to the passenger side as I jumped in.

Suddenly there was a loud honk. I whipped my head towards the noise and watched in horror as a car plaited towards us. I didn't even have time to call Bella's name before the car slammed into us. I felt my head slam against the window but barely even registered the pain as my thoughts were for my twin.

'Bella!' I thought in horror, 'She was outside'. I slammed the door open and ran around to the driver's side.

"Bella!" I screamed. My twin was crouched down…with Edward over her. I blinked and suddenly he was gone.

'What on earth?' I thought in disbelief.

"Bella are you okay?" I asked panicked.

I suddenly found myself being wrapped up in Angela's arms, "Oh my gosh Lottie! You're bleeding!". It was only then that I registered the pulsing pain in my head. I slowly raised my hand to my head and felt some liquid.

"Shit," I hissed softly at the stinging sensation. I heard Tyler say something but the throbbing in my head became all consuming and the last thing I saw was Angela's concerned face as I passed out.

When I regained consciousness, I slowly opened my eyes to a stark white ceiling. I flinched harshly and closed my eyes again as the translucent light burned into my eyes.

"Good to see your awake. You took quite a nasty hit to your head," a voice said. I much more cautiously opened my eyes this time as not to be blinded by the lights again and saw a doctor with blonde hair and honey gold eyes standing there.

"My sister, is she okay?" I asked, suddenly feeling very sleepy.

The doctor approached me and sat on the edge of my bed, "She's fine. You may feel a bit drowsy. We gave you some pain medication for the pain".

"Explains why I want to curl back up and sleep like there's no tomorrow," I muttered in replied as I tried to fight the ongoing heaviness of my eyes, "Who are you anyway?".

"Doctor Cullen," he said to me, "I'm going to keep you in overnight just to make sure everything's okay. It seems that your head hit the window quite hard. Thankfully it seems you've only suffered a concussion but I want to be on the safe side".

I hummed in response as my eyes began to drift shut, "Cullen. I'm assuming your Edward's dad?".

"I am," the doctor confirmed.

"Please thank him for me," I groaned as I started to stop resisting the sleep that was threatening to consume me, "I still think he's weird but I swear I saw him protect Bella before the car hit". The doctor said something in response but I fell asleep before I heard it. The next few days passed in a blur. I was discharged from the hospital with strict orders to take it easy and sadly it meant that I couldn't go on the field trip. I wasn't overly bothered by missing out on it though. I was more mortified by the embarrassment I felt when I remembered my conversation with Dr Cullen. I had literally told Edward's dad directly to his face, that I thought his son was weird. When I told Dad and Bella, they both couldn't stop laughing which made me even more embarrassed.

A few days after the incident and when my head wasn't pounding as much, I confined in my sister that I thought I saw Edward protecting her. My twin swiftly dismissed it and said she had gotten lucky and the car had just missed her. I was confused because I swore I saw him. Bella assured me that certainly wasn't the case as it was literally impossible for him to have flown across the carpark and stopped a minivan…she also reminded me that I had hit my head quite hard and my brain could be playing tricks as a result of my concussion…which honestly made complete sense. I was grateful to spend a few days at home before I had to see Edward. While I was 100% confident his dad wouldn't tell Edward my comment because of patient confidentiality and I wouldn't embarrass myself by thanking him for protecting my sister when it was physically impossible for him to do so, I knew I had voiced my opinion and that made the whole situation so much worse.

"I'm off to school," Bella said as she placed a cup of tea on my bedside table.

I groaned from my cocoon of beds in delight, "You are a legend do you know that?".

"Take it easy Lottie," Bella lectured, "And I left some soup in the pot downstairs for you".

I looked at Bella in shock, "But…you hate cooking".

She smiled at me, "And our chef is out of action. While it's nowhere near as good as yours, it'll do you for lunch today".

"Thank you," I was absolutely touched by her gesture, "Honestly, Bella. I really appreciate it". She gave me one last smile before she left my room. I heard her walk down the stairs and moments later, I heard our red truck start up. I slowly pulled myself into a sitting position and reach over to have a bit of the tea. I closed my eyes as I savoured the warmth before putting the tea down and diving back into my fortress of pillows and blankets. I managed to get a few hours of sleep in before I was awakened to the sound of something hitting my window. I grumbled in annoyance and dragged myself out of bed to see who the heck destroyed my slumber. I was shocked to see Jacob, Embry and Quil standing outside throwing little pebbles at my window. I quickly, or as quickly as I could manage, made my way downstairs and opened the front door.

"What are you doing here?" I asked in shock, "Shouldn't you be at school?".

Embry grinned, "Quil here had a headache, I had a stomach-ache and Jake had diarrhea. Best take the day off to be safe and since we knew our trusty fourth amigo was resting due to her head injury-".

"And under strict instructions to take it easy which involved not cooking," Jake interrupted.

"We decided to come cook ourselves," Quil finished as he held up a bag of groceries.

I struggled to be mad at them as I was so touched by their kindness, "And this trip warranted you skipping school?".

"I would argue it's true friendship," Em countered, "Besides, do you know how long it took us to get here riding our bikes?".

Quil interrupted me before I could reply, "Hours Lottie, hours! Do you realise how steep the hills are around your place? Because I do".

Jake snorted, "Q's being overdramatic like usual. Now, let us in so we can cook you something decent. Heaven knows your Dad and Bella suck at cooking".

"Bella made me soup," I quickly defended my twin.

Em chuckled, "Did you check whether it was green?".


"You're concerned," Jasper noted as he, Alice, Huilen and Nahuel ran towards Forks.

Alice hummed, "I haven't been able to see the leaders' movement for several days now. I called Edward last night and warned him but it's the why I can't see it that concerns me".

"What about the guards?" Jasper questioned.

"I was able too until very recently," Alice replied, "Even when I had visions of the guards, it was always the same vision. They are coming to Forks but they don't know why. The leaders have kept the reason why a secret. They haven't even been tasked with obtaining witnesses! Now I can't see any visions of them…something's blocking me".

Jasper frowned in concern, "Potentially the leaders of the Volturi are wanting to keep this under wrap and are recruiting witness's personally? It would make it more intimidating and harder for witnesses to refuse".

"Maybe," Alice whispered, "We're about to find out". Alice and Jasper ran into the snow-covered field where their family and friends were facing down the Volturi. They both quickly scanned over the scene to see whether anyone had been hurt.

"Ah, Alice and Jasper," Aro greeted, "I wondered where you two were". The two vampires stood awkwardly in the middle of the clearing between the two groups.

"We bring proof that Renesmee Cullen will not pose a danger when she's older," Alice announced confidently, "I've been searching for witnesses of my own among the Ticuna tribes of Brazil". Two vampires appeared next to Alice. One was a handsome young man of indigenous descent with brown skin, brown eyes and long black hair that was tied back in a braid. The Cullens and their witnesses watched the man curiously. If they didn't know better, they would have said that he was human. The other vampire was an olive-toned female with deep burgundy eyes and a long braid of black hair.

"He looks human," Tanya observed as her eyes studied the young man, "However, given what he is wearing in this type of weather, he is most definitely not".

Her sister hummed in agreement, "Maybe he is the same as Ness?".

Garrett snorted, "I think they need to stop provoking the Volturi to look for a reason to kill us all".

Rosalie nodded in agreement, "The Volturi have already cleared us. Let's not encourage them to look deeper".

"Particularly if they themselves have already investigated the issue. It might just piss them off. Make them think we are doubting their judgment," Emmett piped in.

Caius looked at Alice in annoyance, "Foolish little girl. We have already investigated this issue and established that she poses no danger and no laws were broken". Alice was shocked. Everything she had saw before she could no longer was about Renesmee.

'If they're not here for her, what are they here for?', Alice thought in a panic. Jasper, sensing his wife's growing distress, quickly used his power to try and calm her down. Alice looked at him and nodded in thanks. From his many battles, Jasper knew that panicked soldiers were more likely to do something foolish and get themselves or someone else killed much sooner. Another scent suddenly filled the field. It alarmed both the Cullens and the witnesses as no one else had entered the field but the scent was strong.

"How were they able to hide their scent?" Carmen asked her mate in concern.

Eleazar hummed, "It appears the Volturi have a shield user".

"Edward," Bella whispered so quietly that only her mate could hear, "That's the scent! That's who I smelled that day in the forest!".

Edward shifted uncomfortably, "It explains how the Volturi knew about Ness and the wolves. She's a shield like yourself. She must have lowered her shield when Ness showed her memories".

Aro looked completely unfazed by the additional vampires and smiled at the two foreign vampires, "Well since you have travelled all this way, I am curious to hear what you have to say".

The young male looked hesitant but proceeded to speak, "I am half human, half vampire like the child. A vampire seduced my mother who died giving birth to me. My Aunt Huilen raised me as her own. I made her immortal".

"How old are you?" Bella demanded to know.

"Bella," Rosalie hissed in warning. Her family was so close to freedom and the last thing she wanted was for her sister-in-law to ruin it.

The young man turned to look at Bella, "150 years".

Marcus stepped forward which caused the two foreign vampires to turn their attention back to the Volturi, they both looked very nervous by the sudden attention, "We would be honoured if you were to accompany us back to Volterra. I believe we have much to discuss".

Huilen looked uncomfortable at the request, "While I greatly thank you for your…kind offer, we are uneasy when not back home in South America".

"Of course. The Volturi will always have its doors open for you," Marcus replied, "I do wish we could have our discussions sooner rather than later though. We would like to gather as much information about the vampire who seduced your sister and your mother Pire".

Rosalie's grip on Emmett tightened, "So the Volturi did know of their existence".

Emmett also pulled his wife tighter into his hold, "Don't worry babe, this is almost over".

"How…how did you know the name of my sister?" Huilen asked in shock.

"Like I said, we have much to discuss," Marcus replied simply.

Huilen and the male hybrid looked at each other and had a silent conversation before the male said, "We would be honoured to accept your invitation and come with you to Volterra to further discuss this topic".

"Somehow," Garrett began, "I think we're going to be okay".

Kate smiled and wrapped her hand around Garrett's, "You're right. We've proven to the Volturi that no crime has been committed and their attention has been drawn elsewhere".

"I would like to report a crime before you leave," Bella called out.


The next few months flew by. Between school and hanging out with my friends, time seemed to pass by quicker than I would have liked. Bella had started a thing with Edward, which I was by no means pleased about but put aside my distain and supported her. If I wasn't hanging out with Angela (and unfortunately by default Jess, who while she had slightly warmed to me, I still don't think she liked me very much), I was down at La Push with the boys. It was one of those rare sunny days in La Push that the guys and I decided to head to the beach. It was there I had the great displeasure of meeting Sam and his 'cult' as Jake referred to them as or 'hall monitors on steroids' as Em so affectionately put it. Myself and the boys were having a picnic on the beach when Paul had charged over and said I didn't belong here and why I would let my sister date a leech. This triggered a massive argument between Paul and the boys. I was quite taken aback by Paul's actions as he was completely different to the guy I spoke to at the Christmas party. What was really weird though was Sam and Jared came charging out of nowhere and dragged Paul away, I mean, it never came to physical violence but it was intense. I've not seen Sam and his 'cult' since then and I was quite content with that. It was after that experience that my crush on Paul definitely disappeared.

"Meat lovers pizza or Hawaiian pizza?" Dad asked as he pulled out the two frozen pizzas.

"Oh," I hummed, "That's a tough choice Dad. Let's go…Hawaiian".

Dad chuckled as he put the meat lovers pizza back in the freezer and started to unbox the Hawaiian pizza, "Hawaiian, was there ever really any doubt?".

"Hawaiian pizza is a staple for our movie nights. I just hoped Bella was going to ditch Edward and spend one with us," I sighed in disappointment as I continued to look through the movies, "Horror or drama?".

Dad hummed in agreement, "Just wait until you get a boyfriend Lottie and then I'll never see you as well. Let's do horror. I don't want any more drama. Two teenage girls is enough drama for me".

I gasped at him in shock, "And miss our weekly movie night? Don't be ridiculous Dad!".

Suddenly the front door slammed opened, "Edward! I said leave me alone!". Bella's shouting caused Dad and I to jump.

"So much for no drama," I said as Dad and I quickly entered the hallway where the front door was.

"Bella don't do this please," Edward begged just as Bella slammed the door in his face.

"It's over," Bella screamed, "Get out!". She stomped up the stairs and I was right on her heels.

"Bella what happened?" I asked.

Bella slammed her bedroom door opened and slammed it shut before I could enter, "I just gotta get out of here. I'm leaving now".

"What?" I managed to spit out and started slamming on her door, "Let me in Bella! Let's talk about this. Edward freaking Cullen is not worth you leaving Forks over!". It was by then Dad had made it up the staircase and heard my comment. He looked very uncomfortable about the situation and I didn't blame him, Dad always made himself scarce when Bella and I got into fights and even he knew things were about to blow up.

"Bella please!" I begged, "Open the door, we'll sit down, we'll talk things through like we always do". She opened the door and pushed me aside as she charged into the bathroom with a duffle bag.

"Did he hurt you?" Dad questioned.

Bella opened the cabinet and began putting her toiletries into the bag, "No".

"Did you break up with him or he break up with you?" I asked, desperately trying to get answers from her, "Bella please speak to me".

"No," Bella zipped past me out of the bathroom, "I broke up with him". She re-entered her bedroom and slammed the door shut.

"I thought you liked him," Dad tried. It made my heart clench.

Bella remerged from her room with her coat and duffle bag, "Yeah, that's why I have to leave. I don't want this. I have to go home".

"Bella! You're not making any sense. Let's sit down have a cup of tea and talk about this," I panicked as she grabbed a few more items from the bathroom, "Mum's not even in Phoenix".

"She'll come home. I'll call her from the road," Bella justified as she stormed passed me down the stairs. I followed her once again. While Bella was in the kitchen getting whatever it was she needed, I quickly got the car keys from the rack in the hallway.

Dad, always the voice of reason, said, "You're not gonna drive home right now. You can sleep on it. If you still feel like going in the morning, I'll take you to the airport".

"No! I want to drive, it'll give me more time to think," Bella said as she entered the hallway and began looking for the keys, "I mean if I get really tired I'll pull into a motel I promise. Where are the keys Charlotte?". Dad entered the hallway now just as Bella and I were having a Mexican standoff over the keys.

"Look Bella. I know I'm not that much fun to be around but I can change that. We can do more stuff together," Dad said as his voice began to break, trying to keep the emotions at bay causing my heart to clench even more.

"Bella-," I began before she interrupted me.

"Like what? Like watch baseball on the flat-screen? Eat at the diner every night? Steak and cobbler? Dad that's you, that's not me".

She was going too far, "Bella! Don't you dare make this about Dad!".

Her head turned to me, "What about you Lottie? Your with the boys practically more than your with me. Ever since we came here we're not as close".

"That's not fair Bella," I began, "Your always invited-".

She interrupted me once more, "I always say no! Did it never occur to you that I didn't want to hang out with your friends? I only wanted to hang with my twin. You've practically pushed me aside to spend time with your new friends. From the boys to Angela, even Jess! You literally abandoned me!". I was rendered speechless by her words. She used my shock to grab the keys from my hand.

"Bella," Dad choked out, "I…I just got you back".

"Yeah and you know, if I don't get out now then I'm just gonna be stuck here like mum," she said as she opened the front door and slammed it shut. Her harsh words seemed to knock some sense back into me as I pushed past dad and opened the front door as Bella charged towards her car.

"I'm sorry Bella," I shouted at her, "I'll, I'll stop hanging out with them and hang out more with you! Just please don't leave or at least let me drive you!".

Bella paused for a moment before she turned to look at me, "You've not cared all this time Lottie so don't pretend you do now! Some twin you are!". I was taken aback by her words and didn't know what to say. I felt tears come to my eyes as I watched my twin dump her belongings in the back of the truck and jump in. I felt Dad come up behind me and place his hand on my shoulder as we watched Bella pull out and drive away. I brought my hand up and placed it on his.

"Dad," I whimpered as I felt the tears starting to finally fall, "You're doing a damn good job".

The rest of the night and the next few hours passed by in a blur. Bella wasn't answering any of mine or Dad's calls. It was many hours later when I finally received a call from Mum who had an update about Bella.

"Edward and his dad came to visit Bella to convince her to come back to Forks," Mum began, "She went over to their hotel and tripped. She bloody fell down two flights of stairs and went through a window". Dad and I were on the next flight to Phoenix.

"I don't know whether I'm shocked or impressed that she managed to fall down two flights of stairs and through a bloody window," I said to Dad as he drove slightly (very much so) above the speed limit in the rental car to the hospital.

Dad sighed as his hands grip the steering wheel nervously, "Your sister certainly has a talent that's for sure". We parked in the hospital parking and made our way inside the hospital towards the room number Mum said Bella was in. We arrived at the room and Edward was standing outside. Dad shot him a glare and entered the room but I chose to stay.

"Lottie," Edward began before I interrupted.

"Charlotte," I said rudely, "Only my friends call me Lottie".

Edward smiled politely, "My apologies, Charlotte. My intention was never for your sister to get hurt-".

I held my hand up and interrupted him again, "I'm going to stop you right there Edward. I'm sure you're a lovely guy but to be honest, I don't think your good enough for my sister. If she chooses to continue to date you, I don't know why though, I look forward to seeing you squirm to show me that your worth her attention". I walked passed him without another word into Bella's hospital room.

Dad grinned upon seeing me, "Give him hell?".

I smirked, "Don't you know it". The next few days flew pass in a blur. Between Bella arriving home and us preparing for the homecoming dance, it was a whirlwind few days. Things between Bella and I were…awkward to say the least. While she had apologised for her words and reassured me she didn't mean then, some part of me felt that she had indeed. It was the afternoon of the homecoming ball and I was determined to end the awkwardness that had developed between us.

I knocked on the bathroom door as I watched her struggle with the wand curl, "Need some help?".

"Can you tell I'm struggling?" she joked.

I smiled at her and signalled her to pass me the wand, "This might be easier in your room where you can sit down". My twin and I made our way into her room, though Bella did struggle a bit with her foot being in a cast, and awkwardly sat down on her desk chair. I plugged the wand curl in and started to curl my sister's hair. For the first time in many weeks, there was a comfortable silence between us.

"What dress are you going to wear?" I asked as I curled another piece of her hair.

Bella smiled, "Alice lent me a blue dress. It's laying on the bed". I looked over my shoulder and saw a beautiful tiered blue coloured sleeveless dress.

"That's gorgeous. It'll look stunning on you," I told my twin.

"What are you going to wear?" Bella asked.

I carefully curled another piece of her hair, "I'm going to wear that gold dress I bought just before we came to Forks. I haven't had a chance to wear it".

"That will be so nice," Bella commented. Before my sister and I moved to Forks, mum and I went on a shopping trip. I had come across a striking gold dress. The dress had full length sleeves with a plunging neckline and a tiered skirt. It had reminded me of a 1920's flapper dress and I absolutely loved it!

I finished curling her last section of hair, "All done! How are you going to do your makeup?".

Bella shifted in the chair, "I wasn't really sure. You know I'm not good with that stuff".

"I can help if you'd like," I offered. This was the first normal interaction Bella and I had had for ages. Things were starting to feel as if they were going back to normal and I was desperate to continue it.

"That would be amazing if you could," Bella thanked. I quickly ran into the bathroom and pulled out a bag full of makeup. I walked back into Bella's room and saw that she had managed to spin herself around so she was looking at me.

"Sorry!" I apologised as I poured the contents of the bag over her bed, "I want to see what makeup we have". I shifted through the various makeup products and pulled out a blue themed eyeshadow pallet along with eyeliner, mascara, blush, foundation and a pale pink lipstick.

"Alright," I smiled as I picked up a foundation brush, "Close your eyes". Once again, we both fell into a comfortable silence as I applied her makeup. It was like nothing had ever happened between us.

"I've missed this," Bella broke the quiet.

"Me too," I admitted.

Bella frowned, "Lottie, I'm so sorry for what I said. I honestly cannot apologise enough. I was hurt and I took it out on you and Dad. You're an amazing twin, I'm so lucky to have you".

I stopped applying her makeup so I could really look at her, "And as I've said countless times, I forgive you…I just…I just need to remind myself that you didn't mean it and I'm not spending too much time with my friends".

"You spend plenty of time with me," Bella assured me, "You don't need to change anything about you or who you spend time with. I was just mad and unleashed on you which wasn't fair".

I smiled at Bella and continued to apply her makeup, "All is forgiven. Now hush, I'm just about done".

I put the finishing touches on her makeup and smiled at the finished product, "You're all done! Did you need help getting into your dress?".

"No thank you. I'll struggle into it…or fall into it," Bella poked fun at her own clumsiness, "Besides, you need to get ready as well". I looked at the time and cursed when I saw how little of it I had left. I grabbed some makeup from Bella's bed and dashed into the bathroom to start applying it.

"Is Edward taking you still?" I called out as I carefully started applying my eyeshadow.

"He is," she responded, "Are one of the boys taking you?". I didn't immediately respond as I ever so carefully applied my eyeliner. Determined not to look like a panda on steroids.

"Em is," I replied once I was satisfied that the eyeliner looked the same on both eyes, "He won the rock, scissor, paper battle out of the three of them…though I wouldn't be surprised if Jake and Q come and crash the party at some point". I ran a brush through my hair as I heard a knock on the door.

"Damn it," I cursed softly, "Up in a bun you go". I twirled my hair and pinned it up before dashing to my room and quickly getting dressed. I exited my room just as I heard Edward say, "I'll take care of her Chief Swan".

I had to restrain my laughter as I walked down the stairs and heard Dad respond, "Uh-huh. I've heard that before".

"Edward," I greeted politely.

He smiled at me, "You look very nice Lottie".

"Don't be ridiculous," Em said as he emerged from the kitchen looking very dapper in his suit, "She looks amazing!".

I quickly went over and hugged him, "Well don't you look very nice Mr Call".

Em grinned cheekily and pulled himself away as he pulled out a gold coloured corsage, "For my stunning date".

"Alright, you all better get a move on," Dad said as he hurried the boys out the door and turned to us as he whispered, "I put a new can of pepper spray in both your bags".

"Thanks Dad," I smiled at his protectiveness, "I'll be sure to use it if required".

Dad looked very pleased with himself over that remark but he sobered a bit and looked at us, "You both look so beautiful".


Edward watched as his mate's eyes remained fixated on the mysterious Volturi vampire who had come several weeks before.

"Edward," Bella began, "Didn't you mention about a law around vampires trespassing on the property of other vampires".

Edward didn't reply for several moments as he watched the exchange between the hybrid and the Volturi, "There is but Bella…are you sure you want to bring this up with the Volturi? They're about to leave and we can finally be at peace".

"That's exactly why we need to do something Edward," Bella explained, "Everyone fears them too much to call them out on it. She has a shield. We didn't even know she was there until she lowered it. She could come back and we would be none the wiser".

Edward hesitated, "I love you Bella. I'll support you no matter what you do".

"Trust me," Bella quickly kissed his lips, "This is the right thing to do". Bella watched as the Volturi ready themselves to leave with the hybrid and his guardian.

"I would like to report a crime before you leave," Bella called out. The other Cullens and their witnesses looked at Bella in shock.

"What the hell do you think your doing?" Rosalie hissed as the Volturi's attention turned back onto the Cullens, "They were about to leave".

Aro turned his attention away from the two foreign vampires to Bella, "Oh dear! What crime has been committed Bella?". Carlisle also looked at his daughter-in-law in horror and signalled for her to stop but Bella continued despite the warning.

"There is a law around vampires trespassing on the property of other vampires correct?" Bella asked.

"That is correct," Caius responded as a wicked smirk appeared on his face.

Garrett shifted nervously, "Anyone freaked out by how happy Caius looks?".

"Then I would like to report that one of your guards trespassed on our land without asking for permission first or introducing themselves," Bella then pointed at a cloaked form standing in the Volturi guard, "It was that vampire there". Tension once again filled the air while the Cullens and their witnesses silently watched the scene unfolding in front of them.

"She's going to get us killed," Kate hissed at Tanya and Garrett.

"We'll leave before a fight breaks out," Tanya responded calmly, "We agreed to act as witnesses, not point fingers at the Volturi".

Aro hummed, "You are right Isabella however there are expectations to that rule".

"Correct me if I'm wrong Aro but being a Volturi guard is not an exception," Edward chined in with his mate. If Carlisle didn't looked freaked out before, he certainly was now. The Cullens' witnesses shifted nervously as well. They were preparing to vacate very quickly if a fight broke out.

"My apologies Aro. Edward and Bella do not intend to follow through with their accusation," Carlisle quickly intervened.

"Thank heavens," Carmen sighed in relief.

"No, we fully intend too," Edward said as he wrapped his hand around Bella's, "We want the vampire held accountable for their actions".

"Just like that," Garrett began, "We are going to die. The Volturi are bloody protective of their guards…particularly the skilled ones". The mysterious scent filled the field again, signalling the shield user had dropped her barrier.

"You are indeed right Mrs Cullen that it is forbidden for a vampire to cross onto your land without permission or making themselves known," the mysterious female began, "However as my mate Aro stated, there is an exception to the rule".

"Fuck," Garrett cursed, "She's his freaking mate!".

Kate looked at Tanya in panic, "We need to go now".

"That moron," Rosalie hissed to Emmett, "Now there's going to be a fight for sure". The shapeshifters started to pace as well. Every animal instinct in them screaming about how dangerous the situation had become.

"Being related by blood to one of the vampires of the coven," the vampire lifted her hands up and slowly pulled her hood down to reveal a very familiar face, "Is the exception".

Stunned silence.

"L-Lottie?".


Hi everyone!

As always, thank you so much for your support!

I was hoping to get this chapter out sooner but as you could probably tell by the length, I just kept writing and writing. I've had a few people ask whether this will be continuing after the conformation and I can confirm that yes it will be. I have one more story arc lined up which I am so excited to share with you all!

The next chapter will finally have the long-awaited confrontation! Thank you all so much for your patience.

Stay safe xxx