A/N For Denyana, enjoy!

Part 14

"Can't I come with you?" Alice asked as she looked towards the car some of her family had gotten into with Jane.

Bella shook her head as she remained with Alice just outside the door to the Cullen home. "It is better this way, I fear Edward would make a scene if his audience was bigger than it needed to be." She explained.

Bella tried not to take in Alice's pleading look but pulled her in closer for a hug as her eyes found Rosalie's gaze stood in the open doorway. "I still distrust those mongrels being this close, if they do return, I expect you all to do what has to be done." She told the other vampire too quietly for Alice to hear.

"No harm will come to Alice." Jasper spoke quietly from some way behind Bella and Alice. "I give you my word."

"Me too." Emmett answered as well, his big arms crossing over his chest as he stood just behind his mate.

Rosalie nodded at Bella. She'd protect Alice with her life, they all would. She took a few steps to join Alice as Bella released her. She placed her arm around the human girl's shoulder. "We'll be waiting for you to get back." She said in a normal voice.

Bella ground her teeth together as she watched Alice turn her face into Rosalie for comfort that she had hoped to provide. She almost, almost growled at the other vampire.

"Don't make me get out of this car Isabella!" Came the voice of Jane, who was already making concessions by allowing them to be driven to the airport in Seattle instead of simple running.

Bella rolled her eyes as Alice giggled. With her mate's eyes back on her Bella felt a smile grow on her face. She reached over and brought Alice's hand to her lips. "I will be back shortly." She assured before spinning around and getting into the back of the car while she still could.

Her instinct was to remain with her mate, but she had two reasons for wanting the human to stay, not just because of Edward's theatrics but also because she was in need for blood and the airport would be a fine place to sate her thirst without causing too much of an issue when the human's were eventually reported missing.

Travellers were always a preferred food source for the Volturi, and back home they even delivered themselves to their front door on a regular basis.

You could hardly ask for more.

xxxxxxx

Rosalie ushered a reluctant Alice back into the Cullen home when the back lights of the car disappeared from her view. "Bella will be back as quickly as she can."

"This is probably the best way." Emmett tried to reassure his sister. "You know Edward can be an ass at the best of times, all of us watching them get on that plane, it just screams drama."

Alice sighed. "I'm going to my room." She didn't want platitudes, she wanted Bella not to be near a plane headed to the other side of the world. What if Edward did play up and force Bella and Jane to go back to Italy with him.

She was tempted to use her gift to find out but her fear of the answer kept her from looking.

Jasper watched Alice race up the staircase and heard the door of her bedroom slam closed. It made him angry to see his friend upset.

"She'll be okay." Bree said as she came over to Jasper and put her arms around him.

Jasper attempted a smile. "Of that I'm sure, but for now she has to wait alone in her room." He wouldn't use his gift to try and cheer the girl up, sometimes feelings, even the unpleasant ones, served a purpose. And he felt Alice still had a way to go to really understand what a relationship with Bella Volturi meant for her.

Emmett had took a seat on the couch after Alice went to her room. He looked over at the others when the TV came to life, and held up a controller. "Anyone up for a game?"

Rosalie rolled her eyes but went over and sat beside her mate. At the very least she would be within earshot of Alice should she come out of her room and decide to join them.

Of course, she picked up a magazine from the table having no intension of playing a stupid game on Emmett's console system.

"Jazz?" Emmett asked again, wiggling the controller in his hand. "Best of three?"

Jasper took a breath and enjoyed the feel of his mate in his arms.

"Go on." Bree told him, more than happy to sit and watch the others.

Pressing a kiss to his mate's head Jasper let her go to join Emmett, plucking the controller out of the air as it was tossed his way. "I suppose we have time for a game or two before our guest returns."

Bree's eyes drifted to the staircase. "Do you think she'll be okay?" She asked quietly.

Rosalie flicked a page over in her magazine. "She will be when her mate returns, she's human, I don't even know if she'll feel the pull." She muttered before her own eyes looked towards the upper floor.

Emmett snorted as he worked his character in the game towards its goal. "Yeah, let's just hope Edward survives being around Bella."

Jasper tried to hold back a grin. "Or the trip over the ocean with Jane."

Rosalie hides her grin behind the magazine in her hands. She knew whatever came of Edward as a result of this, it was his own doing.

xxxxxx

Bella wiped the blood from her lips as she joined the group about to board the private jet for the trip back to Italy. She lifted her gaze to growl at Edward as he looked at her with disgust in his eyes.

Jane stood beside Bella with a smirk on her face. "Are you sure you don't want to join us, you could come straight back on another flight for the girl." She offered. Although she was still in the dark as to why Bella was choosing to stay in this forsaken country instead of returning home. Her official mission had already been completed.

The kings would be asking for her once they got over the arrival of some guests to the castle.

"Not while she remains human." Bella replied. Volterra was not the safest place in the world for humans on a good day. She would not risk her mate coming to harm by one of their own mistaking her for a meal.

The older vampires would smell Bella's marking scent on the girl, but the stupid and the hungry couldn't be trusted anywhere near Alice as a human.

Jane grumbled to herself. She had figured the human was the reason, but it still annoyed her. "Then turn the girl and come home."

Bella laughed as she caught the looks of horror on Esme and Carlisle's face. She placed her hand on Jane's shoulder. "I will, in good time." She confirmed. "But for now I think your guests will keep them busy."

That was true. Even Jane knew that the idea of having Edward Cullen among his talented guards would make Aro happier than he had been in decades. Not to mention the arrival of Carlisle and Esme alongside him, however temporary.

But eventually Aro's thoughts would return to Bella, especially once he used his gift to see why she was eager to remain in Forks.

Just then the pilot stood in the doorway and spoke to Jane and Bella in Italian to let them know they were ready for take-off.

Jane pointed to the doorway the captain vacated. "Everyone find a seat, it's about time we got out of this hellhole." Because yet again it was starting to rain. Jane had quickly grown tired of wet clothes.

Bella watched the Cullen's enter the plane leaving just herself and Jane stood on the tarmac by the steps. "Try not to kill him on the flight over, I would like him to become acquainted with Felix." Because Felix had a type, and Edward was it.

"Felix has better taste than that." Jane replied with a shake of her head knowing exactly what Bella was thinking.

Bella smirked and gave her friend a shrug. Either way it would amuse her to have Felix take an interest in trying to bed the Cullen. Edward was in for a change in attitude, if that was delivered through pleasure or pain Bella cared little.

"Just remind our new acolyte that he has no choice but to follow orders if he ever hopes to complete his punishment." Bella informed Jane.

That made Jane snigger. "Oh, don't worry, I'll be instilling that into him the whole journey there." She promised Bella. And with that Jane started to make her way up onto the plane, the last to board.

Bella stood and waited as Jane turned back to her.

"Do not forget you have friends and a home to return to yourself." Jane said, looking directly at Bella.

Bella nodded. Family. Jane was part of the only family she knew. "One day."

With a huff Jane turned and walked into the plane. "Make it soon or I'll turn her myself and drag you both home."

Bella laughed out loud as the door to the plane closed and it started on its way to the runway.

She stood there and watched it fly off into the night sky.

The plane took away one of her problems but not all of them, and as Jane had said, the arrival of the Cullen's in Volterra would cause her more once Aro became aware of Alice's existence. Especially given how gifted the girl was in her human form, as a vampire it was possible that her gift would be enhanced even further.

A prized asset for Aro and the Volturi, but one Bella was never going to give them willingly.

Aro would have his hands full with those arriving with Jane, and if he started looking too closely at Bella in Forks then he could very well miss the clues in front of his eyes that belied the loyalty of those closest to him. Aro's downfall had long been set in motion, but if he forced Bella's hand by making a play for her mate then she would bring forward Jane's plans whether Jane was ready for it or not.

And with those thoughts in mind Bella turned to find another meal before she returned to her mate.

xxxxxxx

"Best of eleven?" Emmett asked hopefully.

"You just lost five in a row darling, give it up." Rosalie reminded her mate even if her eyes never left the article she was reading. Apparently, blonde's did have more fun. Who knew?

Jasper cleared his throat and stood, his hand reaching out for Bree to take. "I think I should take my leave while…" He began but trailed off as something other than Emmett's grumbling caught his attention.

"What is it Jazz?" Rosalie asked as she tossed her magazine aside and focused on Jasper. Her acute hearing let her know Alice was still in her room.

"I'm not sure." Jasper admitted as he closed his eyes and tried to work out what was triggering his instincts that there was danger nearby. He'd noticed it as he stood. Lifting his head Jasper inhaled deeply and that cleared up any doubts in his mind. "There's a mutt outside, I can just smell him."

Emmett growled and went to the nearest window to stare out into the woods. "This is our territory man, they should not be out here."

"Especially after their run in with Bella." Bree offered quietly, though the idea of the shapeshifters approaching the house made her want to hide.

"What should we do?" Emmett asked as he raced over to another window. The trees blocked his view deep into the woods but his vision would notice movement closer to the edge of the treeline.

Rosalie looked at Bree. "Go get Alice and bring her down here." She told her, not wanting the human anywhere near a window that could be opened. "We stay here with Alice until Bella returns." She informed Jasper and Emmett as Bree dashed up the stairs.

"Shouldn't we go out and hunt it down?" Emmett asked, he never did enjoy sitting and waiting for the fun to start. "They're on our land, we should teach them a lesson."

Jasper shook his head. The scent was faint, but it was still there. "What if that's what they want, for us to chase them down?" He said. "It could be a trap."

Rosalie growled. "We stay here, and we guard Alice." They had given their word to Bella that Alice would be protected while she was gone. And that was exactly what they would do.

"Man, I can't believe they are this stupid." Emmett commented as he went back to his original viewing window. "Bella wasn't enough for them last time?"

Rosalie had to silently agree that this was completely stupid on the Quileute's part. They were a small tribe and despite the number of them that had shifted, they were still little match for the Cullen's not to mention a very pissed off Isabella Volturi.

"What's going on?" Alice asked as she was led into the room and guided onto the couch by Bree, who sat down beside her.

"We have at least one unwanted visitor in the area. And normally that's not reason to panic-"

"We are not panicking!" Emmett insisted as he raced back to another window to keep lookout.

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "But we gave Bella our word that we'd look after you while she was gone. So, while Emmett and Jasper would be more than enough to chase the dog back over onto its own land, we are staying here."

Jasper nodded and spread out a calming wave into the room, mostly to stop Emmett dashing back and forth constantly.

Alice looked worried because she knew that look on Jasper's face, and it wasn't anything good.

"The scent is getting stronger." Jasper admitted too quietly for Alice to pick up on.

Rosalie scowled. "So, there's more than one of them out there."

"I can't see a thing out there." Emmett snarled, his anger dispersing any effect of Jaspers emotional suggestion.

"So, we just sit here and wait?" Alice asked. "Wait for what?"

Rosalie joined Emmett looking out the window. "We wait for them to make a move, or for Bella to get back."

Whatever came first.