Author's Note: Hello lovelies! I've been gone for a few weeks so I'm here with a 3,500+ word chapter for you WITH some steaminess ;) Am I forgiven? No? Darn it...

Last Time...

Aro gripped her close, his razor sharp teeth slicing into her marble skin at the base of her neck, eliciting another inhuman scream from her. Isabella clenched around him with her orgasm as she bit at the hollow of his throat. She was rewarded with a loud groan from her mate as he came inside her, their claims completed on the other as lovers for eternity.

Chapter 15

Over the decades, Jasper could easily spot when Alice had gotten her way. It was an elated smugness, distinguishable by the delighted look in her eyes and subtle quirk of the corners of her lips. A vampire, or human for a considerable few years, would quickly learn to never bet against Alice.

That being said, even Jasper was surprised by the turn of events with Isabella and the ancient Volturi King. His emotions towards her, turbulent but true, nearly took him off his feet when they arrived. Love, loss, admiration, curiosity, yearning, apprehension, pain, lust. Soon after her transformation, Jasper and Alice had watched and waited for the other shoe to drop, as some might say. And thank god that it did- the pent up sexual frustration and internal conflict was driving Jasper mad. While Alice and Jasper would never want to inflict harm on Isabella, the moment in the clearing was a catalyst for what needed to happen... and happen it did, for several, several hours.

Without the option to leave fully from the grounds with imminent doom on the horizon, and each vampire much too distracted or uncomfortable to continue combat training, they each had their own ways of staying busy. Some got busy, so to say. Rosalie and Emmett were the worst, by far. Others hunted- Carlisle, Esme, and Edward specifically. Jasper would hate to be a mind reader at this very moment, though the emotions were eating away at him.

Looking to Alice, he quirked an eyebrow at her, a smug smile crossing his features in the most southern gentleman way. "What do you say, darlin?"

Alice looked at her mate knowingly, pecking him on the cheek before leaning in to whisper "I know just the place."

For the first time, many of the Volturi guard were left to their own devices. Caius had quickly disappeared with Athendora for "business arrangements." It seemed that the dynamics of the newly mated couple had lit a new fire in their centuries old marriage... good for them?

Felix had assessed his options quite thoroughly before making his move, approaching Heidi on the far end of the castle. Casting one look at him, she smirked. "In your dreams..." Still, she sauntered off, quite dramatically with the exaggerated sway of her hips and one single curl of her pointer finger. Fist bumping the air, Felix ran after her. A few centuries of conversational foreplay was starting to pay off.

Isabella's Chambers- Afternoon

This is what being with one's mate felt like, Isabella thought in pure bliss. Carnal pleasure had not ceased since they had admitted their true feelings for one another, and there was no stopping in sight...

That was yet another advantage of being a vampire... they never tired.

"I have to say... I am still impressed you managed to keep up with me for those hours in your human life." Are grinned, tracing his fingertips across the swell of her breast, lips spanning across her collar bone... down... down.

"Now you'll have to keep up... oh..." A low moan escaped her lips, her creamy, pale thighs spreading further to allow him better access as his tongue lapped ever so softly and slowly across her inner thigh. Aro's cool breath caused her to gasp, her nipples hardening to rosy peaks in anticipation.

A resounding knock sounded in the chamber.

"Go. Away." Isabella managed, her thighs gripping the sides of Aro's face as he flicked his tongue against her clit so softly, just once.

"Master... Mistress?" Came a small, shaky voice. The gods themselves would never have had the audacity to interrupt with the wrath they would face.

Silence followed the intrusion before the chamber filled with the two's hisses. "What?!" Aro belowed.

If looks could kill, Isabella's surely would, though it might have less emphasis and strength in accusatory appeal with the raven haired king ready to completely devour her... "I swear to the gods above," Isabella began impatiently "if you do not leave this instant I will end you!"

Silence again followed, minus the light chuckling by her mate. "Do continue, lover, your wrath excites me." Came his whisper, inaudible to whatever creature that still bravely stood behind the far door.

"Master Marcus and Master Caius request your presence..." Came the small voice again. If one listened closely enough, the quiver and shaking of the vampire's form would be observed.

"Mother fu-"

Castle Grounds- Afternoon

"Oh my god... you just cock blocked a newborn!" Emmett bellowed, staggering slightly before rolling in laughter to the subtle amusement of the Volturi guard. "She's going to kick your ass! Bahahaha!"

Marcus coughed, raising his hand to cover the smile that was forming as he looked at Caius.

"Do not look too amused, brother. I explicitly instructed Renata to disclose we both requested them."

The smile vanished, though Emmett's laughter continued as obscenities could be heard from the nearby tower that the newly mated pair had resided in quite actively for the past day...

"OH shit here she comes!"

"Brace yourselves..." Jasper smirked, standing a fair distance from the two Volturi leaders with his arm wrapped around Alice. "This will be good..."

In a blur of movement, Isabella appeared with Aro trailing languidly behind her, intent to see the wrath his mate might unleash. None could miss the satisfied smirk on his lips, though it was dissapointing to see their leader in a pristine state of dress as always... nothing to hold over him, Marcus sighed internally.

Looks would certainly massacre all those standing, in Isabella's books. Power radiated from her form, a short black dress and black velvet cloak thrown haphazardly over her form. Much to her dismay, Aro had stopped her rage for just a moment to ensure his mate was covered from other's eyes.

"Caius, Marcus. How may I help you?" Came an all too controlled voice from the newborn Isabella. Icy and serene, Isabella had learned how to make others fear her with only a few, calculated words as anger simmered underneath, as her maker and mate had done for centuries.

"Caius?" Marcus cued the blonde king.

"Ahem... Well... We are simply running out of time and must take account of each vampire's abilities for strategic battle plans. The only ability we do not have a full account of is yours."

"Oh, you're volunteering, dear Caius?" Isabella smiled sweetly. "How nice of you. Let's begin." Looking over her shoulder, she winked at Aro who watched on smugly.

Soon, Isabella was squared off with Caius across the training field. Jasper and Alec stood the closest to the pair. "Alright, Isabella. We're going to take away your sense of sight and sound first." Purple and black smoke swirled from Alec's palms, wrapping around Isabella as she stood motionless, calm and relaxed, thanks in part to Jasper as she got used to the sensation. "Tell us which direction he is coming from. Go."

As Caius approached Isabella with vampiric speed, she gestured in his direction automatically.

"Alright, Alec- retract your gift for the next instruction." Isabella sighed as the smoke departed. "Now, Isabella, we will take away all senses. Your aim is to protect yourself. Whether it is offensive or defensive is up to instinct."

Isabella nodded, cracking her knuckles for dramatic effect as she grinned at Caius. She knew she would accomplish this without a doubt. For a moment, she was rewarded with a glimmer of apprehension from Caius. Served him right.

Once again, the smoke billowed around Isabella, wrapping around her like a lover's embrace.

"Go." Jasper instructed, folding his arms as he watched the impending smackdown in three... two...

Caius approached from the side before changing direction, diving at Isabella from behind with steely precision. For a moment, it seemed that he would strike until she had vaulted into the air, dropping down behind Caius. She smiled, even as she could see nothing, and tapped him on the shoulder before gripping at his cloaks, and with one movement flung him backwards over her shoulder. Caius went crashing into the trees, splinters flying everywhere.

"Keep her senses at bay." Jasper instructed Alec.

"Is that all you've got?" Challenged Isabella, one hand resting on her hip.

The ancient vampire hissed,throwing his cloak aside and rolling his sleeves as he zeroed in on the newborn intently. While he looked absolutely menacing, the other was perfectly at ease. "I'll teach you a thing or two, fledgling." Snapping his fingers once, he beckoned Felix. "Sword. Now."

"Brother, it seems unfair for you to have a weapon and Isabella to have none." Marcus offered, smirking slightly at the exasperated look Caius gave him afterwards.

As if on cue, Isabella raised the hand that had been resting on her hip and held it out expectantly in Demitri's direction.

"Interesting... are you sure she can hear nothing Alec?" Aro wondered aloud, glancing to the raven haired boy at Jasper's side.

"Absolutely positive, sire." Alec responded. "The mistress does not struggle at all, despite her senses being taken away completely. Her reactions, I would think, are direct causation of her gift."

"Fascinating as ever. I wouldn't be so sure that you will prevail, brother." Aro commented, reveling in the annoyed expression that crossed his blonde counterpart.

Just then, Demitri reappeared with a sword for Isabella, placing the handle in her awaiting palm before backing away carefully. Isabella flexed her fingers around the intricately carved handle as she adopted a defensive stance.

"For example," Alec continued "Mistress Isabella should not be able to feel the sword in her hand, nor be able to moderate her grip- just enough to not crush the metal- is purely due to the perception her gift of protection allows." Looking to Jasper, he continued. "Master Caius is an expert swordsman. Extreme skill and precision in the art can be traced through his lineage, and was a preferred execution method for non-vampiric offenders of our laws."

Caius's gaze was quite frankly, terrifying. It was like one of those moments on a nature show where an aggressor- a predator of some kind- was just about to strike its intended victim. No one could look away. Some even made wagers, judging by the animated expressions on Emmett, Felix, and Demitri's faces. Meanwhile, Esme and Carlisle looked quite perturbed, Esme especially as she looked close to tears. Any mother would fear for their child, adoptive or not, in a similar situation. Alice looked on approvingly, setting a hand on Esme's shoulder in comfort and confirmation of a positive outcome. Though vague now with the imminent danger, Alice had seen that Isabella left this fight okay.

"You have even chances in this battle. Strike to restrain, not to harm or kill. Go." Jasper ordered, a glint of the Major shining through to Alice's delight.

Caius gripped the ancient sword with both hands, a formality of swordsmanship as he did not need this grip with inhuman strength and precision. Isabella, however kept the sword in one hand, giving her a freer range of motion with her incoming attacker.

Isabella tracked his movements around her- a slow circling at first in her mind- they appeared almost like wisps of glowing smoke in her subconscious- each step disappearing the second he took another. He had squared off with her again within arms distance. Caius gave an initial offensive swing downwards of his own blade. Instinct guided her to block the blow that would have sliced against her stomach- a superficial cut if anything- though successfully blocked.

Even in this state, she quirked a brow at the scowling blond King as she moved backwards, light on her feet as he hissed in frustration. It was interesting to the vampires in attendance to see her so quickly withdraw. "She does not strike, at least until necessary it may seem- another sign of a purely defensive talent." Allistar murmured thoughtfully.

Squaring his shoulders, Caius growled as he descended on his target once again, closing the few feet of distance between them quickly. He attacked her side, swinging deftly to be met with her own sword expertly. Bringing his leg up, Caius brought his leg to her abdomen and kicked fiercely. This sent Isabella sprawling back into a somewhat graceful backwards tumble. Their difference in vantage point put Caius at an advantage, and with the smirk he wore- he knew it. Swinging down once more, the blade connected with the top of his opponent's arm, a painful hiss spilling from her lips as a crack appeared there. In that moment, he kicked the blade from that hand, correct in his assumption that the pain would overwhelm the newborn's senses.

Venom oozed from the wound slowly as the cells already began to heal themselves. Still, Isabella looked perfectly composed. She hadn't lost yet.

Caius circled her like a cobra ready to strike, his blade dragging in the earth just to the right of him for dramatic flair. As he reached her back, he stopped and lifted the blade once more, crouching slightly behind her to bring the sword from behind her to her throat. This moment stretched in calculated slow motion. "Do you yield?" The blonde King sneered, well aware that she could make the decision to give in this current circumstance, despite her sense of hearing being taken from her.

Laughter bubbled from her lips, reaching a high crescendo, much to everyone's surprise and Aro's delight. Like maker, like child, some said...

Cause growled, pressing the blade closer to the marble skin there, rewarded with the sounds of the skin beginning to crack. "You talk too much." Came her voice, the deadliness there prominent. Thrusting her head backwards into his chest, she managed to get far enough from the danger of his grip ripping off her head to wind one arm around the back of his neck, a deadly lover's embrace, while the other lithely gripped the steel of the blade at her throat. "Now, it seems, I could remove your head from your shoulders or break this beloved weapon to pieces in my hands... do you yield?"

A deep, animalistic growl rumbled from Caius' chest. "I yield!" And just like that, the deadly embrace ended just as it started. Isabella straightened from Caius' still crouched form just behind her.

Isabella shook her head and blinked twice once Alec allowed her senses to return. "Well that was fun."

Caius began to straighten his clothes, sneering in a vain attempt to regain some pride lost as he huffed and puffed. Isabella turned back to him, looking curiously at the ancient weapon he held. Just seconds before, she had weighed the possibility that she could have easily crushed it to dust. Yet, when she finally had the opportunity to look at it, a feeling of deja vu crossed over her. She looked down to the sword she held, noting that it didn't hold the same piqued level of curiosity for her. "Caius, might you tell me about your weapon?" Isabella asked with significance. This caught the attention of all vampires present.

Caius straightened even further, his icy and proud demeanor back in full force. "This weapon dates back to the time before I was changed to vampire... Ancient Greece as they call it now... wars were vast and bloody..." His gaze fixated on a time past, a glint of mischief and satisfaction present there. "Spears were a weapon of choice, the skilled warriors having been bestowed double edged swords... fine and unmatched in craftsmanship with a matching dagger to inflict swift, brutal pain." And for one of few times in the last century, Caius smiled. A deadly smile.

"Similarly, you have utilized this weapon in the rulings of your triumvirate." Isabella stated this as fact, rather than question. This was mystical, especially as Isabella should have no context of this during Alec and Jasper's conversation-her senses robbed of her earlier in the battle.

"You are correct." Caius admired the shine of the blade in the waning afternoon light. The smile soon vanished as Caius caught on to the importance of her question. "Be direct with it, newborn."

Tilting her head to the side, Isabella mulled over the awkward sense of familiarity. "There's something... familiar about it. I feel I will reach a clearer conclusion with examination of your weapon."

Indignant, Caius' crimson eyes smoldered as he stared her down. Prepared for a spiteful rejection, Isabella was surprised with a spark of excitement crossing his features. Ooh... the big bad vampire likes talking nerdy about his torture toys... she mused silently to herself, rolling her eyes internally.

"You see, the handle is carved to meet the-" his words faded into nothingness as her fingers met the cool metal in a soft stroke. Her eyes flicked back and forth quickly, seeming to encounter a quick onslaught of images within her own mind... much like when the venom coursed through her during her change. Just as soon as it started, Isabella jolted back like she had been burned. She looked over her shoulder to Aro, seeming to study him inquisitively.

Offering her hand to him with a gentle smile, he met her next to Caius, allowing his mate to interlace their fingers.

"Ah..." Aro breathed after a moment, wonderment crossing his features at the images Isabella had shown him. "It seems the blade has sparked a memory kept hidden in Isabella's mind."

"Pardon me, Aro, but how could it be kept hidden with vampire memory?" Carlisle asked, looking quite conflicted.

"While I was burning, many images passed through my mind... Not a vision as Alice has described to me... but images like memories. Familiar... When I regained my senses just moment's ago, having the ability to see Caius' blade left this sense of deja vu. Like I had seen it before, that I innately knew its purpose... Rather than dreams that informed my decisions in my human life as a protector of sorts, as Allistar believes, the piece of information I was given during my change resurfaced when I touched the blade." Looking to her mate, her eyes urged him to continue where she was still unsure.

"Yes... this memory of sorts that Isabella showed me dates back centuries to an execution... which, I am not certain... there were so many in that time." Aro looked at his mate a bit apologetically. "Our state of dress- Caius, Marcus, the guard, and myself, indicates it was somewhere in the 1600's... The castle's archives on unlawful executions will allow us to search into this matter further."

"Archives?" Edward questioned with emphasis, earning a concerned glance from Carlisle and Esme. Carlisle's dissaproving looking seemed to silence him. Though, the possession of archives for executions done by the Volturi, rather than a volume or two was sure to elicit some raised eyebrows...

Isabella ignored the copper haired killjoy completely, though Jasper stiffened slightly at the extreme annoyance that came from her in waves. "Marcus, Caius, Athendora." Isabella began, taking Aro's offered arm with grace, and a warm air of easy companionship with her raven haired mate. "Join us? I hope to utilize your knowledge as I seek to understand what this glimpse might mean."

"Of course." Marcus said cordially, though his warm smile hinted at his pleasure at the recent, public antics with Caius. "Lead the way."

The five vampires took then took their leave, not before Isabella shared an endearing smile with her golden eyed family as she passed. Once they were gone, Emmett whooped, pumping his fist into the air. "Okay. That. Was. AWESOME!" Emmett cheered, raising his fist into the air. "Pay up, Demitri."

Demitri grumbled and handed Felix and Emmett a velvet pouch of gold.

"Demi, you'll learn eventually not to bet against Alice." Emmett nudged him, pocketing it and sweeping up Rose into his arms with a swift kiss before disappearing.

Carlisle sighed, running his hands over his face as he chuckled. Despite the uncertainties and distance between the Cullens and their home, it was moments like these that made things feel entirely normal.

Author's Note: And the plot continues! I have many things planned, so I'm thinking updates may come sooner going forward, given that work stops being so crazy... I promise to insert more sexy times and Aro/Bella fluff while I can. Let me mull over some creative ways to get it on in the archives.. Any suggestions? Reviews are love!