Chapter 4 – Beginnings and Endings

Felix was right. I had to let go so that I could move on. I was immortal now, but Edward wouldn't care, so why was I? Felix and I persuade a relationship. We spent a lot of time together, apart from my training. Getting some more things in my bed chamber, I was watching a movie when Felix came in. He leaned down and kissed my forehead, "What are you watching?" "Romeo & Juliet, it's one of my favorites." Felix lifted me and set me down in his lap. "What version is this one?"

"The 1996 version, when the story is set in modern day. I love this one." Felix scoffed, "I never had much patience for this story. Romeo was foolish to kill his new wife's cousin so soon after his wedding." My eyebrow furrowed, realizing the similarity of the moment. Lying on the couch, watching Romeo & Juliet with someone criticizing my favorite Shakespearean character.

I tried not to, but I couldn't help comparing Felix to Edward. I was getting used to saying and thinking his name, if I wanted to start getting over him. They were so different, but they had some similarities. Felix enjoyed keeping me to himself. Our evenings were spent in his or my bed chamber. Our physical relationship was quite vigorous. The first few weeks were pretty bad. We would be in his chamber for days. Even though we were both immortals, Felix had to be careful with me, to not shatter my skin.

Sometimes, his fingers would hold me too tightly, that my skin would crack and dust away. One morning, a Guard member dared to venture into the room. Renata entered the room and took in the destruction, "What in the world?" she exclaimed in her thick Italian accent, "Perchè sono ci piume sul pavimento?" (Why are there feathers on the floor?) I grimaced and Felix pulled me into his chest. We dashed into the closet to dress before Renata found us. "Bella, your hair!"

My fingers combed through the dark strands to see bits of white stuck in it, "Oh no. Now, I've got to wash my hair to get this out." Felix's arm wound around my waist, "That's a good idea." He kissed down my neck, making me smile, "It'd be faster if I did it alone. You can focus on cleaning up this place." Renata cleared her throat, reminding us that she was still in the room, "Actually, Aro was looking for the both of you."

Felix straightened up immediately, "Of course." His voice changed from playful to serious, "We'll be right there." The hot water washed out the downy mess in my hair and soon I was dressed and on our way to the antechamber. As we made our way, I pulled my hair up into a tight bun.

"Bella, please accompany the others on this. One of our kind is exposing our secrets. I would like for you learn how we uphold the law," Aro ordered. Preparing to leave, Chelsea gave me a gray cloak as the others wore. The regular procession went to Seattle. In the city, the human media speculated that it was a murderer on a rampage and the police were very concerned. Sunset finally came and we went to find the source of this risky exposure. Standing on a rooftop, Jane, Alec, Demetri, Felix and I watched as several young vampires tore apart cars and pulled people from them, feeding wildly.

We stood silently watching the onslaught. "They've already drawn too much attention," Demetri stated. The newborns were rampaging through the city for weeks and we've only stood by and watched. "So is our inaction," Felix was frustrated. He wanted to stop the newborns. "Others may question the Volturi's effectiveness." I knew for Felix that meant they could start questioning his effectiveness. Jane watched on indifferently, "Let them." Felix paced away, almost snarling, "Maybe it's time we consult with Aro." Jane cut her eye and turned her ability on Felix.

His body jolted, bending his body backwards. Felix's teeth gritted, refusing to let out a cry of agony. My shield rippled and responded immediately, wrapping around him protectively. Felix stood slowly, not being affected by Jane. Jane then turned her ability on me and I looked at her, "We have to focus on the task at hand. This is no time to turn on ourselves. We have to decide what we must do." Jane bared her teeth, then Alec stepped between us, "It's time, sister. Decide." Jane turned back to the mayhem.

Felix resumed his place between myself and Jane. He couldn't say it at the moment, but he was grateful that I put my shield over him. It was hard for me to see Felix hurt. My shield reacted immediately, seeing someone I cared about hurt. My mind wanted to protect and my shield expanded over him. "We must end them now. None of them have any potential." Jane's anger at me was turned on the newborns.

When the last heartbeat stopped, it was time for us to move in. Jane decided it was time to end the mayhem. We were trying to find out who was behind this newborn army, but their leader hasn't been found yet.

Alec immobilized the newborns as we leapt down to the ground. The newborns stumbled around blind and deaf. "Where is their leader?" Jane asked as she walked pass the newborns. I lingered behind, in case someone came along. There was the sound of quick breathing, but no heartbeat. My eyes fell on a young man, half hidden in an alley. When he caught my eye, he sprinted away in the opposite direction. "Demetri." He appeared beside me, "I got him."

After destroying the newborns, we followed Demetri's lead on the one who got away. Felix had to be torn away from ripping them apart. He groaned, hoping for more of a challenge. In the middle of an open field, in the outskirts of the city, there was a small pink house with smoke billowing out of the chimney. "They were killed! Riley, you were supposed to be keeping them under control!" The shrill voice came from the house. "I'm sorry. You know as well as I do how out of control they can be. I need more help."

Jane used her ability and screaming came from inside the house. Demetri and Felix stood outside the house, cutting off the exits. Strategically, we moved into the house, where we found the two writhing on the floor. The woman had hair like wild fire and my eyes widened, "Victoria." It was Victoria who hunted me with James. Jane stopped and their bodies fell limply onto the floor. "Why did you create the newborns and not control them?" The boy looked up, then his eyes fell on Victoria. "It was all my idea. She had nothing to do with it."

I looked at him, "Why? What was their purpose?" It was strange how my voice became hard and cold. He exhaled a shaky breath, "There was a coven threatening the city. We did it to protect ourselves." Alec stared down at them, "What coven?" "The Cullens." Heat grew in my chest. "Really? The Cullens don't even live in the area. They moved away over a year ago." The boy looked at Victoria, who hadn't moved an inch. "Victoria?" She lifted her head slowly, until she met my eyes.

Her eyes widened, "You?" She stood up in a blur and stared me down, "You're part of the Guard? How?" I smirked at her, knowing I had nothing to fear, "That's none of your concern. Now, admit the truth. Why did you really create them?" Her face was pinched as she glared at me. I knew her plan before she said it.

I looked down at her companion still on the floor, "And you would have let this one sacrifice himself for you? I wonder, does he know about James?" A shrill scream came from her as she swiped her arm at me. Alec immobilized her and she fell to the ground. Felix came to stand beside me, "You know her?" "Alec, let her hear this," I requested. He nodded. He didn't move, "She can hear us."

"She helped James when he was hunting me." I walked around her body on the floor, "But, unfortunately for him, the Cullens were more formidable in protecting me and he got himself torn apart. She created the newborns, deliberately not training them and intended on turning them loose on Forks, in hopes of destroying the Cullens and me. Isn't that right?" Victoria didn't speak. Jane used her ability and Victoria screamed, "Is that true?" Victoria laid, panting for breath and she didn't answer. Jane increased her power, making Victoria scream even louder.

"Please," the boy pleaded, "don't hurt her. It's not true. She loves me." I looked at him perplexed, "It is true, I'm afraid. She lied to you. She created you to head the army and make the decisions and she would stay behind." I looked at Victoria, curled up in a ball, "Destroy her. She's behind all this." Felix picked her up by her neck and she fought to get out of his hold, "She must die! She killed James! Ja…." Her words were cut off as Felix destroyed her. The boy bellowed as Victoria died. Demetri and Alec destroyed him.

After their body parts were thrown into a pile, I realized there was something else in the house, or rather, beneath it. Moving a rub to the side, there was a hidden door. Felix opened it, showing a dark basement. There was quick breathing coming from behind the door. "Come out. We won't hurt you." A girl stuck her head out. Her hair was very short and straight. She looked at me, her eyes a vivid red. She clutched at her throat, "What's going on?"

Jane was going to use her ability on the girl, but I put my shield around her. Jane snarled at me and I looked at her, "I'm not doing that." She bared her teeth, "They're can't be more like you." I shrugged, "Who's to say there isn't?" The girl shuddered, "What's your name?" "Bree. I was down there for days. I'm so thirsty." The five of us discussed it and it was agreed that the girl would come back with us to Volterra. Aro wanted to meet the girl that wasn't effect by Jane either. I would explain that I put my shield over her. She didn't know what was happening and I didn't think she deserved to die.

At the airport, I read a newspaper while waiting for our flight. One of the stories spoke about an abandoned truck found the San Francisco Bay. The truck was pulled from the water. My eyes popped when it said the owner of the truck was Chief Charlie Swan of Forks P.D. Charlie left a statement, "It was my daughter's truck. She was driving home to Arizona." The police were searching the bay for the body of Isabella M. Swan.

My picture was next to the statement, underneath the picture of the wreckage which was my truck. My breath huffed out. Felix looked at me and put his arm over my shoulder, "What is it?" I showed him the article, "Alec, that's what you did?" He looked at the paper, "Yes, it was better for her human family to believe she's dead." My eyes closed and I couldn't breathe. Charlie thinks I'm dead. My mom and Phil. My eye pricked at the thought of my mom thinking off me dead. And Charlie was all alone again. We weren't far from Forks.

I stood up, looking out the windows. "I'm going to go see my dad." Something sweet and bitter hit my tongue and I rolled my eyes, "Alec, you know that doesn't work on me. Besides, he won't see me. I just want to check on him." Jane stood, "You will not." I scoffed at her, "You can't stop me."

Felix ended the entire debate, "I'll go with her." He instructed that no one was to hurt Bree until we returned. Felix and I left for Forks, running the entire way. "No, this way. Over the mountains." I didn't want to take him through La Push. I remembered Jacob telling me about the treaty and I didn't want to violate it. Outside Charlie's house, there was a sleek, black car. From inside the house, there was a woman's voice talking. Her voice was tinkly and familiar. "Charlie, what happened?" It was Alice and she driving Carlisle's car. Felix looked at me as we stood outside the house. Hearing Charlie's voice was tearing through me.

Charlie sighed, "She was upset all the time. One day, I came home and she wasn't here. She left a note saying she was going home to Arizona for the winter break. She was pretty upset and I thought she could use a change of scenery. Then two days later, the police called me saying that they found her truck. It was half drowned in the water. And they couldn't find Bella." His voice was breaking, "Her mom and I don't want to give up the search, but they're coming up with nothing."

Felix stroked my face. He gestured over his shoulder to leave and we snuck away from the house, quietly. My feet couldn't move, from not being able to comfort Charlie. Felix took me up in his arms and ran. I told him how to get to Port Angeles. I had to leave and put this behind me. I was a vampire now and it would be better this way. Felix and I flew back out to Seattle, then took a long flight back through Asia. We landed in western China. Felix and I hunted, but I wasn't interested in torturing people.

Felix was kind and simply drained his human. "Bella, what is it?" We were in the human's hotel room and I was sitting on their bed, "My dad. I feel awful." He sighed and I put one hand on his shoulder, "I know. I know I should build a wall, but I can't. Felix, it's my dad. And I feel terrible that I had to leave him. He was alone before I went to live with him." He sat with me, "I know. For some, it's difficult leaving their human lives behind, but it's necessary." I nodded, knowing that it was true. I was willing to do the same thing if Edward ever decided to change me. One of the consequences of this life.