Disclaimer:

I own no part of the 'Twilight Universe' … only the idea to this story. This is strictly for fun.

Author's note:

Hi you all! Thank you all so much for your support and good luck wishes!

I most likely passed the written part of my exams! Yay! I am so happy and relieved!

Hope you like this chapter. I am slightly out of practice but I did my best.

This is for all of you!

Previously:

"Rest now. I think you have had enough excitement for one day. Let me help you to bed, yes?" She nodded tiredly, but soothed. Cautiously I lifted her onto the bed, mindful not to get any wires knotted. It only took another assurance and a few more moments for sleep to claim her. I sat next to her resigned to keep watch and dissecting the conversation we just had.

Chapter 46 (Marcus' pov)

To be honest, this peculiar conversation had gone better than I had anticipated. Now I only needed to think about possible punishments that didn't involve the true death. There were many things I could imagine to cause the boy and the coven harm. My ideas ranged from dismemberment for different lengths per person … forceful change of their diet … to the destruction of the coven at the hands of Chelsea. We could hardly sever the bond of mates, but the bonds between the couples were breakable, of that I was certain.

This morning, the hours I had spent waiting for my Isabella to call for me, had been torturous. When I heard of the doctor's findings I was hard pressed to immediately rush to her side, but my brothers held me back stating I should gather my bearings before I sought her company. So I had waited and calmed down as much as I was capable. When Isabella had not called for anyone by belated lunchtime I insisted that I take her meal to her. Aro had tried to reassure me she was certainly just resting and that I should let her be, but I simply couldn't stand the doubt that had slowly made its way into my thoughts. What if she had gotten worse and we didn't realize it? I needed to soothe my worries so I followed through and took her meal to her. She looked so peaceful as she rested on the chair, newspaper forgotten on her lap, her face slightly inclined to the right in her sleep, mouth slightly agape.

She had awoken with a start but had settled soon thereafter. It had started out so well! When she told me about her epiphany, confided in me, I was elated! To the extent that I understood her insecurities, I began to mentally curse the Cullens once more. With their unnatural behaviour and their misplaced denial of their own nature they had played directly into furthering Isabella's low self-esteem. The more I deliberated about them the more I leaned towards a combination of all forms of punishments.

A change in her breathing and heartbeat brought my complete attention back to her and the present. I knew she would wake up soon. A few moments later her left hand twitched slightly, her eyelids fluttered, then slowly opened.

It was now late in the afternoon, half past five, and I was overjoyed she was finally with me again. The day had almost passed. I was slightly annoyed with my brother and sister who had only yesterday told me I would get to spend today with her without interruptions. Half a second later I regretted those thoughts as she had obviously enjoyed her time in their presence. When her bleary eyes finally focused I dared speak: "Good to see you awake again, Cara Mia." With these words I softly caressed her cheek. A small blush followed instantaneously and I smiled involuntarily. She was so beautiful.

"Marcus" … she whispered softly … then she drifted off and smiled slightly to herself as her blush deepened.

"Sorry for …" she slurred … still waking up. I instantly placed a finger carefully on her slightly chapped lips to halt her predictable words of apology.

"Don't," I reminded her in a whisper. After a long moment heavy with hesitation she nodded.

"Would you care for something to drink, Isabella?" I asked in an attempt to keep the conversation light.

"Yes please, Marcus. Thank you."

After Isabella drank some water, a slightly awkward lull in conversation stretched between us.

"Would you care for a film or a board game?" I finally asked.

"I had planned to lead you on a tour around the castle, however the doctor advised against it. He recommended you stay in bed today and not strain yourself," I explained further.

She glanced at the small alarm on the nightstand to her right and gasped in surprise: "Is it really that late?"

I nodded mutely and continued to observe her as she picked up the small piece and held it in her hands.

"Thank you, Marcus. It's so beautiful and its chime so pure. I like it a lot." She smiled down at the device and looked back up at me. Her smile had brightened when she mentioned the chime.

"Will you let me hear it? I have to confess … I did not pick it out myself, but instructed Heidi instead." I felt like a fool and wanted to claim credit for her smile. "Oh Marcus, it was you who remembered. Thank you." She began to turn the small wheel on the clock's back then with enthusiasm. When finished to her satisfaction she gazed back up at me and grinned broadly. "Just listen!"

Ten seconds later the chime sounded and her eyes lit up with merriment.

"And … what do you think?" she asked.

"Indeed, it does ring beautifully," I conceded. She nodded absently and carefully placed it back on the table.

"There is something else I wanted to hear your opinion on, Isabella." Curiosity washed over her features.

"Perhaps you have heard or read about the festivities taking place tomorrow. As a rule the family, sometimes with guests, spends the day together on the great balcony, observing the town and the goings-on from there. I would like to invite you to accompany me?" Although my voice held steady, inside I was shaking with anticipation.

"You mean St. Marcus day?" she queried … a clear trace of mischief and amusement in her voice. It suited her and I fell victim to the light atmosphere that seemed to grow between us this afternoon. "So you have heard of it. Do you also know the meaning behind it? It still amuses my brothers and sisters greatly," I trailed off and raised one eyebrow in challenge. She chuckled lightly and I revelled in the sound.

The teasing tone of her next words surprised me as her eyes held even more mischief: "Why yes, of course! Supposedly this town had been plagued by vampires centuries ago, can you imagine?! … and then along came this St. Marcus," she sighed dreamily … "a true hero. Did you know he single-handedly drove all vampires out of town in just a few days?" At the close of her sentence she couldn't contain her mirth and giggled lightly, blushing.

"It seems so long ago that I was in town and trying to find a vampire." She continued to speak more seriously, not meeting my gaze: "You know, I read an article on an info-board in town for tourists, explaining the story behind that particular celebration. I laughed madly, thinking how ironic it was that one of the people I had only ever heard bad things about was revered in such a way. Now, I still find it somewhat ironic, but only the vampire part."

She paused, but it was clear she was not finished yet, so I kept silent.

"I'm truly sorry I judged you and the others before I knew you, Marcus," she admitted humbly, taking my hand in hers and squeezing lightly.

I was moved by her honesty and didn't want to trivialize her heartfelt apology. "I accept your apology. Your perception of us was understandable and I know of many who see us in such a light. I will also pass your words along. Thank you."

To emphasize acceptance I patted her hand that still held mine lightly with the other.

"So, will you come with me? Spend the day with us?" I asked again. Isabella looked at me wonderingly, fighting internally and then sighed dejectedly. "I think I would really like to see it, but I honestly don't think I'll be up to all that. I mean I feel much better than I did, but I get tired so quickly, you know?"

Ah, of course she didn't know about the comforts we had ordered to help her.

"Isabella, my dear, please forgive my thoughtlessness. I forgot to let you know we took the liberty of ordering some things for you that will – hopefully – help with your recovery or will, at the very least, make the period of recovery more bearable. Let me explain my plans for tomorrow should you agree to accompany us.

"The balcony I mentioned is the one belonging to Aro's official study, if we will call it that. We will heat the room, of course, and there is a Recamier that should serve well as a day bed for the time you rest. Food and drink will be brought in to lessen your exertion and to enable you to leave these quarters," I said as I gestured around us. "We also got a wheelchair for you with all comforts matching the wishes of the doctor. Thus we will be able to show you around the castle in the coming days."

After my lengthy explanation many emotions flitted across her features. As she slowly exhaled the deep breath she had taken and held, I mentally prepared myself for the usual spiel and was yet again surprised, when it failed to appear. "This is probably one of those situations where you simply want me to accept your generosity without question and resistance, right?" she asked with obviously forced calm.

"Well, Isabella, it would certainly make for a nice surprise and also make many things so much easier," I told her in, what I hoped to be a winning tone, and patted her hand to soothe her.

She huffed, closed her eyes and leaned back into the pillows, most likely thinking through her answer. I waited with baited breath.

A minute later she shook her head from side to side and smiled beautifully, before she opened her eyes and held me in her gaze. "Okay. Thank you, Marcus, and all the others too, of course."

"Pardon me?" The question, a knee jerk reaction really, was out before I caught up with my mouth. My companion laughed merrily. "I said: 'Okay. Thank you.'"

"You really said those words?" I interrupted her. "I was certain I had misheard you!"

Elation swept through me when she simply nodded slowly and smiled shyly. In a daring mood I picked up her hand and placed a gentle kiss on the back of it, which made her laugh lightly. My own smile widened in response to her happiness and I was sure my cheeks would hurt for days to come. When she calmed herself and only a soft smile remained, she spoke again: "How can that make you so happy, Marcus? I know you say I'm worth it again and again, but I just can't believe it. It's just so surreal. I'm trying though. I like you, the others, too. You are all so kind, and everything is so beautiful here and I feel like I'm in a fairy tale, or dreaming, or that I fell down the rabbit hole and I'm just waiting to wake up, or for the other shoe to drop." She looked around the room and gestured with her hands: "All this … it is just too much … too good to be true. I mean, where's the beef? I can't believe life can be like this. There must be a catch," she rambled.

How could I gain her trust? How could I make her see that life could be good … that her life so far had been a sad exception … an example of how bad life could be?

The only thing my mind came back to was "time." In time she would get used to life here; in time she would get used to the idea that her life could be happy; in time I could only pray to the Gods that she would be happy with me.

"Isabella, Bella Mia, finally I understand your reluctance to accept anything and I am at a partial loss as to help you find that trust. I guess I … we all … will simply keep trying until you see the good … until you can believe there are good things for you in this world. I promise you I will never give up on you. This … (and I used her own gestures) is less than you deserve. Nothing I could ever gift you with would be good enough for you, because nothing I can get you will ever make up for what you have had to go through, or will ever make you forget the horrors you have had to face. Nonetheless, I will keep trying. I will do all I can to see you happy," I declared passionately.

And I would; time was on my side after all. With Isabella all seemed to come back to that one thing … time. She needed time to heal, time to grieve and time to find herself again. Everything else we could give her.

"Marcus, I so want to believe you," she whispered as tears started to form in her eyes. "I am feeling a lot better than when I arrived ... all of you have been so kind."

I was searching for something to distract her, to take her focus off such dark topics, without it being too stark a break. I went over our conversation in my mind and chose to blurt out the first question I came up with: "What did you mean by you felt like you fell down the rabbit's hole? It obviously means a situation to be unbelievable, fantastic even, but how did that come about?"

She looked up at me with an expression of incredulity and surprise as her eyes widened.

End Note:

'SIERRABEAR', you are the best!