Previous chapter:Isabella - IPOV

Practice with Renata is over since I gained total control over my shield. So now Demetri and I have quiet afternoons that we spend together. Today we're enjoying a walk around the castle grounds, and I can easily see how this garden would be perfect for our wedding. Demetri leads us to one of the benches, and I smile as I start imagining our wedding. It's not hard to do. I can see it already: a ceremony at night under the stars with our coven to witness our vows and my gorgeous mate in a tuxedo waiting for me under the beautiful archway, lit with hundreds of twinkling lights. I hesitate for a moment before I turn to him and say, "Would you mind if we only have a small wedding?"

Demetri - DPOV

I shake my head as I hear the hesitance in Isabella's voice and say, "Isa, I want you to be my wife. I don't care if the wedding is small or large. The only thing that matters to me is that it's you walking down the aisle to marry me."

I chuckle as Isabella rewards me with the most beautiful smile and a soft kiss on the lips, and I smile happily as she starts to share her idea for the wedding. "I want us to get married here, in the gardens. I was thinking of a ceremony at night while the sky is filled with stars. I love that the nights are truly magical here. You would be waiting by the archway, decorated with hundreds of twinkling lights, and our coven would be seated left and right from the path. That would create an aisle for me to walk through. It would be small and simple, but it would be perfect for us, don't you agree?"

I just can't say no to this woman. I would give her the moon if she asked me for it. And I must agree; the wedding she described is perfect for us. Hell, I would have taken her to Vegas if that was what she wanted, but marrying her here with our whole coven present sounds right. I smile as I kiss the top of her head and say, "I think you're right, tesoro. Now, when will this wedding take place? What about February 14th, the day of San Valentino? That's four weeks from now. Is that enough time to get everything we need? You can ask Heidi to help with your wedding dress. I know she would like that very much."

Isabella claps her hands enthusiastically as she turns to look at me and says, "Valentine's day? You're too good to be true, Demetri Volturi. I can't wait to be your wife. Oh my god, I need a wedding dress asap. I'm going to find Heidi."

I chuckle as she gives me a quick peck on the cheek before running off and yelling Heidi's name. I smile as I follow Isabella back inside. I can hear Heidi, Jane, and Isabella talking about dresses already as I walk into the hallway leading to the guard's quarters, and it's then that I realize I must find myself a tuxedo and a best man real soon. I shake my head as Felix comes barging out of his room and narrows his eyes when he looks at me, "Who are you, and what did you do to my brother? Valentine's day? Really? Now I'll have to listen to Heidi going on and on about how romantic that is and how I never come up with something like that. Show off."

I shrug my shoulders as I walk past him and say, "Well, if that's your final opinion about me, I'll only ask Alec to be my best man. I was hoping you would do me the honor as well, though. You know how Heidi gets when you wear a tux."

The silly grin that manifests on his face is hilarious, to say the least. I swear that man thinks with his dick half of the time. I shake my head as I drag him along toward Alec's room. I smile as Alec opens the door with a grin on his face, indicating he already heard what I said, before I say, "It's time to buy a tux, best man. Let's go."

I can't stop smiling as we make our way to the garage and get into Felix's car to drive to Milan. It only takes us two hours to get there, simply because Felix drives like a maniac, but I can't say I mind. I can't wait to find the perfect tux for my wedding. Part of me is glad men can simply wear a tuxedo and be fashionable, but the other part wants to impress Isabella when she walks down the aisle toward me, so not any tuxedo will do.

I nod approvingly as Felix directs us to his favorite designer store, and I immediately spot the perfect tux. It's a midnight blue tuxedo that will complement Isabella's theme perfectly. Felix and Alec smile as they pick the same one in their size. I can already hear Felix thinking of what Heidi will do to him, and I snicker as I shake my head at my brother. I frown as I notice that Alec is staring off into the distance, and I gently bump his arm as I say, "What's up?"

He sighs as he looks at me and says, "I never thought I would find myself this envious of you, Demetri. But seeing you and Isabella in love made me realize what I'm missing. It's strange. You would think I'm used to seeing a mated couple around, with Felix and Heidi, but it's not the same. Your relationship seems much deeper. It's almost as if I can sense the love between you. It makes me want that too."

I smile softly as I say, "If you would have told me six months ago that I would find my true mate and that I would be marrying her, I would have laughed in your face. I can't describe the feeling, Alec, but when I looked into her eyes for the first time, it was like the whole world shifted. She instantly became the center of my earth. I wish that for you too, my brother. I truly do."

Alec nods as he punches my shoulder playfully and says, "Treat her right, Demetri, or I'll gladly kick your ass."

I shake my head at his antics as I say, "Don't worry, she means the world to me. I will never hurt her."

With that said, we make our way to the car. Felix is already there, and we watch as he puts our clothing bags into the trunk before turning around with a cheeky grin and saying, "What do you say to a little evening hunt in Milan, boys? It's been a while since we got to play outside. I could use a night on the town."

Alec and I smile as we nod in agreement, seeing this is actually one of Felix's better ideas. We all smile brightly as we run silently through the shadow to the outskirts of the city, where we each find ourselves our preferred kill. I just wish Isabella was here to hunt with me. We quickly make our way back to Volterra after that. I wonder if the girls were able to find a wedding dress.

Isabella – IPOV (in the meanwhile)

I sigh as Heidi closes another website. It seems an impossible task to find a wedding dress that is completely to my taste. I'm about to throw in the towel as Heidi tells me she's calling in a favor from a famous fashion designer to have my dress custom-made, and I feel tears forming in my eyes as she hands me the phone with a big smile on her face. I'm so lucky I get to call her my sister. Heidi and Jane spend the next two hours finding all the decorations for the wedding while I answer more than a hundred questions from the designer. I sigh in relief as she finishes the call by promising to send us sketches by nightfall. Heidi and Jane both look so happy as they show me the decorations they found that I promptly ask both as my maids of honor. They are both my sisters, and I could never pick one over the other. They both squeal in delight, and the next hour is spent finding their dresses.

After hours of dress talk, we move over to the more practical stuff, like the guest list and the wedding officiant. I leave the girls to finalize the guest list with all the members of our coven while I walk over to Aro's study to ask if he wants to officiate our wedding. I immediately know I made the right choice by asking him as he hugs me tightly and promises that every coven member will be in Volterra on our wedding day. I smile brightly as I make my way back to Heidi's room, where the girls suggest going for a hunt, seeing the guys will probably do the same while they are in the city.

As we make it back to the castle, I find the sketches of my wedding dress in my mailbox. I can't believe my eyes as I continue to stare at them for minutes. It's the perfect wedding dress, and I already know Demetri is going to love it. I smile as the girls start gushing over how beautiful I will be in this dress, and how Demetri will have a hard time keeping his hands to himself. All the more reasons to say 'yes' to this dress. I immediately send my okay to the designer and smile as I get a text back almost instantly stating the first fitting will be in five days. I can't wait!

With the guys still not back, we decide to watch a movie that is completely lost on me as I keep listening to the sounds in the hallway hoping Demetri will be home soon. I rush into the hallway the moment I hear his voice and smile as he opens his arms to catch me.

Demetri - DPOV

The tension leaves my shoulders as Volterra comes back into sight. It seems that even a few hours away from Isabella is too long for me. What can I say? I love that woman with every fiber of my being, and I'm not complete if she's not by my side. I wonder if she missed me too?

My question gets answered immediately as a door flies open the moment we enter our floor, and Isabella comes running toward me. I smile as she launches herself at me and giggles as I catch her in my arms and spin her around. I smile even wider as Isabella whispers how much she missed. Man, it's good to be home. I softly kiss the top of her head before saying, "Do you want to see our tuxedos, cara mia?"

Isabella glances at the clothing bags in Felix's arms with curiosity before shaking her head and saying, "Oh, I haven't thought about that… No, I want it to be a surprise. Knowing you, you picked the perfect one."

I smile as I cup her cheek and say, "You give me too much credit, amore mio, but I'm pretty sure you will love the tux I choose. How was your evening?"

Isabella's face lights up as she motions toward Heidi's room and says, "It was very productive. Heidi and Jane are amazing at this. I asked them both as my maids of honor. It was impossible to choose only one of them. Did you decide who will be your best man?"

I snicker as I point at both my brothers and say, "Yes, Felix and Alec, I couldn't choose either."

Isabella smiles at them both before turning back to me and saying, "Aro promised me that all coven members will be back from their missions in time to attend the wedding. He even agreed to officiate the wedding. The search for a wedding dress almost ended in disaster, but thanks to Heidi, my dress is being custom-made. It will take the designer about two weeks to finish it. So, when that's done we're all set. Whoever said you need a year to plan a wedding?"

I chuckle as I hear Jane and Heidi laugh from Heidi's room. Isabella giggles as she grabs my arm and that of Alec and starts dragging us toward the room while telling Felix to come along. God, I love how full of energy she is. I snicker as he follows us to his room without protest and plops on the loveseat next to Heidi while everyone else settles on the two couches. Felix can act all though, but he doesn't fool me. My Isabella already holds a place in his heart as his little sister, and I wouldn't want it any other way. She deserves to have the family she always dreamt off.

Time passes quickly as we start talking about the wedding and other random stuff, and after a while, I pull Isabella into my lap and nuzzle her hair. She sighs happily as she leans back into me, and I smile as we sit there together like that while Heidi and Felix bicker about the pros and cons of marriage. I snicker as Jane and Alec roll their eyes before leaving the room. I believe Heidi will have to wait a bit longer before Felix comes to his senses and marries her. Both Heidi and Felix don't even notice it when Isabella and I follow the twin's example and leave the room to get an early start on a new day.

The two weeks that follow pass fairly quickly. Isabella leaves the castle a couple of times to have her wedding dress fitted, but other than that, nothing exciting happens, and I find myself hoping things will stay calm for a long while. One morning, however, Aro calls Isabella and me to his study. I instantly know why as Felix, Jane, and Alec join us. We're needed for a mission, and Aro looks quite excited about it as he motions for us to come closer and says, "Dear ones, our scouts report that someone is building a newborn army in Seattle. We risk exposure if this drags on any longer, so it needs to be dealt with immediately. I discussed this with Marcus and Caius, and we want you to go and take care of it. Kill every newborn, and find their creator. You will get all the information we need out of him, and then you can kill him. You will report by phone before flying back. Any questions?"

Jane looks pissed as she steps forward and says, "Why aren't the Cullens doing something about this, Master? It's their territory."

Carlisle - CPOV

Three weeks pass after our visit to the cemetery before we receive a call from Edward. He read Rosalie's email and is on his way home. He sounded angry with us on the phone, but I couldn't find it in myself to address it. I will wait for him to get home, and then we will talk. We've got bigger fish to fry at the moment.

I sigh in frustration as I stare out of the window of my study. There have been no sightings of Victoria or Laurent, and the number of missing persons in Seattle keeps rising. Not only are the wolves getting restless, but the risk of exposure increases with every passing day. Alice is trying to keep track of Victoria's and Laurent's decisions, and I can only hope they make a move soon. This mess needs to be dealt with. Jasper gives me an understanding smile as he senses my frustration when he enters my study to go over our plan again, but before he can say anything, Alice rushes through the door and says, "Edward will be home in two hours; he just rented a car at the airport."

I smile softly as I nod and say, "Thank you, Alice. Please tell everyone they have to be downstairs when Edward arrives. His return will be hard on all of us. Jasper, can you control the emotions in the room? I don't want the emotions to get out of hand when we've got more urgent matters to attend to."

Jasper nods as we take one final look at our plan while Alice leaves my study to inform the others. The moment Victoria and Laurent decide to attack, we'll be ready. I can only hope we all make it out alive. I let out another deep sigh as I walk up to Esme's craft room where I find her staring at the design she made for Bella's and Edward's room months ago. She lets out a sob as I enter the room, and I kiss her head softly as she whispers, "I can't believe she's gone, Carlisle. It hurts so much."

I nod as I pull her closer and say, "I know, my love. Believe me, I know. Edward will be home soon, and he will need us to be strong for him."

The sadness lingers in her eyes as she nods almost invisibly before resting her head against my chest. We don't move from our spot until we hear a car coming up the driveway. We share a quick kiss before joining the rest of our family in the living room. I don't need to be an empath to know that everyone is feeling anxious.

Edward - EPOV

I quickly exit the plane after it touches down in Seattle, and rush through the airport to rent a car before driving to Forks at high speed. I can't believe they came back to Forks. That wasn't what we agreed upon. Everyone was going to leave Bella alone for a few years. At least, that was what I told them. None of them knew that we were never coming back. I'm going to make it clear that they need to pack their bags tonight and leave first thing tomorrow. I can only hope that Bella doesn't know they're back. It was supposed to be as if we never existed.

I feel my anger rising as I drive up to the house. They're waiting for me in the living room. The fact that they're all thinking about the strangest things, however, doesn't ease my mind. I'm not going to like whatever they have to say, I'm sure of it. I walk into the house and can't stop myself from smiling softly as Esme rushes over to hug me and whispers, "I'm glad you're here, Edward. I missed you so much."

I smile because being mad at Esme is almost impossible as I give her a quick hug back. My anger, however, seeps back in as I look at the rest of my family and say, "Why are we in Forks? This is not what we agreed upon."

Carlisle raises his hand in a calming gesture as he takes a step forward and says, "Edward, son, there are a few things we need to tell you, and I must ask that you let me finish before you react, even though it will be hard. Jasper will help you stay calm if needed."

I frown as Carlisle takes an unnecessary deep breath before continuing. "Edward, we're here because Victoria and Laurent came back to Forks. We've been keeping track of them, and we believe they're here to avenge James's death. I don't know if you kept up with the local news while you were away, but there have been a lot of disappearances in the state. We believe that Victoria and Laurent are building a newborn army to take us out. Jasper and I came up with a plan, and Alice is monitoring their movements. We'll be ready for them when they come.

We must be the ones to handle this. We're the resident coven of this region. The Volturi can't find out because it would make us seem weak and inefficient. I don't want Aro to think we can't handle our own business. They would surely say that it's because we drink animal blood, and I don't want to have that discussion with Caius again. We called you back because you are a part of this family. We need your help. Surely you can understand that."

I quickly look around the room and find everyone staring at me. I can't believe they're all sitting here, while Victoria and Laurent are out there, wanting revenge. What if they decide to go after Bella? Oh my god, we need to protect Bella. Jasper sends me some calming waves as I start to panic, and I give him a thankful smile before saying, "Why is no one protecting Bella?"

I notice that everyone is looking at the floor as Carlisle clears his throat before saying, "Edward, when I arrived here, I followed a scent trail to the treaty line. There I talked to a member of the Quileute tribe. He was the one that told me about Victoria and Laurent, but he also told me that Charlie was staying at the reservation because his house burned down when he was at work. Bella was home alone when it happened, and she didn't make it out alive. I'm sorry, Edward, but Bella is dead."

Those final three words are all it takes to shatter my heart into a thousand pieces. My beautiful Bella is dead. My life suddenly has no meaning anymore, not without her. I sob as I fall to my knees and whisper: "It's entirely my fault…"

Thank you so much for reading my story

Please review!