AN: Did I mention how hectic is term time? Add mom-ing an hyperactive child and a head killing sinusitis and you have a lovely combo of not being able to write despite wanting to. I managed to edit this and write about a chapter worth of the next part. This is the last chapter in Volterra for a while, back in Forks afterwards!

Thank you so much for all the love, I can't believe over a 100 people are following this little plot of mine already! Big heart for the favs and reviews too, including Lisa who I cannot message back directly :)

Happy reading xx

BPOV

When I woke up again, I felt more rested than I had in months. A smile on my lips, I opened my eyes to find Alice watching me, an amused expression on her face.

"Slept well, sleepyhead?" she teased and my brain went through all the possible things I may have mumbled in my sleep for her to hear before I reminded myself that anyway, she probably had seen worth in that pretty and scary mind of hers. I sat up, a voice in my head telling me that Alice had probably not been there all night and that I was in a castle full of vampires. Vampires with a very fine hearing. I needed to get home, asap.

"Yeah, I guess I really needed the rest," I shrugged, trying to appear casual, not at all as if I had been panicking a second before.

She laughed her beautiful laugh and told me breakfast was waiting for me on the balcony. I excused myself to go to the bathroom to freshen up, finding new clothes for me like the day before, along with a bag of toiletries that I assumed were courtesy of Alice. "Thanks, Alice!" I spoke in a normal voice, and of course she heard me perfectly.

I did quick work of my morning routine, changing into another overly fancy pair of jeans and a light blouse in burgundy red that reminded me of Marcus' eyes. Somehow, I felt Alice was also responsible for today's change of clothes.

"Where is Marcus?" I asked after exiting the bathroom, joining Alice on the balcony where she was hiding under a shade, keeping the sun from reflecting on her skin. I could still notice it was unnaturally shiny, but nothing that would overly attract attention if someone happened to see us sitting there. Not that it was likely to happen, there wasn't much of a vis-a-vis, I noted.

"With his brothers, we are leaving today and there is much for them to talk about."

I nodded and looked at the mini feast that was once again waiting for me, this time with delicious looking pastries, tea and what appeared to be a casserole with tomatoes and eggs. I could taste it already, just from the smell. A-freaking-mazing.

"For vampires, they really know how to make my little human self welcome," I laughed.

Alice frowned. "Didn't we always cook for you?"

I smiled. "Yep, and it was always incredibly delicious too," I confirmed. "It's just… well." I shrugged, diving into my breakfast rather than finishing that thought aloud. I hadn't thought human-drinking vampires would care too much about humans' diet.

While I ate, Alice did most of the talking, explaining how Carlisle was already setting up things in Forks - they were all moving back, even if Rose and Emmett would mainly stay out of sight as they were supposed to be off to college at the University of British Columbia. Apparently, they were the official reason for the family to be moving back north, Esme wanting to be closer to her children somewhat and it would be easy enough to settle there. I found the story slightly farfetched, but I guessed that no one would really question it too much. Jasper had taken a year off, waiting for Alice to graduate before going off to college with her in the fall, so he'd be able to be seen around town and Alice would pick up her studies alongside me.

"Marcus will pose as Esme's cousin from her mother's side, Marcus DeLuca. He will be visiting until the summer," Alice explained as I sipped on my coffee, feeling quite full but hoping I would find some more space in my stomach if I just waited for a bit.

"And…" I hesitated. "What about… Edward?" I asked, almost whispering as if this would be less painful for her.

"The story is that he is attending a prep-school in New York after graduating early, waiting to enter Julliard," she said, not missing a beat.

"Wouldn't it make more sense for Esme to want to be near her youngest son rather than Emmett and Rose?" I asked, frowning.

"He would be staying with Esme's sister and brother-in-law, Marcus' parents."

I felt a headache building.

"Really, Alice? This seems all too… well, all too much to be honest."

Alice smiled, and assured me that they had it all covered and were used to building bullet-proof backstories, with all the paperwork needed to support it. "Plus, I can see if anything will go wrong," she tapped her temple, smirking at me.

I grunted, taking another sip of coffee.

"Carlisle also called your dad," she said next and I looked up, surprised.

"How did that go?"

"He wasn't thrilled, at first," she said and I snorted, knowing this was an understatement if I ever heard one. She smiled at me knowingly. "But you know Charlie always respected Carlisle. He told your dad that we were at the house and that Esme offered for you to stay over a couple of days as you had told us about Harry and how your dad would be busy helping with the funeral. That wasn't an easy feat, but he said Charlie bought it and relented, mainly because Edward wouldn't be there."

I looked away in guilt at that last statement.

"Bella…" she waited for me to look at her again before she continued. "Can you go talk to him? He needs to talk to you…"

I stayed silent, not really sure how I felt about it.

"He needs this, Bella. He won't make the right choice if he doesn't talk to you before we leave."

I could see the distress, hear the plea in her voice and my heart broke. Silent tears escaped me as I nodded, taking Alice's hand.

"Of course I'll talk to him, Alice. I… I am sorry, I should have asked to talk to him earlier, I am so freaking selfish, of course I'll go see him."

I wiped at my face and Alice offered me a tissue from the table.

"Thanks." I gathered myself before asking; "He will join the Guard, won't he?"

"If you talk to him, it is more likely," she confirmed.

"And will he… Will he be able to keep on with your diet?" I asked, terrifying to imagine Edward going back to drinking human blood, knowing how this had haunted him because of his gift.

"Probably."

"Probably, Alice? That's not an answer!" I exclaimed in frustration. "Damn it! This is all my fault!"

"It is not, Bella! Don't you dare take the blame. This is not on you. This isn't on anyone. This whole situation… no-one, not even me could have seen it coming. Bella, Edward will be fine. Just, please, go talk to him."

I looked at her, not fully convinced, but recognising that she had a point.

"I will. Let's go."

I got up, wiping my face to make sure I looked as composed as possible. This wasn't going to be an easy conversation.

Edward wasn't in some dreary cell as I had pictured him. He was in a simple room, on the third floor of a tower on the opposite side of the castle from Marcus' quarter.

When we entered, he was sitting by the window, looking outside and I wondered why he hadn't simply escaped through there. Because he would have been caught immediately, I realised as soon as the question formed in my mind. It would have been pointless and he knew it.

He was perfectly still, inhumanely so and this more than anything threw me off. I was so used to seeing him so full of life, his face always reflecting his emotions, his movements always so human and reassuring.

"Edward," I whispered, my voice breaking with the pain I felt to see him like this. I moved forward, coming closer to him.

He didn't move as I kneeled in front of him. His eyes were fixed somewhere over my shoulder, looking at the sunny city.

"Oh, Edward." I started crying, a real sob escaping me this time. This seemed to call him out of his trance, because he was now looking at me. He lifted his hand, almost touching my tears before he changed his mind, putting it back down on his knees. "I am so sorry, Edward. So, so sorry."

He looked disgusted and turned his face away and I lowered my head in shame. He hated me now. I couldn't stop the tears, despite wiping them off relentlessly.

"How can you still be so selfless, Bella?" His voice was barely loud enough for me to hear it and I wasn't sure I had heard him right. "How are you not shouting at me, why are you not telling me how you surely hate me for what I put you through, for what… Oh Bella, how can you still be so caring when I have done nothing but lie, hurt and betray you?"

I looked at his face in shock, realising that the hatred I had seen in his eyes had not been directed at me but at himself.

"When I condemned your soul to damnation anyway?" his life broke on that last question.

But instead of the heartbreak that had been there a moment before, I felt a burning anger take over.

I stood up, my tears drying as abruptly as they had started.

"Damn it, shut up about this, Edward! Don't you dare imply that you or any other vampire doesn't have a soul ever again. Edward, you have one of the most caring souls I know. I know of a lot of humans with less humanity than you have, that are bigger monsters than you could ever be. It is not what you are but what you do that gives value to your soul, and I for one, refuse to believe someone as devoted, caring and kind as you wouldn't have a soul."

I stopped a second to catch my breath and he turned his face to look at me.

"Will you dare tell me that someone who has saved as many lives as Carlisle did, someone who loves as fully as Esme does, someone who is joy incarnate as Alice is, are damned because of what they are? I will not, and never will, believe it. You told me about your fight with yourself, against your very nature, to find yourself. I have seen you with your family. You have a soul, Edward. Heaven, Hell, whatever you want to believe is after this life, however long it may be, it cannot be as simple as black and white. Good people do bad things and sometimes, bad people do good things. That may be a bit simply put but that's still true."

"Bella, I didn't…" he tried to say but I didn't give him a chance.

"I can't imagine what it is like to have your gift, Edward. To carry the knowledge of so much darkness, but you must have seen some genuine good too?"

He didn't answer, his face unreadable. I sighed, apologising for my outburst.

"I don't blame you for coming into my life Edward. I am meant to be a vampire, I always knew, as soon as I met you and your family, that there was something about you all… something that was absolutely right. Somehow, it just clicked. I have never truly fitted anywhere, but the few months I spent with your family… I had never been happier, I never felt more carefree than then. This is why…" I felt my throat tighten at the memory that I wanted to share. "That's why it felt all too good to be true, and why I believed you when you said those things to me…"

"Bella…"

"It hurt Edward, it still hurts. But yesterday I understood why this had to happen as it did." I hesitated, seeing the pain my words stirred in him. "Edward, yesterday everything fell into place. I was never meant to be human for long. You are not responsible for bringing me into your world. I belong here." I said passionately.

A sad smile on his lips, he nodded, still silent. I came closer, taking his hands in mine, relishing in the familiar contact for a brief moment. I waited until he looked at me in the eyes before speaking again. "I forgive you, Edward, for leaving, for lying, for hurting me. You did it with the intention to protect me, I understand this now. I forgive you."

"I never deserved you, Bella." He smiled at me.

I couldn't help but chuckle at his words. "Funny, I always thought it was the other way around."

"Except that it is true for me," he said, looking defeated again.

I didn't know what to say for a moment. "Would you do something for me?" I finally asked.

"Anything," he promised fervently.

"Stop thinking you are not good enough Edward. Use that fantastic gift of yours to find redemption instead of damnation. Look at Carlisle and how he turned a curse into a way to spread good."

"It wasn't easy for him, there is still so much that he…"

"Who said it would be easy? You could have forever, Edward, just think about it, please? For me?"

He looked at me, an amused smile on his face.

"What?" I asked, perplexed by his reaction.

He laughed, even if it was a bit weak. "You never told me off like this before."

"Yeah well, you had it coming."

"I guess I did. For what it is worth, I am sorry, Bella. I behaved abhorrently, I don't deserve you to even speak to me anymore, and I definitely don't deserve your forgiveness."

"I thought we'd just agreed to be a bit more positive?"

He chuckled, raising his hands in surrender. "Then I must apologise for my momentary amnesia as well."

I smiled at him. "Yeah, well, I will add it to the list of things I forgive you for."

"I love you, Bella." My throat felt tight at his words. "Somehow, I will always love you."

"Edward..." I begged him with a look to not say anymore.

"No, wait, Bella. I need to say this. I will always love you, but I see now that I was mistaken in thinking you were my… my mate. I… I wasn't there when it happened, neither for Carlisle and Esme, nor for Emmett and Rosalie and even if I had witnessed it first hand, you were still human… I made excuses but I should have known it wasn't like this. I did love you, you were my first love, Bella and for that, you will always be in my heart."

A strangled sob escaped me and before I could see him moving, he was kneeling in front of me, wiping a tear from my face.

"You were mine too," I whispered.

We stayed like this for a long time before Edward stood. He caressed my cheek, wiping tears away as he smiled sadly at me.

"Alice says that you must go now."

I looked at the door, a feeling of urgency taking over.

"Edward, what will you do?" I asked worriedly, biting my lower lip.

He smiled at me and I somehow felt calmer at the sight. "I will do what needs to be done to attune for my behaviour. I will be fine, and I will never be far," he promised.

I let a relieved breath out.

"Take care, Edward,"

"See you soon, Bella."

"See you."

The words seemed strangely too simple for the importance of the moment, but once again, simple worked best.

Alice was waiting for me outside the room and together, we made our way back to the other side of the castle.

I felt a quiet sense of peace after talking to Edward, and I realised that I had needed it as much as he did. I felt ready to go home, my mate at my side, ready to meet with my immortal family again after months apart.

AN: That was a tough one to write and I could have continued editing it but then I would have never published it, and I thought you'd much rather I kept this going, ahah. What are your thoughts on Bella and Edward's little chat? Good, bad, Meh? I really want to know!

I cannot wait to share the next chapter! Another tough one to get right and a bit of a surprise when Bella gets home, too. Can you take a guess as to what might be waiting for her?

Take care,

Ada Xx