A/N: I was surprised by how many people asked who the 'he' Aro and Tia were talking about was. One person got it (I thought it would be more). I'm glad most of you like Tia- it took me a while to decide what her character would be. There's quite a bit of E/B fluff at the end of this one. Please enjoy:

Three. Rivalry

We stood there, looking at Aro for a while, unsure what to do. He didn't notice any of us for while- he was too busy glaring at the door that Tiazza had just exited through. He seemed to give himself a mental shake and pasted a smile on his face, looking at us.

"I'm very sorry about that. Tiazza is still young and has not learned to control her temper. She was stubborn as a human and that seems to have carried on into her life as a vampire. You must be weary from the journey. Felix," he looked at the vampire that was once more next to the door. "Please take our friends to their rooms," he turned back to us. "I'll have some of the guards go out and bring you a meal- animal of course. Unless we can tempt you…"

"Animals are fine, Aro," Carlisle said, his voice brooking no argument.

"Of course- I'll let you know when we have them."

That said, Aro dismissed us and we followed Felix as he led us down several halls. No one said anything. I'm not sure what everyone else was thinking about, but my mind was on Tiazza and the strange conversation she had had with Aro. Who was 'he', and why was Tiazza not allowed to see him?

"This suite of rooms will be yours," Felix said, coming to a halt. "There are four rooms connected by a sitting room. I'll come for you when it is time for you to feed."

"Thank-you, Felix," Carlisle replied, leading Esme through the open door.

Edward and I were the last to enter, and I pulled myself tighter against Edward when I saw the way Felix was watching me- it was almost like a leer. When he saw my action, his small grin became almost wicked and his eyes flashed to Edward's with a challenge. Edward growled back, a low rumbling in his throat- I guessed that Felix's thoughts weren't pure.

"Let's go, Edward," I said, pulling him into the room. I then added even lower, so Felix couldn't hear. "Don't start anything."

Edward reluctantly followed me into the room, but he seemed to take great pleasure in slamming the door in Felix's face.

"Edward, we do not need you starting something with a Volturi guard while we are here," Carlisle said, his voice disapproving, as we joined the others at the chairs and couches in the sitting room.

"You didn't see his thoughts Carlisle they were-"

"As long as they remain thoughts you are not to do anything!" Carlisle's voice was sharp. "We can't start something with the Volturi because we cannot win!"

"Carlisle's right, Edward," I said softly, laying my hand on his arm.

"Bella- the things he thought about you. I…" he trailed off into a low growl.

"They were probably disgusting- but I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself. Besides, he wouldn't dare try anything- I can't see Aro being happy with someone trying to harm the family member of a friend."

"Bella's right, Edward," agreed Carlisle. "If Felix tries something, Aro and his brothers won't defend him."

"What if it's Aro who tries something?" Edward demanded. "I could read his mind- he doesn't plan on keeping his promise about testing Bella."

"And his tests will just show him what we've learned," I told him, voice determined. "That a vampire's powers can only work on me if I let them- which I won't. I don't even let your power work on me."

Edward sighed and buried his face in my hair, hugging me close to him.

"I know Bella, but that doesn't stop me from worrying about you. If I lost you…" his voice sounded tortured as he let himself trail off.

"You won't," I promised. "You're stuck with me for eternity- I promise."

Little did I know that would be a promise I would be unable to keep.

"What do you think about Tiazza?" I asked Jasper after everyone else- even Edward- had gone to their respective rooms.

"I don't know," replied Jasper. "Aro tries to put up a united front with her, but she's having nothing of it."

"She doesn't really seem to like her mentor, does she?" I pointed out.

"She doesn't just not like Aro, Bella- she despises him. I don't know what happened, but he did something that completely destroyed her respect for him and made her hate him."

"Does she want him dead?" I was really curious now.

"I think she wants to want him dead, but she can't. There's some left over fondness for him- and that makes her hate him even more."

"I wonder what happened there," I mused, "and who the 'he' they were talking about is."

Jasper's eyes bored into mine with disapproval.

"Don't get involved, Bella," he warned. "I doubt Aro would like it if you suddenly decided to play Nancy Drew- so just forget it. You promised Edward eternity- remember?"

"I'm not going to do anything stupid- I'm just curious. You can't tell me you aren't as well."

I could tell by his eyes that he was, and I smelled a victory.

"It's not like I'm going to do something dumb and interfere in their relationship- I'm just curious about Tiazza. She seems like an interesting person, and so different from the other Volturi."

"She is," agreed Jasper who had met the Volturi before, slowly.

"So, we'll just talk to her. Maybe she'll slip up and let us know something interesting. If she doesn't, well, maybe we'll have made a new friend. It's a win-win situation."

I could tell by Jasper's sigh that I had won.

"Fine- we'll talk to her. But talk only. No interfering, no detective work- just a conversation."

It would have to do.

"Okay. Deal."

"Now, if you'll excuse me. I'm going to join my wife."

I decided to follow his lead and went to the room I would be sharing with Edward. He was lying on the bed, staring up at the roof with an inscrutable expression.

"What's wrong," I asked, sliding up beside him so I could see his face clearly.

Edward turned his head towards me and studied me for a while. After a moment, he pulled me on top of him and began to kiss me- hard, passionate kisses that always made my toes curl and always led to one thing. It surprised me- Edward usually talked about what bothered him, but I wasn't about to argue.

I kissed him back just as hard.

"Bella," he murmured, breaking away for a brief moment, before he began to kiss me again.

I said nothing, just offered as much comfort as I could.

Edward would tell me what was wrong when he was ready.

"I shouldn't have done that," Edward said later, as we lay entwined on the bed.

"What?" I asked lazily, using my fingers to draw swirls on his bare chest.

"You know what," replied Edward, pulling me tighter to him. I frowned slightly and looked up at him; his face was tight with regret. "I should have talked- taking comfort like I did isn't fair."

I sighed. Edward always was the tragic hero.

"Edward- do you see me arguing?" I asked, making him look at me. "I don't mind. I know you'll talk when you want to talk, and I'm not going to hesitate to comfort you in anyway you need. So, unless you're trying to tell me that my abilities are really that terrible, don't regret anything we do together."

"You're very talented," he assured me, kissing my forehead and laying his head on top of mine. "I really don't know how I existed without you, Isabella Marie Swan."

"I don't either," I agreed, wriggling free of him with an impish grin. "After all, no one else will stop you when you go all broody. How you functioned without me, I'll never know."

"Why you little-" he tugged me back on top of him, his voice and eyes filled with laughter. I laughed too, and he smothered my giggles with his mouth. When we broke away he laid his forehead against mine. "I love you Bella."

"I love you too, Edward," I replied, leaning up to kiss him before rolling out of his grasp again. "And as much as I would love to stay in this room with you forever, we can't. So- you had better put some pants on."

Edward laughed again, reaching to the floor to pick up his boxers and jeans as I scurried around the room gathering up my own clothes. When I came across my bra, I gave an angry growl and spun around to glare at Edward.

"What's wrong?" he asked, beginning to button up his shirt.

"This is what's wrong," I replied, holding up the bra in both hands- one half in each hand, neither attached to the other. "I liked this bra, and you completely destroyed it."

Edward looked up at me way too innocently.

"I really needed comfort?" he asked. When my glare didn't soften, he added, "I'll buy you a new one."

"I have extra," I muttered, digging around in my suitcase and grabbing one out. "But really Edward- this obsession with destroying my bras has got to stop!"

"I only did it one other time!" Edward argued.

"And Alice decided that an entire shopping expedition was required to replace it," I answered, pulling out a pair of underwear that I never wore that Alice must have snuck into the bag. "Half of which I wouldn't even consider wearing."

Edward inspected the underwear and gave an almost wistful sigh and muttered something under his breath. I couldn't quite hear it, but it sounded like something along the lines of "it's a pity, too". I grabbed the underwear back and tossed it back in the suitcase.

"Pervert," I muttered, grabbing up my tank top and pulling it over my head.

"Only with you," Edward replied, pulling me back down onto him. I laughed against his mouth.

"You're very… frisky today," I informed him, pulling away and laying my head on his chest. "Are you going to tell me what was bothering you?"

I felt rather than heard him sigh and he leant down slightly to inhale my scent. I supposed it gave him comfort, just as his did me.

"I'm afraid for you," he whispered. "I'm afraid of what Felix might try, and I'm afraid of what Aro will do when he realizes the extent of your gift. The Volturi are the most powerful vampires alive, Bella. If they decide they want you to join them, they won't give you a choice."

I looked up into his face, and he looked down into mine, his eyes (they were black- we both needed to feed) were sad and sombre.

"I won't leave you," I said softly. "And no force on earth can make me."

"I hope you're right," Edward murmured.

We lay there in silence, both lost in our own thoughts, until Carlisle came to get us to feed.