Trust Factor

Chapter 11: The Best Excuse is Memory Loss

Tuesday January 20-7:45am-Ash's House-Mexico

"It couldn't have been Zane, he's in Australia. That's like across the ocean," Rikki said denying that Ash had seen Zane in the Vampire's arms.

"There are such things as planes, Rikki. How do you think you got here?" Ash reminded her. "He was most likely looking for you."

"He didn't even know I would be here," Rikki reminded him, "Only Cleo knew where everyone was to be. I don't know where Bella is and she doesn't know where I am. I don't even know where Cleo is. Bella knows who she is staying with, but not where."

"And there is no way to find out, records or anything?" Ash asked.

"Only on Cleo's computer, They would need to get that or hack it," Rikki explained. "And Cleo's passwords are not normal, and she changes it every month. Even her parents or Kim couldn't find those records."

Ash sighed and looked out the window. He could still see the vampire's face and Zane's body in her arms. Her red eyes cut into him and her blond hair was still blowing in the winters wind. The back dress blowing with it. Ash could still see the glow of her pale skin in the moon light and the expression on her face as she held Zane close to her perfect body.

"It was definitely Zane, and I don't care what you say about that." Ash said strictly.

Rikki looked at his serious face and sighed. "I believe you."

Tuesday January 20-8:45am- Forest near Cullen house-Forks Washington

"Cleo?" Alice asked shacking Cleo's body which was lying motionless in the grass of the meadow.

Cleo moved. Alice pulled back. Seth was on the other side of Cleo as the rest of the Cullens and Jacob were across the meadow.

"Where am I?" Cleo asked in a weak voice. Her eyes focused on her surroundings, which were unfamiliar to her. She saw Alice and Seth above her as she sat up and the others across the way. "What's going on?"

"Oh Cleo, are you ok?" Alice asked quickly, beating Seth to the point.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Cleo asked before remembering what the night before was. "What happened?"

"Do you really want to know?" Seth asked.

Cleo shock her head. She tried to stand up, with Alice on one side and Seth on the other. Once she was standing the others moved closer to her. She was still weak and the was a small pain running through her arm.

"Oh, that hurts," She said as Alice tried to take her arm to steady her.

Alice let go quick and whispered, "Sorry."

"Yeah, sorry about that, we needed to stop you some why," Emmett said as the others walked closer.

Cleo laughed and said, "Please, this is nothing compared to some of the burns Lewis and Zane sport."

"Burns, as in fire?" Jacob asked amazed.

Cleo laughed again. "Yeah, I guess they learned lesion about letting Rikki out of their sight on a full moon. What did I really do?"

"Nothing we can't handle, but still, wow," Edward admitted.

Cleo looked down in an apologetic way. Seth put his hand under her chin and pulled her head back up so that she was look at him.

"Let's get home," Alice suggested taking Jasper's hand and pulling him into the woods. Jacob took Nessie from Bella before she and Edward disappeared with Rosalie and Emmett behind them. Then Jacob and Nessie disappeared to. It was just Seth and Cleo left.

"Can you walk?" Seth asked letting Cleo's arm go.

"Yeah, I'm fine, now," Cleo said.

"Does this really happen every month?" Seth asked as the two of them started to walk.

"Not always like this, for awhile we were dealing with water tentacles killing us," Cleo explained. "But once a month the magic hit one of us, and we can't remember what happened afterwards. I thought that was, like, a werewolf thing?"

"Yeah, turns out our kind is really called shape shifters. We don't call ourselves that, though," Seth said.

Cleo laughed, "I guess that means I'm more werewolf than the werewolves themselves."

"I guess it does."

Tuesday January 20-9:45am-Volturi Layer-Volterra Italy

Bella opened her eyes. Her vision was a bit fuzzy as was her memory of the night before. As looked around, she noticed that she was not in the dorm. She was in a large white room. She was on what looked to be the only bed out of many chairs. Then there was a door, and that was it.

The door opened, in walked the girl she had met in the ally and another boy she hadn't met. Bella pulled back away from them. The girl laughed.

"Oh, Alec, it seems she knows what we are," the girl said.

"I don't know how Aro will take that, Jane," The boy, who Bella guessed to be Alec, answered.

"We mustn't keep Aro waiting any longer, come along," the girl, who Bella guessed was Jane, said towards her.

"Where am I?" Bella asked.

Alec rolled his eyes and said as he lifted Bella out of the bed, "Aro will explain everything, there we will see if he will spare your life."

Bella chocked on nothing as she heard this. "Spare my life?"

"Hurry up," Jane called impatiently.

Alec took Bella by the arm and started to pull her, much to fast, down a blank hall to a large set of doors. He opened the doors to show three more men. One looked ecstatic to be seeing her as the other two looked board. Alec dragged her to the middle of the room before dropping her.

"Excellent, young Bella," The one in the middle said with a pleased smile on his face.

"Who are you?" Bella asked scared.

"I thought Jane and Alec went over this stuff," the middle one said.

"We did, but she doesn't seem to remember it," Jane explained.

"Ok, you are in the mist of the Volturi, the biggest vampire coven, next to the Cullens. I'm Aro, this is Marcuse and Caius. The two who brought you in were, as I guess you know, Alec and Jane," The man in the middle explained.

"The Cullen's, as in Alice, Rosalie, Bella, Renesmee," Bella asked quickly and scared.

"Why yes, and Edward, Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, and Jasper," Aro said, "You know them?"

"Kinda," Bella answered.

"Just get to it," Marcuse complained when he realized this interdiction was taking too long.

"Ok, Bella, all I want from you are your two mermaid friends, Cleo and Rikki," Aro explained. "If you help me, I just might spare your life. So do you know where they are? Oh why am I asking." With that Aro stood up and took Bella's hand in his. He closed his eyes as Bella freaked out.

"The Cullens," He said strictly letting go of her hand. "Your friend Cleo is with the Cullens. How do they beat us to everything?"

"At least we know where to find this mermaid," Marcuse said.

"It does save us a search," Caius agreed.

Aro smiled, "Ok, let's get ready, we're going to Forks."

"Fun," Jane said in an unpleased voice.