A/N: First and foremost, I apologize for the long hiatus. I had to study for my midterms and all that jazz. Consequently, I didn't get the opportunity to write as much as I would've liked and my mind was essentially fried. But I hope to make it up to everyone with this chapter. Yes, I realize that the time skip is a bit drastic, but I really wanted to jump into where Bella is now eighteen and is going to be changed into a vampire. As always, feel free to leave a review regarding your thoughts, be it complaints or compliments.

Chapter 8: All Grown Up

(Posted 2/12/17)

(12 years later… Bella is now 18)

A high-pitched, melodic voice whispered incessantly into my ear. "Oh, Princess? Come on, wake up and get dressed, everyone's waiting for you. Happy birthday!" it enthused. Even in my trance-like state of sleep, I immediately identified the person speaking—Heidi. I groaned, rolling over onto my stomach and covered my head with a plush pillow in a futile attempt to block out the noise.

Technically, I didn't know my real birthday; we substituted it for the day that I arrived to Volterra. When I was younger, it had been easier to utilize that day as my birthday than to fly back to the States and search for the birth certificate. Although I suspected Aro would have let me if I chose to, I decided against it. I wanted to discover my own life and my own human parents once I was changed—it would be much more convenient, and I felt uncomfortable with the notion that one of my friends would learn something about me before I did.

Nevertheless, it was no surprise that my family had ignored my request to not celebrate my birthday. Honestly, I was fine with a minor celebration of sorts—a few obligatory 'happy birthdays', some customary hugging, and maybe a cake—but judging from the level of excitement and impatience in Heidi's voice, I seriously doubted today would amount to anything minor.

"It's too early, Heidi. I'm sleeping," I mumbled as into my pillow. I could almost visualize the eye roll she most certainly gave me.

She huffed, irritated. "It's noon. And what's the point of sleeping if you're being changed into one of us today? You know you're never going to be able to sleep after that," she retorted.

Without ample warning, I was hit by a blast of freezing cold air as Heidi yanked the warm, soft comforter atop my body away. I instinctively curled into a ball and groaned again—this time in defeat. "Okay! Fine, I'm awake," I grumbled. I sat up and threw my pillow toward the general direction of where Heidi was—she gracefully dodged my deadly projectile.

Heidi smirked, taking on the appearance of a gloating angel, but with red eyes. "Good. Meet us in the chamber when you're ready," she instructed and disappeared. Sighing, I ran my hand through my hair, both trying to wrestle it into a more manageable form as well as in frustration. So much for trying to sleep in—surrounded by vampires that never slept.

I eventually decided to get off my bed and take a shower. My family had expanded my bathroom several times, mostly due to Heidi's insistence that it needed to be more 'spacious' as I grew older. Now that I think about it, her apparent enjoyment at redesigning and rebuilding my bathroom definitely outweighed the actual necessity. Not that I was complaining; some of my fondest memories were with her, smashing bathroom tiles and vanities into pieces.

After drying my hair, smelling faintly of strawberries, I brushed it out of the way, behind my back. I walked to my closet for something comfortable to wear. Aside from the fact that all my clothes were brand new, courtesy of Heidi and Chelsea, my full black cloak also hung inside along with some clothing that I deemed to be normal, whereas they deemed it hideous.

I went with a pair of light blue jeans and a white long sleeved cotton shirt. Heidi was going to kill me when she saw my outfit, but I figured I could push my luck. If I was going to my birthday party, I wanted to do so in something I could actually move around in. She had once convinced me—technically, threatened would be the correct term—to wear a navy blue cocktail dress for my sixteenth birthday, and I was practically paralyzed. The dress was two sizes too small, yet Heidi had insisted it was a 'perfect' fit, much to my dismay.

Giving myself a once over in front of my full length mirror and finding it satisfactory, I left my room. I turned right, walked down the furnished hallway, then turned left down another. I pulled aside a piece of paneling when I got to the end, setting it flush with the wall, and entered the main hall.

I was instantly surrounded like revealing a puppy to a group of humans. "Happy birthday, Princess," said Chelsea, appearing alongside me with Afton, Renata and Alec. "This comes from all of us, by the way," she added respectfully. They all smiled widely, looking beatific. They were dressed not in their usual respective cloaks, but in light, designer clothing. "Shall we escort you to the chamber?" she inquired, barely containing her excited grin.

I rolled my eyes. "Let's get this over with," I muttered under my breath, earning a few chuckles. Despite my protests, with every birthday I celebrated, the gifts and parties became exponentially more expensive and extravagant. Granted, the Volturi had money—an understatement worth trillions, to say the least—so it didn't exactly hurt them financially. But I still conceded with good grace every time. I knew the Volturi loved lavishing me with luxuries they otherwise would've spend on themselves out of boredom.

"Don't be like that, Princess," Renata quietly urged. "It's your last human birthday; you should end it on a happy note." She was right, of course. Renata always seemed to see straight into what was most important. I should be celebrating with my family and friends, especially since they considered today to be a symbolic day—my human birthday and the day I was to be turned.

I smiled at them. "Thank you guys," I said genuinely, reaching out and hugging each one individually. After I finished, Alec led us toward the chamber. He slowly—dramatically, might I add—pushed open the gilded doors when we reached them. I rolled my eyes at him, but quickly froze when I saw what was inside. "Wow."

The cobblestone walls were now layered with solid white gossamers and large satin bows, and the floor scattered with rose petals, giving off their pleasant aroma. Multiple wooden tables had been brought in, each draped with pale white tablecloth. Perfectly wrapped gifts were stacked on several, a platter of food and a triple tiered cake on another. Sunlight streamed powerfully from up above, lighting the room and sending a few vampires sparkling. My family was gathered near the thrones; the rest of the guard stood casually by, talking, creating a low, musical murmur. Everyone turned and smiled at me as I stared, starstruck, and felt my cheeks flush.

"Hey, there's the Princess!" Felix cheered from the center of the room, in his typical rambunctious fashion. Him, Demetri, Corin, Santiago and Jane materialized in front me. They were looking rather dapper in similar designer clothes—I suspected Heidi had something to do with it. It was strange seeing them dressed so finely as they rarely took their cloaks off. "They grow up so fast," Felix sobbed exaggeratingly, pretending to brush away a tear from his dark crimson eyes.

I glared at him playfully. "Shut up, Felix," I growled before stepping closer, wrapping my arms around him. He laughed and hugged me back gently, patting my head.

"Congratulations," Demetri commented after I pulled away. "You're officially an adult—by human standards, anyway." I rolled my eyes again, but hugged him nonetheless.

"Thank you, Demetri," I replied politely. I suddenly realized that a certain very beautiful, mahogany-haired vampire was missing. "Where's Heidi?" I asked cautiously, examining my surroundings carefully. A hidden Heidi was a dangerous Heidi.

"She's out getting her present for you," answered Santiago with knowing smile.

I frowned. Knowing her, it was all too likely something very expensive and wearable. I shuddered involuntarily. The last time she didn't show up at my party, I had wound up being forced into her car the next day and went on an extended overnight shopping trip in Milan. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy spending time with her—I had loved the trip immensely; rather, it was sheer amount of clothing she'd demanded I'd try and, consequently, purchased.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much, Princess," Jane assured, smirking. "I'm sure she has nothing planned for this birthday." Her ruby eyes became suspiciously innocent. I glanced around; all my vampires' expressions turned innocent, too, or avoided looking at me directly.

"You're not going to tell me anything, are you?" I questioned, my voice heavy with skepticism.

Jane shook her head, her smirk now a wide, dimpled smile that exposed her perfectly white teeth. "Nope. I do know one thing, however," she said, leaning closer.

I tentatively leaned toward her as well. "What?"

"Happy birthday," Jane whispered, her icy breath blowing into my ear. I gave her a dirty look when I righted myself again. I knew I couldn't convince her to tell me what Heidi was up to—which scared me. Jane loved withholding secrets when she knew that something unfortunate was coming my way.

Aro cleared his throat loudly, garnering our attention to where he sat on his chair. "My dears," he addressed cheerfully. "Today, we celebrate the eighteenth birthday of Princess Isabella Volturi, who has been a part of our coven for these past twelve years. And with her maturity, we can at last welcome her into our world."

I couldn't help but blush again when everyone faced me and smiled. However, another thought ran through my mind. The reality that I was being turned into a vampire today hit me, and it hit hard. Though I was destined for this fate since I was six, a shudder of nervousness still slithered down my spine. I was not looking forward to the actual changing—the pain would be excruciating, as I have been repeatedly told. Yet, in spite of that knowledge, I knew it was worth it; I would suffer a few days in agony to be able to finally assimilate with my friends and family. That didn't mean I wasn't a little bit anxious.

"Her balance probably won't improve either way," Felix joked, eliciting laughter from my friends and causing me to glower at him—again.

Renata rolled her dark wine eyes. "I'm more curious about her shield once it finally manifests into a gift than her balance, Felix."

He shrugged, nonchalant. "I guess we'll have to wait and see," he grinned evilly, shooting me a wink. "I'm still betting on the whole non-improved balance thing, though." I decided enough was enough. It was time to put him in his place.

"Felix?" I began innocently. "Would you mind carrying my presents up to my room? I can't possibly do it all by myself." I pouted, my bottom lip trembling. It was a move I'd mastered from years of dealing with my scheming vampires. I needed a way to dish out the manipulation and to defend myself as well.

He tried to look away, but failed; he settled on scowling half-heartedly at me. "Yes, Princess," Felix sighed, defeated, after a moment's pause. "I hate it when she does that," he muttered, shaking his head in disapproval while the rest of the family and guard laughed aloud.

I couldn't fight back the smile now on my lips. "Thank you, Felix," I said sweetly, batting my lashes.

He shook his head in an attempt to clear it. "Ugh." Felix carefully piled the boxed gifts into his arms before disappearing out the chamber in a blur of color. I was going to ask him to carry it, anyway. I preferred to unwrap them in private. It made the gifts seem more personal, and if I got a paper cut, it wouldn't lead to what happened last time.

A human voice addressed me quietly. "Princess Bella?" I turned to the door, where it originated. There stood Valentina, the new secretary. She had wavy, hazel brown hair, tanned skin, soft brown eyes and wore a blue dress.

Valentina was the replacement for Bianca, who was the replacement for Gianna; both predecessors were denied the honor of joining the Volturi ranks. Despite its occurrence years ago, I still recalled when I was kidnapped not long after arriving to Volterra. Ultimately, the blame had been pinned onto Gianna, which played a role in Aro's decision not to change her—which resulted in her death. Bianca became the secretary shortly thereafter, but was also killed as a result of her constant grammatical errors, much to Aro's annoyance. She once had spelled my name as 'Izabella' rather than 'Isabella'.

Valentina held in her hands a small, black velvet box with a silver bow attached to the top. "I hope you don't mind," she said hesitantly, gesturing to the present.

For a second, I was taken off guard—I hadn't been expecting her to get me something, too. "No, not at all. Thank you," I quickly recovered and reached out and took it. She bowed her head politely before leaving.

"That was nice of her," Corin commented beside me as I gradually lifted the lid. Inside was black satin, and in the middle sat a intricate pair of diamond earrings. The metal appeared to be white gold, and the diamonds were small, but still glittered beautifully.

"She's probably trying to get on your good side," Jane mused aloud.

I snorted a little reproachfully. "Well, it's working—I love them." The design was simple, yet eloquent. It was a pleasant surprise that Valentina had bought me a present. I was grateful for it; she had taken time out of her day to purchase me something. I snapped close the box and placed it into my pocket. "Santiago, would you get Valentina for me?" I asked. He nodded once and disappeared.

Demetri arched an eyebrow. "What for, Princess?"

I shrugged. "I figure she may want to try some of the cake, considering she's the only other human here. I certainly need the help," I explained. Demetri rolled his eyes, but said nothing. Part of it was true; the other part was that I wished to thank her personally.

After waiting for a minute, Santiago reentered the chamber with Valentina trailing behind. "Thank you, Santiago. Excuse us, please," I said, leading Valentina to where the food was situated alone. "Would you like some cake?" I offered. She smiled hesitantly, unmoving and silent, causing me to roll my eyes. "I won't bite."

She laughed at that, but it sounded nervous. I had to remind myself that she was new—she wasn't acclimated to the reality of vampires. I caught Jane staring—moreso glaring—at Valentina in warning. I figured it was to dissuade her from trying anything rash while with me, for whatever reason. She quickly turned pale and looked down at her feet.

"Afraid?" I asked, trying to make my voice reassuring. She nodded. "Don't be. Although Jane may appear curt and harsh, that's what she excels in—appearances. She's really a sweetheart on the inside." A loud hiss of protest echoed the room, and I laughed in response. Valentina cracked a small smile; then, she seemed to remember something, and became pale again, her body quivering ever so slightly from fear. I had an inkling as to what she was thinking about.

"Did Jane feed in front of you?"

Somehow, her already-ashen face turned even paler. "Yes," she whispered meekly, and I sighed wearily.

"As long as your loyalties remain with us, we have no reason to hurt you," I assured her as best I could. "Now, some cake?" Again, I offered some to her, but this time it offered a reprieve from her memory.

"Sure. I'd love some," Valentina agreed quietly.

I picked up the stainless steel cake knife and sliced into the topmost layer, cutting out two triangular pieces—one for me, and one for her. I placed them carefully onto plates, and handed it to her. We each grabbed a fork from the table and dug in.

We ate in silence as the room hummed in a musical blend of indiscernible voices. "I wanted to thank you for your gift. It's beautiful," I began softly.

She swallowed hastily. "You don't need to thank me, Princess. It was nothing," she responded rapidly.

"A pair of diamond earrings isn't necessarily 'nothing'. Still, I'm very grateful. However, I need to figure out what to get you," I chuckled dryly.

She shook her head. "You don't need to get me anything."

"Au contraire, Valentina. It's a matter of courtesy as well as my desire to repay the gesture. Aro would kill me for my lack of manners." Not literally, of course, but Aro would be extremely disappointed in me if I didn't return the gesture. 'Manners maketh man' was a phrase he taught me regarding, well, manners. In this case, manners maketh woman.

She paused briefly before nodding once. "Thank you."

I smiled at her. "No, thank you."

Next chapter will definitely showcase her change.