Wow, sorry this is out later than usual. It has been one of those days.

You reviews have become like food to me. Each one inspires me. Far after this story is done, I will continue to read them.

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1. Read Discovery by Aspiring Empath. She just posted another chapter. Great story about Bella's grandaughter! Go to my my fav. authors and she is there.

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Chapter 11 - CONSEQUENCES

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I woke up to see a man with very pale skin standing over me, but I had no instinct to be frightened of him. He shined a light into my pupils and then stepped back and smiled.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Carlisle Cullen." His voice was gentle, but I was trying to determine what to make of him. He was definitely a vampire. That much was obvious, but I knew that I was safe around him.

I went to lift my hand to greet him, but I couldn't move my arm. I looked down and was surprised to see that my arm was in a cast from my wrist to my shoulder. I saw that my other arm was also wrapped and bandaged. I tried to rise up in the bed only to find that my chest was wrapped tightly and the pain of moving sent deep, jagged spasms of pain traveling through me. My head was pounding. I brought my bandaged arm up to my forehead and felt another thick layer of bandages there as well. In fact, the farther I came out of unconsciousness, the more I realized that just about every part of my body was bandaged and in pain.

The doctor gently pushed me back down on the bed and adjusted something on my I.V. tube.

"You are a lucky man, Mr. Simmons."

I raised an eyebrow and was pleased to find there was not much pain involved in that.

"You call this lucky?" I croaked out the words, and felt another jolt of pain, this one coming from my jaw.

His face became serious. "You will heal from these injuries, it could have been much worse."

I looked around my surroundings and saw that I was not in a hospital, but in a bedroom. I was hooked up in various ways to machines that beeped and lit up, but I was definitely not in a hospital.

"Where am I?" I whispered hoarsely. I was trying to speak without actually moving my mouth.

He took a deep breath and said, "You are at a house on the outskirts of Moscow. Before you came here, you were at a hospital."

He took a hold of the fingers on my less injured hand and asked me to squeeze his hand gently. I squeezed his hand, and that seemed to make him very happy.

He smiled at me and continued. "Once we determined that you were stable from your internal injuries, and that you did not have a skull fracture, we brought you here."

"How long have I been here?" I whispered.

"We brought you here three days ago."

"We?"

"Ah, that reminds me, I was supposed to inform them as soon as you awoke." He moved swiftly to the door and closed it behind him and a moment later it opened again. Bella and Edward walked into the room. Bella looked worried until she saw me make eye contact with her and then her look turned ferocious.

"It's a good thing you're alive, Simmons, because I want to kill you myself."

I wanted to defend my actions, but all I could manage was a very dramatic eye roll.

"Don't you roll your eyes at me! Do you have any idea how stupid you are?"

I think I had a small grasp on how stupid I was. "Bella, I . . . .." I tried to talk, but my jaw was killing me.

"You promised me you would keep our secret, my secret. How could you do this?"

She was right. I had promised her that. I actually never saw my act as a betrayal. I just saw it as a means to an end. To get Tanya back.

"S. . .sorry," I pushed out.

"You truly have no idea how dangerous all of this was, do you?"

I opened my mouth to try and speak, but before I had a chance to say anything, she was at me again.

"You could be dead, right now. Dead in some alley, like a street bum. Did you even stop to think what that would do to the people who care about you?"

She wasn't done.

"I don't understand. Why did you do this? Why would you tell the police about Nikolai? How did you even find out about Nikolai? I told you we would take care of it. Why did you stir this all back up again?"

This was reminding me of the first time I had a confrontation with Bella back when we first started working together. She ripped me pretty hard that day. That time, I didn't deserve it. But this time, I deserved everything she was throwing at me.

Edward, who had been surprisingly silent, turned to Bella and said, "He was trying to make Tanya so angry that she would come to Moscow and see him again, just like when she came to warn Zachary Conner. He was trying to flush her out with all the publicity."

Bella's face flashed on mine. "You were doing this for Tanya? Are you nuts?" She yelled.

Yes Bella, I wanted to say. I think I did go a little nuts.

Edward turned his back to me and muttered something that only Bella could hear. When he was finished, her shoulders fell and her face changed. Instead of just rage on her face, there was rage mixed with a touch of sympathy. She came and stood by the bed and said begrudgingly, "Are you really in a lot of pain?"

I closed my eyes and nodded my head.

"Good," she said quietly, but forcefully. She shook her head as she looked me up and down.

"You look terrible," She said with a grimace.

I tried to laugh, but it hurt like crazy. I concentrated on taking short shallow breaths. It was so good to see her, even if she was mad enough to kill me. She exhaled with a frustrated sigh.

"This is partly our fault," she said angrily.

"Why?" I managed to whisper.

"We thought we had resolved the situation here, " She surveyed my broken body then looked in my eyes again. "We couldn't have been more wrong."

"Not your fault," I managed to say.

"Well, it's not our fault that you're an idiot, but we do carry some of the responsibility for the family of Nikolai. We thought they were finally at peace about the situation."

There were many questions I had regarding Nikolai and his family, and I wanted all the answers. But, there was another question much more important.

"Where's Tanya," I breathed.

Bella looked at me with confusion, and Edward stepped forward and answered for her. "I'm sorry, we don't know that. We haven't seen or spoken to her in almost a year."

My breath exhaled painfully. That couldn't be right. She had saved me. I had heard her voice. She was there, I knew she was there.

Edward shook his head slowly. "Tanya was never there that night, Michael."

I opened my mouth to protest, but Edward shook his head again.

"Michael, we saved you that night, not Tanya."

I closed my eyes and felt it again. That ripping pain that far surpassed any of the pain of my injuries. I wondered if that vampire doctor had any medication to stop me from feeling this.

Bella came and sat on the edge of the bed and gently took a hold of my hand. The cold felt good on my bruised fingers. Besides being stubborn I now learned something else about Tanya. She was very good at keeping her word. She told me she wouldn't let me any nearer to her life, and apparently, she meant it.

"Thank you," I said hoarsely. "For saving me."

Bella didn't answer, she just smiled weakly.

"Who . . . ." I had to stop and take another shallow breath. "Who tried to kill me?"

Bella sighed hard and turned to look at Edward. He nodded slightly and stepped to the edge of the bed.

"I do feel I that I made one error where you are concerned, Michael." Edward said quietly.

"When Bella told me that you had learned the truth about us, I should have come straight over to your room and pressed upon you with absolute clarity what was really at stake here. I thought giving you as little information as possible would be a safety to you." He sighed heavily. "That was my mistake."

"But, I am a fast learner, Michael. Now that you've been attacked by a vampire, there doesn't seem to be a reason to shield you from the harsh realities of my world."

I felt that he was about to give me answers. I couldn't imagine anything I needed more right now than that. I would take any truths he would give me.

"Tell me everything," I breathed.

His eyes narrowed for a moment. "Shortly, it may not matter one way or another what secrets I ask you to keep, but I am asking for there to be trust between us on this, you cannot say anything to anyone, will you swear that to me, Michael?"

I didn't understand what he meant by that. But I wanted to make sure he told me everything. I let go of Bella's hand and raised my arm. I took another shallow breath and whispered, "I swear."

He took a large breath, and began.

"Russia, has been here in one form or another for many centuries, and until just the last several decades, has mostly been ruled by royalty of some sort. One thing that has been consistent in rulers around the world, is that when a person becomes a member of royalty, especially if they were born into it, they jealously try to hold on to their power. Usually they are not content with the power they were given, but they are constantly searching for more and more supremacy and control over their people. Such was the case with Alexei Grinkov.

A few centuries ago, he was a member of the ruling family. Even as a human, he was power hungry and full of contempt for the peasants he professed to love. His darker traits only worsened when on a hunting trip, he became separated from his party and found out too late that the scent he was tracking was not a bear, but a coven of vampires.

For some strange reason, they did not kill him, they only bit him and moved on. When he was fully changed and was able to understand the strength and power he now possessed, he believed that this was his destiny. That this was a gift to him from the Gods. He also wasn't able to let go of the idea that he was still royalty.

He appointed himself leader of the Russian sector of vampires and battled anyone who challenged him. He had been taught all forms of fighting, from fencing to hand to hand combat since the days of his youth, and he could not be beaten. His following became larger and larger until he truly was undefeatable. He gave himself the title "Tsar Schlyvokk," meaning, "Royal Vampire".

His plan was to branch out. He wanted to have more and more territory under his control, but the Volturi found out about him. They attacked, and within a few days killed almost half of his counsel. It scared him enough that he backed down. The Volturi planned on killing him as well, but soon learned that keeping him in power in Russia was to their advantage. He kept the smaller warring covens in control and brought stability to this very large region. They formed an alliance, with the understanding that he would not try to gain any more land or power than he already had, and he would keep this region under control. It is an arrangement that has worked well, until now."

"Is this," I tried to say, "The same Alexei that . . . . ."

Edward nodded at me. "Yes, this is the same Alexei that you saw in New York.

My eyes got big. I had no idea that he was so powerful. Why was Tanya with him?

Edward continued.

"Things have gone relatively well for centuries. There have been slight disturbances and small wars that have broken out among covens, but for the most part, there has been peace. The reason for that is because Alexei has ruled with an iron fist. He has tolerated no warring among covens and his most hard and fast rule has always been secrecy. He has not allowed any human contact into the vampire world, and if he has ever even suspected that a human was aware of our secret, they were instantly killed, along with the vampire that allowed the breach."

Edward paused and sighed for a moment. "That brings us to Nikolai."

I licked my parched lips as he stopped for a moment to gather his thoughts before continuing. He walked over and stood beside Bella. He put his hand in hers, then he went on.

"From what we were told, Nikolai, was on the Universtiy campus one night and saw Olivia. He told his family that he wanted to meet her. They laughed and told him he was crazy. They said she would be dead within the hour. They took bets on how long she would live."

I noticed that Edward squeezed Bella's hand when he said that.

"His family now sees the error of their ways," he continued. "But at the time, they joked with him and did not see the real danger. The problem was that Nikolai had lived for centuries on nothing but human blood. He had never even tried to reign in his thirst. But now, he had fallen in love with a human. Deeply in love.

They did begin dating. The family was amazed that he was able to keep seeing her. First a week, then two weeks, and after a month they were shocked to see that she was still alive. Nikolai told his family that he was in love with her and that he wanted to stop drinking human blood and exist only on the blood of animals. He was concerned that Olivia was asking questions. She had become suspicious of the qualities that he had that were so unique. Olivia knew there was something different about him, and he wanted to tell her his secret. He wanted to become the best person he could be for her. He did not want to lose her."

Edward stopped for a moment. He swallowed hard and held tightly to Bella's hand. He looked gently at her for a moment, and then his look became hard as he lifted his face back up to me and continued.

"Nikolai had good intentions, but he was foolish, incredibly so. What he was attempting to do, takes decades to accomplish, even for the most dedicated vampire. The lure for human blood takes over all other senses, and there is never a guarantee even after decades of discipline that one will be able to endure the temptation."

He ran his hand so quickly over his face that it startled me. He was still angry as he continued.

"One night, Olivia and Nikolai were together. He was not careful. He let things go too far with Olivia and he was not able to . . . bring himself under control. Before he knew what had really happened, he had bitten her. He told himself he just wanted a taste. Once he began to drink her blood, he couldn't stop."

There was silence in the room. All that could be heard were the beeps and clicks of the machines I was hooked up to. Edward stared out into space lost in his own thoughts. And for the first time, I really understood. I finally grasped what it must have been like for Edward and Bella. I could finally comprehend how Edward could leave her for seven years and with as much as he loved her, believe that she was better off. I was finally able to understand that this was a kind of hell, a prison, to be locked in with this thirst that would always be your master.

And finally, finally, I was able to understand a small part of Tanya.

Edward's eyes looked into mine. I felt he was penetrating deeply into my thoughts as if he were looking for something. Why? Was he testing me, to see if I were really as genuine as I seemed? If I would keep their secret? Or was it something more?

I took a deep breath and pushed out a question. "Was it Nikolai that almost killed me?"

Edward stiffened as Bella shook her head hesitantly.

"No, it wasn't Nikolai." Edward said it quickly, his voice laced with pain. Then he finished the tale.

"Nikolai was overcome with grief over what he had done. His family tried to help him, but he was inconsolable. The day after Olivia died, he went to the Volturi and pleaded with them to kill him. They granted his request."

My eyes went wide with horror. I took shallow breaths and tried to understand this vampire world. This Volturi was twisted enough to kill a fellow vampire just because he asked them to?

And what about Nikolai? He loved Olivia enough to want to end his existence. He was all powerful, immortal, indestructible, yet he ended it over love. He couldn't go on without her. That, I understood.

"Wow," I breathed. That was sort of an understatement for all of this, but it was all I was capable of at the moment.

I turned to Edward. "If not Nikolai then . . . .?"

He didn't let me finish. He put out his hand to stop me and said, "It was his brother, Stefan."

Bella looked at me and said, "Stefan was already mourning Nikolai's death, they were a very tight coven. But we had spoken to the family and they realized that this was all Nikolai's doing, and they were at peace with that."

Her voice rose as she said, "That was until he saw the posters everywhere in the city, labeling his brother as a killer!"

I cringed at Bella. I was so sorry for the all of this. I was causing a lot of grief and trouble for a woman that didn't even want to see me again.

"Where is Stefan, now?" I gasped.

Edward's voice was flat. "He's dead."

This was all beginning to be too much to take.

All of the sudden, I thought of my family. My parents. Did they know something had happened to me? What about Hathaway?

I looked at Edward. "My family?"

"For the moment, your family and Mr. Hathaway believe that you were in a very serious car accident. Alice has taken care of that story. I am sorry to say that your Jaguar is wrapped around a tree somewhere between Moscow and Georgia."

My head lifted off the pillow for a moment and the pain made it drop back down again. I knew I deserved to have my dream car demolished after all the trouble I'd caused.

I looked at Edward with confusion. "For the moment?"

Edward looked at me evenly. "For now, they think that you are alive, but the Volturi, Alexei, and Stefan's remaining coven have already received the news that you are dead."

"Dead!" I tried to yell, but the strain sent spasms through my jaw. My chest was screaming at the air I tried to force into my lungs.

Edward voice became softer, but somehow more menacing, "You don't understand what you've done here, Michael. You have awaken a sleeping monster." He let go of Bella's hand and came and stood right next to me.

"Stefan's family is furious at you. They want vengeance. But that's not all. Alexei, otherwise known as Tsar Schlyvokk, is seeking out his own vengeance on the one that was responsible for almost letting out a secret that has been kept well hidden from the public for thousands of years."

I opened my mouth to speak, but Bella interrupted me.

"There's more. The Volturi is enraged that Alexei allowed this to happen. They are demanding he immediately step down as leader. They know he will not go quietly. That will start a full war between Alexei's vast following and The Volturi."

Edward spoke next. "If Stefan's coven, Alexei, and The Volturi don't believe that you are dead, they will soon begin the hunt to make sure that you are."

I was stunned into silence.

Edward said softly. "You have begun something that you will not be able to finish."

The machine measuring my heart rate began to beep out of control. I had only one worry. If I was in danger, was Tanya somewhere safe?

"Where's Tanya," I demanded.

"We're not talking about that." Edward shook his head adamantly.

"Tell me she's safe," I gasped through the pain.

Edward pushed the button that would bring in the nurse.

"Does she think I'm dead?" I gasped.

He ignored me.

"Please, Edward. Get her somewhere safe."

The nurse came in and Edward said that I was in a lot of pain and needed a sedative. She reached for a needle and began to insert it into my I.V.

I tried to fight it.

"No!" I said hoarsely.

"Tell her I'm sorry for everything."

"Tell her, tell . . . . . her . . . . . I. . . . love . . . . . . . .her."

With that, I lost the battle and slipped into a deep slumber.

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Crap, Michael. You've really done it now! More answers tomorrow!