-Disclaimer: I own nothing of course!-

-Peter's PoV- -Chapter 11- "Vampires work hard."

We just stood there after watching Jasper and Bella jump down the window to the backyard. We stood there for over half an hour, so shocked we couldn't move or speak.
'What. The. Fuck?' I kept repeating in my mind, since I couldn't form the words. A smaller part of my brain was keeping close attention to my throat. Half an hour and no thirst. No fucking thirst.
'What. The. Fuck?' How did I not see this happening? What is happening? 'Fuck!' This wasn't supposed to happen. Little Bella was too good to keep up with. She was able to see the lines so fast after waking up. She shouldn't... It's not possible.

Garrett distracted me from my very confused thoughts by taking out his cell phone. I hissed.
"What will you tell him? We don't even know what the fuck is happening!" I said, irritated.
"I don't know Captain." Garrett answered in a small voice. "But it's better if he is aware of it before he gets here, no?" Charlotte started rubbing my back softly. I sighed.
"You are right Garret, sorry man, it's just not very often than I don't know what the fuck is happening." I tuned him and his conversation out, I'm off duty after all. I focused my eyes on the clock and my attention on my throat. One hour and no thirst. No fucking thirst.

"He wasn't surprised." Garrett said after putting his cell phone back inside his pocket.
"Well fuck him!" I almost yelled and they flinched. I rolled my eyes, no need to flinch when the fucker isn't here. If he knew and didn't tell us. Fuck him! The Major almost came out to bite me!
Fuck him! I sighed and turned to look at Garrett.
"When is he coming?" He shrugged and glanced to the window before answering.
"He is still in Volterra." I sighed again. "No way we will be able to keep quiet much longer, he already knows you are hiding something Peter, maybe all of us. We are lucky you distracted him with the thirst." He chuckled and rubbed his throat. "Anyone feeling thirsty yet?" He asked and we all shook our heads.

"Captain maybe Garret and I could just..." Kate whispered and I turned my head to her and hissed before she could finish that sentence. I already knew what she wanted to say and she should know better than that. I let out a soft warning growl out. She shivered and shook her head, Garrett wrapped an arm around her waist protectively. I shook my head.
"You know I can't allow that Kate. I am off duty but that doesn't mean I stopped being in charge of the guard, not yet. Marcus will have my head for messing up with his orders and as scary as the Major is, you don't want to fuck with Marcus, you don't know what he is capable off when he wants to." I shivered slightly.

-Flashback-
I was running back to my camp after defeating a small group of newborns from another Coven. I had ten newborns with me against twenty of them. It was an easy battle though and I just had to destroy two of my newborns after we won. I liked it better that way, less killing my pseudo friends. Fuck Maria for making us destroy them.

I was half way there when I noticed the scent. Vampire, but no one I recognized. I shouldn't have followed it. I should have gone straight back into camp after the battle but something was telling me not to. Something in the back of my mind was urging me not to go back and follow the scent instead. So I did. This sort of thing had only happened before during a battle. Somehow I knew just when to move to avoid a fatal injury or where to stand to avoid any fighting, how many newborns to take with me and guarantee my survival. I had never felt it so strong or compelling until now.

I ran for ten minutes before I saw a him. He was leaning against a tree, he looked so out of place, dressed in a black suit with a pristine white shirt and a black cloak. Long black hair framing his face, he was different, his skin was pale white like mine but it made me feel like it would crumble with a touch. Despite that, he looked so dangerous, he reminded me of the Major but he was so calm, lazily leaning against the tree like we weren't in a war zone.
He turned his head slightly to look at me and the force in his eyes made me shiver and stop. I cursed whatever told me to follow his scent, I didn't want to die just yet.

I quickly raised my hands and glanced down, I didn't use this submissive pose often, only for the Major and Maria. I didn't think it would save me but I had to try. No point in running away now, one little leap from him and I would be dead. I didn't hear him jump or land in front of me but I saw his black shoes. I had to bite my tongue not to chuckle, the way he was dressed. He definitely lost his way to a ball or something.

"I am not going to hurt you Peter." The man said in a cold tone. I flinched. How did he know my name? I didn't trust my voice to speak though. I just waited, keeping my submissive pose.
"I am here to offer you a different way of life. One without fighting and killing everyday. A life without fear of Maria." I gasped and risked a glance up at him. His demeanour was cold, calculated, dangerous but his eyes were... Hopeful?

Something in the back of my mind told me I could trust him, but I was hesitant, that same 'something' told me to follow the scent. Fuck. I didn't know what to say, I wanted to believe there was another way to live but I doubted he would just give it to me without asking something in return. I had to think of my mate too, would this 'new' way of life allow me to be with her? If it didn't, there was no question. I would rather die than live a second without my Charlotte, there was also the Major to consider, even though he probably saw me only as a nuisance most of the time he was like a father, brother and friend all in one for me. Could I leave him alone with Maria? No, I couldn't.

"What... How...?" I mumbled unable to finish a sentence. He looked amused now.
"Peter, it won't be easy and it will most certainly be dangerous for you and your mate. A time may come when you will have to fight again, but it won't be for the selfish reasons of a woman looking for unlimited power." He said barely above a whisper then continued. "That time may come in a millennium or tomorrow." He sounded hopeful and his crimson red eyes shined with something... Was it love? I was more confused now than before.

He was offering a life without fear and killing for Maria for me and my mate and yet he said I would have to fight again but for 'noble' reasons? I frowned and found my voice.
"Who are you?" I asked barely managing to keep my voice from breaking.
"Marcus Volturi." He sounded bored and I gasped. I knew about the Volturi and what they did for the Vampire world. Could it be possible that they finally decided to end Maria?
"I am not here to get involved in the War, Peter." He added like he could hear my thoughts.
"Why me?" Why me infuckingdeed? One of the Volturi brothers couldn't care less for someone like me, could he?

"I will answer your questions in time Peter, you have been out too long now. Prepare yourself and your mate to leave as soon as you can." He said dismissively.
"My Sire" I hesitated for a moment but he looked at me curiously. "Could he come too?"
He tilted his head down and raised a brow looking at the ground. 'What the fuck?' I thought but I didn't ask him.
"Not today. He is not ready to leave her yet. Perhaps you will be able to convince him in a few years. For now, worry about yourself and your mate. I will find you in a few weeks."
He said after a few minutes of staring at the ground, still in a dismissive tone and then turned and ran away. I stood there gaping at nothing for a few minutes.
-End of flashback-

If I had known then... 'Fuck him! Fucking fuck Marcus Volturi for hiding this from me!' If I had known this back then... What? What then? I wouldn't have taken a chance for a 'normal' life? I would have. But fuck him anyway! He could have warned me! Us, all of us. I rubbed my throat. 'Fuck!' I never thought a day would come when I actually wanted to feel the burning pain of the thirst. But I did. Whatever gift Bella has that is stopping it, doesn't appear to fade with distance or time. Two hours running was quite a distance. I sighed finally understanding why Marcus had been searching for her and why he wanted to keep the knowledge from his brothers.

I felt like I was going to be sick. Quite a feat for a Vampire. His brothers. 'Fuck!' They will try to kill her or take her away from us! I suddenly saw red and was filled with so much rage.
I thanked the fact that Jasper wasn't here to feel this. I need to calm down, I needed to control my emotions more than ever now. If Jasper figured this out before Marcus was here, before we were ready to control him and his reaction, it could be the end of all of us.

"Fuck! We need to find a way to distract him." I told the others.
"The Cullens arrive tomorrow." Garrett said. That was good, that could keep him entertained enough to keep his mind from putting the pieces together.
"That is hours from now though." I said and thought about the dogs but I wouldn't put Bella at risk of hurting her friends, even if they stink. I wrinkled my nose remembering the smell. Charlotte and Kate laughing distracted me from my thoughts and irritated me. Didn't they understand the problem? How dangerous this was? How quickly things could turn out to be deadly? Women.

"What?" I barked and they stopped laughing.
"You two can be so dense." My mate said and sniffed.
Kate nodded and said. "He only needs the appropiate... incentive. That could keep them busy for days." She started giggling. Of course! Charlotte and her were geniuses. I turned to the clock, we still had a little over an hour.
"I will make sure to give you both a raise. That is perfect." I turned to Charlotte and wrapped my arms around her little waist, pulling her close to me. "So smart, my mate." I murmured close to her ear before nibbling it softly. I glanced to Garrett who was already kissing Kate.
"Make sure you are thorough Garrett." I said with a hint of humor. "It may be our only chance."

I heard him chuckle but I was more interested in finding my way into another room. Holding Charlotte's hand. I closed the door of Edward's room as I heard a soft moan and clothes being ripped somewhere down the hallway. 'Poor me, my job is so hard.' I thought and chuckled before clearing my mind from everything except my mate, for the next hours I would ignore all my worries.

-Marcus PoV-

I was torn between feeling absolute happiness or dread and worry after the call with Garrett. Isabella was proving to have much more control than I expected. She could see the lines with little trouble minutes after waking up and they didn't feel the thirst already. I thought I would be able to stay in Volterra for months still. I shook my head and took a deep breath. There was no way to avoid what had to come next. No way to persuade my brothers into accepting change.

I sighed and walked to my bedroom, no point in going back to the throne room and making up any excuses for them. I cracked open one of the windows while sending a text message to Demetri.
He would let everyone else who needed to know it was time to go.
I turned to give my room a glance, perhaps the last time I would be able to see the space I shared with my Didyme for so many years before her death.
'No time to dwell in the past now.' I chastised myself. The future awaits. She awaits. Change.

I took off my cloak and tossed it to the large canopy bed. The cloak and what it meant was in the past now too. I jumped off the window and ran until I had to leap over the tall wall separating the castle from the outside world. If only I could run straight to her, Isabella.
My heart and body felt warm just by the thought of her name. Only a little more time until I could meet her. What is time to me? I waited for over a millennium. I could wait a few more weeks while I gather whoever is willing.

A/N: Thanks again everyone for all your reviews! This chapter is a little small but I don't have time today to make it bigger. I'll make it up for you guys in the next chapter with naughty things happening all around the Cullens home. Rawr! I may throw a bit of 'regular' stuff too just so it's not a chapter -only- with naughty bits.

Anyway! I hope I can have the next chapter in a couple of days and the list of Vampires/Covens and their info are up in my profile! Just so you know. I'll update it as we learn more and more of them and it is not written in stone, stuff may or may not change, characters can be added/left unused. If anyone has any especial requests for characters/powers let me know and if I don't have something set already I'll try and work it out for you guys!