Disclaimer: As always I own nothing, not even a car. LOL
"Hello." I answer quietly feeling as if someone might overhear. Even though I know my concerns are unwarranted. The only sound within a hundred yard radius is the erratic heart beat of a young rabbit as it scampers through the tall meadow grass far below, a nagging sense of foreboding over takes me as I wait with baited breath for the other person to declare their intentions. "Aro, it's been a while. I assume you are well. What can I do for you."
"Isabella, so good to hear your voice again. You are sounding very well, married life seems to favor you my dear." Aro replies, his voice coated in sugar so sickeningly sweet with false sincerity it makes my stomach churn.
Without speaking, without giving my brain time to filter the words that flow from my mouth I snap back letting all the hard feelings that I refuse to ignore and pretend don't exist seep into my voice. "Yes it does feel very good to be alive. I do have a new appreciation for life thanks to your attempt to extinguish my family. I really must thank you for that. I will never take another day with my loved ones for granted again."
"Now Bella you know we do regret that misfortunate turn of events. You do have our most heart felt apologies for that misunderstanding." Aro's voice drops an octave his voice grating slightly as if his words are muttered through clenched teeth. "I will save both your time and mine by getting to the point of my call. I know we have alienated your family with our misinformed decision and hasty action. I truly hope your family can find it in themselves to forgive us our misdeeds."
Glaring at the phone in barely concealed contempt I struggle to keep my emotion out of my voice as I speak in a quiet measured cadence. "Surely an apology is not the only reason you have called Aro. A call such as this would be much better suited made to Carlisle or even Edward. In fact Aro, I am a bit confused as to why you would be contacting me directly."
"Once again your astuteness astounds me. I, my brothers and I, have come to the realization that we require some assistance." He speaks slowly in a soft voice meant to lull and comfort.
"And you have decided you need my help. What makes you think I would ever consider working with you. For years you have tried to recruit members of my family into your guard in every way possible. When pleads to their vanity failed you turned to coercion. When they proved too strong to fall to coercion you turned to blackmail." Small bumps reminiscent of goose-bumps form on my arms, a tingling current surging through my body as my anger flares. Speaking in a cold hard voice I continue trying to make Aro see how truly maddeningly deeply I hate him and his brothers, how deeply I despise the entire hierarchy of the Volturi. "How dare you come to me trying to lure me away from the ones I love . I will NEVER be a part of your guard Aro, never."
A deep inhalation of breath sounds down the line. I can picture Aro pulling his shoulders back, the small inviting smile dropping into a scowl of displeasure. The appealing light in his eye darkening the bright crimson turning deeper glowing a blood red as his hands come together in a stiff hold in front of his body. His spine straight and strong, his posture exudes control and power. "I am very disappointed to hear that is your stance. Your abilities could have been very very helpful."
"I will never leave my family Aro. I am afraid you have wasted your time. I am sure you can find plenty of other willing subjects with substantial gifts to serve your cause." I say as a pointed dismissal. A small nagging sensation pulls at my nerves however as the chiming voice of Alice replays in my mind. Her warning ringing through my conscience leaves me unsettled.
"Your talent would be very useful to our purposes Bella, but those were not the abilities we were seeking. It has come to our attention that as you yourself have just shown we are not highly esteemed among many of our brethren. Our lifestyle, dare I say our appetite, has estranged us from an increasingly large number of our constituents." He explains in a patient and pleading voice. "It is of dire consequence that we draw together at this time. If you could find the will to forgive us our grievous misdeeds upon you and yours and join us in Italy for a mere three days we will be able to explain the full ramifications of what we are facing at this time. We will also lay out clearly in simple and plain terms what we wish for you to do in way of assistance. This will all be voluntary."
"I will think about it and give you a call back." I answer solemnly Alice's warning still ringing in my mind and setting my nerves on edge. Is an 'I'll think about it' akin to a no? "You must realize by now that in our family all decisions are put to the entire family and decided upon in said manner. I can not simply make a choice this dire on my own."
"We would love to be able to oblige these humble requests, but I am afraid time is simply not a commodity we have in high supply." Aro answers with a conviction and truth ringing in his words. "There is a plane leaving Sea Tac at noon. We would greatly appreciate your acceptance of our offer."
An angered reply was ready on my lips when a chill spread down my back icier than any vampire's touch along the warm flesh of a mortal man, warning me once again of the immense fear and urgency I had heard in Alice's farewell. Through clenched teeth I reply grudgingly. "I will be there, can I expect Felix to be my escort then?"
"No, we understand your hard feelings toward certain members of our staff. A young man by the name of Vincent will be escorting you, he is a new addition to our team and one whom I am sure you will find very interesting, should you deem to engage him in conversation."
"I am sure he is quite interesting. I hope you are not offended that I have reservations about this meeting, but I will try to keep an open mind. Good bye Aro."
Spinning around at the sound of a twig breaking a short distance away my eyes scan the woods for sign of the intruder. If it is a member of my family I can simply tell them what has happened and leave without feeling as if I am abandoning them. A moment of stiff silence ensues in which even the wind seems to be holding its breath. With a gusty breeze from the east a small flock of birds burst free from the trees just south of where I stand and a large ten point buck charges away from me revealing its hiding place.
My heart sinks as I realize I have not been followed. Edward has respected my request to be left alone to think things through. Sometimes I wish that man were a little less considerate. Slowly I turn taking in the long pine needles and inhaling their scent memorizing the scent and scene surrounding me. I pull to mind each of my family members faces saying a silent goodbye in place of a proper one, hoping they will not become too worried when I do not return home. When dealing with the Volturi one can never rest to sure on their safe passage and return.
Steeling my nerves for the task that must be done I take comfort in the fact that Alice will be able to see me. She can let the rest of the family know I am okay. For the first time I am thankful that Alice is no longer sharing a house with the rest of the family. Without another thought, before my heart can interfere with my minds' decision I take off at a sprint allowing my senses to take over. I must hunt before I depart. Who knows how long it may be before I am offered another suitable meal.
I run along the highway just out of sight of the passing cars but close enough to stay out of the heaviest foliage. It would not due to show up at the airport with twigs in my hair and my clothing torn to shreds. The small blood stain on the end of my sleeve can be explained away easily enough, but presentability is of utmost importance now.
I pass many cars on the short run each going about their own way. Some may be going to their families, some may even be going to the very same airport I race toward. Once again I realize how very similar we are. Anything could happen on this broad flat expanse of blacktop. One moment they could be talking on the phone with their loved ones and the next second it could all be over. In a blink of an eye, without warning. I race toward the lair of the people who tried to kill my family not very long ago, hoping that they are true in their intentions. Hoping I will be brought back home again. In truth in a snap of a finger, in less than a batting of an eye my immortal life could be ended. Just as quickly as these fragile humans driving at deadly speeds down this lonely road.
The idea of calling Edward is appealing, but I know he would only try to convince me to return. He would use Nesse as his prime bargaining chip. He knows I hate to be away from her even for the few hours in a school day. He knows how badly I want to be there when she walks through the door, how I want to sit with her for hours hearing her tell of everything she has seen and done and felt. I can't stop the smirk from crossing my lips at that thought. Though I am only six years older than the world believes my daughter to be I am still mom, and talking to mom like that is just simply not cool. Nesse will be fine, she will probably be happy to not have me pestering her with questions about her first day of school which she was less than thrilled about having to endure in the first place.
The city limits come into sight. Slowing to a near stop I blend in with the small number of people going about their day on the uncrowded sidewalks of Seattle. At the first major intersection I slip into a small mom and pop deli and call a taxi. A newspaper headline grabs my attention as I order my unnecessary light triple shot mocha with skim and biscotti asking for a copy of the morning news and paying before choosing a seat away from the windows just incase the nearly constant cloud cover should decide to break for a few seconds sending a ray of sunlight my way.
FIFTEEN DEAD IN BIZZARE BOATING ACCIDENT ON LAKE POWELL, PAGE ARIZONA. AUTHORITIES STUMPED.
Something about the headline screams to me that it goes deeper than the surface accident. "Officials are searching for anyone who may have seen this accident. Three boats collided early yesterday morning sending a massive fireball thirty feet into the air. Most of the bodies were too badly damaged to be identified. The assumed cause of death is fire. Five of the bodies managed to escape the blaze and were found floating secure in their life vests near the wreck site. All five bodies seem to have been brutally beaten. Each bearing multiple broken bones and an alarming number of bites from an unknown animal.
I stopped reading. My heart sinking at the truth of what this article was a testament to. There is only one time a group of vampires will feed together like that. Only the very young would be so careless in their feeding. Someone is building an army. Closing my eyes I see the devastation after the battle between the Cullens and Victoria's army not so long ago. Could a small town like Page survive the formation of an army? Or was the army located elsewhere and the head smart enough to take their troop elsewhere to feed to avoid drawing unwanted attention such as this article.
I wonder if this new army has anything to do with why I am being summoned to Italy. The blaring horn of a green and black checkered taxi lures my thoughts away from this ponderance. Smiling at the elderly lady behind the counter I discard my untouched coffee and biscotti folding the paper and sliding it under my arm as I exit the storefront.
The taxi driver upon seeing me tap on her window pushes down on the button releasing the door latch so I can slide in the back behind a thin mesh wire divider. "Where to miss?" The large woman with browning teeth asks taking a bite of her donut and setting it beside her before turning around to look at me impatiently.
"Sea Tac please."
The traffic through town was slower than normal for a mid day but nowhere were we stopped for more than a few seconds at a time. Each second crawling along like hours though as the minute hand on my watch ticks closer to noon. Missing this flight is simply something that I can not allow to happen.
"Could you please pull over here. I just realized I forgot my travel bag. I need to run in and purchase a few things." I ask sweetly hoping she will see the truth of my statement and not ask any questions.
A loud grunt, as she takes a bite of her third donut thus far on our short drive, is the only reply I receive as she swings the car over into a red zone clicking and tapping on a small Plexiglas square on the wire mesh before sliding out a small drawer towards me. "$37.50 and I won't be waiting for you I'm in a no parking zone." The woman barks before pulling the drawer back toward her containing a fifty dollar bill. "The sign on the door when you got in lady says I don't cary more than ten dollars change."
"I'm not worried about the change mam, I hope you have a beautiful day." I smile sweetly as I grasp the door-handle delicately, hoping my hurried state does not show.
With a mocking cough the woman unlatches the mechanism that allows the door to open and at last I escape the stale air of the cab and step out into the overcast and breezy Seattle weather. As soon as the door is shut behind me the taxis wheels spin leaving a cloud of acrid smoke behind with a layer of rubber.
I make my way between the department store and a bank and find what I am looking for half way back. Access to the roof. The thought of breaking the lock on the safety inclosure and actually using the ladder to ascend is tempting, but I do not want to leave it as a temptation for a mischievous by-passer. My fingers grasp the mesh easily as I climb without trouble. Sometimes I still forget how easy physical things have become.
At the top of the building I search the sky for helicopters and the roof of the building for security cameras. Spotting no possible witnesses I speed toward the edge leaping easily from building to building exhilarated by the speed and the possibility of being caught as well as the fact that I will make it to the airport with twenty minutes to race through security. I opt to remain above the population for as long as possible dropping to the tarmac behind a private plane that has just landed and blending in with the half dozen people making their way into the receiving area of the airport.
Once inside I quickly take a glance at the departing flights board and find the noon flight to Italy. I merge into the slow flood of humanity crawling toward the international wing of the airport and approach a gray haired attendant manning the check in desk. "I need to pick up my ticket for flight 23756 to Rome my name is Isabella Cullen." I ask sweetly leaning a little forward letting the intoxicating scent of my breath wash over the woman. A slight feeling of shame washes over me as I do, but I need this woman to not ask any questions.
"Oh yes of course sweetie," The old woman named Gladys, according to her nameplate, whispers patting my hand. "I have your paperwork right here. I must say it is very kind of your family to have sent your passport ahead when they purchased the ticket. That is highly unusual but in such circumstances we can understand how things like this can happen." She looks up at me her face shining with sympathy.
Obviously the Volturi have concocted a believable enough story as to why I would show up with no passport or proper luggage. Not wanting to contradict anything they may have said I simply nod my head and quietly reply, "Thank you."
The walk to the first class waiting room is slow as people press together like cattle moving inches at a time stopping to look in the various duty free stores. A small child walks along beside me, he must be close to Nesse's biological age. His small fragile hand slips into my own as we walk. I look down to see his sweet innocent face staring back up at me with a smile from ear to ear. His other hand holds firmly to the hand of an elderly woman who looks down at him in surprise.
"Hello there." I speak softly smiling just enough to be courteous but not wide enough to frighten this little child. I look toward the grandmother questioningly wondering if this is typical behaviour for the boy. "What's your name?"
"I'm Francesco Antonio Esposito." He answers in a small voice his speech lisping on the s sounds as his smile broadens and his grip on my hand tightens. "You can call me Frankie, that's what Momma used to call me." A deep sadness darkens his dark chocolate eyes as he casts his gaze downward.
The sting of tears burns my eyes as I watch this sweet child shift from bubbly and friendly to sad and detached in a split second. Looking to his grandmother who has tears shining in her own eyes I beseech wordlessly how I may help.
"He hasn't spoken a word in over a month." The woman with graying shoulder length hair whispers running her fingers lovingly through Frankie's hair. "He's been so sad and so afraid." She says so quietly I am sure little Frankie can not possibly hear her over the quiet roar of the pressing crowd.
"Hoping to keep the little one from slipping into silence again I lean down kissing his soft cheek before speaking loud enough for both he and his grandmother to hear. "It is very nice to meet you Frankie. I'm Isabella Swan Cullen but you can call me Bella."
"I like you." Frankie grins playfully up at me. "You're going to sit next to me on the plane." He declares happily lifting both his little arms up to me to be held. He releases his death grip on his grandmother's hand and begs with his beautiful eyes.
"I don't know if we are going to be on the same plane Frankie." I answer apologetically, saddened at the thought of letting this child go for even a moment. His sadness seeps through beneath his smile and his grandmother's grim face speaks of untold mourning. Something draws me to this small sad family in a way I can not describe.
"We are going to Italy." The little boy states in a matter of fact voice. "Nonna says we are going to go live with Zia Celestina in Potenza."
"Well then we are in luck my new friend because I just happen to be going to Italy myself. Lets see what we can do about sitting together then." I smile softly sweeping his dark hair away from his sad eyes. I lead Frankie and his grandmother into the first class room and approach the concierge. As I am about to speak I feel a gentle tug at my sleeve.
"I'm sorry Bella, I'm afraid this is not going to work we only have general fare tickets." The woman states apologetically.
The man behind the counter looks at them as if they are something to be spat upon. "I'm sorry mam if you do not have first class tickets I am afraid I will have to ask you to leave this area. General boarding is down the corridor and to the right."
"Excuse me," I speak in a low but polite voice smiling brightly at the rude man. "There's been a mix up I'm afraid. You see my friends here were supposed to be seated with me but somehow they were seated with the general population." Leaning forward I place one hand over his looking directly into his eyes and waiting for the oh so common clouding before continuing. "I'm sure there is something you can do to help us. I would be forever grateful."
"Uh uh, of course. Let me check our roster. Your name is?" He stutters as his fingers fly across the keyboard, the screen lights up with the seating roster.
"Isabella Cullen and my friends are..." I answer leaving room for Frankie's Nonna to fill in the blank.
"Adalina Esposito and Francesco Esposito," She answers quietly not meeting the man's eyes. Her fingers twisting and twining in nervous habit as if she is waiting to be scolded.
With a last look at me and a quick flirtatious smile the man coughs quickly before hitting the delete button twice. "Ahh yes of course here you are. I'm afraid there was a glitch in the computer system, but I have it sorted now. I am sorry for any inconvenience."
Removing my hand from the sandy haired man's arm I smile softly holding little Frankie just a little closer. "Thank you very much."
Within minutes we are escorted to our seats. After settling Frankie into the seat beside me I turn to his Nonna as Frankie lays his head on my legs. His little eyes heavy with sleep. "Thank you Adalina, you do not know how badly I needed the comfort of a small child and a family today." I speak too quietly to be heard by the other passengers.
Her soft elegant fingers rest upon Frankie's leg. "Please call me Ada, and I owe you more than you will ever know. To see his smile again is the most beautiful gift anyone could have given me." She speaks quietly wiping a single tear from her eye before it can run and smear her perfectly applied makeup. "Since his parents died I have been so worried for him. He has quit speaking, quit smiling, almost quit living. No child should have to see what he has seen."
My fingers pause running slowly through his hair as Ada's words sink in. This sweet child saw his parents die. No child should ever have to witness such a thing. "If I may ask, what happened. How did his parents die?"
Ada's face clouds a hardness forming behind the soft barely there age lines. She pauses looking me over pausing to stare into my eyes as if weighing my very soul before answering. "The police say it was a car wreck. They say the other car drove away leaving my son and his wife to bleed to death. Frankie was left untouched. Not a bruise, not a scratch, nothing. How can a car wreck kill two very fit adults and leave a child unscathed?"
"I'm so sorry." I answer sadly. "You hear of things like that occasionally. He must have had an angel watching over him."
"You hear about it more and more lately." She answers coldly. "We flew in from California. I've lived in a small town called Holtville. Its been three years since the last fatality wreck. Its the type of town where the only people who die do so in their sleep. In the last two months there have been seven fatality car wrecks. 23 people dead in the two months from car wrecks. 14 people died in one apartment fire. I don't think they are accidents." She leans toward me her voice dropping so low if I were human I would have struggled to hear her. The anger drips from her voice like venom. "His parents were murdered."
Leaning back into her seat withdrawing herself from the aisle she speaks in a normal voice, the fear and anger that had coated her speech a moment before completely absent as if it had never existed. "I am taking Frankie home. He is all I have left of my son now. I am not loosing him. In times like this one needs to be with their family."
"Yes, they do." I answer quietly. My thoughts spinning in my mind. The unusual headline from this morning's paper, the bizarre number of deaths in Ada's small town, and several other seemingly unconnected news reports all blending together. The number of deaths increasing as each small piece of information finds its place in this macabre puzzle.
The South is gearing up for a war. A war the likes of which has not been seen since the civil war. A war the humans are going to lose.
Closing my eyes trying to connect the invisible links I feel forming around me I hold onto Frankie's small hand. I only hope Italy is far enough away for this little one. Maybe in times like this being close to 'the family' is the best place for this one small soul to be.
AN: Hope ya'll are enjoying it. I know it is moving a little slow but it is what the story wants, lol, my fingers only do the typing the story does the telling. :) So let me know what you think. Good, bad, whatever, little button down there, come on only takes a few seconds.