Chapter Twenty

Thank you to one of my lovely reviewers for pointing out that Sandy should not go to Volterra alone. I present chapter twenty!

Rose POV

"Someone has to go with her," Alice said hurriedly. Jasper and Sandy were still upstairs having their very long goodbye but none of us could bring ourselves to complain. They deserved to just be lost in each other until she had to leave.

"And just who can we send Alice?" I asked snippily. I was still in my 'furious' mode. How dare the Volturi do this to her? And how dare Sandy agree with it?

"Dad can go because he can hear thoughts," Nessie said instantly and we all saw Edward's instant disagreement.

"I am not leaving," he snarled defiantly and I hissed at him.

"You don't want to go because you don't want to leave Nessie and Bella behind. This is about more than being with your family, Edward. Sandy could be in real danger because of this!" I growled and he glared at me but didn't reply, knowing I was right.

"I don't think sending Edward is a good idea. Maybe Jasper should go." Instant alarm bells sprung up in my head and I saw everyone look at Alice like she'd lost it.

"He'd get himself killed. Yes, he is an excellent fighter and would provide Sandy with the most comfort but he would be so angry at the situation that something is bound to go wrong," Bella pointed out and Alice nodded thoughtfully.

"What about you?" I suggested but she shook her head.

"No, Aro wants my gift too much. I wouldn't prevent much from happening if he craved my gift." Damn her and her sense! I could see Esme was getting very upset with this conversation as she nervously twirled her caramel hair around her finger. Alice was bouncing on the spot as if to work off agitation and Emmett was – Emmett!

"Emmett could go! He'd provide comfort, he's a good fighter and he doesn't have a specific gift for Aro to recruit him!" I suggested gleefully. Alice was shaking her head instantly.

"Emmett loves the fight too much." His wounded expression said it all but we had more important issues to deal with than my husband's hurt feelings.

"This is ridiculous, Alice! Why don't you come up with some ideas instead of shooting down ours!?" I finally cried from sheer panic. .

"We have failed to take into account that the Volturi may not allow an accomplice for Sandy," Carlisle pointed out sullenly. I sighed. Of course, the Volturi would be awkward about this.

"Even if they did, the safety of that person is not guaranteed because they weren't a part of the original agreement," Edward added and I felt my mood plummet even more. This was ridiculous.

"Why don't we just come up with someone to go with Sandy and if they don't allow it, we demand that they do?" Emmett asked and I shrugged.

"The first part of that plan could work. But if we demanded something from them, we'd end up dead," I pointed out and Alice huffed.

"Listen, we can debate about this for our remaining time all we want but it's not going to fix things! We should just decide on someone to go with Sandy to Volterra then ask nicely if they can go. If Aro refuses, then we can just keep a very close eye on her through my visions, ok?" Alice suggested and we all nodded.

"So, who's going?" There was a collective groan at my question and I saw Alice's slightly dark topaz eyes watching me thoughtfully. I wasn't sure I liked what she might be thinking.

"Rose can go." To my utter horror, no one objected to this.

"Why am I the best candidate?" I whined, not caring that I sounded like a moaning child. Alice rolled her eyes.

"You're Sandy's best friend, you can distract her easily without the use of anything but you, you can keep her calm and you won't lose your temper. You also don't have a gift for Aro to collect and you will put that Chelsea girl in her place," she listed cheerfully. Unfortunately, I couldn't argue. She was right. The question was: would I be allowed to go?

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Six Months Later

Sandy POV

I don't know how she managed to do it, but Rosalie successfully manoeuvred herself into accompanying me to Volterra. Not that I minded, of course, I needed her. I would have lost my mind the second the jet landed in Volterra had it not been for my best friend. She was that little reminder that I had family and I had something to go home to after all my training was done.

The daily routine grew boring by the end of the first week but at least it was a routine and I kind of knew what to expect. I first had target practice to hone my flammable tendencies. This was followed by meditation to help control my temper and make sure my gift wouldn't get out of control every time Felix called me 'tea and scones' (don't ask why I got mad at that). This then led into the study of Italian history and language, where I learned all about Italy and to speak Italian fluently. After all that bull, I had free time which was exceptionally relieving. All of these 'activities' lasted six hours each as I didn't have to sleep. Target practice helped but, believe me, I still had a while to go. Meditation was a bust as I had to work with Jane, who I couldn't stand and vice versa. The study of Italian history and language was both irritating and boring – something I looked forward to the least of all my daily lessons. The free time was generally spent reading, writing about my day, talking with Rosalie or going to feedings. The subject of blood was a problematic issue with Aro. Both Rosalie and I had a three day argument with him upon our arrival in Volterra about human versus animal blood. He didn't want us leaving Volterra to find animals to drink (talk about a short leash) and he downright refused to have them brought in. I point blank denied drinking human blood and went a full two weeks without blood because of it. Rosalie, on the other hand, lasted two months because they didn't particularly care about her. Eventually, I was dragged kicking and screaming to the feeding hall which was full of humans and I couldn't last. The smell invaded my senses, set my throat alight and I leapt for the nearest throat. In a remarkable show of self control, Rosalie lasted until the second month without blood. As she didn't have to attend my lessons with me or do anything in particular, she generally just stayed in our morbid room, occasionally appearing during meditation or Italian history to liven them up a bit. But she cracked one day when I came back with some blood on my jeans and ran for the nearest human.

That's when I really hated myself and every time I fed from then on, the self loathing grew along with my ache for Jasper. Not only had I cracked under the smell of human blood and become a murderer, but I had shoved Rosalie off the wagon as well. She could no longer claim to not having tasted human blood. But she just shrugged it off when I attempted to apologise, saying that everyone had their time and she couldn't have escaped it forever. And when I wasn't feeling guilty about Rosalie, I couldn't help but think about how Jasper would hate me when I found out my habits. I knew he had gone through it but that was without prior knowledge. I knew better and I still did it. Human blood was addictive.

"Hello Sandy," a sultry voice said in my ear and I very nearly cried. Demetri had decided that I was fair game away from my family and followed me around from the moment we landed in Volterra. Rosalie, the traitor, just told me to suck it up and that she knew I wouldn't do anything. Demetri, being a tracker, always knew where to find me which was generally in my room, where I was at that moment. The quarters Rose and I had been given were distinctly different from my room at home with beige walls, a blood red carpet, black leather furniture and a flat screen television. I missed my purple walls, my wall sized window and my bed (even though I didn't use it much). That made me think of Jasper and the last time I had seen him, after making love to him for the first time (and many other times) and having to leave him behind. If I hadn't had Rosalie, I would've probably torn my head off already.

"I am very busy Demetri," I sniped, hand blurring as I scribbled furiously in my small, black diary about the wall I had blown up during meditation.

"I can see that Alessandria." I snarled. I hated the way he said my shortened name, let alone my whole name. At least it was better than 'Al'. "But I heard something very interesting that you might want to hear." I rolled my eyes and finally looked up at him. He looked genuinely pleased with himself and it reminded me sadly of Steven. Then I thought about Lance. Just before I had left, Esme and Carlisle had told me that they would file a missing persons report when I was gone and I was slightly thankful. But Lance would be heartbroken, just like I would have been if it was him.

"What is it, Demetri?" I sighed and he grinned cockily, like he'd won some kind of prize. I bit back a snarl at that thought. I was NOT a prize to be won.

"When Aro heard you thoughts about your parents, he started thinking. With a little bit of digging and a trip down memory lane, he discovered that the nomad that killed your parents was apprehended and executed by us for the exposure he almost cost us through that exact incident." My jaw fell open as that settled into my brain. The Volturi had killed the nomad. They were the ones my parents were talking about when they came to visit me. Did that mean I owed the Volturi?

"No, my dear, you do not. It was not done for you but for us," Aro answered an hour later and I held back a sigh of relief. "Tomorrow, you will commence studying Spanish instead of Italian as you have mastered it." And I was thankfully dismissed. I blurred up to my room to find an expectant Rosalie.

"Well, do you owe them?" she asked anxiously as she put her hair into tiny plaits. She must have been really bored. I shook my head.

"No, I don't owe them. They did it for their benefit, not mine." She shrugged and stood up.

"I'm going to walk about," she said and I eyed her suspiciously as she left, closing the door behind her. I scrambled over to my wardrobe and pulled out a box from the depths of black. As I wasn't a Volturi member, I didn't have to wear a cloak but I did have to wear black clothes. Sitting on the nearest armchair, I opened the mahogany box and pulled out a clean piece of paper and my favourite pen.

Dear Jasper,

I don't know what to say, really. You will never get these letters because I won't send them and I will burn them with my in-progress firepower when I get back. If I get back. I always fear I will not return to you because I will be kept here or end up somewhere else. That worries me. The thought of never seeing you again is painful. It has been six months away from you and I have written you a letter every single day to make myself feel close to you.

Today, I thought of Demetri during my meditation and a wall blew up. I believe that speaks very much for itself. He has already caused the destruction of one of Esme's favourite tables and several other furniture pieces. Honestly, I don't know how much more of it I can take before I accidently set someone on fire. Caius loathes me, Demetri stalks me with his unfair advantage (perhaps I should use mine on him – it shouldn't be too hard) and Alec acts skittish around me, like he doesn't know how to behave in my presence. That's very off-putting but at least he doesn't use his gift on me.

I love you and, as always, I miss you. I'll think of you to keep me calm.

Sandy x x

I sighed as I finished, gripping the pen too hard. I let the metal contraption go before it snapped and folded up the letter, slipping it into a blank envelope and putting it in the box. I replaced the box in my wardrobe and returned to my armchair to finish my new book. I hadn't asked for much from Aro, merely requesting some sketch books, some notepads and plenty of pens and pencils. I vaguely wondered where Rosalie had wondered off to so randomly but didn't think too hard on it. She was odd that way.

Rose POV

"Alec," I greeted as I sat in the casual, kind of common room area of the castle. The younger looking vampire glanced up at me and nodded, chocolate hair landing in his eyes. I chose the red armchair to sit in, tired of the black furniture in my room.

"Rose," he replied. We were more civil towards each other than I was towards anyone else but I saw him more than anyone else. "How is our resident flame thrower?" he asked in what was almost a teasing tone. I raised an eyebrow at him but didn't question it further.

"She's miserable as hell. But that's to be expected," I replied with a shrug. He was eyeing my freshly plaited hair with slight befuddlement but didn't comment on it, merely rolling his eyes slightly. What can I say? I was very bored.

"I need something of substance, Rose," he pointed out and I sighed.

"She's writing to Jasper once more. I found a batch of letters – one for every day she's been here and I know she's writing to him now. That's why I went on walkabouts. She misses everyone," I answered. He sighed sadly.

"I'll be sure to inform Alice," he told me and I watched him carefully.

"Aro knows, doesn't he?" I finally asked and he nodded.

"He found out yesterday. He has no problem with it as long as Sandy does not find out and she is not the one in direct contact with them," he replied and I nodded quickly.

"I better get back before something happens. You never know with Sandy." I stood from the armchair and made it to the door before turning around once again. "Hey, Alec? Thank you." And I left the room, thankful for Alec's help with Sandy. Who knew I could have an ally within Volterra's walls?

I'll see you in two days (or maybe three depending on my schedule which grows erratic towards the end of the summer holidays). Love Bianca :) x