Chapter Nine: Not Quite the End

Marcus didn't have any control over himself when it came to me. I had once liked to think that meant something, that he still cared or felt attached to me in some way. That he still lov- but no, that wasn't the word. Still, maybe he did care, but the thirst he had for my blood had nothing to do with that. It was biological, it was physical and as he'd told me many times- inevitable.

But over the years he had found ways of increasing my longevity, if only briefly. I'd been used as a pawn between Marcus and Marius a time or two, their intense hatred of each other was one of the few things in this world I'd come to count on. And a dead pawn is of little value.

This explained my current companion.

"You're younger this time," Felix commented, examining my body with slight curiosity, my changing shape intrigued him.

"But I'm older," I said tiredly.

"You look younger," he corrected.

Felix sat back down and calmly stared straight ahead. He was a large block of muscle, strong even by vampire standards. And I knew him best of all the Volturi guard. He rarely left Volterra, unless sent on a mission of some kind, but he was strong and loyal to Marcus beyond all the others. That was why he had been entrusted with my safety from time to time. He could protect me from even Marcus himself if need be. At least for a time.

I tried not to think about that last time he had guarded over me, but the memory from a life long dead came bubbling back to the surface. It had been a lonely life that time around, I'd been grateful when Marius had called me back to him. He had been older than me than, an adult with a tangle of rusty colored hair, thick stubble on his chin, strong arms and a rich heady smell that was rich with the scent of earth.

He wasn't all bad, I thought absently. He had hugged me close and for a moment I'd closed my eyes enjoyed his warmth, his sturdiness. We'd been in Prussia then, and times had been harder than usual with a drought and plague causing many to drop in the streets. I had lost all my connections, either by death or by my own desire.

I had seen my face a few days before in the reflection of the bakery store window, a thin drawn woman with hallow eyes and pale gold hair. I looked for a moment at the face in the reflection and had felt no connection to that woman. Who was she?

But with Marius's arms around me I felt safe, he brought me back to hot days in Egypt, and his voice and the language he whispered to me-. It wasn't love, just like with Marcus, it would never quite be love. But I was hungry for a familiar face, even if I'd never seen this man before.

Nomti was there too, of course, his snake tattoo hidden beneath a warm wool blazer. His loyal eyes looked upon our reunion with approval.

"Come home," Marius said in the old tongue, taking my hand and leading me to a wagon covered in straw, a few blank-eyed sheep in the back.

I had nodded and climbed on eagerly.

We traveled for several hours until we reached a well maintained farm house, it was in the area of Danziger Hohe, which would become part of Germany, and eventually Poland, and today is called Gdansk. But back then it was lively port city in Prussia, and Marius lived far enough away to do good business, but not feel the cold chill from the Baltic Sea.

I'll admit that I was happy there, when Nomti, Marius and I ran the farm. My days were busy, filled with cooking and tending the home, caring for the livestock and taking care of three small children who Marius had already stolen back the winter before. I knew them, even though they looked different. Ammon and Thorth, two of Marius's sons, and Ramses his dearest friend who like Nomti had been bound to Marius in our first life.

But it wasn't to last.

The farm and livestock were sold and we traveled to warmer climates, and the blood lust of that life is something that I wished to never think of again. Marius had heard of a pair of vampires who used human servants to lure victims and it was said that they would even revel in the blood and death, dreaming of their own immortality.

Nothing disgusted Marius more than when humans aided vampires. He found the perversion greater; vampires were monsters but men owed it to their species to destroy such vileness, not contribute to it. He painted a swath of red through the village that worshiped those fiends, women, children. They were all guilty in his eyes.

And to my shame I did nothing to stop them, as him and the others made such a mess of everything. They burned the two vampires at twilight, and danced all night with blood soaking into their clothes. It was madness, manic, an insanity that I still shuddered to remember, but even now, I wonder what it was I could have done. I had not told Edward about this night during our trading of stories, and it was one I wasn't planning on sharing. Violence was contagious, and I knew what Edward meant when he said that his own hunting of murderers had been a poor excuse for blood lust. To my shame, that night I had felt no pity.

It had only been a matter of time before the Voulturi would have to respond to the viciousness of the attack, they mostly left us alone but sometimes The Twelve would draw their eye and the retribution would be brutal.

The first time I had met him had been several hundred years ago. I'd been told later that Aro had made Felix, and that he had stayed with him to guard the Volturi. In truth, I knew that Felix was older than most thought, and that he hadn't been made by Aro. He was one of the few vampires who had visited, and then come to stay. His strength and love of battle had endeared him to Ciaus, Aro too had a fondness of him although why was something Aro hadn't shared, as for Marcus…Felix provided for Marcus the one thing he did not possess, at least when it came to me; control.

I personally though Felix loved battle more than blood, that he loved the contest, the test of wills, the blood was secondary.

I'd been placed in a bedroom that looked like it had been decorated during the early 1900s, in that plush opulent way that the rich of that period had done things. The bed itself was large enough to fit four people comfortably, with silken purple sheets and blankets, but it smelled slightly stale. Human visitors weren't often given this sort of hospitality.

It was my room.

I had lived here from time to time, for very brief and violent periods. That life, it had been cold and dark, and lonely, but otherwise it wasn't that bad. Marcus had stayed away most of that time, but he would come in the night if only for a few moments. He would sit on the plum settee across the room and we had talked of old times. He said vampires didn't like to talk about their times in the sun, but after talking to Edward I wondered if it was more true to say that he couldn't remember it. Still, I had waxed on about some of the early days in Thebes, hoping to alight a spark of life or compassion. I had tried to awaken my brother in the monster. For the briefest of moments I had thought that maybe there was something there, a flame of recognition.

But then Marius had come, flame high and with that terrifying confidence that always thrilled me. How he had entered the Voutari's space I didn't know. But Marius still had a strange knack for luck and long shot chances pulling through. He'd brought guns and explosions that time, not that they did more than irate vampires. The ancient stone walls had shook while he and the remaining twelve

And while Marius and Marcus fought there was always Felix, the stone shadow who followed me, standing silent guard. But Marcus crushed his brother's throat, squeezing the flesh between his fingers until it slipped through them like sand, and when he could no longer bear it, he came for me, at night, and Felix watched with dispassionate eyes. I remember Marcus's cold hands cradled under my head , that same pale blonde hair tangled in the blood and tissue as my life blood dripped away, and as my vision faded in and out, Felix watched with a kind of pity. But not for me.

Felix's devotion to Marcus was really like a kind of love, and looking at him now, I wondered if that wasn't what it was. I felt sorry for him if that was true, because it was a love that would never be returned.

"How have you been?" I asked rising to my feet, desperate for some sort of distraction.

Felix didn't respond, he merely turned and blinked.

Vampires, I thought tiredly. At least the Cullens had attempted small talk.

I paced my room-no the room, with a caged in feeling. I wanted this to be over with, what sort of game did Marcus think he could play. If he was waiting for Marius to come he'd be waiting a long time. Marius was six, he wasn't coming.

The door opened silently and suddenly Marcus was in the room, his tall lean frame looking deceptively weak next to Felix's muscular mass. He held out a cautious hand to the larger vampire, his eyes not meeting mine as he was careful to stay as far away from me as the small room allowed.

"I'll be fine for a time," he said to Felix.

The large man settled back down, but he watched Marcus carefully. It was hard not to feel slightly comforted by my protector, despite the fact that I knew better.

"It's not Marius, is it?" he asked in a soft, almost patient voice as he stared ahead avoiding my eyes. But it wasn't really a question.

"No," I answered anyway, just as softly.

"I knew, of course, that you didn't love him that way…it made it easier somehow." His eyes flickered to me briefly. "To make it seem like you could love me."

"And to make it seem like you loved me," I added gently.

"I do love you," he persisted. "I always have."

"But not enough," I offered.

Marcus raised a hand to his forehead, brushing away a smooth lock of black hair. "Perhaps," he admitted in a voice that was almost too quiet for me to hear.

His eyes lingered on me for a moment, "Banafrit, I-"

A knock on the door cut his words off and in the space of less than a second the door was ripped open and Marcus snarled angrily, "I said we were not to be disturbed."

Aro stood in the door looking faintly amused, entertained even.

"We have some visitors," he stated, his gaze drifting into the room curiously. "Oh good, I see Bella is still alive. That will be helpful."

"What game are you playing now," Marcus demanded, his fists clenched.

"No game, my old friend, but Caius and I do so enjoy your family's visits, they make things so interesting."

My stomach dropped, family? Surely Aro couldn't mean that Marius had come, he couldn't have. I rose to my feet unbidden, and Marcus must have had the same thought because he strode from the room quickly with a murderous intent to his footsteps.

I moved to follow but Felix laid a marble hand in front of me barring the way.

"Oh bring her along," Caius purred, appearing out of nowhere to stand beside Aro.

Felix hesitated for only a moment, before bowing his head and removing his hand from my path.

I ran past the two ancient vampires as they cackled, I was turning a corner when I heard Aro mutter, "This is going to be such fun."

I hesitated and drew a quiet breath before I entered through the large stone archway, but I hadn't prepared myself for the sight that reached me. Perhaps I should have, perhaps I should have known…but I couldn't dream that anyone except Marius would come for me.

His amber eyes drew me first, as they always did, and the breath I had taken was pulled from my lungs.

I looked away, I felt ashamed for him to see me here. I couldn't explain the emotion but somehow the idea of Edward being here left only an empty hollow feeling in me, and I wanted to go away and hide for a time. I wanted him to close his eyes and not look at me…and yet I couldn't quite look away.

I felt a cold hand curl around my shoulder, the icy marble fingers brushing my collarbone. Marcus had appeared behind me, the rich earthy smell of him seemed overpowering with our close contact. Somehow this was almost comforting, how things should be. I didn't deserve Edward, he shouldn't see me here. Not here where so much of my blood had been shed.

"So, Prince Charming has come, but in quite an unexpected guise," Aro's cool voice whispered in my ear.

"I never expected your suitor to be…so very unhuman." Caius's voice was mocking and he looked at Marcus with a sly smile.

Marcus snarled, Aro backed away, his palms raised as he crossed into the room. Caius looked like a contemptuous shadow, his face held tight in one of those rigid smiles as they crossed to sit in the elegant thrones that stood on the dais. But Marcus stood alongside me, staring at the two visitors.

"It's been some time," a gentle voice interrupted the uneasy silence. But it was a welcome voice to me, as was Carlisle's smile. I hadn't noticed the patriarch of Cullen clan standing beside Edward, his expressions slightly nervous but still kind.

"Carlisle," Aro said looking pleased. "And how are you? Still pursuing your unhealthy diet?"

Caius chuckled darkly, "Perhaps we can offer him some tastier refreshments."

But their mocking laughter faded in my ears as I felt Marcus's cold hand grip my flesh a little tighter and Edward growled in a possessive manner that sent a chill down my spine faster than the pressure on my shoulder.

"Let her go," Edward's voice was low and dark.

Silence filled the room, for a moment no one spoke, no one even breathed. For the vampires this was an easy feat, but eventually my human breaths interrupted the silence. I turned to glance at Marcus, he'd been oddly composed since learning of my connection to someone else. But I couldn't help but dread how he would react to this. I knew how he had in the past…

And Edward would die.

This knowledge hit me suddenly, although I should have known it the instant I had seen him here.

He would die forever, he would never be here again. Suddenly the concept terrified me. I'd grown used to the people around me dying but…Edward, somehow Edward dying seemed too horrible to put into words. He was a vampire, made like stone and ice, he was enduring and never dying.-But wasn't I fool. For I'd seen his kind torn asunder and burned till only black ash remained, why hadn't I seen it? After all of Edward's fears regarding my mortality…it was his that we risked.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice sounding shockingly calm.

"We've come to get you Bella," Carlisle's voice. He sounded warm and fatherly and I wanted to fall into his arms.

"And take me where?" I asked, not liking the calm chill that seemed to control the tone of my voice. "I'm here with my family."

And gently, not allowing the fear to enter my eyes, I leaned back into Marcus's touch and raised my gaze to Edward. "I'm sorry if there was some confusion, but my brother needs me now."

I could see the realization come across in their still expressions, it grew slowly, but they could see it. My two brothers, who I been as vague as possible regarding, now were taking on more life, and the blank faced characters I'd introduced were being made solid.

"Bella," Edward said, his eyes searching mine.

"You didn't really think I'd stay with you forever?" I asked tasting the slight scorn in my tone.

Edward flinched in a quick and almost unnoticeable way, but his eyes flickered to the smiling Aro, the frowning Marcus…

And I knew it wouldn't work.

"Don't Bella, it's obvious to everyone," Edward said his voice seeming soft.

Damn Edward and his abilities to read minds. He knew what Marcus, Caius and Aro knew…and they all knew me too well to play along with this charade. I bit my lip hard, nearly chewing it raw as my eyes flickered between the vampires present. How could I convince Edward to leave? I saw in an instant that my words would have no effect on him. Carlisle also seemed to steady and unmoving. Aro and Caius were only laughing at what they saw as another amusement-Marcus.

I turned to Marcus, wrapping my arms around him tightly, my smaller frame tucked under his lean body and I pulled myself against him. I could feel his body vibrating in anger, I could feel the danger and death that lurked in the room. I didn't need to hear the slight growl that edged his voice, I didn't need to see his red ruby eyes burning with jealousy and anger. It was a game I had witnessed for centuries, but for the first time the stakes were real and I had found something I couldn't lose.

"Please don't," I begged softly. "I'll stay with you, I'll stay with you forever…just please don't."

His grip tightened on my arms as I clung to him, holding him tighter then I had ever dared since he had left his humanity behind.

"Just promise you won't hurt him, that he'll live," I whispered in a hushed breath close to Marcus's ear.

"No Bella," I heard Edward say from behind me.

But I pressed my cheek to Marcus, holding my warm flesh to his cold. "I'll stay with you, awughh…"

The bite was not unexpected, and the fiery pain that shot through my neck with it left me feeling numb. It was a familiar burning, as was the pressure, the soft draining pressure that made my fingers tingle as the darkness edged my vision.

Yes, this was better. I could endure this.

It wouldn't be long now, and Marcus would not kill Edward, not now, and Carlisle would make him see sense, and they would go home. And as I lay there feeling the blood pull from my body, as the fire inched and burned, I felt nothing but glad. I had saved Edward, and as long as Edward was safe, this could not be the end.

But suddenly the pressure was gone, and I felt air brush my neck as my back hit the ground. It was hard to feel the stone ground beneath me, I felt like I was swimming in fire, but I didn't dare scream least Edward ruin this. This was my least gift to him afterall.

My eyes rolled up as I followed Marcus around the room, his body falling back. He leaned against the wall licking his lips and his hands as he continued to stare at me. He seemed to be searching for something in my expression, but I didn't have anything to offer him.

So my eyes drifted to Edward, the only place I wished to look, he was fighting against Carlisle and Felix's hold, his eyes looking desperate and I wished I had the strength to tell him to rest. Rest now it couldn't be long now, Marcus could not contain himself. Not with my fresh blood spilling, so warm and wet onto the floor beneath me.

The pain didn't even register as my eyes drifted back to Marcus.

"Not him," I struggled to say before I realized that my throat would no longer work to form words.

Marcus's face was frozen in a hate and despair as he gazed at me, but there was hunger also.

"I've killed you…so many times," he yelled to the walls, rising to his feet and swaying briefly as his voice echoed around the palatial chamber. He dropped to his knees and crawled toward me. "So many times," he whispered. "I've destroyed you so many times you shouldn't even exist, not even a trace."

His long white fingered wiped the blood on my face and brought it too his lips almost in a kiss.

"Oh sweet, my sweet Banafrit…I'm sorry again, once again."

He looked at Edward, and the anger in his eyes had dimmed.

"I won't…not anymore, I won't send for you, I won't seek you. I may not have been given Marius's power of words, but this I swear, Banafrit, never shall I destroy you again."

And then in words long forgotten, the old Egyptian tongue which even we no longer spoke, Marcus whispered a final word. "Only blessings in the next life."

And I looked at Edward, and my muscles twisted into a smile. He had never been able to read my mind, but the first time I wanted so badly to let him in, I let my mind reach out to his and I hoped he could hear this last thought before my mind would be erased.

And maybe it was the lightness of my body dying, but I thought he looked like he had understood.

Once again Marcus raised me to him, almost gently, his lips were as hard and cold as any statue but I was too far gone to even shiver as he pressed them into my flesh, taking in the last of the blood that continued to bleed from me. He would drink me dry, there would be nothing left of me but another envelope, another body left by the wayside in a long life.

I would be losing something now, but for the first time in a long time I had some hope that things might change.

Hope.

And I would never tell them, but I was also afraid, afraid because of how fragile happiness could be. Nothing was certain in this world, but you see, but I have no regrets. And even though it's killing me-I'd do it again, and again.

"Well that was quiet the show," Aro chortled softly from his throne atop the dais. "I was hoping we'd have a little more time with dear Banfrit she was a little more…surprising than I had-"

"Silence," Marcus growled, as he still cradled the body in his arms. "It's over now. She has made her choice."

"Did you mean what you said?" Caius asked looking faintly interested.

"Yes," Marcus said brushing his palm across the girl's soft looking face. She looked younger now in death, and Marcus cold not forget the first time he had held her still warm body, all those years ago when she was an innocent girl.

Marcus rose to his feet, leaving the body on the floor, but this time he felt like it was the ending of something. Like the end of some tiring curse he'd been carrying for too long.

"She is gone," he said softly as he passed the young vampire who was still staring at the floor.

Edward growled and Carlisle put a warning hand on his arm.

Marcus turned at the noise and stared at the hateful amber eyes. "It is not me who has taken her from you," he said with a soft sad sort of voice, "It is you who has taken her from me."

Carlisle, braver than most vampires would be, stepped between the old vampire and his son, wrapping a comforting arm around the younger vampire. "She's gone Edward, but not forever," Carlisle said softly, concern for his son apparent on his face.

Edward would not look up for a moment.

"I know," he said softly. "Since I've met her, I've never once heard her voice in my head but moments before…" he stared off faintly.

"What did you hear?" Carlisle asked curiously.

Edward glanced around, "It doesn't matter, I heard her…she isn't gone from this world. I'd know it."

Marcus turned to look at the body one last time, "Treat her better than I have. My love has been nothing but cruel."

Then Marcus was gone, leaving the room as Aro started laughing.

"He sounds so pitiable," the most outspoken of the Voulteri laughed. "But if you ask me it is not his interference that should concern you, I'd be more worried about her husband."

But only Carlisle glanced back at the mocking laughter of Caius and Aro as Edward left the room, carrying Bella's body in his arms.

Epilogue.

Five Years Later

"She's a very serious little girl isn't she," Mrs. Henderson said looking at the small little girl who had just joined her Kindergarten class.

"She's always been that way, Charlie jokes she's older than him," Renee Snow replied watching as her daughter went to sit by the crayons and papers that were scattered on a tabletop.

The Kindergarten classroom occupied a large bright room in the small California town of Oreila. Twenty small children tumbled around underfoot, their buzz of activity and excited chatter making the room seem like a hive of bees. Amongst the swarm, a small girl with long blonde hair seemed to watch them all with wide brown eyes. She sat prettily with her legs clad in bright purple leggings and a jumper dress that featured a small kitten with a wide grin on one shoulder.

"She's probably just shy," Mrs. Henderson consoled, smiling at the anxious mother.

Renee didn't know quite how to tell the kind teacher that her little Beth wasn't shy, it sounded too paranoid and strange to say that there was something odd about her child, not without sounding crazy. But there was something wrong with Beth; Renee had seen it right away when she looked into the little girl's eyes. She had undergone a quick labor and had looked into the eyes of her newborn and it had been like meeting an adult for the first time. When she had tried to explain it to her mother, which of course given their relationship was probably the wrong choice to make, she had been rebuffed and then recommended to see a doctor for post partum depression.

She'd gone to the doctor in the end, urged on by Charlie, and tried to put to words the sense that she had about this little person she'd given birth too. They had prescribed her blue pills that had made her feel sleepy and fuzzy. In the end she just decided not to mention it anymore.

But there was something about Beth's eyes, it was like she could see the whole world in those eyes.

But she didn't want to be crazy, Renee shook herself.

"She likes to color?" Mrs. Henderson asked. The chubby, friendly faced woman moved toward the small girl and peered over her shoulder at whatever little masterpiece the serious five-year-old was working on.

"Yes…" Sarah said, hoping that Beth was…being normal.

She peered anxiously at the paper for a moment before breathing a sigh of relief. She was only drawing the trees, tall green trees. Sometimes the things that her little girl put down on paper seemed frightening.

"She's quite good," Mrs. Henderson praised a slightly amazed tone to her voice.

"I'm an artist, she's always picking up things."

Renee smiled softly at that. Beth might not be the little baby she always imagined that she would be raising, but she found she did like the little person that her daughter was. She was deft at picking up all manner of crafts and hobbies, and oddly enough she had also shown a great deal of interest in Charlie's old piano, a remainder from his mother's estate sale that they just couldn't seem to give away. Charlie, who had been forced to attend piano lessons as a boy was puzzled by this, as a child he had dreaded what he considered a monstrosity, but he still did his best to recall some of his long dead skill. It was cute watching the quiet man, his thin lanky frame perched on the bench while Beth looked on quietly beside him.

Sarah turned suddenly when a commotion in the hallway caught her attention. An older boy, eleven or twelve maybe dashed into the room with a chubby gym teacher in pursuit.

"Billy Wheaton," the man wheezed from the doorway, "Back with the rest of your class."

"Oh lay off, this is none of your concern," the boy replied in an odd grown-up sounding voice.

Renee felt a shiver at his tone, it reminded her oddly of the commanding and composed quality her daughter's voice could take at times.

Billy, the boy, ran into the room and stopped dead spinning around looking carefully, his gaze pinning on the five-year-olds in the room all who looked back at him with curious and interested wide eyes.

"Found you," Billy said, sounding very sure. Renee wasn't certain what he was looking for though, he seemed to be looking in the same direction as her daughter.

"Back with your class," the gym teacher said, using one of his meaty arms to guide the boy back to the door.

But the boy agilely slipped out of his grip and stopped before the coloring table.

"Beth?" Renee said nervously, wondering if they had seen the boy somewhere before.

But the little girl looked up, a very tired expression on her face, "Hello there."

And then Billy started laughing, a low and manic laugh that left Renee feeling somewhat numb. There was so much in that laugh, it was insane and dark and hungry. And Beth, those wide all seeing eyes, seemed to watch his laughter with a tiredness that left Sarah thinking, she's not normal, she's not normal.

"Don't make us call your parents again," the gym teacher said, finally catching the boy in his grasp and pulling him toward the door.

Billy didn't even resist as he continued laughing.

"Sorry Betty," the gym teacher said, "Little Houdini here."

Mrs. Henderson cleared her throat and looked at the boy with some concern before smiling and waving the two toward the door, "Sorry about that," she apologized, "We try to keep the older grades in the other end of the elementary, but we all share the same gym." She chuckled as if it were an amusing daily occurrence.

Renee nodded and did her best to smile as she put on her coat, there was no reason for her to stay, Beth likely wouldn't even notice she was gone.

"And who is this sweetie?" Mrs Henderson asked leaning over Beth's trees. "Is she a princess? She looks all sparkly?"

Renee glanced back for a moment and watched the kindly teacher look with interest as the oddly well defined image. Renee knew how Beth would answer the woman's question.

"It's a prince."

"Oh that's so sweet," Mrs. Henderson gushed before moving on to the other children.

Beth turned and looked out the window, and if a five-year-old could be called wistful, Beth was likely the only one who could manage it.

"It's hard letting them go, isn't it," said a fellow mother a warm smile.

She nodded absently, Renee didn't know why, but she knew that if she'd ever had her little girl, she'd lost her long ago.

Hope you enjoyed this, it was my first experience trying to capture the thrill of romance in writing. If you enjoyed, please review.

-Worfe