Hello guys! So sorry for the delay but I am finally trying to get going with this again. Please don't hate me! I've had computer malfunctions and writer's block. Somehow, I don't think I've been writing as well as I normally have even though everyone says I write fine. Please review since this is going to take a miracle to pull out of thin air.

Chapter Nineteen: The Locket of Memories

B Pov

The plane ride was incredibly uncomfortable, regardless of sitting in first class. I was just too anxious that we were gonna get caught, even though the plane was already in the air- it was only hours into the flight. I fingered the small locket that I had decided to start wearing again. It was just like the Swan family dagger that I had, it had my initials on the back made of what looked like a rose vine. Inside were the memories of the Swan family, all the lives of my ancestors. If I chose to open it, like a movie I would see all the actions and lives of my family. Entire lives in fast flashing seconds- lives that seemed to pass an entire lifetime but only just a few seconds.

As a child I would sit on my bed at night and watch the strong women of the Swan family over and over again. They would smile at me, one by one, as if they were telling me that I would be like them- I would be strong like them. Their smiles were wise and knowing and seemed to communicate a hidden message that I could never quite put my finger on. Morgan always said that I would one day open the locket and hear them, the words that pass their lips always but are still hidden from me. She always said that those words would not be memories but the real spoken words of my ancestors.

The face was smooth and warm, like it was alive and buzzing. Even if the whole house was an ice box, the locket was never cold. Morgan said it was because the Swan family kept it alive- kept a little bit of themselves in the locket…the Locket of Memories. I remembered being given this as a child, even if I didn't know what it was. It was surprising that I remembered that day; I was little more than a year old.

"Renee are you and the baby ready?" Charlie called up the stairs. He waited a few moments as he heard a bustling noise and watched as Renee glided down the stairs practically glowing. She was wearing an emerald green gown that would soon be hidden by the black cloak the priestess would provide for the ceremony. He couldn't help it; Charlie smiled at his wife wondering to himself why such a radiant woman as Renee would love him.

But then he saw their daughter in her arms and couldn't help but smile even wider. She was dressed up in a traditional white cloth that looked more like a dress than anything else. Her little arms waved as she reached out to her father, as if to say "Don't worry, this is perfectly normal." Charlie chuckled to himself and filed out of the house with Renee and the baby as they drove to the edge of town where Morgan Farewood lived. She was the priestess that would lead the ceremony today and Renee was happy that her friend would be the one to do it. She couldn't think of someone better.

"So explain to me again what this ceremony is for?" Charlie asked a few minuets later. Renee thought over her words carefully, fidgeting with the edge of the cloth dress that their daughter was wearing.

"Well it's a naming ceremony. Morgan will ask the spirits of our ancestors to look into her soul and her future and past lives to see the name that the spirit already holds." Charlie gave her a look like "You've got to be kidding me."

"It's not as bad as it sounds really. The white cloth represents the purity of a soul and she'll be changed out of this dress when she's named. And then she'll be given an heirloom of the family, one that fits with her. Every soul that will ever be in the Swan family has already had at least one life so an object from their first life, an object that was crafted by their own hands, shall be given back to them."

"Honestly, this all sounds complicated to me. What are we supposed to do?"

"Well we just stick around looking nervous and listen to what the spirits have to say."

"I thought you said we wouldn't be able to understand them."

"We won't, but Morgan will. And sometimes, there are those gifted with the gift of being able to see the spirits of our ancestors or being able to hear their whispered words of wisdom.

They arrived minuets later to a rather intimidating Victorian styled house. (Not the Cullen house) The wood looked ancient giving it the feeling of a haunted mansion, even the windows seemed like gaping holes. Charlie didn't like this place, it gave him a bad feeling. Like standing in front of a tiger and not being able to admire the sheer power of the animal. Or maybe it was more like being in the presence of something that was incredibly powerful.

Renee and Charlie, both nervous and both for different reasons, tread up the rickety steps and up the black door. It opened slowly and Renee's face broke out into a wide grin as she saw who was behind the door. She smiled and gave Morgan an awkward half hug as she tried to keep a hold on their daughter still.

"Your daughter is quite beautiful, Renee," Morgan smiled as her whole face lit up. She was envious of her friend since she could have children, and what a beautiful child she was. Her serene face seemed to glow when she saw Morgan; she reached out her hands and cooed softly as if knowing who she was. Morgan smiled down at the child and touched her lips to the baby's small palm.

They were all standing in a circle before a small little tub of water that almost looked like a tube for baptizing babies. It was golden with small rubies and sapphires lining the outside. The water its self was very special. It was purified water from the Oasis Pool, the pool of water that some called the Fountain of Youth. It was as alive as any spirit is as it was filled with the spirits of many people from long ago. The purest of souls. The water could draw fourth the spirits of their ancestors who joined the pool long ago and call them forth to the room where they would appear to the child and call forth her name from their memory and hers. The water would show what her soul had endured from lives long ago and what might be in store for her in the life. Only flashes and they were very difficult to catch.

Renee and Charlie stood among family from Renee's side, clasping hands to form a circle around Morgan and their daughter. Charlie was still feeling ridiculous about the cloak that he had to wear as well as everyone else. Everyone's hoods were down and with the candles, their faces were hidden from view and the effect was eerie. They all wore the same solemn expression as they waited tensely. Who had their daughter been in past lives? A queen? A writer? A hero, perhaps? A princess?

Morgan was the only one not wearing a cloak. Her hair was pulled into a long braid, baby's breath twisted with it. She smiled at the child who smiled back. Her eyes danced happily, much more alert and intelligent that she'd seen any baby act before her. After all, Morgan had done many naming ceremonies. This wasn't the first and it wouldn't be the last. A sense of familiarity still clung to her as she looked at the child, but she quickly pushed the feeling away and gazed into the pool of spirit water.

"Spirits of the Oasis, Charlie and Renee Swan have brought forth a daughter to be named. I, Morgan Farewood, call you from your world to tell me the name of this child. Tell me who she was and who she will be. Tell me the name of this Swan so that her life can be remembered and lived again.

Like a quiet knock at the inside of my mind, I felt someone trying to enter my thoughts. Trying to tell me something. My eyes fell on the grinning baby beside me.

Don't you remember me?

I was so startled I almost lost all concentration and broke the connection with the spirits. That voice, it was so familiar, but it was not the voice of a baby. It was much older, much more like someone…someone I should remember…this face is much too young for me to be able to tell-

"Spirits, you must cross now!" The room is beginning to shake like an earthquake has suddenly hit Forks but no one else looks afraid. Of course they don't feel the approach of spirits, only a priestess can. The candles flick simultaneously, leaving a vague chill in the room. And then the water stirred. The spirits were emerging.

One by one, figures came out of the water and climbed off the table until they lined up and formed the outside circle. The faces were laughing and smiling, giggling and chatting with each other as if the cross hadn't at all altered their after lives. When she saw that she had their attention, Morgan called out to the spirits.

"Tell me the name of this spirit," she commanded in her "priestess voice" that could not be refused. One spirits, a small woman in raggedy clothes who had fiery red hair that was pinned into a braid and grayish colored eyes. She smiled at the baby, walking up to her and not even looking at Morgan. It wasn't unusual, the spirits were most likely people she knew in other lives that died. The girl smiled even wider when the child smiled back, cooing softly. She looked up at me, as if asking permission, before kissing her cheek softly and looking back at me again.

"Her name is Isabella."

"Isabella the Beautiful," a different spirit called.

And just like that, Morgan knew why the child had felt familiar to her. Isabella. The girl who Morgan had been born to protect, she had lived many lives some with and some without Isabella. The last two lives she hadn't been able to find her, but she had her here now. And Morgan was beyond happy.

"Her name is Isabella."

Renee gaped open mouthed at Morgan. Isabella? There was just no way! Renee had heard how Morgan was born in every life to be Isabella's guardian but she had heard of her failures and not believed it was possible. Her own daughter was the Isabella who had lived thousands of lives and every one was remembered and glorified. Isabella was the very foundation of the Swan family and any hunters at all. She was the very first hunter.

I smiled to myself as I remembered that day. How could I ever forget Morgan? Her face was always imprinted into my mind, smiling and laughing with me. I'd seen her as young as a teenager in the prime of youth and even wrinkled and weathered, looking as if she had been alive since the dawn of time. My anxiety seemed to drain away when I thought of Morgan, my protector. Even if Edward was my protector, so was Morgan.

When the plane landed much later, I was very relaxed. I don't know if that was because Jasper sent me waves of calm when I had been freaking out or if I was just naturally like this. Well I shouldn't be so paranoid; maybe he had nothing to do with it. Jasper turned and smirked at me then and all doubt faded away. Or maybe he did!

Edward called for a cab and soon were all stuffing our bags into the trunks and climbing into the backseats of two cabs and heading to the hotel. (I don't even know how we managed it!)

I won't bore you with much detail about how beautiful the hotel looked or how amazing Rome looked as we passed it since it seemed to go on forever and I'd really rather that I don't waste your time.

It was three in the afternoon and Alice had decided to take Rosalie shopping which meant that Jasper and Emmet had to go too. Carlisle and Esme were busy flipping through brochures as Edward and I sat on the couch and watched TV, neither of us really paying attention to what was on.

"Edward," I said on sudden inspiration.

"Yes?"

"I want to show you something." I took the locket from around my neck and held it in my hand for a moment just admiring the detail on the locket. The interacted roses that wrapped around the opal and the large rose vine I.S on the back.

"What's that, Bella?"

"Did I ever tell you how I got my name?" He thought for a moment before shaking his head.

"I don't think so. Did you get named after an aunt?" He laughed a bit. I smiled to myself, still gazing at the locket.

"No, I wasn't named after anyone."

"Why do I have the feeling is has something to do with Swan customs?"

"It does. I was named at a naming ceremony." He froze and looked down at me.

"And what happens at these…naming ceremonies?"

"Nothing bad. A priestess would have the parents and family members come and the child being named would be placed next to a tub full of water from the Oasis pool. The priestess would call forth the spirits and they would search their memories for the name of the spirit that had been born, since we've all had at least one life, and that's what they'd name it. They could tell the priestess what happened in pervious lives and even give a glimpse into the current life."

"Sounds…interesting." I laughed at his expression.

"It's really great. That's also how I got this locket. I made it in a previous life."

"Oh and who were you in your past lives?" Edward asked, smirking.

"Isabella Swan."

"That's your name now."

"But we keep our names, well we can alter them but that's our soul's name."

"The Swan family sure do have a lot of customs and stuff…"

"Yeah…"

"So what we you saying about the locket?"

"It's called the Locket of Memories. It has the lives of all of the Swan family's ancestors in it, like a movie of their life at hyper speed. Even my mother's…."

"Wait, back up. You can watch their lives?"

"Yep, I'll even show you." I opened the locket just a crack, hesitating for a moment before opening it all the way. Instantly a sweet music filled the air, spinning a web of warmth around us. A woman was singing softly as she hung up the laundry on the clothes line, a genuine smile on her face. Soft waves of mahogany colored hair tumbled down her back as she bent to pick up the wet clothes.

It flickered, the scene being replaced with one where the woman was dancing out of the way of shadowed blades. She was fast and easily dodged their blows, even though the shadows seemed to keep pressing closer, she fought harder.

Renee…

Aro POV

I tapped my fingers against the table impatiently as Fiona tapped into Bella's past. Isabella Swan, a hunter from the Swan family and she was fraternizing with the Cullens! How could Carlisle do that to me?! Harboring a killer! That girl was wanted dead by every vampire from every corner of the world, every sane one that is. Fiona's talent was wonderful for being able to get the history and background of a target. Only this time it seemed to take longer, too long. There couldn't possibly be that much on her, she was only human and humans didn't that have hidden and in their minds.

Finally, after what seemed like decades, Fiona took a staggering breath and stared at me with terrified eyes.

"You need to call Felix back, they mustn't touch her!"

I blinked at her, startled.

"What do you mean, Child?" Baffled would explain me right now, I was absolutely baffled as to how Fiona could be so petrified of a human who fancied going after vampires. She may be lucky but she probably just had the help of another vampire. But she could help me get to that vampire.

"Isabella isn't human!" What did she mean? I had seen Isabella for myself and she was perfectly human.

"Of course she is, Fiona."

"No! She's a hunter, this new species that I've never seen before…she and her family, even other families, can hunt vampires. She's one of their strongest; she's got a bigger reputation than even you Aro."

"That's impossible. And to prove it to you, Felix will bring her back and she'll be just a pathetic weak human like I told you."

Midnight

I was reading a book when Fiona came running into the room. Several heads turned at her entrance and I found even myself a bit surprised to see her.

"There's a problem!"

"What is it my dear?"

"She's here," Fiona whispered.

"Excellent, tell Felix to bring her in."

"You don't understand-

But she was cut off when the door banged open again. Instead of Felix as I expected, I saw a small girl about the age of seventeen. Her face, although beautiful, looked livid. Her eyes glowed with rage that seemed to melt every rational thought I had. Looking at her was like looking at Mother Nature herself, there was definitely a storm of the way…and I was looking at it.

"Which one of you is Aro?" She demanded.

"I am Aro," I said trying not to sound shaky. She dragged Felix in, his eyes wide when he saw me and dropped him at my feet.

"I don't appreciate this," she gestured to Felix, "trying to attack me out of no where and take me here. I have enough to deal with without vampires trying to get on my to-kill list!"

I was speechless. Not only did she manage to defeat Felix, she didn't even flinch in my presence. No, she was practically on fire in her fury toward me. Never, in my thousands of years on Earth, had I seen someone like her.

"If you even think about trying something funny again…" she trailed off angrily. "So I won't expect to see any of you again." She glared at me and I felt my self nod, almost without control, and stalked out the door.

"What a force of nature," I found myself gasp once I found I had use of my voice again. "I must have her!" Fiona gaped at me in horror but already a plan was forming in my mind.

Phew! Ok, it's done! What'd you think? Please review, I've hardly gotten any reviews for the last couple of chapters. Anyway, if you guys could tell your other author buddies on fan fiction to hurry up and update since almost all of them have been seriously delayed in updates, which is why I updated mine. Thank you for reading!

-V