Chapter 21: Training

Sighing as she was being forced into a chair, Bella looked at herself in a mirror. "Alice you can stop playing Bella Barbie," she insisted. Alice shook her head as she picked up a brush.

"This is a lot more fun now that I don't have to worry about yanking your hair out," she quipped.

Rolling her eyes, Bella started twirling her finger around, watching the comb on the vanity start to turn in circles. "Wait, how are you doing that?" Alice asked in shock.

"Oh this? I started doing this the other day," she replied nonchalantly.

Bella tilted her hand and the comb tilted with her. "So wait…you can shield yourself from other abilities, but you also have telekinesis?" Alice asked in disbelief.

"Yeah," Bella replied.

"That's rare Bella, that's…that's so rare! Carlisle!" Alice called.

Walking in a minute later, Carlisle stood there with a quizzical look. "What's going on?" He asked.

"Have you ever heard of a vampire having two abilities?" Alice question curiously.

"It is a rare trait," he answered.

"I was weird as a human now I'm an even weirder vampire," Bella quipped with a small laugh.

Carlisle pulled up a chair, sitting in front of her. "What can you do?" He asked.

"I'm able to shield myself and others from other abilities, this you already know. The other day I found I can do this," Bella explained as she made the comb lift up from the vanity again.

Carlisle tapped his chin as he started thinking. "We'll have to teach you how to train this ability, this is a great advantage to a lot of things Bella," he commented. Smiling a little, Bella looked at herself in the mirror, chewing on her bottom lip as her mind started drifting. She knew what she wanted to do with her abilities, she just needed enough time to control them.

----------------------------

Edward was positioned behind Aro's chair as usual, the same spot he stood in day and night whenever someone was brought into the hall. Clasping his hands behind his back, Edward watched as the large doors opened loudly , as the humans enjoying their 'tour' entered. Aro stood up with a charming smile. "Welcome to Volterra," he greeted to the people

Feeling violently ill, just the thought of killing humans disgusted him. He promised his loyalty to Aro, but he never promised to follow their diet. Edward swallowed hard, closing his eyes tight. "Edward, my dear friend, why don't you take your pick?" Aro asked suddenly. Lifting his head and squaring his shoulders, Edward shook his head slowly.

"I will once again pass my lord," Edward answered, feeling his throat constrict at the last two words.

This was a prison, without the bars and the chains, a prison that had no gates yet he could not walk free. Before he could move away, the Volturi leader's hand rested on his shoulder. "Ah still thinking of your human girl I see, it is entertaining," he said with his voice low enough that only Edward could hear him.

Edward's jaw locked, closing his eyes tight. "I advise you to do as you are told, Edward," he hissed quietly.

"I am my lord, you ordered me to appear into the main hall, you didn't order me to choose," Edward pointed out, still staring at the large doors that had once again closed, trapping their prey.

"Consider this an order," Aro barked, disliking Edwards resilience..

Edward's hands clenched into fists. "I had agreed to join your army, I didn't agree to become a killer of humans," Edward answered. Aro scowled before looking back towards the humans.

"Doesn't matter, begin," he instructed.

In seconds the room was filled with screams. Edward closed his eyes tight, not wanting to watch any of it. Turning his head away to block out the screams, Edward desperately tried not to listen to the thoughts of the innocent victims. Grabbing his cloak that was lying on the floor he put it over his shoulders, leaving the main hall.

Walking down the dark halls of the castle, Edward continued to his room closing the door once he was there. Sitting down on his chair, he looked outside to see the sun starting to set. His mind started to drift to Bella once more, his beloved Bella, how he missed her. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he started to think about the look on his father's face. The look of hurt across his face, but what surprised Edward was that his father wasn't ashamed. It was a relief to know his father didn't feel betrayed when he choose to join the Volturi.

Edward let out a shaky sigh, sitting back in his chair when there was a knock on the door. "Yes," he answered standing up immediately. Marcus entered the room, closing the door behind him.

"You are far from the foolish boy you make yourself out to be," he commented.

Remaining silent, Edward just stared at the second Volturi leader. "I am here to merely warn you," Marcus informed.

"About what my lord?" Edward asked.

"Aro has been discussing you with Chelsea, discussing with an intent," Marcus reported quietly.

Feeling his jaw lock, he closed his eyes. "Don't act so surprised boy," he added.

"What do you expect me to do my lord, Aro will have several of the guards holding me down when he uses Chelsea on me," Edward answered.

"Don't be a fool and let him do it that's what," Marcus answered grabbing Edward's arm forcing him to look at him.

Marcus stared at the much younger vampire. "Do not let Chelsea use her ability, because seeing how stubborn that human girl of yours is, she will come here and she will try to find you," he explained.

"She can't," Edward answered quietly.

"And if she comes here and Chelsea uses her ability on you, I have felt her feelings for you. I feel how strong your bond is, she will never, ever recover from it," Marcus explained.

"The girl deserves a real life," he added

"Come off it boy and don't be anymore foolish than you already are," Marcus hissed quietly.

Marcus glared at him. "As someone who has lost someone, I know all too well what kind of torture the girl will go through if you forget how much you care," he added. "If my beloved Didyme was still alive I would not stand back and let Chelsea take my love away. I refuse to let someone else go through the same kind of torture I endured through death. Only your girl's will be worse because you will be alive, but you will have forgotten you love her."

Edward remained silent. "Do not be a fool Edward, if she tries to use her ability you will not give up," he added. Letting Edward go, the second Volturi leader left the room, leaving Edward to his thoughts. Walking over to the window, his eyes moved over to the people going on about their day.

The sun was beginning to set, the day was just about over. Leaving his room, Edward's mind was just cluttered with his thoughts. The idea of forgetting his love for Bella made him ill. He knew that Aro was going to use Chelsea on him, he wasn't an idiot, he knew all along what Aro's plans were. It was too easy that Aro let Bella go without so much of a threat, just that they would watching.

The Volturi guard were watching her, he knew that was a fact, but he knew it was more than just to make sure that the vampire world would stay a secret. Aro had forgotten about the fact that Edward could read his mind from a hundred feet away or in the next room. He could hear him, he heard the plan and Marcus's warning only made things worse. He had to get out of Volturi, he had to escape, but not when there was a guard at every door.

If he tried to leave Volterra, it would mean that his sacrifice to keep them safe in the first place would be broken. Edward had to think of a way to save both Bella and Carlisle without breaking his deal with Aro. He combed his fingers through his hair as he continued walking through the dark halls.

--------------------------------

Back in Forks, Bella hit the ground with a groan. "Good thing I'm not a human anymore," she commented. Laughing, Emmett walked over and helped her up off the ground.

"Why are you teaching her to fight anyways?" Jasper asked as he walked out of the house.

Bella looked over at Jasper, pushing her hair from her eyes. "I'm going to Volterra to get Edward back," she replied. Jasper's eyes widened in shock at her words.

"Bella are you crazy?" He asked.

"I want Edward home, and don't try denying the fact that you want him back too," Bella answered.

"You're going to try to get into a castle filled with gifted vampires?" Jasper asked curiously.

"I'll get in, with my abilities I can get in without being caught," Bella replied.

Jasper sighed as he pushed his hair from his eyes. "Alright, if you're going to learn how to fight, might as well learn from someone who fought against vampires for the first few decades of my life," Jasper replied. Emmett rolled his eyes before moving aside. "Bella, with the Volturi you have to be ready for anything," he informed. Nodding her head slowly, Jasper charged at her and she tried to move out of the way, but he was too fast and pinned her down on the ground. "Felix will have no mercy," he told her.

"I have…" Jasper cut her off.

"It doesn't matter with the telekinesis, there's a reason why Felix is the best fighter in the Volturi," Jasper told her.

Bella freed one of her arms and held her hand up, but it didn't do anything. "This is why you have to practice first, if you tried that on Felix it wouldn't do a damn like it is now," he told her. He got off her, helping her up off the ground again. Bella sighed, sitting down.

"I just want Edward back," she whispered.

Biting her lower lip, she looked in her lap when Emmett sat next to her, hugging her gently. "Hey Bells, we'll get him back," he assured her. Nodding her head slowly, she kept her gaze at the ground as her mind started to drift a little.

Images of Edward lying on her bed waiting for her to return with her bowl of cereal replayed like a movie.

"You took you time" he quipped flashing his brilliant white teeth in a grin. She took her place next to him on the bad slowly so not to spill the milk in her bowl.

Leaning back against his stone cold hard body which seemed to mould around her so perfectly she sat there content. Edward simply sat there running his finger tips up and down her exposed arm as she ate, watching with fascination as she chewed every mouthful of cereal. "I love you Bella" he whispered into her ear.

Choking on the spoonful of her breakfast she had just put in her mouth she spluttered "W…w…what?".

Rolling onto his back Edward looked up at the ceiling watching the fan spin. "That wasn't quite the reaction I was expecting" he admitted laughing and Bella's expression.

Blushing deeply she began to apologize "I'm sorry I… it's just you have never said it before… I mean I wasn't expecti…" she was silenced by his finger gently resting on her lips.

"You don't have to apologize…" he began "Just lying here waiting for you, watching you, I realized what I have been missing in my life, I wanted you to know that."

Placing her bowl on the cabinet beside her bed she moved so she was positioned over him her face directly above his own. "I love you, I really do" she spoke "You just caught me off guard that's all". Lowering her lips to his he flipped her onto her back deepening the kiss. Her hand instinctively made their way to his hair, scraping his scalp with her nails. The other entangled itself into the back of his t-shirt, balling into a fist. Eventually the pair parted, leaving Bella trying to catch her breath as he stroked her face soothingly. It was that moment there that Bella was sure she would not be able to live without him.

Shaking her head slowly, with a heavy heart she got up from her spot on the bench heading inside.