Hi there! I know it's been a really long time since the last time I updated but in my defense, I've just been very busy since it's my first year in college. I'm a biochemistry freshman and I'm loving it! I've made a lot of new friends but I also miss one of my best friends had to go study to another town and she's not very happy, because it wasn't even the course she wanted... I guess it makes the experience kind of bittersweet. I try to help her as much as I can; some can say that distance means nothing nowadays but when you're away from your family and friends in a new city it's not the same to talk through phone or Internet and actually be with people.

Thanks to Adri1577 for beta-ing this for me! You're a great help, especially considering how fast you got this chapter back to me! THANK YOU!

Also, a huge THANKS to all my faithful readers for your support and loving reviews! Love you!

I know you're all anxious to read the chapter so I'll leave the ramblings for later. XD Don't forget to REVIEW! Good or bad, I want to know what you think.

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns the Twilight series.

Before in 'In the shadows of Forever'

"Hi, Ian. To what do I owe the pleasure?" I asked happily.

"Hello, Bella. It's nice to hear you so happy, tough the reason isn't exactly..."

"You don't agree with this either, do you?"

"I can't agree with something that can make you suffer. But that's not why I called. We have a situation." His voice was grave, and I could tell right away that nothing good was coming.

"What kind of situation?" Since we were all vampires and could perfectly hear what was being said, I decided to put the phone on loudspeaker so that the others didn't feel like they were listening in.

"The kind of situation we've been trying to put our hands on practically since you arrived to the Volturi. We've found him again. It's worse this time, though." I knew exactly who he was talking about.

"Worse? What could be worse than torturing humans and creating immortal children?" I asked, terrified of what was coming.

"He's started attacking vampires now. He's killed three of the guards that were with us the last time we tried to catch him, even though they had already left the Volturi. Also, it's being too easy to know the area where he is, even though it changes all the time. He's never been this... sloppy, which makes me think that he's not just being careless, he wants us to follow him, to know where he is. He's trying to lure us." He was right, and this only freaked me out more. This guy was smart and sneaky, and he had already proved that to us before. I also had to think about the Cullens now; I had to protect them. They would be a target if this turned into something more.

"What's going on, love?" Edward got closer to me and put his arms around my waist, pressing my back to his chest. I wished I had an answer for him. Unfortunately, it only seemed that I was far from having the peace that I wished for so much in my life.

"Nothing good, nothing good." I sighed, leaning my head against his shoulder and inhaling his scent deeply. He was my home and I was his. If there was something coming for us, I would protect him from it.

"There's a storm looming, Bells." Kurt commented seriously, and I knew he wasn't talking about the weather.

While I stood, no one would touch those I held dear. And no heartless vampire would throw me down because I had too many good reasons to fight, and I wasn't going to do it alone. I looked him right in the eyes, allowing him to see the determination I felt growing inside me, before I answered him.

"Let it come..." A rumble was heard and, a few seconds later, a lightning illuminated the morning, dark sky, as little drops of water started falling down on us. "I'll shield us from the rain."

Chapter 19

"Are you still there, Bella?" Ian's voice sounded from the phone that was now resting atop the Cullens' dining table.

"Yeah, I am. It's just that we were outside, and it started raining, so we entered the house." I explained quickly, anxious to know what else they had about our little situation. "Who did he kill?" I questioned.

"Layla, Millicent and John."

"But John wasn't with us any of the times we tried to catch him."

"He's Millicent's mate. He probably was with her when the guy got to her."

"What about Max?"

"He's devastated. He wants revenge, Bella. And he says that if he doesn't die killing the bastard, he's going to make us do it."

"God! We can't do it." Max was a friend. I've known him since the day he met Layla; I didn't want to kill him.

"Seriously, Bella? He was Layla's mate, what would you do if it had happened to you?" I quickly glanced at Edward that was sitting by my side and shuddered. "Besides, if we don't do it, he'll find another way."

"You're right. How did it all happen? Did he kill them all at the same time? How? Millicent and Layla were good fighters."

"The three of them had gone out hunting. When they didn't come back and didn't answer his calls, he went to look for them. Found two piles of ashes and then a third one when he headed north. Apparently, the guy caught Millicent and John first and only then Layla."

"How was Max sure it was them?"

"Millicent and John's rings were buried in the first two piles of ashes and Layla's medallion in the third. There was no mistake." He sighed.

"Do you think he's going to come after all of us, or it was just a coincidence that he found them?" I was terrified of the first option. If he came after us, the Cullens would definitely be a target.

"No way to know. Max says that he didn't detect anything strange or vampire movement in that area besides them. If I had to guess, I'd say it was all a coincidence. The guy had the opportunity and took it." Somehow his answer did not sooth me, even though Ian was pretty good at analyzing situations like these. His guesses were always right.

"What do we have this time?"

"Just sent you an e-mail with all the places where he's been since we found him signaled in a map and with a detailed description of the duration of the stay and what we were able to find." I could access my email with my mobile while keeping the call on, but it would be more practical to just retrieve my laptop from the car and use it. I hadn't even made a move to get up, and Kurt was already leaving the Cullen's living room.

"I'm on it, sis!" He came back a second later, already turning the laptop on, and placed it right in front of me, on the table. I quickly accessed my email and opened the message he'd sent me. The map had red dots over certain locations, with a number next to each of them.

"The numbers establish the order of the places where he's been. Number one is, obviously, where we first saw him." Ian's voice came through my mobile, and he started reciting the description that was annexed to the map. "He was in Nevada for three days, in—"

"I know how to read!" I snapped. I had only stared at the map for a few seconds, and I was already furious. I could not believe they had done this to me! "How long have you been following him around, Ian?" I asked coldly.

"Bella..."

"Answer!" I commanded. I usually avoided using this tone of voice. I didn't like to show the others that I was their superior and that I was above them in the power hierarchy because I didn't enjoy my position, and I didn't want to be above them. I hated to do it, especially with the members of my guard because their job was to risk their lives to protect me, and they were also my friends, but in this situation, I just couldn't avoid it.

"About two weeks." He sighed.

"Two weeks, so... more or less around the time I came to Forks and found out the Cullens were here, right?"

"Yes, Bella." He replied with a defeated tone.

"And why wasn't I told about this ordeal? Last time I checked, we had agreed that anything that happened regarding this subject would be immediately reported to me. So... care to inform me why Henry isn't doing his job?"

"At first he just didn't want to bother you with something that could vanish as quickly as it appeared, and after that, there was that little trip of yours to comatose land, and then you took the Cullen back. Henry is just so mad..." Ian was like this, always trying to calm things down, make us see the other side, another perspective.

"He's my second in command, Ian. The person I trust the most to handle things when I'm not there and who I rely on to keep me up to date with these kind of subjects. If he starts letting his relationship with me get in the way of his work..."

"I'm telling you now, Bella. I've been bugging Henry to tell you for a week."

"Do you realize that now could have been too late? This guy has been all over the USA already: Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Minnesota, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, Oregon! He was so damn close to Washington! The Cullens don't have enough fighting skills to deal with this guy, and if he brought too much company, I wouldn't be able to do much. Henry has put all of us at risk just because of one of his senseless fits. This guy is dangerous and has already threatened enough human lives; I'm not about to let him wander around for much longer! This time we'll catch him, but I can't do that if I can't trust the members of my guard." My voice was stern and concerned, but I just wanted to make sure that my message was understood.

"Of course, Bella. You're right! It's time we catch this guy. Do you want us to go to Forks?"

"No! Absolutely not! I don't want any member of the Volturi guard anywhere near Forks without my consent and especially not someone from my personal guard. You hear me, Ian? Any of you shows up here without my permission, and you'll be out of my guard immediately." I warned.

"What? What if he's really trying to get to us? You can't be left unprotected. It's our job to keep you safe. If Aro…"

I cut him off, "I'm a big girl! If I need you, I'll call. Besides, we're not going to give him a lot of time to act. I want you on him but never alone, got it? I want two of you always following him. And I think it's needless to say to remain hidden. You have to be 'invisible', and unless he attacks you, you are forbidden to engage in any type of contact with him. Are we clear?"

"Yes, Bella."

"We can't lose this guy again. He has caused enough trouble to humans, and now he's also turning on us. Something I was already expecting to happen."

"I promise I'll make sure that your orders are followed."

"That's not your job though. I want you to tell Henry to remove his head from his ass and call me. He may be pissed at me but that cannot interfere with his job."

"It won't be easy. You know how he is, how stubborn. Right now he's more than furious with you." I understood that Henry was calling for extreme measures.

"Tell him that if I don't receive a call from him in an hour, he'll be replaced as my second in command." It was something that I didn't really want to do, so I hoped that Henry would listen to Ian.

"Bella, you don't want to do that! I know you! You trust Henry. Don't you think you're being too harsh?"

"You're right, Ian, I don't want to do it, but I can't be at Forks, home and Italy at the same time! I need people I can trust to help me! I know I can trust Henry; I've put my life in his hands enough times, but right now he doesn't seem willing to help me. And I can't have that. My life is complicated enough at the moment; I don't need any of you making it harder for me."

"Of course, Bella, I understand, and I promise I'll talk to him and make him call you." I had to admit, Ian was the most level-headed member of my guard, and his presence was vital to help me deal with the others' bad-tempered personalities. "You're sure you don't want me to go to Forks? You know I'd never try anything, and Aro and the others would be more at peace."

"Thanks Ian, but I'm sure. And let me handle Aro…" Kurt's hand touched my shoulder, and I looked at him.

"Ian, hang up and go talk to Henry; we'll call you right back. I need to discuss something with my sister." Kurt requested.

"Of course, Kurt. I'll talk to you in a little while." He replied before the line went dead.

"What is it, Kurt?"

"Why don't you let Ian come to Forks? Everybody would feel much more comfortable, knowing that you weren't here by yourself while that sicko vamp is out there, probably trying to get to you. You know he wouldn't try anything against the Cullens, and honestly, Bella, you'll need help to deal with everything. How do you plan to catch up with the Company work, keep tabs on what your boys do in Italy, worry about what this sicko is doing, spend time with the Cullens, with us and train the Cullen's fighting skills as well as keeping yours sharp?" After his little rant, I could see where he was going, and I was not a fool not to recognize the toll this kind of stress was bound to take on me, as well as my relationship with Edward. We had just found each other again, and instead of being able to spend every minute together he would have to put up with all my time being taken away by a multitude of things that didn't always involve him.

"I don't know, Kurt…"

"I want to see you happy, sis, and the next few weeks are bound to be hell! I would feel better if one of your boys was here to help you. I would stay, but for obvious reasons," he glared at Edward. "I'm not sure that's a very good idea. Besides, Catherine will surely come to spend a few days with you to help you, and hopefully they'll stop dancing around each other and hit it on; they're getting seriously annoying. And jerk over there, " he tilted his head in Edward's direction, "could give Ian some pointers on how to date a human…" I knew the game he was playing…

"That's not fair, Kurt!" I whined.

"I'm just giving you very good reasons. Plus, how do you plan to teach the Cullens your badass fighting moves if you have no one with some experience to demonstrate?"

"Fine, fine. You win. Just tell me who is going to keep me posted on how things are going in Volterra if Ian is going to be here?"

"I'm sure Henry will call soon, sis, and you two will work it off. You always do."He grinned. Damned him! That was one of the times when I wondered why the hell I hadn't decided to leave him where I had found him. "Don't be mean! You know you don't mean it, sis." He said after reading my thoughts. Damn, I ought to close that window. There really wasn't any distance limits to David's gift, and I didn't want my brothers to witness more private and intimate aspects of my life with Edward. So, from now on, their access to my thoughts would be very restricted. When I noticed, Kurt was already calling Ian again, and soon his voice came through the phone.

"Hey, again!"

"Have you talked to Henry, Ian?"

"Yes, I have, Kurt, and I ought to say that things aren't looking pretty, but he took your threat seriously…" That frightened me a little. As much as I couldn't tolerate his disregard for his job, I didn't want to push our friendship even more; we were already walking a thin line. I had never been so strict with Henry, and I was afraid this would make our disagreement about Edward worse. And this was exactly why I hated to show that I was higher in the hierarchy than them. They were not only my guard but also my friends, and at times, it was difficult to differentiate it. Ian must have sensed my stress. "Don't worry, Bella. He knows you don't really want to do this, but that you'll do it if you need to. He's going to come around."

"Thanks, Ian, I just wish you're right. Also, Kurt and I were talking, and since no one from the Cullen family opposed, I decided that I want you to come to Forks to help me. I'm going to have a lot on my hands, and I could use an extra set of them."

"When do you want me there?" This was how my boys were. The fact that they didn't even question my requests was something that made me smile because I knew they weren't doing it out of fear but instead out of respect and friendship.

"How's tomorrow for you?" I questioned. I wanted to start training the Cullens as soon as possible, in case the sicko vamp, as Kurt called him, appeared around here. I seriously hoped that would never happen, but you can never be too cautious with the ones you love.

"Suits me just fine. Give me a minute… ok, I've booked my flight. I'll be there around 4pm. How's the rest of the family?" He asked casually. Kurt and I knew better and started laughing, as he huffed.

"The family? Do you really think we'd fall for that? I mean, how much obvious can you get, Ian? The only member of the family that you have interest in is Catherine; why don't you just admit it? But I'll have some compassion and give you the precious information you so desperately crave. She's perfectly fine, man. She just dumped the last idiot she was dating. I should warn you though, if you don't do something, she's going to say yes to one of those guys sometime."

"Thanks so much for the advice, Kurt." He answered in a sarcastic voice.

"Want me to pick you up at Seattle Airport?" I questioned.

"No. I'll run. See you tomorrow, Bella. Take care!"

"You too. Bye, Ian." I answered as the line went mute.

"Okay, Bella. So what do we have here?" Alice questioned, her eyes shinning with excitement.

"Whoa, Pixie! Calm down!" Kurt exclaimed.

"Alice, you don't have anything here. I can explain the situation, but this is Volturi business. If it depends on me, none of you will be involved. I'm only going to teach you some fighting techniques because my relationship with Edward can turn you into targets, and I want you safe." Alice was about to start arguing with me when her eyes glazed over. Jasper immediately held onto her, to keep her steady.

"Damn it!" Edward swore angrily, as he registered Alice's vision. Alice seemed sympathetic, as she returned to her normal self.

"What is it?" I questioned them, worried. Had she seen something about the vampire I wanted to catch? Had he killed someone else? Was he coming here?

"Calm down, Bella." Jasper said, sensing my stress. "What is it, darling?" He questioned Alice.

"The Denali clan is coming to visit." She answered simply.

"Is that all?" I breathed a sigh of relief and sat back down. "Why isn't that good? I thought they were friends of yours." I said, confused.

"They are, Bella. But in the past few years, Tanya has been quite insistent with Edward. You know she has a thing for him, and she thought that since you were out of the picture…" Alice trailed off.

"Oh." I had witnessed several of Tanya's attacks and some of Edward's refusals during the time I spent reading his thoughts throughout the years, but I usually stopped reading his mind during those times. I didn't need reasons to come to him but rather to stay away, and jealousy would definitely be something that would make me go to him. I guess I never realized how uncomfortable her advances made him feel.

"Unfortunately, Tanya's behavior hasn't been the most correct towards Edward, and it has been some time since the Denali's last visit." Carlisle stated. "It'll be good to see our friends again, and since Bella is here, I'm sure Tanya won't make Edward so uncomfortable."

"I'm not so sure of that, Carlisle, but at least she won't be so blatant about her attacks." Alice commented, as Emmett laughed.

"When will they get here?" I asked her.

"Tomorrow in the afternoon, so I think Edward will have more than enough time to get ready for Tanya's attacks."

"Alice!" Edward hissed.

"Oh, please, Edward! You have Bella now. Stay close to her, and Tanya won't have time to do anything." Rosalie suggested.

"Why are you making such a spectacle out of this? Let this Tanya character see Bella fight, and she'll leave Edward alone, afraid that Bella will come after her or something. Whether you want it or not, Bella has a big influence on the Volturi. Let the Denalis know this, and you won't have problems." Kurt sighed, as if it was the most obvious thing ever.

"Kurt!" I scolded. "I'm not going to flaunt my unwanted power or strength just to keep some desperate vampire away from Edward." Kurt frowned, and I grinned. "Not right away, at least." Maybe in the past I had been jealous of Tanya, especially when I was human, but after all that Edward and I have been through, I felt much more secure in my relationship with Edward.

"Your arrival is going to bring so much fun to this family, Bella!" Emmett bellowed. He was about to come and hug me when my phone rang. The name on the screen made me sigh with relief, and I picked it up without delay.

"Henry." I greeted cautiously.

"Princess Bella. How far thee?" His voice was strained and held absolutely no hint of sarcasm or teasing.

"Knock it off, Henry! You know I hate it!" I snarled. Damn! This conversation was just starting, and he was already pissing me off… He didn't speak again, so I took the initiative. "Don't do this, Henry, okay? I'm seriously not in the mood to deal with your antics, and you know better than anyone how much I don't want to dismiss you from your position. But what else can I do when you don't tell me important things, like what's been happening,\ because you don't agree with the decisions I'm making regarding my personal life? You know how much it will mean to me to catch this guy, and you know how important it is that we do it! So how can you explain the fact that you were withholding crucial information from me?" I decided to give him some time to defend himself.

"I was trying to protect you…" he sighed.

"Protecting me from what?"

"This guy is dangerous, Bella, and I know you've put yourself in enough danger because you wanted to catch him… besides, you were dealing with enough things…"

"Don't try to play me, Henry! You know I don't fall for that. I requested to be informed about all the clues we got on this guy, and you let your personal problems with me get in the way of your job. I need people I can trust! The choice is yours, now. Can I trust you?" I seriously hoped his answer was yes.

"Yes. You can always trust me, Bella. Even if you're making the stupidest decision ever-" I cut him off right there.

"Stop! We're not going to have this conversation now! I'll be going to Italy in a few weeks, and we'll discuss this matter then. Not that there's a lot to discuss, but... Ian is coming to Forks tomorrow to help me with a couple of things, and I want you to keep me posted about everything that happens there, you hear me? Be careful and don't lose this guy, got it?"

"Don't worry, Bella." I could tell by his tone of voice that he was dying to discuss the whole Ian-is-coming-to-Forks deal, but he knew I meant business, and he didn't want to push me, which, at the time, was a really sane decision.

With everything that had been going on, I was ready to burst at something or someone. Was it too hard to understand that I just wanted some peace? Was that too much to ask for?

"I'll be expecting your call, Henry. Don't let me down!"

"I won't. Take care of you, 'kay? Don't let that bastard hurt you!"

"Bye, Henry." I replied, and he quickly hung up, probably sensing that my mood wasn't exactly improving.

"See, Bells! I told you he'd call. You do know that when you get to Italy, it's going to get ugly though."

"You're always so positive, dear brother. Always seeing the glass half full, right?"

"Oh, most definitely." He grinned, and I knew right away he was up to no good. But then when wasn't he ever? "I think it's time jackass here and I have our talk, don't you, sis?" He asked glancing at Edward. I could see Edward tense up and look at me.

"Remember what you promised, Kurt!" I said simply before giving Edward a comforting smile.

"I just promised I wouldn't kill him…" They headed outside, and Esme threw me a worried look.

"Don't worry, Esme! Do you really think I'd let them go if I wasn't sure Edward was perfectly safe?" She just smiled and grinned back.

Kurt's POV

Finally, I got to take the jackass outside and rough him up a bit. Or not. I had promised Bella that I would return him alive, but there was nothing wrong with some harsh words and maybe some shoves. I grabbed his lapels and shoved him against a tree. He actually looked a bit scared, which was healthy and completely justified, if I do say so myself.

"Okay, listen up here, you little bastard, I hear that my sister is even slightly upset, and you'll be ashes before you notice, you hear me? Bella is one of the most important people in my life, and I won't have her being hurt again. She's been through enough! You got me?"

"Yes."

"Good. You should also know that if something happens to her, I won't be the only one coming after you. You know what I really want to do right now? I just want to kick your ass big time, tear you to pieces and use your body parts to light up a fire! However, and because I know it would make Bella unhappy, I'm not going to do it, for now anyway. I just thought you should know how eager I am."

"I won't hurt Bella again. The past few days were torture enough for me. Knowing that I was responsible for what was happening to her killed me everyday, and I'll never forgive myself for it, even if she does forgive me. She's the most important thing in my life, and I'd rather die than cause her any more pain." He sounded sincere, but then I couldn't really trust him. I shoved him against the tree once again before letting him go and felt so good with myself.

I'm sure I reentered the house smiling and slightly reassured about this excuse of a vampire that claimed to love my sister; after all, he did take the talk like a man, even though, I'm sure, I looked a little bit crazy. Where would be the fun if I hadn't though?

I hope you liked it! Even if you didn't, REVIEW and let me know why. Your opinion is very important to me!

I'll try to update again soon but I have some mid-terms coming and I'll have to study, a lot! I've given up making promises about the next updates because I can never keep them, so I'll just say, I'll do it as soon as possible.

Please REVIEW! I hope you haven't all given up on this story, by now...

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