Hello!
Well, this took a little longer than I expected but it's done ;D I hope you enjoy it and don't forget to leave a REVIEW.
Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed last chapter and who has stick to me, even though I took the longest time to get back to this story due to real life obligations AKA College :D Thankfully now I'm on vacation and I intend to enjoy every single minute and dedicate myself to my writing!
A HUGE thank you to my lovely beta Adri1577 who has done an amazing job helping me with the grammatical aspects of this story.
Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns the Twilight saga and all its characters.
Chapter 23
"Go to hell, Jane!"
"Not without you, my dear." She replied with a sickly sweet voice. "Playing happy families again? How cute! So how long until the next break up-get together scandal? The two of you are better than celebrity couples. You certainly know how to get everyone worked up, right Bella? Henry is a bomb waiting to explode; the rest of your guard is very, very pissed off, and you brought a human along… maybe you could share?" Both Ian and I growled, and she smiled evilly. "Oh, so protective. I expected it from Bella, but you, Ian… Something you aren't telling?"
"What if you minded your own miserable life and leave us alone, bitch?" Catherine fired. We were all surprised, but after a minute I realized that Catherine was just like that. To any other human being in the presence of Jane, knowing what she was capable of would be a terrifying experience… apparently not to Catherine. I didn't know why Ian had so many doubts; clearly living with vampires her whole life had messed with her head; I doubted any more damage could be done. If she could face Jane like that, she could surely have a relationship with a vampire and be changed to one.
I could see Jane's desire to attack Catherine with her power, but despite what she tried to make everyone else believe, she knew she couldn't do it with me there, simply because it did matter that I was above her in the Volturi hierarchy. So she turned to me; her eyes glistened with malice.
"You know, Isabella," she sneered, "you may have gotten your precious Edward back, and you may think that nothing else matters but it does. You walk around with that pitch black cloak of yours, changing things around here and having everybody thinking that you are the most selfless person around, but we both know all the awful things you've done and that will never go away! If you think about it, we're not that different from each other, are we? And one day you're going to drown in all the wrong that you did, and I seriously hope that day comes soon."
"Jane!"
"Brother! I was just welcoming our dear Isabella back."
"Isabella." Alec acknowledged me coldly, before turning to his sister. "Jane, Aro asked you to go with Nick immediately; he'll fill you in on what you're going to do."
"Of course. I know I can trust you to make our golden girl's life a living hell." She whispered to him, as he nodded and gave her his best mischievous smile.
When Jane was no longer in sight, his face turned into a look that let me know just how sick he was feeling.
"It's okay, Alec. We're good."
"Dang, Bella! I tried really hard to get her out of here before you arrived." I made a move to hug him, and he exhaled in relief. "Don't believe in anything she says… you know how it is…"
"Yeah…" I tried to sound convincing.
"So who's this beautiful human you brought along? I comprehend it's not food."
"No, this is Catherine Jones."
"Oh, the famous Catherine! It's a pleasure to meet you. Bella and Ian talk about you all the time; they just hadn't commented on your beauty." Alec was a charmer, and Ian didn't like all the attention she was getting from him.
"You two are friends?" Alice asked looking between me and Alec in a surprised manner, just like the rest of the Cullens were doing.
"Jane, I can't stand and she hates me, but yes, Alec and I are friends, without Jane's knowledge obviously." I knew that if Jane found out, she would make Alec choose between her and me, and I didn't want to put him in that position.
"Came to say hi and tell you that Aro is waiting for you in the throne room. I should also warn you that Henry might be in the room when you arrive there and he's… vicious." I was expecting it. I knew he wasn't going to be easy to deal with. I should have come sooner, but things had been a mess…
"Ian, take Catherine and send Ash and William to the throne room, please. Sammie, has my brother Scott arrived already?" I asked, as Ian led Catherine down the hallway and into an elevator.
"Yeah. He got here a couple of hours ago." She answered.
Scott, meet me in the throne room, please.
Hey, sis! Yeah, I will… you might need some help with Henry.
I turned to the Cullens "Maybe you should go with Ian…" I didn't even get to finish the sentence before I knew what their answer was going to be… they were going with me. I didn't want to hide anything from them, especially not from Edward, but I was afraid Henry would attack them with his sharp tongue… He was a master at deceiving and hurting with his words. "Okay… I get it, you're coming. Let's go."
I grabbed Edward's hand and pulled him to my side before starting to walk towards one of the big elevators. I took the time in the elevator to talk to Edward again.
"Remember what I asked you. No matter what he does, stay put. I can handle him, and I just know he'll try to get to you. Just let me handle him."
"I just don't want you getting hurt." He whispered back.
"I know. Trust me, Henry might be furious, but he'd never hurt me." I was letting him go with me, but I didn't want him in danger. Just because Henry wouldn't hurt me, it didn't mean he wouldn't try to hurt Edward.
"Fine. I trust you. But be careful, we've been through enough."
"I agree. Just think that once this is all figured out, and I have handled the business I have here, we'll be free to live our love as we see fit. And I don't need Alice to predict some very long vacation in our future." I winked, and he simply attacked my lips in response… I can't say that I minded. I just couldn't get enough of him.
I took the time to tie my cloak around my neck because I knew how paranoid Aro was about the cloaks. He said they were used to show the different positions in the hierarchy, and that he didn't want to see anyone without it unless we were in our rooms or a common room where he pretty much never went.
When we entered the throne room, the only present were the brothers and the wives. Aro got up immediately and waited excited for me to get to him.
"Isabella!" He exclaimed delightedly. "It's so good to have you back! And you brought the Cullens along! What a pleasure!" The wives also came to hug me, but Caius and Marcus remained seated on their thrones, sending only smiles my way. They didn't share Aro's buoyant manners which was actually a relief to me. "Carlisle, my friend! It's been so long."
"I'm not sure if the term friend can apply, Aro. After all you took my son's mate…"
"But now they are back together, and everything is going well, isn't it so? I must confess that this subject has caused quite the commotion among our ranks, especially within Bella's guard, but I'm sure she'll be able to solve it quickly, won't you my dear?"
"Certainly, Aro." I felt like I was being chastised, but the only thing Aro asked of me was to keep my guard under control, even when I wasn't in Italy, and it usually wasn't a difficult task. Just as I uttered the words, another door, opposite to the one we had come in, busted open showing a very furious Henry on the other side. Scott, William and Ash came in after him and positioned themselves next to the Cullens, behind me.
I took a moment to take in Henry, noticing his black eyes, the way he clenched his hands, something he only ever did when he was extremely angry, and how his blond hair was all over the place instead of the organized mess he always wore, meaning he had been pulling at it.
Reigning in his fury, he approached me and knelt by my feet, taking my hand and kissing it. "Princess Isabella, I'm glad you are back and am ready to be of service." I grabbed his shoulder and made him stand up.
He was at least an inch taller than me, but after so many years, he couldn't intimidate me, as much as he tried. I was a slightly better fighter than he was, benefit of my small stature and faster movements, and I knew him so well that he didn't scare me with his fury or temporary cruelty. "How dare you bring them along!" he hissed. "They are not welcome, and I won't play faithful little puppy for them."
"They have nothing to do with this. You have something to tell me, do so!"
"I have no idea what he did to convince you that he was good for you, but when he breaks your heart all over again, you better not come to me because the only thing you'll get is an 'I told you so'!"
"Really? Do you really want to go there? I don't care what you think of me or my relationship with Edward, but I do have a problem when you hide things from me because you're pissed off! I told you before and I am telling you now: you do something like this again, and I won't even hesitate in taking you out of my guard. And I don't want to arrive again and have Aro reprimand me because I can't keep seven guys in control when I'm not around so stop this behavior and trying to get the others on your side! You have a problem with me, you solve it with me! Am I understood?" It was ruthless, but everybody knew I had to tell him that personally. My speech only fuelled him even more, so when he launched himself at me, I was perfectly prepared.
Alice's POV
As Henry and Bella fought, Scott and Ash cheered her on while William calmed me and Esme. Edward looked like he needed some reassurances as well, but Bella had warned him that it was going to happen.
"If you are worried about Henry… I understand, but Bella's tough. You should have seen last time they got into a fight. Bella tore his arm off, and it took him a day to find it… and they weren't as pissed off as today. Anyway, don't worry. Bella can hold her own against him, and he wouldn't purposefully hurt her. Henry is just very hotheaded."
"Bella hid his arm?" Esme asked.
"Don't judge, he deserved it. If it had been me, I'd have made sure he'd never find it!"
"You don't seem to mind her relationship with Edward like he does." I commented.
"Hey, Bella doesn't meddle in our personal lives, so we don't meddle in hers. Sure, we worry, but it's her life." Ash commented.
"Actually she meddled a little with you and Sammie." Will argued back.
"Yeah, and I'll be forever grateful!" He sighed. "And she meddles a lot in Ian's life."
"Yep, but someone has to, otherwise he'll never get any. I swear he's worse than a nun. I really can't see what his problem is… Catz is hot, nice and willing, and he's clearly whipped… he had reasons to stay away until she was eighteen but after that… he's just being dumb." It amazed me how they were there discussing Ian's life when Bella and Henry were involved in such an ugly fight.
So far, Bella seemed to have the upper hand, but there had been a lot of slamming against the ground and the walls, leaving some dents that Aro was complaining about.
"I can't understand. They have a whole wing of their own to do as they please; why do they always have to destroy this room? I swear the repairs are coming off their accounts!" He ranted. It was a bit strange to see Aro act like that, but it was also quite amusing.
I directed my attention to the fight again to see that Henry had gained the advantage and was pinning Bella to the ground by straddling her waist and holding her arms above her head; he glanced to where we were standing, and I could swear he smiled before lowering his head to Bella's, as if he was going to kiss her.
"Oh oh, this is not going to end well." Ash whispered to William while glancing at Edward.
"You know, I like this position very much." Henry whispered with his lips almost touching Bella's.
The innuendo wasn't lost on anyone and, especially not on Edward who released a deafening growl and started advancing toward Henry, only to be stopped by Scott and Ash. That seemed to make Bella react and, taking advantage of Henry's distraction, she rolled, so that it was her straddling him now. "I really don't mind this one either." He whispered in her ear, making it loud enough so that everyone in the room could hear. That set Edward off again, and I saw the full on smile on Henry's face, and I understood what he was trying to do. Since he couldn't get through Bella, and he couldn't hurt her, he was trying to get to Edward and make him fight with him.
"Stop provoking Edward!" Bella hissed, throwing Henry against a wall and going to Edward.
"Ssssh! It's okay, Edward. He was just trying to get to you. Calm down, please. Let him go!" She ordered Scott and Ash. They looked at her, uncertain if they should really do what she asked, as Edward kept struggling against their holds. "Just do it, guys. I can handle him."
Bella's POV
As soon as Ash and Scott released Edward, I threw myself into his arms, stopping him from going after Henry. I knew how he felt… I had felt the same way with Tanya, but just as Tanya had needed to be saved from my craziness, I needed to keep Edward away from Henry's fury because it would be really hard to predict who would win, and I didn't want them to hurt each other. Besides that, Henry wasn't like Tanya; he didn't have romantic feelings for me; he just wanted to unsettle Edward.
"Calm down, Edward, please. He's just trying to get to you. Don't enter his game! He's being cruel! It's what he does, please, don't! I love you… You're the only one I'll ever want and the only one who'll ever have me! I'm only yours." I whispered. He stopped and hugged me close, almost too tightly, but he needed it, and I wasn't breakable anymore, so I just let him. I kissed his neck and then his lips and, instantly, his rigid body melted. "We're fine. I love you!"
"I love you too, Bella." He whispered back. I detached myself from him and advanced towards Henry.
"Now, us! If you ever do that again… God help me, Henry! You have no right to use my relationship with Edward to provoke him. And I'm going to tell you exactly what I've told my brothers: you don't have to like it, but you can at least support and accept my decisions." Then my voice softened. "I owe you a lot! You have saved my life and my sanity more times than I can count, and you've been an incredible friend. I'd hate to lose that. I'm not asking you to become buddies, not even to get along! Just support my decision because Edward isn't going anywhere, and I don't want you to go either." The raging fire in his eyes dimmed a little.
"We'll meet in half an hour. There are more urgent matters to discuss." And then he left the room.
"That went well, Bella. No arms lost this time… Nice!" Ash commented.
"You should know you've totally ruined your bad boy/badass reputation for everyone in this room. Except for me of course, I've always known you were a softie… "
"Please… Sammie threatened me this morning! She said I had to be nice! I have a reputation to maintain, but before that I have a mate to please, so I'm sorry if I'm willing to leave my brooding dark nature behind for a couple hours to assure that I'll be allowed in my bedroom for the next year! She actually wanted me to wear color, but I drew the line there."
"Someday you'll get to your room, and all your black clothes will be gone… just saying." Ash said. I knew he wasn't going to make a scene of my relationship with Edward. He knew that if it had been him and Sammie, he would have done the same thing, and William… He was just too even-tempered to react the same way Henry or my brothers had, not to mention that he absolutely hated to go against one's choice when they really wanted it. I had chosen Edward, so he wasn't going to try to sway me. Some may think that a friend shouldn't act that way, that it showed lack of worry for me, but he knew it was what I really wanted.
"Well, the talk is getting very interesting, but I don't keep you around to discuss your love lives when you have more important matters to attend! So, please, Isabella, take the Cullens to their rooms and do what you need to do to catch that vampire you've been after. I don't want him unleashed in my town for longer than necessary."
"Sure, Aro!"
"And dear, please, keep your boys under control. I've lost track of all the mess they caused in the past few days."
"Of course. I'm sorry."
"Good! We'll talk more later. As for you, Carlisle…I hope we have the chance to talk during your stay here. You know our talks were always interesting… I look forward to that moment."
"We'll see, Aro." Carlisle's answer was noncommittal, but Aro seemed pleased nonetheless.
I abandoned the throne room with Edward by my side, and the rest of the Cullens followed as Scott, William and Ash trailed behind us.
"So, there's an entire wing of the castle on the top floor that belongs to me and my guard. We had some spare bedrooms that I asked Sammie to arrange so that you could stay there. My room is the farthest from the entrance for… security purposes. Besides the bedrooms, there's a common room, a training room and a strategy room; you don't have to be worried about entering somewhere you're not supposed to because, apart from the guy's rooms, you can go anywhere. In the common room there're several car keys; you can use any that has my name on it. The guys are a bit protective of their rides."
"Right, because you aren't!" William scoffed.
"Anyway… the garage is on the second basement floor and can be accessed by stairs or the elevator. Oh, something I forgot to say… the rooms are completely sound proof, so instead of knocking at the door we use a small button in the wall right next to the door that works like some kind of bell." We arrived at the top floor, and I opened the doors that led to our wing. There was a big marble and golden room with sumptuous chandeliers, several chairs and couches and antique small tables with vases and silver objects on top, strewn across them; big tapestries with the Volturi crest and old paintings adorned the walls, and there were two doors, one on each side of the room.
"This room is beautiful." Esme commented.
"Well, it's too… royal and ostentatious for my taste, and it doesn't have much to do with the bedrooms and the other rooms, but we don't spend enough time here to justify remodelations. It's more of a waiting room than anything, really. Well, the door on the right leads to the bedrooms and the one on the left to the other rooms." I led them to their rooms and asked them to meet me in the common room when they were done settling in.
Meanwhile, Edward and I headed to the common room. There wasn't much to it: a big round table - Henry joked it was like we were the knights of the round table - a couple of chairs, a couch, a huge TV, apparently indispensable for the boys, several electronic devices meant to 'turn a videogame into the most realist experience ever' Cooper's words, a stereo and two bookcases. It was a space to chill and hang out, a sanctuary if you will. Cooper and Stefan were the only ones inside, and they basically ignored us.
"Are you going to be like this from now on?" I questioned.
Stefan spoke first: "I'll still have your back, die for you if needed, but I won't support this crazy idea. Sorry, Bella. You look great by the way; those clothes… snug in all the right places." He whistled in appreciation and left the room. I could feel Edward trembling a few steps behind me, so I grabbed his hand and held it really tightly. He pulled me to his chest and embraced me from behind, letting his head fall to my hair and breathing in deeply. I just let him be; I knew he needed the reassurance.
"We'll talk later, Bells. It's time for the meeting. We'll be waiting for you in the strategy room." And Coop abandoned the room too. At least they were focused on the task at hand instead of my love life.
A few minutes later the Cullens and Catherine entered the room, putting an end to Edward's calming moment and my thoughts. Catz, Rosalie and Alice were already engaged in a deep conversation about Italian fashion; Gucci, Armani, Valentino and Prada were thrown around, as if the sun rose in the sky because of them, and judging by the girl's excitement you'd think they had never been to Italy.
"Rosalie, Catherine and I are going shopping! I know you're busy, so you're excused but don't think you'll get away that easily! You will go on a shopping trip before we leave! Mark my words!" Alice was definitely too excited for her own good. "We just wanted you to explain to us exactly who you are going to face soon. I haven't really gotten this psycho vamp story yet." It seemed like everybody was interested, and they were my family, so I guess they should know what I'd be up against.
"About six years after I joined the Volturi, several abductions of families were reported all over the world, seven in the space of three months. Since they didn't occur in the same area, and it wasn't just one person but usually families with at least two or three kids, the humans didn't make the connection. However, when evidences of the existence of immortal children appeared, we put everything together. Psycho vamp also known as Broderick abducts entire families, changes the children, and the parents are either tortured to death or changed to serve as a little defense army. We've tried to catch him twice already and failed; we were, however, able to destroy the immortal children he had created. This time we can't fail! He has already destroyed too many families. One of our difficulties is not knowing what ability he possesses. We are doing things a little differently this time around. Hopefully it will be enough to put an end to this horror. We'll have to be more careful too. When he killed our vampire friends… it was his way to let us know that it'll end this time. I surely hope so." They were all a bit shocked. "But don't worry! We have a very well thought out plan, and everything will be okay. I'll be safe!"
"We trust you, Bella. And we understand your need to end this. It's a horrible thing what he's doing, and we are all very proud of you knowing that you're helping these human families." Carlisle said calmly. It was definitely something I could have guessed he'd do. I knew that none of them was at ease with my impending mission, but it was the look of determination in Edward's eyes what worried me the most.
Alice and Rosalie seemed to have lost their desire to go shopping, but I wasn't going to allow it. "You, girls, are going on your shopping trip while I work everything out! Catherine needs distraction, and you were all too excited; besides, you won't do any good by staying here. The problem will remain and so will our solution. However, I want you to take this." I handed Alice an electronic device that resembled a pager. "Press the red button if you have any unpleasant encounters."
"Do you mean that it's dangerous? He could try to take them?" Jasper's voice was frantic, as he grabbed me by the shoulder and forced me to face him.
I rolled my eyes. "Do you really think I'd let them go if it was dangerous? I'm just being safe. It's highly unlikely that Broderick will try something inside Volterra. But even if he did, that device I just handed to Alice will get all the Volturi guards within two miles of them to their side in just a couple of minutes. There are a lot of guards patrolling the city at all times since Aro wants to ensure that nothing happens in the city without his knowledge. So you have nothing to worry about. They'll be perfectly safe, but I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you went too."
"I've already tried to convince him…" Alice pouted.
"Actually, Bella, we were wondering if we could perhaps attend the meeting you're going to have with your guard." Jasper asked, seeming a bit unsure of what my answer would be.
"Of course you can. We still have some details that need a bit of refining, and maybe you could provide some insight since you're not as involved. After failing twice already you can imagine that we're already a bit paranoid and saturated… It'll be good to have fresh eyes on the subject. We should be going; the guys are already waiting, and I don't want to risk them slaughtering each other before we reach the room. They don't always get along… Esme, will you be joining us?"
"No, dear. I'm going with the girls, make sure they behave." She laughed. I was already expecting that answer; I couldn't really picture Esme in the strategy room discussing the best way to kill vampires and immortal children.
When we got to the strategy room, the guys were already deep in conversation and made a point of ignoring Carlisle, Emmett, Jasper and Edward.
"Okay, we're going to split up into two teams. One will be responsible for eliminating the immortal children and whoever is guarding them and get the kids that haven't been changed out. The other one will be responsible for killing Broderick and any vampires he has with him." Henry started.
"We have to consider that the vampires that he has with him, are most likely the children parents and are being held against their will." I said.
"Yes, Bella, but we don't know what he has said to them! Besides, those whose children were changed, which will probably be the majority, won't be too happy about the fact that we'll have to kill their kids. If they attack us, we get rid of them!" Stefan argued.
"Stefan is right."Henry agreed. "Now we have to decide who is on each team. Bella, myself, Coop and William will go after Broderick; Ian, Stefan, Scott and Ash will get the human kids and kill the immortal ones. We'll separate right at the entrance since from what we've gathered the kids are in a basement, and Broderick usually hangs on the second floor. Now, the problems we still have… We could use more people in this operation… Maybe Aro will be willing to lend us a couple of guards… We should have one or two outside the building to catch anyone that might get away, and we could really use another mind reader because until we separate, Bella can give us the info we need, but after, the team that'll go get the kids won't have that advantage. Our entrance won't go unnoticed, and we could use knowing how they're going to organize themselves to respond to our attack, but by then we'll already be separated."
"I'll go." Edward said. I swiftly turned to him.
"What? You can't, Edward…"
"Why not, Bella? He wants to go, and from what I know, we don't have another mind reader hiding around, so he'd be really useful. We could definitely use the advantage! It'll solve one of our problems."
"Henry! What are you trying to do? Get him killed?" I couldn't believe Henry was pulling this one on me… Encouraging Edward, really?
"Bella, can I have a word with you?" Edward asked me patiently. I nodded curtly, and he dragged me to one of the room's corners.
"Edward, I can't believe you just offered to do this!"
"Love, do you remember a talk we had before the fight against Victoria and the Newborns?" His words hit me like a ton of bricks. I knew where he was going with this… and I didn't like it one bit.
"Yes…" I sighed letting out a long breath.
"You wanted us to be together, so you gave me two options: either I sat out and stayed with you, or we'd both be in the clearing. I won't ask you to choose now because I know you want and need to do this, but then I'm going to be there too. We'll fight it together, like we always will from now on because it isn't just you and me, now it's us. We're a unit, and we'll do this together."He was right, he was, but I didn't know if I could get past the fear that something might happen to him.
"But Edward… I just… I'm afraid."
"I know. I feel exactly the same way because of you! Do you think that the idea of you walking in to fight a vampire that's highly unstable, and who we know almost nothing about, doesn't scare me? And that's exactly why I have to be there. I'm going, Bella. Last time we both sat out; this time we'll both fight. Just as long as we're together…"
"I know, I know…" Edward was right; we were together, and if I denied him this, it wouldn't be fair to him.
"He's a really good fighter; he's fast, and he can read minds, Bella. Don't worry so much about him; besides, it's not like he's going to be fighting Broderick directly." Ian said. Everybody was right. If Edward could deal with the fear of me going to fight Broderick, then I could deal with the fear of him fighting Broderick's pawns to save those children. So I got myself together, grabbed Edward's hand and lead us back to our previous place around the rectangular table with blueprints and other papers with crucial information on them where we were planning our mission.
"Let's proceed." I urged.
"One problem solved, one more to go…"
"Emmett and I can stay outside and make sure no one escapes." Jasper suggested.
"Hell yeah!" Emmett bellowed excitedly.
"Jasper! Are you all going insane? Rosalie and Alice would never forgive me if…"
"Stop, Bella. This is mine and Emmet's decision. We're not going to be doing anything dangerous. We'll just be outside in case someone escapes which I think is highly unlikely. We can take care of ourselves. We're a family now; you need help, so we'll help you." This was so hard for me to accept… And then Carlisle thought I still hadn't been pushed enough.
"I'll go too. You'll need a doctor to check the children, some can be badly hurt."
"Damn, people! Are you all trying to drive me crazy?"
"Bella! Look at me. I know you're tired, and I know you want to protect us, but the responsibility you carry on your shoulders is too much for you. You can't keep feeling responsible for the decisions that other people make. The decision of going on this mission belongs to each one of us. You've been looking out for us for a long time now, but you have to stop. We're going because we want to; this is about saving those children, and we know it's important for you, so we want to help." Carlisle's soothing voice was calming me down a little, but it was just so hard to think that they would all be there, at risk.
"Seems like all of our problems are solved. I want everyone here tomorrow at 9pm." Henry finished. Everybody but the Cullens and Cooper left the room.
"Coop?" Cooper was a nice guy, impulsive but nice.
"Look, Bella, it doesn't matter, ok? I mean, it wasn't like I ever had a chance, right? Because I didn't, nobody did… maybe one day it'll come for me too. I don't like your decision, it's stupid, and I think you're only seeing what you want to, but I've already done my part. This group is already divided enough as it is; just try to find time fot everyone else; we'll always be here, just make the effort."
"Does this guy have a crush on you, Bells?" Emmett asked.
"He might have shown some interest… more so than everyone else, but he knows I love Edward. I never led him on; he knows all we'll ever be is friends, and I think he has accepted it."
"Not like he has any other option, right?" Emmett finished.
"No, he doesn't and he knows it too."
That night Edward and I stayed in my room, well, our room, just enjoying each other's company, taking advantage of the peacefulness that surrounded us. He was very thoughtful, but I didn't push him to share whatever was in his mind, he'd do it eventually.
When the morning light filtered through the window, in between soft kisses and caresses he asked: "You did your best to convince us that you'd be safe in this mission, that nothing would go wrong, but when we offered to help, you didn't want us to. Why? Were you just trying to comfort us, and this mission is more dangerous than you were letting on or…"
"No, Edward. This mission is dangerous; there are a lot of things we don't know about Broderick that can make us fail again, hence my reluctance and fear about you being there. But every single element of my guard would give their life for me. If one of them got out of there alive, then I would too. This is not something I'm comfortable with, but it was the purpose they were hired to serve. Their mission is to protect me, so I'm the one who has more chances of getting out of there alive. I'd do the same for them of course, if they let me. We are a unit; we fight together, but if it came to it, they would all die to protect me, and I hate it. I hate to think that one day I might come back without Ash or Ian… What would I tell Sammie, Catherine? They know of course, and I doubt they would blame me, but I wouldn't be able to live with myself if that ever happens. One more reason for me to want this whole Broderick mess over with, I guess. I won't mind helping with smaller missions in the future if it's really necessary, but I'd like to lead a peaceful existence with you and my friends and family."
"We'll get there, you'll see." He comforted me.
"I'm sorry if they're giving you a hard time and making you feel uncomfortable. Except for what Henry did, most of it is innocent, and you have nothing to fear from them; remember that if I wanted anything with any of them, I've already had the time to act on it."
"I know, but I just can't help it. In a way they know much more about you than I do…"
"But there are things that only you know and all the others you'll have time to learn; I'm not that different… I have more baggage, more traumas… but I love you, and you can make it all that much better. You make it worth everything that has happened."
"I'm glad you think so highly of me…" He mused.
"We need to work on that self esteem level, Mr. Cullen. I find it somewhat low for the most important man in my life…" I gently stroked his hair, pulling him closer to me, before I let my lips trace his, slowly, lovingly… However, we were interrupted by a bell like sound. "Someone better be dying!" I growled detaching myself from Edward and going to open the door.
"Hi, Bella. I was just wondering if you knew where Catherine is…"
"Alice's room. Why?"
"I need to talk to her. It's… important." He was extremely nervous, but the determination in his eyes was unwavering.
"You're not going to do this just because of tonight, are you? Because I'm hell bent on finishing Broderick and bringing everybody back safe, and whatever you do will still be here tomorrow. Are you absolutely sure you can live with the decision you made?"
"Yes, I am and I fully plan on returning from tonight's mission."
"Good. Now can I ask what brought this on?"
"Nothing… I've been stewing over my conversation with Edward. He gives good advices. I'm going now, and I'm sorry if I interrupted something." I waited until he knocked at Alice's door and then closed mine.
"Ian?" Edward asked.
"Yeah, apparently you give very good advices Mr. Cullen."
"Is that so?"
"Oh, yes… I think you must be rewarded for the good action…" I grinned, as he got off the bed and stalked me through the room until I was cornered between him and a wall. He smiled mischievously, and I sighed; it was this happiness that I had wanted all along.
Ian's POV
I still couldn't believe I was going to give Catherine the choice. The conversation I had had with Edward was all I thought about; hearing things from his perspective was different than listening to Bella's constant pep talks and advices. Knowing that he regretted not giving Bella her choice and would forever wonder what would have happened if he had given her the choice and abided by her decision. Then he wouldn't have left, and maybe the Volturi would have never known about Bella, and they would have always been together. And they still ended up together, except so much pain could have been avoided…
I didn't want to live wondering what if. And I didn't want to consider the possibility of Catherine settling for something that didn't make her completely happy, just because I denied her having me. I was tired of seeing her date guy after guy and getting her heart broken because none of them was right for her. Bella had been right all along; I couldn't deny Catherine her choice.
When Bella asked me what had prompted me to do this now, I told her that it was just the fact that I couldn't get my talk with Edward out of my head, but it was also something Carlisle had told Bella while we were in the strategy room; he said we couldn't carry the responsibility for someone else's decision, and that was what I'd been afraid; that if I gave Catherine her choice and she regretted, it would be my fault. But Carlisle was right, we couldn't carry the weight of someone else's choices because it would eat you up, and denying someone the choice just so that we wouldn't feel guilty, wasn't right either. So I rang Alice's door and waited patiently for her to open.
"Hi, Ian, can I help you with anything?" Alice asked excitedly. She had a knowing look in her eyes that told me she probably already knew I was going to show up.
"Hey, Alice. I was thinking I could borrow Catherine for a while."
"Oh, of course!" She was truly the most hyper vampire I had ever seen. "Catherine, Ian is here for you."
"Oh, he… is?" She seemed surprised and also a bit uncertain. I knew I had done wrong when I had kissed her after fetching her from the airport and then never said another word to her, and that was one of the first things I planned to straighten out. After a minute she appeared at the door. "Hum… does Bella need me? I don't have my cell on me…"
"No, no, that's not it. I was wondering if we could go for a walk in town… I really need to talk to you." I was practically begging her to go with me.
"Huh… Sure." She stammered. "I just need to get my coat and…"
"Here it is!" Alice chirped from behind Catherine holding her brown leather jacket. "Have fun!" Catherine was pushed in my direction, and the door closed. I guess Alice was as bad as Bella when it came to matchmaking, but I knew they were just trying to help. And, well, they were helping, but from that moment it was up to me.
"Shall we go?" I asked her.
"Yes." She was uncomfortable, and it was my fault. Why did I have to be such a dumbass?
"You look lovely tonight. Well, you always do but…" She wore tight jeans, blue tennis shoes and a beautiful white halter top with a blue band under her breasts and small flowers embroidered on the hem. I doubted I could get any worse; we weren't even out of the castle, and I was already making a fool out of myself.
"Thank you." She said looking away with a shy smile on her face. "Alice practically forced me to buy this top, and this morning she told me wear it. It felt too dressy, but something Bella told me was to never bet against Alice, and that she never did things just because so." She laughed.
I led her through the stairs and hallways of the castle, keeping my hand on her lower back and barely stopping when someone greeted us. I wasn't comfortable having her around so many blood drinking vampires, but she didn't seem bothered.
As soon as we were out of the castle, I relaxed. I enjoyed walking through the city so early. Everything was still calm, and luckily it was clouded, so I could walk around at ease.
"You wanted to talk to me?"
"Yes. I want to apologize for how I've treated you after I picked you up from the airport. I should have never done that! I'm deeply sorry." I looked at her, and she had tears in her eyes.
"So…" She hiccupped. "You regret kissing me?" What? Had I said that?
"No! No, of course not, Catherine. I meant what I did after kissing you. You know, ignoring you."
"Oh!" She quickly tried to wipe the tears from her eyes and looked up at me. "Is that all?"
"No. I also want to apologize for everything I've put you through during all these years I've been fighting my feelings for you. I took your choice away from you because I was afraid you'd regret it. But I don't have the right to take away from you the opportunity to choose what you want to do with your life. And I don't want to regret it later. I don't want to see you marry someone who doesn't make you happy, or one of those idiots you've dated. I love you, Catherine Jones, and I don't want to fight it anymore. I want to be with you, if you'll have me." Again, there were tears in her eyes, and it was driving me insane. What had I done wrong that time? She was silent for awhile, and that just got me more nervous than I already was. What if I had missed my chance?
"You're not doing this just because you don't plan on coming back from tonight's mission, are you?" She asked shakily.
"No, absolutely not! I fully plan on returning after tonight's mission."
"In that case… I choose you, and I'm pretty sure I'm not going to regret it. I've had a lot of time to think about us during the last few years, and I'm not making this decision lightly. I know what this implicates. I know that I'll have to be changed, and that I'll have to stay away from my family for a while, but I've lived with vampires my whole life; I know what to expect, so I'm sure we'll be able to pull this off." I wasn't sure how to react. "I love you, Ian. And I'll spend an eternity with you, if you let me. I'll do my best to make you the happiest vampire in the world."
"Silly! You've already made me the happiest vampire in the world!" I answered pulling her to my arms. It was a bit surreal; I had thought a lot about the day I'd be able to hold her like that, but I guess I had never registered it as a possible option… "Can I kiss you?"
"Are you serious?" She burst out laughing.
"What's so funny about it?"
"Well, when you picked me up from the airport, we were barely talking to each other, and you kissed me out of the blue, and now that we've expressed our love for each other, you're asking permission?" She raised an eyebrow as if daring me to argue with her logic. She had a point, but I wasn't all that interested in acknowledging it.
"Can I or can I not?" I asked teasingly.
"You can." I pushed a few locks of hair away from her face, letting my hand caress her cheek and her neck, before leaning toward her. She had this huge smile on her face, and I was beyond ecstatic because I had been the one to put it there.
"You're so beautiful." I whispered before I allowed my lips to caress her soft plum ones. In that moment she was everything, and I felt completely wrapped in her. Her scent and taste mingled, and I thanked any higher power for being used to be around humans; otherwise, I doubted my control would have allowed me to kiss her like that. Mindful that she needed to breathe, I reluctantly pulled away and chuckled at her pout.
"If it depends on me, I'll kiss you many more times… Come on now! Let's get some food in you. You haven't had breakfast yet, have you?"
"No. As you can imagine, there's not a lot of food in the castle. Yesterday, I had dinner after shopping, and I was actually thinking of going for breakfast when you asked me to come with you." I took her to a small coffee shop that made an amazing cappuccino, Catherine's favorite. Obviously I had never tasted it, but word got around, and I had wanted to take her there for a while, except I didn't have a valid reason to invite her to Italy, much less to have coffee.
Since it was cloudy, we ended up spending the day together, strolling around town hand in hand. It was so good to not have to hide my feelings anymore. Bella and Edward were right; I could do this, and by not accepting my feelings for Catherine I was making us both suffer.
When it started to get dark, we went back to the castle, but not before picking up something for her dinner. Once we were inside, I placed my arm around her shoulders, and she leaned against me. I loved to know that she trusted me so completely; for her it made no difference that I was a vampire, but we had decided that we should go slowly, so that I could get used to being so close to her, but at least I wasn't starting from scratch. I just wanted to be sure that I wouldn't hurt her.
We reached the golden room, and the noise from the strategy room let me know that I had to let Catherine go and join the others.
"Come!" I tugged at her hand and lead her towards the rooms.
"You have to go there!" She pointed in the direction of the strategy room.
"Yes, but first, I'm going to let you in my room. I want you to stay there."
"Why? My room is perfectly fine."
"For one, the bed is comfier." She rolled her eyes, and I smiled. "And second, because that way I don't need to wake you up when I get back. I'll just go in, and when you wake up in the morning, I'll be the first thing you see, and you'll know that I came back to you."
"Okay. But I still want you to wake me up when you get back." I assented, and she went in her room to get everything she'd need for the night. Once she was settled, I kissed her forehead and made my way to the door. "Ian!" I turned to her, and she jumped from the bed, almost spilling her dinner on the floor, and approached me.
"Yeah? Do you need anything else?"
"Yes. I need you to be careful." A small tear streamed down her face, as she pushed a lock of hair from my eyes and cupped my cheek. Her small hand was so warm and soft against my cold skin that I felt breathless. Her eyes were as clear as water, and I could see the worry that she was trying to conceal, and the love.
"I will, I promise. You'll see, in no time I'll be back. Don't worry so much! I'll be fine. Besides, if things get really bad, I can just charm my way out of there." I said trying to get her to smile.
"Yes… that seduction power of yours; I always wondered what advantage that could bring you, except of course when you're trying to woo a girl, but when you put it that way..."
"I mean it, don't worry, I'll be fine. I love you!" If I could, I'd tell her I loved her every second of every day, and each time the meaning would be stronger.
"I love you too." Hearing it back made me think I was in heaven. I knew I didn't deserve her, but I got her, and no one would ever get her away from me. I kissed her lovingly before exiting the room… each minute that passed made leaving her all the more difficult.
I was sure I would come back; for her, I would. I hadn't put aside all my fears and indecisions just to spend one single day with her. No, I'd have an eternity with her. Again Bella was right; having someone waiting for you made you much more determined to return.
Bella's POV
"Bella, what do you have?" Henry asked almost inaudibly.
"They still don't know we're here. In the basement there're five human children, seven immortal ones and six adult vampires: four females, two males… With Broderick, four males and one female…" I looked at Edward to see if he agreed with my assessment; he nodded meaning he was picking up the same as me. "All newborns, I can't tell if any of them has any special ability… we'll have to be careful."
"Okay, let's get this show on the road…" Henry whispered. It was time to put the plan in action and finish Broderick once and for all.
We entered the old house that served as Broderick's refuge, making as little noise as possible; the later they detected our presence the better. As Henry had said, the two teams split up as soon as we entered the house: we went upstairs while Edward and the others went to the basement.
I was in front with Henry so close to me I might as well be carrying him on my back, and Cooper and William followed us. I pointed to the room where Broderick was, and we held still, but once we heard the first signs of commotion in the basement, we burst through the door.
Broderick's incredulous face let me know that we had been successful at keeping our attack a surprise.
While Cooper and William engaged the other vampires present in the room, Henry and I dealt with Broderick. He composed himself quickly and adopted the cocky attitude he always presented.
"Isabella! I must confess I wasn't expecting you so soon."
"I actually think it's too late. We both know what's going to happen, and I don't plan on letting you live past tonight. What you do is awful and despiteful, and to add to your crimes against humans, there's still the death of three innocent vampires."
"Oh, you liked that, didn't you? I remembered one of them from one of your failed attempts to end me. It was such a great opportunity to let you know I was back." It was incredible how he didn't feel an ounce of guilt. "I don't know why you think this time you're going to beat me… You may destroy my creations, but you won't get me! Humans are filthy and weak! We are the superior race! We need to proliferate and overpower them."
"What you do is inhuman!" I bellowed.
"I'm working for a greater good, and I don't see what the problem is in having some fun while doing it. You can stop it today, but I'll just keep going! You'll never get me!" He laughed, as the cries and screeches from downstairs reached us. His overconfidence bothered me…
"We'll see, bastard!" Henry claimed launching himself at Broderick, protecting himself in a ball of fire. Henry was able to create balls of fire, making himself one of the most powerful vampires alive, hence why Aro changed him to protect me.
However, Henry never reached Broderick; a similar energy came from him stopping Henry midair. This had happened already last time, and I knew it had something to do with his power… I felt like it was just within my reach, but I couldn't figure out what it was… it was incredibly frustrating!
I tried to use my power and capture all the feelings that moved in Broderick, risking that they affected me as much as him, in order to keep him away from Henry long enough, but it came back right at me, making me fall to my knees, and for a moment it was like what I was doing made no sense at all, I had no reasons to fight…
"Bella!" Henry screamed while dodging one of Broderick's attacks. That was enough to snap me out of the state I was in, and then I knew… I knew what his power was… Henry was going to try another attack with fire, so I warned him.
"Don't! I know what he can do! He reflects powers, like a mirror! When you attack, it comes right back at you!" I yelled over the grunts and howls that permeated the air. Henry's distraction with my information earned him a strike in the chest, so I charged towards Broderick, locking my legs around his waist. I tried to rip his head off but failed because he stuck his hands on my back and pulled, ripping it.
It hurt like hell, but it was distracting enough for Henry to come from behind him and rip his head off, throwing it to the fire that Cooper and William had already started. I let myself fall back, and Henry made quick work of the rest of Broderick's body.
"Bella!" William and Cooper rushed to my side.
"Damn, this hurts like hell!"
"Can you move? We need to get out of here before the fire spreads." William asked. I made a move to get up, but Henry quickly appeared by my side and picked me up, making me latch my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck, and my head rested on his shoulder, as he placed his hands under my butt, supporting me as if I was a child. I complained and tried to move, but he shushed me.
"Don't be a fool, Bella! You're hurt, and I'm going to carry you out. I'm sure Edward will be more thankful than if I let you walk out of here injured as you are." Before I could say another word, we were flying out of the door and down the stairs with Will and Coop on our heels.
We were the last out of the house, and while Coop and Will told the others what had happened, Henry took me directly to Carlisle. Edward was by my side in an instant, fuming and angered by the way Henry carried me out but stopped once he took notice of the state of my back.
"The children…"
"Are already taken care of. Now let me look at you back!" Carlisle demanded.
"Please, love, let Carlisle take care of you!"
"I'm fine, Edward! It's nothing!" As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I hissed.
"Sorry, Bella." Carlisle whispered. He was removing the scraps of my cloak and shirt that were still attached to my wounds, and it stung. "Well, these are already starting to heal up, so I'll just bandage it to make it less painful and not worry everyone… This is really messy."
"It could have been worse if I hadn't had an epiphany in the middle of the fight." I chuckled. "I figured out what his power was He was like a mirror, reflected our powers when we used them against him, which was why we hadn't been able to beat him before. At least now he's gone. How many children did you save?"
"Three. They managed to bite the other two, and we had to destroy them." Edward informed me forlornly.
"What about Jasper and Emmett? Are they ok?"
"They're fine. They only had to deal with two fugitives, and Emmett is over the moon because he got to participate." Edward chuckled. "Everybody's fine. Everybody except you! What did you do?"
"I had to do something, or he would have hurt Henry and fled. I basically threw myself at him, but he got a hold of my back and tried to pull me off of him… But I'm fine. Don't worry!"
"It's hard not to when your back is in shambles!" He snorted.
"But it'll heal." I gave him a small peck and took a hold of his hand. "We're both fine, and we managed to save three humans, which is good."
"Bella!" Scott called. "How are you doing, sis?"
"Great. This is nothing." I dismissed pointing at my back that Carlisle had just finished dressing.
"Good, that's good. We could use your help with a frightened newborn we have there."
"Seriously? She can barely move, and you want to put her face to face with a newborn?" Edward gasped while helping me into his jacket, since my cloak and shirt were ruined.
"Relax, Edward! I can move, and if Scott is asking me to go there, it's because it's safe." I followed my brother and tugged Edward along, hoping it would make him more comfortable with the situation.
We were led to a girl all huddled around herself, trembling with fear. "She didn't attack us, so I just brought her out. She's terrified! I don't think she's going lash out." Scott commented. He seemed genuinely concerned, and while he wasn't some insensible jackass, it still felt like she wasn't completely indifferent to him. With Edward's help, I kneeled on the ground in front of her.
"Hey! I'm Bella. Can you tell me your name, and how old you are?" I asked gently. She looked at me warily, and I did my best to let her know with my eyes that she had nothing to fear from me.
"Anna… I'm nineteen." She whispered shakily. She was very pretty with long, black, shiny hair and a small build, very much like Alice.
"Well, Anna. Can you tell me what happened to you?"
"I… I'm not sure. I was babysitting, and then he broke into the house and… I don't remember more… I just remember the fire and the pain, and then I woke like this. My throat burns." She was obviously thirsty which meant she could be really unstable, so I had to do my best to keep everything calm around us; otherwise, her newborn instincts could kick in.
"Well, you're different now. You're no longer human."
"No?"
"No. You're a vampire now, like me and my friends."
"Oh…" The poor girl was shocked and scared out of her mind, and the hostile environment wasn't helping.
"Look, neither I nor my friends are going to hurt you. Can you come back with us, so that I can explain to you better what happened to you, and take care of that burning in your throat?" I extended my hand to her, as Edward held his breath.
After looking at Edward she took my hand, and we both got up. I noticed that her clothes were pretty much destroyed and wished I could offer her my cloak, but Scott was already on it, fastening his around the girl's neck. Instead of cowering away from him, the girl just shook a little. "I can take her hunting later, after you've talked to her." He offered. I looked at Anna, but she didn't oppose. There was definitely something going on between those two.
"Okay, guys, let's go back to the castle. Stefan and William, you stay behind to make sure that the fire department arrives before the fire spreads to the other houses." I gave the final order, and we went back to the castle.
Ian's POV
Finally it was over! Everybody was gathered in the common room, but I escaped to go to my room where Catherine awaited me, earning an approving glance and a smile from Bella.
I entered the room and noticed her sleep was restless, still I tried not to wake her up, hoping that my presence would be enough to soothe her. However, as soon as I sat on the bed, she stirred, and her eyelids fluttered and opened.
"You're back!" She whispered.
"Yes, go back to sleep."
"Are you okay? What about Bella?"
"I'm fine, and Bella suffered only small injuries. Everybody's fine!"
"She's injured?" She asked shooting up from the bed.
"She's fine! Carlisle took care of her, and she's hanging out with the rest of the guys at the common room. Really, everything went well. Broderick is gone, and we managed to save three of the five children that were still human and a vampire newborn girl. Now, go back to sleep! We'll talk more tomorrow." I insisted.
"Okay. I love you." She yawned sleepily.
"I love you too…" I whispered back, as she settled against me and fell into sleep again. I felt her warm body against my cold one and let her warmth seep through me, thinking that in that moment I couldn't be happier.
There was nothing like having someone to share your life with and come back to. Being loved was something so wonderful and encompassing that made you feel capable of everything.
So… what are your thoughts? I hope you have liked it since it was the last chapter, now there's only an epilogue left.
I included more Catherine and Ian moments than I had originally thought but since several people have expressed their liking for them, I decided to give them a little more.
I recognize that the fight was a little small considering all the buildup but the main objective was to show Bella's relationship with her guard and for her and Edward to do it together. If I disappointed anyone, I apologize.
Drop a REVIEW and let me know what you think about this final chapter. The epilogue will be up soon ;D
HUgs