Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. Stephenie Meyer created it all.
A/N: So…um…this story has taken on a life of its own. I've had two very separate camps contact me, and leave comments as to how they would like to see this story resolve. So I've created a separate story, Unloved Unwanted Divergence that will follow a darker, more risqué pathway for some of my readers. If you aren't comfortable with same sex couples, unique pairings, as well as, possible violence – please don't venture on to the second story. I'm not destroying our favorites; I'm just taking a little poetic license with them. Join me over on the other story, after reading this one, if you would like to see a little more non-traditional storyline.
Edward POV
Heidi led us to a grouping of luxurious suites at the end of the east wing of the castle. The area had been designed for an assembly of related individuals or parties and provided privacy by being located away from the other living quarters. The large gathering room had no less than six doors that led off it, opening to individual suites. Heidi opened the doors to display the rooms, but the word 'room' was really a misnomer, as the living spaces were large and built for leisure.
I heard my mother's thoughts; despite her grief, she was impressed. She was attempting to distract herself from what had just occurred, and therefore, she opened each one again to inspect them before assigning us. She chose the biggest one, covering the whole entire end of the wing, for her and Carlisle and assigned Jacob one on the outer side of the building, believing that possibly it would provide the best opportunity for air. She intentionally assigned me one from which I could look across the courtyard, when Carlisle indicated the area of the Volturi's quarters and the balcony of his old room. Esme believed that possibly I might catch a glimpse of Bella in this manner. No one else moved though as Esme flitted in uncharacteristic nervousness around us.
I only saw the action through Esme's thoughts. I'd fallen onto the couch, holding my head between my hands, my eyes closed.
"Boy, did she ever cut us a new one," Emmett announced, through the silence of the room. He was comforting a strangely silent Rosalie.
Alice sobbed in response, and I started to rise to comfort her, but Carlisle beat me to it.
He murmured, "She has every right to be angry. We made decisions for her without her input and left believing it would be for the best."
"And I let her down, just as she was beginning to heal," Jacob said from a chair to my right.
"I relied on my vision of her being a vampire to lull me in believing everything was going to be okay. I never conceived that it would happen outside our family. I just assumed it occurred under our care. She's never going to forgive me," Alice mumbled into Carlisle's chest.
I could hear their every thought, their every self flagellation.
"Stop! I'm not attempting to be melodramatic here, but we all know the responsibility is mine. Had I not made the initial foolish decision, none of you would have been placed in the position to disappoint her. At least I know she's here, and she's safe. Really nothing else matters right now. It seems we'll be here together, and I just have to find a way to win her back," I said in response to their thoughts.
Felix's face raced through Rosalie and Esme's minds.
"Yes, even from him. I can't even justify being angry at him. I know her pull. He deserves her more than I do at this moment."
Jacob growled beside me.
"Jacob, I am so sorry. This isn't what you expected when you arrived here."
I heard his thoughts in reaction to my words and finally looked up at Carlisle. He quickly ascertained the basis for my pained look and brought Alice over to me, so that he could focus on Jacob. He actually sat on the side arm of the chair that Jacob occupied, laying his hand lightly on the corded muscles of Jacob's arm.
"Jacob, it is impossible for you now. Her venom would kill you. The worst Edward could do to her was change her. One slip would mean a very painful, very slow death for you."
"I know that!" he was barely able to force out. His tone was harsh, but the basis wasn't from his anger at us but at the untenable situation.
"Aro didn't include you in our prescribed punishment Jacob. You are free to go home," my father's soothing voice went further.
"I have to speak with Bella first. I owe her an explanation…a true apology." He then challenged me. "Edward, he can't have her. If I can't, you have to get her back. I don't know him; maybe he is capable of love. But she certainly deserves that, and I know you can give it to her."
I flexed my jaw in response, running my hand over it. "I'm not so certain she thinks I should give her anything right now."
Emmett's eyes twinkled in humor. "Damn, that was something. You were faster than I thought getting back up, but then she leveled both of our asses. My little sister has grown up." He mocked sniffed.
He couldn't take anything seriously. But at that moment, I was appreciative of the attempt to lighten the mood.
Then all hell, wrapped up in a pissed off southerner, came storming into the room. I quickly tossed Alice to the end of the couch, as Jasper lit into me. I didn't even protect myself, feeling as if his punishment was justified, when I saw the reason for his anger.
Esme began screaming, and it took both she and Carlisle to pull him off me. Between him and Bella, I'd been beaten more this day than collectively over the course of my life. Bella had gotten me at the benefit of her silence. I didn't protect myself against Jasper because I was horrified at what he'd discovered.
"You fucking asshole. HOW could I have let you talk me into leaving her? I should have gone with my first instinct and went to her house that evening to apologize. I was overwhelmed by the feelings of the family's bloodlust when she cut her finger; I was fine once we all cleared our heads. Fuck!"
"Jazz?" Alice was beside him already, shushing him, while at the same time attempting to understand.
"Somehow, someway…damnit…she's feeding off humans!" he growled out, still glaring at me.
Carlisle let go of Jasper's arm, and although pain lanced across his face, he was resigned. "Aro wouldn't have allowed the opportunity for her to do anything else. She's been here for a month, so it's been firmly established for her. It will be difficult for her to make a change…even if she chooses to."
The idea that Bella may not choose to follow our difficult path silenced the group again. Jasper was particularly disturbed because he was the only person within our household whose first taste of blood had been human. He understood the implications.
"I am ashamed of my actions, even more so than for what I did during the newborn wars. Bella was an innocent victim in all of this. At least, I could justify my actions against those that were trained killers."
Esme started sobbing again, and Carlisle wrapped her in his arms, his own eyes bright with venom. Esme barely managed her next words. "It just keeps getting worse. I know you feel you're responsible Edward, but truly, our actions were just as bad. We should have told you no. The look on her face when she told me there was no space in my heart…" She actually grabbed at her chest, leaning over Carlisle's arm in pain just like I'd seen Bella do in Jacob's memories. "I wonder if there will ever be room in her heart for me again."
"OH she loves us. The feelings she felt upon seeing us was overwhelming. She just doesn't trust us," Jasper clarified.
"Esme and I are going to speak with Aro and Sulpicia later this evening. I need to establish some parameters for the family. I'll seek the opportunity to talk with her again, but I think that we will need to give her space and time. I'll speak with Aro about it."
"She's with him now. It seems they go running together."
"WHAT?" Carlisle said in amazement.
"Running…" Jasper said slowly, as if Carlisle had gone dumb.
"He doesn't leave the castle without Guard members, EVER!"
Bella POV
My hair streamed out behind me, and the wind tickled across my skin as Aro and I ran northwest out of the city. He was slightly ahead of me, his long black hair whipping in the wind, and I heard his laughter float back to me at the joy of escape. I was certain somewhere guard members followed, but they'd learned from our other escapades to stay a respectable distance behind us.
He'd told me there was something he wanted me to see, and I'd chuckled at the earnest expression on his face. As if there was ever a question I'd want to go. I needed to get away from the castle.
My emotions were a mess, and I didn't know what to think. I was hoping the run would help clear my head. It had taken Jasper a while to calm my emotions, and in that time, the reality of what I'd done hit me. I was deeply mortified but at the same time strangely vindicated. I'd struck Edward. Well, not just struck him, I'd decked him, and then thrown him across the room. Emmett had followed. If Jasper hadn't worked his magic on me, he would have taken a flight as well. Thinking of the moments within the throne room, anger threatened to rise within me again. Then, I remembered Jacob, and confusion set in. Obviously, I was going to have to see them again before they left.
My heart throbbed at the pain of the loss I was about to experience again, but love meant nothing if you couldn't trust someone. And trust just wasn't a word I associated with the Cullens or Jacob right now. But then, on the other side, could I live without him…without them? It was as if my other half was missing, and the pull to get back to him couldn't be dismissed. Could I let them leave? Now knowing that a cure to my pain existed just a word or two away? I wanted to hold him so badly, to feel his lips against mine.
Then, just as clear, the anger rose washing over the longing, erasing it with a red tide of justification. Did I need to apologize to them for my actions within the throne room? I couldn't decide.
The trees cleared in front of us, and within just another hundred feet, I slid to a stop just behind him. Before me was an amazing sight. Great gouges had been dug out of the earth, fashioning rows upon rows of grey cliffs dotted with patches of green. A brief hazy memory of my mother smiling before me as she posed in front of a much larger canyon floated through my mind. I attempted to focus on the memory, and I barely remembered it being called the Grand Canyon. I believed it must have been a trip we'd taken when we lived in Arizona. The memory was vague, and I felt a sense of loss at the lack of clarity.
"It's beautiful," I said, coming to stand beside him.
"It is called Le Balze," he intoned in flawless Italian.
As Felix had foresaw, Marcus had begun instructing me in Italian. I'd won the argument when the topic of Chinese came up, explaining that I would prefer to start with the language I could hear wafting up from the streets.
"The cliffs?" I asked, wanting confirmation of my translation.
He smiled at my question. "Yes. An anticlimactic name for such a beautiful place, but it has gone by such for generations."
He lowered himself to the ground unexpectedly, so I followed.
"Isabella, there are a few things we need to discuss."
"Father, I apologize for my actions in the throne room. I lost it. I have no other explanation," I jumped in quickly, wanting to get my apology said.
He remained silent for so long that I began to grow nervous. The nervousness began to morph into panic before he finally turned to me.
"I have no other way to tell you this other than to state it bluntly. I brought Carlisle and his family here to hear their side of this story. Having the ability to see their faces through the other vampire, I confirmed what I'd already suspected…which was that your assumption that they didn't want you was ludicrous. They will not be returning to the United States, Isabella. They are staying here and joining the Guard as part of their punishment for breaking the law."
NO! I couldn't handle seeing them day after day. It would be unbearable. Suddenly, I understood why Jasper had called Aro Master.
"Why?" I could barely whisper. My body actually started trembling.
He turned at the sound of my voice, and his eyes widened at finding me in such a state of emotional turmoil.
"I…" I couldn't force out anything further, and began rocking back and forth in my agitation. Finally, I found the ability to speak again. "I must ask what I have done to earn your contempt…for you to place me in this position."
But then I saw the look on his face and I understood. I rose and walked over to the edge, looking off into the distance, fighting the urge to scream. Pain again lashed through me, but then I felt numb again. I wondered if I would ever be anyone's primary concern or affection. Would I ever feel truly loved or wanted?
"I am going back to my room."
"Isabella…wait."
"FOR what? Just how quickly did you connect the dots, Father? I am so incredibly naïve. For once, I thought perhaps someone wanted me just for me. Instead, I find I was a pawn. How long have you loved Carlisle?"
He remained silent.
"Do I not deserve an answer to my question?"
He hissed at the hurt in my voice but conceded. "From the moment I first saw him over three hundred years ago."
"Then, I must have seemed an answer to your petitions. Not only did you have a way to force him back here, but you were also able to acquire incredible power through his children at the same time. "
I started to walk off even as he called my name. I wasn't going to run, having determined that such action needed to stop and having determined exactly where I needed to go.
"Isabella, stop immediately," he commanded me, this time from behind.
I wanted to yell 'Fuck You' back at him, but even as angry as I was, I was certain that telling the most powerful person in the world those two words wasn't the best of ideas. I stopped walking, knowing he would broker no disobedience at that point.
"Is that an order, Master?"
He hissed at the venom in my voice. "We are not done with this conversation. We can either finish it now, or you can avoid me and we'll finish it later. Either way, it will occur. You've made assumptions that are inaccurate, and I intend for you to understand clearly."
I let him spew his niceties. Presumptions? All I'd done is realized I'd been a tool for his manipulation.
He came to stand next to me, but I refused to look at him.
"What you did not allow me to say is that I had already determined that you would be mine before I knew just how close your association with Carlisle was. I'm not ignorant. I suspected, just from the look on your face when you spoke of them, but my desire to keep you originated long before reading the other vampire's mind. The fact that I could obtain multiple desires with one move…it was a logical decision."
"I understand your decision clearly. I was a means to an end."
"You are being childish and thinking with your emotions," he murmured, chastising me.
"Forgive me for disappointing you," I shot back.
He huffed in response to my immature tone. "I forget your youth at times. You make that incredibly easy to do." He looked at my face with a concerned smile and then glanced behind me as he formulated his thoughts. "I care deeply for you, Isabella, and you know the level of Sulpicia's feelings. Had I truly believed that bringing Carlisle and his family to us would result in damaging you, I wouldn't have sent the missive. I could have easily sent someone to obtain the information I needed for the ruling. I think you and I both know now that things were not the way they seemed there either. I may be a selfish vain creature at times, but I have given up my happiness before so that those I love can find theirs. You are going to have to lay your trust in me at this time."
"Yes, Sir." I was unable to give him anymore.
He wasn't pleased, but I wasn't either…so we were even. This time, as I began to walk away, he didn't stop me. I passed the group that had followed us, and I saw their indecision in determining who they were to protect.
Upon entering the castle, I ghosted down the hallway toward the Guard quarters. Within a few breaths, I stood before a doorway and wondered whether or not I'd be welcome. My fist hesitated before knocking, terror at what I was about to do settling in. Suck it up! I ordered myself, tapping lightly.
I was thankful in that moment that Demetri had gone into so much detail about the appropriate decorum for guard members. I knew that the rooms were set up in a way similar to dorm style, with two rooms sharing a small bath. I also knew the members that shared space and those that didn't. As the door opened I knew I had to hold fast against the fear of yet another rejection.
"Isabella?" She sounded surprised.
"Jane, may I come in? I need someone to talk to."
Aro POV
I should have taken Sulpicia with us this time. She would have known exactly how to help me. Women, even after three thousand years, were such a mystery to me. I usually resorted to touching them to solve the problem. It worked flawlessly except for one little shield. And as such, Isabella never failed to surprise me. She'd deduced my feelings for Carlisle with precision, but then failed to connect the fact that my manipulation of her life for the good of her, myself, and the Volturi had little to do with my affection for her. It was the difference in looking at something through a logical perspective versus the emotional. But she was a newborn and a young one with that. Her incredible control made it so easy for me to forget how immature she really was.
Emotional was exactly what I received when I walked into my chamber. Sulpicia was flitting from one side of the room to the other, preparing to receive Carlisle and Esme. She was wearing a beautiful flowing red dress and had her usually bound hair tumbling freely down her back. She was adding a few more pieces of wood to an already roaring fire. She looked up with a smile on her face, but it quickly died when she saw me.
"What's wrong?"
"I've angered her."
"In what manner?"
"I told her they would be staying, and then she ascertained my affection for Carlisle."
"And she put two and two together and exactly what I forewarned you about occurred…she felt as if she was manipulated. It is exactly what I feared, when you started this whole process."
"Yes, well, either way, I've been effectively banished from her affections…at least for now."
I was more upset about this than I had expected. I attempted to make sure that others within the Guard remained reasonably happy, but I couldn't say that when their needs had to be subjugated that I cared enough to pamper them. I wanted to do nothing other than chase Isabella down and somehow force reconciliation. I'd followed her scent to Jane's quarters. I'd encouraged the friendship between them, so it would seem odd for me to disturb them.
Sulpicia still glared at me. "Aro, she is displaying amazing restraint and maturity considering her age. Even though she physically assaulted Edward, to be perfectly honest, he is lucky she didn't tear him apart after finding out his duplicity. I know Marcus helped her, but how many fully mature vampires would have even listened? A newborn acting in that manner is inconceivable. She is also showing extreme patience with your manipulative nature. She takes after me in this…"
She smirked turning from me. Ah…my glorious bride.
"Since we are speaking of revelations, I must admit to a change of heart regarding Carlisle's son. He is simply remarkable," I admitted.
I saw her shudder. "He is stunning." She attempted to keep her voice under control, but her recognition of his sexual appeal was apparent.
I chuckled, fully secure in my wife's affections. Edward would pose no threat to my and Sulpicia's faithfulness.
"Yes, well there is that, but more importantly…his control…it is amazing. Isabella was his La Tua Cantante."
She spun to me in astonishment.
"Yes…and he endured being in her presence daily because of the depth of his love for her. He even lay with her as she slept. I am grateful that I did not live that through his memory while Isabella was still human. I wouldn't have been able to avoid killing her. I've never felt such a strong thirst or pull. It was the combination of his blood lust and the family's, at the spilling of her blood, that produced the breaking point. He truly did leave desiring her life to complete its natural course."
"But…how?" she barely forced out.
"Even with his moments of histrionics, he is worthy of her. To possess that level of control at such a young age…it is unprecedented. Carlisle and his bride have done a superb job with all their children."
"A high compliment from you, Aro. And yes…each one of them, including Bella, are incomparable," Carlisle spoke from the doorway.
Sulpicia gave me a small smile before I turned to see the prodigal son standing there with his beautiful bride. All other thoughts were pushed to the back of my mind as I took in the man before me. To cover my sudden awkwardness, Sulpicia glided to them and held her hand out to Esme. Carlisle's mate looked as if she'd spent the entire time between what had occurred in the throne room and now sobbing. In fact, Carlisle's face looked drawn as well.
"We haven't been officially introduced. I am Sulpicia, Aro's mate. And you are Esme, the woman who single handedly broke many hearts here in Volterra."
Esme's lips quirked up, finding humor in Sulpicia's reference to her being the one to secure Carlisle's affections. I wanted to kiss Sulpicia for her efforts to break the grief they wore like mantles upon their shoulders.
"I am a lucky woman, and very aware of that fact," Esme said, softly but sincerely.
Carlisle barked out a sound as he pulled his bride into the room, and I realized that he was attempting to chuckle but somehow couldn't manage the sound. "Cia…" his hoarse voice began, "…I am quite aware of who is the lucky individual between Esme and me."
I growled over the silly nickname, which was a welcome development as I'd been frozen with the emotions that swamped me.
Sulpicia led them over to the grouping of couches and chairs before our large fireplace, but before they could sit Esme broke from them and approached me. I was a connoisseur of beauty, and even with her face frozen in grief, Carlisle's mate was a masterpiece. Her caramel colored hair, golden eyes, heart-shaped face, and petite body made her mesmerizing. She engendered protective reactions within me, and I wanted to wipe the sorrow off her face. I couldn't imagine how Carlisle was feeling.
But it was the intelligence and comprehension that flowed from her gaze though that now captured my attention. So Carlisle had told her everything….
"Aro," she nodded at me graciously while extending her hand. Buried within the simple acknowledgement was the demand that I treat her as an equal. 'He is mine', she might as well be saying. Brilliant, brilliant, woman.
"Esme Cullen…" I said, emphasizing her rights over her husband by stressing her marriage status, "…it is a privilege to finally meet you." I was sincere and only took her hand afterward.
Acknowledging my abdication with an arch of her finely formed eyebrow, she moved so that she was at my side and linked her arm through mine to escort me to her husband. Her authority firmly established, she was willing to allow me near him.
I am aware of everything. You would be wise to garner my affection and approval.
Beautiful, smart, protective, and calculating…he couldn't have found a more worthy mate.
They sat together in an oversized chair, bodies meshed intimately as if drawing support off each other. Sulpicia grabbed my hand, pulling me down beside her on the couch.
I met Carlisle's troubled gaze above Esme's head. I wasn't surprised when I heard Carlisle address the needs of his coven first. It was so very Carlisle…being the beacon of strength…leaving his needs until last…attempting to hold himself together. He was failing miserably.
"You indicated that you would not force our hand in regards to our feeding practices. I sincerely appreciate your tolerance this time, Aro. I would like to have a say in how my family is utilized in the Guard." He said this with only slight hesitation, as if he knew he was treading a fine line but at the same time being willing to risk it for the benefit of his coven.
"Carlisle, you will return to the position you occupied when you decided to leave Volterra. I've already discussed this with Marcus and Caius."
His eyes widened at my announcement. He'd been in training to serve in one of our stead in the leadership of our world when my earnest pursuit and the arguments over his feeding preferences had derailed the process. Nothing had changed in our assessment of Carlisle's capabilities; in fact, we were now even more certain of his abilities after seeing how his coven had flourished under his control. His determination to treat them as a family was certainly unprecedented, but I was beginning to understand more of his motivations as my affection for Bella strengthened.
"You may work with Caius on assignments, but two are nonnegotiable. Edward and Alice will stand with us. Their skills are unprecedented and vital to our defense."
Carlisle's expression didn't change. He'd expected as much. "I ask only that you help Edward continue to develop his gift, Aro. Only you can understand the tremendous burden it places on him. Alice and Jasper have moments of relief, but, other than his few times away from every being, he knows no peace."
"I cannot imagine a more intriguing challenge…"
"Aro, I…the family…we need to speak with Bella again," Esme whispered, finally getting around to the cause of her sorrow.
She stood up abruptly and stalked to the fireplace mantel. Every muscle in her body looked tense. Carlisle followed her, placing his hands on her shoulders, squeezing gently. It was then that I realized that she was trembling…close to breaking down.
"I do not expect for her to forgive us immediately, but more took place than she knows. You were correct in your assessment of Edward. He would do anything for her, including depriving himself of happiness if he thought it was in her best interest. He'll learn how to curtail his over protectiveness as they grow as a couple. His biggest concern…" Carlisle was referring to her status as a human, "…is no longer an obstacle. In addition, Jacob Black will need to return to his home within the next few days. He deserves to have time with her before he must leave."
Obviously distracted by his wife's grief, Carlisle cradled her against him protectively, breathing into her hair in an attempt to comfort her.
"I will do what I can to convince her to listen."
"That is all we can ask," Esme acknowledged, but then her face twisted in agony. Her eyes glazed over, and she put her palms to her eyes in an attempt to relieve the sting of the venom, the closest thing our kind have to tears.
"Esme?" Sulpicia, concerned over Esme's obvious grief, hovered near them.
Carlisle attempted to smile to reassure Sulpicia, but it came out more like a grimace. He bit his lip attempting to regain control of his emotions before speaking. "The past months have been difficult. Bella's absence from our family…" his voice cracked, "…has been agonizing for everyone."
Sulpicia turned slightly toward me, wringing her hands. "Esme let me send for some ice water and towels. It will help with the burning. Come…" she urged.
She gently tugged at Esme's hand, but Sulpicia's kindness opened the floodgates. Esme stumbled and fell to the floor, clearly denoting the level of her grief with her unheard of clumsiness. Carlisle ran forward, but Sulpicia beat him to her, pulling Esme's trembling form into her lap.
Carlisle spun away from us to face the wall, his body rigid, hands clenched into fists so tightly they may as well have been claws. Without thinking, I reached out to him. But when I placed my hand upon his arm, he twisted and jerked away from me. Then, he froze, his body poised to strike, his eyes black. In that moment, I knew that he was perilously close to lashing out. His eyes widened in horror, realizing that he had very nearly attacked me.
"I failed them and her!" he cried out, his body trembling as much as his mate's.
"No, Carlisle…" Esme attempted to mitigate his anguish by negating his responsibility, but that was a hopeless quest in regards to this man.
Carlisle was glorious when enraged, but his beauty was lost on me as fear for his sanity took hold. I was well aware that Carlisle, pacifist though he might be, was still very much a vampire and quite capable of turning on me in an instant. But his pain was too much for me to bear. Ever so slowly, I approached him, arms extended. He tensed but did not strike as I carefully settled my arms around his rigid body. I sank to the floor, gently tugging him with me, easing him into my lap in much the same fashion that my mate held Esme.
Sulpicia looked at me over their prone bodies in disbelief. Her eyes brimmed with venom, overwhelmed by their pain. She cradled Esme tenderly, humming and rocking her.
I would love to know what you think! Unlike my other story where I couldn't ask for reviews, I'm soliciting your thoughts here. Please!
As always, I want to thank my Betas – please check out their stories here on FF – they are incredible:
hopeforastalemate – A better name for this woman would be Volturi Girl. I'd started this story months ago, during short breaks from Harvest Moon. So… in response to her love of the 'Italian scum' and her personal invitation for me to write something a little darker, my planned sweet, angsty story between Bella, Edward, and Jacob took a dramatic turn. See the link to her profile below:
www. /u /2173996/
Crmcneill – For his patience with me (contrary to how he presents himself on his FF profile) and his incomparable editing skills. Male twilight fans are not a myth – they do exist, and I am so glad I was able to connect with him. I've called many men friends, but I've never called one master until now. "Strong is the power of the comma. Mind what you have learned. Save you it can." See the link to his profile below.
www . /u /1933926/