A/N: Not my characters, which isn't a shock to anyone.

**-…-**

Emmett announced over the loud speaker that we were starting our descent toward LIQV, which was apparently the airport code for Volterra. I didn't know they had their own airport, but I guess it made sense that they would. The Volturi probably owned an entire fleet of planes, so of course they would need an airstrip.

"For the human onboard," Emmett continued, "as we start our descent, please make sure your seat back and tray table are in their full upright position. Your seat belt and/or vampire fiancé should be securely fastened around you, and all carry-on luggage must be stowed. Thank you for flying Air Rosie, featuring the Hottest Crew in the Sky."

"I don't remember that last part from any of my previous flights," I laughed.

"That's because you've never flown with the hottest crew in the sky before. Hello?" Emmett announced.

"Isn't there some sort of black box recording device in here? Perhaps it would be better not to talk about vampires over the loud speaker."

"Already handled, little lady," Emmett broadcasted rather loudly. "The first thing I did was disable that thing. Even if this plane went down, we'd be long gone before the FAA got here. They'd find the box and no record of it ever leaving Port Angeles."

"Pretty clever, there, Em. I have to say I'm both impressed and rather shocked that you could be useful for something," I teased.

He came through the pilot's door into the cabin for the sole purpose of sticking his tongue out at me and flipping me off before rejoining Rose.

I giggled, but Edward didn't look pleased, even though he knew we were joking. "I'm going to need to have a word with my brother about his hand gestures toward my future wife."

"Don't you dare," I good-naturedly scolded him. "I like playing around with Emmett, but more importantly, if you let him know it bothers you, he'll probably triple his efforts."

"Quadruple," Emmett's booming voice came through the speakers.

"So, Em… are you still mad at me?" Fred asked, trying to take advantage of Emmett's newly found good mood.

"I'm not mad. Just disgusted. But I've decided to teach you everything there is to know about Woodstock so you're not an ignoramus anymore."

Fred pantomimed tying a rope around his neck and hanging himself. We all snickered.

"What's so funny out there?" Emmett said a second before bursting into the cabin again.

We all did our best to act innocent. "I can't imagine what you're talking about," Alice tried to say with a straight face, but failed miserably. All it did was make us laugh harder.

"Fine. Don't tell me. See if I care. Just don't ask for any more favors from me. That's right. You need something done, go find someone else. Like Bella - the next time you need someone to carry your truck around, you can count me out."

"When have you ever carried my truck?" I asked in wonder.

"I could have carried your truck," he jeered, "but not anymore. Those days are over, missy.

"And you," he pointed at Fred, "next time you need a Thunder Stick, guess who's not going to help you find it?"

Jasper was the first to catch it. "You help Fred find your thunder stick? Is that what you just said?"

We all burst out laughing. The fact that Jasper started it made it that much more difficult to stop, and frankly, I really didn't want to. The more I thought about it, the funnier it became.

"You people are all sick and twisted," Emmett huffed, even though he was trying desperately not to laugh himself. "You can't say anything around this family without it being taken wrong."

"Says the reigning King of Sexual Innuendo," I blurted out while wiping the tears from my eyes.

Emmett sputtered, but seemed to be at a genuine and unprecedented loss for words. He was saved by his wife. "Will the flight crew get his thunder stick up here right now?" Rosalie commanded over the speaker system.

"You people haven't heard the last of this. Woodstock shall be avenged!" he hollered before disappearing through the cockpit door.

After a few minutes, Rose turned off the cabin lights for our final approach. It was very dark outside, so the lights from the few small towns were highly visible through the little porthole windows. The mood was suddenly much more somber.

I grasped Edward's hand as tightly as I could. He looked at me with concern before I briefly closed my eyes and nodded my head slightly, indicating that I was hanging in there. He reached over and brushed my cheek with his thumb.

"It's going to be alright," he whispered.

"How do you know?" I asked meekly.

"I just have a feeling."

"OK, now I know you're just lying. Whenever you get a 'feeling,' it's always gloom and doom," I giggled.

"Oh, thanks," he snarked back before kissing my hand. "A couple of years ago, I would have agreed with you, but I seem to have a better outlook on things nowadays."

"Well, don't blame me for shooing away that dark cloud that used to hang over your head," I snickered.

"We are all thankful for that," Carlisle interjected.

Edward rolled his eyes, but then his arms were around me. Before I could ask what he was doing, I felt the tires bumping along on the runway. It wasn't the smoothest landing, but I got the feeling it wasn't the smoothest airstrip, either. I doubted it was Rosalie's fault, at least.

We taxied up to the small terminal and deplaned when Rose told us it was OK. Emmett stood near the door. "Bye now," he said perkily. "Buh-bye. Bye now. Bye. Have a pleasant trip. Thank you for flying with us. Buh-bye."

"Give it a rest, honey," Rosalie said as she placed her hand on his shoulder. With his fun over, Emmett went to retrieve some luggage. With humans watching, everyone had to act the part. Unloading couldn't be too easy.

"Greetings, Cullens," a familiar voice said from the darkness.

"Felix," Edward answered cooly.

"What? No group hug? I'm disappointed, after all we've meant to one another."

Edward growled a little.

"Touchy, aren't we," Felix chuckled.

"If you value your existence at all, you won't even look at Bella," Edward warned.

"I simply thought she smelled nice. Maybe a new perfume or something…"

"Yeah, right. I'm sure that was it," Edward growled.

"Now, now, Edward. We don't want to get started on the wrong foot here, do we?" Felix arrogantly asked. "I'm sure you already know Aro's strict orders regarding your Bella. No one is to lay a finger on her."

"You'll forgive me if I don't trust you with her, Aro's orders or not," he said more diplomatically.

"Of course," Felix casually replied before taking in a long draw of breath. "However, he didn't say we couldn't take a whiff."

"Edward," Carlisle intervened. "Let it go. No harm done."

"He keeps that up and harm will be done."

"You're so testy," Felix laughed. "No fun at all."

Then he made the mistake of addressing me directly. "Bella, how ever do you put up with…" was all he could get out before he was doubled over on the tarmac.

"Fred, let him go," Carlisle quietly directed.

Immediately, Felix was back on his feet, brushing the dust off his cloak. "So, you're the infamous Fred. Impressive. Unpleasant, but nevertheless impressive."

"The feeling is mutual," Fred hissed, "except I'm not impressed."

"Carlisle, I do hope you can control him better than that. Aro wants to meet him, but I can't allow it if he's going to be so volatile and unrestrained."

"Fred is not my pet. I don't 'control' him," Carlisle made quote marks in the air. "Perhaps it would be wise for you to inform Aro and company that Fred is very protective of this family, especially Bella. You don't threaten us, you stay upright. It's a fairly simple concept."

"Even simple enough for YOU to understand," Alice quipped quietly.

"Yes, I'll be sure Aro gets that message," Felix narrowed his eyes. "But it does make Fred sound remarkably like a guard dog."

Fred made a move toward the hulking Felix, but Emmett and Jasper quickly blocked him. "This isn't the time or place for this, Fred. And believe me, Felix isn't worth it," Jasper sneered over Fred's shoulder.

"Oh, Jasper. How pleasant to see you again as well."

"Charmed, I'm sure…" Jasper replied dryly.

"Well, now that we're all nicely reacquainted, let's get your human inside. I'm told the night air isn't good for her constitution."

I was shivering ever so slightly, but it could have been equal parts cold, nerves, and irritation with stupid Felix sniffing me.

We were led to a very long stretch limousine. The driver was another vampire; one I'd never seen before. He looked at me eerily, which caused me to shiver a little more. Edward pulled me close and snarled at the driver.

"Don't we have to go through Customs?" I asked once we had settled into the incredibly plush, massive car that held all 10 of us with plenty of room to spare.

Felix laughed. "We ARE Customs in Volterra. Let's just say that when we have guests, nobody questions our authority in the matter."

Of course that would be the case. The Volturi were the 'patron saints' of the city, providing both funding for its infrastructure and protection for its inhabitants. I continued to find it ironic that the safest place in the world from the hidden threat of vampires was quite literally right under their noses. Tourists didn't have the same protection, granted, but the citizenry was immune, and ignorant, to the dangers lurking everywhere around them.

And yet, even as a 'protected guest', I still didn't feel any safer.

The drive to the palace or castle or whatever they called it was only about 15 minutes, but it seemed longer than the entire flight from Washington. Nobody spoke, although Edward let out an occasional low growl either directed at Felix or the chauffeur. I really didn't want to know what either of them was thinking, although based on Edward's reactions, I doubted they were planning a flower garden or composing letters to their respective mothers.

I took this moment to reflect on my situation. I was in a limousine in Italy with 10 vampires; seven confirmed vegetarians, one newborn who was struggling with his diet, and two bloodsuckers. I didn't really like that term, but in this case, it seemed appropriate. Jake would be so proud.

We entered Volterra the same way Alice and I had not too terribly long ago, although this time it was fairly late and I was fairly exhausted. No running through fountains to save my beloved Edward on this trip. I shuddered a little at the memory. Edward gave me a squeeze and looked at me apprehensively. I was so thankful he couldn't read my thoughts. It would torture him to see it all play out in my head again.

I tried to look reassuringly at him, but I'm not sure how successful I was because he still looked worried. I turned my head only to find Jasper staring a hole through me. He tilted his head in question, and I lifted one shoulder in a tiny shrug. He smiled warmly and I felt a sense of calm wash over me.

Carlisle was the first to break the very long, very awkward silence. "So, what's on the agenda?"

"Aro wishes to see all of you as soon as you are settled," Felix answered.

"Absolutely not," Edward replied coldly.

Felix looked rather shocked. "And why not, pray tell?"

"Because we've had a long day and Bella needs her rest. Aro can wait until morning," he snarled.

Apparently Felix found this amusing. "You want Aro to wait so your human can sleep? Preposterous! My master waits for no one… human or vampire."

"It's OK, Edward. I can stay up," I said as my body betrayed me with a yawn.

"No, you need to sleep, love," Edward replied tenderly. "I don't care what Aro wants. He'll wait." He was speaking to Felix as much as he was to me.

Felix scowled as he snapped open his phone. Apparently he had Aro on speed dial. He spoke so fast that I couldn't understand what he was saying, but I was the only one with that particular disadvantage.

"Aro has agreed to a compromise. He will meet with your coven tonight. The girl can sleep in her chambers."

Edward just about jumped out of his seat. Jasper caught him in time to stop the ensuing brawl.

"You do remember I can read your mind, don't you? Are you really that stupid? Or maybe you just have a death wish," Edward spat. "Obviously I'm not leaving Bella under the watchful red eyes of you or your guard."

I grasped Edward's arm a little tighter and I'm sure there was a look of horror in my eyes. "You know how much I hate the whole babysitting thing? Yeah, that's all out the window for now. I want you in arm's reach at all times. OK?"

"Of course, sweetheart. And there will always be a Cullen or two nearby, just in case," Edward assured me, turning to glare at Felix.

"Or all eight of us," Fred added. He clearly had no love lost for Felix, either.

"He's a prickly little fellow, isn't he, Carlisle. Perhaps a bit of a loose cannon?" Felix bantered casually. "You know what I'm hoping for? A showdown between Fred and Jane. Now that would be something to see…"

"We're not here for showdowns," Carlisle said firmly.

"Correction, sir. We are here for whatever Aro wishes. You'd do best to remember that," Felix warned.

"Dude, you did not just threaten Carlisle," Emmett challenged. While all the vampires were strong and fast, Emmett was the only one who matched Felix for sheer size. I briefly wondered who would win THAT showdown.

"Of course not!" Felix laughed. "Just a little witty repartee with an old friend."

"Two problems with that," Emmett stated matter-of-factly. "I don't recall a time when you and Carlisle were friends, and you're not witty in the slightest."

There was some unspoken posturing between the two hulking figures before Rosalie interrupted. "Good grief. Neither of you has any testosterone anymore, so knock it off."

We all had to snicker; Emmett looked a little hurt for some reason, and Felix threw his head back with laughter. "Oh, Rosalie. So beautiful, and yet such a mouth on you! I certainly would like to tame that tongue."

"STOP" Alice yelled, much to everyone's surprise, except perhaps Edward's. "We all need to remember where we are and why we're here." She gave pointed looks to Emmett and Rose. "Fighting is not going to solve anything."

The limo rolled to a stop and a sudden pang of fear tore through me. Was the driver going to help Felix fight? What if he had a special ability? Most of Aro's guard did. I hoped that his gift was simply being a good driver.

He opened the door and announced our arrival at the castle. I let out a breath I didn't remember holding as Felix exited the car first, followed by Carlisle. We all filed out into the underground garage, with me in the middle of the pack.

"Follow me," the driver said. He never told us his name, which I thought was rude.

Memories of my previous time within these walls crashed over me as the sites and smells of the dank stone assaulted my senses. I shivered from both the cold and the thoughts running through my head. Edward instinctively wrapped his arms around me as we walked, which made me feel more secure, but didn't exactly make me warmer.

"Did anyone bring an extra coat or anything?" I asked meekly.

In less than a second, I was offered six of them. I realized that all their coats were extras, since they didn't need them for warmth. I debated taking Emmett's because it was so big, I could almost wrap up in it twice, but instead I chose Esme's long wool cape because it had a hood.

The irony of me essentially wearing a cloak in Volterra was not lost on me.

It was a rather long walk to our guest rooms, and I'd noticed something odd as we went – we hadn't seen another living soul, or a dead one for that matter, the entire way. While I imagined this was done to give us a sense of security, I knew it was false. At any given moment, 20 vampires could converge on us and we would be at their mercy. And most vampires weren't exactly merciful.

"So, Bella, any of this bringing back fond memories for you?" Felix asked from behind me. I let out a startled little yelp, since I'd thought he'd left shortly after we'd gotten out of the car.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "No."

"But you do remember your last visit," he stated rather than asked. There was a bit of a sinister tone to his voice and I didn't like it at all.

"Remember? Yes. Fondly? No."

He chuckled. "There has to be at least one good memory about your trip."

I stopped walking and turned to face him. "Yes, I found Edward and we got to leave together… before the tour group got to the royal chamber, thankfully…"

"Yes, that might have been unpleasant. But you see? All's well that ends well," Felix replied with faux enthusiasm. It was like he'd been taking insincerity lessons from Aro.

"Except it hasn't ended yet," I replied, gesturing to the walls of the castle.

"Touché, Miss Swan. Touché indeed."

We arrived at our suite of rooms, five in all. Drivey, as I'd decided to call him, opened the door to the one in the middle, which had a roaring fire burning in the massive stone fireplace.

"For the human," he said with a bow, and I wondered for a brief moment if we should tip him. Edward and I walked into the very spacious room that was beautifully appointed and more importantly, warm and dry. There was a large bathroom, too, which I needed to avail myself to right away.

Upon my return, I was surprised to see a human woman placing a large, domed platter on the buffet near the door, along with silverware and several beverages. She was, of course, ridiculously beautiful, but she was also clearly nervous.

"Ma'am," she barely eked out, "I didn't know what you would prefer, so I brought a few things. I hope something is to your liking…"

"It's Bella, and I'm not picky, so I'm sure it will be fine, ummm…."

"Felka." She smiled shyly. "It's Polish for 'lucky.'" She continued to glance between me and the floor, her level of timidity almost painful to watch.

"Felka. Pleased to meet you," I said, stepping forward to shake her hand. "This is Edward, my fiancé." Edward shook her hand as well.

"But you're… and you're…" she stumbled over her words.

"Yes, I'm human and he's a vampire. We get that reaction a lot." That may have been an overstatement, since almost nobody in our world knew Edward was a vampire, but it was too late to correct myself now.

"I'm sorry… please forgive me for staring…" Felka mumbled. "I just didn't know… that was possible."

"It was actually pretty easy. I asked her to marry me, she said 'yes,' and voila! Fiancés!" Edward teased the poor girl. I elbowed him in the side, but at least she giggled.

Felix cleared his throat rather loudly, causing her to jump. She immediately went right back to the business of making sure I was well-fed. "I made a menu for you. You don't have to order from it, of course, but I thought it would make it easier for you, perhaps…"

She handed me the laminated sheets. "Wow, these pictures are beautiful! Did you take these?"

She nodded.

"This is really something. You didn't need to go to so much trouble for me!" I exclaimed as I looked over her artwork.

"I just thought it might be helpful," she replied bashfully.

"Thank you so much, Felka. This really is wonderful. It's as close as I'm going to feel to welcome here."

"I'm pleased that you like it. When Aro asked me to oversee your meals, I felt truly honored."

"Honored to oversee the meals, or honored that Aro asked you?" I inquired, knowing that she was here in Volterra for one purpose, just like all the other humans in the castle, and that was to be changed. If she was as 'lucky' as her name indicated, she might not find herself on the Volturi's menu.

"Both?" she cautiously replied.

I had to laugh a little at her answer. "I understand. I appreciate the honesty, at least."

She smiled and shrugged.

"Are we done here?" Felix asked, seeming a little extra irritated.

"Yes, sir," she answered and gave me a little goodbye wave on her way out. Felix shut the door and we were finally alone.

I turned to Edward and wrapped my arms around his neck, resting my head on his chest. His arms snaked around my waist. "Bella, are you OK?"

"Yeah, just a little frazzled. It's not everyday you hang out with a bunch of blood-thirsty vampires."

He laughed heartily. "Yes, for you it IS everyday. Even though we don't drink human blood, we're all blood-thirsty vampires."

I hadn't really thought of it like that before, however I told Edward, "That's not what I meant and you know it."

"I know," he said quietly. "I'm just glad you see the difference. Not everyone would."

"The difference is night and day! Anyone who doesn't see it has to be trying not to."

"Like Jake?" he asked pointedly.

"Yes, like Jake," I sighed. "And the other Quileutes… except Seth, I suppose. Funny how one of their youngest can figure this out, but the older ones are just sure you're all going to suddenly pillage the townfolk, like this is part of your 50 year plan to eat the residents of Forks and LaPush."

"It does get pretty absurd at some point, but their hatred runs deep. I guess it's the same as any other sort of racism… I know most vampires fit their image, but not all of us do…"

"You know, I bet fighting side-by-side against the newborns did more for your relationship with them than any treaty ever could," I thought aloud.

"Yeah, most of them don't know what to do with that information. It's not as easy to blindly hate someone when their mother bakes cookies for you."

We both laughed. "Esme… she's such a mom, it's ridiculous."

"She loves taking care of her human daughter, believe me," he tapped his temple.

"Well, it's especially nice for me because my own mom is so far away… although it wouldn't matter if she lived next door, really, since she's not exactly maternal. It's sort of weird that my vampire mom is better in the role than my biological one."

Edward hugged me a little tighter. We stood there holding one another for a little while before my stomach growled.

"I know it's late, sweetheart, but you should try to eat something." He released me and walked over to the buffet, lifting the dome from the platter to reveal a wide assortment of small plates. Surreptitiously, he sniffed the food.

"Find something you like?" I asked with a grin. "Or do you think it might be poisoned. I would imagine if the Volturi wanted to take me out, they wouldn't waste a perfectly good meal by poisoning it to death."

He chuckled. "Caught me. I can't help it, Bella. I have this overwhelming need to protect you. Believe it or not, I do know the Volturi wouldn't poison you. I just wondered if that girl, Felka, would."

"Why would she do that?"

He sighed. "I don't know… it's probably my stupid paranoia raising its ugly head again, but she's jealous of Aro's interest in you. I didn't read any thoughts of ill will towards you, but she is most definitely jealous."

I looked at the tray, feeling a little less confident than I was 20 seconds ago. "OK, now you're making ME paranoid. Can you… ummm… sniff the food again?"

He did as I asked. "I don't smell anything off, except for the food itself, which really is rather repulsive. But it doesn't smell different from any of the other repulsive things humans eat."

"Oh, thanks! That's great coming from a guy who drinks warm blood!" I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest.

He picked a green bean off my plate. "I'm sorry… I'll eat this if you'll forgive me." He blinked his eyelashes in an attempt to look innocent.

"OK, do it!" I challenged.

"OK… here goes…" he said as he put the bean in his mouth and started to chew. The faces he made were just horrible.

"Stop!" I yelped. "I was just kidding!"

He grinned like the Cheshire cat, holding up the fully-intact bean. "So was I…"

"OK, that's it! Now you're eating that bean and I'm going to watch you chew it this time!" I laughed.

He immediately began to grovel. "No, Bella! I'm sorry. Really, I am. Just please don't make me eat your food! Anything but that!"

"Anything?" I asked rather suggestively.

"Bella… anything but THAT, too."

"I was just thinking about a kiss. What were you thinking about, naughty boy?" I teased.

"I was thinking what a bratty little vixen you are. Now get over here and kiss me."

I picked up another bean, threw it at him, and ran. He chased me all over the room, fortunately at a human pace, but it still made me squeal when he almost caught me. I ended up on one side of the huge bed and he was on the other. "What's the matter, Edward? Am I too fast for you?" I taunted.

In less than a blink of my eye, he had me pinned to the bed. I barely had time to squeak out my surprise before he was kissing me passionately.

When he let me up for air, I had one word for him: "Cheater…"

**-…-**

A/N: If I ask nicely, can I get some more reviews? Early Christmas present? Yes, I'm shamelessly begging here, but I do love those reviews.

Thanks for reading. I really do appreciate it.