In the year 2020, Vampires took control of society and ordered all humans placed in vampire custody. The people who were not captured formed a Resistance movement, headed by the Human Council, who began to plan the Insurgence.

I am, of course, indebted to Stephenie Meyer for this world we all play in, and these characters we all adore. Additionally, I am indebted to hitntr01, who has graciously allowed me to use certain concepts from her wonderful story "In Need of Rescue", which constitute much of the background of my own story. These include: the language Vampiri, the Rules, the machines used to draw blood from humans, and the plot theme of Edward working as a guard at a facility holding humans. Thank you, hitntr01.

Chapter 42 – continuing a difficult conversation

Mid-December, 2039; around day 7105

(Bella's POV)

Author's note – Bella only uses a vampire's name when addressing them, or in conversation, if given permission by the vampire. When she doesn't have that permission, she calls the vampire "the vampire knows as xx when human". Rosalie never gave Bella permission to call her by name. This is a courtesy Bella extends which goes beyond the recent human 'Manners Training', because she learned from Crazy and Isaiah that vampires have always been uneasy about being called by their name by humans.

Also, note that Bella herself has still not told the Cullens or other vampires her birth name of Bella. She still goes by the Colony tradition of using numbers and tells them to call her '99'. She will not give vampires the right to call her the name her mother gave her, reserving that name for when she sees her mother again.

Conversation from the end of Chapter 41, with Jasper, Eleazar, and Carlisle:

"Who was the father?" I pressed, beginning to be impatient with the slow pace of the conversation.

"He was Emmett's pet," stated Jasper carefully.

"Oh, so there is a connection to Rosalie," I stated. "If Ardella is harboring this level of animosity, why not towards you and Alice? Why is she angry at Rosalie? She doesn't live with Rosalie."

"I don't know," Jasper replied.

"Don't you? Then maybe I don't know anything either," I answered, becoming sick of the short, evasive answers I was getting.

At this point Eleazar decided to say something. "Jasper called me and said the human living in his house had gifts that he wanted me to review for him."

"And what did you sense?" I asked

"I sense nothing unusual about this girl or her child," Eleazar stated evenly.

"So your sense for a gift does not pick up on moral courage, I take it," I commented. "It doesn't sense what it would take for a young woman raised in the constant presence of vampires, taught to fear them all her life, would allow her to stand up to one such as Major Jasper Whitlock?"

"No, I do not get any readings from her," replied Eleazar evenly. "My gift is to sense the presence of the gifts in others, human or vampire…"

"All right, your gift is to sense whatever is useful to Aro," I say, interrupting Eleazar by putting up a hand. I turned to Jasper. "Then the first comment I will make is that the executions were carried out by the Resistance. So if you are thinking of harming Ardella or her child to save yourselves or Rosalie, that won't work. But now, there are no more cops in Forks, as the Chief of Police was executed in his office shortly after the other two cops called him that they going to your house to find out why Officer Krupski wasn't answering his radio."

Jasper's eyes widened slightly, and Esme gasped. Carlisle kept his cool, even gaze on me and put one hand on my shoulder. Whether he was protecting me, or restraining me, I couldn't tell.

"So, now you, Alice, Emmett and Rosalie have an interesting opportunity to show your true character," I said calmly to Jasper. "None of you have to follow the Rules in regards to the humans you have in your custody, since there are no more cops to enforce the Rules. You could even be civil and speak to them."

"How did the cops die?" insisted Jasper.

"We used a resistance weapon on them," I stated. "What you saw was the new weapon of the Resistance, the one delivered to us by Aro himself. Without Aro's administration of both the vampire and enslaved human worlds, it would simply not have been possible. Twenty years ago the entire human race was enslaved and almost exterminated, without being able to defend ourselves. But we have had twenty years to study you. This weapon is a result of our research and efforts, and it is how the Volturi guard members were executed, including Demitri and Felix, Renata and Chelsea, and finally Jane and Alec. Obviously, a Resistance member does not need to be present in order to use it. As for what it is, or how it works, that is a Resistance strategy I cannot discuss. At the time of the Insurgency, it will be explained."

"But, as for Ardella, why do you think she is upset with your sister, the vampress known when human as Rosalie Hale?" I asked. "I can tell you that if the vampress enters your house, and Ardella feels threatened, the resistance will execute the vampress."

There is a pause, as all of the vampires present seem to consider this last statement.

"The baby's father was Rosalie's human," Jasper finally replied.

"And how is he now? Pleased about the little girl?" I asked.

"He is dead; he died shortly after Ardella became pregnant," answered Jasper.

"How did that happen?" I asked. "I assume he was a young guy, Rosalie wouldn't have bought an older human. Their blood isn't as appealing to you."

"I never heard the details," replied Jasper evenly.

"And obviously, you weren't at all curious about them either," I snapped. "Well, I did hear the details. The vampress known as Rosalie Hale when human beat Clyde, the boy's name, to death when he asked her for more food."

Esme gasped, and Carlisle pursed his lips. Jasper stayed cool and kept his position in the chair he had taken across from me.

Jasper leaned forward slightly, paused, and said "I never heard that."

"That's what happened," I replied, forcing myself to stay calm. Rosalie had obviously never told anyone the truth about what happened to her blood slave. "Clyde's last words were almost something out of Dickens' Oliver Twist. He was in the kitchen with the vampress who when human was known as Rosalie Hale, and said, 'Please, Miss. I'm still hungry. May I have some more food?' And the vampress responded by beating him to death. But you don't have to take my word for it. After the vampress realized she had killed Clyde, she took his body to the Seattle Human Containment Facility for disposal and asked them for two 'sturdier' males. The facility mind reader had been ogling her when she arrived and read her mind. He actually made a note in the file about what happened. As a result, the two new humans she bought, Roger and Harry, were warned by the handler not to ask the pretty lady for more food."

Esme got up from her chair and stood behind it, grabbing the chair's arms so tight sawdust began to appear between her fingers. She suddenly seemed to realize what she was doing and released the arm. She walked quietly into the kitchen.

"So Ardella has a reason, actually several, to hate the vampress known when human as Rosalie Hale," I continued. "She could be angry at losing the only one who had spoken a human language to her in the three years since she left the Human Containment Facility; she could be angry at losing her lover; or she could be worried that the vampress might kill her child just as she killed the father. Whatever the reason, if Rosalie sets foot in your house, it sounds as though Ardella will signal the Resistance to execute her. I would keep you sister out of your house."

Jasper looked as if he were considering things for a minute and then said, "I'll give Ardella her freedom."

"No," I answered. "That's too easy for you. You bought her. You got her pregnant by Clyde. And now you are actually going to take responsibility and raise that child. You are going to face what you did, because when you took custody of that girl, you signed a contract that you would take care of her. Now you're going to do exactly that. It may not be the care you had planned to give her, as she's had that kind of 'care' for the past three years, and it has left her in a near catatonic state in one of the bedrooms of your house. But starting today you will begin to take proper care of Ardella and that little girl."

Jasper considered for a moment, and then asked, "Who is giving her the presents?"

"Someone who cares about her comfort and nutrition levels a damn sight more than you have, obviously," I snapped, crossing my arms.

Eleazar excused himself to hunt, obviously sensing a family quarrel on the horizon. Esme came downstairs when she heard him leave and sat down on the sofa next to Carlisle.

I was left in the living room with Carlisle, Jasper and Esme. I exhaled, and leaned back on the sofa. "Who the hell did you think I sent into your house to help me with Ardella?" I said softly. "The Gambino crime family? It's my family. My cousins started sewing those clothes and packing those trunks as soon as they heard about Ardella and learned that her baby was in the Seattle living death camp."

Jasper sighed and put his head in his hands.

"My cousins and I have never needed to be in the same room, or even the same city, to communicate," I continued. "Our gift is yet another gift that Eleazar has not sensed. Another coven found and freed my cousins from the living death camps they had been living on since they were born. They've lived under this coven master's protection since shortly after I found my own way to freedom."

"You have family, dear?" asked Esme, reaching out to put her hand on my knee.

"Of course, this leads to a different problem," I remarked resignedly. Carlisle raised an eyebrow.

"They want to come for a visit," I said, addressing Carlisle. "My cousins want to come down here."

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We are getting very close to the Insurgency. Been a long time since July…