Sorry this is a long Chapter but I couldn't cut it in two. Jules

Chapter Twenty

Bella

As he walked away I realized I was outside Charlies. The cruiser wasn't parked so he wasn't home yet, I looked around but I couldn't see Charlotte so I unlocked the door and went inside. Upstairs I threw my school bag on the floor and walked over to the desk, taking the phone out of the drawer and turning it back on.

As I watched the screen lit up and I saw I had a heap of text messages and missed calls, all from the same number. I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans and started reading the text messages, mostly they were just asking me to ring but the more recent ones were a little more urgent,

"Bella please ring and keep the phone turned on"

"Bella if you don't have this with you how are you going to contact us in an emergency?"

"Turn the damn phone on!"

The last made me smile, at last I'd cracked his cool calm exterior.

The voice messages were harder, hearing his voice gave me goosebumps, my heart thudded against my ribcage.

"Bella, whatever it is we've done to upset you I'm sure we can put it right if you'll just talk to us. You can ring any time, my phone is always on."

The other two were along the same lines and I saved them all just so I could hear him whenever I wanted to. I toyed with the idea of ringing or sending him a text but I had nothing to say. I didn't want to be another job, another act he had to put on. I wanted him to be with me because he wanted to, because he genuinely felt something for me. I'd almost forgotten why we'd met in the first place, The Volturi seemed a distant memory until on the bedside cabinet I saw Renee's book, then I started to cry, whether in anger or sadness I couldn't tell. I was still crying when Charlie got home, I think he thought I was scared he'd be angry with me for leaving the truck and walking so he was very sweet about the whole thing. He rang Jake to come and take a look at it. That was all I needed, Jake sniffing around. He must have heard that Jasper had gone and maybe he thought he'd have another try.

When he drove the truck up an hour later I was sitting at the kitchen table finishing dinner. He breezed in with his usual sunny smile,

"Hey Bells. Trucks working again, it was air in the fuel line, no worries"

Charlie thanked him and invited him to stay for a while, I tried to excuse myself to do homework but Charlies look persuaded me it would be better to stay around. Jake chatted on about what he'd been doing until Charlie excused himself to watch the news and the sport,

"So Bells, your white knight gone?"

"You could say that."

"There are still others around though."

"So I believe Jake."

"Are you still mad at me Bells? I didn't do anything"

I sighed heavily,

"I know Jake, sorry I'm just feeling a bit fed up"

"Why don't you come to the Res for the weekend? We're having a barbecue Saturday night."

"I don't know Jake, I don't really feel like a party"

He shrugged,

"Suit yourself, but it'll be fun."

I agreed to think about it and he went, leaving me to my homework yet again, we seemed to be getting so much at the moment, it was good I didn't have any distractions like boys...well one boy.

I went upstairs and took the phone out of my pocket again, there was a new text,

"Bella please don't take whatever it is out on Charlotte, she doesn't deserve it. J"

He was right but I couldn't face talking to her tonight, I looked out of the window, it was dry so she wouldn't be getting wet on my account, that was something.

Later as I lay in bed I picked up my phone and listened to the voice messages from Jasper, enjoying the tingle it sent down my spine before the ache started in my chest. If only he wanted to hear my voice as much, well he did, but not for the same reason.

The next morning I got into my truck and sat there with the engine idling, hoping it would work and it did eventually although I was going to be very late for school. She approached slowly probably afraid I'd run her over, and I wound my window down.

"Is there a problem Bella?"

"I owe you an apology Charlotte, I've been very rude. I was upset but I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

She smiled,

"Apology accepted, does this mean I don't have to play the invisible woman any longer?"

I nodded my head,

"You want to ride with me?"

"Sure thanks"

She hopped in and sat back quietly, watching me.

"Do I have breakfast on my face?"

"No, I was just trying to work something out."

"What?"

"What it is you have that makes you so interesting"

"Me interesting? You got the wrong girl, my friend"

She smiled and shook her head,

"You have no idea do you?"

"What?"

"Never mind. We'll see. Would you like to go for something to eat after school?"

"You don't eat"

"But you do and we could talk. I'd like to find out more about you"

"From what I've been told you'll have plenty of time to find out everything"

"Oh I don't think it will be much longer Bella. Aro is getting impatient for the last three of his offspring."

"Aro? Is that my fathers name?"

"Yes, didn't he tell you? Oh well, it doesn't matter."

"You think he'll send for us soon?"

"I think he's already sent for you, Demitri just hasn't found you yet, but he will."

"What will you do then?"

"We'll talk later, you better get in quickly."

The school day dragged as I considered what Charlotte had said. She thought it would all be over one way or another soon. Why hadn't Jasper told me that? I needed to know more about him and she was the only one I could ask. As I walked out to my truck my cell phone went off, another text.

"Thank you. J"

For what? For talking to Charlotte? For turning the phone on? For leaving him alone? Who knew!

Charlotte was waiting for me in the passenger seat,

"Would you mind if we went home, I think it will be more private"

"Sure, I just wasn't sure you wanted me there."

"I'm sorry about that. You are welcome any time."

"Thanks, I might take you up on that if it rains again"

"Oh it will, I promise you that"

We both laughed as I pulled up at the kerb. Once inside I made myself a drink and we went up to my bedroom to talk.

"So what do you want to know?" I asked her sipping my coffee.

"Do you have your phone on?"

"Yes"

"Good. That should calm the Major down a bit. Now Bella you asked me what we'd do when the Volturi find you. Well I guess running is out of the question, it would just start all over again. So we fight."

"But how with Jane, and Alec, and Felix stacked against you?"

"Oh, so you know about your brothers and sister? I don't think Aro would risk sending them against us. He knows we're good and he might just lose one or more of them. So we fight and hopefully with Alice warning us beforehand and you helping to shield us we might just win."

"Shield? And what if you don't win?"

"Then those left go to Volterra to see Aro and the others."

"And if you do?"

"Then we go to Volterra and confront Aro and the others. If we can persuade him that you don't have any special powers he might let you go but. I'm afraid he's more likely to turn you just to keep within his own law"

"Vampires have laws?"

"Just the one, keep the humans ignorant."

"So if we went we wouldn't come back anyway. Doesn't he win either way?"

"Only if we lose. If we win we have the choice of taking you with us or leaving you here safe."

"But then you lose your own lives. Why did you get caught up in this struggle if you can't win?"

"Its given us a long time to survive. If he'd found all his children he would have been invincible and both humans and vampires would be under his thrall. As it is he lost some to us and others turned out to be a disappointment."

"Lost some to you?"

"When we explained to some of his children, especially the earlier ones who'd heard from their mothers about him they chose to end their own lives rather than become Volturi guards working for him".

"Did that happen a lot?"

"Yes quite often especially those with offensive powers."

"Offensive powers?"

"Yes, there was a young girl, very beautiful who killed herself because of her power, she could kill someone with her thoughts if they were in sight if her. Can you imagine how powerful such a gift would be to someone who sees power as all important?"

"So are any of us that valuable to him?"

"Yes, not Shaun though, I believe he was a failure and he's drinking himself to an early grave anyway. He couldn't take the truth about himself."

"But Aro could still change him?"

"Oh he would, just for the hell of it but it wouldn't be any use, a suicidal vampire soon gets their wish."

"What about Alice and I?"

"Ah, you two are very highly prized. If he could know the future he would be unconquerable."

"And me?"

"Bella your gift is possibly the most frightening of all."

"Mine? But I was told it was a shield how is that so good?"

"Imagine if no one could ever hurt you. No one could ever reach you."

"Oh I see. Weapons would be useless if they couldn't touch him."

"Quite."

There was a long pause then, I was thinking about all I'd just heard and Charlotte seemed happy to sit back and wait. I guess she'd dome a lot of that over the years.

"How did you meet Peter and Jasper?"

"I was a young woman in the wrong place at the wrong time and paid for it with my life but Peter and Jasper took pity on me so I was changed and Peter and I fell in love, we mated soon after and have been together ever since."

"Don't you ever feel bitter about what they did to you?"

"No, they had no choice, they were acting under orders."

"Did they work for the Volturi?"

She laughed out loud,

"No. They worked for an extremely evil manipulative Mexican bitch called Maria."

"How did you get away?"

"Peter and I took a chance when I was condemned to die and Jasper let us escape."

"Jasper let you? He was in charge?"

"Yes. He was and still is."

"So what happened after you left?"

"We came back a few times for him but he wouldn't leave her. Then he realized she was getting ready to have him killed too and he came with us."

"Have you been together ever since?"

"On and off, once he found out Aro's plan and told us we agreed he needed stopping and that's what we've done for the last...oh too long to remember."

"You said he was in charge?"

"Yes"

"Then who's The Major? Both you and Peter mentioned him. Is he in overall charge?"

"Yes he is and that's all I can tell you."

"Will I meet him?"

"I hope not."

"Why?"

"If you see The Major, then death and destruction aren't far behind."