Another big thank you for all your reviews and follows. The response to this fiction has blown me away and we haven't really got started yet. This is a short one but a meatier one is coming tomorrow which really moves the story forward. Enjoy x

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Previously on Crimson Bonds

"Bella. Honey, I do like you, I love you, you're my friend but what you've been feeling is normal considering what you've been through today, I mean it's a little strange that you want to be with me and not - ," She cut herself off for mentioning his name. "But it will pass, you'll have more control soon." She didn't deny that Bella was extremely attractive and she had noticed that even Rose was speculatively eyeing the brunette's toned body which now showed amazing muscle definition without being the least bit unfeminine.

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A whole week had now passed since Bella's change

Rose was fascinated by Bella, she was so unlike any newborn she had ever come across. Her control was amazing, she could hold a reasonable conversation without getting too distracted and obviously had other things on her mind apart from blood.

The blonde was most intrigued by her interaction with Alice, it was actually a little pathetic how the newborn followed her maker around but that didn't surprise Rose, not as she knew the truth regarding Bella's first hunt and subsequent coupling. Rose had tried talking to Alice about her treatment of Bella but the pixie seemed to want the best of both worlds, a newborn Bella who was obviously besotted with her maker and a loving husband and the two weren't mixing well. As Alice was sure she and Bella wouldn't sleep together again she was happy to indulge Bella's need for physical contact but the way Bella lapped it up troubled the blonde. Bella needed more from Alice but she was never going to get it and that pissed Rose off.

"Bella? Why don't we go for a run? I have things to show you." Rose entreated the newborn who was wrapped around Alice as they lay on the brunette's bed, Esme having given her the room between Alice and Rose to give her a private space away from Edward but as safe as it could with both sisters watching out for the newborn. "Come? Please?" She smiled at the newborn, hoping to incite her hormones enough to go without too much resistance.

Bella looked at Alice and frowned, she knew where Alice would be while she was gone. She would be with him and stink of his dirty scent when she returned. That was bad. Bella growled at the thought and nuzzled into the pixie's throat, her tongue licking an exciting path up Alice's neck.

"Bella!" Alice gasped and threw her head back, the newborn's behaviour forward but not unusual when she was alone with Alice, and Rose, who liked to keep an eye on things and rarely left the two of them alone together. The blonde frowned at the sight, it just emphasised the point she had been trying to make to Alice. If she wasn't going to follow through then her sister should send Bella clearer messages and not allow her to paw at her the way she did. Rose sniffed, deciding not to comment and continued her mission.

"Come on Bella, we can have some fun," Rose purred narrowing her eyes and letting her fangs drop. Bella looked between Alice, who was obviously aroused but would not give her more than a cuddle, to the blonde who was a relatively unknown quantity but seemed to be in the mood for some fun. "Give me a five minute head start?" Rose suggested, the thought of a chase excited the newborn and she nodded her consent.

"Alice, bring her outside?" Alice nodded, pleased that her sister's ploy was paying off, even if she was manipulating Bella's libido somewhat. But, with managing a newborn it was all about the end result and not the means by which it was achieved.

Rose set a hard pace for herself, wanting to reach her destination before Bella caught her. She almost made it when she heard Bella approaching, damn she was fast! Rose was caught by surprise when Bella tackled her to the ground and flipped her onto her back so the newborn could straddle her waist. Red eyes looked down and Bella was purring, she was proud of herself for catching the blonde so quickly and smiled down at her captive expectantly, right now an amenable, happy creature.

"That was fast!" Rose praised the brunette with a wide, genuine smile. Bella cocked her head and blinked then looked a little shy. "Let me up?" Bella nodded and jumped backwards with an inhuman twist that freed the blonde and allowed her to her feet as the newborn stood waiting.

"Show me?" Bella tilted her head again and waited for Rose to reply.

"Sure, come on!" Rose set off running again, the newborn hot on her heels only stopping when Rose called a halt at the top of a cliff. The drop was almost vertical for at least one hundred and fifty feet down to a grassy field.

"What?" Bella looked around, curious as to why they were here.

"Watch." Rose announced and walked back a few paces before running towards the edge at full speed before leaping off into space. Bella sped to the edge and was astounded to see the blonde standing in the field below, waving up at her.

"Jump!" Rose encouraged the newborn who was peeking over the edge of the cliff before her head disappeared and her body came flying towards her. With her speed Bella made it a lot further into the field than Rose had, landing gracefully in a crouch before turning to the blonde. "Fun huh?" Bella nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes. Again?"

"Sure, go for it," Rose laughed, pleased that Bella was enjoying herself and they raced back to the cliff's edge, this time jumping at the same time then again with flips and somersaults, speeding through the air, twisting a flying in ways only vampires could. They repeated this until the novelty wore off and Bella collapsed onto her back on the grass.

"I come and do that whenever I'm feeling bored or fed up, clears my head." Rose explained as she sat down cross legged next to the newborn.

"It's fun." Bella hummed as she turned her face into Rose's lap and snuggled in, the blonde smiled at the show of affection and reached down to run her fingers through the newborn's thick hair. Bella purred from the attention, she liked Rose now. The blonde smelled really good and liked to spend time with her and also protected her from Edward, providing both a physical and emotional barrier from his persistent badgering.

Rose allowed her mind to wander as she played with Bella's hair, this was nice, relaxing even and she began gently scratching her nails against the newborn's scalp, causing her purring to become louder, the vibrations running through them both.

"You like that huh?" Rose smiled down and saw Bella had her eyes closed and a look of content on her face.

"Yes, I like you. I like Alice too," Bella confirmed and nuzzled closer to the blonde, inhaling deeply as she did. "You smell really good," she mumbled as she drifted in a daze.

Rose didn't object when Bella moved her head into her lap, just kept up the contact that was soothing to them both. She held a growing affection for Bella and was happy that the newborn had consented to spend time with her. What she wasn't looking forward to was their return to the house. She suspected that Alice would have been with Jasper and his scent would upset Bella and lead to a stressful evening for them all. Hopefully this would change as Bella became more accustomed to her new life and gained more control but there was no guarantee that would be any time soon.

Rose pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and sent Emmett a quick text, letting him know she was with Bella and if he minded canceling their plans for the evening. He replied saying it would be Ok as long as he got to see her for a quick chat as he had plans he wanted to run by her. That was fine with Rose, she suspected she knew what he wanted to discuss but would wait and see.

"Bella?" Rose gently brushed her fingertips across the newborn's cheek.

"Hmm?" Bella sounded sleepy, that was impossible but it meant that she had been pretty deep in the meditative state that vampires use to emulate sleep but only when they were very relaxed and in a safe environment. Rose smiled as she looked down into half open red eyes.

"Please will you stay with me when we get back? Alice -. Alice will still be with Jasper and I know how much you dislike the smell of them when they have been together," the growl Rose had been expecting at the thought of the blonde male erupted from Bella's chest right on cue.

"Hey, it's Ok," Rose resumed her gentle massaging of the newborn's scalp in an effort to calm her. "So, why don't you just hang out with me? I know how hard this must be for you and I can't say I agree with what Alice is doing but maybe a little time apart will help you relax? You don't always have to protect her Bella. Give yourself a break and come protect me instead?" Rose playfully offered an alternative which Bella considered. Eventually huffing her agreement and closing her eyes, she liked Rose. Rose needed to be safe too and if she wanted Bella to protect her and not Emmett then that was fine by her. Both vampires were so content with the others company that it wasn't until the sky began to darken that Rose roused Bella and they headed back to the house.

Initially, it wasn't the peaceful evening Rose had planned. Edward ambushing them as they returned to the house demanding to know where they had been and why Rose's scent was all over Bella.

"We were cuddling," Rose smirked, doubting that he would actually believe the truth or read more into it. It seemed his mind was leaning toward the gutter and the look of disgust on his face was hilarious.

"I don't want you corrupting her!" He bellowed at the blonde as she stood in front of Bella. Rose calmly faced him off until he was quiet then smiled smugly, just to piss him off before tugging Bella's hand.

"Come on," she urged and the newborn was only too happy to follow her to her room. Rose had sent Alice a text explaining her plan to keep Bella with her which the pixie appreciated. The couple had decided to spend the night away from the house to give Bella no choice in the matter.

At first Bella was agitated, she entered Rose's room, Rose's and not the one she shared with Emmett, they both valued their own space and Rose kept her own room and this is where she had brought Bella. The newborn hovering in the doorway as Rose picked up a magazine and took a seat on the large red leather couch that sat by the window, giving a wide view of the surrounding countryside.

"Alice?" The newborn whined. Bella's pacing had become a little frantic and Rose sighed, this wasn't going how she'd hoped. She had been counting on their earlier bonding session to keep Bella calm without her sister's presence.

"Alice is away Bella," the blonde eyed the newborn warily, this wasn't how she had planned things to go having assumed that Bella's earlier relaxed state would have continued. There was no response from the newborn but she came to a stop in front of the blonde and they locked eyes. "Sit." Bella frowned but did as she was told, sitting in the space next to Rose on the couch. "Lie back." Rose parted her legs and Bella lay back against the blonde, her back resting against the blonde's chest. "Comfy?" Bella nodded and Rose was glad that she had decided to play to the newborn's like of physical contact, Bella already seemed calmer. Rose brought her hands up to tangle in brunette hair, tugging to bring the newborn so their bodies were flush, Bella purring at the increased contact, her eyes closing as Rose began to tug her hair and massage her scalp.

Bella focused on Rose's hands and the actions centered her as did the soft body beneath her and that is how Alice found them hours later on her return.

Alice knocked softly on the door to Rose's room.

"Come in," Rose answered and Alice slid inside the room, closing the door behind her with a soft click.

"Hey," the pixie greeted her sister and caught a brief glimpse of Bella's relaxed form, lying on top of the blonde before a blur of motion had the brunette wrapping her up in her arms and lifting her off the floor.

"I missed you," Bella purred as she nuzzled into the crook of Alice's neck. Rose frowned at the greeting, it upset her that as soon as Alice appeared Bella ran to her even though her sister had no intention of ever giving Bella what she wanted. Not that Rose was going to either but she offered friendship, an alternative to Bella's unhealthy attachment to her sister.

"Want to go hunting?" Alice suggested and the idea was met with an enthusiastic newborn. "Rose?" The invitation was extended to the blonde but she declined with a shake of her head and watched the pair leave.

It wasn't until later that Rose crossed paths with Bella again. The newborn was minding her own business, sitting outside by the pond contemplating her new life. She was satisfied by a successful hunt where she had drained two bison. Well, satisfied was maybe not the best way to describe it, Bella had quickly concluded that being a 'vegetarian' was going to be like being on a strict diet for the rest of her life. A diet where she could stare at the desserts through the glass but only got to eat a wilted, tasteless salad for every meal. For the rest of eternity. At the thought she let out a heavy sigh. At least she'd tasted it once and she didn't regret it, she had felt no guilt at the time and still didn't.

"You Ok?" Rose's low voice queried from behind her and Bella shrugged but made room for the blonde to sit next to her on the fallen log she was using as a makeshift bench.

"I guess," Bella muttered, she wasn't really a big talker, never had been as a human and sure as hell wasn't now but she knew Rose respected that. She loved spending time with Alice but occasionally the pixie's hyper personality was a little draining and that was when she began to appreciate Rose more. She was good company but happy to sit in silence but never pushed her to talk and never tried to bond with her. It was a good balance for Alice but something Bella had never anticipated ever thinking about the blonde who had been so stand-offish when she was a human.

Honestly, she could see why now. Well, the whole living with a walking dessert thing anyway. How the Cullen's had lived without draining her dry for so many years astounded her now that she knew what they had been restraining themselves from.

"Bella!" Rose felt Bella's whole body tense and a low growl erupt as she heard Edward's voice.

"Damn it, doesn't he know when to leave it alone?" Rose added her growl to Bella's. She turned to scowl at her brother who was approaching them from the house.

"Rose, a moment with my wife." He demanded which set the blonde's hackles up.

"Fuck off Edward, you're not wanted here," she warned the bronze haired vampire as he came closer. Bella was practically humming with tension as he continued walking. "Easy," Rose murmured and pressed down against Bella's shoulder to keep her in place, trying to avoid another physical altercation.

"Back off Rosalie, she's mine and you know it." Her smarmy brother baited her. Telling Rose that a female was a piece of property was a sure way to enrage the blonde. And Bella, it seemed who launched herself at her supposed husband, grabbed him and tossed him bodily into the middle of the pond as though he were a child's toy.

"I don't fucking belong to anyone but Alice you fucking bastard!" She yelled after him, his body still submerged due to the density of it. It would take him a minute to either walk out or swim to the surface but he would be able to hear every word.

"This is getting ridiculous!" Rose ranted as she ushered the newborn onto the house where there was more chance of being left alone. They encountered Esme and Carlisle in the living room as they passed through.

"Carlisle, I think Edward needs swimming lessons!" She snarled as she stormed past her father. Carlisle looked up in confusion but all was explained when a sodden Edward blurred into the house.

"Send him the fuck away from her until he can control himself," Rose demanded before leading Bella up to her room so they could both calm down away from him and they didn't stick around to hear what either of the male's had to say.

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Next on Crimson Bonds

"So, you want Bella to leave?" She growled, eyes fixed on her father. "How is that fair? He messes up her transformation and can't respect her wishes and she is the one that you're sending away?" She raged. "It's so very obvious who is the favourite son is in this house."