Chapter Nineteen: Bella

I didn't know what to expect, maybe for Caius to go back to his old scowling vampire reclusive-self, but as always, I was wrong. By now you'd have thought that I would have been done trying to make assumptions of Caius, but of course, again- wrong.

He was stalking me again.

I wanted to yell at him and jump up and down and scream like a kid- I mean why did I need a vampire bodyguard again? I'd been hanging out with the guard for months now, and none of them had ever taken a snap at me, nor had those 'Romanian' vampires shown head or tail in Volterra, so what was with him?

On the upside, with Caius out of his room- I had won the dare.

So again with Caius. He was being…. Not nice, but closer to nice than hostile. He didn't glare at me at least, and we did have stilted civil conversations every once in a while. Apart from that though, life went back to normal. Or at least as normal as it could get.

I had stopped emailing Edward. I didn't know any nice way to break up with him, and I thought it'd be better face to face. I couldn't stand looking at all his emails to me, filled with sappy lines, quoting 'Romeo and Juliet' and dripping with computerized love. Doubtless I would have swooned like one of those princesses being rescued by a prince…. But newsflash! 21st Century! Sexism! I wasn't going to fall for him again.

So I was in town with the only person here that I could talk to about it. Jane.

Of course, she was all for me dumping Edward and leaving him in the dirt, although I did admit that was a bit harsh.

Finally in frustration, I flung my arms skyward, wanting to do something a lot more dramatic, but couldn't without attracting attention to ourselves. "You're no bloody help at all Jane!"

Jane shrugged. "Just find a new boyfriend, swallow his face in front of Cullen, and there- you've got the message across."

"Now that's exactly what I mean! No bloody help at all! Besides, where would I get another boyfriend, even if I wanted one? -Which I don't for the record, I am not going to end up in the same situation as before. I'm not some kind of girl who's desperate for a boyfriend Jane!"

Jane rolled her eyes like she already knew. "I know,"

Ooo. See? Predictable.

"-I mean just get a random guy and kiss him in front of Cullen, and then that makes it perfectly clear that you've moved on and there's no arguing about it."

What was with Jane and getting another guy and kissing him in front of Edward? Granted it was a good idea…. "What is it with you and kissing another guy in front of Edward? Granted it's a good idea, but what's with this other guy business?"

"It just sounds like fun, that's all."

I frowned at Jane. She was just so nice that sometimes I forgot just how sadistic she was.

"Well I'm not into inflicting pain on Edward Jane. It's not his fault I don't like him anymore- I've just re-prioritized my life."

Jane looked more than a little disappointed as we entered a restaurant/bar place.

On a totally unrelated topic, coffee in Italy was amazing, I thought, as I ordered a flat black. It was weird how coffee made from the same beans could taste so much better in another continent.

When the coffee arrived, I sighed and leaned back, sipping the bitter liquid. I didn't know when I'd started preferring the rough taste of the flat blacks rather than the sweet and silky texture of the Cappuccino's I used to love.

Jane just watched me, her perfect face screwed up slightly. "How can you drink that?"

"How many times have you asked that Jane?"

Jane blinked and answered instantly. "One hundred and ninety seven times."

I smiled.

My leg nudged the seven or so shopping bags around my feet, and I sighed. Sometimes I couldn't even tell Jane and Alice apart, even though physically, Jane looked three years younger than Alice, and now four years younger than me.

I heard an identical soft sigh mirrored by Jane opposite me, and I frowned at her. "How's Felix?" I sprung.

Jane jerked, surprised, which was quite a feat to surprise a vampire.

When she had composed herself, she cleared her throat pointlessly, and began… "Good." …with one word.

I waited for a second, thinking she would elaborate, but when she didn't, I eyed her cautiously. "What do you mean- good?"

"Well what do you want to hear Bella? He's good! We're good! I'm good!" she gabbled. (Did vampires gabble?)

Yeah right. "Jane, I'm not an idiot. You were just giving me guy advice… admittedly stupid guy advice, but still, it's my turn to give you the same honor now then. Now spill."

Jane fiddled with the salt shaker from the table, and I could see the glass beginning to crack underneath her fingers. "Well… You know we're going out right?"

I rolled my eyes at her. Who didn't? "…and?"

I could practically hear the glass splintering, but I figured it wouldn't be the best time to tell Jane.

"Stuff is going good… It's been almost a month… Just he's been really distant lately. We haven't had any assignments from Aro the past few days, but Felix's avoiding me! He spends all his time with Demetri now, or Aro… And I don't know what's going on!"

Felix was avoiding Jane?

That was crazy. That was downright effing crazy. They were perfect for each other! Ever since they had begun dating, I remembered all the sly glances at each other, the times when I caught both of them openly staring at each other, and how Felix was always so different around Jane. More… gentlemanly? In any case, even a four-year-old would have been able to tell they were meant to be, even as sappy as that sounded.

It didn't even matter that Felix looked at least five years older than Jane (technically speaking, Jane was two hundred years older than him), they were just so… They were like two pieces of a puzzle that fit together magically.

I didn't know what to say. "Jane… You two are perfect for each other… It has to be a misunderstanding!"

Jane just nodded helplessly. "Sure. That's what I kept on telling myself for the first few days. But he will barely talk to me now!"

"Have you talked to Aro? Demetri?"

Jane shook her head. "They avoid me too… and when I ask Marcus, he ignores me… and everyone else… they know nothing, and if they did, they aren't telling me! I am so close to torturing them all into telling me what is going on!"

Jane was pouting, but trying to glare at the same time, so it was hard for me to take her seriously. "I don't think Aro would like that much. Or Caius for that matter!" I laughed.

I wasn't expecting her reaction.

Jane sat bolt upright as though electrified, snapping her fingers, momentarily forgetting about her own problems. "Caius!"

I frowned at her, "What about Caius?"

Jane blinked at me, studying my face with uncomfortable intensity. "You mean… You still haven't… Doesn't matter." She leaned back into her chair, brow knitted.

There was silence for a moment, and I tried to figure out her words. I still hadn't what?

Whatever.

"Speaking of Caius, can you tell Aro to tell him to lay off me? I mean, I survived months without him following me everywhere like he did before… and now Aro's ordered him to start again!"

Jane looked at me. Confusion evident in her eyes, which were a murky brown from the contacts she was wearing. "But… Aro hasn't ordered Caius to protect you… Whatever Caius is doing… He's doing it of his own free will."

"Am I interrupting?"

The salt shaker shattered, the salt spilling onto Jane's lap, and the glass shards tinkling as they hit the floor.

My empty coffee cup slipped from my fingers and dropped to the table, smashing as it hit the surface of the table, instantly attracting the attention of everyone in the restaurant.

I weakly waved them away, apologizing and trying to sweep up the shards of porcelain, before a waitress did it for me, shooting me an accusing glare before skirting around the vampire lord who hovered near our table.

Caius slid in smoothly into the seat beside mine, not dressed in his usual black 'I-am-a-very-important-vampire-so-bow-down-before- me' robes, but in faded black jeans, a button up dark blue shirt, and his hair was tied up in a low ponytail.

I gawked.

Absentmindedly, I wondered whether or not I had dropped the cup because of what Jane had said, or because of the way he was looking right now. He looked…. Hot.

I mean really hot.

I mean, hot as in I-am-about-to-faint hot. And I usually did not think like that.

"Uhnnn?" Was the first word that escaped my lips, before I blushed straight from my neck to the roots of my hair, turning a bright red.

I turned an ever brighter shade of red if possible, when Caius glanced at me, his eyes purple behind blue contacts, and arched an elegant eyebrow. "Yes?"

"Uhnargh… Hmmm. Um. Ahem!" I cleared my throat violently. "Um. Nothing. Just… a surprise… Yeah. A surprise. I was surprised. Yes. Mmm… Why are you here?"

"It is not by my will," said Caius, and unbidden, I wondered whether that was the truth.

No! Stop it! Caius does not like you, you most certainly do not like Caius… Stop entertaining the idea that you might… That you might…

"-I was sent as no one else was available, to retrieve Jane, and you Isabella, as Aro requests your presence Jane."

Caius's eyes flickered to Jane, and I thought I saw something… Jealousy? No. Impossible. It was gone in a second, and I must have imagined it.

"So if you two are quite done in making a scene here, I suggest we leave now and-"

Both vampire's heads snapped up, and straight across the room, to the counter.

My eyes were slower, but as they met their target, I saw a lone vampire leaning causally against the counter, staring straight at us, no contacts, just brilliant red eyes.

No.

It was him, the vampire who Caius had called Stefan, the vampire who had tried to kill me. Irrationally, I thought- Who doesn't want to kill me nowadays? Then I shoved the useless thought aside.

Stefan's lips curled upwards in a mocking smile, and I saw his lips move, although I couldn't pick up the words.

I could see the reaction though.

Caius's face grew hard and cold, his teeth meeting with a snap, while Jane hissed inaudibly.

I was about to ask, before Caius answered me. "He is not alone. There are four more vampires in the room. He says that we leave now, however if we do, we will be surrounded. If we do not comply, he will reveal his identity to everyone in the room, most likely in a killing spree. If we attack him, the result will be the same- our kind will be revealed…"

My mind registered the words, and even as horrified as I was, I realized it was a brilliant plan.

The purpose of the Volturi was to ensure no humans knew about us, (me being the exception as of now,) and we had no options left. If we left the room like the vampire was asking, we would be ambushed, and although Caius and Jane could fight, I might not survive, and who they were would be revealed. If they didn't leave, then Stefan would begin killing people, again revealing vampires existence, and if we fought right now, the result would be the same.

There was no way out.

Caius swore filthily, surprising me with his extensive knowledge of them, but as I saw the smug smile on Stefan's face, I wanted to torture him till he screamed too.

Speaking of which….

"Jane," I stage whispered, knowing the vampire could hear me anyway. "Can you…"

Jane glared at Stefan, her eyes hidden behind the contacts, still burning with rage. "I can't!" she hissed at me. "Something is blocking him, and nothing is happening, just like when I try to use my gift on you!"

My eyes widened. Did he have that power? Or was it someone else with that power nearby helping him?

I glared at him too as his smile grew wider.

With a hand, he motioned to the door, the small movement obvious, even across the whole room.

Time seemed to stand still as Jane and Caius continued to alternate between exchanging looks, and glaring at the vampire. I could see the gears in their minds whirling at a hundred thousand miles per hour, but obviously nothing was happening.

Finally, Caius seemed to come to a conclusion. "Fine." He said, in a voice so low I could barely hear it. "We take out the lights, and then attack. It will be contained."

"What?" I broke in, trying to speak as loudly as I dared, while keeping my voice low enough so the vampire on the other side of the room wouldn't hear. "You mean you turn off the lights so no-one outside will see, and then kill everyone else in the room after you've done with the vampires so you have no witnesses? Pass it off as what? An explosion of a gas pipe later on?"

Caius glared at me. "What would you have me do? Regardless of what you may believe, the Volturi do not kill for pleasure, but this is to maintain our secret, and this is in the hopes that by the end we may all walk out of this ridiculous restaurant with all our limbs hopefully attached, and end this here and now!"

Caius's humor was lost on me, and he was already hissing instructions to Jane.

My eyes flickered around furiously, there had to be a way out of this… This would be a massacre one way or another… How could we…

My eyes swept past Jane, who was looking both determined and regretful at the same time, and then I saw my goal.

I stood, ignoring Caius, and took two steps to the left and picked up a plate of half-eaten food from the empty table beside ours.

My heart was pounding in my ears, and I think my breathing sped up ten-fold. I didn't know whether this restaurant was one of those crazy kinds that I saw in movies, but this was my only hope…. and as I threw the plate of food with all the strength in my body, and sending a heartfelt prayer to above that I would not miss- I shouted two words.

"Alimento combattere!"

~~~(o.O)~~~

For a second, the world stood still, and it was like every eye in the room was fixed on the plate of food that sailed across the room….

…and smashed on the face of a vampire.

It was dead silent.

…And then suddenly the room erupted into chaos as every human in the room (except me) leapt up, and began flinging food at each other, until the entire room erupted into an insane crowd of flying food and broken glass.

I didn't have time to survey my good luck and excellent outcome of my plan, I seized Caius's and Jane's wrists, and hauled the out of the restaurant, as they were both shell-shocked, and I needed them for phase two of my brilliant but impromptu plan.

"We've got to go. I'm guessing that we were the target, so they will be following us, and so they won't have time to reveal themselves… Once we get back to the castle, they won't follow, and if you send out Alec and the other guards then the Romanians- that's what you call them right? -will have to run and leave. "

The words slipped and blurred together from the speed of my talking, but both vampires before me understood, and before I knew it, we were on the rooftops, and flying across the tops of the flat Italian houses to Volturi Castle, praying that no-one saw us.

Alimento combattere: Food fight!