Thank you to Pien, you're my rock, sounding board, and friend! Thank you to Fran, you make these look so much prettier.

The usual disclaimers apply.

Let's see how Marcus is fairing, shall we?

Chapter 24 – How to Save the World

I could tell that I had given Marcus a lot to think about.

He didn't even acknowledge me when I got up, stepped over the log and made my way out the door. I found both girls working with something that looked like a stone bowl filled with wheat. Bella held an oblong piece of stone that was rounded at one end and pounded into the bowl. Didyme corrected Bella's handling of the stone a few times but left her alone to stoke the fire in what looked like a clay oven. Putting one and one together, I suddenly knew they were making bread! The oven had two layers, the bottom holding the fire to heat it and the top where the dough would be placed when it was ready.

When that was done, I watched her walk over to what looked like a clay camping stove. She lit the fire underneath to get it ready for what else she was making for their dinner. It looked a little like a large, incense oil burner stand. After she had it started, she went over to a really wide log that had been smoothed on one side to make a table and she began to use a mortar and pestle to mix the other ingredients to place into a clay pot that was obviously made for the stove. I imagined that she was making some kind of soup, her mind soon proved me right.

I was just happy to watch them work and listen to them as they talked. I could see that Bella was using more of this time to help counsel Didy but wasn't being forceful about it. It was amazing to look into Didy's mind and realize that just talking about what had happened helped in some small way.

It was peaceful, a domestic picture filled with bliss. The only thing missing were some rugrats running around. My musings were shattered by Marcus's voice calling me from the hut. Bella must have felt my presence, because she lifted her head from her strenuous pounding to smile at me, nodding that she had also heard him. She sent me on my way with another little gesture of her head. I returned her smile, flashing over to give her a kiss — making Didy giggle — before I made my way back inside.

Marcus's thoughts weren't conflicted anymore. However, he was ever so curious what this new diet we told him about consisted of. I bit the inside of my cheek, laughing internally. Boy, would he have to work for that information.

He picked at his fingernails, hands in his lap before he looked up to me. "You know what this new diet is going to be?" To which I nodded. "Are you going to let us in on this information?"

I snorted, shaking my head. "Of course, I'm not. Not right off the bat. I think that the letter was as plain as day when it stated that you are going to have to prove yourselves to get that information. There are going to have to be changes made, and believe me, I will know if there is any cheating going on. Not only that, I believe we need to wait for a sign from the Gods to let Bella and me know that you are worthy of the secret we have been charged to keep.

"First you are going to have to help Bella, Didyme, and me convince the others of what we know. Then, you are going to have to prove that what you do is in the best interest of everyone. Second of all you are going to have to have a solid diet of animal blood for at least two weeks before I even think about handing out any information. There has to be conviction in your thoughts and it's not just your thoughts as the leaders – everyone with the Volturi must conform to this diet if you are to succeed – But only the most trusted will know the secret, those that are not in the inner circle must drink from animals. Murderers will no longer be tolerated.

"That is of course unless the Gods tell me otherwise."

Marcus looked down when I told him they were murderers. He'd never thought of it that way before. He believed they were ridding the world of evil. When it sunk in, shame started filling his thoughts.

I sighed. "Every human and each living creature is capable of redemption. There are just some that refuse to accept that idea. But the humans must govern themselves. You are to look after what will become of the supernaturals. Vampires, werewolves, faeries, and other creatures will need someone to look up to, someone that will help maintain the peace.

"I can help with that, but the third and final part to gaining the knowledge I have is that you must start spreading the word that all creatures who are not human must start living in secret. You must become part of the stories that get told, it won't happen overnight but it will happen."

He was overwhelmed, but, at least, able to make conversation this time. "That's an awful lot of demands from someone who should look to me as a leader."

I frowned at him before tilting my head. "It's an assumption on your part that I'm not in a higher position than you. I am the one who has come back in time to help you learn how not to ruin the world, am I not?"

I gave that time to sink into his stubborn head.

"My Bella brought us back here, do you not think there are other things she can do?" I hated doing this, threatening him, but I couldn't see a way around it. Vampires don't change unless something big happens to them. We can, however, make a conscious choice – we can choose to learn, grow and change. It is hard but that's what I needed, here, from him.

"You can choose to change, Marcus. It is hard, don't get me wrong. But if you make that choice; stick to your convictions and it will be worth it in the end." I promised him.

I left him, again, to his thoughts and went to see what the girls were doing. I could hear giggles and whispers, it made me smile. I was glad that Bella could get along with her Granma in both times. I walked out to them sitting beside the fire stirring what looked like soup while they waited for the bread to bake. They both saw me coming, again bursting into giggles. It looked as if I might have been the topic of conversation but if it made my girl laugh like that, then I was very happy.

I spread my arms out wide, smiling at the both of them. "Ladies, I am at your command." I bowed low. "Put me to work."

They burst into giggles again before they both set me a task.

~*~HS~*~

By the time dinner was ready Marcus had come out and sat silently by the fire with Didyme. He was still thinking about all the things I had told him and also what I had not. He had had his arrogance knocked down a few pegs by what I had said. Even though they'd only been in charge a few years, it had started to go to his head. He had begun to think they were going to be invincible and nobody was higher than them.

It had never occurred to him that Didyme might actually be more powerful than he was. He'd never felt afraid of her because she was his mate. But he could sense that power from Bella now that he was seated near her. So it stood to reason, that if Bella could do what I said she could then Didyme could as well.

'What has Grampy thinking so hard over there, Edward?' Bella asked.

'He's not handling a few home truths too well, my Bella. He had the attitude that he was at the top of the food chain and nothing could best them.' I snorted. 'Didy has never shown her real power before and being her mate he's never felt fear about her. I just told him a few things and he's putting it together.'

'Oh,' Bella sighed. 'You made him see that we are more powerful than he'll ever be but that we can work together to make things right for the world. I have a feeling they'll be having a good, long talk when they go in for the night.'

I nodded, picking up Bella's hand for a long kiss.

'Where are we spending the night?' Bella asked.

I looked at her a little worried with what I had to say. 'Uh…I brought a tent for us to share. At least, until things are a little better for everyone.'

Bella looked at me with a peculiar expression on her face before she burst into the most beautiful, full-bellied laughter. She was laughing so hard that she had tears streaming down her face and she had to hold onto her stomach.

I didn't know what she found so funny but I snorted into a chuckle at her reaction. I thought, though, that it was more fun to see the looks on Marcus and Didy's faces at her response. They didn't know what she was laughing at and they couldn't see anything around her that would produce that kind of laughter. Although I could start to see the dawning of understanding on Didy's face.

"You two were talking, weren't you?" she asked.

I nodded. "We were, but I have no idea why sleeping in a tent would be funny to her."

Bella had just started to calm when she heard my comment to Didy and started laughing all over again.

Didy giggled. "That would be because being outside and sleeping under the stars wouldn't bother an Earth Angel, Edward. In fact, there are times when we'd prefer to be outside rather than in. Being immersed in nature is the best thing for us. That's why Eden is the perfect place for us because everything there is made of natural products. All angels like natural products the best."

I'd never thought of that before. "Ooooohhhh."

Bella snorted one more time before she settled down. "Yes, Edward. Oh. Come on I'm getting tired and I want to go to bed. Let's set up the tent."

With that, Marcus put out the fire, while the girls washed and packed up their dishes. I started to put up the tent when Marcus came over to help me.

"Give me a few days to settle this information, Edward, then we'll take it all to my brothers. We're going to have to prove that Bella is who she says she is, though. She'll have to bring out her wings, even though looking at her is like looking into a mirror image of Didyme. The only difference being their eyes."

I nodded. Didy's eyes were a brilliant blue while Bella's were a stunning brown.

"Don't take too long, Marcus, we don't have a lot of time. Either to spend here in the past or to change the future." I warned.

It was his turn to nod. "I won't. Two days at the most. Time to talk to Didyme about everything and to clear the air on all we've held back and to get it all straight in my head. The day after tomorrow I'll go get them."

We finished setting up the tent in quiet then and I let him have his thoughts.

After Bella and Didy had finished, we said our goodnights.

I walked Bella into the tent and asked her to close her eyes for a few minutes while I finished setting up everything. When I told her she could open her eyes, she realized that I'd brought a few modern conveniences with us. They were a blow-up mattress, down quilts along with pillows and sheets to keep her warm; I didn't want her sleeping on the ground. We'd just have to make sure no one saw the inside of our tent.

When she opened her eyes and saw what I had done, I was given a hero's thank you.

For most of the night.

~*~HS~*~

Over the following days, I kept out of Marcus's head. Didy was able to block me well enough on her own. I wanted to be able to give him time to reform his own mind into accepting the new ideas that we had introduced.

During the day, I enjoyed watching how Bella wore down Didy's defenses, helping her to heal from her ordeal in little ways. Every conversation was used as a tool to counsel her. When Didy let her thoughts slip, I could tell she wasn't even aware she was letting out details of her time with Balail.

They managed to do all of this while going about the chores that Didy did every day. It started by milking the goat and feeding the animals that provided sustenance for her. Marcus had built her a small stockade to house them, and with Bella, they came to her willingly. After that, Bella and Didy went ahead and made breakfast for themselves. I noticed Bella being sneaky with hers as she hid part of it for me. She knew that I hadn't eaten for at least a day. To make her effort worthwhile I told the girls that I would do the dishes so that they could get on with their day.

Bella kept a running commentary in her head while she was working in the garden with her Granma. They were picking vegetables that were ripe and ready, and those that were needed for the meals during the day.

After I'd finished eating, I stoked the fire before taking the pieces of slate that were acting as dishes out to the river to rinse. When I was done, I took them inside, before heading back out to keep an eye on the girls. I knew they were able to look after themselves but that didn't stop me from keeping my eye on them.

~*~HS~*~

To our surprise, Merill, Bella's pigeon, showed up on the third morning. After I had built the bracelets, he had disappeared from Eden. He looked like he had been summoned to the Gods.

His return to us, especially in the past, was a shock, but his appearance was even more so. His beak and feet were now golden, which made Bella gasp at her old friend. He seemed to stand a little taller as he landed on the log, turned table, in front of us.

Bella grabbed him up in the biggest hug I'd ever seen. She'd missed Merill, and until this moment I hadn't realized how much.

"Bella, what's happened to him?" I asked in shock. He was so different.

She sniffled, running her hand over his feathers. "He's been promoted, in a sense. He's now working direct from the Gods. I'm not sure I'll ever see him again once we return."

"I'm sure that's not true," I soothed. Pulling her into a hug. "After we go back what will they need him for? Please, baby, stop crying."

She sniffled out a small laugh. "I'm sorry. Even I didn't realize how much I'd missed him. Maybe he can become my pet again."

"That's possible. He'll deserve it for coming back in time." I chuckled, "He could retire."

She laughed, then looked at the container on his back. "We've been sent another letter."

Bella pulled it out and handed it over to me; I raised my eyebrow in a silent question. "I want to cuddle with my boy for a while. Can you read it to me please?"

Dear Bella and Edward,

We are pleased with your progress so far.

You've made contact and are helping Didyme with her tasks, and you have spoken to Marcus. Thank you.

Marcus will come home tonight a changed man ready to convince the others. Today we sent him a test to make sure that the changes were permanent, and we are pleased with the results.

It is now time to show Didyme the letter. Marcus and Didyme will need to be shown your hidden talent and the reason for it, Edward. It will be the last of the proof they need to push forward with the plan. We know that you don't want to yet, since you haven't learned to trust Marcus, but we have seen that he is ready for the information.

Take your time, you have now changed the future. It's better, but not where it needs to be. But you now have more time on your hands.

With regards,

The Gods.

'Hmm, that's a relief.' Bella sighed. 'Let's start by getting that letter for Didyme, and then showing her what we've been hiding under your clothes.' She purred at me while looking me up and down.

I growled quietly at her. 'No, silly girl. We will show them my tattoo and me eating but she's not going to be seeing everything under my clothes.'

Bella laughed as if that was the funniest thing she'd heard in a while. Meanwhile, Didyme was looking at us as if we were losing our minds.

I grabbed Bella up and began tickling her. Merill squawked before flying back to the table to get away from us.

"Okay, okay," Bella squealed, trying to get away from me. "Uncle, uncle!"

I pulled her into my arms as I stopped tickling her. "All right, sweetheart. I'm going to go get the letter and recipe, you start explaining to Didyme what is going on."

She nodded, kissed me on the lips and then pulled out of my arms. She put her arm around Didy and guided her to a log to sit.

She started her explanation when I emerged from our tent with the documents. "When we got here, I explained that Edward's eyes are gold due to his diet of animal blood, right?"

Didy nodded.

"They've been golden while we've been here, but I actually like his human eye color so much better. Please, honey, change them back for me?"

I, of course, obliged my girl.

"They are, the green of emeralds. This ability of his is linked to his diet. Edward hasn't hunted anything in almost seventy years. His gift from the Gods was a new diet.

"Now, due to future events that are to happen, we can't tell you how Edward got this but we can tell you what it is and what it does.

"He has been given a tattoo onto, or rather into, his impervious vampire skin. The tattoo gun was made from part of Gabriel's blade." Bella was interrupted by a gasp from Didy.

"Oh, my."

"Mmhm." Bella agreed. "Now, in this letter is a recipe to make the ink that will mark vampire skin. One of the main ingredients for activation is angel tears.

"What this means is that when the ink is made, placed into the tattoo gun and inked onto the vampire, it allows a complete change in diet." With this she paused. "It enables them to eat food and completely absorb it…"

"No, that's not possible," Didy exclaimed. "There is no way a vampire can eat food."

Bella nodded as if she thought that would happen. She got up and went inside the hut while Didy sat there watching with her thoughts all muddled. When Bella came back out of the hut, she had a cup of milk and some of the bread they'd made that morning. She sat down next to me and handed over the cup.

Without more prompting, I took a drink from the cup before reaching out and pulling off some of the bread and putting that in my mouth before any words could come from Didyme's mouth.

She sat there and watched me in astonishment while I finished off a few more mouthfuls of the bread and the whole cup of milk. She continued to sit there thinking that, at any moment, I would run off to dispel everything I'd just eaten and drunk.

"Due to the fact that Edward has a tattoo with angel tears in it, it also enables him to change his eye color to keep up pretenses." Bella waved her hand at me.

Didy watched as, again, I did just that. I changed them from the green that Bella loved, to the gold that I used to cover my tracks with my family and other vampires, then back.

That was when Marcus came home. Because I hadn't been actively listening, I didn't hear him arrive.

"How did you do that?" He pointed at my face.

While I explained and showed him what we had been telling Didyme, Bella and Didy went through her letter and the list of ingredients that she would need to make the ink. Bella handed over the instructions on how to make the tattoo gun with the utensils that were around. Included in that list were some other implements that needed to be made.

"So what does this tattoo look like?" Marcus got around to asking.

I stood up and started unbuttoning my shirt. Didy and Marcus looked shocked at my actions causing Bella and me to laugh. "Sorry, I didn't mean to shock you but I had to have it put somewhere that could easily be hidden, just like you will."

I stripped out of my shirt to the undershirt beneath, turning my back to them. Removing my final piece of clothing, I revealed to them the Volturi tattoo underneath.

"Oh wow," Didy said in a whisper. "That's really beautiful."

"It is," I agreed. "This is the male version of what will become the Volturi symbol. I'll have to draw you up the female version. It is suggested that you get one as well Didyme so that it looks as if you are more vampire than angel. It's a level of protection.

"At this point, though, just you two have knowledge of this. We must convince the others to change before they can learn this information. Bella, you and Didy will need to get started making the ink while Marcus and I spend the night getting the tattoo gun built. Tomorrow we go and take on the other leaders of the Volturi."

We all agreed, spreading out to begin our tasks.

~*~HS~*~

The following morning we sent Marcus down to the Volturi encampment to invite the other four leaders to come to his place. He told them that they had something to talk about but it had to be done away from the listening ears of the others.

I kept my mind open to our surroundings wanting to hear when they were approaching so that we could be prepared. If Marcus's reaction was anything to go by, Aro and Caius's would be worse. They would be the hard nuts to crack, the ladies not so much, they were open to all that was around them. Well, they were when I knew them.

Bella and Didy went about the chores while I watched over them. We were all outside when I heard Marcus's mind come into my three-mile radius.

"Bella, Didy, might I suggest that you ladies wash up a bit. It seems our company is coming."

I watched as they went to the basin that I had filled with water earlier and washed their hands and faces. They were both nervous about this meeting. Didyme had been trying to talk to them since she came here but had never had any luck. They'd ignored her as much as her own mate had. They were all in for a very big shock.

While the ladies were cleaning up, I made sure that the seating around the fire was set up and that the fire was still going. Didyme had asked that we have this outside because there were just too many of us to be seated inside her home. She was also worried that tempers may flare and she wanted room for those tempers to be worked off.

By the time that Aro, Scully, Caius and Dora arrived with Marcus we were standing by the fire. They were wary, which was a given, but funny enough, it was only the ladies that seemed to realize that Bella looked exactly like Didyme. They were already putting things together. They knew they were related but had no idea how far apart they were linked.

What surprised me most was that they were already feeling guilty for not listening to Didyme. They had heard what she was saying but chose to ignore it because their mates had. To me, it looked like arrogance was something that came with having power, but some of us let it go to our heads. Unfortunately, that seems to have happened here.

They all paused in shock but it was Aro that spoke. "Marcus, what is going on here?"

He sighed in his thoughts. I could tell he still believed this was going to be a hard sell, even though the proof was staring them right in the face.

"Aro, Sulpicia, Caius, Anthenodora, I would like you to meet Edward and Isabella. Edward, Bella these are the other leaders of the Volturi." He sighed again, but out loud this time. "Bella here is Didyme's great, great granddaughter – separated by nearly four and a half thousand, weather rotations."

The way he was doing the introductions was starting to grate on not just my nerves but Didyme's and Bella's as well. He was trying, but not hard enough. He knew things had to change but I think he was a little scared of the other two so he was folding in on himself.

"They have come…"

I interrupted him, showing the others that we were above him and in essence above them too.

"We have come from the future at the bequest of the Gods, and the prayers that Didyme has sent to them. We have come to stop what you will do to END THE WORLD."

Hmm, I'd love to know what you think...

This week I'd love to recommend another book, this one by the beloved duo Deb Drotuno and Jenny Rarden. It's just been released on Amazon and is:

High Heels and Hard Drives.

It's based on the fic with the same name, although it had a few new changes that enhanced the story. I devoured it in a couple short hours. Give it a go!

See you next week!