Chapter Two:

The next day, as Bella was getting ready to leave for Volterra to meet with some of her friends and discuss business matters with others, her phone rang. Seeing that it was Charlie calling, she smiled and answered.

"Hey dad." Bella said happily into the phone.

"Hi Bells. I just wanted to call and wish you a happy birthday. I can't believe you're turning 40 in a couple of days." Charlie said.

"I know what you mean dad. Where has the time gone? At least I still don't feel a day over 20," Bella added with a chuckle, finding humor in the fact that she would never age past that point.

"Oh, don't worry honey, eventually everyone feels the effects of time," Charlie laughed on the other end. "I myself am looking forward to retiring in a couple years. Living peacefully with Sue on the reservation sounds really nice right about now."

"I'm glad you finally admitted that you should retire soon. I mean, you could have been relaxing and fishing every day for the past decade," Bella joked, "but I know how much you love your job."

Charlie chuckled in agreement. "That I do. So how are you and Garrett? I wish you guys could visit more often, but I understand you run a big business now, and Italy is quite far away."

"Garrett and I are doing great. The business is really booming. We've had to hire 10 more employees in the past 3 years to keep up with everything. Have you had a chance to read any of the books we've published recently?" Bella asked.

"That's impressive, Bells. I'm glad to hear the business is doing well. I haven't had a chance to read any of the recent books, but Sue and I did read 'The Man Out of Time' last year. We really enjoyed it. The author did an amazing job of bringing the characters to life. It was so immersive, it felt like he really knew how it felt," Charlie replied.

"That's good to hear. I'll be sure to pass on your kind words to the author. He's currently working on another story that I think you'll enjoy. I won't give anything away now, so you can be surprised," Bella replied with a smile. "So, how are things in Forks and on the reservation?"

"Mostly good," Charlie said. "Seth's little one Harry visits us almost every day, and it's nice to have a child in the house again... I mean..."

Bella wanted to reassure her father. "It's okay, Dad. You can talk about Harry. It's not an issue." She and Garrett had told her parents that she was unable to have children when they kept asking when she was going to have one. They had been sad, but she had tried to tell them that she was okay with it. Sometimes Charlie still thought it was an issue with her, but Renee had understood and taken Bella at her word that she was okay.

"Anyway, for Harry's tenth birthday, we threw a big party at First Beach. All of his friends were there, and everyone had a great time. Harry was overjoyed with the computer thingamajig you got him. He couldn't contain his excitement and started explaining all its features to me, but I couldn't make heads or tails of what he was saying," Charlie recounted to Bella. "He was disappointed that you couldn't be there for his party."

"Please let him know that I'm truly sorry I couldn't be there. I love spending time with him whenever we visit you and Sue," Bella expressed sincerely. She felt grateful that Seth, unlike certain members of the pack, had no issues with her and Garrett, as long as we refrained from feeding on humans anywhere near them. Seth understood that we posed no threat, and he had ensured our visits to Charlie's were much more comfortable and without issues.

"The only issue around here is that Billy hasn't been feeling well lately. He's been slowing down a lot, and I'm worried about him." Charlie's voice was filled with concern for his best friend.

"Have you talked to him about seeing a doctor?" Bella asked, equally concerned.

"I have, and so has Jake, but he's stubborn as a mule. He insists it's just old age catching up with him and that he'll be fine. But I don't know, something seems off," Charlie replied, his worry evident.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Dad," Bella said sympathetically. "I know how much Billy's friendship means to you. Maybe you could spend more time with him and encourage him to see a doctor without putting too much pressure on him so he doesn't feel cornered. I'm sure you'll know what to do."

Bella couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness at the thought of her parents and friends growing older while she remained forever frozen in time. But she knew that aging was a natural part of life, and that she had to accept it and cherish the time she had with her loved ones.

They continued to chat and catch up on each other's lives for a little while longer until Charlie said, "Bella, I hate to end our talk, but I need to get to bed. It's really late where I am due to the time difference. But before I go, I want to wish you a very happy birthday!"

"Thank you, Dad! That means a lot to me. I wish you were here to celebrate with us, but I understand the distance makes it tough. We'll plan something special the next time Garrett and I visit you and Sue in Forks."

"I'd like that," Charlie replied with a grin. "Well, have a great birthday, Bella. I love you."

"I love you too, Dad. Thanks for calling," Bella said before they hung up.

Soon, Bella bid Garrett farewell with a kiss and left to visit the Volturi. The drive was quite peaceful as the electric car glided noiselessly along the highway, offering a smooth and serene ride. Engaging with the advanced artificial intelligence integrated into the vehicle, Bella initiated a conversation.

"Janet," she called out, her voice resonating within the cabin. "What is the current weather in Volterra?"

In a pleasant voice, the computer responded, "The weather in Volterra is currently sunny, with a 5% chance of rain."

Bella then asked, "Do I have any messages, Janet?"

Janet's reply was swift and accommodating. "You have three new messages. Would you like me to play them for you?"

"Yes, please," Bella said, eager to catch up on her communication while she had a free minute.

"Playing message one," Janet said, and Bella heard the voice of her friend Jill. "Hey Bella, how's it going? I'm looking forward to your visit in a few months. I just wanted to let you know that Ben received your birthday card. You were really much to generous with how much you gave him. He wrote you a very nice thank-you card, which should be arriving soon. It's getting harder and harder to get him to do anything I ask these days. He's being a typical teenager. I don't remember being that much of an a-hole to my parents, but I probably was. Can you believe he's going to be driving soon. Anyway, I hope all is well. Talk to you later."

Bella was happy to hear from her friend. It was also hard for Bella to believe that little Benny was already in high school and would be driving soon. The thought of him behind the wheel was a bit scary. Bella couldn't help but remember a funny incident from her last visit a year ago when she caught Benny staring at her chest several times while pretending to be doing other things. She shook her head, wondering how he would react if he saw her as her 19 1/2-year-old self and not as an older women pretending to be the same age as his mother. Life as a vampire was indeed weird at times.

"Playing message two," Janet said, and then Bella heard what was clearly a recorded voice saying, "Congratulations! You have been selected as the lucky winner of our grand prize of $1,000,000! To claim your prize, simply call..." Bella quickly interrupted the message, saying, "Delete second message."

Bella couldn't help but wonder why scam messages like these still persisted. She would have thought they could be eliminated by now, but it seemed that was not the case.

"Playing message three," Janet said, and Bella heard the soft melodic voice of Kiyoko, Edward's wife. "Hi Bella. Edward and I are traveling in South America, and we ran into a very interesting vampire by the name of Umina. We got to talking, and when we told her about you and your publishing business, she became interested. She claimed to be the daughter of Pachacuti, who was the leader of the Inca Empire in the 1400's. Edward verified her claims through his mind reading. We shared your contact details with her, so I wanted to give you a heads up in case she reaches out to you. She seemed like a nice woman and shared some fascinating stories about her human life. Hope all is well with you and Garrett."

Bella found Umina's story intriguing and hoped to hear from her. Although she didn't know much about the Inca civilization, someone with such a direct connection to the ruler must have a unique perspective on that era. Bella made a mental note to call Kiyoko back and express her gratitude for the potential contact.

Bella was still about 20 minutes away from the walled city of Volterra, and she decided to listen to some music.

"Janet, play Bella's favorites, group 3, randomize," Bella instructed. She felt herself relax as one of her favorite songs started playing. The rest of her drive was peaceful, and soon she entered the Volturi's massive parking garage beneath the castle.

As Bella parked her car in a spot in the garage, she stepped out and noticed Felix and Demetri walking towards her. "Hey guys," Bella greeted them with a smile.

"What's happening, B?" Felix responded, returning the smile.

"Not much, just meeting with some people, catching up, shit like that," Bella replied. "Where are you two headed?"

"We received a report about a newborn causing trouble in Germany, and it seems they haven't been very careful about covering their feeding habits up. We're heading there to investigate," Demetri explained.

"It's always a stupid newborn, isn't it? Why do vampires always seem to turn the dumb ones?" Bella remarked with a hint of frustration. "Well, good luck with your hunt. I happen to know that Renaldo from the Spanish coven is currently visiting some friends in Germany. You might want to give him a call and see if he has any leads on where you two should look first."

"Thanks, B. We'll reach out to him during the flight. See you later," Felix replied as they walked off to get into their car and make their way to the jet.

As Bella took the elevator up to the guards' wing, she decided to visit some of her friends first. Upon reaching Chelsea's door, before she could knock, she could clearly hear Chelsea having very loud sex with her boyfriend. Bella decided it was best not to interrupt her and proceeded down the hall to see if Heidi was in her suite. Bella still missed Chelsea's former girlfriend, Brianna. She had been really fun to hang out with, but after five years, she and Chelsea had decided to part ways as friends. She guessed that was just how it went with vampires if they didn't find their mate. It made Bella all the more glad that she found Garrett as soon as she had. Some in the Volturi had been around for thousands of years and still had no luck.

Bella knocked on Heidi's door, and when her friend opened it, Bella was taken aback by Heidi's new look. Instead of her usual long blonde hair, Heidi had undergone a striking transformation. Bella struggled to find the right words to describe it. It was like a rainbow had settled on her head, with all the colors blending together in a beautiful harmony.

"Wow, Heidi, your hair looks amazing," Bella remarked, her voice filled with admiration. "Who did it? They did a fantastic job."

Heidi smiled proudly. "Cool, isn't it? Renata did it. She recently took a class and experimented with this new style, which she says is all the rage today."

"Well, I love it," Bella said. "I kinda wish I could try something like that, but I don't think it would go over well when I'm playing a businesswoman in my 40s. Maybe in the future," she added with a smile as Heidi invited her inside.

They caught up on the latest news from the Volturi, indulging in gossip for a good half hour. Eventually, Heidi turned the conversation towards Bella's shield, curiosity twinkling in her eyes. She loved nothing more than being Bella's experimental subject, eagerly awaiting the moment when Bella would try her new tricks with the shield, using Heidi as her willing partner.

"Yes, I've discovered a few intriguing things that I believe will pique your interest," Bella revealed with a glimmer of excitement in her eyes. "One of my recent breakthroughs involves separating a portion of my shield and affixing it to someone even when I'm not present. I'm actually planning to test it on Aro later today. While there are still some kinks to iron out, it holds tremendous potential once I fine-tune it." Bella's voice resonated with a mix of enthusiasm and determination as she shared her latest innovations.

"I'm sure he'll like that one. We all know how much Aro loves his shields," Heidi said, a playful smile gracing her lips. "You're going to put Renata out of a job one of these days."

"I'm sure Renata is valued for more than just her ability. Besides, she can always become the Volturi Head Hair Stylist," Bella said with a laugh. "As for the current state of the shielded person, it's not perfected yet. They can't really touch things either. It's still a work in progress. But the other one, I think you'll find interesting. I can now feel pressure on my shield when I protect others, and I'm trying to learn how to adjust my shield based on external instructions. Would you like me to try it on you?" Bella offered.

"Sure," Heidi replied eagerly, standing up and waiting to see what Bella would do.

"Alright, I want you to raise both of your hands in the air as if you were being held up by a gunman," Bella instructed, observing as Heidi followed her guidance. "Now, I'm going to place a shield around you and in front of your hands. The goal of this test is to see if I can feel the pressure of your fingers on the shield. We'll assign each finger with a specific action, like going up, down, left, right, or rotating in different directions. If it works, it should feel like you're controlling the shield, deciding what should happen, rather than feeling like I'm simply moving you around. Currently, I can't think of many practical applications for this ability, but I'm confident that we'll come up with more in the future, especially as I continue to improve my abilities.

Bella and Heidi discussed the assigned actions for each finger and then proceeded to practice, testing the functionality of this new skill. As Bella concentrated, she felt the subtle pressure on her shield, enabling her to interpret Heidi's intentions and manipulate the shield accordingly. The connection between them became evident as they synchronized their movements, fine-tuning their communication silently through the shield.

As Heidi gracefully glided around the room, Bella effortlessly responded to her guidance, and a playful laughter escaped Heidi's lips. "This is truly fascinating, Bella. If you continue to refine your control, one intriguing possibility is for someone to fly alongside you, believing they are the ones directing their movements. You know how much fun we've had flying together in the forest. Well, with this newfound ability, I could be right there beside you, and you would intuitively understand the movements and directions I desired to go."

"You're right, that would be cool," Bella replied, a smile gracing her lips. "I mean, imagine flying together, side by side, and you feeling like you're the one directing your own movements. It sounds amazing. But, I think I will need a lot more practice to get to that point. I still need to work on my own flying skills before adding a second person into the mix."

"I don't think you realize how good you've gotten, Bella," Heidi said with a warm smile. "I've seen you fly, and it's pretty much like what you see in the movies. Keep refining your movements, because I know how much you love to practice and always get better. But honestly, I think you can just say that you can fly now." Heidi's words were filled with genuine admiration and a touch of teasing, knowing Bella's humble nature and her tendency to downplay her own talents and abilities.

"I know," Bella replied with a nonchalant shrug. "It's just strange when people ask if I can fly, and I have to admit that I can. It feels more like a superhero power than something associated with being a vampire." Her tone held a hint of bemusement as she contemplated the unique abilities she had acquired as a vampire.

After spending time with Heidi, Bella bid farewell to her friend, saying that she had some business meetings to attend to. As she walked to another floor in the guard wing, she couldn't help but reflect on the unusual nature of her upcoming meeting. When Bella initially established her publishing firm, she never imagined that her most popular author would turn out to be Jane. Jane didn't strike her as a storyteller, but upon hearing positive feedback from other members of the Volturi, Jane paid Bella a visit and shared some of her ideas.

To Bella's surprise, it became evident that Jane possessed a remarkable imagination concealed within her sadistic little head. Once Bella and Jane established a solid working relationship, the progress was swift. Jane completed her first work in record time, which subsequently became a bestseller. Her book, "Chrono Kids: Race to the Past," resonated exceptionally well with the young adult audience. Now, with Bella recently publishing the sequel, "Chrono Kids: Future Unbound," the book had already leap to the top of the bestseller lists.

Bella rapped her knuckles against Jane's door, and it swung open to reveal Jane, who offered a timid smile. Opening up and being friendly didn't come easily to her. After a brief pause, she managed to speak. "Hello, Bella. Please come in."

As Bella crossed the threshold into Jane's suite, she couldn't help but feel a sense of disbelief at how surprisingly normal everything appeared. Despite Jane's typically reserved nature, her room exuded the essence of a typical young woman. It was a peculiar contrast, where Jane's lack of personal expression seemed to find solace in the vibrant ambiance of her living space. Jane's unfortunate transformation at the young age of 16 meant that, although she now appeared to be around 17 and could push her appearance into the late teens, she would never truly experience adulthood. Bella gracefully took a seat on the sofa, patiently waiting for Jane to join her in the neighboring chair.

"I have some exciting news, Jane," Bella began with enthusiasm. "Future Unbound is proving to be an even bigger success than your first book. It's currently the second most popular young adult book in the world right now. And you'll find this amusing, the number one book is actually about vampires." Both Jane and Bella shared a lighthearted giggle at the irony.

"But that's not all," Bella continued, her voice brimming with excitement. "I received a call from a prominent movie studio. They're interested in adapting 'Race to the Past' and 'Future Unbound' into movies. I really think we should consider this opportunity, Jane. The studio has a stellar track record of creating blockbuster films. They were the ones responsible for the successful remakes of the entire Harry Potter series over the past decade, and you know how well those movies did." Bella had been floored eight years ago when she had caught Jane dressed up as Hermione Granger and Alec dressed up as Harry Potter, attending one of the movie premieres.

"Really? That's exciting to think about," Jane replied, her voice tinged with a mix of anticipation and concern. "I wrote the books under a pseudonym, and no one in the human world knows that I was the author. Do you think it would pose any issues if we were to have them adapted into movies?"

"No, it should be fine," Bella reassured her. "Typically, authors whose books are adapted into movies don't have extensive involvement in the theatrical release. However, the screenplay writers may consult with you and seek your input to ensure the story translates well on screen. The level of involvement ultimately depends on how we set up the contract and how much you would like to be involved in the project. But if we proceed with this and you want to visit the set, I'd be more than happy to accompany you so we could go out during the day time."

"Thank you, Bella. Yes, I would be interested in that," Jane replied with gratitude.

"Great. How about you come to my house next week or so, and we can schedule a meeting with the studio to discuss and hammer out the details," Bella suggested. "I have a good feeling about this. It's going to be an interesting and exciting experience."

As Bella and Jane continued their conversation, they delved into the intricate details of movie production, discussing various aspects that fascinated Jane. In the midst of their discussion, Jane eagerly shared her ideas for a potential third book in the series with Bella. As Bella bid farewell and left, she couldn't help but feel that Jane had a promising future ahead as a writer.