a/n: Apologies in advance to any Americans that might be offended. I swear I don't hate Americans (most of the time).

Just kidding. You guys are alright.

"JAH-nah," the receptionist sighed, not bothering to conceal her exasperation this time. Her eyes didn't leave the computer screen, her fingers gliding effortlessly across the keyboard. Bella bit her lip, scared to try one more time.

Gianna seemed content with her silence.

Suddenly standing up, the secretary took a grey folder from the desk and shoved it into a leather briefcase, clasping it hurriedly and sparing Bella only an annoyed glance before hurrying away.

"Stay right there."

As if she would dare to wander alone.

The computer screen flicked to show a boring, professional-looking screensaver—dark background with something written in what Bella guessed to be Italian. The letters didn't bounce off the screen borders. They mimicked Bella and stayed exactly where they were. To her still-tired eyes, the yellowed plastic of the machine looked even more yellow than it should, as if the computer was sick. She wondered if she looked somewhat the same.

Jane and Alec were right, after all. The vampires did not remember to feed her as often as necessary, though she didn't know if by accident or on purpose. After nearly eight hours with no food or liquids, she gave in and called for someone. The uncloaked stranger who showed up at her door hummed in response to her request and left her with Gianna, who was supposed to be more aware of her human needs.

The woman did not eat as frequently as she should, immersed in her work to an unhealthy extent, so now Bella was being watched by an unwilling nanny on top of starving.

Plus, she now had to ask to use the bathroom, and Gianna would scowl every time she heard the question, like a mean teacher.

Wonderful.

Bella noticed quickly enough that vampires operated in an entirely different time to humans. She had never realised that before, only seeing the Cullens doing their best to fit in. In Forks, they would always abide by human rules and schedules, and it had never occurred to her that they had no real reason to do so. In Volterra, things moved very differently, and after five days, the three Cullens were still around having an on-and-off discussion with the kings of the vampire world.

She had little to do. With one single book at her disposal, she read it three times over before admitting to herself that it was no fun anymore. It had to be put to rest for a while, long enough for her to forget most of the story's details. Considering how bothersome her most basic needs were to those around her, Bella felt like asking for more entertainment would be imposing too much.

So she waited.

A lot.

Gianna seemed to be the only human working in her position, so it was no surprise that she was overworking. Bella saw her taking a single fifteen-minute break in twelve hours and had no idea how long her shift should be.

She was yanked from her rambling thoughts by the soft, rhythmic thud of the secretary's high heels. She held something, and before Bella could give it a good look to discern what it was, Gianna let it fall on the desk before her.

"These won't fill you but they should trick your stomach for long enough. I can get actual food when I clock out."

Bella flipped the package in her hands, the name and description of its contents eluding her completely – everything was in Italian. An illustration of a kind elderly lady stared back at her from the front and the words "Matilde Vicenzi" claimed her attention. She must have looked confused because Gianna sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Biscuits," she explained, and Bella could almost hear the rest of the sentence that was not voiced:

"You stupid American."

"Thank you."

When she clocks out… When would that be? She seemed to always be there and Bella would have doubted that she ever did leave if not for the fact that the woman was just as human as she was, and needed to sleep just as much as she did. Sitting down by her side, Gianna brought her slender manicured fingers to the keyboard as usual but paused. Her long nails hovered over the yellow keys and she tensed, locking her jaw.

Bella froze. What could have caused the crack in her stoic, professional armour?

Then she heard it too, footsteps so light that were barely audible at all. Gianna seemed to know exactly who they belonged to and didn't turn or move in any way. Bella was not so familiar with the place and its inhabitants. Slowly and cautiously, she turned her head in the direction of the sound.

Her eyes were immediately drawn to Aro, standing tall and confident at the front and in the middle of the group. Her attention was then claimed by his pale-haired brother, the colour of his hair too shocking to be ignored. The third brother was amiss, and the two kings were flanked by the monumental form of Felix and the more elegant, less intimidating frame of Demetri. He stared at her but so did all the other vampires in the room, and she was relieved. It had worried her that he had paid her any more attention than the rest of the guard, for it raised the question of why he would do it. She was self-conscious enough as it was.

"There you are, young Bella. I see that you were preparing yourself to enjoy a meal, and we have interrupted you. My apologies."

She frowned, taking a moment too long to realise that Aro referred to the still-sealed package in her hands. She shook her head, setting it down.

"No. I mean… It's fine. I can eat later."

Caius huffed.

"Just bring the damn food."

His tone caused a jolt to travel to her body. She felt reprimanded, fumbling with the biscuits as she jumped to her feet. Her nervousness translated into clumsiness and the package fell to the floor after bouncing pathetically on her hands. Someone snorted to suppress a laugh. She bent down and picked it up so quickly that she could hear her knees popping. Keeping her head down, she went around the reception desk.

As she followed them away from Gianna and her computer, Bella noticed how incredibly strange it was to see them in that area of the castle. Looking over her shoulder, she saw the secretary stare at them in shocked silence before snapping out of her trance and diving back into her work.

Their walk was surprisingly short. Only three or four minutes later, Demetri stopped, gesturing for her to keep walking. She passed by him trying to ignore the tingling sensation of being watched that spread through the nape of her neck.

They were not in a room per se, but the corridor sloped to the left to form a secluded area with no doors. The smooth curve gave the illusion of privacy without evident restriction. They were still in the carpeted, well-lit area of the building and Bella imagined that the vampires intended to put her at ease by choosing that place and going in person to retrieve her rather than summoning her.

She did not feel at ease.

"You may sit down," Caius informed her in what she considered to be almost a friendly tone.

She sat on one of the cushioned wooden chairs and discreetly glanced around. More flowers adorned their surroundings, neatly placed on top of small coffee tables, and golden chandeliers hung from the walls - though the flames had been replaced by electric light bulbs. The green floor and the flowers made Bella feel like she was in a poor, sad imitation of a meadow and her heart clenched at the passing thought. The kings sat across from her at human pace while Felix stood behind them, unmoving. She couldn't see Demetri and assumed he was still where he had stopped, obscured by the curved wall. Before she had time to be uncomfortable, Carlisle joined them and his gentle smile made her exhale heavily.

"Hello, Bella. How are you feeling?"

She hesitated for a moment, looking around for the rest of the Cullens.

"Edward and Alice already left," he explained. "They are very sorry that they couldn't see you one more time."

She ignored the crushing wave of disappointment that threatened to take over her and nodded.

"It's fine. I'm fine."

What did it mean, though? If they left before Carlisle - and without her - what did it mean?

Aro crossed his legs.

"It has been brought to our attention, by our friend Dr Cullen of course, that it would be in everyone's best interest to postpone your transformation for a few years," he started. "We understand that you would like to become immortal as soon as possible, however," he raised his voice a little, possibly catching some indication that she was about to interrupt him, "you are still a little too young, dear Bella. Well above the minimum age, yes, but it is true that we would like to avoid the addition of any more teenagers to our ranks whenever possible."

She frowned, allowing herself to process this. They had a minimum age? She knew of Jane and Alec, but no other teen members of the guard. Could their youth cause enough trouble to justify that choice?

"I'm eighteen. I'm… of age."

She realised how weak her argument was before she finished her sentence, but it was too late.

"You are not old enough for a plethora of things even in the human world, in most countries."

She shook her head, but what was there to say? He was right. The prospect of becoming even older than Edward was inconceivable to her but hardly a good enough reason for them. Her eyes met Carlisle and she tried not to resent him. This was his way of helping her, his way of fixing her mess; she couldn't bring herself to be mad at him for trying.

"You will be safe here," Aro went on. "We will tend to you until it's time and no harm will come to you. Your friends can write to you as much as they want and visit you whenever they can."

Carlisle smiled and nodded in gratitude.

Bella remained in silence, frantically searching for anything to persuade him otherwise. She turned to Caius and decided to appeal to his undisguised dislike for humans.

"I'll be much more of a nuisance as a human living here. I'll…"

But he laughed, raising a white eyebrow in mocking disbelief. "You'll be a nuisance either way. Newborns are hardly enjoyable company."

She fidgeted with the package of biscuits in her hands.

"How long?"

Carlisle sighed, anticipating her reaction. "According to most recent research, your brain will be fully developed at twenty-five."

She choked. There was a noise of something falling to the floor and she started to hyperventilate.

"Bella, calm down. Twenty-five is very young."

"It's older than Edward. Older than Alice, Emmett, Rose or Jasper. It's older than you, even."

She took a step back, suddenly realising she had stood up. Her ankle met the chair she once sat on, now flipped on its side. The biscuits lay in front of her, unopened.

"Your biological age will matter very little in the future," Caius said dismissively.

"Then why…"

"It matters now," Aro intervened. "It will affect your adaptation to your new life. This transition will be much smoother if you are a little more mature, Isabella, and for the decades that follow it will be better for all of us to deal with an adult rather than a teenager."

Caius scoffed. "Though it matters little," he added, "no one in their right mind wants to deal with teenagers forever."

At that, he received a very sharp, pointed look from Aro. Carlisle quickly tried to dissipate the awkward mood.

"It will be better for you too, Bella. You will see. Many difficult emotions become easier to manage and behaviours that become easier to avoid with adulthood."

Rationally, she knew he had a point. She knew exactly what he meant, but ironically those exact emotions he was alluding to prevented her from accepting reason and logic. All she felt was pure dread because all she could hear was that she would become much older than Edward. Would he even want her then? Could he still relate to her at all if they had such an age gap?

Would she still be able to relate to him?

"What about twenty-one? I'll be an adult. Isn't it good enough?"

The three vampires exchanged indecipherable looks. Bella bit her lip, her heart beating painfully quick. She could feel her chest shaking.

Aro simply smiled.

"Be patient, my dear. You will be quite busy in these seven years, I assure you they will fly by."

It was like they threw her from a cruise ship and she plunged right into dark, freezing waters.

She fought the urge to crumble down but her knees were like jelly. Her eyelids were suddenly too heavy, as well as her head, and she barely registered Carlisle moving to her side to support her weight. He put an arm around her back and used the other one to hold her hand on the opposite side, his forearm positioned across her abdomen. She held onto him for a few seconds before shaking her head again.

"Sorry. I'm fine."

He didn't let go.

This was not a discussion. Not like the first time, when Aro wanted her opinion - or at least let her be a part of the conversation. They had already decided and were just informing her. It was pointless to treat it like a bargain; nothing she said would make a difference.

She looked up at Carlisle and he stared back at her with a slight frown. Worried, surely. She tried to smile reassuringly.

"I feel better now."

He released her hand, keeping his arm around her back. "We will write, Bella. And visit. You will be ok."

She nodded, hopeless and speechless.

"Thank you, dear friend, for your visit. It was very nice seeing you again, and of course, we greatly appreciate your input on Bella's future here. We do hope you won't take long to come back."

Carlisle understood he was being dismissed before Bella could register what Aro said. He let go of her, softly squeezing her shoulder and walking back to where she imagined Demetri was standing guard.

"Thank you for having me. I will return shortly."

With that, he offered Bella one last rueful look and disappeared. She couldn't help but think that he ran away as soon as given permission, but she could hardly blame him for that either.

Once Carlisle was out of sight, Felix moved closer and Demetri joined them. Bella shifted her weight from one foot to another, trying to release some of the pressure she still felt on her limbs.

"Her schedule and her permanent quarters," Caius directed his words to Demetri and he bowed, acknowledging the simple command and leaving them again.

"You will start by assisting Gianna in her daily tasks," Aro instructed her. "It has been brought to our attention that her workload is a bit too heavy for a human. She will train you and when you are ready, you two can take turns. When you are settled with that, we will start your education."

She blinked. "My education? Uhm, about the vampire world?"

"Languages as well. We do not speak English here very frequently."

She nodded, still in a haze. It would take a little longer for her to digest the new information. Seven years. She couldn't stop thinking about it, couldn't believe it.

She tried not to think that she would probably have been turned much sooner if she had just gone back to America with Edward and Alice.

Aro took a necklace from inside his suit and held it up for her. It was very similar to the ones worn by the guards, with small differences. The pendant was simpler, with no crest behind it, though it had the same red stone. The chain was more delicate and the entire thing was silver instead of golden.

"May I?"

"Yeah... S-sure."

He stood behind her to put it on and his closeness sent shivers down her spine. It was unnerving enough to be by vampires when you could see them.

She jumped when she heard the clasp.

"A little 'do not eat' sign," Felix explained with a playful smirk.

"Oh."

He extended his hand, offering her something that nearly disappeared inside his large palm. When she made no move to take it, he opened it for her.

The biscuits.

"Thanks."

He winked as she reached for it, and she almost dropped it again.

She started to eat, only realising how hungry she was after the first bite made its way down to her stomach. It rumbled, seemingly awakening from its own haze and noticing that it was empty. Aro gave her an approving smile.

"Very well. Now, we have just a few rules for you."

He explained to her how the castle was laid out and which parts she was allowed to go into, specifying which ones she could go alone - such as the library and the common areas shared by the human employees - and which ones would require an escort. She was free to leave the castle as much as she pleased, through the front door only during work hours and using the back passages during any other time.

"You don't need to hide from the sunlight in public, but we do like to be discreet and maintain the illusion that no one lives here in this building."

"Right. Sure."

"We ask that you leave your room every day for at least an hour so it can be cleaned," Caius added. "Keep your used clothes in the basket inside your bathroom so they can be collected and washed before being returned to you. You are expected to join the human staff for every meal in the kitchen; Gianna will give you your schedule so you know when to head there to eat. You can write letters to the Cullens and walk to the post office to send them, or you can use the computers in the library to send them electronic mail. Questions?"

She had thousands of them but wasn't sure which ones would be safe. The mention of letters reminded her of her family.

"My parents? My human friends? Do they have to think I… that I died?"

He shrugged. "That is not our competence. It is the responsibility of the Olympic coven to keep the humans in their territory oblivious to our existence."

She would have to ask them, then.

"Oh my God, seven years. Seven whole years. How can seven years just fly by?"

It was much too difficult to pay attention to the instructions given to her. Her brain refused to soak up anything else before it could fully grasp that one piece of information, and Bella was certain that she would never be able to fully process it.

Seven years!

"Are there many humans working here?"

Caius squinted, suspicious, but Aro giggled. "Not many, my dear, but do not worry: you will not feel lonely here. If you are not comfortable spending time and striking conversation with any of our residing or visiting immortals, you can always make friends with the humans living in town. Just be conscious of how much you share with them."

Bella tried to think of anything else she might want to ask them, but nothing came to mind. She had a feeling they wouldn't be personally checking on her during her time there; surely they had better things to do than to cater to her all the time. Even so, she couldn't bring herself to ask any more questions. She kept eating the biscuits, partially to keep herself busy as she waited for them to dismiss her.

Caius was quick to take advantage of her silence.

"That is all. You may return to Gianna. She is waiting for you."

She nodded, hesitating for a few seconds when she realised no one was escorting her back. It made sense; they only walked for a few minutes, so there was no reason for them to think she couldn't find her way back.

She was not so sure that she could.

She turned on her heel and started to walk back anyway, looking at the walls and following the ones she thought she recognised. It was not so easy, but a handful of them had distinct ornaments that made it possible. She doubted herself several times, munching on her snack out of nervousness once the hunger vanished, and sighed with relief when she spotted the human secretary again.

The woman didn't seem nearly as happy to see her.

"Garbage bin," was all she said, pointing to her left and turning back to the pile of paper she had in front of her.

Bella murmured her thanks and threw the empty package of biscuits in the bin, going back to the vacant chair she occupied earlier. She waited, expecting Gianna to talk about her training or her schedule, but the woman kept working in silence.

She decided to risk small talk again.

"So… how long have you been working here?"

The woman paused and sighed dramatically, visibly annoyed. Still not looking at Bella, she answered in a dry tone.

"About seven years."

Bella's heart jumped and her hands started shaking.

Her silence seemed to please the Italian, who handed her a thin folder without a word. Opening it, Bella found her schedule printed on a simple white sheet of paper, along with a coloured map of the castle.

She didn't thank her. She stood up and left the lobby without as much as a glance at the other human.

Seven years already felt like way too long to be civil to someone who was not willing to reciprocate.

"Seven… whole years."

She just couldn't stop thinking about it.