"Here they come."Kate said as she watched dozens of robed figures make their way slowly across the field she, her sisters and the rest of the vampires Carlisle gathered were standing. The sisters were standing a few yards to the side of the group just as they planned hoping the kings would take notice and give them a chance to plead their case. Tanya had made Eleazar and Carmen stay with the rest of the group. Her thinking being they would have a better chance of making it out alive if they weren't associated with the sister because they hadn't been involved with the deal the sisters made with Aro. A deal that they had broken by standing on the opposite side of the Volturi.
"Do you see her?"Irina asked.
Tanya shook her head."No,I don't see her at all."
"Maybe she didn't come."Kate felt disappointed that Bella hadn't shown up. She had hoped that she would have a chance to pass Bella the cell phone she had gotten for Bella to contact them with.
"She has to be here. The kings would need her gift for dealing with Edward."Irina said.
"Maybe you were right. Maybe she is dead."Kate didn't like the thought but it didn't make sense that Bella wasn't there.
"Carlisle old friend it is always good to see you although I must admit I am distressed for the reason we have traveled here today."Aro's booming voice filled the clearing.
"I assure you this whole matter is simply a misunderstanding."Carlisle replied.
"Do you think us stupid?!We can see the child."Caius pointed to a child clinging to Edward's mate Tabitha's back.
"I assure you that is no immortal child."Carlisle told him.
Aro's attention zeroed in on the sisters."Tanya, Kate, Irina. This is quite the surprise.I thought you had learned your lesson after the first immortal child you were involved with creating."
"My lord the girl is not an immortal child."Tanya hoped this was their chance to plead their case.
"If that is true come and show me."Aro held out his hand.
Before Tanya could gather her courage to go to him a familiar figure appeared suddenly next to him. Tanya gasped in shock."Bella!"
"Aro we had a deal."Bella reminded him.
"I am fully aware of our deal Isabella but your sisters have broken it by being here."Aro said.
"Do you really want to go down this path?"Bella asked him.
Aro seemed to be weighing his options before speaking."Your sisters have broken the law once again."
"You don't have proof any laws have been broken."Bella told him.
"Even if by some chance there is no immortal child they have still formed an army to overthrow us. That cannot go unpunished."Aro argued.
"It seems you have made your decision then."Bella started to make her way across the clearing but was stopped by Aro's voice calling after her.
"Don't be so hasty.I wasn't threatening your sisters I only was stating the facts."Aro quickly rushed out.
"No you were stating accusations not the facts."Bella corrected.
"Regardless your sisters are associating with law breakers. That means the deal is void."Caius' voice was full of glee.
"Alright if that's how you want it."Bella untied her robe and tossed it to Caius before she started to make her way across the field.
"Isabella stop. Caius misspoke."Aro called out causing Bella to stop again.
Bella turned slowly."Are you sure?"
"I did no such thing. The sisters are now free games. Unless of course Kate would like to make a new deal with us."Caius said.
"Shut up brother."Aro hissed.
"It seems that you were already planning on targeting my sisters before they were even proven guilty."Bella shook her head."I thought you were smarter than this Aro."
"No Isabella this is merely a misunderstanding. Don't listen to Caius."Aro pleaded.
"I am king all will listen to me."Caius yelled in outrage.
"Good bye Aro."Bella turned her back and made her way to her sisters.
"Let's calm down and not doing anything you will regret later."Aro's voice was full of panic.
"Let the traitor go. We will take care of her when we deal with the others."Caius told him.
"Bella think about what you are doing."Aro yelled after her.
Bella didn't stop until she was standing next to Tanya."I thought about it and came to the realization that you were always going to go after my sisters and the only way to keep them safe is to protect them myself."
"I'll give you one chance to come back. If you do we will forget everything that's happened and you won't be punished."Aro was grasping at straws and everyone in the clearing knew it.
"I'll give you one chance to hear the group's proof of their innocence and if the evidence proves they are not guilty and you leave without starting a conflict I won't hunt you down to torture you before I kill you."Bella countered.
Aro sent a glare to Caius."There is no need for threats. We are all friends here."
"Then in a gesture of friendship you will hear them out before you decide their guilt."Bella said.
"Of course."Aro agreed."Carlisle what proof do you have that you haven't created an immortal child?"
"The child was conceived when Tabitha was human. Edward is the father."Carlisle explained.
Caius smirked."It may not be immortal but it is still an abomination and they should have killed it. They broke the law by not doing so."
"Although the child's origins are interesting my brother is right. You should have killed it and by not doing so you have risked humans knowing about us. That is against our laws."Aro said.
Bella smiled sadly."It seems that just like with my sisters you had already decided their guilt before you came here."
"You deny their guilt even with the proof right in front of you?"Aro asked.
"What proof?The child is an unknown yes but that doesn't mean it is dangerous. You are once again going off of assumptions. You don't know anything about this. You should be researching the phenomena not being impulsive. If anything the child should be protected not killed."Bella told them.
"There is still the fact that an army was formed to overthrow us."Aro argued.
"From what I can see it's simply a group of vampires who have come together to greet their kings. You are the ones who brought an army."Bella corrected.
"Fuck yeah Bella!"Kate was just a formable as Kate remembered.
Bella turned to Kate and gave her a wink."I'm sure the witnesses you brought with you will agree that the group that stood against you has in no way been hostile or violent. They simply wished for a chance to plead their case. The only ones that even mentioned armies or attacking has been you and Caius."
"Just because they haven't said it doesn't mean that isn't what they are doing!"Caius growled.
"I didn't know you were a mind reader I thought that was Edward."Bella goaded.
"How dare you speak to me like that?!"Caius screeched.
"My lord if I may."Edward interjected.
"What is it Edward?"Aro asked.
"Your whole basis for convicting us is because my child is an unknown."Edward said.
Aro nodded."We can't be sure if the child will be able to control itself."
"Then all you need is proof that my daughter will grow up and not cause any trouble and we are free to go?"Edward asked.
"If the child could be proven to be able to control itself then yes you would be free to go."Aro told him.
Edward smiled brightly."Then why don't you come out Alice."
"Alice!"Esme shouted when Alice, Jasper and two other vampires raced into the clearing.
Alice gave her a hug before addressing the kings."My lords I have brought you proof that the child will be no threat as it continues to grow."
"What is your so called proof?"Caius asked.
"This is Nathuel. His father was a vampire who impregnated his human mother. As you can see he has perfect control of himself and is no more of a threat than any other vampire."Alice explained.
"Alice bring the boy to me."Aro ordered.
Before Alice could even think of a way to prevent that from happening Bella spoke."That won't be necessary Aro. The boy doesn't need to be escorted but if you insist I will be happy to be the one to bring him to you."
"No he can come on his own."Aro quickly backtracked.
"You will be fine."Bella assured the boy.
"Give me your hand."Aro demanded when the boy made his way across the clearing. Aro took the boy's hand in his own and closed his eyes. When he opened them he was obviously displeased.
"What did you see?"Caius asked.
"The boy is no threat."Aro told him.
"Then no crime has been committed and all are free to go."Bella said.
Caius chuckled."You think we will actually let you go. Not only have you gone back on your word but they plan to overthrow us. That cannot go unpunished."
"Aro said that if the child was not a threat then they could be let go. He said it in front of all these witnesses."Bella reminded him.
"There is still the fact that you went back on your word and they formed an army."Caius countered.
"It was already decided that no army was formed and there were no plans to overthrow you."Bella said.
"No it is what you decided."Caius corrected."Even then you went back on your word."
"I didn't go back on my word Aro did with your full support. If anything I now have the right to kill all of you for going back on our deal."Bella told him.
Caius motioned to the group of vampires on his side of the clearing."Do you honestly think that you can defeat all of us before we kill your allies?"
"No I don't and because I don't I will come straight for you first."Bella threatened.
"You won't have the chance before I kill your sisters."Caius goaded.
"Caius enough."Aro hissed.
"You dare scold me!"Caius sounded outraged.
"Let's discuss things amongst ourselves before this situation gets out of control."Aro suggested.
Tanya watched nervously as the kings huddled together whispering to each other."What do you think they are talking about?"
"Aro is probably trying to convince Caius that it is bad idea to attack us."Bella guessed.
"Why would it be a bad idea?"Irina asked.
"If they did it would lead to their deaths."Bella told her.
"Not to doubt you but how can you be so sure?"Kate trusted her sister but didn't think that they would have any kind of chance at killing the kings.
"Because I would be the one doing it."Bella said.
"I don't get it."Tanya was very confused by Bella's statement.
"We have much to discuss. One of the major things being my shield and the progress I've made with it in the time I've been with the Volturi."Bella perked up when the kings broke apart."It looks like they are done."
"After much discussion we have decided that no crimes have been committed by any of you. Due to this you are all free to go. The next time you encounter something like this you are to report to us. If not then the punishment will be severe."Aro warned before he looked over the group focusing on the gifted vampires before shaking his head sadly and turning his back on the group and following the rest of the kings and the guard they brought with them out of the clearing.
"Holy shit."Kate mumbled in complete shock. The vampires left in the clearing cheered and hugged in celebration.
Carlisle made a bee line to Bella."I don't know who you are but thank you for saving all of us."
"I didn't do it for you.I did it for my sisters."Bella told him.
"Sisters that have missed you terribly."Irina said as she rushed to Bella and threw her arms around her sighing happily when Bella returned the hug.
"I missed you too."Bella replied.
"Why haven't you contacted us?"Kate asked.
"That is something we will need to discuss in private."Bella told her.
Tanya wanted that to happen soon."Carlisle as much as we respect you and consider you a friend please do not call on us for something like this again. You endangered us more than you could have known and I doubt the next time the kings come they will be willing to let us go so easily."
"I'm sorry Tanya.I didn't mean to put a target on your coven."Carlisle said.
"Just don't be so keen on sacrificing others for your cause no matter how noble you think it is."Tanya didn't want to be involved in Carlisle's next cause because Tanya fully expected that there would be another one.
"I won't."Carlisle promised.
Kate didn't believe that for a second. Carlisle wouldn't hesitate to call them the next time there was trouble."Can we go now?"
"Yes, let's go home."Irina wanted to spend time with Bella and find out what had been going on.
"Let me collect Carmen and Eleazar and we can leave."Tanya said. Making her way over to the couple Tanya couldn't help but smile. Their sister was home. The coven leader wasn't naive enough to think there weren't going to be repercussions to Bella leaving the Volturi but she didn't care. The sisters were reunited and together they could over come the kings as was proven with the way Bella so easily had them agreeing to let everyone go. If it wasn't for her Bella Tanya had no doubt that the kings would have forced the gifted members into the guard and killed the ones that weren't needed for leverage. Bella had stopped that though proving to Tanya that her sister never stopped caring about them or doing everything she could to protect them. Not that she ever thought was the case. It was just nice to have conformation after having no contact for so long.