Chapter Forty-One: This Ends in Fire
"Sous le ciel de Paris. Marchent des amoureux.
Hum hum.
Leur bonheur se construit. Sur un air fait pour eux."
- Édith Piaf (Sous Le Ciel De Paris)
Sunday, October 9, 2005 - Rosalie
Paris had an unmistakable scent that I had apparently chosen to forget until we stepped off the plane. Bella tried not to flinch, but I could see her expression shift as it hit her.
"It is aromatic here, you get used to it." I said as I took her hand and we walked down the stairs to the tarmac. The private jet was then moved into a private hangar, the airfield itself was somewhat off the beaten path, but at least it wasn't Charles de Gaulle which I had promised myself I would never deal with again.
A light sprinkling of rain made the run to customs a bit more fun, laughing together as we ducked through the doors. The agent was quick to process us, and thankfully Bella's human passport held up to inspection without sending up any red flags. We would have to make sure she got her new package before leaving France, which reminded me to get her picture taken at some point later in the day.
It was quite early in the morning as we got into the limo, and our house was nearly an hour away. The limo was private and allowed us to sit close together on the drive. I knew we were in the early stages, getting used to each other and always needing contact. But I loved every minute of it, and without the underlying drama literally sitting in the next room, I could tell she was a bit more relaxed.
"So where are we staying?" She asked absently, her body pressed against mine as she twirled a lock of my hair and stared at the city speeding by. Her vampire eyes taking in the sights like no human would be able to appreciate.
"Our Paris house, it's a villa just outside of town that was Carlisle's first property. It was expanded over a century ago, and then again about forty years ago when we moved in. It has been unoccupied for nearly thirty years, but we have a staff on retainer to keep it maintained." I explained, and she looked up at me with a furrowed brow.
"How are you all so rich? I mean I know Carlisle is a doctor, but that's not enough for multiple properties and cars… and Alice's wardrobe." She smiled playfully, and couldn't help but giggle at the joke. Alice's wardrobe was bordering on absurd, not that mine was any less impressive, just a bit more conservatively proportioned.
"That's complicated, but basically between the wealth Carlisle accumulated over centuries, my inheritance and Edward winning some high stakes poker a few times in the seventies, combined with Alice's visions we were able to create a deep financial portfolio worth upwards of twenty billion."
"How is that possible without public knowledge?" Bella shook her head in mild disbelief, but her raised eyebrows read more curious than surprised.
"It's not really liquid. We own a lot of stuff all over the world, although there are several bank accounts under various aliases, including yours." I explained easily enough, but the answer caused her to pull away slightly and sit upright to look at me fully.
"Wait what?" Her brow was raised, and her eyes wide.
"Carlisle wasn't going to mention it for a while, but we opened an account under your new name." I smiled and pressed a hand to her cheek, which caused her to smile and press against my hand.
"You didn't have to do that." She muttered after a couple of seconds of silence.
"You're a member of the family, it is your right." My response made her look at me for a second, before she nodded softly and closed her eyes. I leaned over and kissed her tenderly for a few seconds before breaking the kiss and sitting back. She curled into my arms and sighed contentedly.
"This is all so new to me." She found my hair again and started to play with it. "So, why Paris? Carlisle mentioned a strange society here."
"Yes, the Parisian coven can be somewhat eclectic. They do not hone to our beliefs, but as a whole they do not kill. They have created a symbiotic relationship with a group of humans who donate blood willingly. Their parties are the only time I ever partake in consuming human blood." I had never admitted the indulgence to the rest of the family, except Jasper who had gone with me to a few of their parties.
"I have to admit I've been curious, and this seems like a chance to experience the taste without the consequences." Bella admitted, looking up at me with a slightly guilty expression on her face. But I just smiled at her, and brushed some hair from her forehead.
"Then we have to go to one of the parties, and I know Claudia would love to meet you. She's been pushing at me for years to let loose with my inhibitions and try a ménage à trois." It was something that had been lingering in the back of my mind, the idea that I might've figured things out decades ago… but then I might not have found anyone to be with. So perhaps it was better this way. Either way, I knew in my heart that I hated how things played out with Emmett.
"I'm not sure I'd be okay with that, but if you want to I'll consider it." Bella winced slightly, I could tell she was still learning about her own sensuality and personal limits, and I would never push her to do anything she wasn't comfortable with doing.
"Oh no, I meant I think she always sensed my sexuality and wanted me to explore what it was like to be with a woman. Honestly I wish I had accepted, then I might have realized things about myself sooner and spared Emmett some pain." I had to look away from her, as I expressed the guilt I'd been feeling out loud for the first time in a while. Bella sat up and placed a finger on my jaw to turn my head towards her. I didn't hesitate to meet her eyes, but felt a wave of a totally different kind of guilt when I did.
"You have to stop beating yourself up about this, you are who you are. Emmett might be upset and angry about the situation, but he clearly understands and wants you to be happy. I love you, we're together now. That is all that matters." Her words were clear and assertive, if she could use my power I would swear I could hear a touch of compulsion in her voice. Instead I just found myself nodding, because she had a point. "So Claudia?"
"The mistress of the Sœurs de sang." I answered, and this time I laid my head in her lap.
"Blood sisters. That's evocative." She said almost absently, her hand moving to the same lock of hair again as if the texture was something she needed to feel.
"You speak French? Why didn't I know that?" I said quietly, almost dreamily as I closed my eyes and let my mind drift, basking in the comfort and warmth I felt in her embrace.
Bella made a breathy noise like a small closed mouth laugh. "My maternal grandmother was born in Carcassonne and moved to the States when she was a teenager. She was constantly speaking in French, and as she got older she reverted to it more and more. By the time she passed she hadn't spoken a word of English in years. Mom didn't exactly teach me, but I grew up with it as a constant so I'm fluent." I opened my eyes to look at her, and found her lost in her memories, which were clearly sad for her.
Then she smiled and looked down into my eyes. "I can't believe I'm in Paris, I've wanted to come here since I was like five years old."
"You've told me so much about your past and I can't believe that never came up." I felt this longing to know everything about her.
"I imagine there is a lot you haven't been able to tell me yet too." She said with a soft shrug.
"Quite right, but I want you to know everything." I smiled and sat up again, her arms cradling me and holding me up and close to her chest as she craned her neck to kiss my jaw and up my cheek to my temple.
"Me too." She said with a touch of desire in her voice. Which I gave into without a second thought for the rest of the ride.
When we arrived at the villa I found it was in working condition but was very dated. The last update had been in the 1970's and while the interior design was classic and elegant as reflected in Esme's timeless tastes, some of the decor was in desperate need of replacement. Not that Bella paid it much notice or at least she didn't comment on anything as I gave her a short tour.
We spent the next three days just taking in the sights, as Bella took the lead and explored a city she had clearly wanted to visit most of her life. We went to the obvious places first, then the entire second day was spent walking around the Louvre. On the third day we started to deviate, spending time walking along the Seine, and going into shops. She bought a few books at a tiny bookstore tucked into a corner of a random street that I had never seen before as though she knew exactly where to find it. It was a marvel to watch her enjoy the city, and I could tell she would be happy to stay if I asked.
Then there were the hours we stayed at the villa, exploring each other's bodies. It was a strange experience as I fully understood my own desires and preferences. It had become very clear to me that I preferred her shape and feel to Emmett in practically every way. It was getting to late afternoon on the fourth day when the doorbell rang. It startled us a bit, but I managed to answer the door only to find no one there. Instead I found a black envelope tied to one of the posts on the front veranda.
"What's that?" Bella asked from behind me, her arm gripping a sheet around her for modesty.
"Our invitation." I said as I reached out and pulled the envelope free with a simple tug on the black silk ribbon holding it to the post. The glossy black paper had a black wax seal keeping it closed, and breaking it I found a card with the following;
Rosalie, we invite you and your lovely companion to join us tonight.
Claudia Saint-Germain
"Um, that seems… is she being intentionally mysterious?." Bella rested her chin on my shoulder, reading the single sentence.
"That's Claudia. Do you want to go?" I glanced over at her and she nodded. I closed the door and turned to face her, and she dropped the sheet and wrapped her arms around my waist pulling us together.
"I think so." She whispered in my ear, then she shook her head and pulled away. "Although it does seem a bit off."
"What do you mean?" I furrowed my brow, I couldn't fathom a danger from Claudia so her concern hit me as surprising.
"I mean, what if this is some kind of trap." She cocked her head, and frowned slightly. But I immediately shook my head.
"Claudia is a family friend." I dismissed, pulling her to me again. She let me, but kept her head back to continue a conversation instead of leaning into me like usual.
"How long has it been?" Her question was a valid one, it had been a while since we were last in Paris.
"About thirty years, but remember we don't change. Unless something major has influenced her in the last few decades, we'll be perfectly safe." As I gave her my answer I wondered if it was a possibility. Decades for us wasn't terribly long, but Bella was still viewing the world through the lens of a mortal lifetime. I was about to add to my thoughts when she just shook her head as if dismissing the concern and leaned in to kiss me, once then twice.
"Okay. Then I can't wait." She took a deep breath and pressed her forehead to mine. "We should probably get ready."
She didn't say another word, instead she began to retreat back to our room and looked over her shoulder, reaching a hand back for me. Getting dressed was an interesting experience, without the prying ears of my family or guilt of hearing the ventilator keeping Angela alive, we couldn't keep our hands off one another. It was an hour after the stated invitation time that we finally arrived.
The grounds were exactly as I remembered, down to the way the gardens had been rotated with hardier plants they kept in the greenhouse over the summer months so they would have some color over the winter. Their new butler was a tall man, in his late forties with his tousled black hair graying at the temples. He had a sharpness to his eyes that told me everything I needed to know; He was almost done in this role, and was about to join their family, a final promotion for a lifetime of service. I thought back to the last time I had been here, and could picture his face, but younger as an under-butler.
"Rosalie, what a pleasure to see you." Claudia said as she swept down the main stairs in the grand foyer. Her arms went wide as she approached and easily brought me into a hug. Bella made a small noise, and I glanced at her with a reassuring smile. In response, as soon as Claudia let go, Bella clasped my hand tightly and took a half step forward so that she was partially in ahead of me.
"Is this one your mate?" Claudia's eyes widened without both curiosity and a touch of unexplained concern.
"She is, this is Isabella Swan." I said without a heartbeat of hesitation, raising Bella's hand in mine and kissing the back of it tenderly.
"A pleasure." Claudia flashed Bella a quick pleasant smile then turned back towards me. "Is Emmett… Dead?" Claudia's expression was difficult to read as she looked between the two of us.
"No, at least I don't think so. He is currently out of communication, trying to find an enemy of the family." I said in explanation, and she nodded with a slight furrow to her brow.
"What an interesting development, I always wondered about you." Claudia gave me a knowing smile, and turned towards the west wing of the complex where the sounds of laughter and music could faintly be heard drifting down the hallways.
"Wish you had said something, I never even considered it myself until this one entered my life." I smiled over at Bella who would have blushed if she had been human.
"Love is complicated. If poor Emmett finds he cannot stand to stay near your obvious love for one another, then he would be welcome here." Her tone was serious, but her expression was light and playful.
"I'll let him know." I chuckled, and Claudia gave me a soft smile of reassurance, the offer was real.
"The place hasn't changed much." I said looking around at the same paintings, tapestries, sculptures and decorative touches on gorgeous pieces of furniture. The polished tile floors transitioned seamlessly into very well maintained hardwood.
"Oh… I wish that were true." She said as she opened the ballroom and I gasped in surprise as a dozen vampires stood in a line all wearing black robes.
"Volturi?" I shook my head in disbelief as Claudia looked over at me with an unreadable expression.
"No, they are mine." Then she turned towards her small army of vampires. "Take them to the dungeon, we have a lot to discuss." Claudia moved forward as the vampires broke formation and rushed towards us. I thought about fighting, but instead I just squeezed Bella's hand and looked over at her, shaking my head once and she gave me a pained look, but nodded in understanding.
Friday, October 14, 2005 - Carlisle
I felt my world starting to spin, we hadn't heard from Bella or Rosalie in days, Edward and Emmett hadn't replied to any of our calls or texts and there had been no word from Tahlia either despite Alice's vision. Then Angela's pregnancy suddenly took a turn for the worse as a solid kick from one of the twins shattered one of her ribs. It was a common enough problem late in even a mortal's pregnancy, but it had me worried. I had to make a painful choice because things had become infinitely more perilous. I checked for growth and they appeared to be roughly seven and a half months along. With every day counting for over a week of development, I wanted to wait until Sunday, but the risk was too great to push too much longer.
Reluctantly I prepared for a c-section and for Angela's transition. Alice and Esme were waiting downstairs and Charlie had gone hunting because of the excessive amount of blood that was about to be exposed. They both looked nervous, although both were fully sated with a recent hunt, they didn't have my capacity to resist the temptation.
"It's a waiting game now. I want another two days which would increase the twins' survivability exponentially." I explained but Alice shook her head.
"We need to act before two tomorrow morning, that seems to be the point where I am having trouble seeing the outcome." Her warning sent a chill down my spine. Hours, we had hours left before I had to do something that felt impossible.
"Does something happen?" Esme asked worriedly.
"After two I can feel one of the twins will die and so does Angela." Alice was being somewhat vague again, which meant it was likely more dire than she was saying.
"Damn. Alright, let's go." I said as I finished the prep and then stood over her, watching her vitals closely.
It was about an hour after midnight when I decided I couldn't risk delaying anymore. Esme was at my side ready for anything, and Alice hung in the background like a nervous resident waiting for the attending to give them an opportunity to practice medicine. As I made the first incision the twins immediately began to kick, causing Angela's body to convulse, and I felt my own panic and frustration rising uncontrollably.
"Esme, Alice hold her down." The harshness of my tone made them both pause in shock. But they were quickly able to recover and held her down as I asked.
"Carlisle? What's wrong" Esme asked with more than a little fear in her eyes. I shook my head, dismissing her question, I was feeling overwhelmed and any unnecessary distractions might cause me to make a mistake. My focus was fragile, and I couldn't risk losing Angela or her children for my sanity as well as the rest of the family.
Then, as anticipated, the scalpel proved to be ineffective on her vampiric womb, so I began my first plan to extract them. The instrument was effective and made some progress on the womb tissue, but it was slow and Angela's heart-rate was plummeting. It was a careful approach, but I couldn't risk it anymore as I held out my hand for the second option. The diamond edged scissors proved to be far quicker but disastrous on Angela's body. Thankfully I was able to create a large enough opening to pull them free. As soon as the first one was out, I handed it over to Alice without pause, Esme cutting the umbilical cord as I reached in to grab a hold of the other infant. Within seconds Angela's babies were born, but the damage was already done.
I quickly scanned over the carnage of her body, the scars on her face and stomach, and how thin and frail she had become and wondered if it was already too late. I glanced at the monitors displaying her heart rate and blood pressure and felt my heart break as her vitals began to slip quickly downhill. I immediately grabbed a syringe of my venom I had created during my preparation for surgery. I injected the thick fluid directly into her heart and waited for a second to see if she would take to it on her own. For three long seconds there was just the slow beep of her heart, until suddenly it slowed down to a normal rhythm for transition. Feeling hope again, I turned my attention to her newborns, and pointed towards the two infant monitoring stations I had stolen from the maternity ward, Alice and Esme immediately laid them down with deliberate care.
I took my time to check them over, and it was a relief to see that they were two perfectly healthy little girls just slightly premature. But what was a little unexpected was how distinctly inhuman they were. Somehow, they seemed to be almost a perfect blend of human and vampire. Their skin was as tough as ours, but not nearly as reflective. They were warm to the touch, holding a temperature slightly lower than human and their hearts beat in perfect unison. They were identical, perfect in practically every way, and nearly ethereal in their appearance.
The little differences were the only thing that set them apart. Although their features were impossible to differentiate, which were a subtle blend of both their parents, their hair was starkly opposite, one with Mason's snowy blonde hair and the other with Angela's deep brown. They both had heterochromia like their father, with one blue eye and one green. Their eyes were also eerily opposite of each other, with the darker one with a blue eye on the left and the lighter one with a blue right eye. After I was convinced of their health and pleased with their A.P.G.A.R. scores, I turned my attention back to Angela. The children were almost immediately claimed by Esme and Alice who were utterly enraptured by them..
"She'll be fine. It is just a matter of time now. She may not even be aware of the pain." I said out loud, mostly to myself but I could hear sighs of relief from Esme, Alice and Charlie. Charlie came into the room a moment later.
"I hope she'll be okay; I have no idea how to tell…" He started, and I held up a hand and shook my head.
"No, I'll tell her." Charlie looked at me without understanding, then his eyebrows raised. "I need her to hate me, if only for a few minutes. She needs to love the rest of you, and I would never take that away from any of you." I said in explanation, it was only part of my reason, but it was enough. He nodded slowly as Alice appeared at his side and took his hand.
"Carlisle, you shouldn't take so much on yourself." I glanced at their embrace and furrowed my brow.
"It's my choice." I looked back at Angela whose vitals were stabilizing, and her heart finally slowed down to the normal transition rhythm of a beat every two minutes. "Congratulations, you both deserve happiness."
"There will be no happiness until the family is reunited, but having Alice in my life helps immeasurably." Charlie said with a touch of hope in his voice.
Saturday, October 15, 2005 - Bella
They held us for hours, asking endless questions probing our deepest fears, our relationship and commitment to our lifestyle. Then came the physical, as Rosalie was tied against a wall with chains while they continued to ask me endless questions. I begged them to stop as she screamed in pain, until they finally let her go after they seemed satisfied with whatever I had told them.
Then they did the same to me. Claudia was the one asking the questions, as Rose desperately tried again to break my restraints. Until Rose finally screamed out, "What do you gain from this?"
Claudia's cold voice then shifted slightly, "I will release her, but what would you sacrifice for her freedom?"
"My life, my beauty, anything I have!" Rose said without hesitation, and I felt my soul ache. We had been begging them for hours to explain why they were doing this. But they hadn't deviated from whatever their intentions. Then Claudia came into the room, and gave an almost satisfied look as the chains tightened and I felt a small flash of pain start to form in a line between my shoulder blades.
"Stop!" Claudia shouted, and a wide smile curled her lips. "You have proven yourselves worthy."
"What?" Rose shook her head at a loss as I felt the chains loosen.
Claudia casually nodded and disappeared through the door she entered through, along with all her minions. Several minutes passed, then another door slid open in unison with the shackles unlocking and falling to the floor. We practically flew out of the room trying to find them, but the entire coven had seemingly vanished. As we entered each room, an opposite door opened up and while it felt a bit like they were leading us like a rat trapped in a maze, we had no choice but to follow. Then we came upon a room decorated as a nursery. Where three young girls all aged between three and five were sleeping.
Claudia began to speak over a loudspeaker, her voice now warm and friendly. "Isabella, Rosalie you have shown compassion, honesty, integrity and above all the capacity to love unconditionally. These are traits we covet, because we cannot feel them any longer. We know your choice of restraint would bring us back those joys, but we as a coven cannot give up our way of life. Before you are three that we rescued from a monster, but have found we do not have the love in our hearts to raise them as they deserve. They cannot be put into the mortal world, their nature is such that it would prove dangerous to whomever took them into their home. But you, our dear friends, are uniquely suited to such a task."
"This was a test?" Rosalie asked with clear exasperation.
"Yes. We deeply apologize for the brutality, but we had to measure your worth. Carlisle is a good man, but his children? We heard of Edward's indiscretions and of Jasper returning to the hunt. Your story of revenge is well known among our kind Rosalie, and we could not risk these beautiful children with anyone unsuited." Claudia spoke with such passion that suddenly her actions made a warped kind of sense. At least when viewed through the lens of someone unable to connect to their humanity.
"You want us to adopt these girls." Rosalie asked, her mouth parted with a look of confusion and longing.
"See, that was the right question. Yes, we believe you would make excellent parents. These three are yet to be named, we have called the eldest amethyst, her younger twin sisters amber and sapphire due to the colors of their eyes. They would need proper names if you would be so obliged." Claudia's voice was still soft and friendly, and when she spoke the names there was a gentleness to her voice that made me disbelieve her explanation that they could not feel love.
I looked at Rose who just nodded once and I started towards them. The older girl immediately got up and stood between me and the other two. Her bright purple eyes bored into me, challenging me. But in her face and expression I found something strange and unexpected; A mirror.
"Why does she look like me?" I asked aloud almost inaudibly.
"We do not know Isabella." Claudia answered with a tone of voice I couldn't quite evaluate, perhaps it was curiosity or fear, I couldn't be sure.
The girl's brow furrowed. "Mama?" She muttered softly, and in the next breath she flashed forward and threw her arms around me. I fell to my knees and pulled her close, my entire body reacting to her in a way I couldn't describe. As though a part of my soul was somehow complete. I knew this girl, she was what had always been missing from my life. Then a name appeared in my head, and I knew it belonged to her.
"Elizabeth." I said the name, and it rolled off my tongue as though I had said it a million times before.
"Eliza." She whispered back, and pressed even more tightly against me. I couldn't understand what I was feeling. I couldn't comprehend what was happening. But I knew it was real, this girl was mine, my daughter. She felt like a part of my soul I hadn't known was missing had suddenly returned to me.
I reluctantly pushed her to arms length, and she pouted. "How do you know who I am?"
"Dreams. Mama you came for us." Her eyes were wide and expectant, and I felt my heart almost beat for a moment as I took in the shape of her face.
"Us?" I shook my head as I remembered the other two. I looked over her shoulder to find the two other girls, maybe a few years younger, standing a few feet behind Eliza. One with a worn stuffed wolf clutched in her arms and the other holding a small blanket. I could feel them both as I met each of their expectant expressions, and I had to laugh with the joy that suddenly filled my heart. I stopped caring about the specifics as I reached out towards the girls, and one of them immediately rushed forward into my arms. The little wolf was squished between us, but she didn't seem to care as she buried her head in my chest and started to cry. I felt the same as I did with Elizabeth, a connection that filled me with love.
Again a name came to me, as though conjured from another time and place. Although as I thought about it I realized exactly where both had come from. My favorite books. Elizabeth was clearly from Pride and Prejudice and this girl's new name - Brianna, was from Outlander. I smiled at myself, despite the strange feeling of connection, I was attributing something supernatural to the workings of my own mind.
"Brianna." I put the name out, and she just tightened her embrace in response. I looked up at her sister who was just staring at me in mild disbelief. Her strange and wonderful eyes seemed to be examining every detail of my face.
"Elizabeth and Brianna." I said again, as I stood and brought the girl up along with me, then reached out a hand to Elizabeth who took it easily. Then I turned to find the other twin but she wasn't standing alone anymore. Rosalie had her in her arms, her eyes full of love and affection. I realized at that moment we had just adopted three of them without a word between us. Brianna pulled on my hand towards Rosalie, and then pointed at her sister.
"Our sister, she needs a name too." Elizabeth explained.
"Lillian" Rosalie said without hesitation, and the girl in her arms just shut her eyes and buried her head in Rose's arms. Elizabeth frowned slightly, before nodding.
"I can't believe this is happening." Rosalie whispered to me, and I just smiled at her with a nod of complete understanding.
"I'm connected to these girls, I feel like their mother. I know that doesn't make sense. Elizabeth here said she dreamt about me." I attempted to explain, and Rose slowly nodded, looking down at the girl in her arms with such love that I knew we were a family. Bound more completely than any vow, but I knew that was next.
"Every night." Elizabeth added, her hand gripping mine a bit tighter.
"Claudia, I will never forgive you for hurting my beloved, but I will forget your trespasses and never mention them to our family." Rosalie said out loud, as I looked around wondering what we were going to do next. Then as if on cue, a set of doors opened up and we found ourselves entering the hallway just outside the main foyer. Claudia was standing at the bottom of the stairs, her head lowered in obvious shame.
"I'm sorry." She whispered as we approached, but I couldn't find my anger, which had been so strong just minutes earlier. This woman was protecting my children, and that meant more to me than any of her actions.
"I accept your apology, we're good. Where did they come from?" I asked, her expression shifting as she slowly raised her head to look at us. I couldn't smile at her, but I did nod in confirmation of my statement.
She opened her mouth a couple of times, "it's difficult. The man who, I hesitate to use the word father, but that's what he was… is… their father is a monster."
"They're hybrids." Rosalie stated as a point of face, as she looked down at the girl in her arms.
"Quite, you know of hybrids?" Claudia nodded.
"Yes, they will be more than welcome in our family. Should we worry about their father coming for them?" Rose answered easily, although I could tell she wasn't about to elaborate further.
"No, he is now imprisoned by the Volturi for all time. We managed to hide the girls, but it wasn't easy. Henrietta gave her life to protect them and Yvonne is still in mourning." Claudia explained, but I could tell she was holding something back.
"Does the Volturi know they exist?" I guessed.
Claudia shook her head a couple of times, then frowned. "Possibly, but Aro wouldn't know who has them. Although he would consider them to be a loose end he would be more than willing to tie up."
"We need to go home Bella." Rose said with a note of urgency in her voice.
"Yes, but I wonder. Given what we know about the coming fight, shouldn't we stay here?" I was thinking about Alice's vision involving the fight against the Volturi.
"Here it is too exposed. The Volturi likely know about our residence." Rose countered, her worry clear as she held Lillian close.
"Claudia, would you help us if we call? You owe us that much after what you put us through." I knew it was a stretch, and she looked at me with wide worried eyes for several seconds until finally she nodded once.
"Yes, we'll join your cause." Claudia said the words and I could hear gasps from the coven gathered behind her. The men and women removed their hoods to reveal they were just people, who looked worried and fearful of Claudia's vow.
"Thank you." I nodded with a solemn expression of gratitude. "One last question, what was his name?"
"Joham." She said as almost a hiss, and I could feel Eliza grip my hand tighter and Brianna curl up a bit in fear in my arm.
I looked down at my daughter and realized they had to be my priority now. "Alright, let's go home to Forks, then we figure things out from there."
"Here are your phones." Claudia motioned towards a few belongings sitting on one of the low tables in the Foyer. Rose handed over Lillian to me, forcing me to let go of Eliza's hand, and then picked them up and immediately dialed home.
"Rose. Thank god." Alice answered. "We've been worried sick."
"How are things?" Rose asked, her question was clear but intentionally vague. Alice made a small sound as if she understood.
"It happened, but everyone is safe and Angela is in transition." The answer made me wince, I wanted to ask if the twins survived, I wanted to know if Angela showed any sign of movement or was she still motionless. I… I just wanted to go home to my sister.
"Damn, we'll be home tomorrow. We have a few surprises coming with us." Rose looked down at Elizabeth who had grabbed a hold of my dress, so she reached out for her and Eliza immediately took her hand with a big smile.
Alice gasped, and I could tell she had a vision of the new addition to the family, "oh wow, how did I not see… I can't wait to meet them. Should I tell Charlie?"
"If you like." I said as I moved up next to my lover, and pressed my shoulder against hers because both of my hands were otherwise occupied.
"Tell me what?" I heard my father ask as he clearly entered the room.
"Not over the phone, we'll be home soon." I explained.
"Let me talk to Bella." Charlie asked, and I handed over Lillian back to Rose, because Brianna wouldn't let go of me, and took her phone.
"Dad." I said as I heard the phone pass over to him.
"I've been crawling up the wall, what happened?" Charlie sounded upset, but I couldn't exactly blame him.
"Long story, we were kind of detained." I tried to obfuscate the situation a bit, because a further explanation would cause way more drama. Especially given the extenuating circumstances of our current feelings towards Claudia.
"Detained? You mean imprisoned?" Charlie almost yelled, demanding an answer.
"I can't go into details now, but I promise we'll explain everything when we get home. We're leaving right away." I attempted to calm him down, but then heard the unmistakable sound of a soft kiss on his cheek and a non-verbal murmur of comfort.
"What was that?" I asked, knowing there was only one possible answer but I needed to hear it out loud.
"I'm dating Alice." He said somewhat sheepishly, his anger clearly abated.
"Ah, wow." I said through a big happy smile. As a wave a relief over realizing he had a real hope of happiness washed over me.
"We never expected to find each other, and we would've said something sooner but you have been so upset…" Alice said, her voice full of fear.
I just started to shake my head despite the fact they couldn't see me, feeling a warm happiness spread across my face. "I love you both so much, I am so happy for you." I said, almost giggling with joy. Charlie began to belly laugh with relief and I could hear Alice let go of a sigh of relief.
"Do I have to call you mom now?" I teased Alice, who made a few strange panicked noises.
"You don't have to, if you think of me as your sister or a mother, I am just happy to call you family." She sounded nervous, and I kept quiet for a few seconds to tease her.
"You know, it almost makes a strange sort of sense. Never thought I would have two sets of parents. Dad. I am so unbelievably happy you don't have to face this all alone." I felt almost buoyantly happy, the twins were alive and Angela was in transition. It was all almost good, we just needed to help Tahlia and hope Edward and Emmett came home soon.
"Thank you, but just come home." Charlie said after a moment of pause, and I knew even without an audible clue he was trying to put himself together emotionally.
"I love you both so much." I said before ending the call, and then readjusted Brianna who had somehow fallen asleep in my arms.
"Was that Poppop?" Eliza asked, her curious expression giving me a small wave of fear as I fully absorbed what had happened in the last few minutes. I had children… so did Angela.
"Goodbye Claudia." I said who nodded once. Rose gave her a curt nod with barely restrained anger, then stormed out of the house. I followed without another look back, picking up Eliza so that she didn't feel left out.
Outside waiting for us was our limo, which took us directly to the villa where Rose headed inside and packed while I watched the girls. We were enroute to the airport which had just finished fueling when we arrived. Rosalie was forced to use her compulsion to get us through customs this time because of the girls, but at least my new passport had arrived. I was now Isabella Maria Cygnus which just made me smile.
The flight was both taxing and fun as the girls came up with all kinds of games, but eventually all three fell asleep in our arms. Rose and I just held them and looked at each other with this strange feeling of connection bonding the three of us. When we arrived in Seattle I started to feel nervous as we took a cab to a hotel.
"Um, shouldn't we head to Forks?" I asked after we got into our room.
"The car isn't suitable for a family of five. I'm gonna buy a new one, it shouldn't take more than an hour or two." Rose grabbed her purse, and dawdled a bit saying goodbye to the girls, before finally leaving.
True to her word she showed up about ninety minutes later in a brand new SUV, complete with car seats for all three of them. It took longer than expected to get the girls settled, but we finally got headed towards Forks. The car ride to Forks seemed to take forever, but at least they were all quiet with clear anticipation. As soon as we arrived, Carlisle, Alice and Charlie were out of the house before we could even start unpacking. I nodded towards Rose who distracted the girls as I got out.
"We have a surprise." I said in an attempt to give myself another minute to figure out how to tell them we had adopted the girls.
"Mom, dad… Carlisle. I'd like to introduce you to three very important people. Our daughter's Elizabeth, Brianna and Lillian." I reached into the car and helped Eliza out on her own. She clung to my side, and began to fidget nervously.
"Daughters." Alice whispered, her eyes growing wide and confused as Rose then ducked out of the car with the other two in her arms.
"I don't understand." The crease between Charlie's eyes wrinkled slightly, as he took a step towards us with a strange look of confusion on his face.
"Claudia rescued them from Joham and the Volturi. They didn't feel they could raise them, so they were looking for someone to take them. It was an ordeal, but we proved to them that we were worthy of caring for these girls." Rose explained, but I could tell she felt it was a bit inadequate to fully relate how we felt.
"I think I'm connected to them somehow. I don't understand it, but they look like me." I said as I picked Eliza up and held her close.
"I noticed. What's going on?" Carlisle started forward, and Alice and Charlie followed a second later. Esme, almost breathlessly appeared in the doorway carrying what I could only assume were Angela's daughters. Brianna and Lillian both looked startled and began to cry out towards the new arrivals. Eliza looked up at me.
"Sisters?" Her voice was tentative and curious, and a touch confused.
"No, cousins. They belong to my sister Angela." I explained and she jumped out of my arms and bolted towards Esme without even a hint of fear. Esme kneeled down, and the twins immediately reached out towards Eliza who took their hands and looked back at me with a joyful smile.
"Like us!" She exclaimed, and began to giggle causing the rest of the girls to laugh.
"It's a long story." Rose explained, as we started towards the house.
Esme stood as we approached, and as we all moved into the living room I felt suddenly very overwhelmed as I sat on a couch and all three of my girls piled on top of me. Dad was giving me an examining look, but I could see a twinkle of joy in his eyes.
"Eliza, Bree, Lilly, I need to go check on my sister. Do you mind staying with your grandparents? This is Esme, Carlisle, Charlie and Alice."
"We'll behave." Eliza promised, as she moved over and sat in Alice's lap. Alice gave me a look of absolute joy, as she pulled Eliza into a hug. Brianna made her way over to Esme and the twins, and Lillian found Charlie and held out her arms waiting for him to pick her up. It was utterly adorable, and I would've been happy to watch them interact, but I had to check on Angela.
I was happy to see the ventilator was gone, and Angela looked good. Her body had filled back out, and her scars had vanished. Her face and hair took on a radiance that brought out her beauty to a degree that rivaled even Rosalie. I could see Alice had already picked out one of her simpler outfits, which was surprising given what I woke up wearing. Then I listened closely to Angela's heart as it began to beat furiously in an all too familiar song of fire and ice. It was torturous waiting to find out what was about to happen. Would her mind and memory be intact? Would she be a monster? Would she be Angela? Her heart played with my emotions like a fiddle, dancing with an ever increasing crescendo until finally it gave up and her mortal life ended.
Almost instinctively I held my breath, when suddenly she opened her bright crimson eyes.
Author's Note:
So the original idea was to find the three girls in Aro's prison. However, after thinking about the logistics of that, I couldn't quite reason out why he would leave them alive. They would be dangerous unknowns, and Aro has proven time and again and children mean nothing to him. So I needed another option, and while this is not perfect, it does introduce another potential ally to help with the coming fight. For anyone familiar with In Another Life, yes the girls are exactly who you think they are. Which is why they are so strange, and the connection Bella feels is almost supernatural in power. For my other readers, Brianna is this universe's version of Bree Tanner.
Next Chapter: Found Family - Tahlia
Thank you for reading, please take a moment to leave your thoughts on this chapter or the story as a whole.