May 3rd 1994 ~ Phoenix Arizona The Arizona sun shone brightly overhead, the air was warm and Victoria found great amusement in watching her little Isabella run free in the confines of her back yard from the concealment of her tree. Making sure to keep out of sight of the adventures little girl.
Her mate was growing everyday and the vampiress found herself unable to pull herself away from the girl for more than a few days before she wound up back in this same tree, as she had done for the past five years.
The little brunette was already such a beauty that Victoria couldn't understand how she had ever gotten lucky enough to be blessed with such a loving, adorable and outright selfless girl as her soulmate. She was inherently selfish, a trait passed over from her human years and extremely possessive over what was hers so to know that this little babe, with such a tender heart was hers felt often like a dream.
Though it was her possessive and territorial nature that she found herself battling with constantly around the babe. Her mother's complete lack of care for her child was infuriating. More often than not Isabella got hurt or was left for days to try and feed herself, Renee for that was the child's mother's name coming home drunk with different men and exposing the loving little babe to such depravity. It meant that Victoria had to fight herself every day not to just take the child far from the incompetent woman.
It was only the knowledge that if she were to take Isabella now and raise her she would risk damaging their mate bond in the future that had made her stay her hand.
To watch the child now though as she climbed a nearby tree, giggling and singing one would think that the girl hadn't experienced any of the atrocities she had for somehow she had been able to hold on to her child like innocence. A fact that filled Victoria with a little peace. For she did not wish her little mate to ever loose such a thing. She wanted her to cling to that innocence with all the strength her little body could muster.
Victoria had seen enough of the world to know of its cruelties, she had been forced into some of the worst of situations that humanity had to offer and she did not wish such a reality upon the girl she already loved more than life itself. In all honesty the vampiress would not wish those horrors upon her worst enemies either, such was the suffering she had endured throughout her life.
The sudden cry of fright pulled the immortal out of her own mind and her bright crimson eyes snapped to where she had last seen her girl. Eyes widening in horror as she realised that the adventurous little six year old was currently toppling head first out of the near by tree, from such a height Victoria knew her fragile human body would not survive the impact.
Without thought she reacted, appearing below the tree within seconds, she launched herself upwards, catching her little mate gently in her arms. Cradling her as she landed, bringing her little babe down to safety once more. Looking down she could see Hazel eyes blinking curiously up at her, with all the child like wonder they had the very first night she had gazed upon the infant as she lay upon her crib.
"Are you an angel? You saved me" The girls words were whispered, her tone filled with awe and wonder as a small hand reached up to stroke the red heads pale cheeks. "You're so cold" her curious little one stated, not looking away and Victoria found herself laughing gently at the girls open wonder and curiosity.
"I am no angel little babe, though I shall always be here to save you" Her reply was simple but none the less the truth. For she would be. There was nothing in this world that could tare her away from her little mate. The girl though still far too young for Victoria to claim was hers. Her mate. Her life.
"Please don't go climbing so high, one so young and tender should not be in such peril as to fall from trees" she whispered as she placed the girl back on her own two feet, pressing a gentle kiss to the brunettes forehead before disappearing from her sight, back up in her tree. She watched as her mate blinked quickly in surprise before twirling as she tried to figure out where she had gone.
"She must have been an angel" the whispered words of innocence met her ears and the vampire chuckled. Such a tender, loving heart was her mate. She quietly wondered if her little mate would always see her as such once she was old enough to know the truth of her saviour.
For Victoria had never before been called an angel. Angel implied morality and goodness. Both terms one did not associate with vampire.
"Oh my dear sweet little mate, if only you knew the truth" the red head thought with amusement and slight concern.
-- Victoria waited until she heard the quiet thumping of her little mates heart slow slightly, her breathing evening out, indicating the little human had fallen asleep before she left her perch on the tree at the bottom of the brunettes garden to find her coven mates.
She found them both camped out at a nearby warehouse, one in which they had frequented often in the years since Victoria had discovered her mate in the human babe. They were sitting on acquired sofas as they discussed the recently heard news of a vampire coven that had switched diets to that off animals and the responding sneer from the volturi condemning the diet.
"Vicky, you have returned, how is your little human this fine day" James' melodic voice enquired even before she fully entered the room.
" She is doing well James. Though I had to expose myself to her to stop her dying as she fell from a tree" she replied, amusement dancing in her eyes as she smiled at the blonde haired man.
"Exposed yourself!?" Laurent asked incredulously as he sat up straighter, narrowing his eyes in concern.
"Hush now Laur, there is no need to fret so. She thinks I was an angel" she replied, soothing their protector. The dark skinned man had always been fiercely protective of them.
"So what is the plan, it has been years Victoria. I think it time enough to inform our queens of this situation. They must know, for their backing and support may be needed to help keep your mate safe under Volturi law" James' words caused Victoria to growl. Bringing back the reality she faced with such a vulnerable mate. She hated when her best friend/brother figure was correct.
She had already had to fight of two vampires looking to make a quick meal out of her little mate and her mates mother. Their slightly remote location meant that they were prime targets for hungry vampires and Victoria would not let that happen. The two vampires that had tried it ended up a pile of ash when they wouldn't leave well enough alone. Claiming that Victoria spoke utter nonsense because a vampire couldn't be mated to a human let alone a child. She couldn't reason with them so she had had no choice but to end them. Not that she felt guilty about that at all.
They threatened her mate after all and every one knows that the surest way to earn a vampires ire is to threaten their mate.
"You're right" she finally admitted, albeit reluctantly. "We need to get Isabella to Volterra somehow, and we need to do it soon"