I Fear No Pain

C16: Mangy Mutts

Standard Disclaimer: I don't own any of the recognizable characters.

Bella's POV

A month later my mother and aunts called a meeting with a select number of Guards, which included all of the former Cullens, of course Jane, Alec and Chelsea and finally Felix, which was telling enough in and off itself.

They had asked us all to gather in the Throne Room early in the morning and as I took my seat next to Didyme, she immediately took my hand in her own. "Good morning sweetie. I trust you had a pleasant evening?"

I nodded and smiled at her. "I did, although I'm getting increasingly more curious about why we all had to be here so early."

Didyme smiled and pressed a kiss to my cheek. "I promise that is good news, my sweet Bella. Your aunts and I have finally come to a consensus when it comes to the shifters you have told us about, which is why we haven't gathered most of the Guard here this morning."

I nodded at her as Sulpicia stepped forward. "Good morning everyone. As you all might know Bella told us about a pack of shifters who live in her old home town, and for the last week we have discussed exactly how we should deal with them, since these shifters are too closely related to the Children of the Moon. Most of you gathered here will join on this mission and once you are underway Athenodora will explain the details of the plan. I will remain here in case of a judgment that would need to be passed."

We all nodded at her before Athenodora stepped forward. "You have two hours to prepare, at which time we shall meet in the garage so we can drive to the airport. Dismissed."

"If you don't mind sweetie, I would like to talk to you and your sister for a bit if that's okay?" I asked softly.

I nodded at her and smiled as Alice and I followed my mother to her office, the two of us taking a seat next to each other once we were inside. "I know you said that you didn't want us to pursue the wolves, but I want to explain our reasoning a bit. Their final punishment has not yet been decided and if we can keep them alive we will, but I think we all know that the chances of them trying to impose their will on us are pretty much guaranteed, and we will be forced to react to that appropriately." Didyme said with a soft smile.

I smiled at her. "I know Mom, and I've had a lot of time to think about this over the last month and I know that it was inevitable, the only thing I ask if I would be allowed to say a few things, because there are things I need to get off my chest."

Didyme smiled at that. "Of course sweetie, and I know you cannot see the wolves, Alice, but I do have to ask if you have seen an outcome by any chance."

Alice smiled at her. "I can only see our arrival and departure, and based on that I can see that everyone will come back alive and unharmed. I cannot see anything that happens there unfortunately." She said honestly.

Didyme nodded at that. "I was afraid of that, but it is good to know that everyone will come back alive and unharmed. I would hate for anyone of our family to come to harm because of this."

"I haven't seen in when we will return though, so we might be there for a while if people need to heal, but I don't think Esme will mind if we use our old home as a base of operations so to speak." Alice said softly.

Didyme smiled and nodded. "I'm sure she will suggest that to Athenodora when we're in the air, we'll see what happens. This was all I needed to talk to you about, I'll leave you two to your preparations."

We both smiled at her, and as Alice made her way out of the office, I stayed for a while longer. "I do have to ask Mom, are you really going to wear that to Forks? It is kind of muddy and rainy there."

"I am going to change in a bit sweetie. Those are my preparations. The only reason your aunt gave us two hours is because she'll spend most of that time selecting an outfit for today. She is kind of vain when it comes to her battle outfits." She said sweetly.

I smiled and hugged her. "Good, because I don't think Alice would stay sane if you ruined your dress in Forks."

She laughed before pressing a kiss to the top of my head. "I know that sweetie, and far be it from me to cause your dear sister her sanity. I believe that is your job."

I only smiled and nodded as I made my way to my room so I could pack a bag with a few clothes, since this would be the first time I would be able to wear my new mission outfit, something I knew Alice was very excited about seeing me in.

Of course Jane was already in her outfit and I had to admit that she looked amazing in it, although the slight pout on her face was telling a whole other story. "What's wrong angel? I thought you'd be thrilled that you would get the opportunity to use your gift on the puppies."

She smiled and stepped into my arms, pulling them around herself. "I am, I just don't get why I have to wear this ridiculous outfit to do it. I can't get used to this."

I smiled and kissed her softly. "I thought you liked the outfit Alice made for you?"

"I do, it just has a weird fit." Jane said softly.

I looked her over and laughed lightly. "That's because you've managed to put both your pants and shirt on backwards, baby."

She glared at that. "I think I know how to dress myself, Isabella."

I grinned at that. "I know, but I think your excitement for pain got the better of you. Come, I'll help you get dressed properly." I said as I took off her jacket and pulled off the long sleeved shirt, taking a long second to appreciate the black bra she was wearing, before turning it over and pulling it over hear head again, doing the same with her pants afterwards.

Jane smiled at my fussing and gave my butt a squeeze. "I must admit that these pants really bring out that pert butt of yours, my love."

I just smiled at her as I zipped her pants up and gave her butt a spank before we sat down, since we still had at least an hour before we needed to be in the garage.

Alice's POV

When we got onto the plane I immediately took a seat next to Bella and Didyme, since Jasper and Athenodora had to finalize the plans before they would be shared with everyone else, and Jane was talking quietly to her brother, which left me with the only logical seat on the plane, in my sister's lap.

Bella didn't seem to mind since she had nuzzled her nose in my neck. "If I didn't know any better, I would say you two are mated. It's so adorable to watch you two interact." Didyme said kindly.

We both smiled at that. "Shockingly you're not the first one to say that, Mom. Even before we came to Volterra people at school thought we were together, at least once I started spending time with the family. I was a bit intimidated by their beauty when I first saw them." Bella said softly.

I smiled and gave her arms a squeeze. "Thankfully you got over that pretty quickly, since you came over to the house that same weekend."

"Let's not kid ourselves here Ali, that was all Edward and his sick obsession with me. In any other circumstance it would've taken months for me to have felt comfortable enough to spend time with you guys." Bella said softly.

"I know Bella, and to this day it is the only thing I am thankful for when it comes to Edward. He inadvertently kickstarted everything that has happened since and honestly I couldn't be happier about how it all turned out." I said with a soft smile.

Bella smiled and pressed a kiss to the side of my neck. "As am I Ali. Despite everything he put me through I am so glad I stuck it out so I could be where I belong, with my mate and family."

I smiled at that. "I saw very early on that you were very important to everything that was to come, not only in Edward's inevitable end, but also for the Volturi as a whole, which is one of the many reasons we did everything to keep you safe and as happy as we possible could. It was only a matter of time before Edward would go too far and then our new life could begin."

"And what a life it has been up to this point. You two have already been instrumental in the new way of the day to day of our Coven and family, and honestly I'm excited to see what else the future will bring." Didyme said with a kind smile.

We both smiled at that. "So are we, it is one of the reasons I don't look into the future as much anymore. For once I want to be surprised right along with everyone else." I said softly as Bella once again nuzzled my neck.

"You're awfully touchy today sweetie. Is there any particular reason for that?" Didyme asked sweetly.

Bella shrugged before looking at her mother. "I don't know. I'm just nervous about what is going to happen with the wolves. I don't want anyone from our family to get hurt, but I don't know what exactly the wolves are capable of, and that makes me nervous. I don't like walking into something blindly."

Didyme smiled at that. "I understand that sweetie, but unfortunately it is the truth of any major battle we fight. We can plan for everything and still be surprised. There is an old adage that says no plan will ever survive your enemy, and we've learned over the last three thousand or so years that it is true. As much as your aunt tries to plan for every eventuality, it is simply impossible."

Bella nodded and smiled at her. "I know Mom, but as much as I try to get over it, the fear of the unknown will be with me for at least a few more years."

Didyme only smiled at her. "We know sweetie, but I promise you that with the Guard members we have brought with us we'll have the best chances of everyone coming through this unscathed."

"And remember Bella, Jasper has extensive knowledge of the wolves and their methods of fighting, and he has spent the last two days training the Guard in this. With him by our side there is no way this side of heaven we'll lose. I even highly doubt that any of us will get hurt." I said with a soft smile.

She smiled at that. "I know, but just let me be nervous for a bit. I thought you liked it when we got to cuddle."

I giggled at that as Didyme stood and pressed a kiss to the top of her head before making her way over to Athenodora and Jasper. "Of course I like it when I get to cuddle with you. That is something I will never complain about. It's just a bit of a surprise to see you nervous again. It has been a while."

"I know, but I really can't help it, and you know I try to settle my nerves by physical contact, and let's face it, you're a way better cuddler than Jane." Bella said softly.

We both heard a soft playful growl coming from the blonde. "You know I only cuddle in the bedroom Bella." She said teasingly.

Bella just smiled and returned to nuzzling my neck, not wanting to get into the banter with her mate right now. "She really wants to keep that between us doesn't she?" I asked softly.

"She does, because she needs to keep her image intact. We have a very defined divide between public and private." Bella whispered against my neck so that only I could hear it.

I giggled softly as I relaxed against her. "I'm sure you're not the only couple who has that Bella. Even we have very defined boundaries now, and we're not even together romantically."

"You know that had to happen Ali. Both of us would have hated not only ourselves but probably also each other if we had let it come to that point, and you know we couldn't let that happen. I need you too much in my life to ever let that happen." She said in a whisper.

I smiled and turned around so I could nuzzle my nose in her neck too. She was absolutely right of course, but I just couldn't bring myself to admit it besides the one fact that I needed her as much as she needed me.

Athenodora's POV

By the time we were at the Cullen's old house in Forks, it was very early in the next day, and as Bella had predicted, the moment we had entered the town it had been a constant cloud cover and light rain, with no signs of improvement any time soon, which annoyed me more than it should have.

We were currently gathered in the living room of Esme's old home and I just couldn't help but smile at exactly how much her hand was visible in the home, although I only took a moment to actually enjoy our temporary surroundings.

I took a spot in the center of the room and turned to face everyone. "Okay, now that we're finally here, I can tell you all the plan. We intend to try and open a dialogue with them first to try and make them see what vampires are truly capable of. They were lied to by Carlisle just as much as anyone else, and therefor they deserve to know the truth. We however expect them to be very hostile and we will of course defend ourselves when that happens. From what Jasper told me they are all quite young and lack a true Alpha which should make it easy for us. There is also not a great number of them, but of course we don't want to leave anything to chance. There is one wolf in particular that our Princess has a personal issues with and she will be given the opportunity to express those before we make a final decision. Jasper has the details on him."

At this point Jasper stepped up next to me. "He will be quite easily recognized. He will be the only brown colored wolf in a pack of grays and a single black wolf. The black wolf is the acting Alpha but is not the true Alpha, unfortunately that is the brown one, but he does not realize this yet. They act on a form of mental hivemind where they are privy to each other's thoughts and feelings, so do not under any circumstance engage them alone, because alerting one is alerting them all, and we honestly have no idea how many there are since we left this town. We will not have to worry about unknowing humans in the vicinity since the entire Reservation knows about us in one form or another thanks to their legends. All that remains to be said is to remember your training, because those teeth hurt."

"We are very confident that our numbers and gifts we will be able to bring this to a favorable conclusion, but as always we cannot let anything be left to chance. Always be vigilant and don't let yourself be caught off guard under and circumstance. We shall leave when night falls. Until then take this time to prepare in whatever way you need to." I finished matter of factually.

After that dismissal everyone broke off into separate groups, since most of the Guard had preferred tactics and they probably wanted to coordinate those with each other. The only ones obviously missing were Bella, Jane and Alice, who seemed to have absconded upstairs, and since I had little else to do, I sought the arms of my wife, who merely smiled as she pulled me against her. "Are you okay love? It's been a while since I heard you speak with nerves in your voice."

"You know why I am nervous Di. While these shifters are a far cry from the Children of the Moon, they are still wolves, and you know how I feel about those in general. The fact that they are so young also doesn't help matters." I said softly.

Didyme smiled sweetly and pressed a long kiss to my lips. "I have a feeling that tonight will play out very differently than anyone of us thinks. They won't be ready for Bella and her gift. I think that her gift might cripple them all since they share a mind."

Honestly, I hadn't thought of that but it made a lot of sense. "We'll ask her what she wants to do, because I would hate to decide anything for my niece at this point."

"I get that love, it was merely something to consider. I have to say though that I am incredibly proud of you for how you've latched onto her as your niece." She said sweetly.

I smiled at that. "How couldn't I? She may be your daughter in almost every way, but I can see a lot of both Cia and myself as well in her. She's so insatiably curious and you know I've always had a soft spot for curiosity, especially when it comes to the history of our kind."

Didyme smiled and kissed me. "I saw very early on that she had both a love of literature and of history. In that sense she could very well be your and Cia's daughter as well, and in a way she is definitely yours, my venom is yours after all."

"That it is, and now that we have the chance I just want to say how grateful I am that you in the end turned her. It only seems fitting that your daughter and our niece is as close to us as she can possibly be." I said softly.

She only smiled and kissed me softly as I was for once content to stay in her arms for the majority of the day.

Bella's POV

That evening everyone had gathered near the former treaty line, and I personally was relaxing in my mother's arms. Most of the Guard was hidden just out of sight so we could retain somewhat of a surprise. "I wonder how long it will take for them to realize we're here."

"It won't take long, because Felix will ensure they know that we are here in about five minutes. Dora doesn't want to drag this out any longer then it needs to. We've got better things to do in Volterra after all." She said with a wink.

I smiled at that. "That we do. I have a couple of chapters of the Chronicles ready to be written."

Didyme smiled as Athenodora sent Felix into the woods with Jasper, since he knew exactly where to go as to not alert them of our presence too quickly.

Not soon after they disappeared into the darkness we all heard the howls coming from the Reservation. "And so it begins." I said softly.

"You did not just quote Lord of the Rings here." Rosalie said softly.

I smiled at her. "Of course I did. If there ever was an appropriate moment, it would be now."

Rosalie just smiled as Emmett grinned at me. "You can't argue with her logic Rose."

"Of course I can, it is one of my great joys in life." The blonde said with a wink.

"Love you too sister." I said with a teasing smile as we saw Jasper and Felix land next to Athenodora. "They are on their way my Queen, there are seven in total." Felix said respectfully.

Athenodora grinned at him. "Excellent. Let's see if they're willing to talk, shall we?"

Didyme and I took our spots next to her, while Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper and Alice stood closely behind us. Didyme's arms also wrapped themselves around me a bit more securely, and I could feel through the bond that she was nervous too.

It didn't take long for the wolves to burst through the tree lines, all seven of them coming to a stop behind the last set of bushes where they shifted back into their human forms. "What is the meaning of this? Why have you returned?" Sam asked with a glare to Esme, completely ignoring me and the two Queens.

Athenodora growled at them. "You will not speak to them, boy. Any and all conversation will be with me and my wife."

Sam narrowed his eyes at her. "And who are you? You are not one of the Cullens and you have red eyes, which is enough for us to end you."

Athenodora actually laughed at that, which was far darker then I had heard it before. "I am one of the Volturi Queens and I am older than your entire species so you will show me the proper respect. As for you ending us, I can assure you that it will not end well for any of you."

Sam growled at her as his eyes fell on me, once again completely ignoring my aunt. "What are you doing here Bella? Do you have any idea how worried Charlie has been?"

I shared a quick look with Athenodora, who merely nodded at me. "Probably as worried as the day he kicked me out. I do not care for him, nor will I ever spare him a thought again. Honestly, the only reason I came back at all is because I want to say my piece to Jake."

Upon hearing his name Jacob walked forward. "And what would that be. I was still right in the end. I'm honestly surprised that he isn't here."

I narrowed my eyes at him, and it were only Didyme's arms that held me back from ripping his head off. "You were far from right. Edward is long dead and scattered away on the rainbow he denied himself for a hundred years. No, I came here to say that despite you trying to make me see 'the light' I have found my forever and it will never be with you here in Forks."

Jacob rolled his eyes at that. "Whatever Bella. You are no better than the rest of them."

"Enough talk. We'll end this right now." Sam growled out as he instantly transformed, followed quickly by the rest of them.

That was the moment everyone had been waiting for as the rest of the Guard dropped from the trees behind them, with Jane immediately focusing on Sam and Alec taking away the senses of Paul.

I glared at Jacob and let him feel the full force of my gift, but what I didn't expect is for all of them to fall down and start whimpering, which made this easy pickings, but also a bit anticlimactic.

Athenodora especially seemed to be a bit disappointed in how easy it was and once they were dead, I made my way over to her, while Emmett, Jasper and Felix proceeded to rip them apart and deal with the parts. "I'm sorry Aunt Dora."

She smiled and pulled me into her arms. "It's okay sweetie. Your mother and I thought that this might be a possibility if you used your gift on them, and honestly I'm glad it was so easy since that means we get to travel home quicker. The only reason I was disappointed is because I didn't get to do anything myself. Battle has always been one of my passions."

I smiled and relaxed in her arms. "I figured as much, and since you are our progenitor you probably feel it stronger than the rest of us."

"Indeed I do, I'm glad you've been paying attention during my explanations." She said with a wink.

I smiled at her. "I know you're teasing me auntie, but I know that my attention span isn't exactly that of any other members of our family."

"Well there is that, but that is just one of the many things that make you the unique young woman that you are, one I am oh so proud to call my niece." I said honestly, but softly so that only she would hear.

I giggled at that. "I'll keep quiet about your soft spot for me aunt Dora."

I just smiled and pressed a kiss to the top of her head as Jane approached us. "It is done, my Queen, and Felix reports that he picked up the scent of the redhead nearby as well."

"If she witnessed what happened here today, I suspect we'll see her in Volterra soon, and if not we'll send Felix out to bring her to us. For now she is not our concern." Athenodora said matter of factually.

Jane nodded before bowing and making her way back to Felix, who seemed to be ready to chase Victoria, while Athenodora just smiled at me. "I hope you didn't think I was too forward with your mate, sweetie."

"Of course not auntie. As you yourself have often said, one disaster at a time."

She laughed lightly at that as we made our way to Didyme, who merely smiled serenely at us as she pulled me into a hug.