I Fear No Pain
C18: Upgrades
Standard Disclaimer: I don't own any of the recognizable characters.
Bella's POV
A couple of weeks later we had all settled into our usual routines again, where I would spend the majority of the day with my mother or sisters and with Jane the rest of the day, more often than not making endless love to each other, much as we had been doing until a few moments ago.
"Every time I'm in bed with you I find it harder to leave Isabella." Jane said with a very content smile.
I smiled and kissed her softly. "Are you blaming me for you shirking your duties, my love, because I would gladly take responsibility for that."
She smirked at that. "Not just shirking my duties, but also the willingness to do so. If I could stay here in your arms forever I would gladly do that for the rest of time."
I smiled at that. "I would gladly do the same, even though that even for us that is a bit impractical. At some point we would need to feed, and speaking of which I think it is almost time for us to do just that."
"Sometimes I hate your logic, my love. I was comfortable." She said with a slight pout.
"Tonight we'll be right here again and I'll cuddle with you all through the night. I have some things to discuss with aunt Dora and aunt Sulpicia, and I believe you and your brother have a mission to prepare for." I said softly.
She nodded and kissed me. "You're right of course. I'm just so comfortable, but far be it from me to keep you from your aunts."
I smiled and kissed her softly before rolling out of bed to get dressed, and of course Jane was not far behind me, and even though I had been used to her new outfit for a while now, I just couldn't help but smile brighter at how amazing she looked. "I have to say love, I come to love that outfit more by the day. You really fill out those pants."
"It took some getting used to, but this new wardrobe has grown on me. The fact that it's black helps a lot too, since you know I don't wear color well without looking like a child." She said with a soft smile.
I nodded and kissed her softly as I pulled up my dress. "I happen to think that you look amazing in certain colors. Red for example looks amazing on you, as do darker shades of blue."
She smiled at that as she zipped up my dress for me, placing a soft kiss to my neck afterwards. "I only wear those for you, because usually I need to be discreet in my wardrobe choices."
I smiled at her as she put on her boots and I slipped on my heels. "Even when you're discreet you manage to catch my eye every single second of the day, so I don't think that's working."
She just smiled at me as we made our way to the Throne Room, since I knew Heidi and Esme would be arriving with the next batch of tourists soon.
As we walked into the Throne Room, I gave her hand a squeeze before I made my way over to my own seat next to my mother, who smiled brightly at me as I sat down. "Well good afternoon sweetie. Judging by your late appearance I trust you and Jane had a pleasant evening?"
I nodded and hugged her. "We always have a pleasant evening Mom, especially when there is nothing keeping us from cuddling with each other. Those nights are the best."
Didyme smiled and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. "I can imagine that sweetie, we treasure those days too, scarce as they may be. The burdens of our positions unfortunately do not give us much free time."
"You know you have a daughter and her council that would be more than glad to help you alleviate those burdens right?" I said with a soft smile.
"I know sweetie, and soon we will, but these are things of the past that we alone can deal with. It is not right for our past burdens to become yours." She said softly, but with a seriousness I rarely heard.
I nodded and gave her hand a squeeze as Esme and Heidi led a group of unsuspecting tourists in. "These halls are over five hundred years old, and unfortunately this is where the tour ends, permanently in your case." Esme said with an uncharacteristic grin as the door slammed shut behind the unsuspecting humans.
Almost as one the majority of the Guard pounced on their prey, and as usually happened Alice brought two girls for me and mother two feed on. "Impeccable choice as always sister."
The Pixie grinned at me, her teeth still coated in blood, which I am not going to lie turned me on just a little bit. "Only the best for my sister and her mother."
I tipped her a wink as I took the two blondes, handing one over to my mother with a smile. "They smell delicious don't they sweetie?" She asked teasingly, since she was a very big fan of 'playing with her food' as aunt Dora called it, and was something I certainly had in common with her.
"They certainly do Mom. I can't wait to find out what they taste like." I said with a grin before biting down into the girl's neck.
Didyme smiled at me as she did the exact same, taking her time in draining the blonde, one I will admit couldn't resist peeking down the shirt off because she had a fantastic pair of boobs on her.
"Careful that your mate doesn't see you doing that sweetie. She's almost as possessive of you as you are of your sister." Didyme said with a smile.
I smiled at that. "We have an agreement that I can watch but can't touch. She knows that I am very appreciative of female beauty, as long as she and Alice are the only ones I touch intimately."
Didyme merely smiled at me as she cleaned up a little while the frenzied feeding around us quieted down, and soon enough the clean up began.
Alice's POV
Later that afternoon Bella, Rose and I had just sat down in our combined office, conveniently next to that of her mother and aunts, for our first council meeting, since Sulpicia had asked us to see if it was possible to get a proper internet connection working in the Castle and possibly update the electrics at the same time.
Ever since Bella and Rose had gone on their roadtrip, they had become a lot closer with each other, which had certainly helped in our planned bi-weekly council meetings since the three of us were now on an equal level of intimacy and thus were far more comfortable in letting go around each other.
This is what led us to an unofficial rule of doing our meetings topless, since both Bella and Rosalie insisted that it helped us stay clear minded, something I wasn't going to argue with. I never minded watching at so much naked flesh after all, especially that of my sisters.
In front of us lay the plans of the Castle, and since Rosalie was the only one among us with a degree in both structural and electrical engineering, she would be the one that would determine if the Queen's request was feasable, which Bella and I really didn't mind since it gave us an unobstructed view of the blonde's bountiful breasts.
"You two enjoying the view?" She asked as she looked up for a moment.
We both nodded and smiled at her. "Immensely so Rose. You know we are both very big fans of your breasts."
She smiled at us. "It's a bit unfair though. You two get to stare all you want while I am here working through these plans, which are difficult enough to interpret as it is, since I'm working off plans that are older than the three of us, plus Jasper and Emmett combined."
"Why Jasper and Emmett specifically?" Bella asked softly.
"Because if I would've said our mates, that would've implied Jane too and thankfully these plans are not that old just yet, although I'm sure it's not far off." Rosalie said with a smile.
We both nodded at that. "Okay, that makes sense, but how are we going to handle this? We can't really go and map out every inch of the Castle by ourselves. Even at our speed that would take weeks." I said softly.
Rosalie shook her head at that. "Not the whole Castle, because the parts that need to be upgraded we know well enough. It is the bedrooms and everywhere else that we use of regular occassions that will need to be mapped properly, not just for now, but for the future too."
"Well, there is a big mission coming up where the majority of the Guard will be out of the Castle, we can just ask if we would be allowed to make notes on the things we would need to make this work. I doubt my mother and aunts will say no to that, since they asked us to see if it was possible, and from what you said it seems that it is." Bella said softly.
"That's not a bad idea Rose, it will certainly give us an opportunity to do this right." I said softly.
Rose smiled and nodded at us. "I know, but even for us it'll be a big job to do. It'll take a while for this to be done if we want to do this properly."
Bella smiled at that. "I don't think there will be any issues there Rose, one thing we have is time. Are you really that nervous to take on this project?"
"Not nervous exactly, but it's just a step into the unknown. I've never done a project of this size before." Rosalie said softly, almost uncertain.
Not used to hearing our sister doubt herself so much, Bella and I stood and wrapped our arms around the blonde. "That's why we'll be here every step of the way. That way you get to boss us around while we take measurements and draw everything up." Bella said with a wink.
She smiled and pressed a kiss to both of our cheeks. "Well how could I say no to that? I do like bossing people around."
Bella and I smiled at that. "Plus, think of all the time we get to spend together in close quarters, with our newfound freedom amongst each other." Bella said with a smile.
Rosalie smiled at that. "That is indeed another very good point, sister, although I doubt that would get a lot done. Could you present this to your mother and aunts?"
"Why don't we do that together? It'll have a bigger impact coming from us as a council." Bella said with a smile.
We nodded at that. "That's what we will do then, but first cuddles because we haven't done that in too long." I said with a slight pout to emphasize my point.
"Of course, were we ignoring our Pixie? Come here." Rosalie said as we sat down on our couch and she pulled me and Bella into her lap, both of us straddling one of the blonde's legs.
Bella took that a step further and let one of her hands land on my ass, and for the first time today I sort of regretted wearing a skirt.
"You two really have lost all sense of boundaries haven't you?" Rosalie asked with a knowing smile as she watched it happen.
"To be honest, this is shockingly normal. Bella seems to have developed a fascination with my ass over the last few weeks." I said honestly.
Bella smiled at that. "Can you blame me for that? You have a beautiful ass Ali. It's almost begging to be squeezed."
Rose smiled at us. "She makes a very valid point there Pixie, your butt is a true work of art."
"Don't discount your own amazing ass Rosie. If mine is a work of art, then yours is a genuine masterpiece." I said with a smile.
The blonde just grinned at us as she pulled us closer and kissed us, and for the time being we were more than content to share this little moment of intimacy with each other.
Bella's POV
A couple of hours later we were once again dressed and on our way to the Throne Room, hopefully able to convince my mother and aunts to allow us to make proper building plans of the Castle and hopefully have the freedom to do so.
"I still don't understand why you wouldn't want to up the cuteness for this Bella. It might very well be the upper hand we need." Alice said for the third time in what I was sure as many minutes.
I sighed softly at her. "Ali, she'll see right through that because that is not who I am, and you know it. The best chance we have is to come with good arguments for why this is necessary."
The Pixie pouted a little at that, much to the amusement of Rosalie. "You know she has an excellent point there Tink."
"I know, but you know I don't think rationally sometimes, especially where Bella is concerned." Alice said softly.
I just smiled and pressed a kiss to her cheek before I pushed open the doors to the Throne Room, which was now almost suspiciously empty aside from my mother and aunts.
"Good afternoon sweetling. We certainly had not expected to see you and your sisters already. Do you have news for us?" Sulpicia asked with an excited smile.
We nodded at her. "We do, but it is a bit two sided. It is certainly possible to do, but it will require new plans to be drawn up, because the ones you provided are simply to old to be workable." I said kindly.
The three Queens nodded at that. "We understand, you have our permission to do anything you deem necessary to ensure the success of your plans. We trust the three of you implicitly in this."
"We will make sure that any inconvenience to the rest of the Guard is kept to the bare minimum, since we know how much everyone values their privacy." Rosalie said with a soft smile.
"I'm sure that will be appreciated, but for at least two weeks the vast majority of the Guard will be out hunting the redhead. After smelling her in Forks we have decided not to remain idle in this matter anymore." Athenodora said kindly.
We smiled at them and I couldn't help myself when I went up to give all three of them a hug. "Thank you, that means a lot, and not just to me either." I said softly.
They smiled at me and Didyme pressed a soft kiss to the top of my head before I stepped back from her arms. "We know Bella, and that is one of the reasons we want to stop this before it has a chance to escalate any further."
I nodded and took my place next to my sisters. "Has it already been decided what will happen to her, mother?"
"Allow me to answer that Bella. In any other circumstance, yes, we would execute her without a second thought, but I believe that given everything that happened you would agree that she would at least should be given the chance to explain herself, because I fear that she too might have been a victim of Edward's lies in the end." Athenodora said kindly.
I nodded at that. "I understand aunt Dora. It is only fair if we hear her out if she was lied to as well."
"That is why we decided on this course of action, sweetie. We know very well that you wouldn't want anyone to die if there isn't a need to, and since this is a part of what brought you to us, we wanted to do right by you." Didyme said sweetly.
I smiled at that. "I appreciate that Mom, and I'm sorry for having brought all of these problems here."
Sulpicia smiled and came up to hug me. "You don't have to be sorry sweetie, the Castle sure has been a lot livelier since you joined us. It may seem that you've brought these problems to our door, but Carlisle has been a thorn in our side for over three hundred years, it was little wonder that Edward would be the same."
I smiled at her. "Thank you auntie Cia. That means a lot to me, but I think my sisters really want to get started on our project. We'll see you later when the others are ready to leave."
The Queens nodded and smiled at us as we took our leave, and when we once again closed the doors behind us Rosalie gave me that knowing smile of hers. "Every time I see you interact with your mother and aunts I swear I get cavities from how sweet you all are."
"You know very well that is impossible for us to get cavities." I said teasingly.
She quirked an eyebrow at that, but smiled at me as she linked our arms as we made our way to the garage. "You know what I mean sister, and before either of you ask. We need to do some necessary shopping if we want to make this work properly, and no Alice, not for clothes. We will need specialized tools for this."
Alice expectedly pouted at that, but nodded at Rose. "Then I hope you won't mind a small detour, because we will also need some work clothes for this, just to be safe and make it easier to carry the tools around."
"Okay, we can do that, but nothing excessive Pixie, I know you a bit too well after all." Rosalie said with a wink.
Alice nodded and smiled at her as we stepped into Rosalie's domain, immediately making our way to the car with the biggest trunk space, which was her own Range Rover, since the others would be used later today when the majority of the Guard would drive to the airfield in them.
Instead of sitting next to Rose in the front, Alice opted to sit in the back with me, stating that she would be less of a distraction while cuddling with her sister, which made Rosalie roll her eyes, but she also surprisingly kept quiet about it.
Alice's POV
Once everyone had left late that night, Rosalie quickly excused herself to start working on the plans she could already make so that it would at least save some time when we really got started on this project, and since both of our mates would be gone for the coming weeks, Bella and I quickly found ourselves in one of the spare bedrooms, because we knew that the separation from our mates could only be lessened by spending as much time as possible with each other, which of course neither of us had an issue with.
We were cuddled up together like we usually were, both topless and very content like that. "Is it me or is this the first time that we've done this outside of our usual spot in the deprivation room?" Bella asked softly.
"It is, although it doesn't feel any less special. I will never tire of feeling your mostly naked body against mine, plus you look really cute in lace." I said with a soft smile.
Bella smiled and pressed a kiss to my neck. "I really didn't want to change after we said goodbye to the others, and I figured you wouldn't mind having more to look at."
I smiled at her as I caressed her legs. "I certainly don't Bella, although I do feel a bit overdressed now."
"That skirt hardly makes you overdressed Ali. It makes you look sexy." Bella said softly.
I smiled at her as I turned around and kissed her. "If I didn't know any better, I would say you're still trying to flirt with me."
Bella smiled and let her hands sneak under my skirt. "We both know I don't have the ability to flirt, although according to my mate I am an excellent tease."
"I've known that for months, it has only gotten worse since you were turned, but since I am more than happy to respond to that teasing I really don't see a problem with you being a tease." I said softly as I teasingly bucked my hips into hers.
Bella moaned softly and gave my butt a generous squeeze. "Whose the tease now Ali?"
I smiled and nuzzled her neck. "I can't help it. You just bring out the bad girl in me, plus can you really blame me?"
"No I can't, and I would be lying if this wasn't turning me on either. Having you this close all gorgeous and next to naked is stirring wild thoughts in my head." She said softly.
I could see her eyes darkening as she said it and would be lying to myself if the same wasn't true for me. "To be honest I'm feeling exactly the same, but unfortunately there is little we can do about it without actually going that far, and you know we can't do that."
"I know, and I might have an idea that will satisfy us both without us harming our mates in any way. Do you trust me?" Bella asked softly.
I smiled at her. "Always Bella, you know that."
She smiled and slid the skirt from my legs before pulling me on top of her. "Just do what you just did and keep going." She said softly.
I nodded and kissed her as I bucked my hips into her again, effectively grinding into her as she wrapped her legs around my waist, which pushed me even closer to her body. I could also feel how wet she was through her panties and that spurred me along even more.
Both of us moaned loudly as we completely lost ourselves to pleasure, and therefor it didn't take long before we both came, which I honestly was a bit miffed about. It felt amazing to be able to do this with Bella, and in the bond we shared I felt that this was more than okay. "Wow, I had expected a lot of things, but feeling this serene after doing this with you was not one of them."
Bella smiled as she wrapped her arms around me and relaxed her legs. "I know that this was inevitable at some point, and this felt like the most feasible way of making sure we didn't go too far and we both got to enjoy ourselves."
I smiled and cuddled up to her, basking in the afterglow of what we had just done. "While I will admit that I had my doubts if this wasn't crossing a line, I know it isn't because I can feel it in our bond."
"I felt exactly the same Ali. It should also help us both think a little more clearly tomorrow, which I think Rose will appreciate." She said with a soft smile.
"I know she will, since I am sure we'll be making not nearly as many eyes at each other, which will in turn help in us getting a lot more work done, and since I know how much Rose likes to work both quickly and efficiently, it is a win-win for everyone." I said softly.
Bella smiled at that. "She'll be surprised tomorrow then, because I'll be honest and say that there haven't been many other moments in recent months that I have felt more clear headed."
I nodded and kissed her softly. "The last few weeks have been more than a little bit of a whirlwind, and I think that today was the first time where we have been able to truly relieve some of that stress, and I know that the last thing Rose wants to do now is to add to that when our mates aren't here."
Bella smiled and nuzzled my neck. "We wouldn't want Rosie to get stressed, because I don't think we could do this with her. I'm sure Emmett is a lot better at that."
I giggled at that. "Oh he is, trust me on that one. Having spent almost fifty years under a roof with them, I know pretty much everything of what they get up together when they are alone, which is quite often now that I think about it."
Bella just smiled at that as we both continued to bask in each other's presence, which we did for most of the night.