I Fear No Pain

C15: Routines

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

A/N: Happy New Year to all. I know it has been a full month, but I can promise that I'm back with new chapters and stories for this year. For now I once again hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Athenodora's POV

After the relative excitement of the last couple of weeks, I was happy that things were going back to normal, at least for our standards, and with the deaths of both Ventrue and the Eldest I knew I had some things to explain to Bella, who now that her hormones seemed to have settled a bit had taken the time to ask me if we could continue our work on the Chronicles, as we had come to call the history of our kind.

We were once again in my office, Bella as ever with her laptop at the ready. "So aunt Dora, what are we going to work on today?" She asked with an adorably sweet smile.

I just couldn't help but smile back at her. "Today, I will tell you about my actual brother, Malkav. You may have heard my other two 'siblings' mention him before. I have of course already told you a bit about him, but there is far more to his story than just that. In time I will do the same for all of my so called siblings so it can be a complete story, but since Malkav is my actual brother, I thought it prudent to start with him."

Bella nodded at that. "Would this include your own history too aunt Dora?" She asked kindly.

I nodded at her. "Yes, sweetling, my own history too, part of which you will hear today, since I usually divide my history in with Malkav and my time after Malkav."

She smiled and opened up a new page, as she usually did when we would broach a new subject, looking as eager as ever.

"So I'll start at our beginning. We were very close growing up in Greece, and continued to be in our adult years. Those years are honestly a bit of a blur so I will stick to what I remember. At some point we were turned by the first childe of Cain, a man named Enoch. Many bloodlines claim to have Enoch as their progenitor, but in truth he sired myself, Malkav and one other named Saulot. The others were turned by either a man named Irad, or Cain's mate Zillah.

For the first few decades everything went well, until we were told that we could never sire childer of our own, which as you might imagine did not sit well with the majority of my siblings, and while some of us advised against it, among which myself and Saulot, the others were undeterred and hatched a plan to kill Enoch, Irad and Zillah which they ultimately succeeded at.

Cain of course was not happy with this and cursed us all in different ways. Malkav being the scholar he was was cursed with a madness that he would forever know all of the answers, but never know any of the questions, and it broke him. He became cruel and vindictive and sired a lot of people that already suffered from some sort of mental illness to start with as a way of getting revenge for what was done to him.

We parted ways not soon after, and not on good terms since he tried to kill your mother and aunt after I found them as my mates. Keep in mind that I when we parted I was nearing a millennia in age, and I found your mother and aunt when I was a bit over three millennia old, so soon is a bit of an abstract concept here."

When he tried to kill us, I tried to kill him, but only managed to wound him to such a degree that he fell into a deep slumber, one I hoped at the time he would never wake up from, but unfortunately I feel that I have been wrong in that, and I am honestly a bit weary of searching for him because I fear that it will not end well. His madness makes him very unpredictable." I finished softly.

Bella nodded at that. "I can understand that auntie, since I know above all else you want to keep everyone safe."

I smiled and nodded. "That I certainly do. We've all worked too hard to let one of my siblings ruin everything, which with a few exceptions they can definitely do. There are a few of my siblings who are still alive and in hiding who could become a problem in the future, one of them being Malkav."

"Given the things I have seen from Ventrue and the Eldest, I don't doubt it. If the others are close to you in power I don't think there will be a lot the rest of us can do." Bella said softly.

I smiled at her. "Trust me that they all have unique abilities of their own, one in particular being very much out there, which is a story of another time, because it is unique even in our world, and he was not alone, because the Eldest also had a very unique ability, one that allowed him to become one with the land."

Bella smiled as she saved her notes and took a seat next to me. "I'm not surprised. Even with everything I've experienced in our world I know that there is so much I still do not know or understand."

"Even I do not understand everything in our world sweetling. No one but Cain does, and no one knows where he is or even what has happened to him after he cursed us and left us to fend for ourselves." I said honestly.

"I can't even begin to imagine what such an ancient being would be like." Bella said softly.

I pulled her into my side and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Being is the right word here, because there is little that makes him human anymore. His power is immense and almost incomprehensible. It would not be a stretch to say that he is the most powerful being on the planet, if he still is around somewhere. Even we have Prophecies of the end times, which we call Gehenna, and the only thing they have in common is that on that day of reckoning Cain will return to drown the world in blood."

Bella's eyes widened a little at that. "That might be something to include in the Chronicles, because that sounds like it is important."

I nodded at her. "Of course sweetling, but not today. Like so many others it is a story for another time."

Rosalie's POV

A couple of days later Bella and I had planned a day for ourselves, which had been far too long in my opinion, which is part of the reason we had opted for a day in the garage, since that was the only place no one would disturb us since there were no missions planned for now.

I was thankful that Bella had the foresight to wear some of her old clothes, because ever since Alice had noticed with how much fervor Bella had embraced her role as a Princess, the Pixie had become even more crazy about the things our sister wore, and heaven forbid if she ever stained it, because Alice had promised literal hellfire if that ever happened. It was the reason Bella was now dressed in a simple white top and a pair of coveralls, which honestly looked absolutely amazing on her as we worked on her car.

"You know Rose, even a few weeks ago I wouldn't have imagined how amazing it would feel to be able to do something like that again." Bella said with a soft smile as she rolled out from under her BMW.

I smiled at her as I looked around the hood. "I think that we can safely say that your newborn period is over, Bella. Things have a tendency to go back to normal once your body and mind have fully accepted their new reality."

She smiled at that. "Yeah, I've noticed that too. Everything all of a sudden has seemed to settled down in my head. It's a bit of a startling change."

"I know exactly how you feel Bella. Most of us went through that, I honestly think Emmett never got to that part, given how his attention span has developed in the last eighty years." I said with a soft smile.

"He's come into his own though. I've never seen him have as much fun as I have in the last couple of weeks." Bella said sweetly.

I smiled at her. "I'm sure he'll be glad to hear that Bella, and I agree. He told me that he finally feels like he fits in somewhere, which was a bit of an issue back in Forks and the other places Carlisle forced us to live."

Bella smiled as she came up to hug me. "I still admire you all greatly for being able to put up with that bullshit for so long. A few months was bad enough, let alone several decades."

I smiled at her as I relaxed in her arms. "It was difficult, but it was something we know we had to do in order to ensure the outcome that happened. Alice had seen very early on that at some point they would go too far and that we would be rid of them at some point soon after that, but make no mistake, it was you that ensured that it all could happen in such a timely manner."

Bella smiled at that. "Then as always, I am happy to be of service, my dear sister."

I smiled at that as we took a seat, figuring we had earned a bit of a break. "You did more than just a service to us Bella, you not only made our family whole, but you gave us a true home too. A lot of the things that we are now very thankful for can be laid at your feet."

"If I could still blush I would be beet red right now. You give me far too much credit. All I did is call two controlling assholes out on their behavior." Bella said softly.

I pulled her into my arms and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Yes, you did, and the fallout of that we can now all enjoy. Alice can pursue her passion, Jasper and Emmett are right where they are supposed to be, and I can spend the rest of my time on this earth with the people I love while doing something I am very passionate about."

Bella smiled sweetly at that and cuddled into me. "I know this might sound strange, and please don't ever mention this to Jane, but you sound an awful lot like her. She usually is as sweet as you are."

I laughed lightly at that. "My lips will be forever sealed, sister. I wouldn't want your dear mate unleashing her gift on me after all if I accidentally call her adorable."

"Even I am not safe when I call her adorable, it is one of the lines I've learned not to cross. The first time I called her adorable after I was turned she actually spanked me."

I couldn't help but laugh at that. "Sorry, that is just a very amusing sight, seeing you being bent over Jane's lap while she spanks you."

She pouted at that. "I didn't find it funny at the time, and it was a lesson learned. She has spent centuries getting rid of that image by being absolutely ruthless, and while she admits that she has mellowed a bit, it is one of the things that is a definite no for her."

"I understand that to a degree. We all have such triggers, and with vampire emotions being involved not everyone responds to that reasonably." I said honestly.

Bella nodded and smiled at that. "Yes, I severely underestimated the severity of vampire emotions in my first few days. I didn't think I was ever capable of snarling at anyone before, Edward excepted of course."

I smiled at her. "Yes, Edward was quite good at bringing those out. Did I ever tell you I actually took his head off once, and that Carlisle was just in time stopping me from killing him outright?"

"I didn't actually. What happened?" She asked as she sat up a bit straighter.

"Edward did the only thing he could when confronted with a pretty woman, try to make her his. He tried to force himself on me when I was just turned since Carlisle was convinced he was my mate, much like he did with you. When he tried I ripped his head clean off and was about to put a lighter to him before Carlisle stopped me by throwing me out of the window. It was Esme who convinced me to stay so we could eventually take this to the Volturi." I said honestly.

Bella smiled at me. "Somewhere I'm glad you didn't kill him that day. His real end was far more satisfying.

I only nodded at her, pulling her into my lap as I nuzzled her neck, needing to get my emotions back under control before we did anything else.

Alice's POV

A couple of days later Bella and I were sitting in our sensory deprivation room, since Jane had been sent on a mission with Jasper and Emmett to collect one of Sulpicia's artifacts, which left Bella a bit restless since her mate was gone and her mother and aunts were busy with two potential new laws.

Of course we were both topless and had decided to lie down together on the padded floor, heads just barely touching as we held hands. "This feels nice doesn't it Bella?" I asked softly.

She nodded and gave my hand a squeeze. "It feels great to let the girls out and be able to lie here with one of my favorite people in the world. I've always found you beautiful, but being able to see exactly how gorgeous you are is truly one of my life's biggest pleasures."

I smiled at her. "I can honestly say the same Bella. You are absolutely gorgeous and to see you turn into the confident young woman that you've now become, and each day I feel myself becoming closer to you."

Bella smiled at that. "I feel the same Ali, every day I feel things between us becoming stronger, I really can't explain it."

"In the precious spare time I've had in the last couple of weeks, I've done some more research on our Soul Sister bond, which led me to the deepest parts of the Volturi Archives. We'll continue to feel like this until the bond settles itself, which can only be done if we mark each other, which I honestly wouldn't be against." I said honestly.

"I wouldn't either, but I do have to ask something first. How would Jasper and Jane react to seeing this?" She asked softly.

I smiled at her. "I have a feeling that they will understand but I can't see anything yet because no decisions have been made one way or another."

Bella smiled at me as she rolled over and then on top of me. "I honestly think that it would be better than the alternative. Because if these feelings for you keep getting stronger, at some point one of us is going to lose our composure and do something we'll regret forever."

I nodded at that, knowing it was true. It was already hard not going that far, despite how strong my love for Jasper was, and just as I thought that, I slipped into a vision of Bella and I marking each other and both Jasper and Jane being very understanding when they came back next week. "Well this certainly clears things up. I just saw us marking each other and both Jasper and Jane understanding completely why we did."

"Then let's not waste any more time Ali, although you might need to find another spot, since my neck has been kind of marked by my mother and Jane already." She said sweetly.

I smiled at her. "Don't worry Bella, I wasn't planning to mark you there. The neck is very intimate for anyone, usually only reserved for mates. I was hoping you would be okay with something I have a feeling we would've done if we were still human. It'll be kind of like a matching tattoo on your forearm."

"That is a great idea. At least now I can look at my arm and not think of James anymore." She said with a bright smile.

"That was the idea sister, it'll be good closure for the both of us." I said softly.

She smiled at me. "Before we do that however, there is one thing I have sorely missed over the last few weeks, if you don't mind indulging me." She said as she kissed me softly.

I smiled into the kiss and pulled her flush against me, barely containing a moan as our nipples brushed against each other, creating the most delicious friction. "If this is what I should indulge you with, I would gladly do so forever. There is something otherworldly about kissing you."

"I feel the same Ali, and while I know there will never be another for me than Jane, you will always hold the other third of my heart." She said sweetly.

"And you will always hold the other half of mine Bella. I truly love you so much." I said softly as I gently took her arm and placed a kiss over the mark James had left on her before marking her myself.

She groaned softly, in which what I suspected was both pain and pleasure before she returned the favor once I had pulled back, and like her I couldn't help but groan softly.

"It really feels like something has changed, doesn't it?" She asked softly.

I nodded and smiled at her. "It does, like we've reached a comfortable equilibrium in our Bond. I now feel exactly how far I can go with my affection and love for you."

"I feel exactly the same. I don't feel the urge to jump you anymore, because I'll be honest and say that the urge to do that was becoming more and more difficult to resist." Bella said honestly.

I only smiled at her. "I felt exactly the same Bella, it was just less noticeable because we're so intimate already, but it was always there. You affect me just as much as I probably affect you."

Bella smiled and kissed me again. "You've always affected me on some level, it has just become more difficult to resist once I was turned."

I just smiled and nuzzled her neck, both of us content in sharing soft kisses and letting our hands wander a little.

"Is it weird that now that we have marked each other my hands still have a mind of their own?" She asked softly as she toyed with the hem of my skirt.

"Of course not, I would say that this is our new normal. I have a feeling the first time I feel the need to wear pants we could truly test these new limits. There is something I have seen that I can't wait to see become a reality, but since I don't want to ruin the surprise just yet I won't tell you." I said with a wink.

She just pouted just a bit at that as she rolled off me and then positioned herself next to me once again, although I could swear I could hear her mutter "Spoilsport"

Didyme's POV

Sometimes I hated being in charge, mostly because ever since I found Bella as my daughter I had devoted a lot of time to her, which had left my work on the new laws to be put on a bit of a back burner, much to the annoyance of my darling mates. These new laws were now mostly ready, but still had to be reviewed by Bella and her council, since it involved some precautions on modern technologies.

Sulpicia wanted to ensure that nothing would be left to chance when we would present it to Bella, Alice and Rosalie, and therefor it had taken nearly four straight days of negotiations between us to get everything right.

Right now though Bella and I had taken her car for a relaxing drive around the countryside, so we could spend some quality mother-daughter time together without Sulpicia and Athenodora butting in. It was also the first time I had ever stepped into a car and therefor was a bit apprehensive about what was going to happen.

Thankfully Bella was very adept at taking away my worries and now I could just sit back and enjoy, much to her amusement. "What's so funny sweetie?" I asked softly as I heard her giggle again.

"Nothing much Mom. It's just that in America it is customary for parents to teach their children how to drive, and I always imagined Renee sitting exactly like you did a few moments ago. She never taught me how to drive though, she let one of her boyfriends handle that." She said softly.

"I would've been honored to teach you sweetie, and once again I'm sorry for everything you've had to endure in your young life. I always thought that a mother would always feel the need to educate her children, but evidently not all women possess a maternal instinct. I would've done everything to ensure you had whatever you needed when you were growing up." I said honestly.

She smiled and gave my hand a squeeze. "I know Mom, and I am forever grateful for all of the love you have shown me over the last months."

"Since the moment we met and I saw what it was we were to share I saw it as my duty to ensure that you were safe and happy with us, as a mother should. The last few months have been the best months of my long life and I think it is safe to say that you've had a profound effect on the Volturi as a whole. We've never been as whole as a family as we have been over the last few months." I said kindly.

Bella smiled at that. "I seem to have that effect on most vampires. Esme and the others said exactly the same after Carlisle and Edward left."

I smiled and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. "Not many humans have such an ability, and those that did always join us in one form or another. It seems you were always destined to become a vampire."

"As aunt Sulpicia said, immortality suits me. I knew I wanted to become a vampire the moment I figured out the truth, if only so I could always be in Alice's life. From the moment I met her I felt this pull to her like I have never felt with anyone else." Bella said with a soft smile.

I nodded and smiled at her. "I felt that your bond has both grown a lot stronger and has settled itself too. Did you two find something out about your bond that I need to know?"

She nodded at me. "We did, or rather Alice did. We both felt that the bond we shared started getting stronger by the day, almost to the point of no return, and she did some more research on our bond, where she learned that until we marked each other the things we felt for each other would only grow stronger, likely to that one point where we would actually fail to resist the urge to go all the way. We marked each other a few days ago and since then we've found a wonderful equilibrium."

"I never realized that the bond you two share was so strong, but I am glad you two found a way to settle the bond. Things might've gotten a bit difficult to explain if you two actually went that far." I said softly.

"I could never do that to neither Jane or Jasper, and neither would Alice. We are and will always be closer than most people, in a variety of ways since our bond involves a lot of intimacy that might make people think we are mated, which is something we shall talk about together with Jane and Jasper present. For now we are very content with the way things have developed." Bella said with a soft smile.

I smiled at her. "I can imagine that sweetie, despite my gift a lot of things about a variety of bonds are still a mystery to me. Had I known I would've of course informed you both."

She smiled at me as she pulled into a parking lot. "I know Mom, it's okay. If there is anything I learned in my time working on the Chronicles with aunt Dora, there are a lot of things that are still unknown, bonds and gifts are only two of those things."

I smiled at that as we got out and made our way over to a nearby bench so we could enjoy the sunset together, which I had to admit she had picked out the most amazing spot for this.

"I don't think I've ever appreciated fully how beautiful a sunset is. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be able to do this Mom."

I smiled and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "I saw very early on that you needed a mother in your life and that you had little to no opportunity to be a child when you were young, and I wanted, and still want to move heaven and earth to ensure you are always happy in life."

Bella smiled and cuddled into me. "I am, more then I ever thought I deserved to be. I have a family that loves me, my mate who I couldn't be without at this point and a sister who I can literally share anything with."

I only smiled at her as I pressed a kiss to the top of her head, happy that she found so much joy in her new life.