Chapter Text
She can’t recall what had happened after Edward left. Only that She felt as if a black hole had opened inside her chest.
She was so sure, so sure She would just close her eyes and not open them again before She felt herself being lifted and carried.
They all just left?
Just like that…
She thought She was family. She felt a sob creep up her throat choking her with it’s weight and sorrow as it keened out finally as a half groan strangled by a sob.
“Bella?” The voice didn’t sound familiar, black hair cropped and short swam into her vision. “Hang on Bella.”
She could hear voices, boots thumping around her, rushing arms and hands, “Isabella?!”
“Papa?”
Charlie’s face held a sudden ache, She hadn’t called him that since she was a child, barely up to his upper thigh. “Bells.” His voice echoed a reply of sorrow back as her arms mindlessly reached for him as her face burned with tears and her throat clogged.
“Papa.”
“Shhh Bells She gotcha, come on, it’s gonna be okay.” Curled up She could practically feel Charlie vibrate with rage. “You’re gonna be okay.”
“Okay Papa….Papa?”
“Yeah Bells?”
“Can you teach her to hunt?” It was barely a whisper. But it earned a bark of laughter.
“Sure kiddo,” a press of a kiss to her head. “I gotcha honey.”
It would not be as easy as he had said. But he tried, She was still a blown out egg, but She had attempted to collect herself as best She could. Jasper kept in touch— that surprised her, having a long drawn out email reach her at midnight the day after She was gone.
Dear little sister,
I am so sorry that things happened the way they did Bells. Please, please know I was merely attempting to protect you—
She knew this, Jasper was in perfect control despite what he stated, Edward however had been unhinged when that blasted paper cut happened. Fuck her life and her clumsiness.
Alice misses you terribly, as does Emmet and even Rosalie if you can believe that—
She couldn’t but Rosalie also had been touch and go depending on the situation. She always wondered why she was so adamant about her not being in the family. Surely she would have her own reasons.
Alice has said to be careful. I will be keeping in touch if she has any visions but must be careful given Edward’s talent.
Fucking fucker and his fucking nosey ass fucking brain.
But know we do still want you to be family….Remember….there are other ways to get to a destination.
Love, Your Big Brother Jasper.
She exhaled, closing her eyes and whispering, “love ya too Jazzy.”
She exhaled and glanced at the rifle She had been cleaning on her dresser. Charlie was teaching her to hunt, as was the rest of the Quilt clan. Charlie seemed ecstatic in fact that She was wanting to become proficient with guns, and had already told her we’d be at the gun range bright and early. She also had a therapy session— oh joy.
But Charlie said it needed to happen or no guns.
Fuck.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Six Months Later
Here she was— again… but let her tell you she had been in a lot worse of a situation. But Bella thought she was finally ready to talk about them.
“So tell me Isabella.”
“Bella.”
“Right,” her therapist sits back and smiles at her. “She want you to know this is a safe place for you— no one will know what we speak of. You can talk about the Cullens to her.”
She exhaled and begin, leaving out information about vampires of course because um hello She don’t want to end up in a psyche ward.
“Well, if you were taken in so quickly and left over an argument of all things…” the woman shook her head, “it appears as if this Edward is a tad bit narcissistic.”
“Huh?”
“The birth control, your period bothering him, trying to control where you go, how you interact with his family despite that he supposedly trusts them.” The therapist— whatever her name was idly flicked a finger along the chair she sat in.
“He said it was—“
“To protect you, but did he ever stop to think that you never asked him for that Bella?”
She blinked. And for a moment she blanked out.
“N-no…” She flinched. “No I never asked…”
“Let’s say that he truly felt that it was a dangerous situation, he should have stayed clear of you but for selfish reasons implemented himself in your life and then abandoned you when it got tough. Rather than communicating and hashing out the problem.”
She could feel tears fall down past her eyes. “But— he said he loved me.”
“He very well may still. But Bella, love is not meant to captivate people and keep them from living. You are meant to mess up!” The woman shrugged, “it’s human.”
She nodded, “right, it’s human…”a watery laugh escaped her as she wiped at her eyes.
“So tell me, Edward mentioned he had family?”
She sighed, “yes ah, there was a really cool portrait with his family is all, they seemed— um— refined?” A flash in her mind, of the dark haired vampire dressed in gold brocaded vest and white necktie, high collared and staring down at the masses as one would expect of a benevolent albeit annoyed God.
Hands resting upon the railing of the banister looking soft…
So, so soft…she felt herself relax. Slender but strong hands, much larger than her own despite all his refinement.
She chuckled a bit but felt her mind wander, a sense of calm washing over her remembering that painting, if she was someone who was considered family— would they have left her?
I wonder if his hands are as soft as they look… unlike the cold unyielding marble that Edward’s grip had been.
Whoa what are you thinking?! She breathed in hard and coughed, “ah, haha just um they seemed interesting.” But she felt something something brush her mind in curiosity and— was that insult?
What the fuck just happened?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Thousands of miles away in Volterra Aro felt as if his ears were on fire and ringing.
“Does anyone else hear that?” He asked.
Marcus merely glanced at him, probably thinking his brother had finally flown over the cucus nest.
Caius merely shrugged slightly, glaring at the latest trial participants, an imbecile who had been caught trying to hunt children in public.
Thank the gods for Jane and Alec being nearby.
Aro frowned, he was not one to dismiss these kinds of signs, he didn’t live for six thousand five hundred and forty three years, two hundred and twenty two days, five hours, six minuets and ten seconds— eleven seconds— for nothing.
Not that he really remembered life prior to his changing, or at least he told everyone so— in fact he remembered the fruits of his homeland very much. He was glad the scientific ventures they had made into vampiric biology let them know that they could in fact eat food however it had to be when withholding venom.
Sure beat sitting around with a full plate. Now they could even play human. A manic little giggle escaped his lips and he stifled it. Now was not the time. Sighing he exhaled abruptly an unneeded breath and stiffened. I wonder if his hands are soft as they look. Aro jolted up in his throne and glared into the empty space towards nothing in particular. Who dared invade his space?! He gulped back a growl of rage but stopped, it was a woman. No…A mere girl?! She was there one moment and seemed just as startled but then she was gone.
“Aro?” Marcus asked.
“Shh!” He hissed. He could sense images, a portrait— one he had himself here at Volterra.
That was impossible that painting had never been around anyone else but—
Carlisle what on earth have you been up to? “Brothers…I do believe I need to pay the Cullens a little visit.”