New Love, New Life
by Momma2fan
Chapter 4
Once Victoria was dead, Bella was able to relax. She spent her evenings with her father, soaking up all of his attention before she left him. They went to dinner on Thursday evenings and spent Saturday mornings together doing something fun. Charlie was thrilled his daughter had snapped out of whatever funk had kept her from him for over five months.
Bella threw herself into her studies and was in a good place to graduate with honors, despite having checked out earlier in the year. One thing she did avoid was rekindling any of her friendships. She kept to herself, even though Angela tried. Bella wasn’t rude and she didn’t brush them off, but she knew she was leaving and would never see any of them again, so it was easier to cut ties.
She was laying across her bed in her room one afternoon, surrounded by books and studying for her finals, when she felt a cold breeze. Slowly looking up, she met the red gaze of her bodyguard.
“Felix?” Sitting up she stared at him.
“There are some people here to see you, little one.”
“Who?”
“Rosalie Hale and Emmett Cullen.”
Bella stood to her feet and walked to her window, looking down to see the pair of them waiting by the tree. “What are they doing here? Shouldn’t they be in Volterra by now?”
“Yes, they should be. I am unsure as to the reason behind their current visit.” Felix looked at his charge, he had grown fond of the human in his time here and was overjoyed she was the mate of his friend.
“What should I do?” She looked at the giant man who had been her constant companion the last few months
“I cannot tell you that, little one.”
Looking at the floor, Bella made a quick decision. “I need to speak with them. If for no other reason than to get them to comply with Aro’s summons.”
The large vampire jumped out of the window and disappeared from her view. Felix announced they were coming up. Soon she was staring at two members of her former family. She wanted to be angry they were there, but upon seeing Emmett’s face her anger melted away. She was soon caught up in one of his bear hugs as she cried into his shoulder.
“I’m so sorry, Bella-boo. I never wanted to leave.” Emmett’s eyes glistened with venom tears he could never shed.
“He’s right, Bella. Emmett fought all of us. In the end, I forced him to leave. I would apologize, but I’m not sorry we left. I’m only sorry for what is happening now.”
Bella pushed away from Emmett. Felix watched as her spine straightened and a fire he had never seen before blazed in her eyes.
“Wow, you’re a self righteous bitch. I didn’t ask to be brought into your world, I didn’t ask to be lied to and I sure as hell didn’t ask to be nearly destroyed when I was abandoned without warning.” Bella glared at the blonde before her. “I lived in hell after your brother damn near broke me. The trouble you’re in now is not my doing. Edward,” she spat, “is the one who made my knowledge known to the kings. He is the one who wanted to be destroyed after YOU told him I was dead. Obviously, Alice’s vision was wrong. Don’t you dare blame me for what you're about to face.”
“She’s right, Miss Hale.” Felix backed Bella up.
Looking away from her, Bella connected eyes with Felix. He nodded at her in support, something she needed to know she had. Looking back at Emmett, she smiled softly.
“I love you, Em-bear, you’ll always be my brother. If I could save you, I would, but I don’t think I can. And I don’t think you could survive without your mate.”
“I understand, Bellsy.” Emmett smiled sadly. He would do anything to take back what happened, but he knew it was impossible. “I’ll see you in Volterra.”
Before she could blink, Emmett and Rosalie were gone. She sank into the chair in front of her desk. Felix stared at her, at a loss for how to help her. What she said next surprised the hell out of him.
“I think it’s time I started packing up my life. I only have five more weeks until I leave this all behind me.” Looking at the red eyes of her guard, she smiled, “I’m ready to get away from here.”
“Whatever you want, little one. I will ship all you want to the Citadel with Demetri’s name attached.”
Bella looked around. “Most likely it’ll be my books and my clothes. I’ll take a couple pictures of my parents, but I’ll be leaving most of it here. No sense taking it with me when I may not remember anything after my change.”
“That is true, but you may be different, little one. I think you’re going to surprise us all.”
“Who was your sire, Felix?”
“Master Caius.”
Bella nodded and turned to look at her bed. She sighed and rose, laying back across the mattress and picking up her history book.
“I’ll be around if you need me, Piccola.” He patted her on her head and jumped out her window.
Bella smiled and returned to her studying. She couldn’t wait until she was done.
***DB***
Demetri entered the catacombs and walked to the guard at the desk. “How are they today, Carlos?”
“The female is quiet, the other one...” the guard trailed off while rolling his eyes.
Demetri chuckled, “Let’s see if we can’t shut him up.”
“Let me out of here!” Edward yelled. “I’ve done nothing wrong.”
“Shut up, Edward. You’re just making it worse,” Alice muttered.
“Ah, young Cullen,” Demetri walked toward the cage which housed the vampire. “So you think you’ve done nothing wrong?”
Edward growled, “I’ve done nothing to warrant this treatment.”
“You’ve broken the law by telling a human of our existence. Not only did you not kill or change this human, you exposed her to danger and then left her to fend for herself. Your punishment, and that of your coven, will fall to her.”
“Bella will never allow you to destroy me...us. She loves me.”
Demetri would have scoffed, but he wouldn’t give the mind-reader the satisfaction of knowing what was in his head. “I guess we’ll see about that.”
The Elite guard turned and walked away from the growling fool with a smirk no one but Carlos saw.
Demetri continued to make his way up from the catacombs and headed straight for the training room. He needed to check on the progress of the newest recruits. Without Felix, it was slow going.
“How are things progressing, Santiago?”
“Slowly, sir. Someone needs to kick their asses into shape.”
“Stop!” At Demetri’s shout, all movement and sound ceased. “I’m not seeing the results I should be after two months in our guard training program. So, how do you think we should solve this lack of focus?” Demetri paced before the rows of vampires. “No one?” When still no one spoke up, Demetri looked at Jane and Alec. “You are to divide them into two teams. This isn’t just a fight to see who joins the guard, this is a fight to see who lives. We have twenty new members, the ten best will make it onto my guard. The losing ten, if they haven’t already been destroyed, will be burned.”
“Yes, Demetri.”
Satisfied that his orders would be carried out, he retired to his room to call his mate. He couldn’t wait until she was finally in front of him, for eternity.
Once Victoria was dead, Bella was able to relax. She spent her evenings with her father, soaking up all of his attention before she left him. They went to dinner on Thursday evenings and spent Saturday mornings together doing something fun. Charlie was thrilled his daughter had snapped out of whatever funk had kept her from him for over five months.
Bella threw herself into her studies and was in a good place to graduate with honors, despite having checked out earlier in the year. One thing she did avoid was rekindling any of her friendships. She kept to herself, even though Angela tried. Bella wasn’t rude and she didn’t brush them off, but she knew she was leaving and would never see any of them again, so it was easier to cut ties.
She was laying across her bed in her room one afternoon, surrounded by books and studying for her finals, when she felt a cold breeze. Slowly looking up, she met the red gaze of her bodyguard.
“Felix?” Sitting up she stared at him.
“There are some people here to see you, little one.”
“Who?”
“Rosalie Hale and Emmett Cullen.”
Bella stood to her feet and walked to her window, looking down to see the pair of them waiting by the tree. “What are they doing here? Shouldn’t they be in Volterra by now?”
“Yes, they should be. I am unsure as to the reason behind their current visit.” Felix looked at his charge, he had grown fond of the human in his time here and was overjoyed she was the mate of his friend.
“What should I do?” She looked at the giant man who had been her constant companion the last few months
“I cannot tell you that, little one.”
Looking at the floor, Bella made a quick decision. “I need to speak with them. If for no other reason than to get them to comply with Aro’s summons.”
The large vampire jumped out of the window and disappeared from her view. Felix announced they were coming up. Soon she was staring at two members of her former family. She wanted to be angry they were there, but upon seeing Emmett’s face her anger melted away. She was soon caught up in one of his bear hugs as she cried into his shoulder.
“I’m so sorry, Bella-boo. I never wanted to leave.” Emmett’s eyes glistened with venom tears he could never shed.
“He’s right, Bella. Emmett fought all of us. In the end, I forced him to leave. I would apologize, but I’m not sorry we left. I’m only sorry for what is happening now.”
Bella pushed away from Emmett. Felix watched as her spine straightened and a fire he had never seen before blazed in her eyes.
“Wow, you’re a self righteous bitch. I didn’t ask to be brought into your world, I didn’t ask to be lied to and I sure as hell didn’t ask to be nearly destroyed when I was abandoned without warning.” Bella glared at the blonde before her. “I lived in hell after your brother damn near broke me. The trouble you’re in now is not my doing. Edward,” she spat, “is the one who made my knowledge known to the kings. He is the one who wanted to be destroyed after YOU told him I was dead. Obviously, Alice’s vision was wrong. Don’t you dare blame me for what you're about to face.”
“She’s right, Miss Hale.” Felix backed Bella up.
Looking away from her, Bella connected eyes with Felix. He nodded at her in support, something she needed to know she had. Looking back at Emmett, she smiled softly.
“I love you, Em-bear, you’ll always be my brother. If I could save you, I would, but I don’t think I can. And I don’t think you could survive without your mate.”
“I understand, Bellsy.” Emmett smiled sadly. He would do anything to take back what happened, but he knew it was impossible. “I’ll see you in Volterra.”
Before she could blink, Emmett and Rosalie were gone. She sank into the chair in front of her desk. Felix stared at her, at a loss for how to help her. What she said next surprised the hell out of him.
“I think it’s time I started packing up my life. I only have five more weeks until I leave this all behind me.” Looking at the red eyes of her guard, she smiled, “I’m ready to get away from here.”
“Whatever you want, little one. I will ship all you want to the Citadel with Demetri’s name attached.”
Bella looked around. “Most likely it’ll be my books and my clothes. I’ll take a couple pictures of my parents, but I’ll be leaving most of it here. No sense taking it with me when I may not remember anything after my change.”
“That is true, but you may be different, little one. I think you’re going to surprise us all.”
“Who was your sire, Felix?”
“Master Caius.”
Bella nodded and turned to look at her bed. She sighed and rose, laying back across the mattress and picking up her history book.
“I’ll be around if you need me, Piccola.” He patted her on her head and jumped out her window.
Bella smiled and returned to her studying. She couldn’t wait until she was done.
***DB***
Demetri entered the catacombs and walked to the guard at the desk. “How are they today, Carlos?”
“The female is quiet, the other one...” the guard trailed off while rolling his eyes.
Demetri chuckled, “Let’s see if we can’t shut him up.”
“Let me out of here!” Edward yelled. “I’ve done nothing wrong.”
“Shut up, Edward. You’re just making it worse,” Alice muttered.
“Ah, young Cullen,” Demetri walked toward the cage which housed the vampire. “So you think you’ve done nothing wrong?”
Edward growled, “I’ve done nothing to warrant this treatment.”
“You’ve broken the law by telling a human of our existence. Not only did you not kill or change this human, you exposed her to danger and then left her to fend for herself. Your punishment, and that of your coven, will fall to her.”
“Bella will never allow you to destroy me...us. She loves me.”
Demetri would have scoffed, but he wouldn’t give the mind-reader the satisfaction of knowing what was in his head. “I guess we’ll see about that.”
The Elite guard turned and walked away from the growling fool with a smirk no one but Carlos saw.
Demetri continued to make his way up from the catacombs and headed straight for the training room. He needed to check on the progress of the newest recruits. Without Felix, it was slow going.
“How are things progressing, Santiago?”
“Slowly, sir. Someone needs to kick their asses into shape.”
“Stop!” At Demetri’s shout, all movement and sound ceased. “I’m not seeing the results I should be after two months in our guard training program. So, how do you think we should solve this lack of focus?” Demetri paced before the rows of vampires. “No one?” When still no one spoke up, Demetri looked at Jane and Alec. “You are to divide them into two teams. This isn’t just a fight to see who joins the guard, this is a fight to see who lives. We have twenty new members, the ten best will make it onto my guard. The losing ten, if they haven’t already been destroyed, will be burned.”
“Yes, Demetri.”
Satisfied that his orders would be carried out, he retired to his room to call his mate. He couldn’t wait until she was finally in front of him, for eternity.