~ Chapter 51 ~

When they arrived back at the clearing, Eliza and Bree broke the tree line a slight fraction ahead of Alice and Isabella who had followed them, hand in hand. Then without a word shared, they paused and waited for Isabella, silently sliding in behind them after they passed.

Isabella noticed the action but didn't react, although she did wonder idly if the new sisters did it naturally or were communicating with one another. Though it just occurred to her that if she and Alice could communicate privately over their link, then there was no reason Eliza and Bree couldn't either. Not that it mattered, since them waiting for her was a sign of respect. Isabella almost glanced back, but stopped herself and instead revelled in the pride she felt for them.

Eliza and her fierce intelligence and wit, and her stubborn and unwavering ability to remain optimistic even in the darkest moments of their lives. Eliza was every inch Bella's daughter, but in so many ways she was so much more than a daughter. She was the anchor that held Isabella to the world for most of their lives.

But that family had grown recently, in ways Isabella could never have predicted. Even in the deepest recesses of her mind she never considered the concept of adding someone to their little family, and certainly never someone like Bree. A child in so many ways, but also someone who had far more capacity to love than Isabella. In a lot of ways, Isabella felt inadequate to the task of being her mother, but she refused to be anything but the best possible parent she could be for her adopted daughter. She often wondered how it was possible for those two different people to co-exist inside of Bree; the girl who had somehow retained her innocence, and the girl whose innocence had been ripped from her so young. It showed a kind of strength Isabella felt she lacked.

Isabella shook her head, there was no point in second guessing her own mind, and how she had learned to cope. She knew, that although the beast inside had been somewhat tamed, it was always going to be vicious at its core. No revelation about Victoria could change that truth. The unalterable fact that Victoria had created a monster all those years ago, and nothing was going to kill the creature curled up inside Isabella's soul.

Of course all this inner kabitzing came back to the sudden and unexpected arrival of Charlie. His very existence made her question everything. But what did his presence really mean anyway? One thing was for sure, if her father from another life couldn't accept her for the person she had become, there was no way she could let him back into her life. At the same time, this was also an opportunity to reclaim a part of herself that had been lost for a long time.

None of that inner conflict was lost on Alice, who had kept a close eye on Isabella. In all honesty she hadn't been able to take her eyes off of Isabella voluntarily since that first real kiss. She didn't even care that her open concern could be felt by her lover through their new tether. What did bother her was how conflicted Isabella was over her father's return. It was a level of emotional chaos that threatened to knock that delicate balance out of whack. Alice wasn't kidding herself by thinking that Bella was suddenly "alright" in any sense of the word. It was possible that Isabella might never fully recover control of her own emotional stability.

Alice also knew her own presence offset that imbalance. She could feel how Bella seemed calmer merely by her proximity and by her touch, though she knew she wasn't a cure all, she merely leveled the scales. Alice reflected selfishly, it was almost blissful to know how much she was not just loved, but needed by arguably one of the most powerful vampires in the world. Whatever played out in the next couple of hours, Alice knew without doubt or hesitation that she was going to be a part of Isabella now and forever.

Yet there was an issue with that level of attachment that Alice was very aware of. A big part of her century long isolation and depression stemmed from a singular need to claim someone that was never hers to begin with. Now that Isabella was hers, was it right to be so selfish with her?

Isabella's emotional control was far better than it had been when she'd first came back into Alice's life. But Alice could tell that at times it was still very one-sided, all strength and no vulnerability. That kind of personality tended to move through the world and affect those around them, without allowing the rest of the world affect them in return. That inability to absorb the things they needed to grow and change was more than debilitating, it was stagnating. Alice knew the starkest example of this was in her relationship with Eliza; Isabella had spent a century refusing to be vulnerable, to the point where it took her seventy-five years to tell Eliza that she loved her.

Alice knew that Charlie's sudden appearance might help boost the healing process that had already begun, or it could set Isabella back to where she was before she returned to Forks. Back before Bree, back when she was still a Volturi enforcer. Yet that was only one possibility, there were so many that could come from this new situation. But one thing was for sure, no matter how things played out, Alice was determined to do everything in her power to turn the resolution into a positive. Even though she had no real idea how to go about it.

There was one way at least. It had occurred to Alice while they were up on the mountain, that while her ability to calm Isabella was a wonderful thing, she was using it entirely too much. She was acting like a crutch for her lover. She was sliding into a situation where she was giving into her own need to be close to Isabella. She was becoming all about Isabella, instead of coming out of her own self-inflicted prison she had been in since she left Forks a century before. But she knew there was no way she could push herself away from her love so soon after she found her again.

Alice was so lost in her inner conflict, that when they all stopped as Rosalie approached the four of them, she almost jumped.

Rosalie's face was tense, and the serious look in her eye made them all a bit worried. "He's waiting for you. But first I wanted to say something so that there is no confusion."

Isabella nodded once, before tilting her head curiously and returned Rosalie's serious expression. Rose cleared her throat slightly, and began. "This is important enough that it shouldn't go without saying. We had no idea that he was alive. I'm still overwhelmed with the truth of how much went to shit because we left. That once again we're directly responsible for a horror in your life. I know we've apologized before, but that doesn't excuse our actions."

She hesitated and glanced down at the ground, "I hope you can believe if we had been there, we would've done everything in our power to stop it. Still, It was a foolish oversight, and on behalf of my siblings, I want to apologize for ever leaving your side. You were… are... our sister, and we… I love you as much as the rest of my family."

Isabella looked at Rose with a touch of shock on her face, then her features softened and she shook her head at Rosalie with a slight smile, "Enough apologies. I never thought I would hear those words from a Cullen, least of all from you. I don't know how I feel, but I get it now. I know it was mostly Edward…"

Isabella shook her head slightly. "As far as Charlie is concerned… we'll just have to see what happens." She looked towards the house and noticed her long lost father standing near the edge of the fire pit starring in her direction.

Isabella straightened herself by squaring off her shoulders and bracing herself for what was likely to be a tense few hours. Then she took an unneeded breath, and nodded slightly as an indication that she was ready.

Then with Rosalie and Alice at her side, and Eliza and Bree right behind her, she lead the way back toward the house, determined to face this head on.

A large bonfire had already been built during their absence, and the setting sun had started to throw deep purple and orange light through the trees towards the gathered vampires, making their skin glow slightly in a kaleidoscope of shifting colors. Isabella took a deep breath as she met her father's gaze. Charlie noticeably swallowed and straightened his shoulders too. A moment later Angela fell in next to him and took the time to look at each of the vampires gathered by Isabella as if she were examining them under a microscope.

Then they started towards Isabella, with the rest of the coven as well as Kate and Garrett quickly filling in behind them. The two groups met about halfway, and Charlie tentatively stopped a few paces away from Isabella. Everyone else except Angela moved past him and gathered behind Isabella for support.

Isabella couldn't stop the smile from curling at her her lips, they were her coven now and the not-so-subtle sign of support made her feel powerful in a way she had never felt before. This wasn't the Volturi and their faceless guard. This was loyalty, friendship, and family. This trumped any bond, real or artificial the Volturi could ever hope to have, and that knowledge gave her a new kind of confidence.

Then there was Rosalie, who stood next to her without hesitation. She was taking her new role with the seriousness it required. It made Isabella feel good about her choice, that it was going to be a partnership and alliance, not a disaster.

"Bella. I... I don't know what to say." Charlie started to fidget, he hadn't been so at a loss for words since he was human. Also, he was more than a little distracted by the large group of vampires now facing him. That many gathered together was an uncommon enough sight, that it was a touch unnerving on top of the already stressful situation.

After a long moment Rosalie cleared her throat, "I think we've made our point. Okay guys, while I'm sure she appreciates the support, let's give them some space. Charlie doesn't need an inquisition here, I promise if we need help we'll call out."

After a significant glance from Rosalie, Emmett spoke up. "C'mon, we can get some more work done on the house." Everyone followed suit a moment later, even Kate and Garrett who fell in behind the rest of the coven as they made their way back to the house so that they could make use of the last of the day's light.

Esme lingered for a moment, and started to take a step to follow the group, but Rosalie stopped her with a subtly outstretched hand. Rosalie knew she was a neophyte at leading, but Esme was the emotional heart of the group, and Rosalie valued her advice.

Bella raised her eyebrow at Rosalie, "You didn't have to send them away. I don't really want to hide anything."

Rosalie rolled her eyes, and deliberately dropped her voice to a very very soft whisper, one that that would have been inaudible to human ears, and was just barely high enough for everyone in the immediate vicinity to hear with vampire senses. "They'll all be tuning their ears in to every word. Watch. I'll prove it."

She raised her voice back to the normal soft conversational tone they had been using before. "I know if they don't use this opportunity to finish the south wall, Emmett isn't getting any for a week."

A moment later there was loud clatter, followed by a soft curse and Emmett immediately started grumbling about accidentally dropping a length of drywall.

"Um, Jasper lets focus on the south facing interior wall for now. Help me hang this…" Emmett said a few seconds later. Even from that distance everyone could hear Jasper chuckling loudly at Emmett's obviousness. The entire coven seemed to take amusement at Emmett's expense, especially Eliza and Bree who both started to giggle helplessly. Even Rosalie couldn't help it and let out a small laugh of her own.

After a moment Isabella coughed a little bit, drawing everyone's attention back to Charlie who was standing in front of them, with a slightly perplexed expression. He didn't seem to get the joke, and was frowning ever so slightly, but Angela was having trouble suppressing a smile.

Bella gazed into her father's eyes, searching his face before she spoke up quietly. "I go by Isabella now." That short sentiment broke the mood entirely, and refocused the group on the drama at hand.

Charlie nodded slowly. "I'm still Charlie, though I've used other names. I understand you're still using Swan?" He fidgeted slightly, trying to stifle the impulse to reach out and touch her, just to make sure she was real.

Bella looked a bit surprised, but nodded once. "That's recent." Isabella paused for a moment, and folded her hands into her pockets. "You have to understand, I'm not her… I'm not Bella… not anymore."

"What?" Charlie said in a gasp of utter confusion. Angela placed a calming hand on his shoulder, in an attempt to sooth his emotions as best she could. He had been on a downward spiral emotionally speaking all day, and it didn't look like it was going to end anytime soon.

"I mean, I am Isabella Swan. I was born your daughter." Isabella felt her new confidence begin to falter slightly. Her lover anticipated her need though, and gently placed her hand at the small of Isabella's back. Alice's presence was more than enough to calm her emotional spike, and it gave her just the right amount of stability she needed to continue.

"But Bella… She's gone. I have, I've done so much. There's no way to describe my life, and the monster I've let myself become. You have no idea, you'll be so disappoint -"

Her voice was cut off as Charlie suddenly moved forward and had his arms wrapped around her, pulling her into a big fierce hug.

Isabella stiffened immediately, the only people that had ever tried to wrap their arms around her like that were in their bond or had managed to tackle or grapple her in combat. Her ingrained responses were to either throw him off as fast and hard as possible, or to literally rip the offending limbs from his body. Only the shock of the unexpected delayed her response of tossing him as far as physically possible, and that shock only lasted a moment.

However, before her ingrained responses kicked in, Alice was there. Though her presence was physical by pressing her hand more firmly into her lovers back, mostly it was in Isabella's mind. With waves of soothing, calming, and reassuring love crashing into her, and forcing her to remember that she was safe, and Charlie wasn't a danger to her. It was only Alice's mind that saved Charlie from a rather severe, if only temporary, injury.

Charlie was almost completely unaware of the near miss he had just been party too. He felt Isabella stiffen in his embrace, and it was true that it hadn't exactly normal for them to show affection for one another, even when they were living with each other. Which was a fact that Charlie had always regretted, it was one of a great many things about his relationship with his daughter that he regretted.

He tried to frame his words a couple of times, before he let it out. His voice was full of emotion, and even for a man who had never been considered cuddly or touchy feely, he was finally able say what he felt without a filter.

"I don't care! I don't care what you've done. I could never hate you Bells. No matter what. I have always, and will always love you. Without condition." Although his body was stiff, there was a tone to Charlie's voice that was utterly sincere. It cut through any incredulity Isabella felt, and reached to that place deep inside that was still Bella Swan, who longed to have her father hold her again.

There was a brief pause as Isabella took in her father's words. Then suddenly, like a dam breaking, she melted into the hug and immediately started to cry. Though unlike the hysterical sobs that had turned into hysterical laughter from a short time earlier, this was weeping, and intensely cleansing for what had been lost.

Though he didn't let go, Isabella could feel her own father trembling, which was a somewhat jarring sensation. He was never one for expressing emotions and had always prided himself on his masculinity, and character as a solid and dependable person. Further even, vampires didn't tremble except under extreme emotional stress. Most times they could be solid and unmoving as statues. So it took a moment before she heard his reassuring litany of; "God, I missed you. I searched for so long. I thought you were dead." Repeated again and again.

It was just enough of a disconnect that it allowed Isabella to slowly drag herself back to her senses. Then she slowly pulled back from the embrace and took several long seconds and a deep breath as she examined him once more. "You got rid of the moustache."

Charlie blinked a few times, and then laughed softly. It quickly turned into a full belly laugh that lasted for several seconds. "I was told in no uncertain terms that it made me look older. Honestly they ganged up on me and forced me to shave it."

Angela's voice was dry as she interjected, "It didn't just made you look older, it made you look like a creepy redneck trucker vampire who mesmerized stupid blonde bimbos with the pick-up line, 'free moustache rides'."

Charlie glared at Angela, and gave her a bit of a scowl. "Hey, nobody but you and Zoey ever seemed bothered by it."

"No." Angela corrected, just a trace of humor in her voice. "Nobody else mentioned it bothered them to your face. There is a distinct difference."

The banter caught everyone's attention, even Isabella, who immediately looked at Angela and began to size her up. Her position next to Charlie was familiar, almost protective of him. Her expression was unreadable, but something in her eyes gave the impression that she cared deeply for him. It was a question that Isabella wanted to ask, but it wasn't the right moment. So she pushed it aside and tried to focus back on the more important stuff at hand.

After a moment's hesitation, Isabella glanced back at the vampires there to support her with a slightly abashed expression. Then she breathed in a little bit of the chill evening air that was blowing directly at her. Being downwind also allowed her senses to fill with the scent of these two new vampires.

She turned back towards her father, and allowed a trace of the nervousness she felt about what was about to come next to show on her face, "Charlie… Dad." She hesitated over the unfamiliar word. Even when she had been alive she'd regularly called him Charlie rather than Dad. But the fact that he was back in her life made her want to reaffirm the connection.

She shook her head a little bit and took another breath. "I'd like to introduce you to my… eldest daughter; Elizabeth Renee Swan." She reached back and drew Eliza forward, and then gave her a little nudge forward.

Eliza fidgeted slightly, then smiled. "I… don't know what to say."

"That's a first." Bree whispered under her breath, so that only Rosalie could hear. Rosalie kept her composure for the most part, but allowed a small smile to curl at her lips.

"I go by Eliza. It's nice to meet you… Grandpa." Eliza immediately scrunched up her nose in obvious displeasure, like she just got a whiff of something foul. "Nope, don't like that at all."

Charlie cocked his head and furrowed his brow a bit. On closer inspection the differences between Eliza and Isabella were noticeable, but definitely subtle. Besides the way they styled their hair, they could easily be mistaken for sisters, twins even, rather than mother and daughter. From their similar body shape, to the practically identical posture and poise, even small mannerisms all but defined them as family, close family. Yes, their facial structure was minutely different. But the only major difference was in the color of her eyes; Eliza's being a vivid amethyst and Isabella's a bright ruby red, colors almost unheard of in the vampire world.

But not completely unheard of. Angela made the connection and couldn't stifle a gasp from escaping her lips. Charlie turned his head to look at her, for Angela that was the equivalent of a quick shriek of shock. Angela continued to stare at Eliza for several moments before she got herself back under control.

Angela met Eliza's eyes with a raised eyebrow, "Your reputation precedes you, there is only one vampire with eyes like yours. You are the Volturi Executioner." Angela didn't bother phrasing it as a question, there was no point.

Charlie whirled back around to stare at Eliza. He wasn't as in the know about all the larger scale politics that Angela was, but that had certainly jogged his memory. However his mind slowly started clicking toward a conclusion. His eyes widened in slow motion as the realization struck him. If Eliza was the Executioner, that meant only one thing, his daughter was the legendary Assassin. He had to repress a shiver, Angela was being kind, their reputation wasn't just impressive, it was drenched in red.

Eliza looked unashamed, "Those titles were never our choosing. Not even the Triumvirate called us that. We were a part of the coven, trusted to handle some of the more difficult missions for the Volturi."

"Were?" Angela said with an incredulous expression.

"Yes we're former Volturi." Eliza stated simply. The people whose opinion mattered knew about her history, if they were going to judge her for that then it was better to know now. She met Charlie's gaze almost challengingly.

Charlie clenched his jaw a few times, "We're not here to judge Angela. They are family."

"Of course, no offense intended." Angela quickly added, allowing a careful smile to spread to her eyes. Isabella could tell that it was genuine, but guarded. She'd seen similar smiles before, on people who genuinely wanted to survive a confrontation with her.

Charlie shifted his stance, and let the tension out of his shoulders. The good natured smile that followed was disarming, and it was aimed directly at Eliza. Then he offered his hand in invitation, "Grandpa is fine, although I've always preferred Charlie. Either way, it's unbelievably wonderful to meet you."

Eliza glanced down at the hand and then back up at the welcoming smile. The red eyes were there, but he seemed so different from Aro who often alternated between the giddiness of a child and the sleaziness of a used car salesman, desperate to make a sale. After a moment's hesitation she brushed past the hand and hugged Charlie firmly for several long moments. "Yeah, I'm still working on what to call you. It doesn't seem right to call you grandpa or gramps. So I'll need to come up with something new." Eliza said quietly, but still with her usual brightness.

Charlie was surprised by the hug only for a moment before awkwardly patting Eliza on the back. "Isabella never called me dad, I don't expect anything more from you. I mean, I don't mean…"

Eliza pulled back and made a face at her mother, "You never called him dad!?" Isabella shook her head, "Well, I can't apologize for mom who is a total dork, but give me a bit, I'll figure out something perfect. No suggestions, that takes the fun out of it!"

Isabella wasn't sure such familiarity so soon was a good idea, but she didn't want to stop Eliza from being herself. So instead she added, "Eliza has a bit of an obsession with nicknames, though not all of her names are always... appreciated."

Charlie was a little caught off guard by Eliza's apparent exuberance and giddiness, because her personality seemed so wildly different from the way Bella had been as a teenager. Not that any of that mattered, he was staring at a granddaughter. He was staring at someone he never in a million years of would ever have imagined having in his life. A person who instantly mattered. A person that was an instant priority. He may have lost a century, but in that moment he knew where his life was. If it had just been Bella that would've been enough, a grand-daughter, it was almost too much to contain.

Their past was just that, their past. Then he noticed Isabella with her hands on the shoulders of the youngest person there. Who was easily the same age as Zoey, at least when she was turned. Isabella nudged the girl forward, who seemed far more shy and nervous, and a lot more like the Bella he used to know, than anyone else there. This girl looked almost on the verge of hysteria, as if she were worried he might reject her.

"This is my youngest daughter, Bree Esme Swan." Isabella spoke, careful to make herself heard with a mother's pride and love. It was a voice that made Charlie, Esme, and even Rosalie sigh in quiet joy.

It took a moment for both Bree and Emse to absorb the middle name. When they did they both gasped in surprise and joyful shock. Esme clasped her hand to her chest, and held in the wave of contentment she hadn't thought she would ever feel again. Rosalie leaned into her a little, and supported her adoptive mother with such subtlety that Esme wasn't even sure that was her intention.

Bree's head whirled around so fast that her hair whipped through the breeze with nearly enough force to create a snap like the crack of a whip. When she met Isabella's gaze she found someone who wasn't just some stand in for a parent, but someone who would always be there for her… a mother. The name meant everything, more than she could ever express. More than she believed she deserved, deep down in the quiet parts of her heart.

Isabella smiled warmly at Bree, and then nodded her head at Alice, giving her clear credit for the idea. "We were going to surprise you later when the house was done. But this seems like as good a time as any. It's official, Alice has all the paperwork and everything."

Bree felt shaken, and at a total loss for words. It took most of her meager control to squeak out a pathetic, "H… how?" Then in a much smaller voice she followed up with an almost inaudible, "Why?"

Isabella's smile changed slightly to one that came from ironic mirth instead of maternal affection. Bree, for the most part, had dove into the concept of family wholeheartedly, and had stopped just short of deifying Isabella and Eliza. Her trust had become nearly absolute, but there were still times when Bree hadn't been able to fully control her internal monologue, letting her doubts, fears, and concerns to cross over the bond. Most of her internal questions revolved around her own place within the family.

Isabella smiled at Bree, "Alice and I were in the city today getting a new birth certificate for you, and all the other paperwork needed for your new life. That and all the official paperwork and permits for the house. When I had to come up with a name for Eliza, I chose her first name after one of my favorite characters in literature. For her middle name, I couldn't think of a greater tribute to my old life than to name her after my human mother, Renee. For symmetry, it was obvious who you should be named after."

Alice spoke up, with a slight roll of her eyes. "Well it wasn't that obvious, we actually debated for most of the car ride between Esme, Rose, and… um… Alice. Isabella won the argument of course. She's right too, Esme is the only mother I've ever really known."

Esme listened with a blank expression on her face. The emotions welling up were far too powerful to let loose, she knew it would destroy her for hours if she let it out. So instead she stood trembling, as Rosalie put an arm around her shoulders. She slowly made eye-contact with Bree who was staring at her with a child's confusion.

Esme had just been given a role in the girl's life, a grandmother. It was something Esme had tried not to think about, because it reminded her of what she'd lost. Being a grandparent was such a distinctly human concept, and with the death of her human child she put ideas of generational progeny to bed decades ago. To be given the gift of such a place in Isabella's life again made all of her choices feel that much more important.

Esme didn't know what other gesture would work in the situation, so she tentatively opened her arms for Bree. It only took the girl a few seconds before she rushed into the embrace. Excited and terrified to gain yet another family member. Esme held onto the girl, who a month ago she hadn't even known, and two weeks ago had been not just a total stranger but an aggressor and a threat, but who was now family, with unexpected passion. She could literally feel the relatively new love she had for Bree, grow ten-fold inside her heart in a few brief seconds.

Bree, turned to her sister with a wide grin, still not releasing the hug from Esme, and once more practically beaming.

Eliza winked at Bree with a grin. "At least they didn't try to mash their names together or something. You could have been saddled with Bellice…"

Bree made a face, "Or both of our middle names together. Reneesme." She shuddered theatrically at that. A shudder that was shared by her sister, something that caused both Rosalie and Esme to snort in amusement, and Isabella to roll her eyes and look upward wondering why she ended up with two daughters with the same sense of humor.

When Bree and Esme finally broke apart, Isabella once more nudged Bree forward toward Charlie, "As I said, this is my youngest, Bree Esme Swan."

Charlie had been watching the interaction closely, it was interesting to see the family interact and not be solely concerned with the new arrivals. He smiled "It's nice to meet you, Bree. As you've heard, I'm Charlie." He was watching the girl closely.

Unlike with Eliza, there was no massive family resemblance to Bella there. However while the physical appearance was different, he could see other similarities. She was so much like the shy young introverted Bella he knew as a child growing up, even before he and Renee divorced. He could also tell that from her shyness, that she was very young in vampire age, perhaps only turned relatively recently.

Bree looked up at him in earnest for a few seconds before shaking her head slightly. "Eliza's right. We have to come up with something to call you."

Charlie balked slightly at the blunt words, but he cleared his throat and smiled widely after a moment to let the new information sink in. "I don't really know what to say. It's so unbelievably amazing to meet you both. I never imagined… never dreamed…" He trailed off for a few moments a dazed expression crossing his face.

He shook his head slightly to bring himself back to the present, there would be time for consideration later. "I... actually have someone you'll want to meet too, but it'll be a little while until you can. Zoey is my daughter, she just got turned a few days ago so she's still kind of in transition."

"Is she yours, I mean biologically?" Bree asked, her voice full of brightness and hope. She was the only one there who hadn't put together Isabella's age and the length of time Charlie must have been a vampire.

Ignoring the oversight, Charlie responded helpfully, "No, she's adopted. In fact we found her after a nomadic coven came through town and had a feeding party. They slaughtered her family and…" Charlie trailed off after a moment lost in the memory of tearing those monsters apart. "That's something we can talk about later. It's a story more involved than is appropriate for right now." Charlie cut himself off, realizing it wasn't quite the right moment to reminisce.

Charlie opened his mouth to continue but Rosalie stepped forward interjecting, "With introductions mostly done I think perhaps we should all have a seat. Sunset is just about past, and your arrival has not gone unnoticed by our allies. Which means we are likely to have additional guests here any minute."

Isabella blinked a little bit in surprise and then a small smile broke over her face. She was pleased not only with the authority in Rosalie's voice, but in how she'd paid attention to their arrangements with their allies.

Everyone settled down around the fire pit that had become almost too familiar over the last few weeks. After several minutes of waiting, two groups seemed to melt from trees simultaneously. The first was a duo, Mei and Kira, who didn't fully approach the group but stayed a respectful and cautious distance from the new arrivals.

The other group was as different from the first as was possible. Jacob walked side by side with his daughter, who was only a few inches shorter than him. Behind them was Leah and Seth, who immediately split from Jacob and Michele, and headed for their respective mates.

Isabella watched Michele more closely than the others who she was far more familiar with. It had been quite the interesting introduction a few days earlier. It had taken Isabella all of half a second to see the physical resemblance between Jacob and his daughter, then it had taken another thirty for her to see the same stubbornness that Michele shared with her father.

Eliza and Michelle had barely made it through introductions before an argument kicked off. It was centered around the tee-shirt Eliza had on, and the video game it advertised. The disagreement stemmed from something that seemed to matter to both of them, but Isabella truly couldn't understand. At least they came to a quick understanding, with a promise to finish the argument with a player versus player match once the house was finished.

"Hey Bells, Paul said we had some vampires cross the patrol line. They headed right for the Cullens and then headed here. What's happening…" His voice trailed off as he found himself staring at Charlie's equally stunned face.

"Charlie? Oh no." Jacob asked in disbelief as a whole flood of emotions washed over his face. A century of new guilt slammed down on his shoulders, and he actually began to shake from the weight of it.

"Jacob." Charlie said in response, with a more measured tone in his voice. Suddenly things fell into place, and he wasn't sure if he was happy to see his old friends' son.

"I… I'm so sorr…" Jacob started to say, but Charlie just shook his head.

"Save it, I heard your confession already. You couldn't protect her. You're one of the shifters aren't you?" Charlie's voice was unreadable, and Jacob actually took a half step backwards. He had always looked up to the man staring at him, and he didn't have the first clue how to react to his bizarre knowledge either.

"How... what? I don't understand." Jacob almost stuttered out, then he caught himself and realized he had no reason to be defensive. Not only that, but one of the big mysteries of his life had just been answered. "It's not important. I'm just, I can't believe it."

"Me either, I never thought I'd see you again. But I think we're about to have story time, so we'll have time to catch up later." Charlie replied with a wry grin.

"You can count on that." Jacob said with an equally sardonic smile. He motioned for Michelle to sit down and took a deep breath to steady his new found nerves.

"At the risk of stating the obvious, I take it you know these intruders Assassin?" Mei asked quietly.

Bella sighed a little bit, she was tired of trying to get Mei to call her by her name. "I do. One is my father, and the other is an old friend from my days as a human. So I'm fairly certain they mean no harm."

Mei loosened her tension a bit, but kept her guard up as the rest of the coven hung up their hammers and moved into their usual positions around the bonfire pit. Kate and Garrett, unsure of where they fit, sat next to Emmett and Jasper for familiarity. Mei stood a bit away from the group, and Kira moved into close to the bonfire and sat close to Angela and Charlie, with her back against the blaze. The near constant flame had reduced down to embers, but with a few experienced moments from Seth and Bree the blaze returned to it's full height and power.

The crackles of wood riddled the silence with an oddly calming rhythm, a tune not born of instrument or melody, but nonetheless fitting of the bottled in anticipation of the gathered vampires and shifters. It took several long minutes before anyone tried to speak, until Rosalie cleared her throat in a wholly artificial but important attempt to break the tension, and draw attention to herself.

"If this were easy we'd being singing camp songs by now. Nothing about the next few hours will be pleasant, knowing only parts of half of the story. So let's be patient, and listen to our guests first. If you don't mind leading Mr. Swan?"

"I have something I need to know first, why did you leave?" Charlie looked between Rosalie and Isabella with a touch of anger in his eyes.

"That's a long story…" Rosalie started, but Emmett shook his head interjected abruptly.

"We were duped. Edward lied to us, and basically convinced us that Isabella wanted us to leave. Most of us didn't want to go, but there was a vote and we left. It was wrong, we were idiots and we'll probably spend the next couple of decades making amends." Emmett's sneered when he mentioned Edward, but couldn't help the grin from overtaking his face as he boiled down the complex situation to the easiest possible details.

"Okay, maybe not so long." Rosalie said with a quick glare towards her husband. Emmett only gave her a slightly abashed shrug in response as his grin faded into a small pout.

"That was short." Murmured Bree in agreement.

Charlie shook his head, "I'm guessing it would be pointless to bring up what Edward leaving did to Bella?"

"It doesn't matter much anymore. Edward's gone, and Isabella has forgiven us." Rosalie said with a small shrug.

"Gone?" Charlie echoed with a puzzled expression.

"Gone." Isabella answered flatly. Her hand curling around Alice's in a gesture unmistakable as intimate.

Angela noticed the gesture, and smiled widely as their family dynamic finally made sense. A moment later she interrupted. "Well, well, that certainly answers that old curiosity."

"You knew?" Alice looked up sharply at Angela with a mortified expression on her face.

"No, but the two of you fit together so much better than Bella ever did wi-." Angela cut herself off and looked somewhat abashed and apologetic. "Sorry, that's not my place to say."

Bella however was watching Charlie as the dime finally seemed to drop on exactly what he was seeing.

"Wait… what?" Charlie was staring at Isabella hand intertwined with Alice's and it finally seemed to click with him exactly what the contact meant. "You… you two are together? As in… together?"

Isabella nodded slightly, looking unrepentant and even defiant as she met Charlie's expression. "Yes. She's my mate."

There was a long silence, as everyone waited on Charlie's reaction. Because it was clear it was going to be explosive, given the building expression on his face.

"Oh thank god!" Charlie finally blurted out.

Isabella had swelled up preparing to smack down any argument or comment that Charlie was preparing to make. "Well I… wait… what?" Charlie's response had caught her completely off guard and she deflated slightly.

"What? I was worried that were going to tell me that the bastard who just pissed off and left you in the forest was your mate." Charlie said succinctly.

"That 'bastard' is dead." Rosalie said shortly.

"Couldn't have happened to a more deserving asshole." Charlie responded apathetically.

"Agreed." Angela said immediately.

"Okay then. I'll go first then. Actually, the story doesn't really start with me." Charlie said, while pointedly looking at Angela.

Angela nodded slightly, her face visibly relaxing, as if a giant weight had just lifted from her shoulders as the last vestiges of control she'd needed to implant in Zoey's mind was finally complete. It was only a matter of time before she woke up naturally, but that was still likely to be a few more hours. The change was welcome, because she hated being around so many strangers with her attention so utterly split.

"We were private detectives in Chicago. Well at least as far as the police were concerned. Most of our cases dealt with the supernatural issues that arose in the city, keeping things in house to avoid Volturi involvement. Contrary to the movies, the family didn't like dealing with the Italians." Angela didn't pause for the joke, but Charlie grinned openly.

"That explains that. It's been decades since Chicago had any problems. Was that you guys?" Isabella asked frowning thoughtfully as she glanced over at her daughter who shared the same curiosity and concern.

"Not entirely, the family had their own enforcers." Angela answered quickly. "Our gifts allowed us to act as more... preventative maintenance. In essence we were able to identify problems before they became problems."

"How did you do that?" Rosalie asked in genuine curiosity before anyone could ask the question.

"A combination of experience and vampiric talents allowed us to anticipate problems, and handle things so they didn't become public." Angela answered somewhat evasively.

Rosalie gestured back to the car where Zoey remained unconscious, "And your newborn? Was she adopted because of your job?"

Charlie nodded, "There was a rash of robberies and murders in a wealthy part of town. They were nomads of course, taking and drinking as they pleased. They knew they could do some damage without forcing the family to move, but they didn't know about me and Angela." He looked over at Rosalie and almost puffed out his chest before continuing.

"We put a stop to their slaughter, and sent a pretty clear message to the other nomadic covens that Chicago was off limits. Zoey was the sole survivor of the last house they assaulted. The family's policy about witnesses was pretty cut and dry. So we hid her, then decided to raise her when it became obvious she was never going to be a normal child, and over time she became a part of us." Charlie glanced back towards the car, with a slightly worried expression. Then he turned to Angela with a questioning look.

Angela smiled warmly, then mouthed the words 'she's fine' towards Charlie before turning to the group. "Don't let him fool you. Most of the time he's still a big softy. He was the one that insisted we adopt her, because she called him daddy after a year with us. We were going to give her the choice to transition, but someone took that choice from her, so she's gonna be pissed when she wakes up, I think." Angela's voice trailed off, in her calm understated tone.

A second later Angela refocused, and quickly looked around at the gathered group before fixing her gaze on Isabella. "Anyway, you're probably incredibly curious. I know I am. I assume your story has something to do with Victoria?"

Isabella stiffened and a snarl crossed her face, though she was calmed by the presence of Alice who pressed into her side with enough pressure to let her lover know she was there, but just in case she was being too subtle, Alice sent love and reassurance through their bond.

It was Charlie who reacted though, much to the surprise of almost everyone except Angela who quickly stood and slammed her hands on his shoulders. "No, not now. We gave up the chase for a reason."

"Chase?" Isabella asked, resisting the impulse to stand up as well. Her tone was very careful, almost casual. But inside she was practically screaming.

"We tracked her for nearly a decade, but she always evaded us." Charlie said through gritted teeth, his body and posture tensed and ready to move. Then as if someone flipped a switch he calmed down and Angela guided him back to where he was sitting.

"Thanks Angel." Charlie's voice was a bit distant, but after he closed his eyes tightly for a few seconds he seemed to be almost calm. "Sorry about that, I have some rage issues."

"What just happened?" Rosalie asked trying to figure out what made Charlie shift moods so abruptly.

"I happened. Let me tell our story, and I promise the answers will come." Angela said meeting Rosalie's questioning glare, before she scanned the rest of those gathered to get a gauge on the audience. Almost everyone seemed curious, except for Isabella who looked like she was at the point of falling into a deep pit of uncontrolled fury.

"I should probably start with some context, or more simply a time-frame. Everything started for me about a year after you disappeared Isabella." The direct reference to herself brought Isabella down a bit, but Angela was still uncertain given the nature of the story she was about to tell.

"Keep going." Isabella managed to get out, while Alice did her best to keep her from falling apart.

"Okay, if you're sure." Angela said towards Isabella who nodded once. "Alright. I was living in Seattle, going to U-Dub, and was only a couple of months away from a wedding with Ben. It had been such a normal night, nothing could've prepared me…" Angela paused, and closed her eyes briefly, overwhelmed by the emotions the memories conjured.

"Something broke in and attacked us in our sleep. I remember waking up when I heard a loud thud. It's almost comical in retrospect, the noise of my fiancé getting knocked out." She let a small sardonic smile curl against her lips before she continued. In contrast the dry, almost mechanical tone to her voice couldn't entirely conceal the pure undiluted rage she clearly felt about the story she was relating. "The monster then moved towards me, and actually snarled. My scream was cut short when I was knocked unconscious too."

"I woke up several hours later... I think, although I'm really not sure how long it was. I was handcuffed to a support beam inside a really dingy abandoned office building. In front of me, on a rotten bed was Ben. He was chained up spread eagle, and naked. I took in all of him, because I couldn't really understand what I was seeing. He had a seeping head wound, but it was mostly scabbed over. But the rest of his body was covered in these long red welts that were also bleeding. Much later, I realized they weren't just whip marks, she had scourged him."

Everyone shuddered at the imagery, and Alice had to physically restrain Isabella from reacting. Angela, for her part, was lost in the past, and continued mostly oblivious to the reactions her description caused. "I was pretty dehydrated, and barely able to speak, but I managed to be loud enough to wake him up. I can only imagine what kind of pain he was in, but he didn't scream. He gasped a few times, but in the next moment he begged me to just go back to sleep, and I couldn't understand why. Until she showed up."

"I won't go into anymore explicit details, but I had to watch her torture him for hours, for pleasure. I felt helpless, and useless. My screams and pleas for mercy fell on deaf ears. I begged her to take it out on me instead, because he was suffering so badly. Then she suddenly stopped. It was like she realized she was bored, when he could no longer scream out."

"That sounds like her." Eliza said grimly, with a glance over to Bella who was visibly shivering in rage. Once again, she was truly relieved that Alice was there. The horrors Isabella had imagined her human friends suffered before they died were becoming manifest, and as hard as it was to listen to, it was that much harder for her mother.

Bree wasn't as acutely aware of the emotional trauma Angela was unintentionally inflicting on Isabella, but she could feel the raw anger pulsing through the link. It was enough to tense her up so badly that she began squeezing Seth's hand hard enough to actually make him wince. Though he said nothing about the pain, and merely pulled her closer to him.

Angela took a moment to flush her own building anger, and nodded once in agreement to Eliza's statement, before starting again. "I had no idea what was going on, or why she was hurting the man I loved. All I knew was that he was torn and broken and there was nothing I could do for him. I wasn't even paying attention to her when she turned towards me. I thought I was about to die, and in a way I was right. Instead she came over and pressed herself into me. Then she started kissing my neck, and I thought she was going to rape me." Angela shivered a little bit in revulsion at the idea.

"Instead, she bit me. As I started to fade into pain, she explained herself. She told me; 'It isn't enough. It'll never be enough. Blame Bella and her mate for this. It's important that you remember that, because when you finally awaken you'll eat and eat and eat until they stop you. They'll take your pretty little head, and your short insignificant life will be over. Mostly you won't be conscious of your actions, but deep down you'll know the truth of your nature. That you were the one that killed your fiancé. I'm Victoria, your sire and executioner. I hope you enjoy hell, you won't be alone for long.' Then the fires took me over and she was gone." Angela said the final part almost robotically as if she were reading it from a script, or from a memory she had recalled so often that it had become rote.

There was a growl from Isabella as she heard that, and for a moment she gave into the anger that was seething up from the beast inside her soul. The fire darkened perceptively, and for an instant the smoke became like arms of pure shadow dancing like demons writhing in the agony of their sin. Alice, Eliza, and Bree all pushed through the link at the same time, trying to send waves of calm towards Isabella. The dangerous blackness began to edge into Isabella's ruby red irises, until she let in the emotions of her family. In the next instant the darkness began to recede from the world, and reluctantly the beast began to settle down.

"What the fuck was that?" Garrett said looking around for the source of the darkness.

"That was what happens when you push Isabella too far." Eliza warned, half to the group and half to Angela directly. Angela took in an exaggerated amount of air, than nodded once.

"I won't bore all of you with my own particular experience going through the transition into a vampire. Suffice it to say, when I woke I was an animal. Victoria might have been wrong about being my executioner, but she was absolutely right about everything else."

Angela paused again, and when she continued her voice was filled with remorse, "Somehow… Ben was still alive when I awoke, and after I ripped through the handcuffs he was my first victim. The only consolation I have left was that he was truly beyond the small pain I caused him."

"Unfortunately, he wasn't my last victim. I killed fourteen that I remember." She managed a smile filled with pain and bitterness at Bella. "You remember my father?"

Bella nodded once, prodding Angela to continue, her voice still emotional. "I practically grew up in his church, so that's where I ended up. This ancient broken down church. I thought I was alone, trying pray away the demon I had become. I was so lost, and scared, and monstrous. I couldn't really understand what was happening to me. It was a young man, a priest that happened upon me." Her eyes had a faraway look in them as she relived the painfully clear vampiric memory.

"He asked if I needed help, I remember the words now even though I didn't hear them in the moment. He just was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I attacked and began to gorge myself on his blood. Then I heard something. A plea for life. He was begging me to let him go. He was the first one I'd heard speak. It was just enough to get through the fog of newborn insanity. So I dropped him. Only when I looked down I realized that I'd crushed his windpipe. He died a couple of minutes later gasping for breath."

Angela looked around as she spoke, "Yet the entire time I still somehow heard his voice, as he realized he was dying. He begged me to somehow let him live, as if I could magically fix what I'd just done. I just stared at him in shock, until I finally came to the rather startling realization that I was hearing his thoughts."

"Another telepath." Rosalie's voice came across as very measured, even though it was clear a part of her was seething beneath the surface.

"You've had a bad experience a with mind reader?" Angela glanced at Rosalie with a raised eyebrow.

"You could say that. Edward was one." Rosalie put a fake smile on her face, but didn't elaborate further.

"Oh. Hmmm. If you are worried about your privacy, don't be. I don't read thoughts passively." Angela tried to impart as much sincerity as she could, concerned that Rosalie's reaction could turn into distrust, fear and anger.

"Passive? I don't understand." Adara asked, drawing the attention of the group.

"Ah. Um, well most telepaths are kind of like radio antennas, picking up every random thought out there. With concentration they can focus on an individual like tuning a dial. In a few cases that telepathy goes far deeper, picking out memories or in Aro's case their entire life with a handshake." Angela frowned at her own explanation.

"So what exactly can you do?" Rosalie interjected, leaning forward in curiosity instead of anger this time.

"My ability is active. I have to actively press into a mind to read thoughts. So my rule is pretty simple, I don't look unless the situation warrants it." Angela smiled warmly at Rosalie and the rest of the group in general, and then sighed slightly at getting the truth out. She was a touch paranoid by nature, having read too many minds to entirely trust strangers. This group however, she felt comfortable with already. Probably because they felt a bit like a family.

"Anyway, back to my sob story. I'm not sure if it is the case for all telepaths, but my power quickly enabled me to control my mind, order it so that I could get my bloodlust in check. Of course it was too late, I'd left a string of corpses in my wake and the cops were searching for me. Thankfully that forced me out of the city. Once I hit the woods I ran, and didn't stop until civilization was far behind me." She closed her eyes a moment to center herself.

"I spent a few weeks gathering myself together. I tried to kill myself in every way I could bring myself to try. I swallowed about half a pharmacy. No effect. My skin broke razor blades. A fall from any height was pointless, and let me tell you that when you don't need to breathe, you just feel silly hanging from a tree branch by a scarf swaying in the wind." Angela managed a small smile at her own gallows humor.

"As I'm sure you all know, nothing worked. Then I finally gave in and went home. I had no idea how hard it would be around humans, so I succumbed a few times to my impulses. But for the most part I managed to not kill. It took a while, but I eventually learned how wipe the minds of my victims so that they didn't remember me. I'd always inject just a drop of venom to close the wound so they would just end up with a strange scar the next day."

"That's impossible. When you feed you can't stop from injecting your venom into their bodies, at that point you either drain them, so they don't have enough blood for the change and killing them in the process, or you allow the change." Jasper said with a scowl.

"I've been doing it for a century, I assure you it's very possible. No one ever really thought to try, because it is challenging to get the hang of the first few times. However once you do know how it's relatively easy. I can teach you, it's all a matter of training your mind." Angela's offer made Jasper look dubious.

Angela rolled her eyes at him and continued, "Look, it never made a difference before because even if you could manage it without leaving the venom inside their bodies, they'd still know exactly what happened. Which breaks the Volturi's 'kill or convert' law, and their secrecy laws. With my power though, I can simply excise that bit of memory from their lives."

"Excise. You don't just read thoughts, you can manipulate them?" Jasper said as more of an accusation than a question.

"Well yes. I can more than just manipulate thoughts, I can alter, erase, and even control a mind." Angela stood a bit taller as she explained her gift, she had no reason to feel ashamed of it.

"Fucking cool." Emmett burst out with an almost gleeful laugh. Rosalie shook her head and chuckled at his outburst.

Eliza had a very different reaction. She suddenly sat forward, her expression intent on Angela, "You were the reason for the sudden drop in deaths in Chicago about… 40 years ago?"

Angela looked somewhat surprised by the question before nodding slightly, "Yes. We didn't have to kill our victims, and the Chicago coven was getting a little large to hide the feeding habits of everyone. So reluctantly I taught the gangsters how to feed without killing."

Eliza nodded and sat back looking pleased with herself, as if a lingering mystery had finally been solved for her. It took her a moment to realize that everyone else looking at her with raised eyebrows.

Eliza winced, and looked a little abashed. "The Volturi guard keeps a fairly accurate tab on the death rates in all the major cities, towns, and places where nomads migrate. If unexplained deaths began to climb too high they would send someone to intervene. I thought those details were fascinating, so I kept track. Chicago has been a bit of a curiosity for nearly half a century."

Jasper snorted a little bit, "You know that's just the excuse they use. Intervention, huh, the Volturi kill covens for their gifted members. The added benefit is culling the covens before they grow too large to be a challenge to the Volturi."

Eliza started to nod, then shook her head adamantly. "I lived with the Volturi for decades, and I didn't see anything that gave me the impression their interest was in growing the ranks with power. Their passion was the law. But that's an argument for another time." Jasper looked a little upset at the rejection of his point, but shrugged. "I think it's interesting about Chicago though. It was an area they were watching very closely, and I think they were considering sending Jane and Alec for interve-policing, when suddenly the number of deaths attributable to vampires suddenly dropped to practically nothing. The general assumption was that there some serious house cleaning, or perhaps a fight within the coven that decimated their numbers. So the Volturi dropped Chicago as an area of concern. It got to a point where the lack of vampire news got suspicious, and when they checked the Volturi realized that the Chicago's power base had grown exponentially."

"Well, that can be updated, the Caravelli's are now a pile of smoking bodies." Charlie said dryly.

"Let me guess, vampires and shifters?" Isabella asked narrowing her eyes.

"Is your definition of shifter similar to your friends here?" Angela motioned with a wave of her hand towards the Quileute. Isabella nodded once in response. "Well, then yes. It was a small army of young vampires and shifters, but if I might add… their minds were-"

"Off?" Michele spoke out with clear anger written on her face.

"You could say that." Angela responded to the unfamiliar woman.

"That's how I founded my pack, with shifters who were turned instead of being born with the traits for shifting." Michele explained, her eyes fixed on the dirt under her feet.

"Definitely another one." Eliza said with a scowl on her face.

"Another one what?" Angela asked, her eyes narrowing with concern.

"All the attacks on covens around the world, they were orchestrated by an ancient named Joham and his armies of experimental vampires and shifters." Eliza spat, the name as even thinking about it offended her.

"Your information seems more complete than ours, actually we heard the werewolves here were the ones behind the attacks." Angela said without intonation, as if she were putting the information out there like a computer spouting facts.

"Bullshit, we would have nothing to do-" Jacob started to say, then looked over at his daughter.

"They don't have a choice, their alphas have absolute control over them." Michele added with a touch of disgust on her face. "But I'm connected to them now, and if I have anything to say about it I'll free them and give them a home in my pack."

"And I will help with her endeavor." Mei added abruptly as more of a statement that didn't require a response. Her stoic presence standing next to the tree away from the circle provided a somewhat creepy image of a warrior woman who cast fear into her enemies. Whereas her mate seemed to glow from the brightness of the fire.

"Of course we will my love, but I don't think now is the time for vows. But in the spirit of sharing, our coven was annihilated by those that smelled of wolves. But their scent wasn't natural. Isabella has convinced us that they were followers of this monster Joham. It seems we have something in common, thought-master." Kira gave Angela a mysterious and sensual smile, which would've made her blush a hundred years earlier. Instead she simply nodded, and gave her a light smile back. Angela wasn't about to turn down allies now.

"Angela." Angela corrected Kira.

"Fitting." Kira smiled wider and stretched out languidly in front of the fire as if she were about to take a nap, but she kept her eyes on Angela.

Angela looked at her for a moment, then turned back towards the group. "Hmmm, artificial shifters, newborn armies, and Jessica Stanley is a part of it." Angela shook her head in mild amusement twinged with noticeable concern.

Isabella almost snorted with laughter. "Jess is a vampire?"

"Yes, unfortunately. She was the one that lead Victoria to Charlie." Angela said without much emotion, although it still caused the smile to fall from Isabella's mouth.

Charlie shook his head, and interjected, "If this Joham is behind the attacks, he's being thorough. Chicago, Tokyo, Beijing, Paris, Berlin, Glasgow, Rome, Buenos Aires, Moscow, Mexico City, New York, D.C., Miami, New Orleans, LA, Denali, and Forks have all been attacked for sure according to our source. That's pretty much all the big covens."

That drew startled looks from everyone gathered. Eliza sighed loudly in consternation, then spoke up. "Well, that's not much of a surprise. He's been coordinating and breeding vampires and making werewolves as disposable shock troops. Best guess is that this is a solid bid for power in the vampire world."

"Which means the Volturi are probably next, or we are." Rosalie looked distant as she spoke with more than just worry darkening her voice. Emmett wrapped an arm around her, but she shrugged it away and stood. "I don't think this is just a grab for power, this the end of our way of life. The Volturi are undoubtedly corrupt and merciless, but at least they don't delve into the lives of most covens that obey their concealment laws. I have no idea what kind of world Joham envisions, but I can't imagine it will be a good one."

"It won't be. But what can we do about it?" Eliza added, with a glower.

"Start training, tomorrow. If god forbid they attack us first, or if the Volturi fall, we're going to need every advantage we can get." Rosalie squared her shoulders and looked at Isabella who nodded once with a slight smile on her face.

"Well now that that is settled, why don't we let Angela finish her story?" Isabella said looking around the fire for objections. When no one moved, she looked back towards Angela with a look that said continue.

"Okay." Angela took a few seconds to pause, furrowing her brow in thought. "Long story short, I eventually made made it back to Forks. I got there too late though. It had only been a few weeks, but in that short time Jessica was missing, Mike was dead and so were a few others. I knew there wasn't much time before Victoria got to Charlie, if she hadn't already so I went to his house. That's when I caught their scents, and tracked them out to the forest where I found Charlie beaten to within an inch of his life, and in the middle of his own transition." Angela finally dared to look over at Isabella, and found her staring back at her. Her expression was a mix of regret and pain, with more than a touch of fury.

"I'm sorry Angela. You have no idea how sorry." Isabella said looking down.

"Don't you dare. You have nothing to apologize for. Culpability rests solely on Victoria's shoulders. Her revenge was her excuse to be a monster, if it wasn't me then it would've been someone else. She had a need to be vile, and so she was. You are no more at fault for her twisted mind than I am." Angela said with more emotion than she had shown since she had started her story. With those words she revealed the break inside just a bit, the tortured woman she was at her core. Isabella could see some of the same darkness inside her old friend that festered around her own soul. It was an uncomfortable mirror, and at the same time it tied Angela to her in a new way that she had never considered possible before.

Bella looked back and forth between her father, her friend from her mortal days and then over at Alice who was still clutching her hand, and she realized that her own story was next. And she couldn't hide behind her daughter to tell it. So she took a deep breath and started.

"There isn't an easy way to start this story. Eliza knows it all, and I know she wants to tell it this time. But I think it needs to come from me. I've only ever articulated this once before, and I left some stuff out. Things I couldn't really bring myself to say." Isabella's tone was more than serious, it was purely somber. It held the weight of horror, of pain beyond measure.

"Mom, I can do it. You don't have to-" Eliza started, but Isabella put up a hand to stop her. Then she began to recount the months of taunting, torture, and suffering she somehow lived through. About the times she almost escaped, only to be dragged back to that tiny little cabin in the middle of nowhere. Of the cold, and fear. Of the utter humiliation. As she spoke everyone was silent. Even though it was clear the entire group had questions, upon questions. No, they didn't have questions. They wanted answers. The same answer really. How could anyone do that? Who was this Victoria to be so vicious and brutal?

But none of them spoke. Esme, having heard part of the story before wept tearlessly, but kept her eyes trained on Isabella. Giving her the kind of support only a mother could offer. Rosalie kept herself steely, and her back rigid. She sat next to Isabella in sympathetic shock, but refused to show the tumultuous emotions raging beneath her gorgeous face.

Emmett couldn't stand it, and neither could Jasper. They would both frequently clench their jaws, and more than once their grips cracked the wood of the the thick tree trunks beneath them that served as makeshift benches. Adara did her best to be stoic for her husband. As hard as it was listening to the horrors Isabella suffered through, watching Jasper take it in was far worse. In that moment she idly wondered if she would've abandoned the girl with the rest of the Cullens, it was an easy question to ask herself, but she hated that she didn't know the answer.

Eliza, Bree, and Alice all listened, but mostly they simply sent support through the link to Isabella. It was the best way to share their love for her as she relived the hardest moments of her life. Jacob had trouble sitting still. He felt so uncomfortable and so utterly guilty that he felt like an anvil had fallen on his shoulders and had begun to crush him. The rest of the pack had similar reactions, but mostly as a reflection of their leader.

Seth and Leah were the exceptions. Both had newly formed ties to Isabella. Ties that neither had fully absorbed. She was now their family for all intents and purposes. That connection, made the story all the more difficult to take in. So each reacted in a similar way. Leah trembled, and let the tears fall freely from her face, as she found herself pulling Eliza in closer to her embrace as if by doing so she could protect her lover from some invisible threat and avoid her befalling the same horrific fate. Seth, never one to shy away from emotions, did much the same, but with a more masculine stoicism. It took every ounce of self control to stay in their human forms.

Angela listened carefully, impassively, but inside she was screaming. All the anger she felt for her own indignities was nothing in comparison to what Isabella had endured. It made her feel small. Her pain had been over in days. Isabella had suffered for months. Nonetheless, it didn't truly matter how she felt. Her connection to Isabella was tangential at best. They were friends for a few months. Charlie was her father, and she could see every imaginary welt and broken bone that Isabella suffered written across his tortured face.

The long gasp of silence, was broken when Isabella finally continued. "When she was finally done playing with me. She threw me in a pit, but not before she bit me. I spent the days going through the fires in absolute darkness. For a long time I screamed. For an even longer time I begged. I couldn't move to pound or scratch. All I had was darkness. The void consumed me, and there I existed for a decade. There wasn't hope, or time, or even pain. It was just nothingness. Death seems like a release compared to that. But that wasn't the worst of it. Somehow during that long blackness, something seeped inside. I knew it was happening and I let it. The shadow is something I don't like to think about because it is more dangerous than I am. It's why I survived the explosion, how I escaped from that black hell. I know this, because in that silence and darkness, as the shadow became a part of me… it screamed."

Isabella finished and felt her body tremble from the remembered trauma. The darkness still pulled at her, and the edges of her eyes ached with the shadow that still thrived in the center of being. She hung her head and let her shoulders fall, which made her hair fall from behind her ears, covering half of her face. Then she raised her gaze, and locked eyes with her father. Knowing she could handle his reaction without fear.

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Samantha Minuet Co-Author's Notes: Been a long time, huh. Moving on, there was a lot of exposition in this, but we tried to make it engaging. Surprisingly enough we do have an idea where things are going, although the next chapter is a mess at the moment. I'm pretty sure it won't take a full three quarters of a year to finish though.

ALLO! Yes! We live and yes stuff happens! I told you we aren't abandoning this story and we will finish. I honestly don't feel TOO bad about the wait. Since A) My muse has jumped around to other stories like a freaking five year old on a diet of mountain dew, and cotton candy. and B ) You don't pay me! SO I WRITE WHAT I WANT :O

Samantha has been working on being a real writer and is writing an original work. And i've been guiding a muse that is less directed than a herd of cats. BUT now you know angela's story! So... we've been busy.

That being said, I hope you enjoy this chapter since alot of stuff has happened and more is coming *cackles*