"They want to meet you, Bella."

Almost before he'd finished speaking, Carlisle's phone began to ring. He sighed, looking annoyed but unsurprised.

"We're nearly finished," he said. "Another fifteen minutes, half hour at most." His mouth formed a hard line as he went silent and listened to the caller speak.

Rosalie gave a sudden bark of laughter. Jasper smiled and shook his head. Edward turned his head away, hiding his own amusement. It took Bella a moment to remember that she was the only one in the room who wasn't hearing both sides of the conversation.

Carlisle drew a deep breath and pressed his fingertips against his forehead.

"Alright, Mary Alice. That is quite enough." His eyes darted a warning at Rosalie, whose shoulders were shaking in silent laughter. "Tell your mother that I'm sending Jasper and Rose home now, but I'll be a bit longer." His eyes flashed annoyance that faded quickly to exasperation. "Of course you did." He ended the call and shoved the phone into his jacket pocket, fishing out his car keys as he did. "Rosalie, please drive Jasper home," he said, tossing her the keys.

"I don't need to go yet," Jasper said, but his voice, exhausted and hoarse, contradicted his words.

"You do," Carlisle said, "if for no other reason than I am unwilling to be lectured by your mate twice in one evening."

Jasper smiled as he stood and gathered up his coat and briefcase. Rosalie was already at the door, but she paused with her hand on the knob.

"Do you want me to take your bag or leave it?" she asked. Carlisle's black satchel was on the kitchen table beside the brown paper bag of wound care supplies that would stay with Bella and Edward at the house.

"Take it with you, please. As I'll be walking, having less to carry would be preferable."

"Of course," Rosalie said, pretending not to notice the irritable emphasis he'd placed on the word "walking."

"You know she doesn't mean true disrespect," Jasper said. "She's been running full-out for days, figuring out Sofia, trying to see what's to come. She's exhausted, and probably thirsty."

"Then I suggest you take her to hunt before I get home," Carlisle said, making it sound nothing like a suggestion.

A moment later, Bella was alone with Carlisle and Edward. She watched with nervous awe as, absent Jasper's calming presence, their demeanors darkened. Carlisle rolled his neck back and stretched his arms, adjusting to the shift. Edward pulled her closer and bent his head toward hers. He took a breath, drawing in the scent of her, releasing it in a slow, controlled exhalation. Then, almost as one, he and Carlisle straightened in their seats, returning to the conversation as if Alice's call had never interrupted it.

"There are three ways for a human to become a vampire," Carlisle began. "The first way is to be attacked by a vampire who bites you with the intent of Changing you. This is, by far, the most common way a vampire is made. The human never knows prior to that bite what is to happen, what they will become. Even if the vampire who makes them is someone they knew, someone they believed to be human, they still have no warning, and, most importantly, no choice."

Bella nodded and hoped her fear didn't show on her face. That's what Alice had wanted to do to her all those years ago.

Carlisle continued.

"Occasionally, a vampire attacks a human, intending only to feed upon them, but is interrupted or otherwise prevented from completing the kill. This is a catastrophe for both the maker and the victim, and for any human unlucky enough to be nearby. If the vampire is unable to stay with their victim during and after the Change, the newborn vampire wakes with no one to control them, no one to teach them about what they've become and how they must behave. Such situations typically end with both newborn and creator destroyed by Volturi footmen, hopefully before the newborn has spilled too much human blood or drawn too much attention. More than once, though, in the wake of such carelessness, the Volturi have been forced to destroy entire villages in order to protect our secret. Bella, the very worst thing a vampire can be is careless. Such creatures do not live long." He paused for a long moment. "I was Changed in this way. Also, Alice. Don't ask me how we stayed hidden as we Changed, or how we controlled our thirst upon waking, because I have no answer to give you."

Carlisle turned his attention to adjusting the watch on his wrist. No one spoke. Finally, he cleared his throat.

"The third way one becomes a vampire is to come to the Volturi as a supplicant. This is almost exclusively practiced by citizens of Volterra. You see, although the ruling coven remains largely unknown to the human population of the city, there are widespread myths and legends, stories born of rumors, chance sightings, and the like. The Volturi are careful as they can be, but the coven in Volterra is over three thousand years old, and dozens, sometimes hundreds, of vampires pass through the city every year. And humans are so curious by nature. And so, some of them learn the truth. But the Volturi have eyes and ears everywhere, and no place on earth is watched more closely than Volterra. Any living human who knows of the Volturi can be certain that the Volturi know also of them.

"Most of these curious souls are killed immediately. Being discovered annoys the Volturi, which for them is reason enough. Then there's the need to protect their secret, prevent the human from telling what he knows. And, of course, the Volturi need blood and feel no qualms about taking it from human beings. Killing a human who knows too much is, for the Volturi, an uncomplicated practicality."

Bella's heart sped up. Edward's hand tightened on her shoulder, a quick movement. The effort to relax it took longer.

"But, vampire or not," Carlisle continued, "the Volturi have other practical needs. The right human, one who is both loyal and discrete, can be more than useful. Humans can move, unnoticed, in the sunlight. They can assist with business dealings the Volturi are unable or uninterested in doing for themselves. The Volturi also use humans to maintain their palace and other properties, and to serve the coven's personal needs. Royals, after all, require servants. There are some vampires who serve them, but mostly just to supervise the humans who do the menial work. Not that they need much supervision. People in fear of their lives seldom do. And the humans serving the Volturi are certainly afraid, but that isn't why they serve."

"They want to become vampires," Bella guessed.

Carlisle nodded.

"When a member of the guard comes to kill them, instead of begging for their lives, some humans beg to be Changed. In this case, the human is brought before the court, and the Three decide whether the human may be kept alive and given a chance to earn a place among them. The human is told they've been given a great honor, the chance for extraordinary power and eternal life. And so these humans spend their entire lives laboring for the Volturi, waiting for the day that they will be chosen and Changed." He paused. "It almost never happens."

"The Volturi don't need more vampires around," Edward explained. "That would mean more blood to be found, more humans to be brought into the city to be fed upon. See, it's forbidden to hunt within the walls of Volterra. It would draw too much attention, so many humans dead or missing. Aside from the Volturi and their guard, the only vampires who enter Volterra are those who are summoned by the Three or are otherwise granted an audience."

"Like when you went this week," Bella said, glancing at Carlisle.

"Yes, like that," Carlisle said. "Bella, you must know that the only humans Changed by the Volturi are the ones expected to be born with supernatural gifts that would make them useful as guards, spies, or the like. Changing anyone else wouldn't be worth the time or trouble." He shook his head. "Newborns are just so—"

Edward cleared his throat, and Carlisle paused, started again.

"The Volturi lack the patience required for raising them. The humans who come to the Volturi are a sort of joke among many of our kind. They seek eternal life and boundless power, but what they receive is enslavement and, ultimately, a violent death."

"And that's what Alice sees," Bella said. She was surprised by how even her voice was, how calm she felt. "They expect you to bring me to them for… that."

"No, they don't," Edward said.

"I don't understand."

"Edward is correct," Carlisle said. "They know we'll never bring you to them. You're my son's mate, a daughter of my house. No vampire, under any circumstance, for any reason, would willingly offer up the life of their mate. And even if Edward weren't here to stop me, the honor and safety of my coven would be worthless if I left one of my own so unprotected. No, it's not a real request. It's an insult, to you, to Edward, and to me personally."

He didn't sound angry. Nor did he sound human. She watched his eyes, fascinated.

This is Carlisle underneath all the smiles and human affectations. This is the Carlisle who will never be human again.

"Bella, it will never happen," Edward said, his voice low, reassuring. "Not as long as any of us live."

"And the Volturi know it."

"Yes."

"Then why ask?"

"That is the question," Carlisle said. "And we don't have an answer, not yet. Alice… She has no idea."

"Do you?" Bella asked. Carlisle's eyes flashed surprise at the edge of anger in her voice. Surprise, and… approval?

"Maybe they're pushing a confrontation," he said. "Maybe they've had enough of us and want to see the coven destroyed. And maybe it's neither thing. Maybe they want leverage for some other agenda. Maybe they want us to do something for them we wouldn't normally agree to. Regardless… Until we learn what it is they actually want from us, we're going to prepare for the worst."

No one spoke. Bella didn't have to ask what he meant by "the worst."

Edward rose suddenly, began to pace.

"Alice has got to give us more," he said, shoving a hand through his hair. "We need more than… speculation and conjecture to justify the risk we're taking."

"What risk?" Bella asked.

"The risk of keeping you human," Carlisle said. "Until we know what the Volturi really want, we need to keep as many doors open as we can. To Change you now, before they've granted our petition, would be an act of defiance they wouldn't overlook. It would ensure a battle. I won't do that until I know it's the only way. But to wait is also much too dangerous… It's maddening, to be perfectly honest."

"Maybe that's the point," Bella said. "I don't know much of anything about these vampires, except they don't like you. And they must know how crazy this is making you. They're shut up in that city all the time, nothing to do… Maybe they're just torturing you because they can."

There was a long moment of silence as both the men considered her words.

"She isn't wrong," Edward said.

"No, she's not," Carlisle said, and Bella could hear humanity in his voice again. He fixed his golden eyes on her ruefully. "You're learning this more quickly than I could have imagined. The Volturi don't have a seer like Alice, and I'm glad they don't, because I believe they would see you as a threat to them. And they would be right. I'd bet money on you being extraordinary after your Change."

"She's extraordinary now," Edward said.

Bella felt herself flush but resisted the urge to look away.

"Bella, I'm sorry, about all of this," Carlisle said. "I know how frightening this must be, having to hear all of this, so soon."

"Don't apologize," she said. "It's scary, and I don't understand all of it, but knowing … It makes it less scary. Really. I'm not a coward, and I'm not weak, even if I can't open a can of soda by myself anymore." She tried to laugh, but it came out as a sigh. "I think this is just what life is," she continued. "You survive something, get a little stronger, survive something else. And, if so, then I'm pretty good at it. I'll survive this, too. I'll survive being one of you."

She was trying to reassure them, but Edward and Carlisle didn't look reassured. If anything, they looked ashamed.

"It shouldn't have been this way," Carlisle said softly.

"Is there anything else, Carlisle?" Edward asked sharply, glancing at the clock. "She's tired, even though she won't tell you so."

"Just one more thing," He rose from his chair and moved to crouch down closer to where Bella sat on the couch. "Bella, I haven't had the opportunity to tell you how deeply we all grieve with you today. You've been so strong, discussing this dreadful business, but it's never left my mind that your son should be marking his first year on earth today. As I've said, you've always been one of us, a member of our family. That made David was one of us, too. I tried to save him for your sake, but not only for your sake. Without him, we'll never be complete. He'll always be a piece missing from among us, and we will always remember him with love."

Bella's shoulders jerked, one quick sob escaping before she could stop it. She wanted to thank him, for speaking David's name if nothing else. The words were trapped inside though, and letting them out would be letting out tears she didn't have the strength to shed. She just nodded.

Edward settled back onto the couch beside her and pulled her close. He met his father's eyes and said what she couldn't.

"Thank you."

When Carlisle had gone, Bella realized she had no energy left for dinner, or music, or anything except the cool darkness of her bedroom and the unquestionable safety of Edward's arms.

"Is there pain?" he asked, pulling up the blankets as she worked her way closer to him. They'd both kicked off their shoes, but Bella didn't want to deal with undressing, and Edward didn't want to wait to hold her.

"No," she said, the words muffled by the fabric of his shirt.

"Liar."

"Shh. It's fine," she said. "I just need you."

"Thank god for that."

She laughed, then winced.

"That's it, I'm getting your meds –" He started to shift away from her.

"No, Edward. I don't need them. Just talk to me."

He hesitated, relaxed. His hand stroked across her back, over her hair.

"Okay, I'll talk to you. About what?"

"Have you had sex before?"

He froze for a long beat. When his hand on her back moved again, it was less steady.

"You want to talk about this now?"

Did she? Was it weird?

Of course it's weird. But is it weirder than sitting in Charlie's living room speculating about whether vampire kings want to murder me?

"Why not now?" she said, trying and failing for a casual tone. "I mean, we should probably talk about it sometime… soon…"

"Yes, I suppose so," he said.

"So… have you?"

Another pause.

"What is it?" she asked. "What's wrong?"

"I've wished for the ability to hear your thoughts a million times, but never as much as I am right now. What answer are you hoping for, Bella?"

"Well, I'm not. Hoping, I mean. It really doesn't matter… I just…" She felt the blood rush to her face and was grateful for the darkness. "I mean, you know that I have, I mean, obviously. And I'd guess that you'd have, because, you know, a hundred years old, and you look like, you know, like you do… Except…"

His fingers brushed against her hot cheek, and he chuckled.

"You are definitely going to be a gifted vampire, Bella. How did you know?"

"Really?" she breathed. "Never?"

"Did I do something wrong, or say something—"

"No, nothing like that. I just… How? I mean… How?"

He stretched beneath her, leaning back his head to stare up into the darkness, toward the ceiling.

"Well, I was young when I was Changed, and my family was religious. It would have been shameful for me to ruin a girl that way."

"Edward, no one is ruined just by having sex. That's an awful way to put it."

"Well, it was something of an awful time to be a girl, as I understand it. Pregnancy outside of wedlock meant disgrace, and that there was no reliable means of contraception, so…"

"So you were a good… Christian?"

"An obedient one, if nothing else."

"And after? Once you were a vampire— I mean, it's been a while since you could get a girl into trouble. At least, I assume."

"You assume right. But, for years after I was Changed, I couldn't think about anything but blood. That drive overpowered all others. By the time it had subsided, by the time sex was something I even thought about, Carlisle had found Esme."

"And they didn't allow it?"

"They wouldn't have approved, but that's not what stopped me. I wasn't always the most obedient son to them, you know.

"Then why?"

"Well, I could hear their thoughts. And that meant I knew what it really was to love someone, and what intimacy within that love was like. And once I knew, I couldn't bring myself to seek anything less."

"So you didn't."

"So I didn't."

"Never?" She couldn't help asking again.

"Never, Bella!" he said, laughing. "Never ever."

They lay together in silence for a few moments, the new shared knowledge settling in.

"Does it bother you that I've been with a man, Edward?"

She stroked the fabric of his shirt and waited for him to answer.

"It did," he finally said. "You know, when it was… happening. Young men think about that part of their lives a lot, and, Jacob… I could hear him… So that hurt, experiencing that. Just… at the time. But it doesn't change how I feel about you now. Not in the least. It never could."

She nodded.

"I feel like I should apologize, but—"

"No, it's not like that. I was jealous, Bella. That's all. But you didn't belong to me. I'm old, but not—"

"Are you going to say you aren't old-fashioned?"

"I'm not when it comes to this. I didn't stay a virgin out of some superstitious future obligation. I did it because the thought of sex without love was just too sad. But you weren't sad, and I'm glad you weren't. I'd rather feel my own jealousy than your sadness."

"You're really not human, Edward."

"I'm really not."

"Edward?"

"Yes?"

"Kiss me."

He did, his lips firm, the pressure light. He held her back from him a bit, a careful space between their bodies.

I'm shaking. I can't stop—No, that's him. He's shaking. He wants me…

She gripped his shirt harder, pulling herself up toward him desperate to feel him more, harder.

"Bella," he gasped as her lips moved to his neck.

"Do you want to know what I'm thinking? Right now?"

"Yes!"

"I'm thinking about your skin, how smooth it is, how much I want to touch more of it, how I need to feel you everywhere…"

Her hand slipped through the opening at the front of his shirt. She impatiently undid a button, another—

Edward's phone rang.

"No," he whispered, and she knew he wasn't talking to her.

"What can they possibly want right now?" she asked. "I swear to god, your family…"

"Forget them," he said, and pulled her against him. His mouth was on hers again, his fingers laced into her hair, his hand hard on her hip. She made a sound that was a little bit pain, mostly not.

"I already have," she said, kissing along his jaw, down his throat.

The phone rang on, then stopped.

A moment later, Bella's phone began to ring.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" she hissed. "Just answer it. Somebody had better be dead."

Edward cursed and rolled away from her. He sat up, too flustered to make himself do it at a human speed. Another flash and he was across the room, Bella's phone in his hand.

"Who is it?" she asked.

Instead of answering, he touched the screen and raised the phone to his ear.

"What do you want, Alice?" His voice was dangerous. He listened, then said, "Fine," and hung up.

He returned to the bed, but only sat on the edge. Bella stretched toward him, but could barely reach him with the tips of her fingers.

"What's wrong?" Bella asked. "Come back."

"Alice was calling to remind me about your… activity limitations." He sounded subdued.

"Oh for pity's sake—"

"She's right, Bella. I got a little… carried away. I'm sorry."

"Don't you dare apologize."

He turned toward her, and the moonlight through the window cast enough light to show her his smile.

"Okay, I won't."

"Never."

"As you say, Bella. I will never, ever apologize for wanting you."

"Or for touching me."

"Or for touching you."

She waited for him to move, but he just sat very still, his back to her.

"Are you coming back?" she asked.

"In a moment. I just need… a moment."

"And then you'll hold me again?"

"Then I'll hold you forever, you wonderful, delicious girl."

"Okay, then."

Author's note: I've taken some time to put some of my own pieces back together. Without vampire rescuers, it takes a little longer. Thanks to everyone for their patience, and for all the encouraging reviews. I read and appreciate every single one.