Chapter Forty Nine

Bella

We didn't have much time to arrange anything so while Esme called Carlisle to alert him to the situation and ask his advice the rest of us stood around talking about how we could protect Ellie. I wanted Darius to take her and run but the others persuaded me that to do so would only make things worse.

"Bella, if Felix finds Ellie gone then Aro will send Demetri out to track her down and when he does Ellie will probably be taken to Volterra along with the rest of us. The best thing we can do is to show Felix what we are doing to make sure Ellie keeps our secret and the fact that she and Darius are mates. That way they can't do anything to Ellie without breaking their own law about separating mates."

"Are you sure about that, Jasper? Didn't Aro allow Sara to die? Sorry, Darius, but it's true."

Darius nodded.

"I don't think he felt he had any choice at that time. These days he wouldn't get away with it so easily. The Major is right. As soon as Ellie gets back you take her to one side and explain a visitor is coming, one who wants to know all about her. Just warn her to say nothing about vampires unless asked outright. I promise you, Bella if I feel there is the slightest danger to Ellie I'll kill Felix and help you hide her until she's old enough to become a vampire herself."

Jasper nodded his agreement and Esme put an arm around me in an effort to comfort me. I appreciated it but Jasper's help to keep me calm was more useful right now. I would not lose my little girl to the Volturi if I had to shield her from them myself. Why couldn't we just be left alone to live our lives in peace?

Carlisle and Ellie returned half an hour later and while I took her to one side the guys talked to Carlisle who seemed less worried than the rest of us.

"Aro does not make war on children."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes, Darius. Aro has never harmed a child to my knowledge and Sulpicia would not allow that. The Volturi are not monsters despite the bad press they sometimes get. Besides, Darius, you really think Aro would be sending one man if he had plans for Ellie?"

"That one man is Felix Volturi remember that, Carlisle. The huge ugly fucker who could tear her in two without breaking into a sweat."

"Against all of us? Aro knows who is here, he would not send a member of the guard singlehandedly into a situation he was not well aware of. Felix is intimidating yes, but even he could not take out all of us. You, Darius, Jasper, Emmett, myself, not to mention the women. No, I suspect this is not what it seems."

"Yeah well, you'll excuse me for being a little fucking sceptical, Carlisle."

Carlisle nodded, but I could see that his words had some effect on everyone, with the exception of Peter.

Felix appeared at the front door alone an hour later and knocked waiting for someone to greet him. I hadn't realized just how big the Volturi guard was. I had assumed the others had been exaggerating but in the flesh, Felix was even bigger than I had envisaged. He made Emmett look normal sized which, in itself, was something of a feat.

Darius

I was terrified what might happen to Ellie and waited ready to act at the first hostile move.

The Major greeted him and invited the Volturi into the house.

"Thank you. I take it from your reaction that you were aware I was coming."

"Yes, we heard."

"I see. I wonder what it was that you heard."

"Why don't you tell us why you're here."

"Of course, Major. We received information that a young human child is living among a group of…."

He looked around to see if Ellie was within earshot and seeing that she was not continued,

"Shall we say nonhumans. The informant was concerned that she could be a security risk to our kind and demanded an investigation."

"I see. So Aro sent you to find out how big a security risk our daughter is?"

Felix surprised us all by smiling, an expression that changed his whole character.

"Actually. No. If that was the case Aro would have sent a contingent of the guard including those who could enable the child to be taken to Volterra against your wishes if necessary. Instead, he sent me."

I saw The Major frown and the rest of us exchanged puzzled looks, this was not what we had expected.

"Allow me to explain. The complainant had no score to settle with you Major, or Bella, or the child. Her only concern is to cause trouble for Darius."

I understood immediately, "Athenadora."

Felix nodded.

"Yes. She wasn't sorry to see the end of Caius but she felt that his killer should pay for the 'crime'. Having learned that Darius and the child are connected she decided the best way to make you pay for your actions was to hit you through her. Aro saw this immediately but as leader of the Volturi, he had to be seen to be acting within the law. So, he sent me to investigate the situation and having done so I can go back to Volterra, give my report, and put the situation to bed. Aro has no problem with the child growing up among your group. You understand what has to be done, you will protect her and our secret until such time as the child is old enough to become a vampire herself. The very fact that she is Darius' mate ensures that she will become one of us and Aro feels he owes Darius her safety. That being said, may I meet the young lady?"

The Major nodded to me and I went to get Bella and Ellie from my quarters where they were hiding. I explained the situation quickly and saw the relief in Bella's face and thought to myself if only she could feel my own. I was so relieved I could have kissed Felix, well almost! Ellie was only too eager to meet this newcomer and even seeing his size she didn't appear intimidated in the slightest. Instead, she went straight up to him, smiled, and put out her hand.

"Hello, I'm Ellie."

He bent down and took her tiny hand in his huge one, swallowing it completely and shook gently.

"It's very nice to meet you, Ellie. My name is Felix. I've come all the way from Italy to see you."

"Italy? Darius went to Italy and he brought me back lots of photographs. He's going to take me there when I get older."

"Really? Then maybe you will visit me when you get to Italy. It would be my pleasure to show you around Pisa and the wonders in our archives. I understand you are interested in insects and plants. I have a big collection of both you might like to see."

Everyone relaxed as Ellie took Felix into the kitchen to show him the insects she and Carlisle had caught earlier that day and smiled at each other. I had thought my troubles with Volterra were at an end once I had killed Caius but it seemed Aro expected Athenadora to try something and he had been ready for it. I would have to thank him for that. Maybe in the future when Ellie and I visited Italy.

Twelve Years Later.

Ellie

Finally, Darius and I were making that promised trip to Italy. It was going to be our honeymoon destination but fate got in the way as it tended to for us. I know mom and dad had been shocked to find that we couldn't travel after the wedding because I was already pregnant. Under the circumstances, me being human and Darius a vampire our baby was going to be a hybrid, and therefore the only person who could look after me during my pregnancy was Carlisle. We had expected the looks of disappointment that usually accompanied such news but Darius and I had been living together for three month's before the wedding so I guess they accepted such a thing was always going to be a possibility.

Were we scared? Sure, this was unknown territory but at the same time, we were excited too. It was the one thing we had both longed for, the chance to be parents and hold a child that would be a physical sign of our love. I don't think we'd actually believed it was possible but the Gods had been kind to us.

It was funny thinking of my mom and dad being grandparents, especially when they no longer even looked old enough to be my parents! I think secretly dad was thrilled at the idea of having another child in the family. He had been a great father to me and I knew he would be a fabulous grandpa although we might need to think of a term not quite so antiquated. Mom had been wonderful ever since she found out I was pregnant and was full of advice, especially for the terrible morning sickness I went through early on. I was blessed with the best family ever, not to mention a husband who was a one of a kind and loved me so much that sometimes I felt unworthy although I would never tell him so. He would have found that hilarious since he treated me like the princess in the stories he used to tell me, only this one got her happily ever after.

Darius never left my side unless to hunt until I went into labour when he was forced, as a precaution, to leave things to Carlisle and my mom. I wasn't sure what to expect but in the event, it was over very quickly. Carlisle had planned on a C section as being the safest way to deliver the baby and as I was the size of a medium elephant I was all for it.

Dad, much to my amazement, appeared to help me with the pain of the surgery as Carlisle hadn't dared to use an epidural, having no idea if it would work or if it might affect the baby in some way. It really was a family affair because I was well aware that everyone else was waiting right outside the door for news.

The first words I remember hearing were, "It's a boy and he's fine, Ellie."

I cried with happiness on hearing we had a son but moments later mom gasped and I heard, "And a daughter. Ellie, no wonder you were so big, you were carrying twins."

When they put the babies into my arms I cried again, the girl looked like mom and me but the boy, my precious son, was the spitting image of his beloved daddy. Naming the twins was easy, we had already chosen several but looking at our daughter in her daddy's arms I knew it had to be Mara which means eternally beautiful, Isabella. Our son was big and strong and we decided on Ethann, which means strong and sturdy, Jasper.

We had our hands full with the twins and I was thankful for so many willing extra pairs. Darius was so proud of our babies and such a wonderful dad. Of course, we had to extend the cabin to accommodate two more bodies but Peter and dad got it done in double quick time.

Having the twins meant I would remain human for much longer but we had spoken about that and it made no difference. Hopefully, I would be like my mom and become controlled very quickly but I wasn't prepared to take the chance while my precious children were young. I wanted to be there for them just like my mom had been there for me.

It took some time to persuade us to take our belated honeymoon but as we both knew mom and dad were looking forward to babysitting for a few days we finally booked the flight and Darius called Felix to tell him we were coming. It was a little nerve-wracking walking into the Volturi citadel but I was treated like royalty by everyone, including Aro and his wife. We didn't see Athenadora, Caius' widow, which suited me and I found out later that she was a virtual prisoner within the citadel. She'd thrown the dice and lost and now she had to live with the consequences.

My life had taken many a strange turn, from a beloved daughter with two parents to a daughter loved by her father but not her stepmother and then reunited with my mom only to almost lose her again. I had been brought up by vampires, fallen in love with one and now here I was married to the most fantastic man with whom I had hybrid twin babies. I guess life couldn't get much stranger than that, now could it?

THE END