Remembering Bella

Chapter 4

Bella felt her back crash hard into the marble floor. If she were human the blow would have killed her, but she wasn't human, not anymore. So she was just left with a feeling of annoyance as she sat up and glared at the vampire across the room who stared at his nails casually.

Smug bastard.

She looked at her jacket and hissed lowly. A giant hole in her elbow made her look at Demetri again with a glare.

"This my favorite jacket!" Isabella shouted hotly.

"Well then perhaps you shouldn't wear it to training," Demetri replied with an eye roll as he stared at her with crossed arms.

"When else am I supposed to wear it?" Isabella grumbled to herself as she stood and dusted off her bum.

"Patience, little dove, you aren't ready to go out there yet," Demetri smiled at her fondly and it was her turn to roll her eyes.

"It's been nearly ten years since you brought me to Aro, ten years of training, ten years of being cooped up in this dungeon," she huffed as she kicked at rocks on the marble floor.

"Yes, ten years and you still can't properly block an offensive attack," Demetri scolded.

"Humans are not going to come at me with your insane Krav Maga!"

"Humans... no. Other vampires? Yes. As well as the other beasts who haunt the night," Demetri was in front of her in a blink and he pinched her chin in a loving way that almost made her smile.

"Listen, Isa, your shield training has gone incredibly well but Aro still worries for your safety. As do I, you remember how you came to us?"

She didn't, not really, she only remembered the pain. Aro coming from the darkness, Demetri behind her, both of them saviors from the torment she had endured. They had told her though, how they found her. They had detailed the marks on her body, the trauma on her skin and in her mind that had somehow followed her to this life.

She nodded. She understood their worry, was grateful for it. The others were jealous. They were jealous that she was Aro's favorite, jealous that Demetri protected her. It was odd, for so many of their kind to live together. They were by nature solitary creatures. It was only natural for resentment to bloom if someone was shown favoritism. It was the hisses and threats that made Demetri like her second shadow, no one would dare lift a finger toward her with him around. Not that she was afraid, she knew that Aro would burn any one of them who harmed his Principessa.

"Keeping me here only shows the others I should be treated as a child, I need a chance to prove myself," she said as she stared into Demetri's eyes, begging him to understand her. She knew he loved her but he was infuriatingly protective.

"And you will, little dove... as soon as you get those defensive moves honed in," Demetri tugged on one of her curls and instructed her to get into position.

She sighed and did as she was told.

———————-

"Edward will be back in three days, he only plans to stay for a week," Alice said in a monotoned voice as her vision took her.

"I'll make sure his room is ready," said Esme, she stood gracefully and disappeared up the stairs. None of them dared contradict her that it didn't matter. It was her way of coping with Edward these days, she was trying to love some warmness back into him.

Alice blinked up at Jasper who sat beside her, he was staring at her with that penetrating gaze. He could feel the emotions her vision conjured, she patted his hand softly to reassure him that she was fine.

"You didn't fail him, Al," Jasper said softly and if her heart were beating it would have clenched. She looked away from his eyes, he saw too much sometimes.

"I don't understand how I couldn't see it happening... or anything after. I thought if I were actively looking for her again that it would be easy," she looked out the window of the Inverness house where they were staying currently. Her mind went back to the day Charlie Swan had appeared in Alaska to all of their surprise... even hers.

He had demanded answers to Bella's whereabouts, answers that none of them could give them. Edward had kept a cool face, even as Charlie hurled horrible accusations at him. It was Esme who was finally able to calm him down and they all had felt his sorrow as the man crumpled to the floor of their dining room.

Charlie left two days later, a far away look in his eyes, and Edward left a week later. Saying he would find her.

Bella however, had vanished, there was no trace of her. No scent. No vision. No thoughts.

Nothing at all, as if she had ceased to exist.

Alice couldn't remember ever feeling so useless.

"No one can find her because she's dead," Rose's voice brought her from her memory. She glared at the blonde who sat perched on the dark velvet dais reading a magazine about European sports cars.

"Shut up, Rose," Alice hissed harshly.

"The sooner everyone accepts it, the better off we will be. It's been what? Almost fifteen years now? Nothing, her dad even accepted it finally and got remarried... lived his few years of life happily. Why can't any of you?" Rosalie's voice was harsh and Alice flinched. Charlie's death was still fresh. It was like losing their last real tie to Bella.

"Change takes longer for us, Rose, you of all people should know that," Carlisle said in his soft voice. Alice knew he worried for Edward too, but he was a madman on the hunt. She almost feared when he gave up... what would become of him then?

"Edward says she's alive, he can feel it," Alice whispered brokenly.

Rose snorted cruelly but didn't respond, probably because of the warning look Carlisle shot her.

"All we can do is be here for him when he comes, darling, and hope for the best possible outcome," Jasper said and she felt him sending the calmness into her weary self. She normally would protest but she needed the support.

She looked out the window again. Hoping Edward wouldn't break beyond repair.

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"Where's your little pet, Demetri?" Heidi's voice called as he stepped into the dark alleyway.

"If she's doing what she's told she's practicing her defensive techniques," he replied in a bored tone. Heidi annoyed him on a good day.

"Oh? Perhaps she needs a moving opponent. I do love to play with pretty little mice," she hissed and a rush of protective anger filled him. He spun on her quickly and had her by the throat against the centuries old building. The brick had a hairline crack from the force. Caius wouldn't be pleased, he demanded respect for the architecture.

Heidi hissed as his fingers dug into the flesh of her throat. She didn't need air to live but that didn't mean it wasn't uncomfortable to have your windpipe crushed.

"Was that a threat?" His voice came out low and deadly.

"No..." she croaked out.

"It sounded like a threat," he leaned in closer.

"Please," she begged. Demetri let her go and she held her throat tightly, the pressure had causing a slight indent in her skin, she hissed lowly.

"Isa is worth one hundred of you, Heidi, you would do well to remember that when speaking of her," Demetri spat and walked away. He knew she glared at him as he left her leaning against the wall.

He knew she wouldn't say a damn word though. Lest she spark his anger to a point of no return.

He had made it his mission in existence to ensure that Isa would feel no more pain.

He had never failed a mission.