Today was the day before the wedding and Charlie had come by. He was done with the fight between his daughters. "Bella, Leona. Here. Now." We both appeared in front of the man.
"I am fed up with your behavior towards each other. So start talking things out now before I lock you both in a cell and throw the keys." He warned them.
"I'm sorry dad. I just can't believe Leona would go and sleep with the enemy. They threatened my life unless I get turned and she acts like nothing is wrong with that." Bella grumbled.
"How else do you expect them to make sure the laws are followed Bella? If the supernatural world comes to light, what do you expect to happen?' He asked her.
"But still! The Volturi are evil!" She protested.
"They are not. Just outdated. I have been planting small ideas to change things for the better." I defended them.
"You were really working on that?" Charlie's eyes lit up. He had mentioned the potential of opening a trainingcamp of sorts to help newborn learn proper control over their new lives.
"I was. There are just some issues which is why I am staying here instead of going back already. Bella, you won't have to actually like Felix but I want you to just accept me being happy with him. Just like how I don't like you having to be turned without having experienced life as a human, I can accept you would do it to be with Edward." Because I can understand wanting to be with one's mate better than before.
"As if you have experienced life as a human." She rolled her eyes.
"I have. Oh and I can't forgive you for stringing Jacob along either. He deserves much better treatment. Do you know he ran all the way to Canada in wolf form because he was so hurt and mad at the wedding invitation?" That was where the pack had lost track of him.
She looked shocked. "I didn't. I had wanted to talk to him about the wedding to make absolutely clear where we stood. I had asked to leave that card out." Bella said. She wasn't lying.
"Sorry, Edward said you had changed your mind and you know I can't see around wolves to make sure." Alice apologized genuinely.
"It's fine. Oh and I have a question for all the vampires but not the humans. So dad why don't you walk with Bella. Perhaps she can use your help to balance in the heels." Charlie led Bella away.
"How would you guys like to be able to be in the sun during the day?" I turned to the other vampires.
"Without sparkling? That would be nice." Rosalie asked.
"Good then please make sure to touch the archway that serves as entrance before you find your seats during the ceremony. I have instructed your friends from Alaska to do the same." I explained how it would work.
The day of the wedding they all did as told and they appeared a bit more human. Somewhat less pale, and their original eye colors instead of the pure golden and not cold to the touch. It was amusing to see the surprise. "What about you?" Bella asked. They noticed I hadn't changed at all.
"It won't work on me unless I need to disguise myself out of safety. I merely changed how you look though nothing else. I don't need to hide from the sun which is another reason I didn't do it to myself. Consider this my wedding gift for you both and perhaps a peace-offering." I explained.
"Won't it exhaust you?" She asked probably remembering what happened after the battle with Victoria.
"Another pro to not being in the wedding party. I can sneak away to break into Carlisle's stash. Though I warn you when it is dark outside the changes will stop working." I made sure they knew this.
"Leona, can we talk?" Edward asked.
"Of course. Come help me make sure the markings on the archways are okay." We went down and outside. I had made a couple of circles on the archways that if vampires touched the arches, they would be changed to look more human.
"I want to apologize." He said.
"For what exactly?" I asked him. Did he really know what I was upset about?
"Everything I have put you through. You came home hoping to find some peace and calm to mourn your losses and hopefully move on someday. Only to be put through dangerous situations, that made you put your life on the line, more times than I first realized. First when James went after Bella, and Frank finding you. Then with Bella's birthday disaster, and us leaving you as open targets for Laurent and to find the wolves. Next was what happened in Italy and I didn't fight the decision only because I knew about you finding your soulmate there. And if someone deserved to find happiness it was you.
But you were nearly killed four times, only to actually die the fifth time. And all because we had used you to get out safely. Then we failed to keep Charlie home without exposing any secrets, inadvertently causing you to act as a bodyguard after you literally just woke up as a vampire. You fought the two Queens due to our failure. And the fight with Victoria and the other women and the army. You worked very hard to keep everyone safe even over-exhausting yourself, and why? All because I became obsessed with the mystery of Bella and fell for her."
"What about insulting my mate and burning the cloak he left me for comfort? Attacking me for no reason?" I asked.
"I apologize for that as well. Seeing your interactions with Felix and how you reacted, when I destroyed the one thing, that helped you when you missed him, made me realize that you had truly found your soulmate. When I realized that, all I could feel was guilt because you hadn't cried that much since I met you. Yet you were inconsolable for days, once Serena got you to calm down from your anger. I am truly sorry for causing you all of that."
"As I told Bella, you don't have to like my mate. However, you could at least accept that he is my happiness and act civil about it. Just like I have learned to accept that Bella will become a vampire out of her love for you. despite all she'll never experience." I repeated to him what I had told my sister.
"I promise I will do my best from this moment onwards. I will do my best to make it up to you." This was just one of the rare moments I felt he was truly genuine.
"Good. Then let's get this show on the road. After all, I get to have a new little brother-in-law to tease." I wagged my eyebrows.
"Oh god, you are just like Emmett." He groaned but smiled glad we were at least going to be civil. I went up to see Bella running into the one human I wasn't ready to see.
"Leona! Why aren't you ready?" Alice saved me from that confrontation. For now.
"I had to make sure Edward knows that he better treat Bella right. After all, that's what big sisters do, right?" Bella looked at me with a question I didn't answer.
"Sit down!" Alice was fun to tease the past months but not now, so I did as told. She braided my hair for me and swept the braid over my shoulder. She did make up for me and gave me the same dress all the bridesmaids wore.
"What..." I was confused.
"I want you in my party as you are still my big sister. It would mean so much to me." Bella explained with hopeful eyes.
"But..." Alice would walk with Seth, Rose with Emmett, who would walk with me?
"Mia stella, why so sad?" Swerving around, I looked into the handsome face of my mate. I couldn't help but touch him as if to make sure he was really here.
"What... how?" He was amused with my shock.
"Charlie had a... heart-to-heart with Aro so to speak. He had said how sad you would be looking at couples and demanded that we weren't kept apart for such long periods. That man truly loves his daughters. He said if I wasn't let go, he would fly over to Italy, with a couple of wolves who would gladly remove limbs until they would give in." He explained.
"I still can't believe you're here." I was so happy to have him here. Hugging him I couldn't help but let some tears run.
"Don't cry." He wiped my tears. Yeah that had fascinated Carlisle. I had still so many human traits. I could cry but they weren't normal tears. My tears weren't made of salty water, no it was vampire venom.
"I'm not sad. Just happy. Today is truly a good day now you are here." I smiled though it was weak. He smiled back leaning in for a kiss.
"Who is this Leona? Another one of your victims?" And my day went down the drain.
"Ma'am. My name is Felix. I am Leona's boyfriend of three months. Nice to meet you." He offered her a hand, which she ignored.
"Renee." She introduced herself before turning her eyes on me again.
"At least you moved on from the Cullen kids I suppose." She sighed before going to see Bella.
"Who was that?" He asked.
I slightly glared her way. "My mother. She doesn't know and can't know of our world. She wouldn't take it well." I explained while getting dressed, ignoring the complete fact he was still in the room. "Let's forget about her for now. How long are you staying? How is everyone at home?"
"I am not leaving for a while. I got orders to set up a base here in America from which we can operate better. Marcus has pushed the idea of creating an academy of sorts through with his brothers because it would boost our reputation and it would help to keep our world secret a bit longer. Since it was your idea, Aro decided to use America as a test area."
"So this will be like our project then. You and me?" He zipped up my dress for me.
"I was hoping you would say that. Aro did want you to work on it as well." Alice came running.
"Positions people!" We got in position and Alice went first with Seth and then Rose and Emmett, then Felix and I before Bella would come with Charlie giving her away.
She looked so beautiful. And truly happy. Aside from Renee being slightly rude earlier, today was the kind of day, I had hoped to have, when I was coming back from the army. The ceremony came and went while I focused on keeping the changes up until sundown.
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Finally somewhat better moments for Leona as she made up with Bella and Edward, or at least a start has been made, and Felix is back! I am sorry if the wedding scene is bad though.
Things will move just a little quicker now though the peace and quiet won't stay that way for long. Leona will also be soon learning more about how her bloodline gained the gift of alchemy.
and I will continue just this week with posting a bit more often as my final year of school is starting but I still don't have a lot to do yet therefore I can spend more time on the story before I get too busy with whatever I do for school.