Match, Set, Love 7

“You can relax now Bella. Your hero Kate Denali is here!”Kate announced as she walked into Bella and Irina’s hotel suite with Tanya and Rosalie following behind her. As soon as she entered the room Rosalie’s eyes sought out Bella. The girl in question was laying on the couch on top of Heidi with her head in Jane’s lap. The female witch twin was running her fingers through Bella’s hair and if it weren’t for the scowl Jane was giving Kate Rosalie wouldn’t have believed it was actually the feared vampire. Focusing on the human Rosalie was taken with how gorgeous Bella was. Especially her brown eyes with their specs of green and gold. It was taking all of Rosalie’s restraint to stop from rushing to the couch, pulling Bella into her arms and kissing her senseless. Becoming a human hadn’t dulled her vampire instincts at all and Rosalie was overwhelmed with all the love and affection she felt for Bella.

“You aren’t Bella’s hero. I’m Bella’s hero.”Heidi told her.

“There is no way you would ever be Bella’s hero.”Kate argued.

“Bella will you please tell Kate that I’m your hero?”Heidi asked Bella.

“Of course you’re my hero Heidi. Kate is my nemesis.”Bella smiled at the look of outrage on Kate’s face.

“Me a nemesis?!! I am more a side kick than a nemesis.”Kate couldn’t believe that Bella would say she was against her.

“I’m the brains of the operation.”Irina said as she entered the room and handed Bella a shake.

Bella sat up and took the shake from Irina.”Thank you sweetheart.”

“You’re welcome.”Irina gave Bella a gentle kiss before turning her attention to her sisters.”Hello Tanya, Kate, Rosalie.”

Tanya pulled Irina into a hug.”We missed the pair of you very much.”

“Yeah I hated that I wasn’t there to punch that girl in the face for attacking you.”Kate said getting her own hug from Irina.

“What happened to the girl?”Rosalie asked.

“She was arrested for attempted assault and released on bail an hour ago.”Jane was planning on paying the girl a visit before she went back to the castle. A visit the queens were allowing her a few extra days away from the castle for.

“I had our lawyers file a restraining order.”Irina told her.

“We were going to have you do that as well.”Tanya was pleased that Irina had been proactive.

“So are you the new member of the family?”Bella asked Rosalie.

Rosalie walked up to Bella and held out her hand.”I’m Rosalie Hale.”

“Hale? I thought you were a Cullen?”Bella took the hand in her own and shook it.

Rosalie was unable to stop the shiver that went though her body feeling the first touch of her mate’s skin. Trying to shake off the need to pull Bella into her arms and never let her go Rosalie focused on the question.”I refused to let Carlisle take everything about my human life away from me.”

“I have a feeling there is a story there.”Noticing Rosalie’s discomfort Bella was quick to reassure her.”You don’t have to tell me or anyone else what that story is. We won’t pry.”

“Thank you Bella.”Rosalie was happy her mate wasn’t pushing for her to tell her about her turning. She would tell Bella eventually not right then when there was more important things going on.

“Why don’t you take a seat and tell us how you feel being human again.”Bella suggested.

“Her changing was so boring. She didn’t make a sound.”Kate said taking a seat on the love seat.

Irina lifted Bella up, took a seat on the couch and pulled her onto her lap.”You mean she didn’t giggle uncontrollably like a small child like you do?”

“I don’t giggle uncontrollably.”Kate would never giggle.

“I have video evidence as proof.”Irina had recorded Kate numerous time during her changes.

“That’s a gross violation of privacy.”Kate was going to have to find and destroy all copies of those videos.

“Violation of privacy or not they are a good way to make Bella laugh.”Heidi told her.

“You have seen the videos?”Kate asked.

“Irina sent them to me a while ago.”Heidi was glad she did because the videos had cheered Bella up after her match.

“I think most of the guard and even the queens have those videos.”Jane had been planning on using the videos to shut Kate up about Jane’s own laughter when she changed.

Kate looked at Irina in disbelief.”How could you do this to me? Your own sister.”

“It’s payback for all the times you mess with us.”Irina didn’t feel bad about sharing the videos. They had to deal with Kate’s antics constantly. It was only right they got back at her when they could.

“How does it feel being human again Rosalie?”Bella asked the blond trying to stop a fight before it broke out.

“It feels amazing. I’m still in awe that it’s possible. Even if it’s only for a few days.”Rosalie said.

“That’s how all of us felt as well our first time.”Tanya hadn’t believed it was real for the first hour of her change.

“How does it work? I know I take a pill but what’s in the pill?”Rosalie hadn’t figured that part out yet.

“I guess it’s ok to tell you now as Bella has given you the block.”Tanya didn’t really want to reveal the secret to anyone but as Bella’s mate Rosalie deserved to know.

“What do you mean Bella has given me the block?”Rosalie hadn’t felt anything.

“I apologize I should have asked first.”Bella had assumed that Rosalie had already agreed.

“You don’t have to apologize I just didn’t realize anything happened.”Rosalie was happy to have the block.

“Due to a lot of experimentation and practice with my gift I am able to built blocks around other people’s minds. I had thought that you had already agreed to getting one and did it when you walked into the room. Unfortunately there is no way to undo it.”Bella told her.

“No I do want it. I just expected to feel something.”Rosalie would take the chance to have her mind protected any day.

“When I first started developing it the person would feel pain worse than Jane’s gift felt. I honestly don’t know why anyone even volunteered to have it done.”Bella had wanted to stop experimenting but numerous vampires came to her for her help. None of them cared about the pain. Of course the queens chose who would get the block.

“I would have done it for the opportunity to be immune to mental gifts.”Rosalie wouldn’t have cared how much it hurt.

“Coming from a coven with a mind reader, a seer and an empath I could easily see why you would do anything to get the block.”Heidi had volunteered but the queens forbid her until they knew it was safe.

“I haven’t had a minute of privacy since I became a vampire.”It was Rosalie’s biggest complaint.

“I think I would become extremely bitter and hateful towards my coven if I was so exposed for so long.”Bella hated the microscope she lived under but at least her mind was her own.

“I’m surprised you didn’t break off from them a long time ago.”Jane wouldn’t have stayed with Cullens if she was Rosalie.

“Honestly I didn’t really have anywhere else to go. Nor did Carlisle really explain how to live as a vampire in modern times.”Rosalie had thought about leaving a bunch of times she just didn’t have the resources to get by on her own.

“He is very stuck on his fantasy of the perfect family. The perfect job, the perfect stay at home wife, the perfect children, the perfect house. Hell he even makes you guys go school to sell the image.”Kate said.

“I would miserable if I had to go to school one time. I can’t imagine going dozens.”Bella was grateful that she always had private tutors growing up. Then when she moved in with the Denali Eleazar took over her schooling. With his help Bella had managed to pass her GED with high scores in all subjects.

“That’s something I am very happy I won’t have to do again.”Rosalie was very happy with that being one of the perks of being a Denali.”You were telling me about the pill?”

“I told you the pill contained human blood remember?”Getting a nod from Rosalie Tanya continued.”Well the human blood belongs to Bella.”

“What significance does Bella’s blood have with this?”Rosalie asked.

“Bella’s blood is the reason we can turn.”Tanya told her.

“I don’t understand.”Rosalie wasn’t sure how Bella’s blood could turn a vampire human.

“I think the best way to explain is to tell you how we accidentally figured out a way to turn.”Tanya figured that would be the best way to make Rosalie understand.”We told you the story about the motorcycle accident. We left out a few parts. One of those parts was Irina accidentally getting some of Bella’s blood on her lips. Not knowing it was there she licked her lips and when the blood mixed with her venom she was changed back.”

“Wait you are saying that by drinking Bella’s blood a vampire changes back to human?”Rosalie wasn’t sure she believed that.

Tanya nodded.”It was quite the surprise. At first we didn’t know what happened and we were all very freaked out. I mean we have been alive for a thousand years and this is the first time any of us had heard of a vampire changing to a human.”

“I would have been freaked out as well.”Rosalie would have been panicked if it happened to her.

“Yes well not knowing what to do we ran what tests we could and monitored Irina. When the 72 hours ended and she changed back we were all relieved and somewhat saddened that it wasn’t a permanent thing. We also weren’t sure if it would happen for other vampires or just Irina because they are mated. Kate tried it next and after she was successful the rest of us tried as well.”Tanya remembered how exhilarating it was to be human again after so long.

“How did the queens get involved?”Rosalie wondered why the Denali would tell them.

“We knew that we needed to inform the queens of such an amazing discovery so we took Bella to Italy. I wasn’t lying when I said that the queens were taken with her right away. We hadn’t even told them the reason we were there and Didyme was already claiming her as her daughter.”Tanya told her.

“What happened when they found out about Bella’s blood?”Rosalie asked.

“They were shocked. They had never even heard a rumor of a human’s blood turning a vampire. They asked for a sample which Bella provided and used it on one of the lesser guards. When he was turned they were astonished. Initially they wanted Bella to live at the castle where she would be protected from anyone who found out about it but Bella convinced them to let her leave with guards so she could continue playing tennis.”Tanya was still in awe of Bella’s skill in dealing with the queens.

“Do the queens force Bella to give blood?”Rosalie figured they must if all the vampires in the room were human.

Bella laughed.”Force me? No they would never force me. If anything they aren’t pleased with how much I give.”

“They assigned a group of vampire scientists to focus on Bella’s blood. They came up with a way for Bella to safely give one pint of blood a week. They take that blood and mix it with some type of chemical compounds that enhances the effects. Then it’s measured out and turned into the pill you took. All in all each pill contains about a drop and a half of Bella’s blood.”Tanya explained.

“How long has Bella been giving blood?”Rosalie wondered how many pills were made.

“I started giving one pint a month about 6 months before I turn 15. The scientists came up with a way to give more a month after my 15th birthday. I have been regally giving a pint a week since then.”Bella told her.

“Is your blood the reason why the queens don’t mind that you are human?”Rosalie asked.

“If the queens had it their way Bella would have been a vampire the second she stepped into the throne room.”Jane heard the many rants the queens had about Bella being in danger.

“The call all of us constantly to plead with us to convince Bella to turn.”Irina would prefer it as well but would never force Bella to give up her tennis career.

“They try to bribe me all the time. The last one was an offer to build a race track behind the castle for me to ride motorcycles on if I would turn.”Bella hadn’t been interested but Kate tried to get her to accept because she wanted her own race track where she didn’t have to worry about humans.

“I still think you should have accepted that.”Kate desperately wanted her own race track. Tanya refused to let them build one in Alaska. Even the area they cleared for Bella wasn’t that big and you couldn’t go fast on it.

“You say that to everything they offer her.”Tanya had to step in many times to get Kate to stop bugging Bella about accepting the queens offers to turn.

“Well it doesn’t matter what they offer I am not going to be changed until my tennis career is over.”Bella had to many things she wanted to achieve before she was turned.”Plus Didyme wants me to represent Italy for the next Olympics and I can’t do that as a vampire. That being something I will be bringing up every time she tries to persuade me.”

“With how passionate she is about the Olympics it might just work.”Jane actually expected the queens to make an appearance at Bella’s podium ceremony.

Thinking about the Olympics Rosalie realized something.”Because we can be human is how you are able to get tattoos.”

“Yup and now you see why we couldn’t tell your former coven.”Kate said.

“Telling them about us being able to become human would be a horrible idea.”Rosalie fully agreed with not telling the Cullens about Bella’s blood.”I don’t even want to imagine what Carlisle and Edward would do if they found out.”

“How did it go with the Cullens?”Bella hadn’t been told anything about the coven other than they were visiting her family.

“Not well. They got there about a half an hour before your match started so we had to reveal that you were part of our family, that you were human and that the queens were fine with it. Once Carlisle and Edward found out you were human they began questioning what was so special about you that the queens wouldn’t force you to become a vampire. They were of the belief that if the queens were keeping you human it was because there was something about you that benefited them. Which is true but not the reason you are being kept human. We of course didn’t tell them that. It did peek their interest. That interest grew when it was revealed that you can make it so vampires don’t sparkle in the sun.”Tanya was not happy with that interest at all.

“They asked about you taking them on trips. Tanya and Carmen shut them down.”Kate told them.

“Why would they think that I would take some random vampires I don’t know on trips?”Bella asked.

Rosalie desperately wanted to tell Bella about the mate bond but knew it wouldn’t be a good idea.“They are opportunist who expect to have their every whim catered to.”

“Carlisle has always been self righteous and is of the belief that he is superior to all vampires. I wouldn’t doubt that he has been making plans to have you in his coven. When he was at the castle he tried to recruit members of the royal guard to join his coven. That was one of the reasons the queens kicked him out of the castle.”Jane said.

“He actually approached me. His whole pitch was that I could use my gift for what he considered good. That being convincing vampires to feed from animals instead of humans. I laughed in his face and reported him to the queens.”Heidi would never betray the queens. She owed them a life debt after they saved her from a coven of vampires that had kidnapped her to hold as hostage to get her original coven to hand over their territory. Her original coven didn’t even try and negotiate for her. It was the guard that came to clean up the mess and freed her from captivity. After that Heidi didn’t even bother going back to her coven she went to Italy and asked the queens for a place with them.

“What an idiot.”Bella knew that Heidi would never leave the queens.”Do you think that he is going to be a problem?”

“I guarantee he, Edward and Esme are going to be a problem. What kind of problem I’m not sure.”Tanya had no doubt that the trio were plotting ways to get Bella.

“Not that you have to worry about it. Your guards will protect you and the queens will punish them severely if they try anything.”Irina wasn’t worried about the Cullens. The Denali had the might of the Volturi protecting them.

“I’m not worried. They wouldn’t be the first idiots who tried to claim me.”Bella said.

Rosalie growled hearing that.”Who tried to claim you?”

“I’ve had to deal with stalkers since I was a child. You don’t have to worry about them though. My guards take care of them.”Bella didn’t ask how they took care of them as she figured it would be better she didn’t know.

“I will speak to your guards then.”Rosalie wanted to know who was targeting her mate. That way she could kill them.

“Ok.”Bella thought that was an odd thing for Rosalie to do but had come to understand vampires were odd sometimes.”How did it come about that you became a member of the family?

“I didn’t agree with Carlisle, Edward and Esme’s obvious obsession with having you as a member of the coven. They weren’t even trying to hide their want for you. It’s came to a head when Carlisle demanded the Denali tell him about you or he would seek you out and get answers from you personally. After that I knew I couldn’t be a part of a coven that would target an innocent human for their own gain. A fight then broke out between Carlisle, Edward and the Denali and when it was over I asked if I could became a member of your coven and Tanya agreed.”Rosalie was very thankful that she did because it gave her a way to be around her mate. Something if she was a Cullen would have never happened. Especially after finding out about Bella’s blood.

“What an asshole.”Heidi was unsurprised that Carlisle would make a threat to someone who had the queens’ favor.

“An asshole we no longer have to worry about because I officially cut ties with the Cullens and reported them to the queens.”Tanya told them.

“I don’t think my mothers are going to be happy learning about them threatening me.”Bella predicted that the Cullens were going to be getting an invitation to Italy very soon.

“Probably not.”Kate agreed.

Irina checked her watch.”We need to get going. I reserved the hotel pool so that Bella could soak in the hot tub.”

“We will come with you.”Heidi wanted to spend as much time as she could with Bella before she had to go back to the castle.

“I’m going to take Rosalie out to dinner. It will be her first official meal as a human and she deserves to have something other than Bella’s bland meals.”Kate wanted Rosalie to enjoy her first official meal as a human.

Rosalie wanted to go with Bella but wasn’t sure she could control herself around Bella in a bathing suit.”That would be nice.”

“I’ll join you.”Tanya wouldn’t mind having a nice dinner.

“When we get back I’m going to go over some of tomorrow’s opponent’s matches if you guys want to join us.”Bella offered.

“Of course we do.”Kate wouldn’t miss it.

“I’d be happy to watch some matches with you.”Rosalie was pleased that she was being included with the group.

“Good.”Bella said as she stood from Irina’s lap. She gave Tanya a hug followed by Kate.”I’m really happy you both are here.”

“We are happy to be here little one.”Tanya told her.

“It’s nice meeting you Rosalie and welcome to the family.”Bella was looking forward to getting to know Rosalie better because anyone her family would let join them after so many centuries had to be someone special.

“It’s nice meeting you as well.”Rosalie was holding back from telling Bella how nice it really was.

Irina grabbed the duffle bag packed with all Bella’s clothes and towels.“We will see you later.”

“See you.”Kate waved to the four of them as they walked out the door.”Come on we need to hurry so we can get back here to watch the matches with Bella.”

“Do you have a place in mind?”Tanya asked.

“I was thinking since we are in Georgia that we should sample some local soul food so I found a place that has the best reviews.”Kate said.

“I’ve never had soul food.”Rosalie hadn’t really had that many different food items. Her meals and snacks stayed the same throughout her human life.

“We haven’t either so this will be an adventure for all of us.”Kate always like to try the local cuisine when they traveled.

“I guess it will be.”Rosalie agreed. Following Tanya and Kate out of the room she looked at the guards waiting for them. When they had left Denali territory a contingent of guards had met them and had been with them since. It was a little unnerving being so close to the guards as Rosalie was taught that the queens and the guard were sadistic and went out of their way to terrorize vampires and humans alike. That hadn’t been the case with the ones that traveled with them. They were really nice and had been very welcoming to Rosalie. They even noticed Rosalie’s discomfort and tried to put her at ease. It did help as did watching and listening to Kate interact with them. It was obvious that they were all friends. Even Tanya smiled when she interacted with them. Rosalie still wasn’t a hundred percent comfortable but figured that if they kept acting the way they had been it would be easy to think of them as more than bloodthirsty monsters. As least she hoped it would because she knew that being mated to Bella they would be around her a lot and Bella wasn’t someone she would be walking away from. If that meant she had to deal with the guards then she would do it.