┏━━━━⋆｡‧˚ʚ ❀ ɞ˚‧｡⋆━━━━┓

THAT FUNNY FEELING

SETTLING BACK IN VOLTERRA AFTER HAVING HER BRAIN OVERLOADED WITH REINSTATED MEMORIES WAS DIFFERENT.

It was a nice kind of different, because despite being back in Forks for only less than a day, she desperately needed a break.

The twins were happy to indulge in her, showering her with promises of board games that they readily fulfilled. Billie had finally gotten to show Alec what Operation was about, only to discover that it was the one board game he absolutely sucked at.

"I have such a steady hand, he says," Billie teased, lowering her voice in a way that was meant to mimic Alec's.

Jane laughed freely alongside her. "How hard could this stupid little game be, he says," she added, all while the two blondes sat across from the boy they were relentlessly teasing. They watched as his hand moved ever so slightly, the loud buzzing noise signalling that he lost once again.

"This is beyond foolish," he complained, tossing the little tweezers that came with the game into the wooden table. He crossed his arms over his chest, a sneer on his pale face. "Mock me all you want; but at least I excel at games that have more depth."

"What kind of depth do board games possess, brother?" Jane asked with an eye roll.

Alec narrowed his eyes at her. "Monopoly requires a mastered skill in manipulation and work ethic," he explained, and the seriousness in his tone only made Billie's laughter ramp up. He took offence to this, clearly. "I don't know why you're laughing, seeing as you never win."

Billie gasped, pointing a finger in his direction. "I've won once! That's once more than Jane has ever won!"

Jane's head swivelled in her direction, ever so slowly. "If tearing your legs off your body wouldn't result in my immediate execution, I would've done so by now."

"Oh, I'm so telling Aro you said that."

All three turned towards the newest presence in the doorway of Caius' study. Jane scoffed in Demetri's direction. "You wouldn't dare."

"I wouldn't," he conceded, approaching the trio of vampires and taking a seat on top of the wooden table, "but seeing you fret about it was worth it."

Jane growled. "I do not fret."

"All you do is fret," Alec told her, the corners of his lips quirking upward as he tried not to laugh at the angered look on his sister's face.

"You fret the most over our dear Billie," Demetri noted, inwardly thinking back on a multitude of occasions where he caught Jane in the act of caring for the girl. "It's endearing; seeing you care for someone other than yourself."

Billie pressed a hand against her chest. "You care about me?" she cooed, slumping a little in her chair with a smile. "Likewise, Janey."

Jane sputtered out a string of unintelligible syllables, ending with a couple Italian words that Billie had an inkling were actually cusses. She finished her agitated rant by rising, addressing the others in the room.

"We do not speak of this. Ever."

In classic Jane fashion, she vanished from the room and left the other three to descend into laughter. Billie didn't take it to heart because really, the fact that Jane got so worked up over Demetri's accusation was telling enough.

Truth be it, Billie and Jane were best friends around here— one would openly admit to that, and the other would likely stop your entire bloodline from progressing before admitting to that.

Still, something warm settled in Billie's chest, and she distinctly recognized the feeling as a funny one she felt more often than not, recently.

It was the feeling of belonging.

˚ʚ ❀ ɞ˚

"Am I disturbing you, amore?"

Billie's head lifted from the book she was reading, closing it in her lap when the man ventured further into his study— his study that Billie had shamelessly taken up as her own.

"Not at all," she smiled, watching as he approached her from her seat behind his desk with a piece of parchment in his hand. "What's that?"

Aro observed her for a moment too long, eyes scanning over her being as she innocently occupied his space. He blinked once, holding the paper up to her. "I was hoping you would read it, and give me your thoughts."

Billie took it from his grasp when he came to sit in the chair opposite of the desk. "I can't proofread your poems to me; it defeats the purpose," she joked, and it eased a light chuckle from the man.

"I can assure you it's not that... I know you despise my poetry," he told her, and before she could even try and dismiss that very factual statement (because oh my god, he should really stick to being a diplomat instead of a writer), he clarified what exactly it was. "It's a letter to our dear friends in America."

"The Cullens?" she inquired. "Why are you writing to them?"

A beat of silence. "I've taken your suggestions on how to handle them into account," he explained before pointing to the paper, "and that is what I've come up with."

Billie rolled her eyes fondly, because of course only Aro would send an entire coven a letter on why they were being pardoned. Maybe it was to shove it in their face that Billie was with him and not them, or maybe it was because he wanted to make sure he had the last laugh.

Either way, she held the parchment in her hand and began reading its contents.

"TO THE CULLEN FAMILY,

Hope you are doing well after our latest disagreement!

As you may know, the Volturi do not give second chances; however, despite your utter lack of regard for her wellbeing, my mate still seems rather fond of you all and wishes for your coven's survival.

It is because of her kindhearted pleas that you will officially be pardoned for your previous acts of treason regarding the harm of one Billie Burbank, and regarding the conspiracy to overthrow the Volturi with your little witnesses.

With that said, just know that should any of you even step a toe out of line, your entire coven will be wiped from existence. I will personally make sure of it.

My mate might be a selfless soul, but I do hope you have come to understand that I am not.

Do not write back, for I will not answer. :)

— ARO VOLTURI, KING.

Billie looked up at Aro after reading over the crisp piece of parchment, and the man almost looked a little hesitant to see her reaction. "Was that too harsh of me? Be honest."

The blonde girl nudged her foot against his, sliding the paper across the table as she got up from her seat, walking around the desk to plant a soft kiss on his cheek.

"I think that was actually pretty tame of you, Vamp King."

⋆｡‧˚ʚ ❀ ɞ˚‧｡⋆

[ wyn's note ]

forty chapters later, and FROM EDEN has finally come to a close!! so crazy that this all started with a message board pipe dream and a ben barnes face claim :,) 

don't worry; the epilogue is coming!! it'll be out in the next few days just to give billie a little extra smth smth (aka her definite happy ending cause she of all people deserves it)

all my love xx