Possessing Bella Ch. 02

Bella looked at Dianne during the exchange. She seemed subdued and wouldn't return her gaze as the men made plans for their evening and Rhys left the room with Patrick issuing friendly farewells and best wishes with her plans. As they left to drive to the restaurant Kurt suggested, Bella noticed Dianne wasn't with them and frowned looking back over her shoulder as Dianne took a seat at her desk while they stood waiting for the elevator.

"Dianne has some important things to attend to," Kurt explained seeing her expression and the look she gave Dianne. Bella nodded but once again her lip got caught between her teeth. They stepped into the elevator and rode down in silence.

As Kurt went to check in with reception, Bella turned to Rob and said softly, "I am sorry if I have been acting like a spoilt brat coming back and demanding everyone change their schedules around me."

"You haven't demanded anything. You came to me with a proposition and asked if it could be done. Then you compromised on everything, when we discussed it. Demanding people don't ask and discuss things and a spoilt brat would have stamped her foot and not compromised," Rhys had told them what Dianne had said, and Rob knew how much the barbed words of her friend would have impacted on the fragile bravado Bella had mustered to come back to the world that both he and Kurt had been concerned she would forsake after the murder of her Master.

"You need to tell us what it is you need right now," he continued softly pulling her close to him. "What you have been through was traumatic to say the least and I believe you are being very brave in the face of other people's judgment. You can't take every snide comment on board, sometimes there are other reasons why people say the things they say."

"I don't feel very brave, right now," Bella whispered.

"Dianne was a little upset that you didn't call her and tell her what you were planning and let her give you her advice, like she used to," Rob admitted. "Like the rest of us she grieved for Mel with you and didn't know what to say or do. We all hoped you would come to us when you were ready. Kurt and I, as your guardians, are in a unique position where you must come to us if you want to remain part of the world Mel gave you, but Dianne was hoping you would still seek her out in friendship. She shouldn't have said what she said, and she will be punished by not attending tonight but try and understand that she just misses your close friendship."

"I am such a horrible person," Bella almost cried. "I keep being so cruel to the people I care about and this time I was so focused on what I needed..." her voice trailed off.

"It will get easier, and there is nothing there that can't be repaired in time," Rob reassured her but let her own the blame and guilt for her actions.

"I expect there are quite a few people who deserve apologies and explanations from me after the last six months," Bella admitted. She considered how she would do this as they walked to the car and drove to the restaurant.

During the meal, Kurt gave her his views on her business plan. It was raw and had holes in it, but he thought the kinks could be worked out and improved to make it a sound proposition. He suggested a two week cycle of business and training so that each month progress could be made on both her personal and her business plan. The first two weeks of the business side would be spent with himself or another company executive working out the kinks in her proposal. This would mean she would require an office sooner rather than later and a personal assistant at the company.

"May I please just retain Dorothea?" Bella asked a little confused.

"Of course," Kurt said magnanimously, "But Dorothea is well past retirement age and you really do need to consider other options, as well. She may not wish to come back or only stay for a short time."

"I also have an idea about the offices," Bella chewed her lip, "It will probably sound like I am being bratty and demanding again, though."

"After tonight, when both your personal and business plans have been laid out and agreed to, I doubt there will be another opportunity for you to be bratty or demanding so let's have it," Kurt laughed.

"Well..." she hesitated and took a deep breath before saying what she thought. "Rob admitted he leaves the running of the company up to you and he is just there for the really big decisions." Rob raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Wouldn't it be better if Kurt and whoever ran things in his absence, if there ever is one, had the suites to entertain clients and such. I mean you two could switch offices, whoever the person is that is best to step up when needed, can have my office and I will take theirs."

"Makes sense," Rob agreed acknowledging that he was barely there to make use of the suite of rooms he occupied.

"I think it might be too soon to change the structure from what Mel had in place. There have been several men who have been invaluable over the last six months and are part of the reason the company is still earning large profits for us all." Kurt hedged.

"She right though," Rob said seriously. "Mel would never have left the business solely in my hands. He was always the one who drove the company and with recent events being what they are we, meaning you, should probably look at who could steer the ship if anything untoward happened." Kurt nodded but seemed anxious about the discussion.

"Did you enjoy your night with Wildman?" Kurt asked changing the conversation rapidly, needing time to think over what Bella and Rob had said wondering if being the new CEO of such a large and profitable company made him a target.

"Yes thank you," Bella blushed deeply before adding, "Very much."

"Good, then tonight will be a no-brainer. Charles will tell everyone what to do, and we will back him up. It should be over quickly," Kurt smirked at Bella. "That was a very clever little manoeuvre you pulled there, little one." She returned his smile still blushing, and they talked about the training and the various Masters Mel had approached to add to her training. Eventually, Kurt looked at his watch and declared they should leave.

Arriving at the club Bella worried that she should change, but Kurt and Rob took her straight down to the meeting. As she entered the large den, she looked around noting the people she knew. She smiled at them all and went to kneel awkwardly in her dress between Kurt and Rob. The twins had arrived with their girls; Charles had not brought Sara; Leon too was alone and sat in conversation with Josie and her girl Gian. Jack and Dusty stood slight apart with Jake and Stephen close by. It seemed everyone had arrived early, and Bella felt butterflies flip her stomach over as she endured the looks everyone gave her.

"Good, we are all here. Jack you called this meeting so let's get on with it," Rob said seriously.

"We should get rid of the slave flesh first," Mike Millar stated, looking around.

"Send yours if you wish, but the rest can stay as it concerns them," Jack said abruptly. He stated his case that Mel had approached at least five of the Masters present to assist in the training of his girl, Bella. He thought it still appropriate that she receive the training he had planned for her to help her make safe, sane and consensual choices within their lifestyle. He continued on, reminding the dominants of girls they all knew who had been in a similar position of being partially trained and making less than favourable matches with Masters that were new to lifestyle themselves. He spoke of making an offer to Bella recently and her subsequent return, and Rob's choice to deviate from Mel's original plan. He felt it only right that Bella attend his ranch first to take up the training he had offered. Finally, he sat and opened his arms as if inviting others to speak up.

"It seems to me," Charles said slowly and deliberately, "That if you are going to hold up Mel's plan for training this little girl as the reason to interrupt what has happened in the last twenty-four hours that you are entirely mistaken about Bella attending your ranch first." He looked at all the dominants in the room commanding their attention.

"You see," he picked up Bella's work diary from the desk before him, "In the true schedule set out in Mel's own hand it was my Sara who was first, followed by Tali, Nyx and then Dusty and Dianne. There is one girls name written on each of the five days of her working week." Charles placed the open diary back on the table for others to view.

"This book was here in the den. Rob had, of course, sought out information about the training Mel had set up. After seeing this, he contacted me in regards to Bella's request to resume her training after your unannounced visit to Bella at her retreat," Charles said making the Jack's motives seem underhanded. There was a murmur among the other Masters that he allowed to continue for a minute before raising his hand. "I am an old man and Sara is more than enough for me to handle so I asked a man that I had mentored and whom I would trust with Sara's life to train little Bella in my stead."

"I see no problem with that; Rob is her guardian, along with Kurt," Leon shrugged voicing his opinion. "It really shouldn't have anything to do with the stakeholders, she is not property of the club nor does she influence the running of it. Surely it is best to leave this matter in the hands of her guardians." Leon had still not come to terms with what had happened in Italy. He believed that the loss of his friends and the trauma Bella had gone through could have been avoided if he had just been faster at putting the pieces of Lucifer's identity together. Guilt racked him, and he found it hard to be in the same room as Bella and discuss her future without Mel.

"My thoughts exactly," Charles agreed. "I believe this rushed meeting has done nothing but distress a little girl who was bravely trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life." He looked meaningfully at Jack.

"That was not my intention at all," Jack said with some anger in his voice. "There was nothing underhanded in my call for this meeting merely to gain a clear knowledge of Rob's actions and intent. I want only for Bella to be safe and happy."

"It is what we all want," Charles agreed, "Or none of us would have come to see what it was all about. As we are all here though, I would like to put forward a new idea to those Masters that Mel did approach and give those he didn't the opportunity to offer their guidance to Bella through Rob." Once again he paused for the murmuring and nods of assent. "I would suggest that if any of you are still willing to offer training to the little one, consider choosing a man you trust and have preferably mentored yourself. They could undertake that training, with your close supervision, if you wish, but none-the-less someone who may be able to become her Master in the future should a strong bond form during the training."

"Agreed," Mike Millar surprisingly spoke up. "What time frame are we talking about? Training for a girl who comes to me would take longer I would think than most others as it is an exacting practise including dance and movement styles."

"She also requires a return to the company she is now a minor partner in so we will stagger the training between work commitments," Kurt added to the conversation. "We were considering two week intervals. If that is not enough time, we can negotiate with you Mike." Mike nodded and sat back to survey the small girl that had created this fuss wondering if she was strong enough to be treated as a slave of Gor.

"I'm in," said Mark, "Just call me to set up the timing, and I will see if my man can be available.

"You could add me to the list of you like," Josie waved a hand, "Mel didn't ask me but she may as well have the experience of a fully rounded training." Rob nodded, and Bella's eyes widened a little as Gian smiled shyly at her.

"Come here little one," Charles said softly to Bella. She unfurled unsteadily and walked to his feet allowing him to pull her into his lap. "You have heard what we all said but as always you have a choice. I know Mel well enough to know he always gave you the choice in big life decisions. Your ability to choose this life or not is your greatest asset," he smiled at her. "So here is your chance to be heard, you are safe here and we will listen to you."

"May I stand, please, Master Charles," Bella said quietly. Charles smiled and helped her to her feet.

"Firstly I would like to thank you all for coming tonight, many of you barely know me and yet you have all listened and agreed with what has been said. I have acted badly in my grief, shutting out my friends and the friends of my Master, and I apologise sincerely for that," she looked pointedly at Dusty before turning her gaze on the other girls who smiled encouragingly.

"In truth, I had not considered resuming the training my Master had put in place until Master Jack and Dusty came to see me, but the idea was one that appealed to me greatly which is why I returned and spoke with Master Rob. I will happily abide by what is decided for me and did not expect things to be put into place so quickly. I am a little overwhelmed and would like to thank each of you for your offer to continue my training. I respect and trust both Master Rob and Master Kurt and would hope that, with their help, I can make my Master, Mel, proud of the way I have chosen to continue to live in the way he wanted, even when he is gone." Her voice caught, and she drew her shoulders back willing herself not to cry.

"I understand that you all have busy lives and that fitting in the training of a girl that is not your own can be hard and should you changed your schedules or that of others for me I will do my very best to prove I am worthy of it. I would very much like to return to William Wilder tonight, and allow you, the Masters I respect so much, and Mistress," Bella inclined her head to Josie, "to put in place what happens next."

"So will I send her back to Wildman tonight, Jack?" Charles inquired.

"What you have said, and what Bella herself has said, have moved me to withdraw my earlier statement. I will, however, be checking on her situation each week to ensure her safety and happiness," he said seriously.

"Perhaps an impartial arbitrator would be best," Charles suggested, "Maybe Stephen, who looks after the girls here so well, could report for you on a weekly basis. He has a second here at the club now, I believe and may enjoy taking on new tasks."

"He is a busy man already..." Jack began trying to hold onto the thread that would connect him to Bella until she came to him for training.

"It would be an interesting change of pace," Stephen cut across his words. There had been tension between Rob and Jack since Mel's death and he could see this brewing as another point of contention when in truth he welcomed the opportunity to ensure Bella's safety as he had been quietly doing for the last six months.

"Well if that's over, I have to get going," Leon stood unable to bear the sadness of the small girl's voice any longer. There was a murmur of assent and with a wave of his arm he walked from the room. At his suggestion, several of the other stakeholders left after him sensing the tension between Rob and Jack that would be better dealt with without their presence. Within fifteen minutes, it was Jack, Charles, Rob and Kurt who remained with Stephen who hovered close to Bella.

"I will escort Bella and Dusty up to her apartment so she can change, if there is more on this topic to be said," Stephen offered intuitively realising that Charles was probably the best man to intervene in the tension between Rob and Jack over Bella's welfare before it blew out to be a larger issue.

As Stephen closed the door, he heard Charles say, "If you could have put your ego aside long enough to call Rob and ask you could have avoided all of this and putting that little girl under even more pressure."

The girls were silent as they rode the elevator up, and Stephen let Bella into her apartment. He took a seat in a comfortable chair as they went into Bella's room.

"Dusty I am sorry, I had to tell Rob, he's the closest thing I have to Master right now. I needed to tell him, I haven't been making the best decisions on my own lately," Bella began.

"You still could have talked to me, Dianne, any of the girls..." Dusty said with hurt stinging her voice.

"And then what? Just run away to the ranch? Have Rob or Stephen come and drag me back to explain myself?" Bella said in frustration. "I don't how it is for you or the other girls, but I have so many people watching every little thing I do. If I fart too often I am raced to the doctor!" She sat on the edge of the bed her head in her hands. "Seems no matter what I do it's the wrong thing and has been since Mel's death. Maybe I just should have stayed in hiding instead of coming back, but it's too late now, so I have to make the best of it."

Dusty sat beside her on the bed and put an arm around her shoulder. "You have always been the little innocent seeming one, Dianne and I just want to help you, look after you, in our own way. You don't talk to us about what's going on with you since..." Dusty sighed. "She called me, before you arrived, in tears. She said some mean things, but you have to know she really didn't mean any of them. We're your friends, we just want to help, and you seem to be shutting us out."

"I'm sorry but until last night I wasn't even really sure I wanted this," Bella tried to explain. "I don't know who I am without Mel but it felt good to have a Master that didn't feel the need to treat me like a broken toy or like I might shatter at any moment. It felt good not to have to think, just obey. It's what I need right now, and it's the only thing I am sure about. I don't want to talk about what happened in Italy anymore. I don't want to talk about how I am feeling or that I am okay for now. I don't want to help everyone else deal with their grief by reliving those details. I have nightmares, I jump at loud noises, I don't want to talk to all those people down there about Mel and how I feel, I need to move on or go insane."

Dusty nodded, she hadn't realised how the good intentions of wanting Bella close so she could look after her and talk to her would have a negative effect. She stood up and walked into the wardrobe rifling through the clothes as she thought about Bella's words. "Well if you're determined to go you better wear something suitable," she said in her deep rich voice.

"He'll be on his bike, so boots would be handy," Bella said quietly frowning at the change of mood.

"If I remember right, he is a fan of the slutty school girl sort of look," Dusty pulled out a tartan pleated skirt and a sheer white blouse. Bella gave a sad half laugh and nodded, taking the clothes from Dusty's hands.

An hour later, Wildman strode into the den of the club, picked Bella up in a fireman's hold and grunted to Rob, "I'll return her Sunday night." Then he left without acknowledgement of any of the other people in the room. Dumping her onto the back of his bike, he gave her a jacket and helmet before he climbed on, and the bike roared to life beneath them.

They arrived at his warehouse apartment and drove into the garage. Before the rolling door had shut Bella found herself stripped of the helmet and jacket and once again bundled over a broad shoulder in a fireman's hold as he took the stairs two at a time. Striding through the vast warehouse space he finally stopped in the far dark corner of the dimly lit room. He sat her on the small half sized bed she had slept on the night before and began lighting candles in the small area. It seemed to Bella he had taken some time to prepare for her return.