Nightfall 14

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The final stand

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He stared at me, completely aware of what I'd been doing. Knowing that I knew his plans. Alice was staring at me too, her eyes panicked. Her visions had probably shifted – I'd already made up my mind. It was time to put Jasper's theory to the test. I crossed the room in a millisecond. I turned to Edward, my eyes filled with love and determination.

"I love you." I whispered and then grabbed Jasper's arm.

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It took every ounce of concentration I had to pull Jasper's power from him and redirect it to the vampires in the room. I could feel the energy soaring through me as the members of my family dropped to the floor. All but one. Rosalie.

She stared at me with wide eyes. "Give me their credit cards, passports and money. It won't stop them but it'll certainly slow them down." My voice sounded hoarse from the effort of channeling Jasper's power.

Rosalie nodded. She ran around the room and collected what I'd asked for. I stared at Edward's unmoving face. His eyes were closed and he seemed unnaturally still. I wondered if he could hear me, or if the lethargy I was sending his way was strong enough to interfere with his hearing as well.

Rosalie dropped the money and documents in her purse and handed it to me, placing her credit card at the top.

"What's your pin number?" I asked but she was already scribbling it on the back of my hand with the hotel pen.

I took a deep breath "I don't know what will happen when I let go of Jasper. I'm not sure I'll be able to hold the effect..."

"I'll stall them as much as I can." Rosalie whispered.

I nodded "Are you ready?"

It was her turn to nod. As I closed my eyes to concentrate she stopped me.

"Bella?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

I opened my eyes to find her inches away from me. She threw her arms awkwardly around my shoulders and I tried to hug her back without letting go of Jasper's arm. With Rosalie's arms around me I felt powerful, beautiful, invincible.

"Come back alive, sister." She whispered

"I will try my best," I whispered back. "Please tell him I love him and I'm sorry."

She nodded and took a step back. It took me only a moment of concentration to knock her down too.

With Rosalie lying on the floor along side the rest of my family, I focused on retaining Jasper's energy and then swiftly let go.

Stay where you are. Stay where you are. I repeated those words like a mantra while I ran out the room and down the stairs. It was then that I realized I couldn't really tell whether I was using Jasper's powers or my own. Whichever the case, it had the desired result. No one seemed to be following me for the time being.

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I drove recklessly, faster than I ever had before. I stopped at the ATM and got as much money as I could from Rosalie's credit card. I called the airlines and bought a ticket for the first available flight to Italy. I had an hour before my flight, so I kept driving until I reached the club.

I jumped out of the car before it had completely stopped. I threw the keys at the valet so hard he flinched. When I got to the chain the guy looked me up and down. I was certainly rich and beautiful, but I was also wearing jeans and a wrinkled t-shirt from the hotel gift shop. "Let me pass" I ordered him and he relinquished at once.

I moved through the mass of dancing people without even holding my breath. I was too determined, too focused to even worry about eating someone. I threw the curtains of Lestat's room aside and let myself in.

The girl sitting on his lap jumped, startled. Lestat just smiled. "Bella! What a surprise! I must say, you seem to be the only one who can keep me on my toes!"

"I'm going to the Volturi." I growled.

"I gathered as much. What do you want from me?" He asked.

"Advice." I answered simply.

"And what do I get in return?"

"What do you want?"

He scratched his chin, deep in thought. I danced on the balls of my feet.

"I'm not sure." He finally answered.

I groaned. "How about this? You can either tell me yourself or I can make you tell me."

He gave me a teasing smile. "Well I guess now we know what your power is, don't we? How about you just owe me one?"

I was in too much of a hurry to care anymore. It was unlikely I would survive to pay him back anyway. "Fine. What do you have for me?"

He motioned to the chair in front of him. I shook my head furiously. He whispered instructions to the girl next to him in a language I couldn't comprehend and the girl left.

"No matter what you do or say, they will not spare Edward's life." He told me with a note of regret.

"What do you mean? There has to be something I can do!"

Lestat shook his head "Edward broke the rules in such a blunt way, there's just no way they can let him live. It would make them seem weak."

"I can force them to leave him alone! I have to do something!" I said desperately but Lestat kept shaking his head, only infuriating me further.

"The Volturi's power is greatly based on intimidation. If they let him live it sends out a message of weakness! Without their invincibility they have nothing! They'd rather go to war than lose control of our race. I am sorry Bella –there is just no way."

I felt the unnecessary air leave my lungs in a gesture of despair. I turned to leave.

"Bella?"

"Yes?"

"You're going to Italy anyway aren't you?"

"Yes."

"You'll need this."

The girl walked back in carrying a large crystal pitcher filled with what my senses told me was blood. I shook my head.

"You're a newborn vampire. You need blood. You won't stand a chance without it."

Instinctually I knew he was right. Hunger and reason quickly wavered my resolve. I took the crystal container from the girl and brought it to my lips.

I drank the warm liquid. Only once in my life had I tasted something as sweet and wonderful as that blood, it was what had started the whole mess. It filled me, satiating the eternal thirst that I'd fought to become accustomed to.

As I licked the last drops like an animal I turned to the girl. She saw murder in my eyes and cowered, moving to the dark recesses of the room.

"Isabella!" Lestat's voice startled me, placating the monster in me long enough for me to regain my sanity.

"You must go now. And remember, if they know about you, and by now I'm sure they do, they will want you dead just as much as they want him. When you get to Italy... grab the girl. "

I nodded, figuring his cryptic advice would make sense eventually, and ran out of the club as fast as humanly possible.

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I sat on the plane with my stomach twisted in fear and dread until we took off. I had checked every airline in the area. My flight was the first one since I'd left my family at the hotel. If Edward wasn't on this plane it meant I was still one step ahead of them.

The waiting gave me time to form a game plan. The maps of Italy I'd acquired at the airport were the last things I'd been able to buy with the credit cards. I knew the second the Cullens found out what I'd done Edward would call to cancel the cards hoping I'd be left stranded. I'd pulverized the plastic rectangles in my hands and tossed the remains in a trashcan on my way to the gate.

As I sat alone in the half empty plane I memorized the maps and studied the roads I needed to take once I landed. I just hoped the cash I had would be enough to rent a car because, even though I'd considered stealing one, I knew absolutely nothing about hot-wiring a vehicle.

I was bouncing in my seat by the time the plane landed. The blood I'd gulped down at the club, though necessary, had made the flight especially excruciating. The constant lure of human blood was intoxicating. I hadn't taken a breath since I'd set foot in the airport and it was getting extremely uncomfortable. Sheer determination had kept me from eating every passenger for dinner.

I scrambled out of the plane and made my way through the airport as fast as I could. When I got to the car rental counter my heart dropped. The requirements, translated to English, Spanish and German, clearly stated that I needed three things I did not have. Twenty-four years of age, a driver's license and a credit card.

I groaned into my hands. For a moment I felt weak, helpless... human. Then, as I took a deep breath in the crowded room, I remembered myself. I stood up straight, walked to the parking lot with confidence and approached a young boy that was just about to climb into his little Audi.

"Do you speak English?" I asked him. I wasn't sure my gift would work in different languages.

The boy turned around, stared at my pretty face and my tousled airplane hair and nodded.

"Do you live here?" I asked again and, again, he nodded.

"I need to borrow your car." I held out my hand and he dropped his keys into it.

"Write me down your address and I'll make sure you get it back."

With a shaky hand he took a pen from his jacket pocket and scribbled down his address on a spare piece of paper he had in the car. I took it from him and then instructed him, "Go straight home. Tell no one about this and, if anyone asks where your car is, tell them it broke down and you're getting it fixed."

He nodded again. I climbed into the car, closed the door and sped off. The desperation and the need to save Edward's life were making me brave to the point of recklessness. I drove the curves that led to Volterra like a bat out of hell. I had to get there before Edward did. I had to get there and talk the Volturi into sparing his life.

I thought of several possibilities, different scenarios. I considered exchanging my life for his. I considered selling myself to them, working for them forever if that meant keeping my family safe. All plans had a fault of course. Edward and his twisted sense of chivalry would never let it slide. He'd fight for me, even die for me, the fool. He didn't understand how important, how essential it was for me to keep him alive. I could face death knowing I hadn't deprived the world of his beauty.

When I drove up to the gates of the city there was a line of cars waiting to get in. I growled, desperate to get things over with before the Cullens had a chance to catch up. As the cars moved closer to the gates something occurred to me. I had absolutely no idea where to find the Volturi. Then I realized it didn't matter. I was sure that as soon as I crossed that gate they'd know. It was a clear, sunny day, so walking around waiting for them to grab me was out of the question. I'd have to drive around.

I was so lost in thought that I didn't see the dark hooded figure walking up to the car. I heard a startling crunch and my car door swung open. I shrieked as a hand pulled me out of the car and into the deep shadow cast by the city's walls.

"Let me go!" I yelled and the strong hands dropped my arms at once.

"Shhh, Bella, calm down." The voice, though oddly familiar, was not one that I expected.

"Who are you?" I wracked my brain trying to remember that voice. The man in front of me pulled back his hood and I gasped.

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"Arthur?"

The man was a mess, only a shadow of the vampire I'd met in Alaska months before. The purple bruises under his eyes were so deep he looked as if he'd been punched. His skin, paler than usual, seemed almost clammy. He was filthy, his hooded sweatshirt covered in dust, his black pants ripped in several places. His irises were as dark as midnight. But what startled me the most was the look in his eyes. He looked devastated, broken, inconsolable. And yet, all I managed to choke out was, "I thought you were dead."

He took a shaky breath and mumbled, "I wish".

"But how?" I stuttered

"I wasn't in the house when it happened. I'd gone hunting down south."

"And Ellen?" I asked urgently for his wife.

"She stayed behind. She was in the house, helping Ruth with some Christmas decorations when the Volturi..."

And then, I did the most impractical thing I could. I broke down in sobs.

"Arthur I'm sorry! I am so so sorry! This is all my fault. I never thought... I mean, I didn't..."

The older man pulled me to his chest, whether to comfort me or muffle my cries I wasn't sure. "Bella, it's not your fault. None of this is your fault. You were just in the wrong place and, undeniably, at the wrong time."

I couldn't believe the man was consoling me when I was the reason his whole family was dead. I shook against him, crying tearlessly at the awfulness of the situation I found myself in.

"I deserve to die." I whispered against his chest between sobs. I'd caused so much death and mayhem that there was nothing left for me to do except turn myself in, ask to be killed and hope it'd end there.

"You came here to die?" Arthur asked me, "Well that makes two of us. But tonight, only one death will be necessary."

I nodded in fervent agreement. "I'll go see them right now. Maybe I can leave Edward a letter asking him to turn away. If I explain things to him he might not try to avenge my death..."

Arthur grabbed my shoulders and shook me, breaking my crying spell. "Isabella don't be stupid. You need to stay alive for him, for everyone! You were the one unfortunate enough to start this war. And if what I've heard about you is true you're the only one powerful enough to stop it. You have to remember, this goes beyond us. Beyond revenge or guilt."

I stared into his shallow, lifeless eyes, trying to comprehend what he was telling me. "But what can I do? I'm just a kid! I never asked for this! All I can do is turn myself in! Hope to death everything will end with me."

Arthur shook his head. "If what you want is for Edward to be left alone, no amount of selflessness on your part will do the job. If you want to punish yourself for sins that are not yours to confess, you'll be taking thousands of lives with you. Is that what you want?"

I opened my mouth to reply but closed it again at once. He was being so cryptic and I was too torn inside to make sense of his messages. "What do you mean?" I asked him desperately.

"The war Bella! The poor teenage boys who are fighting as werewolves against powerful vampires who will most likely destroy them! And the many vampires being killed while fighting a battle that is not theirs to fight! The thousands of innocents that have turned into collateral damage! No one can get the two sides to make a truce, except maybe you. And even that is a big maybe."

"But what can I do?"

Arthur leaned me against the stone wall and held on to my shoulders "Edward needs to be killed, so that you can then use your power to bargain for humanity, and not for him."

I'd started shaking my head at the mention of Edward's name. "No, I can't do that Arthur! I'm sorry, I really am but I need to try and save him! Even if it's a lost battle I can't not try!"

He was shaking his head as well "No Bella, you don't understand." Right in front of my eyes, Arthur's features shifted. In the blink of an eye I was no longer staring into the black eyes of a family friend, but into the topaz pools of my lover. I gasped; it took me longer than it should have to remember that Arthur could change his appearance at will. He now looked exactly like Edward. Even though I knew I was still talking to Arthur I couldn't help but admire Edward's angel like features. I had to admit that the chance to glance upon his timeless beauty was a small gift – a final goodbye.

"Edward needs to be killed." Even his voice sounded the same.

I shook my head fervently, my chest heaved with the sobs that shook my body once again. "No, Arthur I can't let you do this! I'm already responsible for your family's death I can't let you sacrifice yourself..."

"Bella..." he smiled kindly at me "I want to die. There is nothing left for me on this earth. I came here to be killed. Running into you was just an added bonus. Now, if my plan works, maybe the death of my family won't be in vain."

I was still shaking my head so he pulled me into a fierce hug once more. I cried against him, I felt so sorry, so guilty, so helpless. No matter how many times people told me I'd been set up, that what happened was not my fault, I just couldn't justify so many deaths.

"Bella, listen to me. We're going to have to do this soon. I need you to help me. You have to keep the illusion going until they've burned my body, otherwise this will all have been for nothing. "

I looked up into Edward's eyes and tried to make sense of what Arthur was asking of me. "You mean, you need me to..."

"Keep my power going, even after they've killed me."

I panicked "I'm not sure I can do that! I've never done it. I don't even really know how my gift works! I don't know how..."

"You can, Bella. You have to. This is your only chance." He was pulling me towards the car, which was still running. He pushed me gently into the driver's seat.

"Find the clock tower. Next to it there is an alley. I will wait for them there but you'll have to follow me to wherever they take me. You have to make sure they see Edward when they kill me. They know what you can do, so stay out of sight. Only show yourself after I've been burned. Find a way to make them leave you alone then figure out how to stop this carnage."

I stared at him, my eyes wide as saucers. "That's the plan? Get you killed and then wing it? I can't do this! I can't watch you die! Besides, won't they know I'm here as soon as I enter the city?"

"As far as I know they don't know about you and they're not expecting you. There is no such thing as a vampire-radar, Bella. Just drive slow and stay away from the sun."

He knelt down in front of me, taking my face in his hands the way Edward did when he was trying to make me understand something vital. "Bella, listen to me, this is your only chance to save Edward. You will know what to do. I trust you."

And with that he turned around, pulled his hood up and walked right through the gates of Volterra.

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My hands were shaking uncontrollably as I drove through the narrow streets. A part of me refused to believe I'd be able to sacrifice Arthur like that, but deep down I knew I'd do anything, anything to keep Edward alive.

I parked the car a block away from the tower and waited for Arthur. I spotted him a few minutes later, leaning against the wall concealed by the shadows. I knew I was looking at Arthur, but I couldn't keep that fact straight in my mind. All I saw was Edward, standing in the dark, waiting to be killed.

Anxiety combined with stress was making it difficult for me to focus. I wondered how long it would take for him to be spotted and secretly wished that they'd never notice him. My hopes vanished a second later, when a tall man dressed entirely in black walked up to Arthur and took his shoulder. The man said something to him, but I was too far away to hear through the noisy street. A second vampire dressed in black joined them. He was shorter than Arthur, but seemed larger somehow. There was something about him, not muscles exactly, but a dark menace to his posture and stride that made him look... powerful.

I got out of the car as I watched Arthur nod. He said something back to the tall vampire and started walking deeper into the shadows. I remained exactly one block behind them as the two guards guided him to the wall that surrounded the city. Taking a quick look around, the tallest of the three glanced at the short vampire. He nodded slowly, and the tall man jumped, grabbed on to the wall and went over it quickly.

Arthur followed him and, with another quick glance to make sure no one was watching, the third vampire jumped too. I followed them quietly, glancing up at the wall before trying to jump. I bent my knees and jumped, but I couldn't reach the top. I moaned in frustration. If I took too long they were going to leave and then what would I do? I tried to focus on my vampire energy, on jumping higher, on grabbing on to anything.

I jumped again and somehow managed to grab on to the ledge. I took a peek to see where they'd gone and found the three hidden in the shadows of a large tree.

"I just want to make this clear. My family is to be left alone." Arthur said with Edward's voice.

"No problem, Ed." The small vampire smiled wickedly at him.

"That includes Bella." Arthur's stare was murderous. I knew he was restraining himself, keeping from attacking his wife's killers for the "greater good". I had never admired anyone more.

"We can't promise that." The tallest one shook his head.

"Felix, there is no reason..."

"Ah but there is, isn't there, Edward?" Felix wasn't smiling. In fact, he looked furious. "Besides, you are in no position to bargain with us. This must end now."

Arthur took a deep breath and nodded. "I did wrong. I broke our laws and I must be punished for that. But know this: If there is a hell, I will come back from it to make you pay for what you've done to the people I love."

Felix snorted. "Like I haven't heard that one before." And with that, he jumped on Arthur, tearing his skin with nails and teeth. I was so shocked I couldn't even scream, something I was deeply thankful for. I kept myself hidden as the other vampire joined in. Arthur didn't put up a fight.

I was horrified, grasping at the last bits of my sanity as I struggled to remember it wasn't Edward being killed down there, not that that made it hurt any less. My body shook with sobs as I tried to concentrate on keeping the illusion going. I didn't know how long it'd take for them to kill Arthur.

He groaned and twisted around to face me. His eyes were imploring mine, asking me to keep fighting the battle he no longer could. Begging me to keep going.

And then, it was over. His body lay lifeless and still on the hard ground. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the blank, empty eyes that I knew so well. I bit my lip so hard to keep from crying out I almost broke through my own skin. I kept imagining that was really Edward, dead and motionless on the grounds of Volterra. That alone kept me quiet and still, that alone helped me concentrate. I thought about nothing except keeping Arthur's body as Edward's.

I watched as Felix got to his feet, reached inside his black robe and pulled out a small container with a liquid that smelled strongly of gasoline. He poured it all over the remains of Arthur's body. The other vampire lit the match.

I maintained the illusion for as long as it took. Once the remains were charred beyond recognition and both men turned back towards the wall I shifted my mind into remaining hidden.

I felt daring, in desperate need to test the full power of my gift. So, instead of hiding from Arthur's killers, I stood up to face them and thought to myself "Don't see me".

Both vampires walked by me without a second glance. I could feel myself, stronger and surer of myself than ever before as I walked behind them into an alley of the city. I kept my eyes open for any sign of the real Edward or Alice or anyone that could interfere with my plans. I knew what I needed to do then, and I knew I had to do it alone.

As the two men disappeared into a tall building I followed, forcing everyone who glanced my way to turn around, not notice me, not see me. I walked voluntarily into what could very well be the last building I'd ever set foot in.

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I had no plan, no course of action. I just kept my back pressed against the wall and kept thinking over and over in my head "Don't notice me" hoping it'd stick. The two vampires walked silently past the front desk, nodding at the girl behind it in greetings. I felt like crying with relief as the girl looked right past me to greet them back.

They reached a set of elevators and climbed into one. I didn't feel like pushing my luck so much by joining them, so I waited until the elevator left and watched anxiously until it stopped on the seventh floor, then I headed for the stairs.

As I climbed the steps two at a time I wondered what I'd find when I pushed open the door. Part of me expected dark, gloomy walls with skeletons chained to them, but the reasonable part of me knew it would probably be a normal hallway, with normal furniture and normal bloodthirsty vampires milling around.

I was so absorbed by my own thoughts and so sure of my abilities to control people that I didn't even pause by the door, I just pushed it open and walked right into a sunlit hall pretty much as I had imagined it, only I was immediately surrounded by vampires. They had been expecting me.

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My first instincts told me to run, to fly down the stairs as fast as my legs could take me, but I was strangely rooted to the spot. I tried to move my limbs but nothing happened, it seemed like someone there was keeping me still with their mind. I briefly wondered why thatgift worked on me when most of them didn't.

"Well, it's nice to know even you can't order technology around." A fragile looking man with long black hair wearing a dark brown cloak walked up to me. I gasped when I recognized him from one of the paintings in Carlisle's study. "I must admit, when Caius insisted on adding electronic surveillance to the building I thought it was pure rubbish. I stand corrected."

Even though I was surrounded and quickly panicking, I tried to keep myself together and occupied my eyes, the only part of my body I could move, on locating my captor. I found a tall, beautiful woman standing behind a row of powerful looking men. She seemed to be concentrating hard.

"Let me go." I said through gritted teeth. I hadn't thought I'd be able to speak out loud, but the second the words left my mouth I found myself able to move around again.

I took a step back. The beautiful woman looked around horrified. The initial shock at my subtle movement wore off quickly though, and every vampire in the room leaned forward as if to leap on me.

Before anyone could so much as blink I yelled; "Stop!"

All of them stopped in their tracks unwillingly. Taking a deep breath I mustered up all my courage before continuing. "Do not move. We are going to have a little chat."

I could see in their eyes the fear and the anger of being forced into submission against their will. The man who'd spoken to me first was the only one who seemed more curious than upset.

"You have killed the man who wronged you. I came here to ask to be left alone now. Stop following my family, stop the hunt. You have what you wanted now leave us be."

"Enough." A voice behind me startled me. I turned around to see a black haired man walking up the stairs. I raised my hand to stop him in his tracks but before I could even think of ordering him to be still he raised his own hands.

"The mind games won't be necessary, Isabella." He kept walking. I wondered briefly if I should talk to him. Maybe try to reason with him. He certainly seemed like the most reasonable of the bunch.

Before I could make up my mind he'd walked past me to join his motionless friends. "My name is Marcus. I, along with this man," he pointed to the other brown cloaked fellow, "and Caius run the Volturi family. We have been keeping an eye on you."

"Why?" The word left my mouth on impulse.

"You are a very special girl, very special indeed. We have been observing you since before you became a vampire. Even as a human you had a... talent that intrigued us."

"A talent?"

"Yes, well it intrigued Aro here more than the rest of us, but we kept an eye on you nevertheless. That proved to be a smart move. We knew you were... immune to certain vampire gifts and we wanted to know why, or at the very least know what would become of you once you were changed."

"But how did you...?"

Marcus raised a hand to interrupt me. "Lestat can be useful from time to time. There was a vampire who met you in passing and went to stay with your family friends in Alaska for a while."

"Laurent." I whispered. Marcus nodded "He sold you out. Quite literally too, he exchanged information about you for protection. He seemed to think your Edward would eventually run into him and finish him off. I don't really know why, I never asked."

I wondered what Laurent had done, or what he was planning to do that would make Edward want to hunt him down.

"But Laurent is not what's important here, Bella. What's important is, we knew about you, we've known about you all along. We knew the werewolves were going to set you up. We wanted them to, the wolf that set this in motion, one of the tribe elders, was reckless. He couldn't see he was planning a lost battle. They are in no way ready to fight our race. Not in strategy, not in numbers."

"Then why did you let it happen? If you knew what I was going to do, why didn't you stop me?" I pleaded with the man who stared at me with cold eyes.

"In the words of Napoleon Bonaparte: Never interrupt your enemy when he's making a mistake."

I couldn't believe my ears. I'd been played from the very beginning by both sides of a battle that was not my own. They had all known I was going to murder an innocent teenage boy and they had let me. I shook under the weight of my destiny and asked in a whisper. "Why are you telling me this?"

Marcus smiled a sick, contorted smile. "I'm making time, actually. As we speak, the rest of the guard is climbing the stairs. You might be able to hold back twenty vampires at once, but I doubt even you can concentrate strongly enough to keep us all at bay. There will be no truce tonight, Isabella. Your job is done, it's time for you to join your precious Edward."

At that moment I heard them, at least fifty pairs of feet flying up the stairs. I looked around in panic trying to find a way out, a window I could jump out of or some other possible escape but I was trapped. The long hall had only small windows that I couldn't possibly fit through. I was considering trying to knock down a wall when my eyes came to rest on a small figure standing next to Marcus. She was a girl, tiny and statuesque. She didn't look a day older than twelve but her eyes screamed murder. As I watched, she started blinking quickly, and I realized that, in my panic, I'd forgotten to keep my power going.

As I heard the light steps coming closer I acted on impulse. Remembering Lestat's last advice I threw myself at the girl, grabbed her around the neck and held her small back to my chest.

"Nobody move!" I yelled again and every single occupant of the room, even the newcomers, stopped and stared at me.

I knew I wasn't forcing them to stand still and I desperately wondered what amazingly dangerous power the girl I was holding must posses to make them all stare in shock and fear.

"You should be very careful, Bella." The man named Aro waved a hand at me.

"No, you know what? You should be careful because I'm getting very pissed." I tried to imitate Edward's growl. It sounded ridiculous to my ears, but it made the vampires back away a few steps.

The little girl in my arms was squirming, trying to get away from my grasp. I held her tight. She looked up at me with fire in her eyes.

"No, Jane. Don't." A third, brown-cloaked man who I assumed to be Caius instructed the girl. It was then I realized she'd tried to use her gift against me. Thankfully, that one apparently didn't work on me.

Feeling more daring that I had ever felt I turned to the girl and said. "You really shouldn't do that. I tend to amplify other people's powers when they least expect it."

"You don't want to do that, Bella. If you do, we all die, you included." Aro's voice was low but powerful.

"I don't mind dying if I get to take you all with me." I replied honestly. At least that way Edward would finally be safe. I was ready to die, ready and willing to kill us all right then. It even sounded like a good idea. If they were all dead, Edward would have no one to fight anymore. The world would finally be free of the Italian murderers. The war with the werewolves would end. Dying for the greater good. It sounded heroic, really.

"Stop!" Aro shook his head. "Stop! This is ridiculous. There is no reason for us to kill each other. We can work this out like civilized people."

"But we're not civilized people, are we? What exactly do you want to work out? You killed my friends, the love of my life and God knows how many others. You turned me into a monster!"

"Ah but we didn't do that, did we sweetheart?" Aro smiled at me. That only infuriated me further. "You decided to become one of us. You choseto become a so-called monster. You and you alone decided to join our world and by doing so, you were then forced to accept our rules. The secrecy law is there for our protection, as well as for the protection of thousands of humans. Or would you like a repeat of the Inquisition? If you break the law, you get punished. I didn't see you trying to kill your President over the death penalty when you were a human. How is this different?"

I opened my mouth to reply and then closed it again. I was having a harder time than I should have with that argument. "The Vanbeaullens had nothing to do with that, you still killed them!" I finally answered.

"That was most unfortunate, but we are in the middle of a war here and some casualties are to be expected."

I shook my head. "That doesn't give you the right..."

"Look, Bella, it's over. What's done is done. I'm going to make you an offer." Aro's smile turned kind, something I wasn't expecting. "I'm offering you a place here in our family. Join us and help us protect ourselves and others."

Caius looked outraged. Marcus threw his hands in the air, apparently done with the conversation as if we were discussing curtains. He turned around, grazed Aro's arm with his own, and walked away, down the hall and through a wooden door at the end. The rest of the vampires shared a look of confusion.

I was so shocked I couldn't even respond for a while. "I... no, thank you. I'd rather not."

Aro shrugged, "Fine then, just go."

"Aro!" Caius hissed. "We can't just let her go!"

"Would you rather be killed today, brother? She is ready to die for her family, she will not hesitate in taking us all with her. I believe we can live at peace for a while longer." Aro turned to me. "We will undoubtedly meet again, more than likely under unpleasant circumstances, but I see no need for any more deaths today."

I couldn't believe my ears. I blinked rapidly, wondering if I had fallen asleep on the plane and was dreaming the whole ordeal. Only when I remembered I could no longer sleep did I realize he was being serious.

"You're letting me go?"

"Yes." Aro nodded.

"And you'll leave my family alone?" I narrowed my eyes, it all sounded too good to be true.

"For now. The time will come for us to have this argument again. Right now, we have other problems to focus on."

"The war with the wolves. That too needs to be stopped..." I started but Aro raised a hand to silence me.

"That fight is not your own. Walk away from it. It will be over soon."

"But how can I let you continue killing all those men?"

Aro smiled at me like a teacher smiles at a student who asks an idealistic question. "You are not letting us do anything, Bella. Remember, it was not us who struck first. The werewolves started this fight. We're merely taking advantage of their stupidity. If you want to stop the war, you're barking up the wrong tree."

For a moment I considered doing the right thing. Amplifying whatever power the little girl I was holding possessed and killing us all. I knew that by letting them live I was giving them time to prepare. Time to seek me out later and finish me off with some clever plan I'd never see coming. And yet, I couldn't bring myself to do it.

What I wanted more than anything in the whole world right then was to go home, to fly back to my own country and find Edward. To tell him things were finally okay. To start my life with him.

And so, I released Jane.

Felix jumped on me before I could stop him. He laid a solid blow to my head with his elbow. The blow hurt more than it should have and it sent me staggering backwards into the wall of vampires that had formed behind me, blocking my path to the staircase.

"No, Felix!" Aro commanded. Felix stopped in his tracks and turned around to glance at his master.

"I meant what I said. We will let her free for now.

The vampires I'd fallen against steadied me and then stepped away. Aro waved his hand and the crowd cleared a path towards the stairs.

"I am a man of my word. If you leave now I promise you a safe path out of Volterra. We will get together and have a chat one of these days. For now, just stay out of our way and we will do the same."

I nodded at Aro. It all felt strangely surreal as I turned my back on him and walked down the stairs. I felt like running as fast as my legs could take me, but my muscles seemed to finally be catching up to the fear I'd been feeling. I was shaking all over and had to hold on to the wall for support as I descended.

While I walked I made excuses for myself, excuses I knew to be true. I could've killed us all that day and eventually, if I had to, I'd be able to do it again. I could borrow Alice's power from time to time and try to see if the Volturi were planning a visit. If that were ever the case, I'd go back to meet them in Volterra by myself. I'd never expose Edward to that danger.

As I reached the first floor I was filled with something I hadn't felt in a while -hope. The hope of seeing Edward again, of finally being happy.

I left the building. The girl behind the front desk stared at me curiously but didn't ask any questions. I walked back to where I'd parked the borrowed car. My thoughts drifted towards the werewolves and their participation in the war. As resentful as I felt towards the race in general for putting me in such a position I couldn't help but feel guilty about their imminent death.

A pair of hands grabbed my shoulders and pulled me into a dark alley. I screamed in fright before the hands twisted me around. I came face to face with a very angry Edward.

-----------------------------------------

"What are you doing here, Bella?" He pushed me against a wall and shook me. He shook me so hard my teeth rattled.

"Edward!" I shrieked. As glad as I was to see him again, I found myself pushing him away, trying to get him further into the shadows. "You can't be here!"

"I can't be here? I CAN'T BE HERE!?" He yelled and continued to shake me. "You can't be here! What are you doing? What did you come here to do?!" He was so mad, so furious, that for a moment I thought he was going to slap me.

"I came here to save your life!" I hissed at him. "And so far I'm doing a pretty damn good job!" I pushed him away from me so hard that he released me and fell backwards against the opposite wall of the alley.

We stared at each other, panting and furious, and then we collided. I threw myself at him and he caught me by the waist, lifting me up so my mouth could meet his. He assaulted me with his kisses, biting my lip and growling against my mouth. He pushed me against the wall and I wrapped my legs around his waist, holding him as close to me as possible. I lost myself in his arms and for a moment that felt like hours, I forgot where we were standing.

Reality kicked in as we came up for unnecessary air. I pressed my forehead against his, breathing hard. "We need to get you out of here." I whispered fervently. I untangled myself from him and started pulling him towards the car.

"No, Bella." He resisted "I need you to go. I have to keep going."

"Keep going where?" I dragged him with me. "It's over! It's all over. Please just come with me and I'll explain to you later."

Edward shook his head and, at the same time, shook off my hand. "No Bella. It won't be over until I turn myself in. I have to go to them, it's the only way you'll be safe."

"Oh, Edward." I grabbed his hands and forced him to look into my eyes. "Edward, you are already dead." I could tell he couldn't understand what I was telling him, but I took advantage of his confusion to drag him to the car and push him in. "Stay there!" I told him forcefully. He obeyed against his will.

"Where is the rest of the family?" I asked him once we were both safely in the car.

"I lost them at the airport. I stole a gun from a police officer, placed it in the pocket of a jacket Emmett was carrying and then tipped off airport security. Hopefully that's stalled them long enough for you to explain what the hell is going on."

"I will explain if you duck down, keep out of sight and let me drive." I commanded.

Seeing as how he had no choice, Edward did as I told him and, while I drove away from the nightmare that was Volterra, I started to explain.

----------------------------------------------

Two weeks later I sat on my hands as Edward drove us back to the green town we knew so well. He wasn't happy about it, but I needed to go back.

I'd thought about just calling Charlie, leaving a message on his answering machine or something, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I had to see with my own eyes that he was doing okay. I knew talking to him in person was out of the question -he'd never let me leave with Edward. It would do more damage to him than good. But I still had to go home. There were things I needed to finish.

I stared out the window as he drove. I felt him take my hand and I turned to face him. "Bella, are you sure you're ready for this?" Edward asked me for the tenth time. I nodded but couldn't find my voice. He sighed and stepped on the gas pedal. We sped by the "Welcome to Forks" sign.

He knew where I wanted to stop first so he parked the new Mercedes by the side of the road and turned to me. "Do you want me to come with you?" I'd already told him I wanted to go alone and he hadn't liked the idea from the start.

"No Edward. Can you just... wait for me?" I got out of the car and he followed me but made no movement to go after me once I'd retrieved the flowers from the back seat. He leaned against the side door looking around sourly. I knew he was scanning the place for werewolves but something in my gut told me we'd find none that day.

I pulled my raincoat around me tightly in a very human gesture as I walked slowly to the fallen log on the side of the road. Mud splashed all around my ankles as I walked but I barely noticed.

I reached the log and sat down, pulling my raincoat down and allowing the rain to soak me through. The water felt neither cold nor warm, a testament to what I'd become. I glanced down at the white and yellow freesias in my hands.

"I didn't want to bring you flowers. It feels like such a waste to get you something that will eventually die. Then I realized, as Edward once pointed out to me, that they are already dead." I smiled sadly at the delicate petals. "He told me to enjoy the beauty of flowers while it lasted. I realized that -even though the flowers are dead, I can remember their beauty."

I looked down at the empty space next to me and sighed. "I will always remember your beauty, Jacob." My voice broke and I was overcome with tearless sobs. There were many things I still couldn't understand, like why he'd done what he did or if he'd known what it would cause, but I couldn't deny to myself the fact that he'd been a wonderful boy. A boy that could no longer laugh contagiously or take care of his father. A boy that would never go to college, or get married or have children. And it was because of something I'd done. Or, at the very least, because of what I'd become.

"Bella?" Edward's voice startled me. I looked up into his sad eyes. "We need to keep going, love. Before somebody notices us."

I nodded and stood up, placing the flowers on the log and smiling sadly. Edward wrapped his arm around my drenched shoulders and held me as I continued to stare at the empty space that had once been occupied by a childhood friend.

"He didn't deserve this," I whispered.

"Neither did you." Edward's tortured voice made my insides clench. He sounded so remorseful.

"I wish I could talk to him one last time. Ask him..."

"Why he killed himself?" Edward filled in.

I shook my head. "Ask him for forgiveness."

As we stood there I realized it'd stopped raining. I looked up at the sky just in time to see the first perfect white snowflake falling down towards us.

Edward looked up too, and in no time we were surrounded by powdery white snow. He looked down into my eyes and smiled. "If I were you, I'd take this as an answer to your question."

I smiled back at him and allowed him to guide me back to the car. We still had other stops to make.

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Charlie wasn't home. I hadn't expected him to be and I was glad for his absence. I walked through the house, saying my final goodbyes too the yellow cupboards and the mismatched kitchen chairs. I smiled at the school photos that adorned the living room. I had been so embarrassed by them a year ago. Now all I could think about was how I wished I'd left Charlie with more.

I felt like I'd aged fifty years in the past month alone. I'd seen so many atrocities, so many deaths. In the few weeks I'd been away from that house I'd lost all innocence. I was sure if my father were to see me again, he wouldn't recognize me. I was no longer the daughter he once knew.

My still heart had twisted in my chest when I'd seen the dozens of newspapers scattered around the living room floor. Charlie had moved my computer downstairs and it sat on a desk next to the TV, surrounded by empty coffee mugs. The VCR was recording something. I guessed it was probably the news.

He'd been looking for me. I'd been expecting that.

I stared at myself in the living room mirror. My drenched hair looked darker, which made me seem even paler than I normally did. The purple shadows under my eyes accentuated the burgundy edge that peeked out from beneath my brown contacts. I was wearing simple clothes, a pair of jeans and a brown sweater that was so wet it clung to me.

I felt so out of place in my father's house that I didn't dare linger around any longer. I felt like an intruder to his misery. I clutched the letter I'd written for him to my chest. Thanks to Alice's suggestion I'd wrapped the envelope in a plastic bag before stuffing it in my back pocket.

I unwrapped it then and took it to the kitchen where I fastened it to the fridge with a magnet. The envelope read one simple word: Dad.

I turned around and walked away from the house, hand in hand with Edward who had remained quiet through the whole ordeal. I had explained as much as I could in the letter and I hoped it would bring my father some peace. I figured he'd show the letter to Renee. I knew they'd never get over losing me, but I hoped desperately that they'd eventually accept that I was gone for good and move on with their lives.

We got in the car and drove away. I never looked back. We had one more stop to make.

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We parked in front of the huge white house that was more our home than anywhere else in the world right then.

"There are not many things left in the house. I need to get Carlisle's cross and a few of his books." Edward handed me a list of titles. "Would you go up to the study and grab those for me while I pack up the basement?"

I nodded. Edward kissed my forehead and grazed my cheeks with his knuckles. "Some of your clothes are still in our drawers in case you feel like changing into something dry."

I nodded again and he guided me into the house. As soon as he opened the door he stiffened. I stopped too, wondering what had made him stand so still. Only after I took a breath did I realize, it smelled like warm, human blood.

"Who's here?" I whispered fervently.

Then I heard the squeak of wheels moving around in the kitchen. I frowned and walked forward but Edward caught me by the wrist and held me back.

"Let me go first." He whispered back. I nodded and followed him as we crossed the living room. I already knew what was waiting for us, but I didn't really believe it until I saw it with my own eyes.

"Billy?" I frowned.

The older man looked downright miserable -several pounds lighter than the last time we'd seen him. His skin seemed to hang off his bones, which only accentuated his grave expression. He sat on his chair, unshaven and unkempt, and looked up at us.

"Bella. I've been waiting for you."

"How did you know we'd..." But Billy interrupted me with a shake of his head.

"That's not important now. I need to talk to you." He sounded so... old. His usually young eyes seemed ancient now, as if he were carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"Billy..." I couldn't think of anything to say to him, so I just hung my head in shame and whispered so low I wasn't sure he'd hear me. "I'm so sorry."

Edward placed his hand on the small of my back. I took comfort in his touch.

"Bella, that's what I came here to talk to you about. I think you deserve to know."

"Know what?" I asked.

"That this whole mess was not your fault." I tried to keep myself from snorting. I'd been hearing that line so much lately it'd started making me feel worse instead of better. But then, Billy surprised me. Staring down at his hands he said, "It was mine."

That made me look up. I was about to reply when Edward beat me to it. "What do you mean?"

Billy sighed and motioned to the kitchen chairs next to his wheelchair. Edward looked apprehensive, but I sat down and he followed.

"Many years ago, my brother lost his son. Ephraim was only five years old when he became the victim of a vampire attack. It was quite random. The whole family was camping up north, Ephraim wandered off on his own when my brother was asleep. He found him, hours later. He went looking for the vampire who did it but he couldn't... there were no werewolves in the tribe at the time. When the Cullens," he nodded in Edward's direction, "moved to town he was so mad he left. He wanted more than anything to start the war, to avenge his son's death. I wouldn't let him, I knew he was doing it for the wrong reasons."

Billy paused to take a shaky breath. I could feel a knot in my stomach, tightening at the thought of losing a son at the hands of your mortal enemy.

"He came back last year. I knew he hadn't accepted your presence, but I never thought... Jacob was very taken to him, as my brother was to my boy. They spent most of their time together, supposedly taking long walks on the beach or hiking, things that I couldn't do with them. After Jacob..." Billy swallowed back tears. I felt a burning in the back of my throat that had nothing to do with thirst. "After what happened, I got suspicious. My brother all but confirmed my awful theory."

Edward leaned forward on his seat and took my hand. It was only then that I noticed I was holding on to the counter so hard I was denting the wood.

"My brother was so consumed by his grief that I believe he convinced Jacob of the "evilness" of your kind. I think he brainwashed him into thinking that the war needed to happen, that it was all for the greater good. They must've planned it for months, researched all the legends, figuring out a way to make it all fit. The doctors confirmed the original cut in Jake's throat was made by a piece of glass."

Billy's watery eyes stared right into my own. "He killed himself, didn't he, Bella?"

"He cut his own throat, yes." I whispered.

Billy sighed and stared at his hands. "I don't blame you, Bella. But at the same time I can't forgive you. I did warn you, begged you even, to not become..." He broke off. I stared down at my own hands and squeezed Edward's fingers.

Billy was silent for a long time. When he spoke again his voice was calm, under control. "I came here to ask you for a favor, Bella."

Edward tensed next to me and became very still. Whatever Billy was about to say, I knew Edward wasn't going to like it.

"I need you to stop this. To stop my brother before it ends in even more tragedy."

I sighed. Somehow I'd seen that one coming. "Billy... I don't know if there's anything I can do." I started but Billy interrupted.

"There is something about you, Bella. Something about you that makes me feel like you're the only one who can end the war."

Why did people keep telling me that? Why didn't anyone understand that I was just a kid! In the end, I was just an eighteen year old girl who had randomly ended up in the middle of a conflict. It could've happened to anyone!

"Billy, I tried already. I talked to people, I made the effort. It's out of my hands. It was never in my hands to begin with!"

"I know you didn't sign up for this exactly, but there must be something you can..."

"Billy," Edward interrupted for the first time. "I'm sorry. I really am, but this really has nothing to do with her, with us. As much as we'd like to help... you can't ask her to put herself in danger to undo something your brother caused. I'm sorry, but she's in enough danger as it is."

Edward was right. Even though my safety wasn't the reason why I couldn't help Billy, it was part of the reason why I couldn't even try. If I were to take sides, either with the vampires or the wolves, Edward would join me. I couldn't have him that close to a battlefield. Not when I had just gotten him back. Not when he would surely be killed if he were recognized.

Billy sighed and closed his eyes. He looked so defeated, so small. Remorse crept up on me once again. I'd done that, I'd broken him. His whole race was going to become extinct because of my moment of weakness.

I bit my lip so hard it hurt and then I whispered. "I'll talk to your brother."

"Bella..." Edward started to object but I shook my head. "I won't join the fight. I won't put myself in danger. I will talk to the pack of Quileute wolves, explain the situation to them. It's all I can do."

Billy shook his head. "They didn't listen to me. Why would they listen to a young vampire like yourself?"

"Because I can make them listen."

-----------------------------------------------

Edward wasn't happy about it. Which wasn't new. He'd wanted to call the others, to make things more even, but I knew the wolves wouldn't be able to resist attacking us if they saw a coven as large as ours. Plus, I wasn't sure I could keep everyone in check. Emmett at least was bound to make an impulsive move that could get him hurt.

We walked, hand in hand, deep into the forest and waited to cross paths with the werewolf scent. We were trying to get as deep into the woods as we could. As far away from human collateral as possible.

It didn't take long. Edward, who knew the woods much better than I did, was guiding me towards a small clearing when he stiffened.

"They're close." He heard their thoughts before I could smell them. Their scent was powerful. It overshadowed the other smells of the forest.

Before long I could hear the soft steps of many feet running towards us at top speed. In the near dark I managed to get a glimpse of several pairs of eyes, hurrying in our direction. It was a surprisingly clear night. The light from the moon helped me see my targets -something I was grateful for, considering I'd never tested my powers in the dark-.

A pair of excited blue eyes were in the lead. The enormous wolf was growling before he even came into view. I could feel the rumbling of the ground as the pack got closer. The rumble of their chests, the snapping of their teeth, it made me nervous. My whole body tensed for the attack. Edward sank into a crouch in front of me, growling just as hard as the beasts.

Once they were close enough for me to see them completely I held up my hand.

"Stop." I whispered.

The whole pack stopped in their tracks, some falling sideways, unable to maintain their balance after such an abrupt command. Billy's brother came to a screeching halt a couple of yards away from me.

I exhaled in relief, glad my gift worked as well on them as it did on everybody else.

"Sit." I commanded and the ten or so werewolves sat on the ground immediately. It would've been funny if the situation hadn't been so tense. "We are going to have a little chat."

Edward relaxed. He stood up straight, his eyes calm but guarded, and he went to stand beside me. He placed his hand on the small of my back, slipping it under my shirt to touch my bare skin. My breath caught in my throat. If I'd been human my heart would've been racing erratically. I tried to suppress the embarrassing reactions I normally had to his touch. That was neither the time nor the place to go all lovey dovey.

I thought he was just placing his hand on my back to give me moral support, but when my eyes finally met his he was staring at me with intensity, trying to communicate some sort of message. I finally realized what he wanted, mentally slapping myself for being so slow in a time of crisis.

I concentrated on tapping into Edward's power so I could communicate with the werewolves. At once, ten different voices flooded my mind, and they were all cursing like truckers.

I winced and Edward stared at me apologetically.

"I need you to hear me out for a moment. I swear if we can behave like the civilized... creatures that we are, no one will get hurt."

The swearing only got louder. Edward dropped his hand and stared at the wolves. "If you people can't behave yourselves, we are going to be here for a long time. You might have realized by now, she can keep you all here for as long as she wants. Hell, she can even make you tap-dance if she gets bored. Just hear what she has to say and we will be on our way." He gave them a menacing look that would've made me recoil if it'd been directed at me. He waited for a minute and then touched my skin again.

They weren't swearing anymore. I took that as a good sign.

"Listen. I know you all think you're fighting a fair fight. I know you believe you can finish off the vampires of the world. Get rid of the threat, have a normal, happy life. I'm here to tell you that's not going to happen."

The swearing started again. They were all yelling at me at the same time, I couldn't understand a thing. Edward tried to remove his hand again but I shook my head.

"I can't understand you when you all speak to me at the same time. Please, only one at a time." It was a request, not an order. Something told me that forcing them to be quiet would put a serious damper on the negotiations. They seemed startled when I spoke to them directly. It took me a second to realize they didn't know I could read their thoughts.

"We can and we will finish you off, bloodsucker. Along with your whole race!" It was Billy's brother who finally "spoke", the biggest wolf, the leader.

"Really? Because right now it doesn't look like you can do much of anything." I snapped. The wolves were immobile, but I could still read the confusion in their eyes when I responded directly to their leader's thoughts.

"This thing that I can do? Bend your free will, force you to do what I want. That's just the tip of the iceberg. Your numbers are already down and you haven't even fought the hard fights. You've been battling against bounty hunters, vampires with no special talents that were looking for a reward. Most of them were not even aware of what was going on!"

There was a murmur among the pack as the wolves started to consider the truth in my words. I couldn't hear every conversation. I could make out a few phrases like "you told us the worst was over" and "I thought we were near the end. "

"I came here today to let you know that there are a lot more vampires than you think. They outnumber you. Not only that, but a lot of them have talents like mine. They can burn you alive, they can read your thoughts." I nodded my head in the direction of Edward, who was still staring coldly at them all. He could probably catch every single conversation going on. He had decades of practice on me.

"The vampires will use their talents to kill you. And if you make them come all the way over here to do it they will probably get rid of your whole families too!"

"We can protect ourselves!" The blue eyes pierced through mine with such fury I almost flinched.

The other wolves weren't as sure as their leader. I could tell most of them had never heard of our special gifts. Many of them feared for their families.

"You can end this now. You can choose not to fight anymore. Declare a truce, do it now while you still can and you might be able to save your race." I pleaded.

Only the leader remained convinced of his cause by then. The others began to doubt.

"I'm going to let you go now." I said. Edward's arm tightened around me in disapproval but I gave him a look. How could we expect the wolves to trust us if we didn't show them trust in return?

And so I relinquished my control on their minds. No one moved for a moment, and then the wolves slowly started to get up. They stood around us, not getting closer but not leaving either.

"I can put you in contact with the vampires in charge, but you have to promise me you'll only contact them to make peace. I will not put you in more danger, if you were to try and fight them... well it would be suicide. I can't promise you they'll take a truce, but I'm sure it's your only fighting chance."

I was pretty sure Aro would find a truce with the werewolves "interesting" at the very least. Either way it was the most I could do for them. If it didn't work... well they were as good as dead anyway, it was only a matter of time.

I let go of Edward and took a step forward. I didn't want to hear the voices of the werewolves anymore. They were too many, it was too confusing. Edward growled and tried to yank me back but I shook my head. I knew what I was doing. Edward took a deep breath and gave me a look that clearly told me he was not happy with the risks I was taking.

"If you're willing to try and make a truce, please sit down." I tried to keep my voice from shaking with little success. Minutes passed in absolute stillness.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, a small black wolf sank down to the ground. One by one, the rest of the pack followed until only their leader remained standing.

I turned to him, determined to make him understand. "I am very sorry for your loss, for everything that my species has taken away from you. But you have to understand, you'll lose a lot more if you keep this up."

He stared at me with hatred, and I could tell he wasn't going to give up.

"You can't fight without an army." I pointed out.

His eyes blazed with fury and for a moment I was afraid he was going to take a snap at me. I had my arms halfway up to protect myself when he turned around and ran, dashing into the woods so fast I didn't even have time to react.

He ran away from us, away from his home once again. I stood there and listened to his footsteps until he was too far away for me to hear.

I closed my eyes and felt Edward as he encircled me in his arms. I leaned back against his chest before turning to the rest of the wolves and saying.

"Okay, I'm going to need a pen."

-------------------------------------------------

The tiny rays of light that indicated the beginning of a new day started to peek through our white curtains. I buried my face in a fluffy pillow that smelled strongly of Edward and smiled. Gentle fingers caressed my exposed back and I just had to grin. Life couldn't possibly get any better than that.

"Bella?" Edward whispered against my shoulder.

I smiled and answered "Hm?"

"Are you asleep?"

I chuckled at his little joke. "Yes, as a matter of fact I am. I'm dreaming of fried fish and chocolate pudding."

Edward grinned against my skin. "You just looked so... peaceful."

"I feel peaceful. In fact, I feel perfect."

Edward slid the bedsheet lower down my back and kissed my exposed skin. "You are perfect."

I stretched and pretended to yawn. Edward laughed softly.

"What were you thinking?" Edward's velvet voice interrupted my musings.

"That I don't ever want to leave this bed." I turned my head to the side so I could see his gorgeous features.

Edward's smile widened and he leaned down to kiss me. "That can be arranged."

"You think we could get some room service? Maybe a cow or two?" I joked and he growled, tickling me gently.

I laughed and turned on my back. He rolled on top of me and pinned me down, taking both my hands in one of his and trapping them above my head. He nuzzled my neck and I gasped, amazed at how alive he made me feel, how his touch seemed to ignite my cold skin.

"I love you so much I'd starve for you." He whispered against my collarbone.

"Oh yeah? Well I love you so much I'd eat tofu for you." I answered and he laughed. His beautiful, heartbreaking smile made me weak in the knees.

I glanced out the window. It was the beginning of a whole new day in our own private heaven. The little piece of island that we, along with the rest of the Cullens, had rented out in the Caribbean sparkled with the morning sun.

"Where's the rest of the family?" I asked Edward.

"If you're worried about the noise, they've gone hiking. Emmett wanted to explore the local fauna. They won't hear us even if you want to be as loud as you were the other night."

I squirmed with embarrassment. I might not be able to blush anymore, but as it turns out embarrassment can be shown in a lot of different ways. Edward laughed, lifting my chin with his index finger and placing a delicate kiss on my lips.

"You know what?" I asked when he finally let me go.

"What?" He kissed my cheek, my chin, my nose.

"I want to see the sunrise."

Edward lifted himself off me, all smiles. He loved watching me sparkle in the sun. He rose from the bed and looked around for the pants he'd been wearing the day before. I wrapped the white bed sheet around myself and walked out the little cottage hand in hand with him.

We reached the edge of the sand. The warm blue water touched our toes as Edward stood behind me, his arms around my waist. He rested his chin on my shoulder as we both watched the sun slowly coloring the horizon.

I felt a strong vibration coming from his pants and frowned. A second later his jeans started to sing.

Edward reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, silver cell phone. Frowning, he lifted it to his ear.

"Hello?" He answered. His frown deepened as he handed the phone to me.

"Hello?" I answered with hesitation.

"Bella! My dear!" It was a voice I recognized, and not one that I expected to hear again anytime soon.

"Lestat?" I was very confused.

"Yes dear, how are you? I've been trying to track you down for ages! Listen, I need to ask you, where the hell are you?"

"I'm... what... how did you get this number?" I stared at Edward and he shrugged his shoulders. Apparently he'd never given it to him.

"Oh that's not important. What is important is you dear! Where on earth did you sneak off to? I've been getting endless calls about you! Not knowing where you are is certainly not doing wonders to my reputation."

"Wonders to your... what?" I was so confused.

"Everyone is talking about you dear! I've gotten endless calls and visits. So many people want to join your family! You know, this awesome power of yours... it's bound to stir up some controversy. Everyone wants you!"

"Me?" I shrieked.

"I've been toying around with a few names for you guys. Some people are calling you The Other Family, but that's just putting unnecessary pressure on you guys. Even though Vampire Queen has also been thrown around and that's not exactly setting low expectations. I was thinking something along the lines of 'New World Family', that way the Volturi can remain the 'Old World Family', maybe that won't make them as mad. They can be so European, the snobs. This way if we ever get another vampire prodigy from, let's say, Asia, they can be the 'Asian family'! But that would make you the 'American family' and that sounds too much like a sitcom..."

I snapped the phone shut, groaning in despair. "This sounds like trouble." I said to Edward.

The phone rang again. Edward took it from me and threw it into the ocean before answering, "Oh Bella, with you, everything is always trouble."

He kissed my neck and I smiled as the sun rose on my new, and probably complicated life.

THE END

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Yes, the end the end. Nightfall is done! I really need to thank my betas because without them this thing would just be a mess of weird words and incorrect grammar ;)

Second, I want to thank all of the readers. If you've read this far I'll love you forever ;) Thank you so much for sticking with me even though I started writing this a year and a half ago. Even though nothing fits with New Moon and Eclipse. Even though I killed Jacob off somewhere around chapter ten and, most importantly, even though it took me looong months to update. You guys are my rock and my inspiration. I dedicate this last chapter to every single one of you who took the time to write a review.

I love you with all my heart. And just so you know, this is not the end of my Twilight fanfics. You will hear from me again (for better or worse ;))

Nightfall was a pleasure to write. I can only hope you enjoyed reading it too.

- Black Angel