Collateral

Collateral; something given to secure a loan or other obligation. Acceptable as a guarantee of performance.

Alice is gone, killed by Victoria in an attack of bitter vengeance. When justice is served and Victoria is nothing but ash, Jasper sees no other reason to continue existing. Like Edward, he seeks out the Volturi's help. Like Edward, they refuse. Knowing his only other option is to reveal himself, the Volturi finally concede.

But they have one condition.

After he nearly attacked her on Bella's eighteenth birthday, the Volturi know Angela Weber had seen too much. For them to grant him his last wish, Jasper has to bring her to Volterra. She is the key.

She is his collateral.

An alternate take on Chapter 21 of Built on a Lie, some of which will be familiar here.

Part One

Our footsteps echoed off the stone walls as we made our way through the winding corridors of the Volturi castle. I stuck close behind Jasper, just as he'd instructed, his hand at the base of my back. It was the only thing shielding me from the vampires surrounding us. The same two who'd brought us here.

Felix.

Demetri.

Those were the names the receptionist had used as she'd greeted them in Italian. They'd smiled and winked at her; she'd giggled and blushed, watching them as they walked away. I'd suppressed a shudder as she went out of sight. The normalcy of the situation made the Volturi lair even more disturbing.

From the two vampires in front of me, the tallest – Felix, held the most obvious threat with his muscular frame and wide shoulders. But it was the shorter of the two – Demetri, who terrified me the most. Both had the piercing red irises, but Demetri held something the other lacked.

I could remember all too clearly the way he'd stared at me. While Felix had focused on Jasper, sparing me a fleeting glance, Demetri had kept his sharp gaze on me, as if he was assessing every last detail, examining that which others usually overlooked. Even now, I had to divert my eyes as a colossal shiver travelled through me.

Now the situation was upon us, I felt my semblance of control slipping with every step I took. My whole body was trembling with fright by the time we came to a stop at a large, oak door. Felix held his hand out for us to stop as Demetri brushed passed me, invading my personal space with a perverse grin. I pressed myself against Jasper, hating the glint in Demetri's eyes as he spotted my terror.

I jolted painfully as the doors finally opened, revealing a large, circular room, the décor not dissimilar to the one we'd just left. Ice-cold fear lurched through me as a voice called for us to enter.

For one insane moment, I had the urge to hold back, to let Jasper go alone. To his death. But I squashed the notion; to hold back was to desert Jasper, and I couldn't. I couldn't let him face this last hurdle on his own. We'd been through everything else; this was the only thing left.

He wouldn't leave me, not here.

Jasper stepped forward, his movement tense. I stood beside him, shoulder to shoulder, but as we came to a stop in the middle of the vast room, he moved so his body was shielding mine. Similarly to earlier, he held out his left arm; this time allowing his hand to rest at the curve of my waist. I wanted to place my hand over his, but this wasn't a gesture of comfort. This was protection.

I scanned the area ahead of me, too scared to look behind me in case what I saw only made things worse. The room was full with perhaps a dozen vampires, maybe more, but I couldn't see them. I was hyper-aware of the fact everyone was staring at us, their red eyes standing out.

"How fascinating."

My eyes darted towards the person who'd spoken. Amidst my opening reaction to the room, I'd once again failed to notice something vital. This time, it was the three large chairs at the far end of the room. Upon them sat three men, dressed in long, dark robes. It was the one in the middle who'd spoken. He looked to be in his mid-twenties, with thick black hair that framed his ghostly face.

This was the first time I was meeting someone who essentially looked like a vampire.

He rose from his chair with unnatural grace for someone of his stature. But as he got closer, I soon realised that, though the power he exuded made him seem bigger, I was still physically taller. The tallest, it seemed, aside from Jasper, Felix, and Demetri. The shortest were a boy and a girl standing beside one another. Their child-like faces were not something I expected to see here.

"It seems you have grown an attachment to the human," he continued, staring at Jasper. He spoke with an air of enthralment, as if the very idea of an attachment between the two of us was remarkable, yet surprising.

Jasper remained silent and tense as the man came to stop just out of reach. Now that he was closer, I was able to see the differences between the two men before me. Aside from his scars, Jasper's skin looked pale and smooth. But this man was completely different. His skin looked almost translucent and powdery, making it seem incredibly old.

His eyes, too, were something new. Unlike the other irises I'd seen, they were clouded and milky, as if covered by some kind of film.

"May I?" he asked, raising a hand towards Jasper. The hand on my waist twitched as Jasper slowly raised his free arm. It was plain to see he didn't want to do it, yet he had no other choice. This eerie man may have offered it as a question, but he knew Jasper wouldn't refuse. To do that was dangerous.

He had to step closer to grasp Jasper's hand. For a full minute, they stood in silence, Jasper staring at him impassively while he stared down at Jasper's hand. Then, without warning, his sharp gaze flickered to me.

I flinched, cringing away from him. The only thing stopping me from taking a step back was Jasper's grip on my waist. His thumb moved in a swift, circular motion that I instantly recognised as a sign of reassurance. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself.

The look in his eyes was terrifying. It wasn't the same as, say, Felix or Demetri, whose eyes were as easy to read as an open book. All it took was one look into their eyes to know they would take pleasure in ending someone's life. But he had a different form of evil in them, a calculated one. A shiver ran through me as I worked out what it reminded me of. A mastermind, a serial killer.

He didn't take his eyes off me as he eventually dropped Jasper's hand and straightened into a more formal posture once again.

"Forgive me; we have yet to be formally introduced to one another." He held out his hand. "My name is Aro."

"Angela," I said in a cracked, frightened voice.

"Yes," he replied, attaining an air of calmness that sent a chill racing down my spine. "I know who you are."

His hand moved, reminding me of its presence. My gaze flickered towards it for a few seconds before returning to his face. I knew exactly what he was capable, of, how he could read every single thought I'd ever had with a simple touch of his hand.

The last thing I wanted was for him to read my thoughts, but what choice did I have?

His smile turned unnervingly friendly. "Will you not shake my hand?"

Jasper turned his head towards me. It wasn't enough to meet my eye, but it was sufficient for me to understand what he was trying to indicate. He was telling me to take Aro's hand; as much as I didn't want to, this was the only option I had.

My hand was quivering as I held it out. Knowing the pretence of shaking my hand was already at the back of his mind, I kept my arm limp as his fingers closed around mine. Breath caught in my throat at the feel of his skin. There was the same icy coldness Jasper's had, but like everything else, there was a big difference.

Aro's felt like stone, cold and dead, the grip a little too tight.

I kept my gaze fixed on Jasper, trying not to think about what Aro was seeing. He held on longer than he had with Jasper, and all the while, I had the urge to pull my hand away in disgust. When I realised he would be able to see exactly what I was thinking, I tried to block out absolutely everything bar Jasper.

A gentle exhale notified me Aro had finished. As soon as he let go, I pulled my arm away, instinctively curling my fingers into the back of Jasper's shirt.

"Such a lonely girl, bearing so much loss and sadness," Aro mused slowly, looking between us as if he could still read our thoughts. "I must say, you are a suited pair. It is not hard to see why she's given up her life to help you so willingly; she really has nothing to go back to. It's a shame you will be separated very soon."

My eyes stung with tears as I gripped Jasper's shirt even tighter in my clenched hands. Aro's words were hitting me like a stinging slap. Nothing could have prepared me for this. I wasn't ready to let Jasper go, and after seeing who he was handing himself over to, I wanted to get him as far away as possible.

"Let her go," Jasper said in a flat voice. "You've seen everything she has. You know she didn't tell anyone, and I give you my word that you can trust her."

Aro appraised us, his eyebrow arched in an amused manner, as though Jasper had requested something simple instead of asking for my safe passage out of Italy. It startled me when he began to laugh exuberantly.

"How sweet."

I gasped as a low snarl rippled from deep within Jasper's chest. My heart was thumping in my ears while I watched the hulk-like Felix take a cautionary step towards us, as if expecting Jasper to attack. Aro merely stepped away and turned to face the two he'd left sitting in the throne-like chairs at the end of the room, leaving his back to us, open to attack.

From the corner of my eye, Felix stepped even closer.

I focused my gaze to follow Aro's. The one with startlingly snow-white coloured hair, being by far the oldest looking of the three, inclined his head, as if he'd shared his thoughts with Aro from across the room. His attention drifted towards Jasper as Aro faced us once again. The serene expression on his face did nothing to placate me, it only made me more conscious of the fact my life, and Jasper's, was in his hands.

"So what do you suggest?" he asked, directing his question at Jasper.

"Let her go," he responded immediately with a severity in his voice that hadn't been there earlier. "It wasn't part of the deal for her to stay here. You told me to bring her and I did; you've witnessed her silence, now let her go."

Aro spread his hands before him. "And if she betrays our secret?"

"She wouldn't."

"You sound so sure," Aro said, considering Jasper. From the corner of my eye, I watched as Jasper tensed his jaw. With only his word, Aro had the power to override it. I had to say something. While I was certain my assurances would mean very little, I had to try.

"Jasper's right," I whispered, my voice betraying the fear I was trying not to show. I cringed as all eyes turned on me. "I made a promise that I wouldn't tell anyone, and I…I will never go back on that."

"Why, yes," Aro said, the smile returning to his face. "If I recall correctly, you didn't even want to share your secret with Jasper."

There was a babble of laughter around the room. I closed my eyes as I waited for them to fall silent once again. I'd known there was a chance he wouldn't take my assurance seriously, but I hadn't expected him to ridicule me. I had nothing more to give, and I didn't know what would happen now.

But the moment Jasper spoke, something changed.

"If you will not do it for me, do it in honour of Carlisle," he said evenly, as if he'd chosen his words with precision. I couldn't understand what he meant about Carlisle – did these people know him?

From as little as I knew Aro and this coven, I found it incredibly hard to imagine them knowing Carlisle well enough to do something in honour of him.

"He is a good man," Jasper continued after a deliberate pause. "And I know if he was here, he'd be asking you to show mercy, given what I'm asking you for on my return."

Aro tilted his head to the side, his eyes narrowing minutely. "Surely Carlisle would be more concerned with your wellbeing?"

Jasper stiffened beside me. "The circumstances are different. He'd understand that. But this isn't what she wants."

No, Jasper…but this isn't what I want for you, either.

"But are you sure this is what you want?" Aro shot back, an eyebrow arching as he glanced at me in what felt a deliberate manner. My breath caught in my throat as the two of them stared at each other. The way Aro had spoken didn't hint that he was giving Jasper a way out. It sounded quite the opposite. As if he was expecting him to take a third option, one I didn't know about.

It seemed Aro was waiting for something, but Jasper remained steadfast. For once, I wished I was facing him, just so I could see into his eyes. A minute passed in silence until finally I watched Aro exhale gently. From him, the action looked almost alien.

"Such a waste," Aro said despairingly. "What do you propose we do, then?"

Jasper didn't waste time in responding; it was clear he'd already prepared an answer. "I leave with her now-" My heart rate soared, my hopes rising for a split second or two. "-and escort her to the airport alone, to guarantee her safety."

As his words sunk in, I felt something squeeze around my heart, slowly draining the air from my lungs. They would have heard it, my reaction to his words. Of course…I would still be getting on the plane alone.

The room was completely silent by the time I'd pushed those thoughts away, allowing me to focus on the present. My whole body was shuddering with trepidation as I watched Aro assessing Jasper's request. His expression was blank, not giving anything away.

The moment was so tense that I was struggling to think straight. I didn't want to die here, but aside from not wanting Jasper to go through with this, that was the only thing I was really certain about.

It surprised me when the male with snow-white hair rose from his chair and glided over to stand at Aro's side. Now that he was closer, I noticed his skin had the same textured, transparent impression to it, and his eyes were just as clouded. It made me wonder whether the third, a man with longer, jet-black hair, was the same.

I was relieved he was yet to come closer. Somehow, he seemed the eeriest I'd met so far. There was something in his mannerism that made it seem he was the eldest in the room, the one who'd experienced the most. Even though, physically, he couldn't have been much older, if not younger than I was, at the time of his transformation.

When I returned my attention to the two in front of me, I was once again surprised to see Aro holding his hand out as the other pressed his fingers to Aro's palm. It took me a couple of seconds to work out what he was doing – Aro was reading his thoughts.

It seemed every occupant in the room was watching them now, waiting to see what happened. If they declined Jasper's request, I would surely die here. But given the circumstances, as long as I was with Jasper when the time came, surely that was the best thing I could hope for?

Nobody made a sound as the oldest left Aro's side, returning to his original seat. Aro appeared to think things over, dragging out the suspension as he stared unwaveringly at Jasper. I hardly dared to breathe.

"I have come to a decision," he announced to the hall. As if he'd been waiting for those exact words, the boy with a child-like face stepped forward. Aro quickly halted him with his hand. I think I saw his lips move, but if they did, I was unable hear the words. Seconds later, he fell back into formation with the girl, the both of them looking disgruntled.

I knew this was it when Aro moved one step closer.

"You will take the girl and go. On your return, we will fulfil your request." He spoke directly, the faux friendliness gone from his voice. "Should we hear that she has broken her promise, I assure you that anything said here today will become void. She will be dealt with swiftly."

I could feel my heart beating in my throat as his final words sunk in. He was letting me go; giving one last warning that if I told someone of their existence, I would be silenced. Though it meant I would be allowed to leave, I felt far from relieved. I wasn't safe, not yet, not until we were free of their castle.

"Demetri, escort them from the chamber," Aro directed. I saw movement from the corner of my eye, and suddenly felt sick as I realised, belatedly, that Demetri had been behind me the whole time.

"Certainly, Master," Demetri replied in his drawling lilt.

Even then, Jasper didn't move. Though I couldn't quite see his face, I could tell he was no longer focusing on Aro. Strangely, it was the small female he watched. It was chilling when I realised she was staring back at him, her large, ruby eyes slightly demented. The disturbingly sadistic smile on her young face suddenly made her the creepiest in the room.

Aro seemed to notice it, too, and for a couple of seconds, he seemed almost amused. I was really beginning to feel uneasy that, for the first time, things weren't what they seemed. Now that we were allowed to leave, it felt as though he wasn't going to let us.

But to my surprise, he glanced at the girl, and soon after she looked away. Finally Jasper seemed to awaken from his inert state and gradually started to turn away. I tried to catch his eye as he turned, but he was focusing so intently on those around him, that I don't think he even realised.

I found some comfort in the way he took my arm, his fingers curling around the curve of my elbow. My legs were stiff from standing still for so long that it was a good thing he was leading me away.

Just as we reached the oak doors, I spotted a young, blond male, maybe eighteen years of age, standing to the far side. He'd been centring in on Jasper, but just as we were about the pass through the doors, he suddenly looked right at me. I gasped quietly, stumbling a little. There was something different about him, but I couldn't quite understand what it was.

The doors were closed the moment we were back in the stone hallway. Jasper moved to put himself between myself and Demetri. He let go of my arm, moving his hand to rest gently on my back. I knew it was his silent way of communicating with me; it helped to calm my frazzled nerves. I only wished there was something I could have done for him.

But with Demetri beside us, there was nothing I could say or do. His presence alone was enough to make me nervous, and like before, it felt as though he was watching us out the corner of his eye.

The silence was broken a short while later as we arrived at an opening to a dark passageway. I didn't recognise where we were, which could only mean we'd taken a different route. We hadn't seen the human receptionist again.

"You know the rules; stick to the shadows and do not linger in the city," Demetri began, sounding slightly bored. "This passage will lead you to the outskirts. I suggest you keep your hood up as a precaution. We wouldn't want to fulfil our arrangement earlier than expected now, would we?"

Jasper's steely gaze met Demetri's taunting one, and for a couple of seconds, I felt the tension rise in the small hallway. It was only when I placed my hand on Jasper's arm did he take a step back. We had just turned away when I heard Demetri speak again.

"Farewell, Miss Weber." I looked back over my shoulder just in time to see a smirk twist across his face. "It was a pleasure meeting you. I only regret that you were allowed to leave. I feel I would have quite enjoyed the taste of your blood."

Everything happened so quickly after that.

Jasper had rounded on Demetri, a vicious snarl erupting from within him. The sound of it echoed off the walls, multiplying it. Any moment now, I expected Felix to reappear, or maybe the little girl with the cruel smile.

I watched as Demetri crouched into an aggressive stance, the smirk turning into a confident and pointed grin. Panic rose inside me as I realised he was prepared to attack. I moved without thinking; putting myself between them, just as Jasper had done a short while before.

The snarling stopped abruptly and Jasper snapped out of his crouch, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me away. Demetri straightened, too, the look in his eyes malevolent. They stared each other down, both looking as though they wanted to tear the other to pieces. My heart was pounding loudly in my ears and I was certain it was all they would hear.

To my relief, Demetri inclined his head, and then whipped around, disappearing into the passage we'd just come from. I stared after him, wide-eyed, wondering whether he was going to come back. I had a feeling Jasper was thinking the same thing because he stood rigid, watching the passageway like a hawk.

A minute passed, and still no one came. If he was coming back, he would have been here by now, and Jasper knew that.

His whole body appeared stiff as he started leading me away, his hand sitting loosely in the middle of my back once again. For nearly five minutes we walked in complete silence.

"You shouldn't have done that," he said finally. Though his tone was grim, the edge he'd adopted when talking to Aro had vanished.

In the darkness, I could hardly make out his face. "Done what?"

"Putting yourself between us like that," he said. "It was a dangerous move."

"He was going to attack you," I replied quietly. Hearing it back, my actions sounded foolish. Jasper was right when he said it was a dangerous move, but the thought of seeing them fight was more than I could bear. The fact I'd stepped between them had prevented the fight from breaking out.

If only it was enough to prevent it all.

"He wouldn't have laid a finger on you; I'd have made sure of that." I believed him when he said he wouldn't let Demetri get to me, but that wasn't what I was trying to say. I already knew Jasper would protect me.

"It wasn't me I was worried about."

I was glad for the darkness around us when I saw him glance at me from the corner of my eye. He didn't know how to respond, and I couldn't blame him for it. As futile as it was to put myself between two vampires, it still proved that I would put myself in danger for him. Ultimately, it showed Jasper that I didn't want to see him getting hurt.

But when he was doing this so he could end his life, really, what could he say?

Thinking about it made me feel worse. There were only a handful of hours left before he'd be gone. How was I even going to prepare myself to say goodbye to him? I could hardly bear the thought and it was getting increasingly harder to contain my emotions. I didn't want him to see me cry. It would be inevitable later, but not right now.

I took a deep breath and tried to compose myself. Seconds later, Jasper came to an abrupt stop beside me.

"Jasper, what's wrong?" I demanded, lowering my voice before I spoke again. "Is it them? Can you hear someone following us?"

He didn't respond, and when I looked him in the eye, there wasn't the seriousness he'd had when dealing with the Volturi. There was something else, a kind of pained, tortured appearance, as though he'd just worked out something horrifying. He looked away when I repeated his name, the pain not leaving him.

"We're out of range," he said vacantly, as if that explained everything.

"We're out of range of what?"

"Their power." He closed his eyes, wearing a look of disgust. When he opened them again, he didn't look at me. "Come on, we should keep moving."

I couldn't decipher his strange behaviour, and as we continued, I felt something else in the air. Once again, he was lost in his thoughts, and this time, he kept his hands at his side. I caught myself every time I tried to ask him what was wrong, and before I knew it, we were at the mouth of the passage and I still hadn't said anything.

It really was the edge of the city because all I could see were empty cobbled streets. This must have been one of their more secret exits. Demetri had said to keep to the shadows, and with the tall walls, it wasn't very hard to do.

It was a cloudy day, with only a hint of sun, but Jasper still pulled his hood up so that it covered most of his face. The final touch was to keep his head down and his hands in his pockets. The stance was so unfamiliar that, from afar, I wouldn't have recognised him.

We did indeed keep to the shadows as we weaved through the streets, heading out of the city and towards the small village we'd started out in. Jasper ran with me for a while until he could do so no longer. Luckily, when we reached out destination, the locals paid us little attention and we were able to get back to the car without any trouble.

Having checked out the inn earlier that morning, the only thing left was the car. Had we not been allowed to walk free of Volterra, the car would have disappeared with us.

It was only when we drove away did I feel the pressing weight lift from my chest. I was able to breathe freely for a couple of minutes before it all came back again.

I kept seeing flashes of the Volturi members, picturing their faces and wondering which one it would be. Felix, perhaps, or maybe even Demetri. My stomach churned as unwanted images came to mind of fire and looks of unrighteous pleasure in their expressions.

Pushing those notions away, I thought of the boy I'd spotted right at the end. I still couldn't work out what it was about him that felt different. The only way I was going to find out was to ask Jasper. It took me a minute to work out how I was actually going to approach the topic, as the last thing we needed was more about those waiting for him on his return.

Finally, I just decided to say it. "Did you notice the person standing to the left, just as we walked out?"

Jasper looked at me briefly as I finished. For some reason I got the impression he knew I was eventually going to ask him about it.

"Inconspicuous, isn't he?" I had to ask him to explain because I didn't quite understand what he meant. "You don't tend to notice he's there until he focuses in on you. When he does, you feel it."

He paused to let it sink in. As hard as it was to grasp all the different abilities, I found it easy to understand that, at least. The moment he'd looked at me, I'd felt something and I couldn't describe it, even if I tried.

"His ability varies depending how he wants to interpret your talents," he continued. "While I was there, he eradicated my abilities completely."

"Lucius," I said faintly as I remembered Jasper telling me about him this morning. Jasper told me he'd gained his knowledge of the Volturi from Carlisle, but at the time, Carlisle hadn't mentioned the blond haired boy who hung back, barely being noticed. Jasper seemed to think Carlisle was unaware of him, and with someone of Lucius' capability, I was certain Carlisle would have said something had he known.

Consequently, Jasper's first visit to the Volturi came as a big surprise. He hadn't expected his ability to vanish. Only when Aro explained his latest prodigy did Jasper fully understand what happened.

When I thought about it, Aro must have known Jasper had the ability to manipulate emotions before he arrived, so he ordered Lucius to totally remove them. I still didn't know just how strong Jasper's ability was, but had I been in Aro's position, I wouldn't have taken any chances. Jasper could have used his ability to sway Aro's final decision had it been a bad one.

"When did you feel your ability return?"

He visibly hesitated for a second or two. "A short while before we left the passage."

It took me a couple of heartbeats before realisation dawned on me. That had been about the same time he'd started acting strangely. He'd said we'd gone out of range when I'd asked him what was wrong. Had that been why he'd stopped?

But why had he looked so tortured? It couldn't have been an overload of emotions from all around him because I was the only one there…

My heart thumped as I saw what was staring me in the face. I was the only one there, and the way he'd stared at me…had that been his reaction to my emotions?

I gazed out the window, wringing my hands in my lap. I could remember his expression clearly, and it broke my heart to know he'd reacted that way because of me. If I had the choice, I wouldn't have wanted him to feel any of it. This was hard enough for him as it was, without having my feelings to contend with, too.

In an attempt to straighten out my emotions, I started thinking about something else that didn't directly include what would happen to Jasper. But because I couldn't quite ignore the topic completely, my question was still centred on the Volturi.

"Earlier you told Aro to let me go in honour of Carlisle, but why?" I asked, finally facing him. "I know he was the one who told you about the Volturi, but how did he know so much about them in the first place?"

This, it seemed, was an easier question for him to answer. "Carlisle spent nearly two decades with them before moving to America."

"He lived with them?" I asked weakly as I tried to imagine it. "But…how? It doesn't make sense. Carlisle is so…"

"Human?" Jasper suggested when I couldn't come up with a more suitable word. "More human compared to them, at least."

I nodded, still not quite believing it. "It doesn't seem right, though. The amount of people they must have murdered just to sustain themselves." I shuddered. "They're monsters."

From the corner of my eye I watched his grip tighten around the steering wheel. When I glanced at him, it didn't seem as though he was looking at the road at all. Something was up in his expression; it was only small but I could see it.

"What's wrong?" His only response was a grimace to flit across his face. "Jasper?"

"I used to be just like them, Angela," he said resentfully. "You call them monsters because of what they do, but I wasn't always like…this. I was exactly the same for a long, long time."

Whether intentional or not, I caught the double meaning behind his words. He wasn't always the vampire who drank animal blood, and he wasn't always the dark, inconsolable Jasper sitting beside me.

"You're not a monster," I replied, keeping my voice direct so he wouldn't doubt I was telling the truth. "A monster wouldn't change their life around."

The look on his face told me he wasn't going to agree with me, and when he started to speak, I knew I was right.

"You've seen only a small fraction of my scars. There are so many more, and yet, even after all that, I'm still here." He looked at me, disgust marring his features. "What does that say about me?"

I think he was attempting to scare me, or maybe just having a crack at changing the way I felt about him, because he sure as hell knew all about that. But it didn't work. All it did was make me angry at him for even trying.

"Just stop it," I said, a little harsher than I intended. "I don't want to hear what you were like, or the things you used to do – whatever they even were. I don't care about any of that, okay? It doesn't matter because that's not who you are anymore, so stop trying to scare me away."

I looked away before I could see his reaction to my sudden outburst. There was a lump in my throat signalling that I was going to cry. This time, I couldn't prevent it. I barely made a sound as tears slipped down my cheeks, but I still knew it wasn't quiet enough for Jasper not to notice. It probably filled the otherwise silent car.

It made me feel worse to know the minutes were slipping by. Later, when he was gone, I would be sure to regret this. But what was there to say? I had nothing left, and to my dismay, I soon started seeing signs telling me we were closing in on Rome.

That was when the anxiety started. I could feel it in my throat and in my stomach, and I had the sudden urge to tell him to stop and pull over. I didn't want to go any further. But that's when I spotted the sign for the airport, and suddenly it was all over. Jasper parked up in the designated area for hired cars, but didn't get out.

"I'm sorry for what I said to you earlier," he finally said, the regret apparent in his voice. "I've been doing a lot of thinking recently, about the person I was…what I've become. But you didn't deserve to hear that."

He was staring at me now, I could feel it. When I turned, the expression on his face made the ache in my chest grow even stronger.

"You don't need to apologise," I told him weakly. I didn't want to hear him apologise, not for anything. He'd felt the need to say it too many times in the past month.

Jasper was the first to look away from our held gaze. Whatever he saw in my eyes was worse than the broken look in his. Similarly, he was the first to get out of the car. I was pretty sure I wouldn't have been able to make the first move myself.

The airport was busier than I expected it to be. Jasper joined the queue to check in straight away, and when I looked at the flights board, I realised why. My flight to London wasn't even an hour away.

Once again, Jasper had to do all the talking because I was unable to even think straight. The moment we were done, I would have to say goodbye. Sure enough, when my bag had been taken away, I followed him towards the departure gate.

I was physically shaking by the time he stopped and turned to face me. I couldn't even be comforted by the fact he looked as though this was as hard for him as it was for me.

"You have to go to gate four," he said vacantly, signalling towards the place I had to walk through to get to the right gate. Jasper wasn't allowed in, even though his name was down for the flight. He had to check in, but he'd only given them my faux name, Louise Jefferson.

"I'm going to arrange for someone to meet you at each airport," he went on. "I don't want you to be alone."

The moment he said it, we both knew it wouldn't change a thing. Without him accompanying me home over the next few days, it was a given that I'd be alone.

"You're really going back to them, aren't you?" I asked in a whisper, diverting my gaze because I could hardly bear to see him as he said that he was. I knew he would, of course I did, but there was still that small portion that hoped he would change his mind. I'd barely allowed myself to acknowledge it before; it was too much to hope for.

But he didn't say anything, and as I glanced up at him, I saw his lips were parted slightly, as though he was trying to say something but couldn't quite manage it.

He's still going…

My chest felt tighter now than it ever had, making it even harder to breathe. He would be gone in a few minutes. It dawned on me this was the last time I was going to have the chance to tell him how I felt, and not just the glimpses he'd caught in my emotions, but the real thing.

Yet when I opened my mouth, all I could utter was, "Jasper, I…"

The words caught in my throat, and instantly the moment was gone before it really had the chance to form. I closed my eyes as more tears tracked down my face. This was it.

My legs near enough gave way as he wrapped his arms around me, holding me against his chest. I gripped the back of his shirt, trying to hold onto the moment before that, too, slipped away from me.

A sob built up in my chest as he eventually pulled back. He paused, though, when his hand reached my waist, and used the other to wipe away my tears. Everything around us seemed to fade into the background as his fingers lingered on my cheek.

His gaze was intense as he stared at me, the look in them something I hadn't seen before. It dawned on me then what was about to happen.

My eyes closed automatically as he slanted towards me, hovering for a moment before pressing his lips to mine. My pulse quickened at his touch. The kiss was gentle and soft, just as I always imagined a first kiss with someone should be.

I didn't open my eyes when he leaned away because I knew this was our goodbye. I wasn't sure I could take watching him walk away from me…this was the only way.

"Be safe," he whispered in my ear, allowing me to breathe him in one last time. His hand slipped from my waist, and a second later, I knew he was gone. When I finally opened my eyes, he was nowhere in sight.

He hadn't said goodbye, but this time, I knew he wasn't coming back.

A/N: Hope you liked it! If anyone is interested, I'll be giving out a teaser to Part Two in review replies. Big thanks go to idealskeptic for all the helps she has given me.

For anyone who may be reading this without first reading Built on a Lie:

Lucius is an original character. His ability is to detect and determine how powerful someone's ability is. He also has the power to weaken or completely remove said ability. The distance of how far his ability stretches depends on how focused he is on that particular person.

The Volturi are based around the descriptions provided in the Illustrated Twilight Guide, not the films…except Demetri because let's face it, Charlie Bewley is damn fine.

Alice was killed in August 2006. These scenes are set in December 2008. Jasper tracked Victoria for just under two years.