Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all characters and storylines.

Previously: And the Volturi would intervene. I let my feet continue to carry me to the main plaza in the heart of Volterra. That's where the most humans would be, where my fate awaited me.

I was waiting in the shadows, underneath the clock tower; I wanted the sun to be directly overhead.

It was the St. Marcus' Day festival, and the square was packed with humans, the air thick with conversation and laughter. All eyes would be on me though, when the clock chimed twelve. Only a few minutes to go.

I removed my white shirt, and dropped it, crumpled, onto the stone floor underneath me. I closed my eyes. This was really it now.

I had left Bella. Bella, my love, my life, my everything. And now, she had left me. She ceased to exist on this earth. So I wasn't going to. And I would no longer exist in a matter of seconds.

The clock tolled.

I took a large stride toward the light.

"No! Edward, look at me!"

I smiled slightly, oblivious to the shout. The terror in the voice was insignificant in comparison to the emotions I was feeling right now. The relief was overwhelming—the relief that I could no longer hurt the one I loved. And this would be it now. I raised my foot to take the step that would put me in the direct sunlight.

Suddenly, an unforeseen force slammed into me. It didn't shift me, though. Instead, I held the person up, stopping them from crumpling at my strength.

I inhaled slowly, and the scent filled me with a warm, incomparable pleasure along with a sharp, burning fire. I opened my eyes slowly, as the clock continued to toll—and glanced down at her with quiet surprise.

"Amazing, Carlisle was right."

"Edward!" she gasped. "You've got to get back into the shadows. You have to move!"

I brushed my hand softly against her cheek. The clock tolled again. That was it, it was over. One step and I was gone. How peaceful.

"I can't believe how quick it was. I didn't feel a thing—they're very good." I closed my eyes and pressed my lips against her hair. "Death, that hath sucked the honey of thy breath, hath had no power yet upon thy beauty," I murmured Romeo's last line.

The clock let out it's final toll.

"You smell just exactly the same as always. So maybe this is hell. I don't care. I'll take it."

"I'm not dead, and neither are you!" she interrupted. "Please Edward, we have to move. They can't be far away!"

"What was that?" I asked politely.

"We're not dead, not yet! But we have to get out of here before the Volturi—"

And then I realised—the same realisation I had felt on that fateful night of Bella's birthday—that I wasn't in hell. I wasn't even dead.

And Bella was alive.

And we were standing in the centre of the grand piazza—with the sun beating down on my bare, gleaming skin.

My senses came to life, my control sifted over me like a shield, and I focused.

I quickly yanked Bella away, spinning her so that her back was tight against the brick wall of the alleyway behind us, me in front of her, my arms spread out wide, protectively. Two dark, shapes detached themselves from the gloom.

"Greetings, gentlemen. I don't think I'll be requiring your services today. I would appreciate it very much, however, if you would send my thanks to your masters." I kept my voice calm and pleasant.

"Shall we take this conversation to a more appropriate venue?"

"I don't believe that will be necessary. I know your instructions, Felix. I haven't broken any rules," I said, to the shorter of the two figures.

"Felix merely meant to point out the proximity of the sun." The other said, in a soothing voice. I knew better than to trust him, though. "Let us seek better cover."

"I'll be right behind you. Bella, why don't you go back to the square and enjoy the festival?" I suggested. She didn't have to witness this.

"No, bring the girl." Felix said in a whisper.

"I don't think so." I shifted my weight, preparing to fight.

"No." Bella mouthed at me.

"Shh," I murmured back.

"Felix," the second voice cautioned. "Not here." He turned back to me. "Aro would simply like to speak with you again, if you have decided not to force our hand after all."

"Certainly," I agreed. "But the girl goes free."

"I'm afraid that's not possible. We do have rules to obey."

"Then I'm afraid that I'll be unable to accept Aro's invitation, Demetri."

"That's just fine," Felix purred.

"Aro will be disappointed," Demetri sighed.

"I'm sure he'll survive the letdown."

The two cloaked figures spread out slightly, coming at us from two sides. I didn't move an inch. My head whipped round, aware that somebody else was with us. Demetri and Felix did the same.

"Let's behave ourselves shall we? There are ladies present." Alice tripped lightly to my side. She looked tiny and fragile, compared to Demetri's bulky frame.

Demetri and Felix straightened up, they didn't seem to like even numbers.

"We're not alone," Alice reminded them.

Demetri glanced over his shoulder, where a family stood watching us. The father walked over to one of the many men in red blazers, an apparent security guard, and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Please, Edward, let's be reasonable." Demetri said, shaking his head.

"Let's," I agreed. "And we'll leave quietly now, with no one the wiser."

Demetri sighed in frustration. "At least let us discuss this more privately."

Six men in red joined the family and watched us anxiously, from the mouth of the alley.

"No."

Felix smiled.

"Enough," a familiar voice chimed.
I didn't need more than that one word to realise immediately who it was. I dropped my protective stance over Bella in defeat.

"Jane," I said.

Alice folded her arms across her chest.

"Follow me," Jane said. She turned her back and began to drift away, silently.

Felix gestured for us to go first, smirking. Alice followed after Jane instantly. I wrapped my arm around Bella's waist and pulled her along beside me.

"Well, Alice," I began. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised to see you here."

"It was my mistake," she replied in the same tone as myself. "It was my job to set it right."

"What happened?" I asked politely, assuming the tone of barely intrigued.

"It's a long story, in summary, she did jump off a cliff, but she wasn't trying to kill herself. Bella's all about the extreme sports these days."

I listened intently to Alice's thoughts, near-drownings, stalking vampires, werewolf friends . . . Bella could be quite a handful, I had to admit.

"Hm," I said, the casual tone to my voice gone.

The alley sloped downwards as we walked, until we reached a brick wall. Bella stopped in her tracks as Alice walked curtly to the wall, then slipped down an open hole in the street.

"It's all right, Bella, Alice will catch you," I said in a low voice in her ear. Her expression was one of alarm, but she crouched down, swinging her legs in the narrow gap.

"Alice?" she whispered, her voice trembling slightly.

"I'm right here, Bella," she called up in reassurance.

I took her wrists and lowered her down into the hole. "Ready?" I asked.
"Drop her," she called back. I let her fall, and heard a slight thud as Alice caught her in her waiting arms.

I slipped through the hole and landed beside them. Bella was on her feet now.

I put my arm around her, and held her close to my side. She wrapped both her arms around my waist and stumbled across the uneven stone surface.

The hole that we'd jumped down had led to a sewer-like tunnel, without the stench. It was dank and dark, and no other sounds could be heard apart from our footsteps, and Bella's loud thudding heart. I heard an impatient sigh come from behind me.

I pulled Bella closer. I reached for her face with my free hand, tracing across her lips with my thumb, occasionally pressing my face into her hair. This was the only time we would get for a reunion. Bella clutched herself closer to me.

The path began to slant downwards, I could tell Bella was tense, and afraid more than anything. I didn't know myself what exactly was going to happen. She began to shake, and her teeth to chatter. I immediately let go of her, keeping only her hand in mine.

"N-n-no," she said, throwing her arms back around me. I rubbed my hand against her arm, trying to create heat.

At the end of the tunnel was a grate, the iron bars rusting. A small door of thinner, interlaced bars was standing open. I ducked through and hurried on to a larger, brighter stone room. The grille slammed shut with a clang, followed by the snap of a lock.

On the other side of the long room was a low, heavy wooden door. It was very thick—I could only tell because it, too, stood open.

We stepped through the door and Bella glanced around her, relaxing automatically beside me. I tensed, my jaw clenched tight.

We were in a brightly lit hallway. It was warmer here, I was glad for Bella's benefit, but I still kept on rubbing her arm.

I glowered darkly down the long hallway toward Jane's black shrouded figure at the end, standing by an elevator. I pulled Bella along, Alice on her other side. The door creaked shut behind us, and I hear the thud of a bolt sliding home. Jane held the doors of the elevator open for us.

Once inside the elevator, Jane, Demetri and Felix relaxed, letting the hoods of their cloaks fall back on their shoulders. I looked around at them, all three pairs of eyes were a deep crimson colour.

When the elevator ride was over, we stepped out into what looked like a posh reception area. In the middle of the room was a high, polished mahogany counter. A woman stood behind it, she was tall, with dark skin and green eyes, clearly not one of us. What were the Volturi thinking?

She smiled politely at us. "Good afternoon, Jane."

Jane nodded. "Gianna." She continued toward a set of double doors in the back of the room. Felix walked past and winked at Gianna, she giggled in response.

On the other side of the wooden doors, we came face to face with Alec, Jane's partner in crime. He looked exactly the same as her, with the same height and cherub-like cheeks. Alec smiled, reaching for her. "Jane."

"Alec," she responded, embracing him. He looked up at us.

"They send you out for one and you come back with two . . . and a half," he said, noticing Bella. "Nice work."

Jane laughed.

"Welcome back, Edward," Alec greeted me. "You seem in a better mood."

"Marginally," I replied. Alec chuckled and looked closely at Bella.

"And this is the cause of all the trouble?" he asked, sceptical.

I smiled falsely, and then froze.

"Dibs," Felix called.

I turned to face him, a low snarl building up deep in my chest. Felix smiled—his hand was raised, palm up; he curled his fingers twice, inviting me forward.

Alice touched my arm. "Patience," she cautioned me.

We exchanged a long glance, both wondering what would happen. Alice could not foresee it, as they hadn't made a decision as of yet.

"Aro will be so pleased to see you again," Alec presumed.

"Let's not keep him waiting," Jane suggested.

I nodded.

Alec and Jane holding hands, led the way down an ornate hallway. They stopped halfway down the hall and slid aside a piece of the paneling to expose a plain wooden door. Alec held it open for Jane.

I pulled Bella through the other side of the door. It was the same stone as the sewers we were in before, only not as long. It opened into a brighter, round room, similar to a huge castle turret.

A handful of people were convened, conversing with each other. A pair of women in summer dresses were stood in a patch of light, and their skin threw sparkles against the sienna walls.

They were all dressed in casual pants and shirts, that wouldn't look out of place outside on the streets.

The first person that spoke though, was one that wore a long jet-black robe.