What if Bella hadn't jumped off the cliff? What if the Volturi had come looking for her? This can't end well…

Bella P.O.V.

I remember what…he had said before he had left.

"They're the closest thing my world had to royalty. They enforce the laws." And now, I can see why they do. There were so many of them! They were able to encircle me, after they had killed Laurent. Their gray and black cloaks billowed in the wind of the forest.

I wished the Cullens hadn't left. I wished they had stayed to protect me. I wished Edward still wanted me. I wished he was here. To save me from these…vampires. Their sinister red eyes, their razor-sharp, glinting white teeth. The moon hung in the sky, uncloaked by the clouds---no wonder they had come at night; it was one of those rare sunny days. Forks wouldn't know what had happened to me; vampires never left any evidence.

The one with the deepest black cloak---Aro, I recognized from Carlisle's painting---strode forward with such grace that it would put Alice's even lope to shame. His eyes were milky, clouded, but still a brilliant and shocking crimson. His pale skin clashed with his dark hair, that I had mistaken for the hood of his cloak.

His voice was a papery whisper, like someone taking a sword out of a sheath, "Isabella, we are proud to welcome you into our ranks," his words were calm enough, but I could hear the menace behind them. And the desire, and the thirst for power. I could read his expression as well as I could read…his.

The others with the second and third blackest cloaks started forward with the same grace, and one had the shock of snow-white hair. No mistaking for a hood there.

A feeling of dread spread over me as someone with enough muscles that could rival Emmet's stepped forward.

I looked at Aro, away from the advancing vampire. I glared at him as I realized what he meant.

My reaction surprised even me.

"No." I said, my tone defiant and my voice not shaking. I narrowed my eyes, and his expression was a trifle shocked before he controlled it. Then it turned semi-incredulous. The other half was kind.

He stepped forward, but stopped when he saw I did not flinch back.

"Isabella," he began, but I cut him off.

"Bella," I said, acid practically dripping from my one word.

"Bella, then." he muttered, stepping even closer---we were almost touching. He lifted a hand and touched my cheek. His touch was just a bit colder than I expected, but his skin was(and looked)like a thin rock, rather than the solid stone I was used to. I did not flinch from him. "I know that they left. I know that you are depressed. I know what they both hurt you. But I can give you a second life. An eternity in Volterra. You can be ranked quite highly, I assure you. But you must say yes. The only other option is death, though." he coughed to hide a laugh at my frightened expression.

I was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Alice P.O.V.

I was disturbed by a sudden vision. Bella.

"Alice, what's wrong?" Jasper's face was in my line of vision. I could feel my horrified eyes focus on his concerned ones.

"Bella." I whispered.

Jasper grabbed my shoulders and shook them. "What's wrong, what's wrong with Bella?" he growled.

"The Volturi." was all I could say. He sprang into action, pulling me with him, to find Edward.

"The Volturi are in Forks?" he snarled as he drug me along, the sounds of our passage too quiet for the sleeping humans to hear.

My mind was frozen in place.

The vision kept replaying in my mind. I realized I could see this from Aro's point of view. I could hear his thoughts, as well.

We had traveled to Forks, a small town where the Cullens had once lived. The Guard had insisted we waited for midnight, when they were sure the girl---Isabella---would still be awake.

And she was. But she was talking with another vampire…had the Cullens come back? He talked with a slightly English accent. No, not one of the Cullens.

I had walked into the small clearing.

"Won't be happy about what?" Isabella asked. Her voice was clear, and it reminded me of someone swirling their finger on a glass. Musical.

"About me killing you," the vampire said. He had black hair and a slightly olive complexion.

He raised his arm, and I saw Isabella freeze as she spotted me, a black, cloaked figure gliding across the clearing at about twenty miles an hour.

I picked up the other vampire up by the throat, from behind. I threw him across the clearing with enough force to knock a human's head off. But Demitri and Felix took care of him.

Isabella's shocked face turned into gratitude. "Thank you," she said, and then she shifted to curious. "Now, who are you?"

I flicked my eyes to the shadows, and the guard surrounded her. She did not flinch.

"Isabella, we are proud to welcome you into our ranks," I hoped she could not read my tone.

Her chin jutted out a fraction, "No," she said defiantly. Demitri stepped forward, his expression eager.

I have to admit I was a little shocked. Who was she, to defy me?

She did not flinch, again, when I stepped forward.

"Isabella---" I started, but she did not let me finish.

"Bella," her sarcasm was thick in the single word.

"Bella, then." I stepped forward again, and laid my hand on her cheek. She seemed used to my cold skin, for she did not gasp in surprise. "I know that they left. I know that you are depressed. I know what they both hurt you. But I can give you a second life. An eternity in Volterra. You can be ranked quite highly, I assure you. But you must say yes. The only other option is death, though." she seemed frightened, now, so I had to choke back a laugh.

She calmed it in a second, though. But she was practically shaking with fear. Her jaw clenched.

"Then I must accept your kind offer, Aro." she bowed her head for a moment, and I could tell I got what I came for. A triumphant smile lit up my face before I could stop it.

"Excellent!" I nodded to Demitri, who picked her up, wedding style, and we fled the clearing, to the airport in Seattle.

"NO!" I gasped, appalled. How could she…wait. The other option was death. And she was spared by Death himself.

"Alice, what is it?" Jasper muttered too fast for human ears.

"She had to…there was no other option…oh, no…" I kept repeating, and Jasper and I burst into the attic of the building, where I had seen Edward going. His face looked…well…dead. To say the best.

His head snapped up, and I saw him look at us. "Alice, Jasper, what?" his tone was dead, too. "Are Carlisle and Esme alright?"

"Yes," Jasper looked at Edward, and couldn't shake the concern off him.

"Then what's wrong?" Edward's eyes flickered between my horrified face and Jasper's mask of fury.

"Bella," I managed to whisper.

Edward was over to me in a flash. "What's wrong with Bella?!" he was desperate.

"The Volturi are in Forks" before I had gotten all the words out, Edward was in motion, dialing Carlisle's cell and talking aggressively into the phone, snarling, growling words. He was also cursing.

My eyes widened at what I heard. Edward was going to Italy to get Bella back.

When he snapped the phone shut, I looked at him with all the authority I could muster, and said, "Edward, we're coming with you." Jasper nodded.

Edward started shaking his head, and I protested, "Jasper will need to calm them down so it doesn't turn into all of us getting killed."

"I'd gladly get killed if it was for Bella," and with that, Edward was jumping out the window, landing lithely on the concrete ground, fuming with anger.

Jasper and I nodded for a fraction of a second, and we were sailing through the window, as well. Well, at least we didn't have to punch through the wall.

We were getting Bella back. No matter the cost.

Bella's P.O.V.

"Then I must accept your kind offer, Aro." I bowed my head in respect. When I lifted it, Aro's face was alight with a smile so sinister, I almost started shaking.

He nodded ever so slightly to the Emmet-comparison, and he picked me up, and at light speed we headed for the airport in Seattle.

Edward's P.O.V

I was going to rip those nasty Volturi to pieces. My Bella would not be left by me, not anymore. It was a mistake to leave her. I didn't know she would attract danger like a magnet anymore. I thought that bad luck was due to me, but I was obviously wrong.

They were going to pay if they merely touched a hair on her head. If they so much as let her get a cut, they were going to have to answer to me.

I talked to Carlisle, and told him the situation. He seemed appalled. But I hung up the phone and leapt out the window.

I ran hard and fast. The exhilaration was lost from this run. Replaced by a dark fury that drove me faster and faster. I let it take me over. Bella. Must. Get. To. Bella.

The others trailed farther behind than usual. The anger did not release me until I had to act human at the airport. I had to buy a ticket to Italy. I had to get my Bella back.

Bella's P.O.V

This was not going to end well for me. Death or vampire life. I chose the second option. Because if I did not exist, Edward would cease to exist as well.

The wind rushed past the mountain-like vampire that carried me. And I remembered being slung on Edward's back, when he ran. When I was whole. When I didn't have this gaping hole in my chest. And when I knew that Edward loved me. But he didn't now. He told me himself. He didn't want me. Not anymore, anyways. Sad, but true. I had always known that I would get snapped out of my fairytale sometime. And that it would hurt when I did. I just didn't know it would hurt so bad. And hurt for so long. Time doesn't heal anything. Physical pain, sure. Everything physical gets cured somehow.

By the person dying, or maybe finding a cure, or getting a cast. But the person will never be the same on the inside. Never move past something like this.

Aro's P.O.V.

She was able to elude both mine, and Edwards talents. And I had Jane stare directly at her and try her gift. And Alec. Neither worked. I could only imagine the joy she would be when she was immortal.

Alice's P.O.V.

No, no, no, no, no. This could not be happening. It couldn't work out this way. No, no, no, no!!!!!! I couldn't make words come out of my mouth. I couldn't comfort Edward, because I could see and feel his anger. I mirrored it. I reflected it. My sister, Bella, was in trouble. I had to help.

Edward's P.O.V.

The plane ride was most unsettling. I was angry at the Volturi for taking Bella. I was angry at myself for putting her in danger. I was angry at the pilot for not getting this show on the road. I wanted to kick him out of the cockpit and fly the plane myself.

Good idea, Alice thought sarcastically.

Edward, why don't you go fly the plane? Jasper and I appeared to have the same thoughts.

Alice hissed under her breath as she saw what he was going to suggest before he did.

He rolled his eyes at her and nodded at me. I got up, and walked to the front of the plane. The flight attendants were preparing the cabin for departure. Alice and Jasper flanked me, with their dark clothes, they looked like bodyguards.

I looked the flight attendant that stood outside the door, flashed a smile at her, and said, "I need a word with the pilot." she nodded weakly, and Jasper pushed her to the back of the plane.

Inside, the pilot was talking on his radio, and saw me come in, and stopped. He put the speaker down, and looked at my eyes.

I hadn't hunted in a while, so they were black. I glared at him. He looked frightened.

"I need to get somewhere, sorry!" I landed a punch to his head. He passed out, so I threw him out of the plane.

I spoke over the intercom, "We will now depart. Have a nice flight!"

I sped the plane down the runway, then started gaining altitude like lightening.

Bella, don't worry, I'm coming to get you. Her face behind my eyelids flinched from my snarling thoughts.

Alice and Jasper had their places outside the door, while I steered the plane to Italy.

Mercifully, the flight was short. Well, with my flying, anyway.

When we stopped, I hopped out the window and landed with just a light thud.

Alice and Jasper followed me, and we raced to Volterra in a Porsche that Alice stole.

Bella's P.O.V.

Oh, no. This wasn't going to end well for me. I was going to become a vampire. I only started thinking this as we reached Volterra, the city of the Volturi.

The palace was amazing, but I couldn't stop to marvel at it's beauty. I shut my eyes tightly and suddenly I was on a large bed in a huge, unfamiliar room.

The one that looked like the angel, Jane, had a brother named…Alec, that was it! He strode in as Demitri, the mountain-like one left.

His red eyes fixed on mine. "This is going to hurt. Bad." he whispered, suddenly next to me, pinning my arms over my head. He was almost…amused at the thought.

He leaned closer as if he were about to kiss my neck, but he sank his teeth into it instead.

The pain made me dizzy, as the fire spread through my veins, and I locked my lips together in an attempt of not screaming. I succeeded.

Edward's P.O.V.

I couldn't hear anything from the Volturi castle. But I stormed the door anyway.

"Where's Bella?!" I hissed at the human secretary. She looked shocked but pointed at a large door.

I broke the door down in my fury and saw Aro and Marcus and Caius lounging in the room on their thrones.

Aro blinked in surprise, "Ah, Edward Cullen. Have you reconsidered my offer?" he seemed eager.

"No." I growled in frustration. "Where's Bella?!" the fury was replacing all my emotions again.

"Yeah, where's Bella?" Alice appeared beside me, while Jasper followed. I scanned through Aro's thoughts. He seemed to just have gotten back from Forks three days ago.

"And Alice and Jasper, too! This is quite the surprise." Aro clapped his hands happily.

I was in front of him in a second while Jasper calmed the entire guard and the ancients, as well. "I will repeat this one more time. Where. Is. Bella?!"

"Right here," Alec said from behind me. He was leading a newborn. That I recognized as Bella.

She cocked her head to the side and Jasper lost his hold on the room. Jane calculated my proximity with her master. He's too close, she thought. When the pain started, I fell to the floor.

Bella launched herself at Jane and knocked her to the ground. It took Demitri and Felix to pry her off of Jane, and even then I could see she was too much to handle. Her eyes were a glowing, bright scarlet. Her hair was closer to black than brunette. Her skin was ablaster. But she wanted to protect me. That was something. She was thrown back to the wall, and it was split down the middle with an earsplitting crack!. She hissed in surprise, and then growled when she realized where she was.

And she looked apologetic.

She strode to Aro and bowed formally. "I'm sorry, Master, for attacking Jane, I promise it won't happen again."

What…the…heck?