Disclaimer: I never owned Twilight. Stephenie Meyer does, of course.

"Edward!" I screamed, knowing it was useless. The crowd was too loud, and my voice was breathless with exertion. I could not even see him, and the alleyway I knew he was seemed further than I thought possible. The clock tolled again.

"Mi scusi, si sta procedendo abbastanza una scena qui, signora," a man said, grabbing my shoulder.

"Let me go!" I shrieked, pulling his grip off as the clock tolled heartlessly. I was glad something bloodthirsty waited in the wings, for in failing at this, I forfeited any desire to live. A chill went down my spine, as I shuddered at the thought. An image of a pale granite figure with red irises, looming high over me, baring its pearl white teeth at me. No. I must not think about it. It would shake my nerves and shatter me, when I needed to race against time. For Edward. The clock tolled again, mocking me.

"Edward! Edward, no!" So close, yet so far. Too close not to reach him, but too far for him to see me… I was barreling through a circle of tall men in red blazers, towards a break in the throng. The clock tolled once more, drowning my scream.

I couldn't remember any other time in reality when I had wished above all other wishes that Edward could hear my thoughts. If only the glitch in my head would go away, and Edward could know the truth that I was not dead, that the overwhelming guilt he felt for my death… No one would blame him for my death anyway, not when I was the stupid fool who threw myself off the ruddy cliff… To hear him. It was stupid, stupid, stupid, to hear my subconscious at the cost of reality. If Edward died… A spasm of pain shot through my torso, that that has nothing to do with the exertion of running. The clock's toll rang deeply in my ears, making my eardrums throb.

A family of four stood nearest to the alley's mouth, two girls in crimson dresses and dark hair. Imagination or reality, I don't know, but it looked like something bright in the shadows, behind them. The clock tolled again.

I willed my legs to take bigger strides as my hand flew to my stitch… The pain would be nothing, nothing like losing Edward again. The clock tolled, and the littlest girl clamped her hands over her ears.

I rasped out his name over and over again, burning my throat and tearing my lungs to do so. I swerved around the father- he clutched the baby out of my way- and sprinted for the gloomy breach behind as the clock tolled over my head.

I could see him now. And I could see that he could not see me.

It was really him, no hallucination this time. And I realized that my delusions were more flawed that I'd realized; they'd never done him justice.

Edward stood, motionless as a statue, just a few feet from the mouth of the alley. His eyes were closed; the rings underneath him were deep purple, his arms relaxed at his sides, his palms turned forward. His expression was very peaceful, like he was dreaming pleasant things. The marble skin of his chest was bare- there was a small pile of white fabric at his feet. The light reflecting from the pavement of the square gleamed dimly from his skin.

I'd never seen anything more beautiful- even as I ran, gasping and screaming, I could appreciate that. And the last seven months meant nothing. And his words in the forest meant nothing. And it did not matter if he did not want me. I would never want anything but him, no matter how long I lived.

The clock tolled, and he took a large stride toward the light. A low soprano voice rang, familiar, whispering and urgent. No time. No time, and I had no chance to save Edward. Of course Alice would be the only hope. Alice! But I could not afford to turn. Alice, Alice! We aren't going to make it, and despite my efforts…

I screamed for him, and tears ran down my face unexpectantly, blurring my view. It was insane, crazy, stupid, to cry at this time, when Edward-! But he couldn't do this, he couldn't, he just couldn't, he couldn't do this to me, to Carlise, to Esme, to Alice, to everyone-!

A loud "thunk" near me, then a dark shadow loomed over me, as Edward raised his foot to take the step that would put him directly in the sun. I was too far, too far to pull him back…

A gust of cold wind brushed by me, as Alice and I screamed.

"Edward, no!"

Boulder against boulder, a loud clap (of lightning) at the same time the clock tolled.

Then, before I could put another toe forward, my good vampires were obscured by grey cloaks, and a horrible metallic screeching ripped through the alleyway. I dug into my heels, mouth hanging open in horror as the shocking sound exploded into a tower of fire and acrid smoke.

I slumped against the side of the wall as grey robes lapped at my heels.

No meaning existed anymore. I heard the sounds of celebration form the main plaza, yet, could not register it. How could anyone celebrate?

Why didn't the Volturi get me? It was wrong, I shouldn't survive… Not when my only reason to survive was dead.

Why did we have to meet? Had I known it was going to be so heartbreaking, it would have been better if we hadn't met…

No. Even up to this point, as I could literally feel a sword slicing me into pieces, I could not bring myself to regret meeting him.

I choked out a humorless laugh, but it sounded like gagging.

I would gladly have taken an eternity of nightmares, it was nothing as compared to this. The burning fire in my hand last spring… the drowning… Nothing. Nothing compared to this. I'd take those a hundred times, a thousand times… It was nothing compared to this.

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