Edward
"Wait!" she cried as the black mist slowly crept upon us. "Wait! I'll go! I'll go! Please don't hurt them! Let them go, let them live! I'll do whatever you want me to, just don't hurt them."
"No!" Alice cried after her as she walked forward. Michelle turned back and gave a look that said 'don't be afraid', and after that, she never looked back.
"Excellent," Aro trilled.
"Now wasn't that easy?" Caius mused. "You caused all of this trouble that we will have to clean up, when all you had to do is say yes."
Michelle couldn't make eye contact with anyone, she just stared at the ground looking like her life was over. She was afraid, all she knew was this life Carlisle taught her. Now, she didn't really have that option anymore. It was live the way Volturi wanted, or your family would die. I knew she wanted to die, I could see it. She had lost everything, herself, Emmett, and now the family. She knew, though, if she sacrificed herself, we'd die to just be her punishment. Honestly, she had no choice.
Really, I thought she would fight. That's what we all thought. She had forbidden us to come, but we couldn't let her die for us. So, we came to fight, but Michelle, she did something we thought she would never do. She gave up. It was, almost, like the girl I knew was gone. Michelle said she'd rather die than join the Volturi. I couldn't see what she was thinking, her mind incased in a diamond shell, unbreakable.
I loved her. I loved her from the first moment my eyes ever fell upon her, but she was his, for a while anyways. Michelle and Emmett thought they loved each other, but it didn't last long. Emmett realized he was in love with Rosalie, the reason he was still any way of alive he was, and Michelle found that out the hard way. She lost herself, then. She dyed her hair blonde, tried to get him to love her again, but it was all in vain. That was when the depression set in.
Michelle went months without feeding. She spent most of the day in the floor in her room curled up in the fetal position crying, the only problem was no tears could escape. Eventually, with a whole bunch of coaxing from Alice, Jasper, Carlilse, Esme and myself, she returned to a, somewhat, normal schedule. She wasn't the same, though. She did it all mechanically, every day, like robot or a zombie.
I watched her in so much pain. I wanted so badly to tell her how I felt, but I couldn't. She didn't love me, she couldn't. Emmett was her life, she even said that once. Finally, I waited till the last minute to tell her, to kiss her lips, right before she ended her life in one brave, final sacrifice for her family…but she didn't do it. I couldn't find out why…
Hours earlier….
"Part of the back building's already caved in," Michelle sighed as she paced back and forth in a first floor girls' bathroom. "Edward, I can't sit back and let this happen! Dozens of people have died. They died because of me! I have to do this!"
"No!" I hissed, "You can't sacrifice yourself like that! We're a family, we will go together."
She sighed, "Edward this isn't about the family, its about me. They want me. I can't let him find out about the powers you and Alice possess, he'll want you too! If I go he'll give up! I'll probably die just because I pissed them off, but I don't care! No matter what happens you cannot come!"
"You don't think he'll come for us after you?" I snapped, "If they don't kill you, they'll take you! They'll enslave you! He'll order to have us all killed! If we fight with you, at least we won't go down in vain!"
"No!" she shouted back, "I've decided! I'm going, alone. You and the rest of them cannot come! I'm going, I'll fight for myself, I'll find a way to save you all. Just let me do this Edward! Trust me! You'll all live happy, long lives for the rest of eternity. Carlisle and Esme can be happy, and Alice and Jasper, even Rosalie and Emmett. You, you'll find someone one day Edward, just like them, you'll be happy, you'll know what its like."
Little did she know, I had already found that someone…her. I was too afraid to tell her….
Before I could stop her she had the phone up to her ear. "Carlisle, I'm going. Have them come get Edward. I'm going alone, I don't care what any of you say. You will stand back and let me do this. I'll meet them in the middle of the city. I'm stopping this, I'm not going to let any one else die because of me."
She ended the call on the phone and slowly looked back up to meet me at the eyes. She had a stern look on her face, demanding that I don't protest, that I'd do what she wanted. For the first time in a long time, her eyes had intensity, passion, she was alive for the first time in years. I had no idea how much I missed that look in her eyes, and soon, I'd never see it again.
"Come on," she said, grabbing me by the arm, "they're meeting us out front while they let up on us before the next round."
When we went outside we were blasted by a huge gust of wind. The sky was dark and churning, it wouldn't be long before another tornado twisted out of the sky. After a few more hits, the school would be gone, and so would the city. Michelle stared intensely ahead towards the center of the city where she would meet the Volturi before they closed in on us all. She looked fierce, determined.
"Edward," she whispered as she held onto my arm.
"Yes?" I asked, hoping for the best.
"I'm scared," she whispered. She looked back up to me, and I could imagine tears welled up in her eyes.
"You don't have to do this alone," I said intently.
"Yes, I do," she whispered back as the others pulled up. She let go of my arm and walked up to them.
"Michelle, please don't do this!" Alice begged.
"I have to," she replied bravely. "I can't let anyone else die."
"If they kill you, more people will die!" Rosalie said coldly.
Michelle looked at her with fire in her eyes, "That's why I'm going. I'm not going to let all of you die because of me."
"Michelle they're going to come after us if they kill you, no matter what! Don't do this! Let us go with you, we'll fight! We'll go down fighting!" Alice cried.
"No, we won't," Michelle said back, "I will."
"Michelle this is stupid!" Emmett growled, "You're not even trying to fight! You're giving up! You're not going to fight! You're going to let them kill you! I know that's what you're doing! We all do! We're not stupid! You won't fight, you'll piss them off even more than they already are, and they'll kill you!"
"Why do you even care?" she spat. "I don't care what any of you say! I'm going and you're not! It's my life, my decision! If you come, you're going to piss me off, and trust me, I've got decades of anger just dying to come out! Go home and stay there until its over! I'm sorry I had to put you all through this."
"No!" Alice cried again. Michelle looked at Jasper and gave him a look begging he'd control her. As Michelle walked away, Jasper stopped her from running forward. I could see it in Michelle's eyes, her mind, she didn't want any goodbyes. Sadly, that didn't stop me.
"Michelle wait!" I said, running after her.
"Edward, no!" she ordered.
"Just listen to me, damn it!" I growled. "Michelle I love you! I've always loved you! I'm so sorry I've been such a coward! I love you! I had to tell you before you went."
With those words our lips met and I kissed her with all the passion I could. When I pulled away Michelle was staring at the ground, but after a few seconds her eyes met mine.
"I'm so sorry I've been so blind," she said as she caressed my face, "I know you'll never forget me, Edward, but I know in my heart that you'll find someone you can love more than you've ever loved me."
I scoffed pathetically and said, "That's impossible."
She kissed me, then pulled back and held my face in her hands, "Edward, I'm so sorry. I love you, and I know you're going to miss me when I'm gone. You have to promise me that you'll move on. If I could go back and change all of this, I would. I would've realized how you felt, but I didn't and I'm sorry."
"I can't…" I started.
"You can!" she pressed, "You can and you will. I'm sorry Edward."
Those were the last words she'd ever say to me before she went and gave herself over to the Volturi…..