ALMUVIRA'S NOTE: All recognizable characters, themes and places in this fanfiction belong only to Stephenie Meyer. I only own the way I have written this 'what could have happened'.

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FOR NEVER WAS A STORY OF MORE WOE.

Death, that hath suck'd the honey of thy breath,
Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty:
Thou art not conquer'd; beauty's ensign yet
Is crimson in thy lips and in thy cheeks,
And death's pale flag is not advanced there.

- Romeo. Romeo & Juliet Act V Scene III

I knew I was too late, but I still pushed on and ran through the crowds in Volterra as fast as my frustratingly slow feet could carry me. The clock tower chimed for the second time and a knife of hopelessness stabbed through my chest once more. I was finding it harder and harder to breathe, and the crowd was becoming more and more dense, making it almost impossible to push through.

"Edward!" I tried to scream but the sound barely even reached my own ears. "Edward!" I tried again with the small amount of air left inside my lungs. I kept pushing and squeezing through the people, this was feeling like the nightmare where you have to run as fast as you can but your legs will not move fast enough. I was crying, and though I knew I would never make it there was a tiny part of me that still had hope, that still urged me to keep running. And then came the sound that stopped my heart completely, I felt the blood rush out of my face as I realized I was too late. The crowd gasped as the clock chimed for the final time. There was a moment of absolute silence; it was as if time had stopped. I opened my mouth to try and scream his name once more as I continued to push through the shocked people, but my attempt was deafened by the shouts that now erupted from the crowd as the image of my glittering vampire registered in their slow minds.

Finally I managed to push through into the circle that was now surrounding the clock tower. I was breathless, with tears running down my face, but that didn't stop me from seeing three black-hooded figures towing away my helpless love. The edges of the hole in my chest screamed as I saw Edward for the first time in so long

"Edward," I croaked again in my desperation. This time his eyes looked up and met mine, they were solid black, lifeless almost but in that moment when he realized I was alive his face changed, an expression that was impossible to understand crossed his face, but before I could do anything else he and the hooded cloaks were gone.

"NO!" I screamed and ran after them, and for the second time in less than a year I realized it was useless running after vampires, for they were gone and left no trace of where they went.

Tears streamed down my cheeks, and without knowing what I was doing or where I was going I began to run. I had lost control of my body completely and as I ran, mine and Edward's final exchange was playing over and over in my mind.

***

"Bella," The beautiful voice was back again, but this time it wasn't angry, he was scared, worried that he couldn't stop me. I didn't realize the extent of my subconscious hallucinations. "Bella, please, get down."

But instead I put my second foot onto the ledge and looked down onto the city. I was way past being scared, I was very calm and almost relieved that this would all finally be over.

"Bella! Think for a second! Please." His anger became pleading.

No, I thought, I don't want to think.

"Please Bella get down, for Charlie and Renee and Jacob. Please, Bella, for me." I wanted to scream at him, to be angry but I knew it was useless. I could never be angry with my one and only. Instead I was eerily calm. The hysterical crying ended while I was running, now I was almost lifeless and I felt it was time to finally make it official.

I took a deep breath and stepped off the ledge. I didn't think about Charlie or Renee or Jacob or anybody. The only person on my mind in my last moments of life was the one that had caused me to do this.

Goodbye, I love you. I thought for the second time in this past year. His face became saddened in my mind's eye and for the last time I sighed at his glorious perfection and beauty.

END

Okay, I don't think this worked as well as I planned, I was almost crying when the idea came to my mind, and I hope I did it justice but I'm not sure if I did.. PLEASE review and don't be afraid to criticize it.