AN. In this story I have to warn you, Bella makes some exceedingly strange friendships, but it will be explained. These friendships are with people I actually like and are meant to be hated in the story, so if you don't like it, read something else or deal with it.
This takes place in that very small amount of time after the graduation, but before the Cullen's make a decision about the newborns and Victoria.
Chapter 1
BPOV
I laughed as Edward pulled me to his chest, sparkling in the bright sunlight shining down on our meadow. I pulled away, teasing him, and he spun me in a circle, so that I ended up facing him again. This was a day we could enjoy, our first happy day, not worrying about Victoria, or the Volturi or even the newborns in Seattle. They were still a looming threat over our heads, but today was a day of peace, of relaxation. The first, and the last.
"I love you so much Edward." I whispered as he pulled me down so that we were both laying on the ground, me across his chest.
"I love you more than anything else Bella." He replied, idly playing with my hair.
Hours passed, filled only with murmered 'I love you's' and passionate kisses. All to soon it was 4:00 pm, and Alice was ready to go shopping in Port Angeles. She longed for a more extravagant shopping trip, but Port Angeles was the limit imposed by Edward.
Edward and I stood at Alice's car, Alice already in the front seat, and kissed. It seemed as though very little time had passed before Alice honked the horn. I jumped and Edward opened the passenger door for me.
On the way Alice turned the radio on, hard rock music pouring out of the speakers and filling the car. She winced, and turned down the volume, not bothering to change the station.
"Oh come on Bella! Stop moping! It will be fun, and then you can see Edward again, I promise." Alice said, irritated by my silence. She rolled her eyes.
Soon we had gotten to Port Angeles, and she dragged me to multiple stores. It was already dark by the time we were walking to the fifth. It made me uneasy.
"Alice I have to go to the bathroom. I'll be there in a second." She nodded, and I turned to the nearest place. A small alley led to a store where I knew there would be a bathroom, but the alley seemed dark and ominous in the pitch black of night. I took a deep breath and began walking back to the store. Within seconds I heard extrodinarily soft footsteps, almost silent, yet extremely graceful. Vampires. Maybe the dark is making me paranoid I thought before continuing. A second later I stopped, instinctively turning my back to the alley wall. I did not fake that. I heard footsteps, I was absolutely positive of that.
APOV
I continued walking after Bella turned into the alley. I knew she would be fine. Everything went black. A vision. The alleyway was ominous, the shadows overwhelming everything in sight. Bella walked until footsteps echoed through the narrow area. Bella turned, pressing her back to the wall on her right. A dark shape stopped walking.
"Hello Isabella." He whispered, throwing the hood of his jacket back. He wasn't familiar, but his crimson eyes were. He grabbed her wrist, and jerked her forward. "Tonight you will die. It is her wish." A second person, female, stepped into a pale light formed by the moon. Her flaming red hair stood out, matching her eyes perfectly. She laughed, and made a quick hand motion. The man shoved Bella back, and she fell into the wall. She sank to the floor, cradling her shoulder, tears stinging her eyes. Victoria lifted Bella, and sank her teeth into her neck. Bella cried out, and a woman ran down the alley, throwing Victoria away from Bella. She had long brown hair, and was small, dressed casually. Two men followed her, also dressed casually, though their faces were hidden. They grabbed Victoria and Riley, restraining them, as the small woman, Jane, lifted Bella and ran. I gasped. I rushed back to the alley, trying to stop the vision from happening. It was too late. A small amount of Bella's blood pooled on the stones, screaming the denial at me. Bella wasn't dead! But she would be...
BPOV
After Victoria bit me, very little registered in my mind, but I was aware enough to notice the woman that had stopped Victoria from killing me. Jane. The small woman who had harmed Edward, and was almost excited to see me harmed, though her power had failed on me. She was saving me?!? Two men followed, restraining Victoria and her male friend as Jane lifted me from the ground. I knew where we were headed. Volterra, Italy.
Then the pain grew, a raging wildfire burning me from the inside out, changing me. Three days of torture that I would have to endure, unless the Volturi decided to kill me.
EPOV
"Edward she's gone!" Alice cried panicked as soon as I picked up the phone. I attempted to hold in the desperate anger. If it was her fault only then could I blame her.
"What happened Alice, what do you mean?" I asked through clenched teeth. Her dry sobs echoing from the phone.
"She had to go to the bathroom, so she went down this alley to a store, but on the way there, Victoria, and a man named Riley attacked her, and tried to kill her, but Jane saved her, and took her somewhere, probably Italy, but Bella was bitten and I don't know if she's alright!" Alice cried through her sobs. It wasn't her fault, but I would kill Victoria. She hurt my love, and I would hunt her down if I had to. She deserved what she would get.
"Alice, alright, I have to go, I have to make some calls." Alice could hear the murder in my tone. She knew what I had to do.
"Alright, I'll be there in a second." She said, hanging up.
I pinched the bridge of my nose between my fingers, dialing a memorized number into my phone with my other hand, careful to press the delicate numbers gently. (AN. I know the Volturi don't really have a phone number or anything like that, but I need Edward to think Bella is dead, so I'm sorry about this.)
A second later, the familar voice of Marissa, another receptionist at Volterra castle, answered the phone. "Hello, Marissa speaking. How may I help you?" She asked, her voice bored, too innocent.
"I need information." I practically growled. I need to calm down. She paused for a second, and I heard a phone ring.
"Alright, excuse me for a second." She answered the other phone, and I could easily hear her side of the conversation.
"Hello, Marissa speaking... Oh! Hello Jane. How is your trip? ...Oh! Why? What happened?... Alright. Swan?... Okay, I'm on it, bye Jane." She hung up, and proceeded to talk as she searched for something. "Isabella Swan, Isabella Swan... Oh here it is." I heard the scratching of a pen, a name being crossed out. Bella was dead. She was no longer a problem for the Volturi. My questions had all been answered.
"Alright sir, may I ask your name?" She asked, her voice too kind. It stung the fresh wounds carved into my chest.
"Edward Cullen." I whispered in a daze, realizing that I should hang up. "Nevermind. My questions no longer require your service." I whispered politely, hanging up the phone and sinking to the ground, my head in my hands as I dry sobbed. My Bella, my love. She was dead.
MPOV (Marissa)
I had been sitting at the desk all day, and longed for something of interest to happen. The phone rang, and I lifted it. "Hllo, Marissa speaking. How may I help you?" I asked in a polite tone.
"I need information." The man growled, extrodinarily voice seemed familar, the hostility mixing perfectly, fueling my memory. That poor young man that believed he lost the love of his life. That wasn't that long ago. It had worked out, so why was he so hostile now? The other phone rang, and I quickly replied.
"Alright, excuse me for a second." I lifted the other phone to my ear, gently placing the phone with the young man on the line on the desk.
"Hello, Marissa speaking." I said calmly, perfectly rehearsed.
"Hello Marissa, it's Jane."
"Oh! Hello Jane. How is your trip?" I asked. Jane had recently taken a trip to the Olympic Peninsula. A vacation.
"Cut short. We're coming home." This surprised me. Jane seemed irritated, but mildly excited. She loved going on little trips to different places, why was she excited?
"Oh! Why? What happened?" I asked, genuinely curious.
"Isabella was attacked by vampire. I need you to take her name off the our list, and add it to the list of members." Jane said. I was surprised. Realization came to me. That was the girl that the young man had been grieving over! She must be very danger-prone. She fell in love with a vampire and has almost died multiple times. Isabella Swan.
"Alright. Swan?" I asked. This must be the reason for the man's hostility. He believed his love to be dead, for the second time.
"Yes, please do that immediately, Marissa. Bye." Jane answered.
"Okay, I'm on it, bye Jane." I hung up, and muttered to myself as I searched for her name. "Isabella Swan, Isabella Swan... Oh here it is." I crossed her name off the list and then remembered, picking up the phone.
"Alright sir, may I ask your name?" I knew of his identity, but if Aro found out that I didn't ask for this information I would be in trouble, possibly fatal.
"Edward Cullen." He whispered. Pain was leaking into his voice, already far off, and dazed. "Nevermind. My questions no longer require your service." He whispered, polite, before hanging up the phone. I realized another difference now. No hostility. He seemed to have lost the flame. The will. Chagrin overwhelmed me. Was it my fault? Or did I just give him information he didnt' formerly have. That was when I realized. He had heard only my side of the conversation with Jane. From that, I understood that it seemed as though I was saying that Bella Swan had died. What have I done?
BPOV
I barely noticed any movement, though I knew we were traveling. I found the urge to scream, tearing my throat to pieces with the effort. I needed to scream. My hands strained, as I fought to not curl them into fists. The fire burned through me, and I wanted to rip my heart out before I succumbed to the pain. Finally I couldn't stand it anymore. My scream echoed through the air, a second following it before the first was through. Now that I had started I couldnt' stop.
"Edward" I wimpered, pained by the absense. He wasn't there. He believes me to be dead. As this realization tore through me, a new pain filled my heart, this one all the more signifigant then the physical. I could handle the fire. I could not handle this. I had understood this a second too late. Now I had to deal with both. I screamed out, His name echoing through the small area, and bouncing back to me. I felt a small cold hand on my forehead. It was not the one I wanted.
"It will be okay Bella. You will be fine. You'll live through this." A familar voice whispered to me. I stopped screaming to hear it. I vaguely recognized it as Jane's.
I could, and would live through this. If not for me, then for Edward. My Edward, my life. He was in pain.
AN. Did you like it? I thought it was good, and I had to add Marissa's pov, because I didn't want you to hate her so early in the story. She really is a good person, she just didn't understand what she was doing to Edward. I also thought the end fit excellantly with Bella's personality. She was thinking of how hurt Edward was when she was in pain. That is definately her, because she always thinks of others. I also thought it was cute that Edward and Bella thought pretty much the same thing at the same time 'My Bella, my love. She was dead.' and 'My Edward, my life. He was in pain." I really hoped you liked it! Please review, even if you didn't! By the way, I used the word 'chagrin'! Stephenie Meyer uses that word many times in both the Twilight series, and The Host.
Please Review!
Blood Struck Roses