see end note for content warnings


ii. the only chance she could see

He answers on the first ring. "Hello?"

"Edward?"

"Alice! Where are you?"

"Are you alone?"

"Yes, I'm—Alice, what's going on? The others are all out looking for you."

"They're coming for me, Edward. We knew it would happen eventually."

On the other end of the line, aghast silence. "The Volturi." When she doesn't correct him, he continues, voice rising in panicked irritation. "What happened? Why didn't you see the decision sooner?"

"They're using a proxy. They sent Joham's daughters—the hybrids." She swallows. "I'm blind."

"Where are you? We won't need your visions. There are only three of them. We have the numbers, Alice."

A weariness begins to seep into Alice's bones, born of being on the run for the last six days, alone, waiting for the blank, white expanse of the future to catch up with her.

"If we fight them off, the Volturi will just make more hybrids, Edward. Think about it. Is that what you want?"

She lets the horrific implication echo between them.

"Where are you?" demands Edward again, voice lower, more threatening.

"Sooner or later they'll catch up to me," says Alice gently. "I can't evade them forever."

"We'll think of something. Come home, Alice. We can come up with a plan."

Alice ignores him. "I can't see what they'll do next," she warns, speaking faster. "There isn't much time. But they'll probably come for you and Bella, and maybe Benjamin. You have to warn Amun."

"We will—of course we will. But Alice, you have to come home first," Edward pleads. His focus wavers. "Wait—what's that sound?"

Alice finishes pouring the gasoline, sets the can down. "Tell everyone how much I love them," she orders. "And Jasper—you have to promise me you'll take care of him." It hurts to say Jasper's name aloud, knowing what she's about to do. A fierce ache flares in her chest at the thought of him out there somewhere, desperately searching for her.

"Alice." Edward's voice is dangerous. "What are you doing?"

Removing myself from the equation. Keeping my power out of Aro's hands.

A detached sort of calm steals over Alice, and it's almost as if Jasper is there, supplying her strength, keeping her going through what she has to do. "It's the only thing that will work," she says.

"No," snarls Edward. "Alice, stop! Let's talk about this! We'll find another solution!"

There's a sound from outside, a quarter mile up the road. Three sets of feet, not quite silent enough to escape detection by Alice's heightened senses. Three faint, thrumming heartbeats.

"You don't understand, Edward," says Alice. "They're here."

She can picture, in her mind, Edward's horrified expression, golden eyes wide and frantic as he struggles not to crush the phone. She wishes she had the time to tell him what a good brother he's been, how much she's valued his company for the last seven decades—her teammate, always in her corner. She's so lucky to have found him, so lucky to have found them all. She tries to push all the emotion into her words: "I love you. I love you all."

"Don't do this, Alice!" bellows Edward, nearly drowning out the sound of the approaching feet—they aren't bothering to hide now. Alice opens the door.

"Alice! Alice!"

But she doesn't hear Edward's voice calling her name, or see Joham's three daughters launch their attack. Her eyes are closed.

She fixes an image of Jasper in her mind, and lights a match.


content warnings: suicide, major character death

author's note: ok obviously if vampire suicide were possible through self-immolation alone then ed would've done that in new moon but just bear with me for the sake of Drama here, people

this was originally written as a prompt fill for my 600 follower celebration over on tumblr. come find me (url is also volturialice) and join the fun!