Finding Heaven

Warning: Rated M for strong language and adult content

~ Chapter 1 – A New Era ~

EPOV

Volterra ~ December 31st, 2000 ~ 11:59pm

It was a minute shy of the 2001st year in the Gregorian calendar of the Common Era. Most of the daft humans with their apocalyptic theories thought the year 2000 was when the world would end, but they were confused as to when the new millennium would actually begin. 2000 was the last year of the second millennium, 2001 was the first, marking the beginning of the 21st century.

I never actually believed all the hype about the end of the world coinciding with the new millennium, but I decided that if it were true, then it would happen in 2001 as opposed to 2000. So I watched with a smile at the mass of unsuspecting humans gathered in the heart of Volterra to see the fireworks, thinking they had made it safely through the new century the year before. But it was only with the strike of midnight that the world would end, if the hysterics were true.

I felt a twinge of excitement as I sat on the roof of the clock tower, and waited for the last few seconds of the 20th century to run out.

"Cinque. Quattro. Tre. Due. Uno. Felice Anno Nuovo!"

But of course, nothing happened.

~January 1st, 2001~

I wasn't sure why I was excited at the thought of the world ending, but I wasn't about to let myself be disappointed for too long either, it was time to get to work. Big events, such as a New Year's celebration, were easy pickings when it came to fish. Mass amounts of stupid fish just waiting around in the tiny pond of Volterra Square, practically begging for a reason to find a party that would make their night memorable. The fact that they were all usually drunk made it that much easier.

I walked up to a group of young females, probably college students, and struck up a conversation with them.

"These fireworks aggettivo orribile" I used a heavy accent as well as finishing my comment in Italian because these kids were vacationing from London, and I knew they would be more interested in a native.

"I'm sorry?" Wow, this guy is super hot. The girl was unsurprisingly attracted to me, which only made my job even easier. I could hear from the minds of her friends, that they all felt the same way.

"Ah, you are British, I thought this when I first saw you." I said in broken English.

Oh man, he is so fucking hot, "yes we're here just for the New Year." The woman batted her eyes and twirled her hair between her fingers flirtatiously. "Are you from this city?"

"Si...ah, yes. I live here many years, all my life."

"Oh, how nice" she said while leaning into me. I could actually smell her arousal as our conversation went on. "What were you saying before, about the fireworks?"

"Only that they were horrible this year. This whole party seems to be boring, and I feel sad that you beautiful young ladies came all this way and had to be subjected to a poor display on such a bella notte."

Three of the six girls giggled. "Bella notte? Isn't that from 'Lady and the Tramp'?" the blonde asked.

"Si, it means beautiful night, of course. But the beauty of the night pales in comparison to the astonishment that is you." I lifted her hand, and kissed it gently.

Oh my fucking god! His lips actually touched my skin - the blonde thought.

"If you would like, a friend of mine is throwing a private party a few blocks away, I'd love if you ladies would join me in attending."

"Yes, we'd love to" she said without hesitation. These girls were dumber than a doornail, and I was actually doing them a favor by leading them to their death.

The six girls followed me eagerly to the gates of the compound. Heidi was also arriving with four young men, all reeking of alcohol and marijuana.

"Jeeze Heidi, you are really losing your touch" I told her in Italian so none of the fish could understand. "Can you not bring any fish back without getting them drunk and stoned first?" I laughed, but she just glared at me.

"I could have had twenty fish tonight if I wanted" Heidi answered arrogantly in Italian. "Aro only wanted a few tonight, so I wasn't about to waste my time. Besides, it's the New Year; they are all drunk and stoned."

"Touché" I agreed.

We led our small catch of the day to the throne room, where the three leaders fed until they were full, and left the rest for whoever was close by and were thirsty at that moment. Heidi and I would never partake in the group feedings, we caught enough on the side and both preferred to drink on our own.

"So, shall we get together tonight?" Heidi asked me as I walked to my chambers.

I pulled my contacts out of my eyes, and discarded them carelessly on the floor. "No, I'm just going to stay in and enjoy my solitude until morning."

"You never want to have fun anymore; you have become boring in your maturity." She leaned into me, and pressed her breasts to my shoulder. "What happened to that feisty newborn who was up for anything?"

"I just have better things to do than fuck the likes of you." I said coldly, and shut the door of my chamber behind me. I could hear through the door that she was throwing cursing insults at me in her mind, but I didn't care so I tuned her out.

In my early years at Volterra, Heidi and I had spent many long hours together as she taught me everything I needed to know about fishing, and life with the Volturi. She also instructed me on the many grander aspects of being a man. I was a seventeen year old virgin when I was turned, so I was thankful for her initiation into adulthood, but lately, I preferred the company of a good book, over her. She was not my mate, though I knew she wanted to be, but I just didn't care about her enough to commit eternity to her. If Heidi were to be beheaded and burned, I doubt I would care enough to grieve her, and that's not the way a mate should feel.

~June 20th, 2001~

I was sitting in a local bar, not fishing, just people watching, when a familiar voice resounded in my head.

Happy birthday Edward. - I knew that voice, it was one that I hadn't heard in over eighty years, but it was one of the most significant voices in my life.

"Alice?" I said quietly. No humans heard me, but I was sure she would. I looked around the room but couldn't see her anywhere, and the loud internal ranting of all the patrons in the bar made it difficult to single out her mind.

I took a deep breath, but I didn't smell her either, so I went outside. I barely opened the door, when her scent accosted me, and there she was, standing in front of me. I stared at her for a moment, not believing the surreal sight before me. When she disappeared all those decades ago, I had no idea if she was killed or just taken away, but the smirk that was on her face told me that she was at least happy. Her mind was carefully blank as her grin lit up my universe.

"Happy birthday, Edward," she repeated, but this time out loud.

"Alice….what are you doing here?"

"It's not every day that my big brother turns one hundred. I'm turning a hundred next year, and I fully expect you to wish me a happy birthday as well." Her voice was like music as she spoke, and her eyes sparkled like….topaz?

"Your eyes?" The color of her eyes was pretty insignificant in the moment, but I was so overcome by a flood of emotions that something as quizzical as her eyes was the most obvious question. I never saw such a color in a vampire, not even contacts could disguise the bright red that all vampires are plagued with. Of course we try to cover the red to blend in better, but Heidi's blue contacts made her eyes look purple, and my brown ones were closer to mud than anything as appealing as my sisters were.

"How have you been?" She asked, ignoring my question.

"Forget me, where have you been all this time?"

"I went back to America; I just couldn't stay here any longer."

"You went on your own?" I asked and she nodded. "Why didn't you say anything to me? You should have at least told me before completely disappearing."

"I couldn't. Edward I needed to break away and your loyalty was always to Aro first and foremost…"

"I would have never gone to him about your plans." I interrupted her.

"Yes you would have." She replayed her eighty year old memory of a vision she had of me going to Aro.

I shook my head, but she didn't give me time to defend myself. "It's okay Edward, you were only exactly what they wanted you to be, and you still are. I never blamed you for what you would have done, but I just couldn't live like that anymore."

"Live like what?" I tried to listen to her meaning in her thoughts, but she was very guarded with her mind, and only thought of the moment and the words being exchanged.

"I couldn't live in the violence of life here?"

"Violence? The Volturi keep the peace, not promote violence."

"They keep the peace amongst vampires, but the humans being constantly murdered was just too much for me to endure."

"Humans, murdered? Alice, killing humans is what we do; it's our way of life."

"No Edward, there is another way, and that's why I left. I had a vision of a more peaceful existence and I knew it was the right path for me."

Her words confused me. How could a vampire survive without killing humans?

At that moment, I smelled the scent of a vampire I had never met before. I instinctually turned quickly, and hissed defensively. Vampires were vicious by nature, and it was only natural to take that stance with any unknown vampire.

Alice stepped lightly between us. "Edward, this is Jasper. Jasper, this is my brother Edward."

We stared at each other untrustingly, but Alice was exuberantly beaming between us.

"He's your mate?" I asked Alice finally, after hearing it in her mind. I then noticed that he too had the strange golden eyes.

"We've been very happy together for the last seventy eight years." She started showing me memories of her life, and I suddenly became very suspicious.

"Why have you come here?" I asked while narrowing my eyes at her.

"I've come to ask my brother to return to America with us, to become a member of our family. I've missed you so much these past eighty years, and nothing would make me happier than to have you back with me."

"Alice, how do you survive without killing humans?" I asked, dismissing her desire for me to return to America with her.

"We're vegetarians, we only hunt animals." She said proudly.

I shuttered at the disgusting thought. What kind of perversely twisted coven had Alice found her way in to?

Her face immediately dropped as she had a vision of herself and her mate leaving Volterra without me. "You aren't going to come, are you?" It wasn't really a question, because she already knew.

"Alice, it's unnatural and disgusting. I would never subject myself to such an outrageous monstrosity. Is that why your eyes are that strange color?"

"The animal blood diluted the color." Her mate answered me.

"Edward, please? I know you are a good person. You don't have to kill innocent people; you don't have to live like a monster."

"Killing people is what we do, and we are monsters. It's not a curse Alice, it's a blessing. We're the top predators on the planet, demigods even. Why would I lower myself to be less than I am? The notion is ridiculous, and if this is the only reason why you have come, then you should just leave now." I turned my back to her; I just couldn't stand there and listen to the garbage she was trying to sell me.

As I walked away, she opened her mind to me, and shared another one of her visions. – I was sitting in a room, surrounded by a bunch of vampires that I didn't know at the moment, but seemed much acquainted with in the vision. We were all laughing and enjoying each other's company, and we all had golden eyes that burned like liquid topaz.

"It's never going to happen, Alice" I said without turning to look at her, and I walked through the doors to the compound.

I still cared about my sister, despite her disturbing lifestyle, but I would not give her the chance to poison my mind against my own species. The only good that came from our long overdue encounter, was the knowledge that she was alive and happy in her unconventional life.

*Bella will enter the story in the next chapter, but it'll still be in EPOV. If you like this story so far, then please review so I know. Thanks!*