- - - Struggle - - -

Unable to refuse the ostensibly voluntary offer, no matter how desperately they need to (especially when Aro's thoughts briefly flicker over the possibility of carelessly nicking her skin in Edward's presence, just to hurry everything along… and definitely, if he were to try leaving…), the two Cullens (Alice frantically worried and Edward angry) are then promptly escorted – along with all the thoroughly horrified and wandless magical persons that had been callously transported here – to a windowless room together to await their decreed fate… at his hands as soon as he is no longer able to maintain control. Naturally, the guard will remain stationed outside to make sure that no one of the humans – but also. no vampire without Aro's approval – is permitted to leave.

For Edward, first into the room and standing like a tensely braced statue in the far corner, it remains a moment by moment struggle to hold onto his sanity, having still the first gulp of her scent in his held breath, and no reprieve in sight. But he has to resist… for his own sake, and Alice's… and Carlisle's and Jasper's and all the rest of his family's…. What this would do to them! Besides, if even one of these humans were to be turned, all of them would have to be! And he can't steal their souls! Let alone feed into Aro's designs. No blood is worth this! Oh, but it sure feels like it is… groan. On top of the fact that so far as he can tell, she's an innocent. Ah, but her scent!

Given the level of thirst Edward is barely in control of – as evidenced by his fingers now minutely crushing the stone into dust beside him – the Guard doesn't believe it will take him very long at all, to succumb. Indeed, before even every captive human has even been ushered inside, they've started betting on how quickly it will happen from the moment the door is closed. Neither does it help that their thoughts on this matter, are very graphic.

At the same time, tasked with keeping him from taking any but the single human for himself, in his blood frenzy, Alice remains fearfully alarmed for both herself and Edward (even more so for Edward), because she hasn't been able to identify any way out of this. Normally, she would have worried about the humans in their care as well… if it weren't for the fact that once they fell into the Volturi's clutches, they'd already become a lost cause. No possibility included that they could get out. However, at least one glimpse of a future saw Edward happy (indeed: though the rest of it was very blurry, he was happier than she'd ever seen him!)… and every one that can be good for him, also works for her. If they can only figure out how to get from here to there!

Thus does she reason with him urgently, as well as audibly, so as not to reveal even a smidgen about his talent to the listening guard. Not that the nature of her message is anything the wizards want to hear. "I can't do anything to help that they're already a lost cause. But you're not! We could still leave…" or at least, she's trying to see that this will work. Her face falls; the outlook of them doing this is bleaker than she'd hoped. So that's not the way out. In which case, what is?! Help me out here! What am I missing? The unaware fact of these humans being magical has not even crossed her mind.

Nevertheless, it's also obvious that Edward still needs to calm down before he'll be able to sign language a reply… even one that she can see. Therefore, her thoughts turn to what kinds of mental tangents and audible triggers may be the best distraction to accomplish that with: getting to know the humans, seeing them as friends… stimulate their innocent thoughts, especially focusing upon the one who tempts him most. Just like normal, really; see if we can keep her, as well as any of them, from having a heart attack in the process. That seems compatible, at least, with finding the way out…

And so, while every human watches in absolute horror from the other side of the room, Edward an unmoving statue in the opposite corner (ever since the subject of his intense gaze had settled, at any rate) and Alice poised between them as an allied mediator of sorts – but clearly still a personage of the lethal undead – she turns to introduce herself in an unexpectedly friendly manner (name; a few things she likes), before inviting the unnamed focus of Edward's gaze to do the same.

By now, surrounded on every side by those powerful enough to take what they want (and clearly practiced enough at doing so to spare their victims nary a thought), the captured wizards and witches have learned in no uncertain terms what their unfriendly hosts truly are (the heartless undead! Takers, by nature.), and are completely terrified of every one of them. As such, they have no illusion that Edward's resistance could be anything but self-serving… and thus, completely devoid of any hope for them. Alice's friendliness must also be a ruse.

In the midst of all this, clearly not having much say in the matter of her and her comrades' fate (though it hasn't escaped her notice that, amidst an obviously incredible struggle, this absurdly handsome vampire has yet to dole it out), and hoping that an attempt at friendliness could maybe still make the rest of her companions' condemned lives a little better, somehow… Bella welcomes the distraction from his terrible, lovely eyes. Shakily standing up against the wall in reply, to introduce herself from across the room, she uncomfortably ventures "H-hi… umm… I'm B-b-bella. S-swan. Bella Swan. I l-like reading books, and… c-cooking…" she audibly gulps at the food association, "and… t-taking care of my m-mom and d-dad." Her voice squeaks on this last word, and her eyes brim with silent tears. It's clear that she doesn't imagine she's ever going to have that privilege again, and it torments her.

Alice's response is sympathetic and very gentle, to the humans' uneasy surprise, as she engages Bella in further conversation to stimulate all manner of helpful thoughts that might show Edward every possible reason why he doesn't want to hurt her. The human girl is obviously confused by their exchange, but trying mightily to cooperate.

Not far into their fascinating conversation, however, finally Edward manages to convey – with a quick flutter of his hands in silent language, behind his sister's back – that he is unable to hear her…

Alice, abruptly spinning on her heel after clearly having seen it in her mind's eye, is shocked. "Are you serious?!" she whispers.

Edward nods his fist in reply, his signing movements very tensely abbreviated, then silently appends: "You'll want to ask them about magic."

With her mouth still slightly open in surprise, Alice's thoughts flicker to the incredible fact he just revealed, and the odd topic that he wants to have be brought up, as she nods absently. It must be a curiosity he heard in their thoughts that is only safe to bring it out through them, because of listening ears. But why is magic important? Either way, the asset of both of their talents is always at its greatest, when a hostile force doesn't know they have them. Alright then, here we go…

While Alice remains briefly distracted by this, outside the door the guards have been conversing… and suddenly another gruesome vision of Edward's wavering control widens her eyes, causing Edward to sharply growl at the thought and Alice to quickly backtrack with "Sorry, sorry!" before diverting her attention back to the humans and redoubling her efforts. Anything she can do to keep Bella talking! And, distract him from those thoughts. Especially: anything that will help him notice her uncommonly kind and selfless attitude. It's their only hope.


Unbeknownst to any of them, because of Edward and Bella's latent compatibility with one another, and the fact that Bella is a witch already (therefore having a much-developed magical awareness) – the simple act of her touching Edward's skin would provide an opportunity even better than having a wand back in her hand… and allow them all to immediately apparate out of Volterra.

It is not until Alice's consciousness opens up to the possibility of magic, however – slowly, through the course of much nervously fascinating conversation – that in absolute confusion, she begins seeing futures that suggest such a positive solution somehow exists… making the collection of wizards not such a lost cause after all. While it's not in the least clear how they all disappear from Volterra – or, why these are images she could not see before – the hope has both vampires scrambling desperately to figure it out.

Unfortunately not lacking in visions of Edward coming in contact with Bella, to her (and subsequently all of their) detriment, it doesn't take long to recognize that it is during these times – and only these times – that some kind of magical escape seems possible. Edward's teeth grit angrily together in renewed determination and intense frustration, having never met even close to this level of temptation in the whole of his existence. This contact is something he needs to be able to allow.

Since the wizards have already heard about Alice being a seer (it was the reason she was summoned there in the first place), once this is determined… Alice contritely 'borrows' a quill and paper from out of the cloaks of two surprised and terrified wizards, so she can write up a note to share with them all. The note she shows them says:


I cannot make any promises, but if any of you wish to have hope of getting out of here alive, you'll need to:

NOT talk about this (because there are listening ears),

and ensure that every single one of you are connected together by holding hands. Bella must then be the one to touch Edward. While we know this to be a very dangerous prospect, at best… in that moment, we believe some kind of magic may be possible.


Bleak as this promise of safety actually is – and indeed, they wouldn't have readily trusted anything more than this – it is telling that every magical person is quick to link hands.

Even so, it takes rather more time for Edward's warning growls at Bella's unwillingly earnest yet timid approach (intermittently encouraged past the terror by Alice, throughout their ongoing conversation) to gradually quiet enough for her to finally come into contact. As much as he doesn't want to deter the connection, it takes an incredible amount of strength for him to allow… just knowing that the warmth of her touch is going to exacerbate the overwhelming temptation he's already been fighting so hard to keep at bay.

When at last her brave, trembling fingers lightly land upon his sculpted stone forearm, across from Alice at his other side, the unexpected shock of Bella's electrical chemistry abruptly throws Edward's effort out of whack in the spur of the moment, even as it confirms to Bella that she can do magic with him in the first place. Suddenly, but before she can bring this thought to bear – in the very same second that he finds himself unable to keep from leaning in toward her neck, they are all very quickly transported out of Volterra.