Disclaimer: I still don't own.

From Black Moon to Solstice

Chapter 9

Bella

The twenty minutes it took Alice to close the distance between Siena and Volterra after her final vision felt like a decade. I couldn't get to him fast enough and was terrified about being too late. Alice had explained to me that Edward had chosen the most dramatic option to end his existence – expose himself to the humans on a day commemorating the expulsion of vampires from the city. He would wait until the sun was at its highest, which meant we were quickly running out of time. It all boiled down to whether I would be able to get to him in time, to let him know I hadn't died.

'I can't go with you onto the piazza, but I'll be following you closely,' she instructed.

'Why can't you?'

'He'll read my thoughts and think I'm lying. He'll rush into it. Bella, you're the only one he can't see coming; it has to be you.'

That did make sense. Edward had always had a tendency to disregard others' input, thinking that because he could read minds, he knew better. It was the one thing we would argue over. Well, that, and my desire to be changed.

'Okay, so how do we do that? We'll be cutting it close…'

'I'm going to get you as close as possible. Then you'll have to run toward the bell tower as fast as you can. There's a narrow alleyway on the right; he'll be in the shadows there. You need to get his attention before he can move into the sun.'

As she was instructing me, the car weaved through the dense traffic winding up the hill toward the main gate in the city walls. The stagnation was driving me crazy and I could tell Alice wasn't faring much better – her jaw was set rigidly and she kept her hand attached to the horn, both of us willing the other cars to move aside so we could pass.

Finally, finally, we reached the gate, where a uniformed guard was directing cars back down the hill to find a place to park. Alice ignored him and made to continue on our intended path, but we were stopped by another guard. She carefully angled the car, making sure no sunlight would stream into her window, and persuaded the guard to let us pass with an alluring smile and a roll of hundred dollar notes. We drove into the city, narrowly avoiding the humans littering the streets, until we couldn't go any further.

Not even waiting for a word from Alice, I threw myself out of the car and into the throng of people in bright red robes. Realizing I wouldn't make it in time if I adhered to human speeds, I ducked into an alley and quickly scaled the walls, taking to the roofs. This way, I crossed the distance to the edge of the piazza in seconds, where I dropped to the ground, startling a group of teenagers with plastic fangs. I didn't pay them any mind, and their exclamations 'Hai visto che occhi? Lenti a contatto davvero perverse!' were only murmurs in the background to me as I focused on the alley below the tower.

He was still obscured from human view by shadows, but I could clearly make out his features. After all this time apart, I couldn't help but take a split-second to take in his beauty. Even in his obvious distressed state, I could appreciate his perfection. My delusions in the long months of our separation hadn't done him justice in the slightest, a testament to my flawed human mind. But now, my vampire senses could pick up on every detail – his porcelain pallor, now ghastly grey from lack of nutrition; his wild hair, now in even greater disarray; his slumped posture, diminishing his statuesque frame. His eyes were closed and he had a tired, defeated look on his face.

Then, the clock tolled for the first time, marking midday, and his lips turned up slightly into a serene smile. He unbuttoned his shirt and let it flutter to the pavement. That movement pulled me back into reality and sent me dashing across the square in a mad attempt to reach him in time. I knew I had mere seconds, if that. I didn't care about the bright sun or the fact that my skin would reflect it in thousands of prisms; all I cared about was making it.

He tilted his head up as I pushed past a family with two small girls, one of them gaping at me, though I doubted she could actually see me. Leaning forward, he lifted his foot to take the step that would move him directly into the sun. Before he could put it down, I barreled into him, sending us both into the shadows of the alley, crashing into a wall.

'Amazing,' he mused.

'Edward!' I pleaded. 'You've got to open your eyes.'

'You smell exactly the same as always,' he continued as if he hadn't heard me. 'I don't care if this is heaven, or hell's way of tormenting me further, but I'll take it.'

'Look at me! I'm right here. I didn't die!' I tried again.

'What was that?' he asked.

'We're not dead! But if we don't get out of here soon…'

Finally, he opened his eyes, and his pitch-black irises looked upon me in wonder.

'Bella?'

I didn't answer; instead, I just locked gazes with him, willing him to realize the truth. I saw an array of emotions flicker across his face; confusion, anger, then settling on relief and exultation. My name fell off his lips and he crushed me against his chest, breathing me in. I returned his embrace with all my strength, inhaling his honey, lilac, and sunshine scent, even more discernible with my improved senses.

'Uhm… careful, love. Ow,' he chuckled, and I quickly pulled back – not much, but enough to loosen my grip on him, having forgotten about my newborn strength.

A/N I have taken some of the dialogue out of New Moon and Breaking Dawn for authenticity. Hai visto che occhi? Lenti a contatto davvero perverse! means 'Did you see her eyes? Those are some wicked contacts!' in Italian. Camilla10 pointed out my previous translation error - thanks, girl!

My lovely beta, missrebecca_12, pointed out to me 'that in 1969 the US Federal government began getting rid of high currency notes, and as of 2009 there were only like 160,000 $1000 ones floating about, and they're collectors pieces. Though I imagine the Cullens would have one, I'm not sure they'd carry them on them.' I did not know this, and it also goes to show that Stephenie Meyer didn't verify this when she had Alice hand the guard a roll of $1000 bills in New Moon…