AN: I'm pretty happy with this chapter, but as always, I appreciate any reviews. Let me know what you think of the turn the plot is taking. And sorry about the lag between this chapter and the last one. ^_^ ENJOY!

Disclaimer: I own nothing apart from my own ideas.

Confrontation

The plane ride was long and painfully slow. We took a private jet, as we usually did on missions across the oceans, with Santiago and Demetri piloting. I was relieved that it was not I that had been chosen to fly along with Demetri; that would have been a little too awkward.

The rest of us meandered in the rest of the plane, sometimes sitting down on one of several sofas and lounges to read or watch television... Most of the time we simply stood and talked or stared out the window.

It was so nice to not have to bother with a silly human charade. Standing was more comfortable, and there was no need to wear a seat belt, obviously.

So now we flew to America, where waited the Cullens. I tried to think of them as a group, rather than the individuals who I had once so loved.

If only Jasper would agree to be recruited. But I knew that that was a slim chance. A very slim chance indeed.

In fact, I wondered at Jasper's necessity at all. The Volturi had dealt with this sort of newborn war before, and had never required anyone's help. The Volturi never required help of any shape or manifestation. And besides, we were too proud, even if some assistance had been required.

But then; that had been a long time ago, when Aro still had Eleazar, when Maria was not nearly so strong. The secret had not been at risk then; the stakes were different.

I sighed, and Heidi came to sit beside me. She smiled brightly, but noticed my expression, and her own shifted to one of confusion and worry.

"What's wrong, Bella?"

I shook my head. Heidi was my sister, and I loved her dearly, but... "Another time, Heidi,"

She looked disappointed but nodded in understanding. "I'm here for you," She stood and whisked herself away to Felix, who was watching college football. I smirked; I had always detected something between those two.

I loved the understanding that we all had with one another in the Volturi, the perfect synchronicity that connected us. Some were more perceptive than others, but it was all relative. We spoke little of our feelings, but we were so close anyways that it did not matter, despite our protocol. It made us all feel like we belonged.

"I know," I murmured under my breath, my head leaning against the cool glass of the window. New challenges laid ahead; the problem of Jasper, and Maria. Our secrecy. But I could handle them; I knew that I could.

Demetri guided us; his talent led us to Forks, Washington. I pondered their return to Forks so soon, but I said nothing of it, preferring to remain silent.

The house was just as I had remembered. White and imposing in a large clearing shaded by ancient trees, old-fashioned but elegant. The branches intertwined far above our heads, casting a complex web of light and dark shadows on the ground below.

We ghosted up the front steps and stood on the veranda, while Alec rung the bell. I wondered at such an unnecessary measure of politeness.

Carlisle opened the door, nodding courteously at Jane, who led as usual and swept past him into the room beyond, as was her custom. She had to assert herself, showing her superiority. Alec followed after quietly, with not nearly so much presence or, as I preferred to call it, saving his theatrical tendencies for a more suitable time.

Jane and Alec were working together again. You noticed Jane first, of course; she had never cared much for subtlety. But you never noticed Alec as he stealthily lurked in her shadow, and by the time you saw the opaque fog creeping up on you, it was much too late. Alec could be even more vicious that his twin when he had a desire to.

There was always such a show of pleasantries, fake happiness at such a wonderful reunion after oh so long.

It was all so fake, and I knew enough to tell the truths from the lies.

Heidi, Felix, Santiago, and Demetri had gone in with the others, and I lingered along outside the door. I instinctively shielded my family's minds, as well as my own.

"Oh," Alice exclaimed. "Heidi, I love your outfit. The designer is one of my favourites," I knew Heidi well enough to say without a doubt that this was true.

"And you've redone the living room," I recognized Heidi's cheerful voice. "It's lovely, Esme,"

Another truth. Esme's taste in interior design had always been exceptional.

It was funny how the least meaningful topics always proved to be the least affected by deceit.

Santiago interrupted the girls; chatter to come forward and greet Carlisle.

"Old friend," he spoke, "It's been too long. Aro will be very anxious to hear news of your family,"

Pure fiction. Aro had become quite close to Carlisle during his time in Italy, it was true, but as Carlisle's coven grew... Aro had become jealous, of the many talents that Carlisle's family possessed. I did not blame him. It was unfair to have so many talents concentrated into one coven. Unless it was us, of course.

Carlisle replied just as warmly as Santiago, but I could almost see the guarded expression in his eyes. I smiled despite myself, as I had always liked Carlisle. He was intelligent, even Aro couldn't deny that, and he had been kind to me when I was a human. I could not say that he would be kind now. And though I did not necessarily approve of his and his family's feeding habits, I respected them. After all, I had followed those same habits until... ah, lets see... last week. A year of vegetarianism had made it easier to abstain from drinking human blood. But human blood was just an entirely different experience. After trying it, I could not guarantee that I could ever return to my former habits.

Nevertheless, I admired Carlisle's compassion for the humans that he vowed not to harm.

"Welcome, friends," Carlisle replied, nodding in turn to Jane, Alec, Santiago, Felix, Demetri, and Heidi. "You've brought quite a large group. I assume you have no intentions of an ill nature against us on your visit?" His voice was strained, undoubtedly anxious.

"Carlisle," I heard a velvet voice whisper softly. A large knot formed in the pit of my stomach. "I can't hear their thoughts."

Jane ignored this comment, though I could almost feel the wave of gratitude that she sent towards me. She hated to have her mind invaded, by anyone other than Aro, of course. She must have smiled grimly. "No, of course not, friends, though there are a few matter that we'd like to discuss with you,"

A low, musical bass voice hissed. "There is another hidden outside the door. I can feel its emotions." I cussed mentally. Jasper. I'd forgotten about the talents in their family that my shield could not repel.

Alec spoke in a monotone voice. "Come in, Isabella."

I rolled my eyes at his formality, but complied. I should not have lingered outside in the first place.

I stood up straight and moved gracefully to stand beside Heidi, determined to be brave.

The front room was even more painfully familiar. The glass wall on the south side; the open, bright concept; the various white shades in decor.

There was a low, shocked gasp in the room that melded with the air. It was comparable to a soft, rustling breeze through treetops, the light rushing sound of moving water.

"Bella?" The velvet voice was strained; it sounded almost human, disbelieving and shocked.

I ignored it.

"Yes, Alec?"

Alec was quite perceptive; more so than Heidi or Felix. He gave me a sympathetic look. "The newest member of our family,"

I nodded, pulling my charcoal hood back to reveal my face. I knew what they were seeing.

My immaculate, perfect features, that just screamed vampire; my lack of a heartbeat. I knew that they noticed the way my eyes flitted at speeds too fast for a human to catch; the gracefulness of my body even in stillness. My scent; freesia. And the eyes. The eyes, which I knew were large and perfect and expressive, but still guarded. Of the most lovely colour, like dark velvet roses.

I watched the way his lips moved quickly, repeating the same word again and again. Impossible, impossible, impossible...

I watched each of them from the corner of my eye as I exchanged a glance with Alec.

Carlisle. He looked shocked, standing there like Zeus's younger, better-looking brother, his arms still spread in welcome.

Esme. She stood beside him, held a shimmer of hope in her eyes as she glanced from me to Edward and back again. I almost sighed aloud. What she was hoping for could never happen.

Rosalie. I almost grimaced in anticipation as I glanced to her, but all I saw in her eyes was a great, over-powering sadness and despair.

Emmett. Childish hope and glee seemed to almost visibly course through him, like a kid who had just been surprised with a party after thinking that his birthday had been forgotten. He beamed at me, grinning, and I looked away. I had missed my big, lovable bear of a brother, but there was no sense of reminding myself of what I could never have.

Alice. Her pixie face was contorted with all of the emotions running through it. Her eyes held a faint trace of pain in them, as well as the expected shock and grief at seeing me with the Volturi. But there was also a bright, glimmering excitement in them. My sister...

Jasper. His stance was defensive, slightly in front of Alice with his legs shoulder length apart. The military man, as always. Aro had admired his direct viewpoint on things, despite his involvement with the newborn wars in the South. But there was a softer side of him that I had seen, when he was with Alice. Their love was incomparable.

And finally... Edward. I looked to him, but his eyes were cast at the floor. He didn't even glance my way. I was suddenly overcome with anger and annoyance. I stepped back towards Demetri and brushed my hand against his. I don't even know why I did it. To make him jealous? That was possible.

I saw Jane grin widely out of the corner of my eye, at Edward's obvious discomfort. I ignored the both of them.

We were Volturi; it was time to do what we did best. I opened my mouth to speak. Shall we voice our command? That's what it was. We would not take no for an answer.

"Shall we voice our request?" I spoke, wincing at the bell tone of my voice.

Alec nodded and gestured for Jane to go ahead.

She complied. "We come with a purpose," she said in her childish, monotone voice.

The Cullens glanced at one another, looking anxious. All but him.

"Recruitment,"

Carlisle opened his arms again pleadingly. "This topic has been called to notice many times before, Jane; I'm sure Aro is quite aware by now that we have no need or desire to join your ranks."

Alec smiled. "Is it possible that we might come to a sort of..." he hesitated, searching for the right word, "Peaceful solution? A temporary recruitment, perhaps?" He took a step to the side, circling Carlisle, Jane following by his side. "Why, we would be beyond pleased to accept any of you. Alice... Edward... Jasper..."

They all inhaled sharply at the sound of Jasper's name. Jane spoke again with the air of a predator taunting its prey.

"We find ourselves to be in a bit of.. trouble with a certain individual. Perhaps you know her, Jasper? Her name is Maria."

Silence. Shocked, confused silence.

Then Jasper spoke. "Never,"

"I'm afraid that you don't have a choice in the matter," Felix growled, the feral sound ripping up through his throat and past his bared teeth.

I grinned at the tension.

"Now, friends," I said smoothly, nodding at the Cullens. "We wouldn't want this to come to blows, would we?"

Jasper caught and held my gaze, staring me down as none of the other Cullens had the guts to do. Not even him. I knew that he saw the cool decision in my features. Still, he growled.

"Jasper," The voice was soft and pleading. He immediately looked down at Alice, adoration in his eyes as he stared at his minute wife. "Jasper, you must go along with them, only for a little while. Trust me. You must do it for me. You must do it for Bella," Her voice dropped in volume to become a whisper by the end of her little speech.

He shook his head. "Only if you come with me,"

Jane took the natural pause in conversation to put in her own two cents. "You would be welcome to join us as well, Alice."

Alec looked at her questioningly. She ignored him.

Alice looked around at the rest of her family, locking gazes with each one. With each vampire, the resolve that was shown clearly in her expression grew stronger and stronger. Then she looked directly at me, as if daring me to challenge her decision. "Fine. I will."

"Alice, no..." The voice came from the far corner of the bright, airy room. Edward. He looked at her pleadingly, and then at me, his amber eyes piercing into my soul. I could not look away. He came towards me, and I caught myself thinking of... him, and his lovely soft lips, and the golden eyes that always made me melt. His crooked little grin and all the things he used to say to me, sweet little nothings that made me smile. His music; his fingers moving lithely over the keys of his piano... My lullaby.

Edward's arms stretched towards me as though he was about to embrace me, and I shied away.

"Thank you for your time,"

Monotone. Dead, lifeless.

We ghosted from the room. I was panicked, my mouth not capable of forming words, but I drifted along with them just the same. I could hear muttered farewells behind us. Promises to return as soon as possible.

I looked back just before I left the room. I shouldn't have. It went against all the protocol that I could think of. But I did.

And all I saw was his face. Edward's face, his chiseled features, his straight, noble nose, his perfectly soft lips. And his eyes. And in those eyes I could only see fresh, undiluted pain. He made no effort to hide it.

And then we were gone, and as we swiftly ran through the forest, I heard a sound behind me. The strangest noise, so... rough. Cracked and broken and just so overwhelmingly pitiful that I almost cried myself. Sobbing. But... beautiful sobbing. Like velvet.