A/N: As if you need any reminding... GUESS WHOSE HERE! :D
"You don't have to kill us," Edward called out as he sauntered towards the middle of the clearing. "It's wrong."
I couldn't breathe. My Edward, my beautiful, wonderful, simply amazing Edward was standing right there, right there about ten paces from me. I could reach out and touch him if I wanted.
My heart stopped and started again as he glanced in my direction. Though he only looked at me briefly, his butterscotch eyes dazzled me and I momentarily forgot what grave danger we were all in.
All I could do was blink wildly in disbelief as I took in his messy hair, his perfectly smooth skin and those wonderful eyes I adored.
My archangel.
Aro had taken his hands from Carlisle's neck and now looked from me to Edward.
"You said Edward wouldn't be joining us, Bella?" he seemed disappointed, as though he had been secretly pleased that he had not had to kill the copper-haired son.
"I didn't think..." I trailed off in a whisper, my gaze still plastered on Edward's face.
"Who cares?" Caius called out, bored as always. "It changes nothing, Aro. The betrayers are still to be punished."
"Just listen to what I have to say first, please," Edward begged. "That's all I ask."
Aro walked to stand with the rest of the Volturi.
"Then that's all you'll get," he finally replied when he was back with the others. "Tell us this bit of information that is enough to stop our proceedings."
"I went back to Alaska," began Edward immediately. "I was interested as to why my family had all returned to Forks and, in truth, why I myself had returned. I cannot remember the last twelve months actually..."
Edward stopped and turned his head minutely to the left as though listening to something far away, but didn't let his gaze slip from the line of vampires in front of him.
"It appears none of us can." So, someone had been filling him in quickly. "In fact, we're all here because of Bella, even you – though you are aware of that already."
My inside fluttered as he spoke my name. For the first time in over a year, I watched in awe as his flawless lips formed each letter of my name elegantly and his velvet voice turned the ordinary syllables into a song.
"But, I found out some interesting things in Alaska regardless... it's forgotten. No one remembers the Cullens or the murder that apparently took place. I asked around thoroughly. The police closed the investigation – it's a distant memory that only a handful remember."
"But some do," interrupted Jane. "It is not a question of how many. It could be one, it could be a thousand. We cannot afford a breath of a story to escape."
"The man who saw Jasper and Alice is dead." Edward stated flatly. "They've jailed a man they thought was to blame anyway. I hate the thought that some innocent man is suffering for our wrong doings but it's enough to save us. Now, it's just another crime that happened a long time ago."
"How did the witness die?" asked Aro thoughtfully.
"Old age. He passed one night about six months ago in his sleep," replied Edward.
"And you are sure no one knows a thing – friends, relatives he may have spoken to?" Aro continued.
"I was desperate to save my family. I assure you I searched thoroughly. Your secret is safe," Edward said bitterly.
At that, Aro raised his eyebrows. Then, he walked towards Edward and stopped in front of him holding both of his hands out.
Reluctantly, Edward placed one of his soft hands in Aro's. The older vampire seized it quickly and smothered it with his own. Aro's eyes closed and the same look of concentration that I had seen earlier returned to his face.
Was he killing Edward?
"Stop!" I called out. "Get away from him!"
I started to run, planning to knock the two apart, but in a flash, Alice was by my side and a pair of strong arms restrained me.
"Aro reads minds like Edward, Bella," she explained rapidly. "But he needs to touch you in order to be able to do it. Right now he can hear every thought Edward has ever had."
At that moment, Aro chuckled and his eyes flicked open to look at me.
"Naughty Edward," I heard him murmur. "I always thought you believed in marriage first."
Edward growled.
"Stick to Alaska, Aro," he retorted. "Have some discretion."
I stopped struggling to escape Alice's grip and she dropped her arms. I blushed. I was painfully aware of what Aro was referring to. Though Edward and I had never actually done it. So, that means Edward must have only thought of it...
I blushed even deeper. Part of me was thrilled. Part of me was downright embarrassed!
"Bella, please!" Jasper grunted through clenched teeth. Oops, sorry.
Then, Aro stood back from Edward with surprise in his face.
"Now I know why you didn't say that out loud. That is not something our Bella should hear."
What was that? What shouldn't I hear? I wanted to ask but I though against it.
"Yet, even taking all that into account, what Caius said remains the same: it changes nothing. Two members of your coven still exposed themselves to the humans and that is a punishable offense. Plus, you have let one other important person into our world who, technically, shouldn't be here. I am so, very truly, sorry."
And for once, Aro looked as though he meant it.
As I looked at the ancient vampire's sorrowful eyes, I realised we had lost.
Our last attempt to save ourselves had failed. Now it really was over. Nothing could save us now – only death awaited us.
"Now, I hope you don't mind but, before we came here, we stopped off in Italy to pick up some friends," began Aro. "They were only in case you pulled some silly stunt, but it seems unfair to bring them all this way and then not use them, don't you think?"
"You didn't really assume we would come all this way without the full Guard, did you?" asked Marcus. "You've bored us with your tales – they'll kill you now. Except Bella Swan – we want a little chat with her."
All five of them laughed at that and the Cullens turned to face the trees.
Like a low fog, more hooded figures darted from the forest to join the body of vampires now forming behind the Volturi. Our executioners.
They were varying in sizes – much like the Volturi – but there was more of them. More than enough to kill a coven twice the size of the Cullens, I was sure.
When at last they were all assembled, Aro turned to me.
"Come over here, Isabella," he beckoned. "Keep very still and we promise they won't hurt you."
My heart flipped inside my chest as I heard those familiar words. They were said before, in a dream, while I had slept on Edward's leather sofa.
Aro raised his left hand as though beckoning me and, at that signal, the Guard launched into action.
I wanted so much to stand and fight with the rest of my family, even though I knew I would be no help, but my body would not obey.
It stumbled towards Aro while my eyes remained fixed on the fight that was taking off.
Carlisle and Esme worked as a pair trying to confuse each attacker. They weaved and changed course so often, it appeared as though they were performing an elaborate dance.
But each time they overcame an opponent, another would take their place and each time it took longer to defeat them.
Alice was as nimble as I imagined she would be. She moved like a dancer, gracefully jumping and spinning out the way. Every so often, her eyes would glaze over for a hundredth of a second as she anticipated her opponent's next move and she deftly moved out of the way.
She was doing extraordinarily well when suddenly she dropped to the floor, screaming in pain. I saw Jasper spin round to find her and was instantly pinned to the floor as his attacker spotted his weakness.
Alice continued to writhe in pain as though she had been stabbed, but no one touched her. I looked around, desperate to know who was causing her such torture.
Then I saw her.
Jane was standing away from everyone else, staring right at Alice. Her red eyes shone brilliantly and small smile played on her lips. How was she doing that?
Suddenly, she looked away, as though she had completely tired of her little magic trick. Alice relaxed and flopped on the ground. In an instant, two members of the Guard seized her and brought her to her feet.
I looked back to Carlisle and Esme, just in time to see Carlisle trying to fend off an excessively large vampire, who seemed fixated on pursuing Esme. It wasn't working. Carlisle could barely move the mass of muscle that slowly advanced on delicate Esme.
They were losing. I didn't know a thing about battles and game plans, but even I could tell when a fight was about to be lost. And I hadn't even dared to look at one fighter yet.
I turned my head slowly, watching everywhere but the place where I knew he was. Even after all theses months apart I could still feel the pull between my body and his. It was as though we were connected somehow.
At last, I forced myself to look at him. He moved like a powerful animal. He used the natural components of the clearing to his advantage – launching off a rock or leading an attacker into the tree line.
He was so beautiful. Even when he let (what he called) his monster show he was extraordinary to me.
It made me love him even more. If that was possible.
I cowered back as an adversary grabbed his right arm and spun him round to lock it behind his back before slamming his head against the ground.
When he brought him up to smack his head down again, I saw a large crater in the hard earth, where Edward's rock solid head had met the ground.
I heard a faint moan waft through the air as Edward's head hit against the floor for a third time.
I couldn't watch anymore. I knew what I had to – wanted – to do. I had promised I would do it, what seemed a lifetime ago in Edward's room. I just had to carry out my pledge now.
"Please, let me take their punishment!" I whispered desperately as I turned to Aro.
"Really?" he looked back at me with wonderment in his sallow eyes.
"Yes, please! Don't-" I saw the hunk of muscle land on top of Esme and she gasped. "Kill me, kill me, kill me!" I pleaded urgently. "Let me die now for all of them!"
Aro watched me closely for a moment longer before smiling to himself and looking back to the fight.
"Please," he called out delicately, raising one arm. Although his thin voice barely rose above speaking level, the clearing stilled instantaneously.
Jasper shot forward as soon as the Guard released him, breaking the calm, and encased Alice in his arms. It hurt to watch their show of love when I was so close to losing mine.
And I didn't even know if it was still reciprocated. He had said he didn't want me anymore…
But, I hoped he did still love me despite that. I would make myself believe it so. He had left, yes, but in the very end he had come back. It was the best I could ask for.
As though, for once, he could hear my thoughts, Edward began looking around him frantically. I could tell he was searching for me.
I smiled a blissful smile to myself and took a deep breath as I prepared to finally face my fate.
"Edward," I called to him loudly. He stopped immediately and spun to look at me. He saw me standing by Aro and his face crumpled.
"No, no, no," I soothed. "No, Edward, no it's okay! Please, don't look like that – it's fine, I promise you it's fine…"
I trailed off and I felt tears prick my eyes.
"I made a promise to Carlisle that I would bring his family back together and I'm going to do it, even if it means dying myself. Please, don't try and stop me. I love you, more than anything you could ever image, even in that spacious head of yours… I'm so lucky I met you, however cliché it sounds. Tell Charlie… tell Charlie I… I…"
I couldn't speak as sobs forced their way past my trembling lips. I turned to Aro. He was looking at me in astonishment.
I took a huge gasp of breath, determined to keep my dignity.
"Make it as painful as you want but, please, let the Cullens live. I beg you – let me die for them."
I stretched my hands out to him and fell to my knees. Another sob threatened to erupt in my mouth but I bit back against it.
I wasn't scared for my life; I was grieving for having to lose Edward once more. I had given my everything to him and even now, as I was about to die, I knew I would give more.
Even when I had nothing left to give I would still want to devote myself completely and utterly to him.
I loved him so much it hurt. I physically wanted to vomit as his love scorched my insides like acid.
I squeezed my eyes together and more tears rolled past my lashes.
"This is most intriguing!" I looked up at Aro who was open-mouthed in awe. "A human so willing to die for a soulless creature like us."
He seemed slightly amused by my sacrifice.
"You don't know anything about his soul," I spat at him with my teeth clenched. I was right. Edward had a soul – I knew he did even if he didn't believe it himself. A soul that I had saved.
"Hmm," Aro pondered loudly. Then, he reached out a hand and placed it on my jaw.
I closed my eyes – this was it. I pictured Edward in all his beauty and hoped the image would stay with me even after I had gone.
"Killing you would be such a waste," I opened my eyes to see Aro kneeling by me, looking at my tear-stained face.
"I find it fascinating how you would devote your whole life, not just for Edward, but his whole family too. I think I would like to save you, Isabella Swan."
"W-What?" I was still trembling in fear. Aro took my hand and helped me stand up.
"Go to Edward, my dear. I was wrong. The Cullens, and you, shall live." He let go of my hand and smiled warmly at me.
"That's it? I can go?" my voice trembled as much as the rest of my body.
"Yes, though don't let me regret it. It is very rare that you should be allowed to live," Aro said gravely but continued to smile at me.
It took a moment for his words to sink in and I felt my jaw fall open in shock.
Then, I half turned, still looking at Aro in disbelief. I stumbled across the clearing and felt my foot catch on the messy grass.
I snapped my head round as I fell, trying to catch myself. But I didn't have to.
Before I could hit the floor a pair of strong, ice-cold, marble arms closed around me and pulled me into an embrace.
I took a deep breath and a shiver ran down my spine as the intoxicating, unforgettable scent of Edward filled my lungs.
I dared to look at his face and my fright turned to tears of joy. My dreams had really not done him justice.
He was beautiful. He was amazing. He was wonderful. He was... he was mine!
His pale skin was flawless and it pulled in all the right ways round his strong jaw bone and at the corners of his eyes. Eyes that could stop my heart. Their butterscotch centres looked like molten gold and smouldered devastatingly.
He lent his head towards mine then slowly and placed a cold kiss on my mouth. His cool lips crushed against mine and my heart stopped and started again in my chest as I revelled in his gentle touch.
I instinctively knotted my hands through his thick soft hair and, instead of pulling away as he used to, he wrapped his arms around my middle and squeezed me tight against him.
After all those months, when the hole in my chest had totally drained me, I felt fully intact again.
There was no puncture, no weak point – not even a scar.
Here, in my Edward's arms I was one hundred percent complete.
A/N: Thank you so much, as always, for sticking with my little story and seeing it to the end. There's one more chapter left and it's a gushy one (Awhh) I hope you liked reading 'In Her Dreams' as much as I enjoyed writing it! I plan now to upload my current story, 'Federal Fever', which is WIP - so keep your eyes peeled! :D
Make sure you check back for the epilogue and thanks for reading!
Mel x