Sorry its been such a long time between updates. I discovered the Outlander book series and I haven't been able to put them down. But I promise, things are quickly coming to a head and we are getting very close to the conclusion.

Chapter 11: The Calm before the Storm

Bella's Point of View

'Can I see him? For even a minute, please?' I gazed imploringly at Aro, my lower lip was even trembling.

He shook his head slowly. 'No, my dear, I don't think that would be best at all.'

I tried to keep the scowl off my face. It would not be helpful to lose my temper right now.

I took a deep, steadying breath and tried again. 'Aro…I know you want me and Alice to feel comfortable and welcome here. But we haven't seen Jasper or Edward since we arrived.' I deftly lied about having seen Edward since our arrival, Aro had still not found out.

'If I could just see him, if I could only know that he was ok I would feel much better.'

Aro frowned. 'No, Bella, I really do think everyone is better off this way. If I let you see him once you would only want to see him again and more often. No, I believe it is time for you to move on.'

'We have many suitable suitors for you among the guard, I am sure that fact cannot have escaped your attention. You have grown into a beautiful, engaging woman and you could probably take your pick. At least it would take your mind off that boy.'

He waved his hand dismissively. 'I have other matters to attend to. Please don't bother me with this again.'

He drifted away with his entourage and I remained standing, my head drooping. I wished I could rip him to shreds. I hated him. He was a self righteous old arrogant fool. My hands clenched into fists and my body shook. I had never felt hate such as this before.

After some time I moved away and grabbed a cloak before exiting the castle. I frowned as I noticed a dark grey shape slide out of the door behind me. It was so frustrating to be constantly watched, especially at the moment when I had no plans to escape. I only wanted to be alone with my thoughts.

I made my way down to the enormous courtyard fountain. It was dark outside and few people moved in the streets. I sat on the edge of the fountain and let my hood fall back. I absentmindedly trailed my fingers through the water.

This was the same fountain that I had splashed headfirst into to save Edward from the Volturi. It seemed like such a long time ago.

I vaguely remembered that the water had been freezing. It should probably have felt cold at this time of the year, but to me the temperature was pleasant enough.

I finally found the word I'd been searching for all night. Stalemate, that's where I was at in life. Jasper and Edward were beyond my reach and Alice was kept as Aro's constant companion. Even if I could get Alice alone, anything I said to her would be relayed right back to Aro when he next touched her.

And I dare not leave the city and strike off on my own. I knew know that Aro would have no hesitations about killing Edward if I were gone. And from what little I had seen of Edward made me believe that he would not even fight back.

Oh Edward, what have they done to you? Whenever I closed my eyes I plainly saw his dead, lifeless eyes. If only I could go to him, I knew I could wake him. I clenched my fist and punched the water.

The only result was a splash that drenched my cloak.

There was a light chuckle from behind me. I didn't need to turn, I had sensed the vampire who had followed me from the castle. 'I don't really see anything funny, Corin.'

He approached softly and sat on the fountain ledge a good distance away from me.

'I've never seen anyone win a battle against water, Bella, there doesn't seem much sense in trying.'

I closed my eyes tight and counted to ten slowly. 'Corin, I realize that it was just your misfortune to have been assigned to guard me at this time, but do you have to make it my misfortune as well by forcing conversation?'

Hearing no reply, I slowly opened my eyes and saw that his indefatigable grin was still in place. 'My apologies, you looked like someone who could use a little company. My mistake.'

He inclined his head toward me but made no move to leave. After a few moments of scowling I began to feel ashamed. Corin was really not that bad, not as the rest of the Volturi went, anyway. It could have been much worse. It could have been Felix's turn. I shuddered. His advances were getting bolder and I could tell his patience was growing thin.

Something was going to have to break, and I knew it was not going to be me.

But I didn't want to think about that until I had to. 'Why are you here?'

He raised a brown eyebrow. 'Oh I thought it might be nice to come out and have a seat with you on the fountain, do a little stargazing instead of skulking in the shadows.'

'No, I meant why are you with the Volturi? You don't seem…well you don't seem like them exactly.'

The smile slowly faded from his face as he gazed up at the stars. I could tell he was taking his time in thinking of a response. I went back to trailing my fingers in the fountain, watching as the tiny ripples distorted the reflection of the stars in the water.

'I've been a part of this world for a very long time.' He was silent for some time after his opening statement. I let him take his time, after all, I was not going anywhere, I had all the time in the world.

'There are not too many opportunities for our kind. I lived for a long time as a nomad, roaming through Western Europe and Russia for longer than I cared to keep track of. But it gets lonely after a while, being on your own for so long.' He was silent for another long moment, eyes trained on the stars above. 'Animals shun our company and not many humans are willing to have a conversation with a vampire, after all.'

I snorted involuntarily. I had certainly been willing to have many, many conversations with a vampire. But I had been fairly sure at the time that he would not eat me. I did not think that any of Corin's conversation partners would have felt the same.

He ignored my snort and continued to gaze up at the stars. 'I cannot really tell you in which year I joined the Volturi, for time had lost any pretense of meaning to me. But, as I said, I grew tired of living on my own and so I sought out others. I soon heard of the Volturi and that they were always willing to take on new members of the guard. Especially if those new recruits had a useful talent, which I did. It was Caius who first spoke with me. He decided at once that I would be a very useful addition. So there you are.'

His grin hadn't returned during his short story, and I wasn't entirely sure he even realized I was still listening. He was very preoccupied with the stars. 'Loneliness, that is why I am here.'

I shook my head. 'The Volturi isn't the only coven out there. Carlisle is always willing to welcome more to the family.'

He smiled ruefully down at me. 'It's too late for me, I doubt I could ever be converted to the vegetarian lifestyle.'

I wanted to argue with him and convince him that if he was lonely, the Volturi were not the only answer, but he threw me completely off guard with his next statement.

'I could send him a message for you, you know. I am a loyal member of the Volturi guard, but I see the pain that being separated from him is causing you. I could easily gain access to him, if that would make a difference to you.'

I don't know how long I sat with my mouth gaping open. I spoke before I had even begun to think through what he was offering me. 'If I could only let him know that I still loved him, that would make all the difference in the world. Edward…well, he will blame himself for what's happened and I just can't stand that.'

I hesitated. 'But you wouldn't be in any trouble for passing a message along, would you?'

His easy smile returned as he deftly dodged the true meaning behind my words. 'It would be no trouble at all, Bella.'

He stood in one fluid motion and reached his hand out to me. 'If you would accompany me back to the castle my babysitting duty will be complete and I can go see him for you.'

I immediately jumped to my feet and took his hand. I pulled him along after me, walking as fast as I dared through the dark city streets.

Once we reached the main hall of the castle I stopped abruptly and turned to face Corin, suspicion evident on my face. 'Wait. Why are you doing this for me?'

His eyes flickered away from me and he studied a light fixture on the wall intently. And then he spoke, so softly that I almost didn't catch his words. 'Because I would see you happy.'

He broke away from me and headed off in the opposite direction. I narrowed my eyes and watched him until he disappeared into darkness.

Because he would see me happy? Had I completely missed something? I could admit to myself that we had formed a sort of tenuous friendship, but why would he care for me so much as to risk himself by carrying messages between two people who were prisoners in everything but name.

I shook my head, my hair flipping from side to side. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth I guess.

I groaned and rolled my eyes and started to hurry back to my room. There was a familiar scent coming toward me and I was in no mood to deal with Felix right now. I would wait in my room for Corin.

Edward's Point of View

My head snapped up as I heard a rapidly approaching set of footsteps. I raised an eyebrow, here was a scent that I did not recognize at all. I glanced quickly over at Jasper and he was looking back at me. Probably just some new guy, come to pick on good ole Scars and pretty boy.

I sighed. 'Those nicknames are getting on my nerves Jasper, I don't need to hear them coming from you as well.'

He shrugged. 'If they're to be our new names for a long time we may as well get used to them.'

The lamb bleated as the door began to swing open and buried his head behind my back. The little guy was terrified of Jasper, he refused to go near him, and now it looked like he was scared of the new guard as well. I really had lost my touch.

I was most likely going to get hell from the guards for keeping a pet. I squared my shoulders as a lithe figure slipped into the door and then shut it behind him.

He looked between us slowly.

'Trying to figure out which one of us to have a go at, are you?' Jasper spoke casually. 'Most of the guard doesn't have as much trouble, they just pick whoever's nearest.'

He grinned. 'I'm afraid you completely misinterpret the reason for my visit.'

Jasper laughed humorlessly. 'Luck of the Irish, is it?'

Suddenly I shot to my feet and our visitor jumped backwards in a crouch. 'Bella sent you?!'

He relaxed and his grin widened. 'Ah, you must be Edward, then.'

His mind suddenly turned agonizingly hard to read, I didn't know if he was doing it himself or if I was just too agitated to be able to hear his thoughts clearly.

I say we take him now, he was foolish enough to come alone. I frowned toward Jasper. 'I want to hear what he has to say.'

Our visitor laughed. 'This is disconcerting. I've heard other guards speak of your talent but it's another thing entirely to witness it first hand.'

I growled low in my throat. 'Just tell me what you came here to say.'

He shrugged and his infuriating grin grew somehow wider. 'I still love you.' He winked mischievously. 'Rather, that's what she said.'

I dropped to my knees. I hadn't thought that word from Bella would affect me this deeply, but it did. It felt like my entire world had suddenly contracted around those four little words that Bella had told this man to tell me.

Jasper sighed. Get a grip, man. You always knew that anyway.

'It's not the same Jasper. It's not the same as hearing it.'

Well this guy isn't exactly Bella herself…

'It's good enough for me.'

'So sorry to interrupt.' Bella's messenger had clasped his hands behind his back and was squinting down at my side. 'I've heard of your families' odd eating habits before, so if you don't mind my asking, did you leave that poor lamb as a snack? You see, I'm rather fond of animals, and I would hate to see the little guy slaughtered in front of me.'

You've got to be kidding. A member of the Volturi guard who had a fondness for animals and didn't want to see one killed in front of him? After all the Volturi did? I couldn't believe it.

'Don't worry.' Jasper shook his hair out of his eyes. 'That's Eddie Jr. and he is strictly off limits for eating. And don't I know it.'

I shot Jasper a vicious look and whirled to face the guard again. 'How is Bella? Is she being mistreated?'

He shrugged. 'She is as well as she can be, all things considered. She's heartbroken, though. All torn up that your in this position. She thinks you blame yourself and it's tearing her apart.'

Jasper snorted. 'Wonder where she'd get an idea like that.'

I shot him another murderous look. 'Look, you are obviously a friend of Bella's if she trusted you to carry this message to me. Are you willing to carry one back, from me?'

He nodded slowly. 'I will.'

I took a deep breath. 'Tell her to run away.'

Jasper hissed. You can't tell a Volturi guard to tell her that, why would he listen to you, and even if he did, why would he disregard his loyalty to Aro and Caius? This has to be some sort of cruel trick.

I rushed on, ignoring Jasper. 'If she and Alice can get away from here, it would give Jasper and I a chance. We can't try to escape ourselves for fear of their safety. I know Aro is just holding us here to keep them from fleeing. Please, convince Bella that we will manage on our own if they can only get away. Lie to her if you have to, tell her that you are helping us to escape so that she'll go.'

For once I could hear that Jasper agreed wholeheartedly with me.

'Look, you know I can hear people's thoughts. And I can hear yours right now. You care for Bella a great deal. I think even more than you realize.' The corner of my mouth twisted upward. 'She has that effect on a lot of people.'

The guard's grin was slowly turning into a troubled frown.

'I know how much I'm asking from you, but please, for her sake you have to help her.'

'You would never be able to escape.' He shook his head slowly, as if clearing it. 'Aro keeps Alice with him constantly, if she was gone for more than half an hour he would miss her. And even if they did manage to escape, he would know immediately if you two tried anything. No, he would destroy you either way, there is no way around it.'

Jasper spoke grimly. 'Maybe we don't mean for there to be a way around it. Edward is right, if you could only convince the girls that there was a chance we could escape and follow them, I think they would go. I would see Alice freed from Aro's grip, even if that meant my death.'

I nodded, agreeing with my brother. 'Please, you know Aro is wrong to keep us like this. You must realize that he has strayed from the Volturi's way. It's not the same anymore.'

The fair haired Irish vampire grimaced. 'You are right, it hasn't been the same for a long while.' Then he stood silently, brows furrowed as he sunk deep into thought.

Jasper and I remained silent, though I could hear my brother encouraging the guard in his mind.

After a very long time his smile returned, though it did not reach his eyes. 'Yes, I will help.'

We quickly worked out a few details, and then the guard turned to go.

'Wait! We don't even know your name.'

He turned and grinned. 'Wondered when we'd get around to proper introductions, my name's Corin.'

'Then I thank you, Corin, for everything. But can I ask just one more favor?'

His eyes narrowed though his grin never wavered.

I picked up the small lamb and pushed it into his arms before he could protest. The poor lamb was too much in shock to struggle.

'Please, could you take him and give him to some small girl in the village or something? Sounds like the new few hours are going to be a bit rough, and I'd rather he were safely away.'

Corin laughed. 'If I can do nothing else for you, I can do this one thing.' He turned quickly and was gone, the door slid shut behind him.