Aaand introducing, without further ado, Edward 'Sparkles of a Killer' Cullen in all of his ... 'glory'
Alice pushed the double doors to the throne room open with a flourish, watching Bella with a sparkle in her eyes that she had thought lost. She had no idea how she had managed to leave the brunette months ago; her mere presence was intoxicating. She had once thought that the girl had another power, besides her shielding ability, or maybe it was just Alice who was so affected by the girl.
Bella had stopped dead the moment the doors had swung open and Alice frowned, spinning to look into the room and dreading the thought that something had happened to Nessie or Jacob; it would be her fault if it had. All her fault. But as she looked inside Jacob grimaced at her and Nessie gave a small wave. Aro looked slightly sheepish, which was a strange expression on the eccentric man, and before him stood a familiar bronze headed vampire. Edward was here.
"Alice, Bella." He turned with a wide smile that somehow made Alice want to flee. It was as if he were the predator and she the vegetarian. "How nice of you to join us." She didn't need a vision to tell her that this meeting was going to end anything but well.
"Edward, it seems, was separated from his family on the trip to visit you." Aro's eyes locked with Alice's and she could tell that he knew as well as everyone else did that that was a lie. "Do you wish for me to give you some privacy?" She had heard that phrase from his lips only once when a young vampire had become infatuated with Jane. He had offered privacy which she had accepted. Minutes later he returned with half of his guard and 'removed the man from the premises'. It was a subtle offer for assistance.
"No, thank you, Aro." Alice bowed her head to show she had understood, leading Bella fully into the room now. "I don't believe they'll be staying long." Edward's eyes were fixed on Bella's face, his sister knew he was here to reclaim what was his and, no matter how much she wanted to argue that a person was not something you could own, she had to let him. For her own good.
"What do you mean?" There was a touch of hurt in Bella's voice and she felt the question bruise her heart just a little more. It really was a stroke of luck that Alice's heart was no longer tasked with distributing blood to her body; there wasn't enough duct tape in the world to patch up the cracks. "You're not coming home?"
"This is her home now, Isabella." Behind Edward, Nessie sought comfort in Jacob's arms. Alice was glad that at least one person had a pure love that would never dream of doing anything other than what was best for them. "And we should all leave her be."
"We wanted to make sure she was ok." Jacob's voice was laced with an accusation that Edward would've had to have been deaf not to pick up on. But Edward ignored him, his eyes still focused solely on his wife; it was as if he were trying to break through her shield by force of will alone. Nessie stepped out of her husband's protection, closer to her father.
"Dad. I want to stay here a while." That got the bronze haired man's attention; he whirled around to face his daughter. Alice had only seen the first flash of gold but she had no doubt that his eyes were blazing, but Nessie held his gaze.
"This is the Volturi, Renesmee. Any one of these people would gladly kill you." The half-vampire tilted her head slightly and Alice found herself sharing a smirk with Jacob across the room. Aro cleared his throat.
"No harm would befall your daughter within these walls. She is Alice's family and will always be welcome here. The same would be true of both Bella and Jacob." It didn't escape Alice's notice that Aro had not extended the invitation to Edward.
"Thank you." Nessie gave the Volturi lord a bright smile which was easily returned. Alice grinned at the exchange, glad that Aro seemed to genuinely like Renesmee.
"Yeah, thanks." Jacob grinned, resting one hand on his wife's shoulder and it was more an attempt to rile Edward than anything else.
"Fine. Bella, we're leaving. I'll deal with you two when you get home." Alice cringed when Edward turned back to her; his eyes weren't aflame any more, they had cooled to twin golden stones that glittered coldly as he walked towards them.
"I don't want to." It was a rare occurrence that Bella would speak against her Edward and it showed; the second she spoke the words she looked away from him so she wouldn't have to see his features darken, but only for a second. If Alice hadn't known him for nigh on a century she would be certain that she had imagined it.
"Bella. Esme and Carlisle were worried when you left, they'll be relieved to see you." Alice gritted her teeth, instantly seeing through her brother's game. Her eyes darkened to the exact shade of blood as they locked with Aro's. The ancient vampire inclined his head, giving his silent approval of any action that she should make.
"You can tell them that I'm staying with Alice for a while. Renesmee and Jake too. We'll be ok." Bella forced a smile which Edward didn't return. "Edward, we'll be ok." Alice wished that the brunette knew his first concern right then wasn't her well-being.
"Staying with Alice." Her brother's tone was a cocktail of anger, scorn and jealousy. The pixie flinched when his eyes landed on her again. "Not quite finished having your fun together then? I suppose it is her turn after all. You see, Aro, every time someone confesses their love to my dear Bella, she gives them a little something to remember her by. Isn't that right Jacob?" Alice clenched her fists until her nails tore jagged tears into her porcelain flesh, letting crimson beads of blood run across her palm and drip onto the marble floor.
"Edward!"
"Dad!" Mother and daughter's cries mingled together in the high ceiling. Aro stepped forwards, positioning himself between Renesmee and her father, holding his hands palm up. A peaceful gesture.
"Mr Cullen, I believe it would be best if you left us now. I promise you that no harm will come to your family while they are our guests here. Good day." Edward cast only a single glance over his shoulder before putting a hand onto Bella's forearm.
"You heard the man, let's go home." He tried the crooked grin that had always charmed the girl but it came out wrong and when she tried to pull her arm from his grip he held on tighter.
"Let go, Edward, I'm not going with you." His grip tightened again and he used her arm to pull her close to him.
"Let's. Go. Home." Bella's arm was twisted at a strange angle that could not have been comfortable and his fingers were leaving tiny cracks in her bare arm. Something inside Alice's head snapped.
"Take your hand off of her." The words were a guttural snarl that could not belong to Alice Cullen. That voice belonged solely to Alice Volturi, red eyes smouldering and hot venom pooling in her mouth. Edward gave her a dark smile.
"Isabella is my wife, Mary Alice. I have more right than anyone to lay my hands on her." Bella winced as his blunt nails caught against one of the hair thin breaks. Nessie cried out and twin growls rumbled through the air; one from Alice and one from Jacob.
"You're hurting her. No one has that right." Every muscle in her body was positively vibrating with anger. "Let go." His smile turned grim and sorrow joined the maelstrom of emotions in his topaz eyes.
"You'd like that, wouldn't you? You'd like me to let go of her." Suddenly Alice couldn't take anymore; one hand shot out, lightening fast, and took hold of his throat, using that grip to throw him to the ground. She placed a knee against his chest, pressing against it until she heard the creak of his ribs and then leaned down to hiss in his ear, ignoring the doors opening behind her.
"Never, you never, lay a hand on her in anger again." She wanted to kill him. She wanted to take the book of matches from her pocket and set light to her brother's flesh. The only thing that stopped her was the sound of Bella being taken into Jacob's arms and sobbing into his chest. "Do you hear me?"
"Alice?" Aro was calling to her but she pretended she couldn't hear.
"I said, do you hear me?" Edward nodded slowly, grudgingly and she released the pressure on his chest, letting him breathe again. Vampires may not need the oxygen, but being suddenly denied of it was still an uncomfortable experience. She stood, but didn't offer him the hand she would an honourable opponent. "Yes, Aro?" Jane was stood by him now, one pale eyebrow arched at the scene before her.
"I am sure you will have noticed that Marcus and Caius have not been present in a while. This is because a group of vampires have taken them in the hopes that that would weaken the Volturi's rule." Alice could see what the nameless vampires were thinking when they decided this, but she wondered why they had left Aro free. "Finally, we have located them. I wish to ask for your help in retrieving them." Alice smiled, knowing full well that if she were anyone else it would have been an order rather than a request.
"I am part of your guard, Aro. Of course I'll help." Aro swept closer and placed a soft kiss against her forehead, smiling in gratitude.
"Thank you, my dear. We will be leaving at sunset. Our guests are still welcome to stay, of course, until we return."
Ugh; she should've killed him. Alice, I'm disappointed.
