Chapter 11: Encounter

"I am home."

The words echoed in Jane's mind but she couldn't grasp their meaning. Time seemed to stop for her as she allowed the endless moments to engulf her pain. Confusion overwhelmed her. She didn't understand and she found herself desperately wanting, desperately needing, answers.

"What…what are you saying," Jane chocked out the words. All of this was unreal—it had to be. How was it that Alice was calling this cruel and vile place home? Her home was with the Cullens—with Carlisle. This wasn't Alice. It couldn't be her.

"You're not yourself," Jane uttered. She no longer cared about the others within the room. All her attention, her entire focus, was on Alice. She watched as Alice moved
feely at the statement, cocking her head back and smiling mischievously as she bellowed a half-hearted laugh. Her eyebrow was hitched proudly and it made Jane feel extremely vulnerable.

"Aren't I?" Alice roared.

Subtle laughter erupted around the chamber. Jane looked around at the blue eyes and pale faces, they were all laughing at her. Never in her entire existence had she ever felt as weak and pathetic as she did at that moment. Clearly, she was the only out-group member in a party where the in-group members prided themselves as being exclusive. Never in her wildest dreams would she have expected Alice to be the in crowd amongst such new and strange company.

"Enough with your childish inquiries," Viktor's voice echoed off the walls. "Kraven, bring the others to me."

"Yes, my Lord." Kraven said as he exited the chamber.

Jane stood quietly. They were here—all of them, she could sense their presence. Relief washed over her. They were here to save her, to save Alice. All of this was going to be over soon and anxiety overwhelmed Jane.

"My Lord," Selene stepped to Viktor's side, "Shall I summon Amelia?"

Viktor looked softly in to Selene's eyes at her consideration for the second elder. "No, my child. I will deal with these…guests of ours. Stay at my side, I may need you whence we are through…"

Selene looked at him, curiosity etched all over her face. She wondered to herself what he had in store for her. The thought of being a death dealer to both the Lycans and these creatures crossed her mind—is this what Viktor would want? A war against these half-breeds? It would be all too easy, if Alice and Jane were an example of their capabilities.

Selene didn't have long to dwell on such thoughts for within moments the chamber doors opened revealing seven half-breeds surrounded by a dozen death dealers. Selene glowered in pride at the sight. These guests were completely at their mercy.

At their entrance, Jane immediately ran to the side of her Volturi brethren. When she spotted her brother, she embraced him and held him within her grasp for several endless moments. She had never been so relieved to see him, nor had she ever been so comforted to be within his grasps. She heard him utter her name but she couldn't find the words to respond—they were deep within her throat fighting back the tears. Jane felt a hand on her back soothing her and she knew it was Aro when she heard him cooing, "there, there, my dear." Jane felt Aro cup the side of her face—transferring all of her memories of recent events to him. Tears fell uncontrollably down her face and she could no longer hold her sobs back.

It wasn't until Jane heard a familiar voice gasp the name Alice did she open her eyes. Rosalie, one of the female Cullen that Jane had met on a previous occasion, had uttered Alice's name in horror.

Alice stood loyally by Viktor's side and smiled devilishly up at Rosalie's reaction.

"What have you done to her?" Aro asked, enunciating every word. "What have you done to the both of them?"

Viktor smiled and cocked his head. "Done with them? They have been our guests."

"Aro…" Carlisle whispered, "remember why we're here…"

Aro looked back at Jane and then forward to Alice who stood with the enemies.

"Whatever it is that you want…it is between us," Aro began, "but release Alice and Jane."

"Let it be so," Viktor said as he motioned with his hands for the death dealers to allow the few to leave.

"Let's go home Alice…" Rosalie begged.

"No…" Alice sneered. Her reluctance startled them.

"Please, Alice…don't do this. Remember who you are…" Carlisle begged but it seemed that she was still reluctant.
Jane watched as even the Cullens struggled against Alice. If the Cullens couldn't persuade their family member to go home, then she was a lost cause. Anger and hatred for this chamber filed Jane—she was done fighting for Alice. She couldn't bear being there a second longer. Her gaze fell upon Aro and he nodded understandingly.

"Carlisle," Aro whispered, all the while not taking his eyes off Jane, "will you send one to accompany their journey back."

Jane knew Aro wasn't about to send Alec and herself back to Volturi by themselves. Aro and Caius were the only remaining Volturi and they were the leaders, or at least two of the central leaders, of her world. They both needed to be there with Carlisle to negotiate with Viktor.

"Rosalie…"

Angered eyes darted to Carlisle. Jane could tell immediately that she loathed the task, especially under such circumstances.

"But…" Rosalie began to counter Carlisle.

"No, you need to do this." Carlisle finalized.

Viktor chuckled aloud—watching them interact was far too amusing. They were more pathetic that he could have ever imagined.

"Enough," Viktor's voice rang in the chamber, silencing everyone within. "Are you the leader of your Coven?"

Viktor was clearly indexing Aro, who stepped forward at the statement. "I am one of them, yes," He said as he motioned for both Carlisle and Caius to step forward. "As are they."

Viktor turned to Selene, "I have no use for the rest…"

Selene understood her task within that gesture. She quickly upholstered her gun and made her first shot at Alice, who in mere moments collapsed to the ground. The gesture caused a sort of uproar amongst the remaining guests but the death dealers were quicker. Selene smiled to herself as the remaining three standing were chained in the UV cuffs, unable to move. One motion from Selene and the motionless bodies were removed from the chamber. Despair was stricken across the three leaders' faces as they stared on helplessly.

"Kahn will accompany you," Viktor said as he glanced between the three before him, "You will return swiftly."

Selene nodded, she knew it wasn't a question.

Within moments, Kahn and Selene were walking side by side out of the chamber leaving Viktor to discuss his plans for the new species. Selene was a bit relieved to have been assigned a task, she hated political discussions and would rather be working in the field than dealing with Coven laws within the chamber. All of this recent dealings with the species has made her hungry for action and she desperately hoped that in her journey to return the five knocked out bodies to Volterra, she would somehow encounter Lycans. Selene rolled her eyes to the thought, of course they wouldn't be in Italy. No. If anything, they would be in Romania. The probability of running in to the beasts was slim to none—but she could still fantasize.

"What are you thinking?" Kahn asked. He had noticed that she seemed to have dozed off.

"That we need to stop wasting our time and hung us some beasts…"

They both smiled at each other in approval.


A/N: Sorry this Chapter is both short and scattered. I just couldn't work around it, as hard as I tried.
Next chapter will be much clearer. I'm writing it now. Will be updating very soon!