Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any of the characters, I just like playing with them.


(EPOV)

Waiting. The entire house was heavy with anticipation. Emmett and Rose were long gone, though she surprised us by stopping in to give Bella a silent goodbye first. I watched my sister tenderly stroke Bella's hair as she thought about this life being forced on her. As much as Rose might despise her, she was genuinely sorry that Bella wasn't going to be able to escape this cursed life. Em was consumed with guilt over leaving his family behind to deal with the Volturi, a move, and a possible newborn vampire. He was also determined to discuss all of this with his wife and try to get her to accept Bella, even if it meant he was out of her good graces for months. He knew how unfair it was to everyone for Rose to harbor these feelings.

Bella had been in and out of sleep, raging with fever and her tiny body shuddered with every cough. Carlisle had been keeping a close eye on her, but he was sure she was going to be just fine. Once her fever had gotten a little too high for his comfort, so he gave her some ibuprofen to bring it down. All the women had been taking turns caring for her, keeping her cool with their icy hands, and feeding her broth and orange juice whenever they could. Jasper would even take shifts using his gift to help her sleep or soothe her pain. Everyone, except me, was able to help her. She made it clear she didn't want me in the room. I deserved that. I kept my vigil in the hall, paying close attention to the sounds of her lungs and heart. I wanted to know the instant something sounded off so we could act. I would not lose Bella, not like this. Even if she never spoke to me again, it was enough to know she was alive.

Alice was keeping track of Marcus, and they were due to arrive this morning, in two hours. Bella was still sleeping and Alice was sitting with her. Her fever is going down already Edward. She noted to me, and I know she heard my sigh of relief. I heard my sister get up and come to the door, she opened it enough so that I could see Bella. She'll be asleep for another 27 minutes and everyone else is preoccupied.

"Thank you." I whispered. With a sad smile she returned to the bed. Bella's whole face was flushed, her hair was damp and sticking to her forehead and cheeks, but she was breathtaking. I watched her chest rise and fall with each breath, knowing that her lungs here stressed, but healing. With every fiber of my being, I had to resist going to her. My fists clenched at my sides as I continued to sit in the hall watching her, trying to avoid the thoughts of the others in the house as they fretted about the impending visit. Even Tanya was having second thoughts now that the Volturi were about to appear in her living room. She was remembering with great detail the last time they had come with her mother and the immortal child she knew nothing about. Tanya watched them both burn, and fear was bubbling up in her at the thought that she might have to watch another member of her family burn.

All too soon, Alice appeared at the door again and closed it. Five minutes before she wakes up, she should eat before they come.

I reluctantly got up and ghosted to the kitchen. "Bella's going to wake up in a few minutes and Alice thinks she needs to eat before they get here." Esme and Irina joined me. I pulled out a can of soup and Esme handed me a pot for the stove.

Irina started putting herbs together and boiling water. When she noticed I was watching her, she stopped and smiled. "It's just a tea that might help her cough. Modern medicine may be your's and Carlisle's specialty, but I've picked up a few tried and true remedies in my thousand years as well."

"Thank you Irina." I said sincerely. The soup was heating up and Esme shooed me out of the kitchen.

"We'll take care of it Edward."

Didn't she understand? I want to do something to help. I want to take care of my Bella. I had to resist the urge to put my fist through the wall. The direction of Jasper's thoughts warned me of what was coming.

"Knock it off Jasper." I growled.

"Now is not the time Edward. You need to stay calm, it's going to be a long day." He glared at me and I took off back upstairs to keep my vigil.

"Carlisle" Alice called out and he was there momentarily. He gave me a sympathetic look before heading into Bella's room.

"Bella, how are you feeling?" He asked.

"Like I got hit by a truck and took up fire eating." Her voice was weak and hoarse, but she sounded better.

"Good. Your fever is coming down and you sound better." Carlisle took an unnecessary breath. "They're going to be here in a little over an hour. Esme will bring up some soup in just a minute." Bella's pulse was pounding now. "It's going to be ok Bella. After you take a shower and get settled again, I'm going to bandage these again, and send Jasper up to try to keep you calm, ok?"

"Sure." She squeaked.

Esme came up the stairs with a tray and disappeared into the room.

"We'll talk more after you're finished." Carlisle paused at the door before they both left Bella with Alice.

Edward, I'd like to talk to you now. Please come downstairs. I pushed off from the wall and followed him down to the kitchen table.

"Please, sit. Jasper? Eleazar?" He gestured for them to join us. "You too ladies." He waited for everyone to take a seat.

"I just wanted to cover all the bases. We know the most likely outcome of this situation is that we will be forced to turn Bella. We don't know what kind of time line they will demand, but it may be immediate. We must be prepared for that. Driving across Canada would not be possible while she was undergoing the change, or as a newborn for that matter. It would be best for us to hole up somewhere nearby, and I know we don't feel comfortable staying in Tanya's house any longer than necessary. Esme and I have been looking at renting a hunting cabin somewhere nearby. Once we know their decision, we'll have to work fast, so I need everyone to be ready, no arguing."

I need you to stay calm for this next part Edward. Carlisle met my gaze with a stern look.

"We also need to be prepared for the other option. Alice's visions are always subject to change. Any decision can change the outcome." He hesitated. "It is a possibility that they will sentence Bella to die."

A feral growl ripped from my chest before I could think. Hisses and growls rumbled through the room. "They will have to go through me first."

"Yes son, me as well." He gripped my arm. "Should this be their course of action, I will personally call Aro before anything happens. However, I will defend Bella. This will have irreversible complications of course, and our family will be hunted by the Volturi should we take down Marcus or the guards. We do not ask that anyone fight with us. Should it come to this, I would ask that anyone who does not wish to fight, please leave immediately and pledge your allegiance to the Volturi. Save yourselves."

"I'm afraid our dear sister did not fully understand the implications of bringing the Volturi into our lives and what this may mean for our own family." Irina stated bitterly.

"I have no reason to suspect it will come to that, but I wanted to discuss it just in case. Everyone must decide for themselves, and we understand if anyone wants to leave now."

No one even fidgeted. "I'm afraid you're stuck with us Carlisle." Eleazar spread his arms with a grin.

"Remember, do nothing to provoke them. Everything should go smoothly, they are not looking for a fight. If they were, they would have sent someone else." Carlisle made a point of making eye contact with me and Jasper. Everyone nodded.

"Jasper, I'd like you to come upstairs with me to Bella's room." He rose from the table and embraced Esme. The tension in the air was palpable, everyone was on edge.

I followed Carlisle and Jasper upstairs like a lost puppy and took my place against the wall outside her room. I could smell strawberries and knew Bella had taken a shower. Alice and Jasper joined me against the wall as Carlisle talked to Bella more about the impending visit and bandaged her wrists again.

"Alice?" I pleaded for some assurance, the fear of Bella's death consuming me.

"Everything is going to work out Edward. It has already been decided, they have orders that Bella is not to be killed." My sister took my hand in hers and held it, showing me images of Bella as a vampire. She was going to be amazing.

~~**~~

We heard the three vampires approaching the house and everyone visibly tensed. Bella sensing the change in our demeanor started panicking. Waves of calm washed over the room, and several of us gave Jasper a grateful smile.

Carlisle was waiting by the door and opened it immediately upon hearing the sharp raps on the wood. Three figures in long dark capes filled the doorway. The one in the center had papery thin skin and long flowing black hair. The look on his face was one of absolute boredom. The two guards that flanked him were both tall, one as large as Emmett, the other more lean. Carlisle bowed slightly. "Marcus, welcome." Sweeping his arm towards the living room, inviting them in. The two guards surveyed the room warily as they seemed to glide across the floor. Everyone was standing and inclined their heads slightly. Except for Bella, she was still planted firmly on the couch, her pulse racing from fear. Even Jasper could not calm her.

"Carlisle, my old friend." His voice sighed through the room, no expression crossed his features. "It has been a while." Marcus' monotonous voice continued. "We are here on business of course." His gaze came to rest on Bella. Hmm, she is quite unremarkable. Even his thoughts were apathetic.

"Please, come in and have a seat." Carlisle gestured to the large recliner we had reserved for him. The two guards stood beside him as he took the offered seat.

Alice and I sat down on either side of Bella, and Jasper on the other side of Alice. Carlisle and Esme stood behind us. Kate, Irina, and Tanya took their place on the opposite couch, and Carmen sat in another chair with Eleazar standing beside her. Bella was visibly shaken and Alice and I each took one of her hands while Jasper continued to try to soothe her.

Marcus looked at Carlisle almost like he expected something. "This is my wife Esme." He introduced her. "These are four of our children Jasper, Alice, Bella, and Edward."

He stared at us for a few moments. I see why Aro wanted me to come. The intensity of their relationship is something I have never seen before. These two are fated, to separate them would be to destroy them both. I had to stop myself from snorting at the assessment. We had already figured that one out. Something has happened though, there is a lot of tension between them all.

His unaffected gaze turned to the other couch. "Tanya." He greeted her.

"Marcus." She returned with a nod. He already knew the rest of them.

"Carlisle, it has come to our attention that your family has been keeping a human pet." His voice was indifferent as he nodded to Bella.

Carlisle anticipated my reaction. Edward! I swallowed a growl.

"We do not consider her a pet, Marcus. Bella is a member of our family, our son's mate." Bella began coughing as if she had choked. I gripped her hand firmly, willing her silently to play along. The three Volturi vampires stared at her oddly. "Bella has been ill with a cough." Carlisle explained quickly.

Humans. One of the guards sneered

Marcus turned back to Tanya. "You say they have kept a human pet, but that they left her behind? Is she not sitting here now?"

Tanya's eyes were wide as saucers and she almost stammered. "They left her. Edward left her with no intentions of going back."

"Edward, is this correct?"

"Yes, I did lead her to believe I left her, but I stayed in the area."

"Hmmm. There is more to the story is there not?"

"Yes sir."

Marcus waved languidly, urging me on.

"I intended to leave her for her own safety. I knew my family and my world were too dangerous for her, and I loved her too much to see her harmed again. Only, once I broke things off, we were both shattered. I never left the town, and kept watch over her without her knowledge. Bella did not take the breakup so well and tried to end her life. I pulled her out of the river and we saved her life. She has nowhere else to go now, and is a part of our family."

Tears were flowing silently down Bella's cheeks.

"So you will turn her?" I really do not see what the emergency was here. It is just like my brothers to get excited over nothing. We have our own human pets.

"If that is her choice, yes."

"Do you not wish to make your mate one of us?" Why wouldn't he?

"It's complicated." I grimaced. "I was resistant to the idea of taking her human life, but I have realized that it should be her choice."

How utterly fascinating. Vampires with such moral consciences. Denying their very nature, and even falling in love with a human. How can that even be possible, her blood smells so sweet even from here.

"And has Bella made that choice?"

"I believe so."

"Yes." Bella answered at the same time.

Marcus gestured again to Bella.

She cleared her throat. "I want to be turned."

He turned back to me. "You will turn her then?"

"We will." Carlisle confirmed.

While a vacation is nice, this has been an complete waste of time.

"Tanya, dear, I do not see what the problem is. Our secret has been exposed to a human, but she is this one's mate and will be turned. There have been no laws broken, we do the same thing in Volterra."

"She was his mate." Tanya answered and everyone turned on her with piercing glares.

"I assure you Tanya, they are still mates. The bond between these two is stronger than anything I have ever seen. They may be having a difficult time in their relationship right now, but I do not see any indication that they would even be able to survive apart from each other." Bella gasped and looked up at me, quickly dropping her eyes again to her lap.

"Now, there is one other matter. We have a complaint from another vampire that your family hunted down and killed her mate in defense of this human?" Not that it really matters, Victoria is too much of a liability for us anyways.

"Yes. Victoria's mate, James, tracked Bella across the country and tortured her on video before biting her. We were able to stop him and destroy him, along with the video tape. We burned the building to hide any evidence."

Good thinking son. Carlisle was relieved I had brought up the video tape.

"Well then he was more of a threat to us than Bella is, it seems. He attacked your mate first, so I believe you were justified in your actions to defend her. We do not condone torturing humans Bella. I cannot believe he captured it on video, what was he thinking? " Marcus paused. "You said he bit her?"

"Yes. I sucked the venom out."

The guards gasped audibly. Incredible. Marcus stared at me for a moment, a hint of something flickering across his otherwise stoic face.

"How did you ever manage that?" It was the closest he sounded to being interested so far.

"It was one of the most difficult things I have ever done. Her blood calls to me more strongly than any human I've ever come across. My love for her is stronger than my thirst for her blood."

La tua cantante. Aro will be most interested to hear about this. She is his singer and he has kept her human, even tasting her blood!

"Why did you not let the change happen?"

Bella snorted, quickly blushing and covering her mouth.

"Bella?" Marcus inquired.

"I asked him the same thing." She sighed.

"Edward?"

"It wasn't the right time. I did not want her to be turned at that point."

"But she will be turned, correct?"

"Yes. I guarantee it." Carlisle spoke up. "Bella's human life has already ended, she has been declared dead. She is our family now, and will be one of us."

"Have you made plans for when this will happen? I imagine my brothers would insist this happen immediately. She has already lived so long knowing our secret, they would not be comfortable leaving the timing so uncertain."

Carlisle addressed Marcus. "Bella needs some time to heal. She has been through too much in the past week, and is now suffering through pneumonia. We would appreciate some leeway in order to bring her back to optimum health, physically and mentally. Perhaps two years at the most?"

"Hmmm. I would think her current frailty would make you want to turn her sooner. Her injuries and illness would be healed by the venom."

"Yes, but she is so weak at the moment, I fear she might not be strong enough to survive the change. She has suffered severe blood loss, near hypothermia, and the pneumonia has weakened her heart and lungs. I feel it is in her best interest to recover psychologically as well. We all know how the mind changes during the transformation, and we wish for Bella to be in a better place before making those changes."

"I will speak to my brothers, and let you know of our verdict. As far as I am concerned, these matters are closed. James' death was of no consequence to us, if anything you did us a favor. You have assured me that she will be turned, we just need to figure out a reasonable amount of time." He rose from his seat and the two guards followed him out of the house. "I will be back momentarily."

As the door closed a sense of relief passed through the house. Bella had calmed down a little, and Alice reassured us that everything was going according to plan. She was watching for the other brothers' decision. Everyone's eyes were trained on her, and when she finally relaxed and smiled, I saw in her mind that they would give us a year.

Bella jumped as the door opened and the three Volturi vampires entered the room.

"We have decided that one year is a reasonable amount of time to give before Bella must be turned. If she is not turned by then, we will take it upon ourselves to deal with the situation, and we certainly do not want to resort to that. It would be such a waste."

"Thank you Marcus, and please let your brothers know how appreciative we are." Carlisle spoke.

Marcus waved his hand dismissively and turned towards Tanya. "Tanya, my brothers are most disappointed to learn that there was clearly no threat here. We have wasted both time and resources to come all this way. They ask that you consider this next time you think about making a complaint. Our reaction may not be so favorable, and you have your sisters to think about as well."

He turned back to me. "Edward, I almost forgot. Aro requires that you be the one to turn our dear Bella. He finds it a most appropriate punishment for considering leaving a human behind who knows the truth about our kind." I flinched at the thought of tempting myself with her sweet blood again. "My dear boy, do not fret. You have done this before and resisted, and you will be able to resist again. Have faith. What you two have is irrevocable."

And just like that Bella's life had been decided. In one year, I would kill her. In twelve months she would be gifted with immortality. She had one year to live, and I planned to make every moment count.

The tension in the air had dissipated and there were a few relieved sighs. Carlisle and I shared a pensive silence. Bella calmly stood up and turned to me, taking my hand, and pulled me up the stairs to her room. I'm sure the shocked look on my face gave my family quite a few chuckles. I was just happy to have her tiny hand in mine for the moment, and an eternity to make everything up to her.