A/N No one is going to like me. This really sucks. You are all going to hate me, and I will be forever sad. I hope that some of you will forgive me…

Disclaimer: still not mine.

Bella's POV

I was already on my knees, so I started to crawl. I crawled on the bathroom floor, hoping to find a means of escape—Edward was hurt, Edward was in pain, and I didn't even know why. I had to find him. I had to.

My hands shaking, they trailed the wall until I felt something that felt like a doorknob. I gulped, then turned it slowly. I opened the door, taking a tiny step out. Oh, how I wish I could see…it would be so convenient right now.

"Alice?" I whispered. "Rosalie?" My voice was shaking too.

Edward screamed again. The sound of it tore open the gaping hole in my chest, the one that Edward had left behind when he had…left me, and I made a choking sound. The edges burned where I touched them, trying to keep myself together.

I heard his breath coming faster as he panted, breathless. It was coming from down lower, so I assumed he was on the floor. I fell to my knees, and I scrambled to where I heard him.

"Edward?" I asked, but my voice had no volume—I knew he would hear me, regardless.

"Bella," he gasped. "Bella, run, get away from here—,"

He broke off mid-sentence, and he growled in pain.

I heard another scream, as soon as Edward's silenced. Female, high, shrill, too familiar—

It was the sound of silver bells turning black. Alice's shriek pierced the tense air, cutting it like a knife. I could almost see her withering on the floor, somewhere outside of this hotel room—in the hallway, maybe. I had no idea. I didn't want to dwell on that, because of the fact that Alice sounded like she was being killed.

For all I knew at this point, she could be.

"Edward," I cried. "Edward, what's going on?" I was more then consumed in panic.

"Bella," he whispered in an agonized voice. "We have to get you out of here…but there's nowhere to go…"

"What do you mean?"

"They're here," he confirmed in a growl.

"Who's here?" I asked urgently.

"The Voltu—," He broke off again, screaming.

I grabbed his hand, which was curled into a ball, and held it tightly in both of my hands. I brought it to my lips, and held it there. "Please, Edward," I sobbed.

Did he mean to say the Volturi? If that was the case…then…

Then we were all dead. There was no hope for us, then, in the end. It would always have come to this—the Volturi coming and killing us all. Maybe saving Edward and Alice, under Aro's orders. He would have kept them—especially Alice—to "brighten up" his "household." It was unpreventable, then—I knew, better than anyone else, that Edward would have found a way out of having to change me. That he would have found some ridiculous excuse to keep me human. I knew that I should have just had Carlisle change me right after graduation. Then we could all be living happily, and we wouldn't be in this convoluted mess.

"Bella," Edward cried. "Go," he ordered, voice cracking.

"Edward, I'm not leaving you—,"

"Go!" he barked fiercely.

I was sobbing uncontrollably. "I can't leave you again…I wouldn't be able to survive…"

"Please…for me," he begged.

I found his lips, and brought my shaking ones to his. I kissed him gently, then stood up unevenly, trying to find a way out.

"To your left—," Edward started to say, but he cut off suddenly. I heard no noise, so I waited till I heard his uneven breathing to start again. I turned to my left, and held my arms out in front of me so I wouldn't crash into anything.

There was a gaping hole in the wall, which had perfectly straight lines around the edges…the door. I went through the hole and out to where I assumed the hallway was.

More yelling…not Edward or Alice this time. Was that…Rosalie? No…no, no, no, no…

Everything I love has to die, doesn't it? Why does this always happen to me?

After wallowing in self-pity for a moment, I collected myself and started to feel my way down the hall. "Hello," I choked out. "Is anyone here?" I called. I wondered if the vampires could hear me.

It suddenly clicked. Yes, it was the Volturi coming to kill us. No, I had no idea what was going on. But I just figured out why I hadn't heard any of my family screaming in pain at the same time, why everyone's been so panicked, why Edward had told me to run—

Jane was here.

A cold sweat broke out on the surface of my skin as I froze. Where was Edward? I couldn't just leave him there all alone! What was I thinking? I turned to go back to him, then paused again. I weighed the options I had in front of me. I could go back to Edward, and do what little I could to make him feel better. Or I could just stop all this nonsense now, and find either Jane or Aro and give myself up to them. Carlisle, Esme, Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, Alice…Edward. They didn't have to die now because of me. I could save them. I would die for them.

I stood up tall as I tried not to think about what I was about to do. "Jane? Felix? Demetri?" I called, trying to stay cool.

"Bella," a childlike monotone said in recognition. I almost imagined how Jane's dark eyes would pierce. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Take me, and leave my family alone." My voice sounded far braver than I felt.

My hands trembling, I waited for this darkened archangel to say the words that would define my fate.

A/N Review…please…

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