Rise 15

The cowboy smiled at me and held out his hand to me. I took it without hesitating and shook it.

"You must be Bella" he said

Peter glanced at Carlisle and then at Edward for a second. He seemed confused but otherwise relaxed. Jasper came forward and they clasped hands in a man hug, I guess you would call it.

"Glad your here man" said Jasper

I got the impression Peter and Jasper were more than friends. Which was cool because we needed as many allies as we could get.

I signaled the wolves forward and they eyed the vampires warily. Peter gave me a shocked look that could only be described as respect.

Jasper whispered later into his ear and he shrugged.

Peter motioned the blond forward and she nervously stepped forward. She was staring at the wolves in shock.

"This is my mate Charlotte" said Peter.

I nodded at her and held out my hand. She grinned and took it.

"I'm glad to finally meet you Bella, Jasper's told us so much about you already I'm just glad I can put a face to the name finally" said Charlotte.

She seemed charming but I could tell if you let her get going she would be quite the talker. Alice was glaring at her somewhat and I couldn't help but notice the tension between them.

I decided it would be a good idea to redirect it. Peter was eying the wolves and Sam cleared his throat.

I could tell he was nervous about being so close to his natural enemies. Honestly I wasn't too thrilled I had to work with the Cullens again.

My misgiving were directed mostly at Edward though.

"Well I think we should get down to business don't you?" I said

There was murmurs of ascent all around and head nods. Peter looked from me to the wolves

"Would you care to start?" said Peter.

One by one we reiterated what had happened from our own perspective and I added my suspicions to my views.

Everyone was respectful as we each told our sides. Rose and Emmett broke down into tears when they found about Esme. So did Edward.

Rose took her anger out on Carlisle and that wasn't acceptable in my eyes.

"How could you she was your mate, didn't the last eighty years mean anything to you" said Rose

Carlisle groaned and rubbed his eyes and forehead.

"Rose" said Carlisle

"What? What have you got to say, I knew she was trouble the second I saw her but did anyone listen to me, hell no, now look at us" said Rose

"Rose that's enough" said Emmett

"No, it is not how much of our lives would you have her destroy Carlisle?" yelled Rose

"Rosalie!" said Jasper

His tone was a clear warning but Rosalie refused to heed it.

"Oh come on isn't it bad enough that we had to move early now we have to explain ourselves to the Volturi" said Rose

"Rose.. Rosalie" said Alice

"What Alice are you going to defend her too after you know she was the one who burnt our house down" said Rose

The wolf pack just stood there and watched, as Rose yelled at Carlisle and me. They weren't sure if they should interfere or not

"You burned down our house?" said Edward

His soft voice stopped roses rant. She turned to him clearly expecting him to be her Allie.

"Yes she did and now she's brought the Volturi down on our heads" said Rose

She opened her mouth to say more when Edward's soft voice interrupted her again.

"I did that not her" said Edward

All eyes turned to him. Rose looked completely confused and I was a close second.

"I brought the Volturi down on us not Bella" said Edward

He looked at me and gave me a sad remorse filled look. I think he meant it as an apology.

"No you did.." said Rose

"Yes Rose I did, I brought her into our lives, I let her figure out what we were and did nothing to her for it. I was the one who chose to leave her with this knowledge, therefore it is all my fault" said Edward.

His voice rose with each word till he was practically yelling at vampire volume. My mouth dropped open in shock

"I'm so sorry Bella" he whispered

"Your sorry Bella, what about us" said Rose

Edward opened his mouth. I knew I should stop him but some sick part of me wanted to see him hurt.

"Bella was the only one that mattered to me in this" said Edward

Emmett had been restraining Rose from hitting Edward, but he decided to let her go after he heard that.

"Why you bastard" said Emmett

I widened my eyes in shock. Emmett had rarely sworn in front of me mostly because Esme would have chewed him a new one if he had.

Rose screamed her rage and lunged for Edward.

Edward didn't even defend himself as Rose hit him and screamed at him. Until she broke down and cried.

Carlisle gently pulled her away and held her close. Oddly it was one of the wolves who actually stopped Rose from dismembering Edward.

He just sat there cradling the empty socket where his arm had been.

"Embry" I said

Nodding towards where Rose had tossed the limb. One of the wolves sighed and retrieved Edward's arm.

Oddly it looked like he was playing a morbid version of fetch with the arm in his mouth. I took the arm from Embry and cautiously approached Edward.

"Edward?" I said

He looked up at me. He looked so sad I wanted to hug him but I was still mad at him from earlier. Instead I held out the arm.

We stared at it awkwardly for a few seconds until Peter gave an exasperated sigh and moved to help me.

"Just hold it there for a few minutes until it fuses" said Peter.

He explained to Edward then he turned.

He looked at me funny and I shrugged. Peter must have thought my response was hilarious and laughed at me.

"I'm beginning to see what he meant by your reactions being a bit off" said Peter

I raised one of my eyebrows at him. Peter put his arm around me and led me a safe distance from Edward. I heard Edward growl at him for touching me.

I saw Peter look at Carlisle again and then at me. He raised his eyebrow and I shrugged.

Charlotte met us halfway to the others and took me away from Peter. I thought it was hilarious when he looked offended and so did Bella.

She broke into giggles in my head and Peter's eyes suddenly snapped to me, almost as if he heard her.

Rose was still freaking out on Carlisle and I could hear him trying to calm her down. Emmett was too upset to help him at the moment.

"emm?" I said

He was pacing or more like stalking in a circle. We reached out to touch him he snarled in response. Then he looked up and realized what he had done.

"Oh gawd Bella, I'm so sorry" said Emmett

"It's okay Emmett I understand but can you pull yourself together for the moment?" I said

He nodded curtly and looked at Carlisle then me. I rolled my eyes at the two vamps.

"I'll tell you later" I said

Rosalie was trying to convince Carlisle to surrender me to the Volturi when I walked closer.

"Wow you really do hate me" I said.

Rose blinked at me in shock. I guess I wasn't supposed to hear that.

"No Rose you can't" said Edward.

He looked horrified by whatever she was thinking

"I won't let you do that to her I'll kill you first" said Edward

One of the wolves growled when he finally understood what Rose was suggesting. I believe it was Jared who growled but I wasn't certain

"No Rosalie absolutely not Bella is family and were not surrendering family" said Carlisle

"are you listening to yourself her presence got Esme killed Carlisle, how can you defend her, she's a damn human she is not family" Rose yelled

"Rose that's enough" said Emmett

"You too I can't believe you Emmy bear, she's brought us nothing but misery and you still defend her" said Rosalie

"We defended you and you made us miserable" said Alice

Rose turned and growled at Alice. Her hands curled into claws and she looked like she was about to attack. Jasper stepped in front of Alice. A low warning growl emmenating from his chest.

"Enough!" I finally yelled

All eyes turned to me in shock. Including the wolves who had been watching the vampires argue.

"Rose I know you hate me but turning me over to the Volturi, will only get me killed they aren't going to give you guys any mercy" I said

Bella had stepped back to let me talk. I knew something about the Volturi. Having had the pleasure of meeting some of their victims on the other side.

I knew the Volturi rarely gave mercy and I wasn't about to meet them face to face ,with anything less then an army behind me.

"What would you know your the reason their even here if you had just steered clear of us like all the other humans.." she said

"Then my mother wouldn't be in Volturi right now" I finished for her.

She had the audacity to look confused. Until Edward clarified it for her and so did Peter.

"She's right darling the Volturi don't give mercy" said Jasper

Rose looked at me then the others. Her eyes rested on Carlisle and he shook his head no. She slumped and turned back to me

"So why are we even here, why aren't we running?" said Rose

Carlisle opened his mouth to answer her and I cut him off with and apologetic look.

"Because we don't intend to run" said Sam

Before I could I nodded to him and the wolves outlined my plans to the assembled vampires.

Yes originally the plans were drawn up to deal with Victoria but the Volturi changed the field.

"So let me get this straight you want to fly to Italy and take on the Volturi on their home turf? said Peter

He gave me a look that could either mean he thought I was crazy or brilliant. He looked at Charlotte and she nodded

"I guess we're in" said Peter

I grinned at them both. Jasper agreed to go because they were and the rest of the Cullens reluctantly followed suit.

From there we ironed out plans that included getting us all to Europe. Most specifically Italy and then attack plans.

Carlisle's memory of the palace was invaluable and between him, Peter and Jasper

We had a working map before we were scheduled to leave. Most of the pack was going with us.

Only a few of the younger ones were going to stay behind. Charlie was still in the hospital but the remaining wolves promised to watch over him.

The Volturi didn't know about the wolves other than the few they met at my house. Which meant they most likely didn't know where the wolves were based.

Alice arranged the flights for us. we were flying into Paris first. Apparently Carlisle had a few friends there from his days as a nomad.

The Denali coven remained unreachable so we assumed the worst.

While we were getting everything ready to go Carlisle stayed right by my side. Edward kept glancing at me and I knew I would have to talk to him before we left.

I just couldn't leave our relationship in this state. Not when we were about to walk into a situation that we might not make it out of in one piece.

I looked at Carlisle who was currently going over the map with Jasper and Peter. He glanced up for a moment and then nodded to me.

I wanted to reassure him that I wouldn't go far. Edward on enough of their shit lists without adding to his troubles.

He watched me as I approached. He looked confused as well as miserable.

He was sitting on a rock on the outer edge of the circle. The others had gradually pushed him away to the point he wanted to be alone.

I'm sure their thoughts weren't very kind given his recent revelations

"Can I sit with you?" I said

Bella shifted in our head an stared at me in shock. Even she wasn't sure what I was doing. He nodded yes unable to answer me.

I sat next to him for a few minutes in silence. I watched him to try to decide how to proceed. Bella was still upset with Edward and honestly I wasn't sure what I felt for the boy.

"It's over isn't it?" he said