Chapter 21: A Sacrifice
Bella stood there in shock. "Edward no," she whispered. Demetri stared at Edward with a shocked expression.
"You would give your life for another vampire's mate?" he asked.
"They are my brother and sister," Edward answered.
He looked towards Aro. "As long as Bella can live even as a human. I know it is illegal for a human to know that vampires exist, but make an exception for her. Set Alice free and keep Bella alive, those are my only demands," he informed.
Everyone was silent, just staring at the bronze haired vampire before them as he was sacrificing his life for his entire family. "Demetri, what do you say to Edward's suggestion?" Caius asked. Demetri was silent for a few more minutes, but then a grin appeared on his face.
"Alright, you Edward will be the prime example of what happens when you double cross the Volturi," he informed.
Edward closed his eyes, swallowing hard. "For your efforts Edward, we will return in the early morning tomorrow to retrieve you. You best be ready to leave with us," Aro informed. He nodded his head slowly. Before they left the family alone. Bella ran over, throwing her arms tightly around Edward with tears in her eyes.
"You can't do this, you can't leave me," she said with a small sob.
Holding onto his wife, Edward buried his face into her hair. "I had to do it Bella, I had to. They were going to take Alice and they might have killed you for still being human. I would rather die a thousand deaths than to see that happen," he whispered.
Bella was feeling like her whole world was crumbling around her as she held onto him. Her sobs wracked her body as she gripped the front of his shirt. He hushed her softly, kissing her forehead gently. Lifting her up in the bridal position, Edward looked around to the whole family to see the sadness on their faces, but not one dared to say anything because that would be the family's undoing. Walking by them, he carried his wife inside.
Time had gone by, it became night and the sun was beginning to set. Bella curled up against her husband, crying softly. She had yet to stop crying since the Volturi left, but no words, kisses, or loving embraces could take away the pain that Edward was going to be gone forever. "Bella," he whispered when her crying ceased. Thinking she had fallen asleep, he went to get up when she gripped the front of his shirt.
"Don't leave me, please," she begged softly.
Sitting back down, he wrapped his arms around her again. "I'm here until they come for me," he told her. Bella suddenly got up from the bed turning to look at him.
"This is my fault, this is all my fault! If I would have known the kind of punishment, your family was going to go through for this I would have stayed in Volterra! You are going to die because of me. I'm going to lose you forever because of my stupid choices," she babbled.
Edward stood up and moved to hug her again. "Change me, Edward, turn me so I can protect you from them," she insisted.
"It's too late for that," he answered.
"No! There has to be another way! There has to be a way to save you! A way to keep you here and not die because of my stupid decisions!" she exclaimed.
Edward grabbed a hold of her arms. "Bella, my love, my darling…" he whispered. She shook her head slowly.
"No don't you call me that! Not now don't you dare call me that now," she insisted.
Beginning to shake she backed up until her back hit the wall. "Don't you DARE call me that NOW! Don't tell me all the things I need to hear because they're going to be the last thing I will ever hear them from you! This is my fault, my entire fault!" she exclaimed. She slid down to the floor, pulling her knees to her chest with a sob. "I'm losing you forever and that's worse than death Edward," she sobbed.
He kneeled on the floor, placing his hand on the side of her head. "Bella," he whispered. She tried to pull away from him when he grabbed onto her gently. "Bella, my love, look at me please," he quietly begged. Tears welled up in her eyes as she slowly looked up into his eyes. She suddenly saw all the pain in his eyes, but all the love he had for her. Her lips turned into a hard frown when she reached up, smacking him, as hard as she could across the face even though it was like smacking a rock.
"YOU SELFISH BASTARD!" she shouted.
She started shoving against him even though it was pointless. "You're so damn selfish! You should've turned me! I could've saved you and the whole family if you would've turned me!" she exclaimed.
"And give up everything you have now?" he asked staring into her eyes.
Edward placed his hand on her cheek. "Bella, my actions you know are to protect you and everyone I ever loved in my life. My family is my first priority Bella, you are my family," he whispered.
"What point is there to a family if you're gone forever?" she asked softly, "where's my reason to live?"
He leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers. "The love, Bella, our love, my sacrifice to keep you both alive should be your reason to live," he whispered.
"It doesn't feel like it's enough," she answered.
Bella moved her hand over his arm with a sob. "I won't survive without you Edward, you're asking me the impossible. To wake up everyday for the rest of my human days without you by my side. Without you, I have no reason to want to be immortal. I'll spend the rest of my days wishing death would take me, because then I would share eternity with you," she explained.
"You will enter the world of Heaven when your time comes," he answered.
He rested his hands on her waist as he held her close to him. "I would be one of the demons of Hell," he whispered.
"Then I'll join you in Hell," she answered.
"Don't start talking ridiculous even with the after life Bella," he insisted.
"I want eternity with you Edward, either in this life or the next I want it with you. Edward, I don't believe you'll be in Hell; you're not evil. Only the pure evil go to Hell and you're not that. If you were truly that evil Edward, you wouldn't have made this choice," she answered.
Letting out a shaky breath she held onto his hands. "A sacrifice I wish you didn't have to make, but a sacrifice nonetheless," she whispered. Edward leaned forward, kissing her tenderly.
"Bella, I love you. I would give my life for you a hundred times if that meant you are safe," he answered.
She wrapped her arm tightly around his neck. "I love you," she answered. Pulling away, she stared into his eyes. "I have one more request if I can't have that eternity with you," she whispered.
"Anything," he answered, holding her hand against his chest where his heart used to beat.
Bella bit her lower lip as she moved up on her knees, knowing this would be the last time they could ever be this way. "Love me," she whispered, "love me until you can't anymore." Letting out an unneeded breath, he placed his hand on the back of her neck and kissed her passionately. She kissed him back fervently, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. Lifting her up off the floor, he carried her over to their bed where he laid her down in the middle of the mattress before hovering above her, but she stopped him. "Not here," she answered shaking her head. She sat up. "I want to truly see you Edward, the vampire I fell in love with," she whispered. She grabbed a hold of his hand and they left the house.
She led him down the path she had taken earlier that day, leading him through the forest. Pushing back the branch, she revealed to him the meadow she had found. Turning to him, she began walking backwards while holding onto his hands as she entered the sunlit meadow first. Tears began to form in her eyes when he followed her, the sun bouncing off his body like diamonds. A small, sad smile appeared on her face as she moved closer. Standing up on her tiptoes, she pressed her lips against his. He kissed her back lovingly, his hands moving over her back as he moved her back onto the ground after removing his shirt so she had something to lie back on.
Bella moved her fingers over his torso, burning every detail of him into her mind. His skin looked so diamond like, but smooth to the touch. Edward leaned in and kissed her passionately. She kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his back as she moved back on the ground some more, trying her best to pull him with her. Edward kissed along her neck gently while undoing the buttons on her blouse, pushing the material off her shoulders. He kissed the mark on her chest, which only brought tears to her eyes as she held onto him.
Kissing his way back up, he kissed her gently as he removed the rest of their clothes, putting their discarded articles under her body so the ground wasn't so harsh on her soft skin. He caressed every part of her body with his lips and fingers, whispering his love to her as he went. Bella moved her fingers over his skin and up into his hair as he moved lower, placing kisses over her up to her thigh. "No teasing," she told him softly, yet firmly. Grabbing onto his arm, she pulled on him to tell him to come back up to her face.
Placing his cold lips over her skin as he moved his way up, he kissed her breasts gently while his hands moved over her hips while one hand moved over her soft stomach. "Edward…love me…please," she whispered with tears in her eyes. Edward rested his forehead against hers as he moved between her knees, gently moving within her. She let out a gasp, arching her hips a little. "Yes…" she moaned, closing her eyes. She tilted her head back as he made love to her.
Their bodies joined as one, if his heart were beating, their hearts would've been beating in unison together. Edward kissed his wife gently, while wrapping his arm gently around her waist, still being cautious of hurting her. When they reached their climaxes, Edward groaned as he gripped the ground, using that as his outlet instead of crushing her body by accident. Bella reached above her head, grabbing onto his hands. "Hold me," she begged as she reached her climax. She let out a gasp as she arched her hips off the ground a little more. "Love me!" she cried out.
"Always," he groaned.
He kissed her passionately as they climaxed together and Edward did his best to put all his weight no his forearms so he wouldn't crush her fragile body. Bella kissed his neck and shoulder as she buried her face into his neck with a sob. Edward cradled her in his arms with a shaky breath, if he could cry there would be tears in his own eyes when the realization hit that this would be the last time he would ever hold his Isabella this way. This would be the last time he would make love to his beautiful wife and whisper sweet nothings into her ear as she began to fall asleep in his arms. "I love you Bella, forever," he told her softly.
"I love you," she answered as she began crying again.
Lifting her head up, she kissed him passionately motioning for him to go again. Edward moved back onto the ground, pulling her with him as they went for a second round of lovemaking, fulfilling her request of making love until they were unable to anymore.
When the early morning sunrise began to show, Edward was dressed except for his shirt, because it was wrapped around Bella like a makeshift blanket. Closing his eyes, he drug his fingers through his hair with a heavy sigh. "You're doing this for them," he told himself. Swallowing hard, he leaned forward, kissing her lips gently when his cell phone began to ring. Lifting the phone up, he saw that it was a text message from Carlisle.
"They are here," the message read.
Edward turned to his wife, kissing her again this time to wake her up. Slowly opening her eyes, she saw Edward sitting in front of her. "They're here my love," he whispered regrettably. Biting her lower lip, she sat up and pulled his shirt off her shoulders, handing it to him before she realized he had dressed her while she was asleep. Holding onto her hands, he helped her up off the ground as they went back to the house.
Arriving, they saw the Volturi ready and waiting. "Glad you could join us, was beginning to think you backed out on your part of the deal," Demetri commented. Edward shot him a glare before letting out a deep breath.
"Say goodbye Edward, we would like to return home," Aro, informed impatiently.
Nodding his head slowly, Edward turned to Carlisle. "Dad…" he said softly, instead of "father" or "Carlisle" as he normally would've done. Carlisle swallowed hard as he pulled his son into what would be a bone-crushing embrace. Esme walked over, embracing them both letting out a dry sob.
"No matter what you think son, no matter what, I have always been proud of you," Carlisle told him quietly.
"As have I," Esme answered.
She kissed the side of his head, moving her fingers through his messy hair. Letting them go, Edward hugged Alice tight, lifting the pixie like vampire up off the ground. "You're an idiot Edward, I would've been fine," she whispered.
"But unhappy," he answered.
He kissed her forehead gently. "Take care of Bella for me, you and Jasper both please," he whispered. She nodded her head slowly before hugging him once more. Rosalie walked over and hugged Edward as tight as she could once Alice let him go.
"You were always a pain in my ass but you were my brother," she answered, "and this family won't last long without you."
Edward hugged her back, closing his eyes as he let out a deep breath. "Love you too Rose," he said softly. Letting her go, Emmett walked over to Edward, hugging him almost too tight even for vampire standards.
"You're a stupid ass Edward, we could've taken them," Emmett answered.
"Just help Jasper and Alice watch over Bella for me, take care of her," Edward insisted.
"You got it," Emmett answered before letting him go.
Jasper let out a deep breath as he stood in front of Edward. "You didn't have to do what you did," he told him.
"And have you live the life darkness and humiliation when you didn't have to? No, Jasper, this is my punishment," Edward answered, "I'm not about to have my family suffer for my choices."
"We already have," Jasper, answered before hugging him tight.
Edward let out a heavy sigh as he patted Jasper's back before letting him go. Once he was in front of Bella, she had her head down. "Bella," he whispered, stroking her face. He had her look at him. "I need to hear it, once more please," he whispered. Bella bit her lower trembling lower lip as she hugged him as tight as she could. Hugging her back, he lifted her up off the ground as he swung her back and forth gently.
"She'll be taken care of Edward, I promise," Marcus told him, patting his back.
Edward nodded his head slowly before he set Bella down on the ground again. "Come, Edward," Aro called. Edward pulled Bella into a passionate kiss, pouring all the love and devotion into the kiss. Bella kissed him back, her hand on the back of his neck when Alec and Felix grabbed onto his arms, pulling him away.
"I love you Edward, forever," she told him.
"I love you Bella, always," he answered.
Demetri shot them a glare before they pulled Edward away. Once he was out of her sight, Bella collapsed to her knees sobbing. Marcus kneeled beside Bella, hugging her gently as he tried to comfort her the best he could.
When they arrived at Volterra, Edward stood in the middle of the throne room. Aro and Caius took their seats while Demetri glared at the vampire before him. "You think that you will get a swift, easy death for your actions?" Demetri asked.
"I'm already dead, you can't do anything more to me," Edward answered.
The Volturi guard glared. "Oh, you will be sure to learn that you will be begging for death once I am finished with you," Demetri hissed. Before Edward could react, he collapsed to the floor screaming in pain as Jane tortured him.