Author's Note: Thank you so much for the reviews, everyone! You have no idea how much they mean to me. I really hope you enjoy the chapter… it took a lot to crank this one out with school and being sick and my birthday and confirmation and studying and arrggg. Life is insane at the moment. Can't wait till summer… anyone else with me!!?? Well enough of my ranting… as you can see I would most definitely appreciate the reviews… they seriously get me through the day. Love you guys =]

Love,

Mel =]

25. Earthquake

The arguing stopped abruptly, and everyone's head snapped to Jasper, who was breathing heavily, clutching his hands into fists. He closed his eyes, grunting in pain. "Leave," He ordered, a bit more collected this time, "Everyone out."

Everyone looked at him for a moment in shock. Jasper had rarely spoken for the past few weeks I've known him. He took another deep breath, letting it out shakily. "I mean it. Everyone except for Ava. Get. Out." He pointed sharply for the front door.

Everyone looked at each other and hesitantly began for the door. Only Ronan and Alice stood their ground. "That means you too, Ronan."

"What about Alice?" Ronan asked, his voice too edgy to be considered a whine.

"Both of you. Out."

"Jazzy…" Alice pouted.

"Seriously. Get out." Jasper ordered, seeming miffed out of his mind. I was suddenly scared when his angry eyes met mine. What was his problem?

Once the rest of them trickled out the door unwillingly, Jasper raced over to me, grabbing my face gently, but forcefully.

I gasped as he began searching my face intently, as all the answers for this madness were scrawled out on my forehead. I held my breath as he glared, burning holes in my face.

He let go and turned around, a frustrated growl ripping from his chest. I exhaled, too stunned to say anything, my mind still in a maddening maze.

He turned to me then, putting a hand through his hair, closing his eyes and sighing. "You are a paradox, Ava Jameson," He told me, his voice still on edge as he wagged a finger at me, "Infuriatingly so. I'm surprised your head doesn't explode with the intensity of those emotions you're emitting." He shook his head. "I mean, it's enough to make me explode, but you, you don't even so much as flinch. You just sit there with tears welling in your eyes, like your watching a moving film, where as on the inside… God, Ava, I'm surprised you haven't suffered a heart attack, or stroke, or conducted a mass killing rampage…"

"Excuse me?" I finally piped in, "I'm not mentally insane, Jasper…"

He shook his head. "But your emotions, Ava, they're stronger than any I've felt in my entire existence. They're very… influential. Like, when you were happy today before we sang, I literally skipped to the kitchen. Alice even looked worried for my well being… but when you lose it, Ava… it kills me inside. Like I'm experiencing the same exact thing as you, but since I'm so sensitive to emotions, it affects me even more… evidently."

I shook my head. There was no way he could feel the intensity of my situation. The persistent conflicting emotion that was eating me alive; the life changing choice that was forced onto me at the most unexpected moment. And I only had hours to choose. No, not even, minutes to choose. Preferably seconds. That's all it would take for my family to die. For the Cullens to be murdered. For the entire town to be massacred. I shuttered. Seconds.

Jasper was suddenly in front of me again, his eyes frantic, grabbing my shoulders and shaking. "Get a hold of yourself, Ava!"

"What? You think this is bad for you!? Do you even know the choice I have to make now!?" I practically screamed at him.

He nodded, looking down. "I'm so sorry, Ava."

I shook my head. "Well you shouldn't be. This is my fault. Stupid Max and his stupid grandfather and his damn journals. How come everything happens so perfectly against me? I thought things were finally changing!" My voice shrilled and Jasper tensed, so took a second to catch my breath. "I bet Bella never put you in this immense danger."

Jasper looked at me as if I was crazy. I shook my head. "Okay, she put you in danger of course, but nothing this horrible. It's not like she did something that guaranteed your deaths."

Jasper shrugged, considering, and I sighed heavily. He looked into my eyes then. "Ava, this is bad, but I'm telling you, you aren't half as bad as Bella was. Heck, Edward still keeps syringes of his venom in one of the drawers here, just incase. He denies he's paranoid and they're for Nessie, but I can tell by the way he still looks at his wife that he was completely traumatized by her numerous near-death experiences." He rolled his eyes.

I could tell he was trying to make me feel better, but it wasn't working the least. All I could think about were those beautiful creatures in the picture Max revealed in his grandfather's diary. Aro, Marcus, and Caius. The three vampires that were going to orchestrate my loved ones deaths, and every other innocent bystander's, for the matter. Every living soul in Forks, I remembered from Alice's horrific vision. Anger boiled my blood once again, causing my fists to clench.

Jasper groaned. "Ava," he tried to soothe me, "It's going to be okay."

I glowered at him. "You're absolutely out of your mind if you actually believe that."

"Ava," He said in an intense voice, grabbing my clenched fists. I squirmed in his clutch. I needed to get out. The anger churning inside of me was making my chest hurt. I didn't want to lash out on him. I couldn't. But he wouldn't let go. I kept struggling against his iron grip. "Let go of me! Stop! Just please, let me go! I need to… I need…" The tears began to flow. "Jasper… just… I can't… I…" My voice broke into uncontrollable sobs and I stopped struggling. He let go of my hands then, pulling me into his bullet-proof chest.

The sobs were inevitable at this point, making my head pound as my body shook. Jasper's breathing was ridged; I'm sure he could feel it too. The thoughts were rushing through my head at this point, more hectic and confusing than ever, until finally, without a doubt, I knew what I had to do. To have a chance at saving my family, the Cullens, the love of my life. There was only once way we could stand a chance against the all-powerful Volturi.

I stopped Jasper's soothing shooshing short. "I'm going to do it." I told him shakily.

"Do what?" He asked in a soft voice, rubbing my back like my dad did to soothe me when scraped my knee on the playground. My heart seized.

I took in a ridged breath. "Be changed. Into one of you."

He pulled me away from him and looked into my eyes. "Ava, are you sure about this?" He looked into my eyes wearily; apparently, my emotions were exhausting.

I nodded, not second thinking my decision, even though deep down inside, I was scared out of my mind. "There's no other way. This is our only chance against them." Tears welled in my eyes. I would never see my mother again.

He nodded, realizing the same thing. "Okay. I'll tell them to come back in so we can discuss your decision."

I shook my head. "There's no need for discussion. There's no time. It will happen right when they get in here."

He just nodded and smiled lightly, afraid to argue with me and risk being inflicted with great emotional pain again. I didn't blame him.

Edward opened the door at the same second, and the rest followed him in. "Come on, Jasper. We have to get going."

"What?" He asked. I saw Ronan standing next to his brother, distraught, looking at me as if the world were about to end. I looked back at him, confused. Didn't Edward hear my decision? The both of us were going to be immortal, or die trying, together. Didn't that make him happy?

"We're going to try to stop them before they get here. Alice said they haven't left Volterra yet. They're…" Edward trailed off.

"They're what?" Jasper demanded.

"They're recruiting." Carlisle stated, looking off into space.

"Damn it." Jasper shook his head.

I fought the forming lump in my throat. "Well, you have a new recruit as well." I swallowed, raising my hand lamely.

Edward, Rosalie and Carlisle shook their heads at almost the exact same time. Ronan continued to stare at me with the saddest eyes I'd ever seen. His body was slightly shaking as well, as if he were stifling sobs. They weren't going to…

"Ava, you're not coming with us," Rosalie confirmed.

No.

"We can handle this. You need to go back to your family,"

No.

"We know you love them, you won't be able to live with yourself if you give up something so precious, especially if you aren't sure about it. I know you're uneasy."

My breathing was shallow. "But I made up my mind. I need to help. We may actually stand a chance!"

Edward stepped towards me, but I didn't take my eyes off of my miserable angel in the corner. "We're going to take care of this," I shook my head vigorously, tears welling in my eyes and flowing down my cheeks as I watched my love nod at his absurd words. I felt the earth quiver from under me. The Primary-Wave. The warning.

"Ava! Look at me!" Edward demanded, he could tell I was losing it. "Just listen. We will do absolutely everything we can…"

"NO!" My voice shrilled; exploding in the tiny cottage. "You can't! What if it's not enough!?" I sobbed.

Edward was stunned by my outburst. "Avs," He tried to soothe me, "It's going to be okay. We'll come back." His voice didn't convince me. His eyes were too blank to be sure about what he said. I'm sure they resembled my father's brown, lying eyes when he told my mother he loved her during all those months of infidelity.

The dam finally released. "THAT IS A BUNCH OF CRAP, EDWARD! YOU'RE GOING TO LEAVE, AND THEY'RE GOING TO KILL YOU! YOU WON'T COME BACK!" I screeched.

Edward looked down, aware of the truth in my words. I looked over at Ronan with rabid eyes. He refused to make eye contact with me. I took a deep breath and made my way over to him. "Ronan." I said, keeping my voice as level as I could manage.

He continued to look past me. I put my hand through his hair behind his ear, trying to turn his face towards mine. "Don't do this. I love you, I can't lose you."

He looked into my eyes, but they weren't his eyes. They were expressionless; all the glowing intensity that made my days in Forks worth living was spent. Without saying a word, or changing his face, he took my hand gently and put it down to my side.

"We should go," He said, the life in his voice absent.

I saw Carlisle nod and pat his son on the back while Alice turned to open the door, watching me apprehensively. My knees collapsed from under me as the next jolt of violent energy pulsed through the earth, the S-Wave. The walls were going to crumble, and I would be alone. I couldn't go back to my mother and sisters knowing we were going to die. It would kill me inside, watching their hopefulness, their smiling faces, their determination, knowing it would be diminished in no time.

I threw myself at Ronan's feet in a final act of desperation, wrapping my arms around his leg. "NO!" I screamed. I had no other options. I had to beg and plead. "PLEASE! Ronan, please…" Tears flowed down my cheeks relentlessly.

He lightly kicked me off of his leg, biting his lip when I looked up at him. His eyes were vulnerable as he said, "Goodbye, Ava." His voice cracked on my name.

Then door swung open and they were gone. I blinked, but I was alone. I expected something so traumatic like this to happen seemingly in slow motion, but they left me in a fraction of a second. My teeth chattered when the fear and dread set in.

The water behind the dam continued to charge through obstinately, flooding over all that was good and asphyxiating it mercilessly, replacing it with blinding rage. Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream pierced my throat and ricocheted off the walls, causing my ears to ring.

I screamed again, startling myself as the sudden adrenaline rush caused by the immense anger and fear made me spring off the ground and run to the kitchen. I threw the paper plates off the table with all my might, watching them slide across the floor. That wasn't enough. I needed things to shatter, just like my world. I opened the cupboard above the sink and began whipping the china across the room, hearing the porcelain collide with the wall then break into a million pieces before it hit the ground and splintered into more.

I went to the next cupboard and did the same thing with the glasses, the destruction on the kitchen floor not even close to matching my pain.

When I finished the two cupboards over the sink, I charged to the few over the counter. I opened up the cupboard, and the Love-Wave shook my world, snapping me out of my rampage and forcing me to look at what it contained.

I stared at the long tube of clear liquid; the needle on top of it. I carefully took the syringe into my hands, examining it skeptically. There was no label on it, but I had no doubt about what it was. The sobs began again, shaking my body. I would do it for love.

I gripped the syringe tight, swallowing my fear. I had to be brave. I had to use all the strength I'd accumulated from over the years; my father leaving, growing up with lies, the ache of false affection. Like Juliet, I had to fight against fate to be with my Romeo, and if that meant taking my own life, then so be it.

I lined the needle up perfectly with my heart, the heart that would beat no more, and with all my might, I penetrated my skin with the syringe, and injected the venom.

I seized backwards and let out one last helpless yelp before everything went black.