Chapter 28

The time I had with Jake was cut short as usual. We were just relaxing enough that we started to dose off when we heard yelling coming from outside. Since Jake was still in a lot of pain, I told him to stay where he was and that I would go check it out.

The yelling was louder the farther I had gotten outside and ended up running most of the way. I could tell who it was by the voice. Paul was lying on the ground behind Jake's house, Emily was standing over him trying to get him to lay still so she could wrap something on his knee.

"What happened?" I asked Sam as I got closer.

"He got brave. He saw what he thought was the last vampire running away and chased him," Sam said shaking his head. "It turned out to be a trap. Two vampires cornered him against a boulder. Leah and I just barely got to him in time."

"Is he ok? I mean, what's wrong?"

"Well, from what I can see, his knee is broken and so is his arm. Seems like there's something wrong with his shoulder, but he swears he is ok and won't let anyone check it out."

"Carlisle have a chance to look at him?" I asked.

"I don't- Ugh! – Need no damn leech… Ouch! I'm fine," Paul yelled, but I could tell he wasn't fine.

"Carlisle didn't have time, the uh, the whatever their called are there."

My heart sunk into my stomach. It was time and I had no idea what to expect the outcome to be.

"I'll go get some of Jake's pain meds," I said, gesturing to Paul as I turned to walk back into the house.

As I walked back inside, I closed the door and leaned my back against it and stood still. My breathing became hard and ragged with tears escaping my eyes as I sunk to the floor. It would be stupid to deny that I was terrified.

They could decided to let me live. I could go on, live a full and happy life with Jacob. Do whatever I chose, whenever I chose to do it, or, they could chose to end my life. Right here, right now. I had no control over anything they decided to do.

I knew I should have been with the Cullen's sorting out my future, but I couldn't leave Jake. I couldn't leave Charlie, even though he wasn't there, he would be soon and I wanted to be the one to tell him what happened. I wanted a chance to say goodbye, but at the same time, I wanted to fight for it all. I had never felt so helpless before.

"Bells, you ok?" I heard Jake grumble as he slowly limped out of his room.

I wiped the tears away, sniffling as I stood up.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied.

"Bells," he grunted and groaned as he tried to limp faster to me.

"Jake, you need to stay in bed," I told him, meeting him the rest of the way, wrapping an arm around his waist. I tried to lead him to the couch at least, but he held me still.

"Stop. Bells, it's ok to be scared. I'm scared, but I'm not going to just sit here and do nothing. As much as I hate to sound all Edward Cullen here, I couldn't live without you." He brushed the leftover tears from my eyes and more started to fall. He leaned in, kissed my forehead, and then moved his lips to mine. He pulled away a little and while putting a hand on my cheek, he stared into my eyes. "Isabella Swan, you are the most important thing in this world to me. They aren't going to get you so easily. If they want you, they are going to have to kill all of us."

I pushed up on my toes, carefully pulling him closer, and crushed my lips to his. Every kiss we shared was exactly like the first one. Electric currents flowing, blood boiling, the intensity was unlike anything I had ever heard of or felt and it only got better each time.

I hated to pull away, but I knew I had too.

"Be right back," I told Jake as I ran in his bedroom and ran back out.

"What are those for?" he asked.

"Paul," I told him, completely forgetting he didn't know yet.

"What happened?"

"Paul was, well… being stupid. They thought they had gotten all the vampires, but instead of letting the pack know, when he saw one he chased it. It led him into a trap with another vampire and they cornered him before the pack had gotten to him. Couple broken bones, but other than that he's fine."

Jake sighed. "Ok, hurry back."

I smiled. "I will, but only if you get back into bed."

"Yes ma'am," he said and wobbled back to his bedroom.

Back outside, Paul wasn't any calmer. He was still in a lot of pain and I was starting to think the healing wasn't going right. I gave him some of the pain meds. After he refused twice, he finally gave in. I didn't know what to do about the broken bones. Emily tried to wrap his knee, but it was useless. I was pretty sure it was shattered and he didn't let her touch it.

I talked to Sam a few minutes about the ideas of Paul's healing and the only thing we could agree on was he needed to see a doctor. Too bad that option was out since the only doctor who could was in the middle of debating my future. The healing fast from being a werewolf was great sometimes, but other times, if something heals incorrectly, it may have permanent damage.

Sam told me I could go on back and check on Jake. I got halfway inside the house and the phone started ringing. I froze mid step and held my breath. Jake peeked around the corner and saw me standing there and slowly walked over to answer the phone.

Maybe it was slowly, I wasn't sure. Everything was in a sort of slow motion; even my heart beat was slow. I couldn't hear the words that were spoken, I couldn't hear anything except for my own heart beat, that was suddenly beating erratically. When he hung up the phone, everything went back to its normal movement with a sort of a whoosh. When I came back to the present, my hand was on my chest as I gasped for air. I tried to focus on what Jake was telling me.

"Bella," he started, but I could tell by his tone, it wasn't good. He wouldn't look at me.

"Jake, what is it?" I asked, as my heart was trying to pound out of my chest.

"We have to go." He walked towards the door, grabbing my hand, leading me with him.

"What's going on?" Breathing became painful as thoughts swarmed my head.

"Sam it's started, just as we feared," he said, as soon as Sam was in sight. Sam turned to look at Jake then me just before he looked at the ground. The rest of the pack froze, even Paul.

"What? What's started? Will someone please tell me what's going on?" I begged.

"Who told you?" Sam asked.

"The little one somehow snuck away to call. She saw it happening a minute ago and I could hear something going on in the background."

"Are you not hearing me?" I shouted, no one would look at me.

"What exactly has happened already?"

"Arguing. Uh, " Jake froze, looking down at me, I couldn't figure out the look in his eyes, but as he spoke his next words, a pain that I had felt what seems so long ago mildly returned, knocking the air out of me. "Edward argued with them, until..."

"What?" I barely asked. I knew what it was he didn't want to say. I closed my eyes, I didn't want to even think the words.

"Are they coming here?" Sam asked, and my knees weakened.

"I'm not sure yet, but I… I don't think we should wait. If we go now, we might have a better chance," Jake told him.

"Jake you are not in any condition for more fighting," Sam said.

"I can handle it."

"Fighting… Who's fighting? Fighting for what? You're not fighting, you can barely stand. What the hell is going on?" I rambled on loudly. I took as step aside so I could see all of their faces at once. I felt a slight burn course through my veins, it took all that I had to keep it together.

"Bella," Jake said, moving to put his hands on my shoulders. "Did you really think it would only be a discussion?"

I wasn't sure. Maybe my hope had gotten in the way of the truth. Would they really be able to talk it out? Talk out the possibility of my death, the possibility of them letting the wolves live too. Two of the things the Volturi obviously disagreed with. Did I really think that they would let me live because I had become one of them? Why would that make me different? Why would that make me any better than human?

As I stood there looking at the faces of people in front of me, the ones who accepted me into their family, the ones whose lives were more in danger now than ever because of it, I started thinking. What was it about me that brought the ones I loved so much danger. Was it really worth fighting for? Should I just hand the Volturi my life in return for everyone else's? Would that work? Surely I was not going to let them all fight for me again. Jake and Paul were already badly injured, who had to die for it? No one. It was time I put a stop to it.

"Bella?" Jake said, pulling me out of my trance.

"Stupidly," I responded.

He tried to put his arms around me, but I stepped away.

"So what has happened already?" I asked, taking a deep breath.

"I-I'm not really sure."

"But something happened to Edward? Anyone else possibly added to that list?" My heart broke as I spoke, but I stayed strong. Visibly.

"No other specific names said, but…"

I walked away in the middle of his sentence. I didn't need to hear anymore.

"Bella wait!" he yelled, managing to run after me.

"No Jacob, I can't. I'm done with this."

"What are you talking about?" he asked as I started taking of my clothes. "What are you doing?" He turned away.

"I will not let anyone else get hurt and I surely will not be responsible for any deaths. They want me, they got me." After I tied my clothes to my ankle, I phased and started running, never looking behind and not listening for anyone else who may have joined me.

I ran until I got to that old abandoned factory. As I got closer, I wondered why they never tore the damn things down after they were done with them. You never see them have any good use after they are abandoned. In movies, television shows, and even in real life, something bad always happened in them. Never once had I thought I would have something bad happen in one in my life. Then again, nothing in my life was something I had ever thought would happen. My life these days are like pages taken out of some fucked up book. I could only hope that like any story, my life would have some type of happy ending too.

Once I was there, I phased out and got dressed before I went in. Why couldn't werewolves talk? Sure, we could communicate with pack members, but not other supernatural things. Well, not unless that supernatural thing was a mindreading vampire that is. Whoever makes up the shit as they go had something seriously wrong with them.

When I finally got my thoughts under control, for the moment, I took one last deep breath before walking into those same doors that held the one thing I truly feared. It felt like days had passed since the last time I had walked in there. Only this time I was positive I wouldn't be making it out. This time I had no hope.

I could hear some type of commotion going on deep inside. It felt like I was going to puke. My stomach was in knots, I didn't know if my heart was going to explode and my brain was throbbing with every thought. How did everything come down to this?

It was the final moment, I was right outside the last door and I was sure they knew I was there. The room had suddenly gone silent. I didn't waste any time, I threw open the door and all the vampires froze.

"Well there she is now," Aro said in his sickeningly cheerful voice.

"Bella, what are you doing here?" Alice asked and she suddenly appeared by my side, with what looked like a guard member behind her.

I couldn't look at her, I couldn't look at any of them and I didn't have too to know that Edward wasn't in the room and neither was Caius. I stared at Aro.

"I'm here, what do you want to do with me?" I asked in a voice I didn't even recognize.

"Well, I'm a bit surprised to tell you the truth. What would you like me to do with you?" he asked, obviously curious about my response.

"You know, honestly, I don't even care anymore. If you want me dead for not following your rules, then do it. Get it over with. I will not have the ones I care about suffer for my existence."

"Bella," Carlisle started, but once Aro moved, he stopped.

"I did not expect you to make this so easy. It's a shame it is already too late for no one to be hurt. Poor Edward could not agree with the decision. Any of them apparently," He said, looking down and shaking his head. I held my breath.

"Bella, don't do this. Please," Esme whispered.

I had kept my eyes on Aro since I had walked through the door. I was in the moment when I looked at Esme that I realized the position everyone was in. I hadn't realized that just by me being there that everything would have stopped. At least not so suddenly.

A couple of the beams were broken and some of the left over machines were in pieces. Emmett's clothes were torn and dirty and Jasper's were a little to. Alice looked terrified and Carlisle was calm as always. Esme looked like she would cry if she could and Rosalie wouldn't even look at me, not that there was a real surprise there.

The room was silent, but the sound of slamming and the banging of doors was a quick interruption. In one moment it went from just the Volturi, the Cullen's and myself, to a room full of wolves. The Volturi guard was quick to react.

"No," I yelled. Jacob was soon by my side and I couldn't believe he had actually phased. Then again, I should have. Reading the look in his eyes, he didn't have to speak for me to understand him.

"I had to Jake. I told you. I couldn't take it anymore."

I was focused on the look in his eyes when I suddenly felt a hand at my throat, pulling me back. Jake growled and another wolf moved to his side.

"It's too late," Aro laughed. "She's already made her decision."

"Aro, please. There has to be a way to work this out," Carlisle said.

"Carlisle, you know the rules. You of all people should understand how we work."

"That doesn't make it right. She is no longer just human anymore, that should mean something shouldn't it? No, she isn't one of us, but…"

"No, she isn't. She's worse this way. To be one of them." He made a sound of disgust, as if it wasn't filled in voice.

"Please think about this. This is unneeded violence." Carlisle continued to persuade him, but his decision was made. I was as good as dead.

The wolves were surrounding the area and the guard tried holding them back, but it wouldn't be long before they broke out into a fight. In that moment I realized how stupid I was and stupid I had been all along. First, I really thought they would let me live and second, I really had thought they would not fight after I died. There was only one option left.

I looked at Aro, the Cullen's, then at the wolves. The wolves were growling, Sam was staring at me, trying to tell me something that I just couldn't understand. Alice wouldn't look at me, she too looked like she was about to cry. Carlisle looked sad and disappointed. I closed my eyes. I knew what I had to do. I agreed with Carlisle, I didn't like violence, but there was no other way out. The only thought that kept repeatedly bouncing around in my head was, 'it was now or never.'

Without really knowing what I was going to do, I opened my eyes, looked at Sam one more time, nodded my head once, turned as much as I could to look up at Aro and smiled. He cocked his head to the side, confused. I held my smile, closed my eyes and phased.

I could hear a gasp across the room. I couldn't tell who it had come from. The motion from phasing under his hand had knocked Aro back. I stood in front of him, still staring. Behind me, I could hear each of the wolves growling as the sounds of battle started once again. Jake was at my side, couching down, snarling at Aro.

"Well look at this," Aro said, laughing. "Are you going to kill me?" he asked. I didn't respond.

I didn't know what I was going to do.

Bella, that was the stupidest thing you have ever done, Jake said.

Jake, now is not the time to discuss that, I told him.

Before he had time to respond, something jumped on my back and dug it's nails into me. I let out a howl as I jump up trying to get it off. It was one of the guards. I shook and jumped until I knocked him off. In that moment, with Jake and I distracted, Aro took the advantage and lunged at me.

I had never seen, or heard of him fighting, but I supposed now would be as good of time as any. He was running out of guard members. Jake bit into his side and tried to pull him off, but his grip on my neck was too tight. I continued to try and shake them off of me, and the guard member decided to give up and go after Jake. Aro finally let go and tried to lunge at me again, but I was a bit faster than he was.

I jumped a few feet back from him and he kept trying to catch me as I darted back and forth. His smile disappeared, as he grew irritated. I tried to picture the room and realized that if I kept in that direction I would end up cornering myself again, so I moved to my left and we ended up circling.

The room, a lot smaller than it had seemed before, was filled with vampire and werewolves once again teaming up to fight vampires to save my life. For a moment I wondered if there was ever going to be a day where I wasn't the constant target, but it was Sam's voice telling me to focus that knocked the thoughts away.

Aro was completely focused on me. His hands were extended out, hoping for a chance to catch me. I jumped forward and backward, waiting for my moment to get him. Instead, he lunged at me again. He was a lot tougher than he looked, but was still more fragile than his younger guard members were.

I could hear and see Jake fighting, he was doing a lot better than I had thought would have. Aro was still trying to get a grip on me, but I moved too much and he moved backwards again. I snapped at him a couple times, trying to bite one of his hands, but I had no such luck.

A loud screeching sound coming from a vampire who just lost his face, distracted the both of us. We both turned to look in the direction, but instead of taking that chance to attack me, Aro ran. I chased him down the halls and through what was left of the doors until we were outside. He kept running, but I could tell he didn't know where he was going. I continued to chase him through the trees.

Let him go Bella, come back here, Sam said.

No. I will not let him go. If he gets away, this will never end.

I don't think you can take him on your own.

I don't have any other choice.

He disagreed, but I stopped listening. I made my choice.

I could tell Aro grew confused on which direction to take. He slowed down just enough for me to catch up. He ended up making a circle and heading back toward the factory. I was a little more than a foot behind him, just close enough to get him. I jumped and landed right on his back, knocking him down. I opened my mouth and bit down, right on the back of his neck. He screamed with his face in the dirt.

"Bella, please don't. We can work something out you can live." He pleaded, but I ignored him. "I swear to it, we will leave you alone. You, the Cullen's and the wolves will never hear from, or see me, or any of the Volturi again. I swear." I wanted to believe him and I almost did.

I loosened my grip on his neck for a second and shifted my weight. He flipped his body over, still under me and wrapped his hands around my throat. A faint smile returned to his lips as he tightened his grip.. I knew it was a trick. The sound of Jake's voice flowed through my head as he yelled for me.

Little did he know, I was prepared for that. In fact, I wanted him to do what he did. He thought he had me. His hands were just lose enough for me to still move a little. I threw my head forward and bit his face. His hands dropped from my throat to my chest, trying to push me off. He yelled and screamed again, but this time nothing he did affected me.

It will not end if he is still alive, I told myself. I bit harder.

When I yanked my head backwards, I pulled his jaw off. He could no longer make any sound, or beg for his life. I stared into his eyes as they filled with terror knowing what would soon come. A strange surge filled my body that I had never felt before. Never had I wanted a death to come more than I had right then. He threatened me, my families and he was responsible for Edward's death. I had no remorse for what I was about to do.

He tried once again to push me off, but he couldn't. I bent forward and bit his neck. With one last jerk, while staring into his blood red eyes, I ripped his head right off. His body still shook under me as I tossed his head to the side. I continued tearing his body apart.

I had killed a vampire before. In the same day even, but that was different. What I had just done was something so unlike me. To stare in the eyes of someone, or something, and smile as I tore them limb from limb was something that human Bella would never have done. In that moment, I knew, nothing would ever be the same. Not even close. The seventeen-year-old Bella Swan that moved from Phoenix, Arizona didn't exist anymore.


A/N: I am really sorry for the very long wait for this chapter. So much stuff has been going on and well, long story short, real life sucks. Hopefully, though I know I have said it before, things are better now and I have gotten a head start on the next chapters. Just some rereading to do and they are done.

Just wanted to thank you all for the awesome reviews. When I started doubting I would get this story finished, all the reviews I have gotten over time have kept me writing. =)

Well, I hope you guys like this chapter. I tossed in a little twist, it helped me crank out a few more chapters. Let me know what you think?