Author's Note: Have fun reading!

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

Chapter 34

Edward's Point of View

"Why can't you find out where she is?" I asked desperately as I followed Alice around the house. "Once she makes a decision, it'll be easy to see her, wouldn't it?"

"Once she decides on a decision," Alice corrected. "Until then, I can't see anything. And I won't see anything either if she makes a snap decision without planning it. And that's what she's been doing to escape from my visions. Bella knows how my gift works better than anyone else because she's a psychic herself."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing."

I sighed wearily. "What am I going to do?" I muttered to myself dejectedly. "If she's around, I'd talk to her or something."

Suddenly, Rosalie came marching up to me, her expression hard. "Can you get rid of that girl?"

I raised my eyebrow.

"She's here," she snapped. "Use your listening skills and your nose as well."

"Why is Tanya here?" Alice asked blankly, jumping up and looking through the window at her car.

"I don't know," Rosalie sneered. "You tell me, psychic."

"I totally missed it," Alice said. "I was so concentrated on Bella…"

Rosalie turned to me. "Get rid of her. If she's going to stay for another few hours, I'm going out. I don't want to smell her scent around this place anymore."

I didn't fire up to defend Tanya. I didn't have the energy. And I didn't want to.

We heard Carlisle and Esme greeting Tanya at the front door.

"Edward's upstairs somewhere," Esme told her. "You should've called or something, Tanya. What a surprise."

"Actually, I wanted to talk to the family instead of just Edward," Tanya said, and I knew that tone in her voice.

Instantly, I was by her side, startling her slightly, and my expression hard. "No, Tanya. Not a chance."

My family wandered into the living room curiously. Tanya looked determined, and I knew that she wasn't going to change her mind.

"This isn't just about you anymore, Edward," Tanya said firmly. "It's about all of us. I want to know what your family thinks."

The others glanced at each other. Then, they moved to sit down on the seats to give Tanya their full attention, wondering where this was heading.

"Edward doesn't want this for me," Tanya began. "But I don't think it's very fair of him to decide how I will live my life. So I decided that a vote is the best way to settle this."

"Settle what?" Emmett asked.

"My mortality, of course." Tanya smiled. "I want to know if you want me to join your family."

Rosalie immediately began talking bad about her in her thoughts, her expression angering. Alice looked rather unhappy as she went through the pros and cons of saying yes or no. Emmett and Jasper both frowned slightly, and Carlisle and Esme glanced at each other.

Tanya turned to me. "Edward?"

"No," I said flatly. "You're staying human."

She didn't seem surprised. "Alice?"

Alice hesitated. "…yes."

I looked at her, trying to read her thoughts, but she was blocking them by singing some random song that she'd picked at the top of her head. What was she trying to hide?

"Jasper?"

Jasper hesitated too. He looked troubled as he recalled Bella's complicated and depressing emotions and pain. "Yes."

I raised my eyebrow. I knew from his thoughts that he actually disapproved, but why had he said yes? Was it because Alice had said the same thing?

He was blocking his thoughts like his mate was. He shook his head minutely so that Tanya couldn't see. But the meaning was clear to me: I'll tell you later.

"Rosalie?" Tanya asked, looking slightly apprehensive.

Rosalie resisted the urge to snarl at her. She looked away from the group and said flatly, "No."

Tanya gave a small sigh, then moved on. "Emmett?"

"Sure," Emmett said, giving her a small smile. But it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Everything's more funny when you're around."

Tanya smiled, having noticed nothing strange. She turned to Esme.

"Yes, of course," Esme said immediately. "Edward is happy with you, and he won't be able to live without you."

Right? she added in her thoughts. She was asking me.

I didn't know the answer to that question. Would I really not be able to survive without Tanya? I felt as though I could live without her…yet, I had no confidence to live without Bella.

What did this mean?

"Carlisle?" Tanya suddenly looked nervous as she turned to my father figure.

Carlisle was studying my face intently. He was asking me silently the same thing Esme had asked. The same thing I was asking myself.

I frowned slightly. I didn't know. I didn't know anything anymore.

Carlisle sighed before answering. "Yes."

My teeth clenched together. "Carlisle. I won't change her. You know that."

"So I'll do it," Carlisle countered. "I'm able to restrain myself easily."

Tanya's eyes were wide from excitement. "Can you do it now?"

"Now?" Carlisle looked surprised. "But your father…"

"That's not a problem," Tanya said dismissively. "I'll just say that I'm going on a trip with you guys. Since the school year is over and it's summer vacation, he can't exactly stop me with an excuse, can he?"

My whole family was uncomfortable. I could hear it and feel it in their thoughts. But they didn't look it. They were just too good at acting.

"Well, that's true…" Alice said slowly. "You're legal… He can't deny that."

Tanya looked triumphant. "When do we do this?"

I stared at her. How could she actually want this? To be doomed with eternity? Couldn't she see what immortality was doing to us? Couldn't she see Rosalie, who would've traded anything in the world to be human again? Bella, who had lost everything and now lived every single day in bitterness and contempt? Me, who tried to be so good so that I didn't have to see the monster within me?

All Tanya could see was the beauty. I realized now that she couldn't see the long life, the consequences. All she saw was the prettiness, the strength and speed, the gracefulness… She didn't see anything else.

Carlisle sighed in resignation. "How about now? Call up your father now and tell him that you're joining us on vacation. Apologize about how it's so short notice."

Tanya flounced into the kitchen where the phone was, while the rest of us just sat there, looking unhappy.

"Tell me," I said finally, breaking the silence. "Jasper."

Jasper sighed. "I wanted to say no. In fact, my answer is no. If I think about Bella…and the pain that she felt all along, I knew that I had to say no. But I wasn't sure. I couldn't read your expression, Edward."

He looked at me seriously. "Can you live without her? Be honest."

I couldn't answer. I didn't know.

"Could you live without Bella?" he shot at me.

I didn't know that either.

"You see why it was difficult for me to answer," Jasper said. "I decided to go along with Alice's decision because…" He glanced at her frozen, unhappy face. "Well, I trusted her."

"Fine, then," I said curtly. "You tell me, Alice. What were you hiding from me?"

Alice looked older than she usually did. "Nothing."

"Stop lying to me. Let me see."

She shook her head. "You're just going to get angry."

I tried to keep calm. "Try me."

She stared at me, then looked resigned. Slowly, she let her thoughts flow, and I saw why.

Alice had grown so accustomed to trusting her visions that it was difficult to choose. She'd seen Tanya become a vampire and join us, but she'd also seen a possibility that she would be killed soon after her transformation. And then, there was the matter of Bella.

Alice loved Bella, perhaps even more than she loved Jasper. She cared for her younger sister almost obsessively, and she didn't want her to get hurt. And she knew that if Tanya was changed and joined our family, it would break Bella's heart to see her with me all the time.

Now, I was the one with complicated thoughts. How was I supposed to work this all out? Without Bella, I was blind, helpless, and confused. I felt uncomfortable, like a part of me was missing. Without Tanya, I felt guilty and apologetic for using her to fill the missing gap caused by Bella's absence.

I couldn't have both by my side like a selfish jerk. I had to have one or the other, and to a greedy person like me, it just didn't seem fair.

If I had to choose, whom did I have to pick? Tanya? Or Bella?

"Everything's set," Tanya announced as she came back. "Carlisle, where do you want to do this?"

I knew I'd lost. Like Alice had said earlier, her future had been set. She was sure of what she wanted. And I couldn't change that.

"The office will be fine," Carlisle said, rising. He paused and looked back at me. "Aren't you coming, Edward?"

I shook my head. "I can't bear to watch it."

Tanya looked at me with an unfathomable expression upon her face, then followed Carlisle up the stairs. Alice got up silently and followed.

"Ugh," Rosalie muttered as she got up and moved toward the door. "I don't want to be around." She fled for the forest.

Emmett hesitated, wondering whether he should go join her or not. He shrugged and sat back down. "She'll be fine on her own."

"What are you going to do?" Jasper asked. "You can't have both of them. It's one or the other." He had a strange expression on his face. It was a mixture of pity and understanding. It was as if he already knew what my choice was going to be, even if I didn't.

I closed my eyes as Tanya suddenly screamed from upstairs. I heard Alice talking to her in soothing tones and Carlisle's repeated apologies.

My eyes flashed open. Who was I supposed to choose?

I missed Bella like crazy. But I also loved Tanya.

Who?

Bella's Point of View

"Let me leave!" I shrieked at Aro.

I'd been trying to persuade him to let me go since morning. It was now afternoon, and he was still refusing to do so.

So far, my plan wasn't going well. But no matter. I had a backup plan.

"No, Bella," Aro answered simply. "No."

My expression changed for the first time, and I straightened out of my crouch. I smiled sweetly. "I guess I knew you wouldn't let me leave."

His eyes narrowed, suspicious.

"But can you stop me from leaving?" I asked. "Because no matter what you do, I must leave this place. I don't think confinement is exactly my thing."

"Confinement?" Aro sounded shocked. He looked hurt, but I knew better. The guy was a superb actor. "You chose to stay here on your own accord, Bella!"

"No," I corrected. "You didn't give me a choice. I've had enough of this. I'm leaving. And no one will be able to stop me." My expression changed, and I glared at him viciously before turning my back on him.

"Very well," Aro said, sounding amused. "You may try to leave. But can you?"

As soon as his words were out of his mouth, I felt a hand on my shoulder. It pulled me backward roughly, but I was expecting it. Aro wouldn't let me leave easily. Not without a fight.

I twisted out of the way and kicked Felix in the chest. Hard. He grunted in shock rather than pain as he slammed into the opposite wall of the huge throne room.

There was a dull booming sound and dust rushed down to the floor. Felix looked at me, shocked. So did Aro.

"You didn't think I had the nerve to fight your guards?" I asked, sneering. "I'm more than willing to. I have nothing to lose, and nothing to fear. It makes me a strong player, even against your best guards."

Growling, Demetri came at me, and I raised my eyebrow. "I wouldn't hurt yourself, Demetri."

He lunged, and I dodged. For a while, I entertained him by moving around and defending. He was too easy. Not a worthwhile opponent.

After a while, I got bored, and I sent him to the opposite wall the same way I'd sent Felix. Demetri, too, grunted, though in pain, and he slid down to the floor, grimacing.

Almost immediately, I felt Alec behind me. His power surrounded me, and I felt the cold presence of it. But of course it didn't affect me.

I merely turned around and attacked him. Alec was just as skilled as Felix and Demetri were, but because I was immune to his gift, he was nothing more than a novice.

I tripped him and sent him sprawling on the ground. I looked down at him in disgust.

Suddenly, there was a sudden whoosh, and I stepped out of the way just in time to dodge Jane's interruption. She had ran toward me at full speed to knock me down, but in my defense, she just ran straight past me.

She stopped and turned to face me. Her eyes were narrowed as she shot her illusion of pain toward me. Nothing happened, of course.

Hissing, Jane approached me quickly, launching herself to attack. But I swatted her aside easily.

"You're no fighter, Jane," I said, laughing slightly. "All you know is how to use that illusion. I told you before that you should've learned how to fight."

Jane glared up at me from the ground, next to her twin.

Felix and Demetri attacked me simultaneously, but I was too quick for them. I was dodging them quickly before they could capture me.

They were getting bewildered. They were no doubt wondering where I'd learned to fight so well.

When I saw Jasper again, I would have to thank him. Without him, I would already be dead.

I kicked Felix toward where Jane was, then blocked Demetri's blow. I made a slight mistake of turning my back to him, and he jumped on me. Though I was slightly surprised, I flipped him easily onto his back. The marble floor cracked from the strength.

Alec shouted as he came running toward me. I blocked his fist and jumped out of the way as he kicked at me. I saw his fist heading toward my face, and I intercepted it with my right hand. I held on tight, and soon, Alec was struggling to break away.

"You're a twelve-year old," I said coldly. "What good can you do against a seventeen-year old, even if your opponent is a girl?"

"I'm way older than you are," Alec hissed.

I smirked before shoving his fist toward him roughly. He stumbled and fell. "Yeah? Well, I've got news for you, kid. Age is just a number. Even if you'd lived for a million years, it wouldn't have mattered. You would still be a spoiled brat because you're stuck at twelve. How you and Jane manage to intimidate people is still a mystery to me."

I turned to Aro, who had been watching in shock. "Why don't fight me yourself? If you win, I will stay. If I defeat you, I'm leaving."

Aro's face was a mask. He looked furious, yet politely curious at the same time. He raised his hand in signal, and suddenly, Demetri and Felix were there on either side of me.

Taken aback, I couldn't escape their clutches. They kneeled me down in front of him. I didn't struggle.

"Kill her," Aro ordered, his expression hard. "I have no need for a vampire who disobeys." He stared at me. "How do you feel now that you're about to die, Bella?"

I smiled. "I told you I didn't care, didn't I? I have nothing to lose. But you'll be losing your most important treasure."

"Kill her!" Caius hissed. "Disrespectful!"

There really was no point in living if Edward wasn't around. I couldn't live without him anymore. The need for him was too strong. And I would rather die than see him with Tanya Denali.

I closed my eyes as Demetri prepared to rip of my head. His hand was on the side of my head and he was pulling…

"Wait." Aro sighed, looking frustrated. "She's right. I can't afford to lose her. Release her."

They did so immediately.

Aro strode forward, his hands spread in surrender. "Very well, you may leave. I suppose it is better, knowing that you are alive rather than killing you myself. It is a waste to get rid of someone like you, and I'd much rather see you with another coven than see you dead."

I raised my eyebrow. "Interesting."

I knew my backup plan was going to work. Everything had gone the way I'd planned. It was perfect.

I sprang to my feet lightly. "Thank you." I sounded too airy, too light. Too at ease. It seemed to make him irritated. Still he didn't say anything as he watched me disappear from the throne room wistfully.

AN: So she's escaped. Any idea where she's going? Back to her family? Or maybe not…