Author's Note: I know some of you have been questioning and yes, Bella and Edward had sex at the end of the last chapter. I'm not one for getting too graphic and lemony, so I only implied. I figured the chapter would be intense enough as is. I'm glad I got to that part too. I personally couldn't handle the immense sexual tension between the two in the series. Anyway, enough ranting! Enjoy the chapter!

Also, thanks to Camilla10 for helping me with the Italian!

The euphoria I felt masked my fears well, because I had almost forgotten where we were. Edward's eyes were looking over me as I regained my composure and strength. He seemed at complete peace just like me. His cool fingers were running along my hair and neck slowly, making goose bumps appear. He smiled. "I guess you have more self control than you give yourself credit for," I teased, moving away from his delicate hold over me to grab my clothing. I silently thanked him for not shredding it to pieces.

"You bring out the human in me, it seems," he teased back. His voice was humble. Content. But it changed almost instantly as his brows furrowed. "Now in all seriousness, we should get out of here. Was it only you who came?"

"No," I said. Then, like a truck hit me square in the face, I remembered that Alice and Jasper were still biding time. Precious time. I shoved my clothing on and began to panic. "Alice and Jasper are here, being leverage!" I saw Edward straighten up his filthy sweatpants and join me at my side. On the ground were the scattered drawings from Carlisle. He bent down and picked them up.

"I'm impressed," Edward said as he looked them over.

"Edward, we need to get out to the meeting spot Alice told me to go to." I huffed in nervousness. Why wasn't he panicking along with me? He rolled up the maps and slipped them into my jeans pocket.

"Let's go, then," he said, taking my hand into his. "Where do we have to be?"

"In the alleyway I left them from," I whispered as we left that terrible room. The stench of rotting flesh welcomed me again as we sped through the hallways. I gulped involuntarily, hoping to hold as much breath as possible. As we neared the stairwell leading up to the streets, I felt Edward's hand clench around mine; almost too hard. "What? What is it?" I gazed over and him. He was staring at the narrowing ceiling with urgent eyes. Even in the darkness I could see their red, impenetrable glow.

"Change of plans," Edward hissed. He turned to me, pushing me towards the stairs. "Get up to the street and wait for me."

"Wha—what?" The panic feeling escalated. Edward was biting his lip and his pushing was getting stronger. "Edward, stop!" I demanded.

"There's no time. Get out of here! Now!" The bronze-haired vampire growled at me before sprinting as a blur, off like a ghost into the darkness. Seeing the fear in his crimson eyes…something bad was going to happen. How long would it take for me to get back to that alleyway? How long would I wait? What would happen to Edward when he was spotted as free? My feet wouldn't budge as my brain tried to signal them. Instead, my hands felt down my sides and took out the maps.

I wasn't going to lose him again, or anyone else for that matter.

Looking downwards, I started to walk, following where Edward took off only seconds before. I followed the corridors that Carlisle marked; finding myself in a brighter hallway after some wooden stairs took me out of the dungeons. The hall was winding, taking me from garbage and cement to marble and gold. I slipped through a tall, red door and saw a large group of people that were walking around in amazement.

A tour group? I wondered. I heard someone mentioning ancient carvings and kings in the distance. Gazing back down at the maps, I saw that I wasn't too far from where the Volturi held counsel. No doubt, that's where Edward ran off to. Taking a deep breath, I looked around me to see no one belonging to the Volturi around, and made a mad dash to the group. They were from all over the world; speaking so many different languages that I couldn't keep up. The tour-guide was a young man, who seemed very knowledgeable about the castle. I was too far away from him to see his face clearly enough to decipher if he was human or not. He spoke partially in Italian and in English, so I was able to understand that we were going to an old throne room. Sounded like he would be taking me near to where I needed to go. So I stayed silent and moved along with the tourists, trying not to look out of the ordinary.

The castle was beautiful; with black and red checkered marble tiles as the floor. The walls were almost pearly-white with some beige in the mix. Portraits ordained the walls, and everyone around me gasped at the beauty of the men and women in them. I pressed my lips hard when I saw that one of the portraits was of Carlisle. He wore the robe that Jane and the others wore. It was a bit terrifying to see him like that, especially when I dreamed of it before. The tour guide led us through more winding hallways and I made sure to keep myself in the middle of the crowd.

"Signore e signori, siamo giunti all'ultima tappa del tour [Now, ladies and gentlemen, we are at the last stop of the tour]."

My heard perked at the word tour. Everyone grew excited around me; a child whispered something to her mother that I couldn't understand while tugging at her dress. Short brown curls bounced against her little shoulders; pale-blue ribbons flowed gracefully along with them. The older woman shrugged at the child and took her small hand into her own.

Grandiose, red, wooden doors began to open ahead and I frowned.

This has to be where they go…I thought in sadness, looking into the eyes of the young girl, who was no more than four or five. She whisked me an innocent smile before clinging onto her mother's hand. The tour guide motioned for them to follow him inside. While the others walked behind him, I glanced at my maps for a few seconds. My body clung to the wall as the doors closed behind the group, and I sprinted across the hallway. In my wake, I could hear screaming, followed by thrashing sounds and breaking objects. My heart broken along with them as I continued on my plight.

I heard some yelling in what sounded like Italian and English, and my heart plummeted. I approached another pair of grandiose doors; sliding my fingers over the circular knocker and sighing quietly to myself. And every red flag went off in my head: What are you doing? You think you can stop them from hurting Edward and the others? You're just a human! Get back outside like Edward said! Hurry, before you're discovered! I squeezed my eyes closed tightly to shut my mind up. With a final inhale, I clenched the knocker and started to open the door.

Alice's screaming startled me as I saw her standing alongside a collapsed Edward. He was on his knees and twitching. Red liquid was oozing from him. My blood. I refocused on Alice's eyes, which were wide and terrified as she stared at me in horror. I thought I could understand her saying "no". But before I could react, I felt a strong force circle around my throat and drag me across the marble floor. My hands grabbed at whatever clung to me as I desperately fought to breathe.

"Che cosa abbiamo qui? E 'questa la Bella di cui mi è stato detto? [What have we here? Is this the Bella I was told of]?" Someone said calmly, but I didn't understand. The pounding of my heart seized my eardrums.

"Bella! Let her go!" Edward screamed. My body was lifted into the air and my feet kicked against whatever was holding me.

"Felix, fa' come dice lui, per favore. [Felix, do as she says, please]."

I coughed harshly as my body collapsed into the floor. Slender arms locked around me and I saw Alice frowning as she held me against her. It hurt for my fingers to touch my neck.

"Interessante [Interesting] ..." A different voice, sounding deeper than the last one, said.

When I looked away from Alice, my eyes fell upon a tall figure. The first thing I noticed was how his skin was as translucent as Caius's was. Long, straight, black hair hung over his cloak and outlined a very structured, narrow face. His deep burgundy eyes were filled with intrigue and his thin, pale lips curled into a smile as his claw-like hands cupped themselves at his chest.

"Che bello che lei si unisca a noi, signorina Bella [How nice of you to join us, Miss Bella]," he said in the most polite voice I had ever heard. I gasped for air as he seemed to float towards Alice and me. In the corner of my eye, I saw Edward trying to get to his feet. Jasper appeared at his side in a defensive position. My eyes wanted to linger, but I was drawn towards the ancient being coming towards me. Alice's arms were like belts; holding me as tightly as she could without hurting me. "Parla italiano? [Do you speak Italian?]" he asked, reaching out to touch my with one of his pale fingers.

"No, she doesn't," Alice said, pulling me backwards. The tall creature cracked a small smile and drew himself back a few inches.

"Well, then. I apologize. You are indeed Bella Swan, are you not?" He spoke perfect English, surprising me. I nodded, feeling as scared as I did the day I met Caius and Jane. I heard two grumbles from behind the man, and saw Caius and another standing by very elaborate, yet elegant thrones. Caius was staring at me with angry eyes, while the other watched on in curiosity. He looked younger than the other two, and he had very faded brown hair that flowed like waves down his cheeks and ears. He has similar skin to the stranger before me and Caius. Together, these three had to be the leaders of the Volturi. I returned my gaze to the tall stranger as he clapped his hands. "Ah, perfect!" he exclaimed. "I wanted to see this for myself," he said, motioning with his fingers at his side. I heard a young girl's hiss and saw Jane walk out from the shadows behind us. "Jane, would you please?" he asked. Jane sneered at me and her eyes widened. My hands wrapped around Alice's arms as I lost myself in her eyes.

Nothing happened. Just like before.

"Tch!" Jane protested in defeat.

"That certainly is interesting..." The black-haired stranger said.

"Aro, what do you think this means?" Caius asked. My eyes went back to the tall stranger as he looked at me in blatant curiosity.

"I'm not sure," he replied. "Stand up," he instructed. I heard Alice sigh quickly before helping me to my feet. At my side, I could see Edward doing the same with Jasper's help. "Felix, help Edward over to me, please." I heard someone huff from behind me. I turned my head to see a man in a similar build to Emmett walk over to Edward and grab his arm. Jasper let go immediately (though reluctantly) and the man dragged Edward to my and Alice's side. He had short, dark brown hair and very broad shoulders. The color of his skin was different than the others; it had an olive-tint to it. He looked like he could have been a wrestler. His face was flat and intimidating. "I can smell why you are attracted to this human, Edward," Aro said as his nostrils widened slightly. My heart was racing. Was he going to bite me?

"Don't touch her," Edward growled. Felix's grip strengthened around Edward's torso and he cried out.

"Edward..." I whispered, terrified.

"You are quite ravishing, Miss Swan, for a human," Aro commented. I looked at him as he smiled widely. "Your scent is a powerful one. It is as though it sings to be feasted upon."

"Please, Aro. Don't..." Alice begged. Aro looked at her for a moment, tilting his head to the side. He held out his hand life before and reached for my face. My skin crawled. I flinched as his cold hands touched my cheek. He looked perplexed instantly. Like I was a puzzle he couldn't figure out. His eyebrows tensed and his lips trembled.

"How remarkable. You seem to be immune to my power as well."

A collective gasp came from behind him as he let go of my face and inspected his palm.

"How is that possible?" Caius called out.

"I'm unsure. No one has ever been immune to my abilties."

"A-Abilities?" I asked, still terrified. Was he trying to kill me? Aro looked back at me, flexing his hand and resting it at his side.

"Aro can see your memories and thoughts. Every single one you've ever had. But he has to touch you in order to do so," Alice explained from behind.

"Yes, and I couldn't believe it when I was told that you are immune to Jane. Or Edward for that matter. And now me? This is an interesting development, indeed."

"She needs to be killed," Jane said abruptly. I gasped. Aro looked at Jane with disdain.

"Jane, my dear. Though I do understand your sentiments, I feel your opinion is a bit rash."

"Rash? How is that rash?" she asked. "She breaks our rules! Her knowledge of us is dangerous. She needs to be taken care of." Aro glanced back over to me with a stoic look on his face. I could hear Edward hiss under his breath.

"I agree with Jane, Aro," Caius said from behind. His voice echoed around the room. "She poses a much stronger threat now than she did before."

Aro's deep eyes were entrancing me as he watched me like a pet. Breathing became easier, but my heart was still exerting itself on a massive scale.

"Jane, I feel as thought your attitude is reflecting negatively on the Volturi. Remember that little incident?" He kept looking at me as he spoke, holding his hands in front of him. I saw Jane frown and her eyes harden. "Your actions were poor. Killing a human like that in broad daylight simply to play is not how we handle situations."

Jessica...My face fell at the recollection. Jane was silent, but I could see the hurt in her eyes. Aro's eyes fell down to my legs and he licked his lip.

"You say you were able to harm her, Caius?" He asked. Caius nodded. Aro smiled. "Marcus, could you come here and help me?" he requested. The brown-haired Volturi leader floated along the floor as he joined us, looking at me with intrigued, yet disgusted eyes. He lifted one of his very slender hands at his side, and I saw the robe sleeve run down his thin wrist an forearm as he did so. I felt something sting along my leg, and I cried out as the material of my jeans began to shred away at my ankle. The pain was odd and immense, as though my skin was being ripped away as well.

"Bella!" Edward cried out, fighting against Felix's incredible hold. I figured Felix's ability was just sheer brute strength. Alice held onto me tighter, and I became angry with her in the deepest parts of my mind for not letting me run. When the pain subsided, I realized that my right leg was exposed under the shreds of what was left of my jeans. Aro hunched over to take a closer look, and I began to shake.

"Hmm, I see you were able to leave marks," he said before pulling back again. Marcus kept silent, but his eyes bore into me. Aro's long hand ran across his chin as he thought. The tension in the giant room was building at a high rate, making me nauseous. "Miss Bella, it seems as though it is only your mind that is immune to ability. I find this very intriguing; to find a human that has such a gift."

Don't kill me, don't kill me...I thought.

"Aro, we need to get rid of her," Caius said.

"Hmm. You are right of course, Caius," Aro agreed, looking at me with disappointed eyes. I tensed under Alice's hold. "It truly is unfortunate. I would like to have examined you more closely," Aro's voice slithered through my ears. He floated backwards, and an overpowering sense of dread came over me.

"Please...don't..." I cried out softly.

"Damnit!" Edward growled. Jasper hissed as I watched Aro lift his left arm into the air.

"Felix, termina la vita dell'umana per me. Quando hai finito. liberami dagli altri. Se non intendono unirsi a noi non ci servono a nulla. [Felix, end the human's life for me. When you are finished, get rid of the others. If they have no desire to join us, they serve me no purpose]."

"NO!" My eyes darted to my side and I saw Edward struggling against Felix. I noticed Jasper in the background; his eyes widening. Edward roared like a lion as he forcibly broke away from Felix's hold. Alice pulled me with her away from the two in a flash, but Jane was on our trail and I heard Alice scream in intense pain, letting me go and dropping to the floor. Jasper sped over to Jane, and she glided across the floor with grace as she focused on Jasper. I watched Alice get up when Jane lost concentration, and join Jasper. The two of them darted back and forth around the young-looking vampire, making her lose track of who to cause pain.

Edward was ferocious as he pounced against the large body of Felix, slamming his fists into the man's face. Felix became unbalanced for a few seconds before grabbing onto Edward's neck and thrusting him down into the marble floor. I watched Edward's face crack like stone, and I realized that Felix was the one who caused those marks that I saw in the cell. Edward seemed to growl as he grabbed onto Felix's wrist and threw him across the room. He smashed into one of the columns in the room by the Volturi Elders and slid to the floor. I looked over at the elders; they were calm and collected as they each sat in their chairs, watching us like we were a show. As the smoke and pieces of stone fell around them, I saw the deep pitches of red in their eyes. Aro's, especially. They were focused on me.

Only seconds had passed, but I felt like everything was slowing down around me. I could see the anguish in Edward's face when Felix returned to the fight and slammed his fists into Edward's abdomen. I could see Alice and Jasper flipping around like acrobatics around Jane; her face frozen in a scowl as she became surprisingly overwhelmed. She backed up and turned while hissing. I heard a crash and shifted my attention back to Felix and Edward, seeing the two of them resorting to tossing punches at each other as if in a brawl. My eyes focused for an instant on Edward's face; the cuts he had were healing at a fast rate now.

"I don't suggest you move," I heard someone whisper. My body stood on edge as a pair of long arms slunk around my waist. A chin touched my shoulder and I gasped, feeling immense coldness around me. "That's a good little human."

"Ah, Demetri. I was wondering where you were," Aro spoke. The others stopped fighting and Edward snarled as he turned to us.

"My apologies. That wonderful meal was just too delicious for me to stop. Alec will be returning after the cleanup is finished." The male spoke rhythmically as he held me firmly. It was similar to a hold that Edward would have over me numerous times before, but this one was sinister and foreign. I felt compelled to see who was holding me, and he let my head move just enough for me to catch a glimpse of his off-blond hair, which hung from his long face beside my cheek. He, too, had burgundy-crimson eyes and thin lips which curled into a smile. "You do smell quite tasty, young lady," he said to me in a flirty tone. I tensed. "Your blood would be a terrible thing to waste."

"Get away from her!" I heard Edward growl.

"Please..." I suddenly began to cry. Demetri smiled at my side and I felt him lick along my cheek, tasting my tears. I shuddered under the contact. Edward was then a blur. I heard movement behind me and felt Demetri's hold lighten. With great force, I could feel Demetri's arms break free of me and I turned to see Edward wrapping his hands around the vampire's neck; strangling him. There was a fury in his eyes that horrified me. I had never seen it before. It wasn't like his look of bloodlust. This was a different sort of lust. A lust to kill.

"Edward...!" I whimpered.

"This will not do," Aro said in a booming voice that carried through the room. Edward and Demetri froze in their struggle and we all watched as Aro stood from his seat and approached me. "I'm going to try something. Edward Cullen showed me in his thoughts that if I concentrate hard enough, I can break through you." He spoke in a softer tone; as if he had been thinking about this the entire time of the fight. He was like the spirit of death floating towards me with eager eyes.

"Aro, what is with this nonsense?" Caius called out. His question was left unanswered as Aro came up to me. Edwrad hissed, but I was too scared to look away to see if he was alright. All I could concentrate on was the elder in front of me. His eyebrows narrowed and pushed against one another above the bridge of his nose. One of his slender fingers came towards me and he glared into my eyes. I didn't dare move an inch. As his finger pressed against my cheek, I shivered. The rest of his hand followed, like before. He held my face in his hand, bringing his other hand to my other cheek; cupping it. I heard completely silence around us. Everyone must have been watching in anticipation.

"Così assolutamente affascinante [How utterly fascinating]," Aro said. Did he see something? If so, what did he see?

"What is it?" Caius asked.

"You would rather die, if it meant saving their lives?" Aro asked me inquisitively. My eyes widened.

"Bella..." I heard Alice's gentle voice.

"You are indeed in love with him?" Aro asked me. I still wasn't sure of what he saw from my mind, but I wasn't going to hesitate to figure it out.

"Y-yes."

"Outrageous!" Caius growled. "Stop playing around with her!" Aro ignored Caius, looking at me like a brand new experiment with which he just got some promising results. His eyes darkened further, flickering with amusement as he asked his next question.

"You wish to become one of us?" He asked again. I bit down on my lip.

"If...if it means ending all of this," I said honestly.

"Bella!" Edward cried. Aro's eyes widened and he smiled. His head came closer to me, enough that I could feel dry air hitting my skin from his nostrils as he grazed along my hair and ear.

"Forse non sei un tale spreco, dopo tutto [Maybe you aren't such a waste, after all]," he said. His voice tingled as it entered through my ear.

"It's true! I've seen it!" Alice chirped. Aro pulled back and looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "She will become one of us!" She ran over to us and held out her hand to Aro. "See for yourself." I held in a gasp as Arm took hold of her forearm and stared into her eyes.

I'll be changed? I thought. Aro let go of Alice and turned back to me with a thin smile.

"Demetri, Felix, Jane, tornare indietro [draw back]."

"What? Why?" Felix growled.

"You cannot be serious, Master," Jane pleaded. Aro's gaze left me and he took a few steps back. I turned and saw Edward and Demetri let go of each other. Edward was then at my side, holding me tightly against him.

"I believe that it would be a tragedy if we let this one go. I feel she has an incredible power that we may be able to utilize when the time comes," Aro thoughtfully wondered. "But do not jest. I will not wait forever," he said, looking right at Edward and me. "I have seen for myself what you will become. Do not think I will expect anything less. Feel privileged, because I am giving you a grand opportunity to be a part of my guard."

I was speechless. Was Aro, the leader of the feared Volturi, letting me go and offering me a position on his guard? Jane scowled and gave me a hateful glare. I glared at her back. As if I'd ever want to work alongside her, either.

"Of course," Alice said cheerfully, joining Edward's side along with Jasper. "It won't be long now."

"Wonderful! You will have to let us know of the news." Aro clasped his hands at his chest. I could tell that the other elders were in shock, but kept silent. Without further objection, the four of us made out way out of the room. Demetri protested at first; blocking the doors, but Aro spoke out against him, telling him to let us go. "Have a safe trip back to America," Aro said as we left. I saw him wave at me before we rushed through the castle. His excited eyes twisted my gut. I held onto Edward as hard as I could when he swooped me into his arms. We made it to Alice's car and she drove like a bat out of hell. For the first time, I welcomed the incredible speed! I stayed attached to Edward in the backseat, and we were all silent for the duration of the drive.

Outside of a quick stop to a restroom (stupid human moments!) and shop to get cleaned up and some new clothing, we didn't take any other time to relax. Jasper called Carlisle on the way into the airport. When we boarded the plane, I found myself to be extremely drained, and I passed out for most of the flight. I couldn't help myself from dreaming about the Volturi, what it would be like to wear one of their robes, and what my ability could be.

Alice couldn't have been lying about my change. When did she have that vision, and why didn't she tell anyone about it before? Who would change me? What would I be like when I changed? Would Edward be angry about it, or would he welcome me into his world? The questions were piling, even in my sleep.

I really was the girl who survived, as Edward had coined once. But for how long was yet to be determined.