A/N: A quick thank you to everyone who added this story in their alerts and/or added it to their favorite list. It truly means a lot to me.

Chapter 21- In transit

Alice's POV-

"But Edward," I visibly pouted, using my infamous pout once again in my favor- it always worked- trust me. The family just couldn't say no to me when I used my charms against them, in order to achieve what I desired. Well, I was cute. No harm in using it in my favor, and if pouting and throwing a fit of massive proportions was what it took- of course in the name of being cute, then so be it. It wasn't wrong to do so….at least not in my eyes.

"Leave me alone, Alice." Edward refused to meet my eyes, frowning as he stared into nothingness. That was just so typical of Edward; at least it had been so since the past few months, ever since 'it' had happened, 'it' being the famous Forks debacle, as I had started to refer to it as. It had been a debacle, no point in calling it anything other than that.

But, the point that went over my head, my mind simply unable to comprehend, was of how Edward could still be so unwilling to move past it. It had been months now, for heaven's sake. Bella would have probably even started seeing another nameless human by now, as was it with humans. Edward was the old school one, not Bella. She would have moved past first base within weeks of meeting Edward, if only he would have cooperated. Humans, and especially teenagers, had needs…..something Edward simply refused to pay heed to.

Edward suddenly turned to glare at me, of course being on the receiving end of my- oh so wonderful- thoughts. Why did he even listen onto my thoughts if he didn't like them, I had no idea. For Edward, Bella was another name for a mirage of perfection. In his mind, Bella simply couldn't do any wrong. He had placed her on a pedestal up so high, that no one could even reach her shadow now. In a way, he had made her image as that of an angel dropped down from heaven, perfect in every way with no imperfections such as lust, desire and jealously marring her soul. He refused to accept Bella's flaws- which obviously she had, considering she was just a mere human. We, immortals, were the ones gifted with perfection. Humans couldn't come close to that, no matter what Edward believed to be true in his thick head.

"She was your best friend," Edward glared at me. Of course nobody could think any less than desirable about the Ms. Perfect in his eyes. It was a pity, really. She wasn't that good looking…. was she?

"It was not about her looks. I mean, of course no one can compare to her in looks, but it was her personality." He made gooey eyes at me. "She was smart, sweet, caring, kind….."

A list of puke-worthy adjectives popped out of his mouth, making me roll my eyes in annoyance. Yes, her personality was sure worth mentioning, if the personality of a doormat could even be spoken about.

Uh! She was so annoying, grabbing his attention even when she wasn't here in physicality. Of course it really didn't matter, because she was all Edward could even think about.

Why couldn't he just look at me for once? I have….

Oops! I changed my train of thought almost instantly, hiding my real thoughts behind a wall of superficial thoughts, the way I had mastered several decades ago. Edward could only read the base level thoughts, and as vampires we had the capacity to think several hundred thoughts at the same time, quite an advantage, to be honest.

Anyway, hiding my thoughts at the moment was more of a necessity than luxury, as Edward couldn't- and shouldn't- find out about what was currently going through my mind. It was a matter of the past, no advantage or need in bringing it up again. The fact that I just couldn't move past his rejection, thinking back- so often- to a conversation that had happened decades back, was truly embarrassing. I had a mate back home; it would do me good to remember that. If only I had been unmated or at least unconsummated when I had met Edward for the first time, things would have been so, so different…..

I sighed internally. No purpose in thinking about things that can't be changed, but only if…..

Edward, the rigid being that he was, simply couldn't accept a girl who was not a virgin, which I had not been when we had met for the first time, and no matter how much I tried to convince him of my real feelings for him- I loved him- from the first time I had had a proper conversation with him- more than anybody could love anyone….more than I loved my own self, and that was saying something- he simply refused to pay any attention to it, and to me. For him, I was just his sister, his little sister who had lost her damn mind and couldn't see the reality of the situation. I would leave Jasper within seconds, if only Edward would have me. But…alas!

It was so fucking frustrating.

It was useless to even think about it. He would never be mine; I had tried so many times over the years to forget him and move on….. but I just couldn't let go of him.

"Why do you hate Bella so much?" he scowled at me. "What could anyone have against her?"

I rolled my eyes. Surely no one could have any reason to dislike Ms. angelically wonderful Bella Swan. She was flawless reincarnated. Jeez, now I sound like that whiny human- Jessica, who was jealous of any competition to her own self.

Oh, how low have I fallen!

I should just find a fire pit to throw myself in!

Anyway, I had tried to be sweet to Bella at first, accepting her as a distraction for my Edward…no, not mine. Jasper was, sadly, mine, not Edward. She was a new toy, and Edward had never found a new toy as interestingly captivating as her. He fell for her charms in the first go, her scent telling every immortal in the surrounding of the virgin blood that ran in her bones. She was pure, unlike me. I should have hated her for that very fact, but how could I? Edward was mesmerized by her. He wanted to know everything about her…needed to know everything about her. The fact that he couldn't read her mind was an added bonus for him, making her even more interesting in his eyes. She was a difficult puzzle, and Edward loved puzzles. He had always loved puzzles and mysteries. The others- those whose mind he could read- were like a boring lecture that never ended in comparison to her highness- Bella Swan.

And that was when I had decided that I needed to become close to her, in a way to be close to Edward. Edward was enamored by her, and was willing to do anything and everything for her happiness, even if exposing our family was what it took. It was simple. She could easily come in between me and my Edward, turning him against me and taking him away from me, and what is that famous saying- keep your friends close and enemies closer….so that is exactly what I did. By being her best friend- that silly, gullible girl, I had an in, in every conversation that they had. Bella would tell me everything, oh so happily, assuming me to be her well wisher. If only she knew! I had to keep her away from my Edward. He was too good for that brainless human. I had to show him the mirror. We could be so perfect together….

I tried. I tried so very hard to get rid of her. Her virginity status was what affected me the most. She was pure in Edward's eyes, giving her that added benefit over me, and I, Alice Cullen, hate losing. I believed in one thing over everything else- everything is fair in love and war, and I always win, no matter what it takes to win.

The Port Angeles incident had been so well planned, you would not believe it. Of course I had known that Bella would have been attacked while there. I had seen a vision as clear as daylight about it, luckily while Edward was out hunting. She would not have been killed, though, unfortunately would have survived and moved away to live with her mother….which suited me just fine. Edward would have forgotten about her with time, and things would have gone back to normal, but no, Edward had to follow that careless moron to Port Angeles, telling her the truth about us that very night.

Still, I did not give up. I made sure to get myself in her good books, convincing Edward of how I only wanted happiness for him, which was true. I did want him to be happy, but by my side, not anyone else's.

I have never been good with sharing what was mine.

James, that sadistic creature from hell, he did not even know what a favor he had done for me when he had approached us on that windy day in the baseball field. That had again been a coincidence, but a lucky coincidence, I would say, that had the capacity to do wonders for me. It was simple. I just had to lead Bella into the trap set for her, and my job would be done and so, I had been quick to volunteer myself and Jasper as protectors of Bella when the family was discussing the plan ahead. Jasper- my sweet, loving husband- did not even suspect a thing. He was a saint, a naïve saint who loved me more than words could describe. I was the owner of his heart, his power telling him exactly what I wanted him to know, making him believe that I loved him, and only him, and had a several other positive qualities about me. I had made it so, emotionally manipulating him enough, that he would never even come close to suspecting me, believing with every inch of his soul that I wasn't ever capable of doing anything bad. His trust in me, though, had never come to question in all these decades, quite a victory for me.

Anyway, I had even left the two of them- the burdens of my life- alone in that hotel room in Arizona, laughing at the possibility of my husband draining my best friend accidently, but how was I to know that suddenly the monster in Jasper would pave way for a vampire who had enough control over his bloodlust?

It was just so annoying of how he had managed to control himself. I had been ecstatic on the idea that my problem would have been solved by the time I walked back into that room- after running out on the brief excuse that I had some urgent work that needed to be attended to, but fuck if things happened that easily for me.

But, I had not given up. I never gave up. I made sure that Bella got the chance to escape from under our watch, distracting Jasper into giving her the perfect opportunity to run. It was the perfect plan for me. James would kill her, leaving not even a chance of survival…and, as expected, my plan failed, once again. What was with that girl? How could she manage to foil every plan of mine?

Somehow the rest of the family reached the spot, and I had to pretend as if I really cared of what happened to that stupid human.

As if!

The summer that went by had been torturous, to say the least, starting with my efforts of taking care of her and helping her in bathing. I would rather strangle her neck than help her out, but Edward insisted on my helping her, just like he insisted on taking her to prom.

She did not even want to go to prom, but no. When does Edward listen to anyone other than himself? I was forced to buy that thoroughly expensive dress, combining it with accessories and shoes that the human would never even be able to afford for in her entire life, even if she were to work overtime for the rest of her life. But Edward was happy, and I loved seeing him happy, and so I complied, grumbling with simply myself.

But I always knew that her end was near. Dead or just out of our lives really did not matter. I cared more about the outcome than the route we passed through to reach there.

Planning her birthday party had not been difficult. Manipulating Edward was easier than he thought it to be, and one pleading filled pout had done its desired job. But the vision that had accompanied that decision of mine had got me jumping in joy all over the place- Jasper was going to lose control and would end up draining Bella.

I know I know that it was evil of me. He is my legally wedded husband, and cares about me, and loves me, and blah…blah….blah…

Know it all and heard it all, after all Charlotte Whitlock did know the truth about me. I don't know how she had found out- being the only one to realize this, considering her gift of reading bonds had not been that powerful. She could simply figure out who the mated pairs in the room were and Edward and I were obviously not mated, but somehow she had known the truth. She had confronted me all those decades back when she and that disgusting, annoying mate of hers had visited, taking advantage of the fact that the rest of them were out hunting. She had tried explaining it to me, sympathizing with me, soon moving over to threatening me into either ending it with Jasper or leaving Edward to his own means. You cannot travel in two boats at the same time, she had growled at me, and while I had tried defending myself at first, I had started to laugh by the end of it. The both of us knew that Jasper would believe me, over her. Her words would simply fall over deaf ears, ending the friendship that Jasper shared with Peter. It was as convenient as that, but why she had never told her mate of this, I had no idea. Maybe she knew that Peter would blabber it out to Jasper, bringing the inevitable to the present. Either way, Charlotte Whitlock soon turned to ash, not like it made any difference to my life. I would say good riddance.

Coming back to the topic, I had made sure that Jasper did not get to feed on the day of her eighteenth birthday. He was thirsty, I knew it, not quite the level that would make him pounce and drain a human within seconds, but it would have been safer for him to feed. Yet, I kept him engrossed in decorating the house, kissing him every time he complained. After all, I did have to pretend to be the caring best friend to the silly human. But that was not enough for him to lose control. I had learnt from the hotel room incident in Arizona, and so I kept thinking of my own bloodlust the entire evening, fortunately Edward was with Bella and so could not read my thoughts, making it so that Jasper was already thirsty by the time the party began, feeling my immense bloodlust over his own. But he would never blame me for it, being the loving husband that he was.

I was so lucky, wasn't I?

It had all been going according to my plan when Emmett managed to restrain Jasper- Damn you, Emmett! But no worries, I had plan B, and that plan worked magically.

I simply had to convince Edward about the risks of keeping Bella human around a coven of vampires and he was ready to pack his bags and leave, dumping her to rot in hell. Though, what I had not expected was for him to move away from the family…. to move away from me.

How could he do that to me?

We were supposed to be together….forever.

I had waited for months, expecting him to come back home, but he did not come back- being the stubborn lovesick fool that he was.

Finally I had caught an opportunity when I had seen a vision of him slipping and draining a human, and had made up the excuse of Edward needing someone to care for him. It had worked…. so no regrets there.

Now, only if he would see what was right in front of him….

"I have made my decision." Edward announced suddenly, as a canvas of images started floating in my head.

No! Oh No!

This could not happen to me.

"You are going back to her." My eyes widened in fear.

No. He was supposed to be mine. How could Bella Swan destroy this for me?

She was not even here to destroy it for me. How far did I have to take my Edward in order for him to see that I was the one for him, and not her?

I should have just killed that puny human when I had the chance to do so.

I could have always blamed it on my slipping and draining her accidently. It could have worked.

"Yes," Edward nodded his head, determination clear in his voice. "I love her. I need her in my life. She was the best thing to ever happen to me."

"No…No…No," I shouted at him, letting go of every thought that told me to keep calm. I could not keep my composure in a time like this, no matter how unwomanly it looked.

"She was never your mate." I opposed him. "You need someone better suited for you…more mature and well versed with our world. She is just a human, a human who you dazzled so frequently."

Seriously, he dazzled her on every small or big thing!

It was clear that he never saw her as his mate.

"I was wrong." He frowned. "She was the best thing to happen to me and I treated her like a toy that I could throw away when bored, but not any longer. I want her as my mate. I will take her as my mate as soon as we go back. I have made up my mind."

No. This could not happen to me.

I could see it as clear as day, the pictures swimming in my mind. Edward would never be mine if he walked upon this road. I had to stop it. I had to do something to stop it.

"But you wanted her to remain human, think about her soul." I protested loudly. "You cannot be that monster, Edward."

He sighed, looking at his lap, pain visible in his eyes. "I wish I could keep her human, Alice, but I can't stay away from her any longer. I need her in my life. I give up."

"You can't give up." I screamed at him. I wanted to pull my hair out in desperation. He had to keep fighting this….this whatever he felt for Bella… that was the only way out. "Try harder. You can do this. Think about Charlie and Renee. Bella can get married. She can grow old. She can have children."

It would have been a compelling argument, if only it had been said with a good intention in mind, but he didn't need to know that.

Ignorance is bliss, I would say.

He shook his head. "I am going to Forks. I am going to get my Bella back. I can't keep myself away from her any longer. If she doesn't want me back….I will cross that bridge when I come to it."

No. This cannot happen to me.

I won't let it happen to me.

I shut my eyes, willing myself to have a vision based on his decision. I needed to know what was going to be Bella's reaction on seeing Edward back in Forks.

I could see Edward walking towards the Swan house in the dark of the night- twenty four hours from now, the light was shut, surprisingly, and the house almost looked empty- which was strange. Edward would jump in through the window, entering Bella's room only to find it empty. The entire house was empty, in fact. They were gone.

"Where is she, Alice?" Edward shook me back to reality. "Where is my mate?"

I frowned at him. She was not his mate. She never would be his mate.

"I don't know." I glared at him.

Neither did I care to know of where she went. She could relocate to Timbuktu, for all I cared.

"Okay," he ran an agitated hand through his hair. "I have made the decision to ask the residents of Forks of where Chief Swan and Bella are."

I sighed, shutting my eyes, forcing myself to see another vision. I wish I could lie about this, but Edward would know by reading my mind. My visions always came in the forefront of my mind, uncontrollably, and so could not be hidden if he was in sight.

I could see Edward talking to Mike Newton and Jessica Stanley in the parking lot of the high school. Gosh! They were so annoying. Just their faces grated at my nerves. Apparently, they did not have any answers for Edward. They did not know where Chief Swan and Bella were, and shockingly, even Angela Weber was missing. She had last been seen with Bella. The local police enforcement was trying to find the three missing people, but they were having no luck.

I couldn't hear any voices in my visions, unfortunately, but I had become a master at lip reading over the decades. The only criterion- and sometimes limitation- being, that I needed to have the person facing the invisible camera in my vision. If they were looking elsewhere, I could not tell what they were talking about.

"No," Edward fell to the ground, dramatically so. "This is my fault. I shouldn't have left her. No one knows where she is. Alice, will I find her?"

He looked so heartbroken and desperate, my already dead heart once again shattered in metaphorical pieces.

"Let me try," I shut my eyes, trying to get a vision on it.

.

.

.

I pushed myself again and again to see something of importance, but I couldn't see anything. There was just mere blackness in front of my eyes. Blackness that told me that….Bella Swan was probably dead….

I could not find her. Edward would never find her, at least my vision hinted towards this.

I wanted to scream and laugh in joy. The bitch was dead, but one look at Edward and I simmered down.

He was sobbing, dry sobbing as we couldn't really cry, but the intention behind the action mattered more than the simple action.

"It is my fault that she is dead. I killed her."

"It is hardly your fault, Edward." I whispered to him.

I tried searching for Angela Weber and Chief Swan, but I couldn't see either. Of course I had never clearly been able to see Charlie before, and so that could be a reason.

"Can you see anything in Bella's future?" he pleaded with me, looking like a lost boy instead of a grown man.

I sighed, nodding my head, shutting my eyes to find the answer for him. I could not see him in pain or sadness, and he was experiencing both at the moment.

I shook my head a minute later. Whenever I tried to see Bella's future, all I could see was a carpet of blackness. She was dead, that was the most probable conclusion. Why else wouldn't I be able to see her future?

My power has never been faulty before.

"I am sorry, Edward." I whispered, half sad and half jumping in happiness on the inside.

He would finally be mine. The hurdle of my way was gone. She was dead, and Edward would be mine, for eternity.

Of course I would still have to deal with Jasper, but he would accept it. He would have no choice but to accept it. I could always blame him and his monstrous past as a reason for our separation.

Edward sighed, getting up from his crouch. "I can't stay here. She is dead because of me. I shouldn't have ever left her."

"I completely agree with you, Edward." I nodded my head. "We need to go home. The entire family is waiting for us to come back. You know how Esme gets when you are away. Carlisle has to force her to hunt at times, even Carlisle is no better, to be honest, he is taking far too many leaves from the hospital these days. But…."

"I am not coming home." he interrupted my ramblings. "I don't deserve to live in a world where Bella doesn't exist."

My eyes widened in fear and disbelief, his decision coming in front of my eyes.

"No," I screamed in fear.

"Don't try to follow me. My decision will not change." He said before starting to run in the opposite direction.

I fell to my knees, the shock of what was going to happen heavy in my mind. This was not supposed to happen. How could this happen to me?

He was going to Volterra to ask for death.

Now what was I supposed to do? How was I supposed to stop him from killing himself?

I wanted to cry, if only the tears would fall.

Charlie's POV-

I fell to my couch, the weight of the conversation that I had just had ringing through my ears. My daughter had been kidnapped, not by anyone else, but by the leaders of the Vampire kind. She had forcibly been taken to Italy- a small town in there named Volterra, Angela Weber, too, kidnapped with her.

I felt as if I was still in shock, unable to comprehend all that Peter had just told me. He had called me up- a few minutes back- his voice serious for once as he relayed to me all that had happened in Seattle. They had been distracted by Victoria's scent, the girls left unprotected for a few rare minutes, a few rare minutes that had led to them being taken away.

I sighed, a tear starting to fall down my eyes. I was supposed to protect my daughter, but she had been taken, taken to a place far darker than even the scariest nightmare.

How was I supposed to bring her back from there?

Would I even see her again ever?

I just want my daughter back, at any cost and in any way.

"Charlie, are you still there?" Peter's voice rang out from the phone, his worried voice bringing me back to the present.

"I am here." I quickly picked up my phone from where I had thrown it, it slipping through my hand on receiving the shocking news.

Peter sighed heavily. "Jasper, Riley and I are going to Italy. I don't know what will happen there. I will not lie to you, but if I can, I will keep you updated."

I took my head in my hands in misery and helplessness, remembering something important at the last moment. "Who is Riley?"

I didn't know anyone named Riley, or that Peter and Jasper had a third named Riley.

"We met him over here, in Seattle. He is a newborn. He has agreed to come with us."

I nodded my head. I knew that three against…several, gave them no real chance of winning, but at least they had someone else with them.

That reminds me….

"I am coming with you."

"What? No." Peter shrieked on the phone. "We are going to rescue them, Charlie, not add to the danger. You will be safe in Forks."

"Peter, you had promised to let me be with my daughter."

He hadn't exactly said the same words, but he was going to change me to spend an eternity in the presence of my daughter. That was good enough for me.

"But Charlie," he sighed.

"Look, we are already in a shit storm. It really won't make much of a difference," I put forward my point, "And didn't you say that one of the leaders could read minds, he will know within seconds that I know your secret, so I would say I am safer with you than at home alone."

"I guess," he sighed, pausing for a few minutes. "Okay fine. You can come with us."

I gave out a small smile, despite being in the situation we were in.

"Can you come to Seattle as soon as possible?" he asked. "Jasper has booked us all flight tickets. Riley has gone to feed so that he can survive the crowded flight."

I nodded my head in agreement.

"Peter," I asked; a question in my mind, "Will we be coming back?"

Would I ever get to see this house again? I had no loyalties to it as such, I was never one for materialistic things, but I had lived in here for all my life, and while I had known that I was going to have to leave this life of mine behind someday, I had really not been prepared for that someday to become today.

"Charlie," he sighed, "Even if we survive, no."

I shut my eyes. At least he had ripped the band-aid in one go.

"Okay," I grunted. "I will meet you by the airport."

He gave his agreement, disconnecting the line.

I sighed to myself, remembering where I had kept my passport. I would need it.

I had planned to become a vampire, but never in this way, still I felt luckier that the Weber's. They wouldn't even know what happened to their daughter…..

But I guess plans don't always work out the way we want them to, and like it or not, I was going to Volterra, Italy.