A couple weeks later, we all felt that I was ready. Alice, Esme, and Rosalie took me shopping with them at a large mall in Seattle to prove that I could handle being around humans. I had to hold my breath a few times, but it was alright.

I also had to wear either brown contacts or sunglasses to hide my red eyes, but that was easy enough.

Alice had spent weeks searching her visions and the futures of each Volturi member she could get a read on. There was still a lot of uncertainty. There was a chance I'd be imprisoned along with Edward.

They would definitely ask me to join the guard and try to talk him into it again as well. She also said there was a chance that Edward might panic and do something dangerous if he thought I were in danger, so this is the possibility that I worried about the most.

"Carlisle, would you happen to know any other mind readers like Edward?"

"I'm afraid not, Bella. But what are you thinking?"

"Eleazar said that I might be able to remove my shield, temporarily. He said this would let Edward and others with powers like him in. I was wondering if I could let him read my thoughts when I arrive, so he doesn't flip out. But there isn't a way to test if I'm truly removing my shield."

"There is." Kate said, holding her hand up menacingly. I didn't hesitate to agree to her testing, glad to bear the pain if it meant saving Edward.

The family didn't want me to go and risk imprisonment myself, but they knew they would have to let me go. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't at least try to save Edward.

After much deliberation, Emmett decided to go with me. Carlisle said that Edward was likely to be really fragile after months of constant mental torture and not hunting. I could use Emmett's strength to help me get him home. Jasper also correctly added that the last thing Edward or I would want to deal with would be driving or travel arrangements once we were reunited. We booked a flight and sat up all night as a family discussing plans and backup plans.

Carlisle made sure that I had a Cullen credit card for anything we might need now that I was one of the family. He also insisted on getting me a new cell phone so I would have access to the best GPS if needed. Emmett hated to leave Rosalie behind, but he didn't want her to face the Volturi. I promised her I would do everything possible to get us all home safe, and if not all of us, at least Emmett.

We flew as close to Volterra as possible and then rented a car. He tried his best to keep us entertained with jokes and silly music, but we were both extremely nervous. Sometimes, when I would lose myself in thought, he would squeeze my hand and try to reassure me.

During the flight, he would point to people and whisper their secrets to me from his enhanced hearing and smelling. "That guy's a smoker. That guy smokes more than just cigarettes, he reeks. That girl over there just farted and she's hoping no one knew it was her." I couldn't help but laugh at him and he knew it. He was the best big brother I could ask for. He not only did his best to keep me calm, but to keep me distracted from the burning in my throat from the humans as well.

We decided that Emmett would wait outside of the castle and keep the car running for a quick getaway if they let us go, so they couldn't as easily change their mind. This would keep him from taking unnecessary risks and keep me from provoking the Volturi too much. Alice told me that it would be best if I arrived alone into their chamber. She also told me to show up a few hours after their usual feeding time, so they would be relaxed and not already on edge. Here goes nothing.