A/N: This is New Moon through mid-Eclipse from Edward's perspective. These characters are not mine and all belong to Stephenie Meyer. This is her story and much of her dialogue wrapped in my interpretation of Edward's narration.

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Volterra II: Alive (New Moon)

"Amazing. Carlisle was right."

Bella was here - in my arms - and I was falling. I was still falling. But this falling was so different. I could see forever in her bright clear eyes and I knew I'd never be able to fathom its endlessness.

Forever. Our old troubles irrelevant now.

Bella's fingers tightened where she gripped the tops of my arms. "Edward." The sound was the faintest breath. "You've got to get back into the shadows. You have to move!"

Back into the shadows? She wasn't making sense. She hadn't fully processed it yet.

Neither had I.

I carefully brushed her cheek with my fingertips. She was still very soft. And her beauty... it was overwhelming.

She pressed her body closer to mine and the loveliness of it, fitting perfectly against me, was a welcomed sensation. The motions of her heart moved through me and I could feel my heart again. How strange, that she would still have a beating heart.

I wondered, too, why her clothes were wet.

Somewhere above me, a bell chimed. It reminded me of the clock tower back in the plaza.

"I can't believe how quick it was," I mused. "I didn't feel a thing - they're very good." I wondered which of the demons had done it. Demetri? Felix? Whoever it was, I wished him good fortune.

I closed my eyes and kissed the top of her head, breathing in fire. My body felt very much the same, but my evil had been stripped from it. No longer did the monster lurk inside me. As the flames licked at my throat, my muscles were loose and limber, my venom was no more.

"Death, that hath sucked the honey of thy breath, hath had no power yet upon thy beauty." I spoke Romeo's line into her hair as the bell chimed again. "You smell just exactly the same as always," I teased her, "so maybe this is hell. I don't care. I'll take it - "

"I'm not dead," she told me impatiently. "And neither are you! Please, Edward, we have to move. They can't be far away!"

What was this? My brow wrinkled in confusion. Had she already found trouble in this new realm? Of course she had. The idea was mildly amusing. Uninteresting beside her exquisite flushed face, her heavy hair, her thrumming pulse... But I didn't want her to be distressed. I would try to make it better.

"What was that?"

"We're not dead, not yet!" Clearly she was taking death harder than I was. "But we have to get out of here before the Volturi - "

Aha!

We have the breach...

Their thoughts cut through as the word left her mouth. A word you had to be suicidal to utter on the streets of Volterra. And we were, it seemed, on the streets of Volterra.

Is that the one? The one that's supposed to be dead?

Did he seriously not check her pulse before he marched in here and threw his tantrum?

Moron.

Yes, the simultaneous thoughts of the guard confirmed my reality. My idiocy. But I would have to process the depths of it later because Demetri and Felix swooped in immediately.

Before Bella could say another word, I spun her into place between my back and the wall and took up a defensive stance in front of her.

They approached from the deep shadows of the alleyway, donning their gray cloaks, hoods raised.

"Greetings, gentleman," I said, my tone amiable.

Felix raised his eyebrows, taken aback by my new demeanor. He hadn't thought I was capable of being pleasant, not that it much mattered to him.

"I don't think I'll be requiring your services today," I went on casually. "I would appreciate it very much, however, if you would send my thanks to your masters."

She was alive. She was behind me and she was alive. How? How was she here? How did she know where to find me?

Oh, dear god - I'd managed to lure her into the heart of Volterra without even trying. She was alive, but for how long? I truly was a special sort of evil.

But still, how?

Rosalie.

Had she set up the boy at the house to take my call? I very much hoped we lived through this. I hoped we lived through this so I could rip Rosalie's ice cold heart from her chest and crush it under my foot before her very eyes. It would be the last thing she ever saw...

My anger and panic were very real in that moment, but they were losing their power in light of something else.

Time.

I'd been given more time with her... my prayers had been answered. In the sickest way, sure. But time was time, wasn't it?

And there was something else. The monster really did seem to be dead. While Felix and Demetri swallowed back their venom, my mouth was dry.

Or maybe I was getting ahead of myself. Perhaps the monster was only dormant. I would be on guard for those reactions to return.

"Shall we take this conversation to a more appropriate venue?" Felix took great pleasure in my predicament. He would have enjoyed killing me before, but the destruction would be so much sweeter now that I had fight in me. He was so much like Emmett. Emmett's evil, sadistic twin.

"I don't believe that will be necessary." My tone was unfriendly now.

All the better. Keep resisting, little Romeo.

"I know your instructions Felix. I haven't broken any rules."

That was a stretch.

Demetri eyed Felix nervously. Aro will have his head if he damages his new prize. Maybe mine, too. "Felix merely meant to point out the proximity of the sun," he interjected, trying to pacify me. "Let us seek better cover." You know Aro does not wish to destroy you, Edward.

Perhaps he'd spare me, but I knew Bella's fate if we were drawn into their lair.

"I'll be right behind you," I agreed with sarcastic cheer. "Bella, why don't you go back to the square and enjoy the festival."

Bella's heartrate jumped at the suggestion. Her instinct was right - she'd still be in danger there; I could hear other members of the guard strategizing how they'd retrieve her from the sunbathed plaza if she was smart enough to stay within its light.

"No, bring the girl," Felix purred. A lovely little thing. Delicious... Inhaling deeply, his eyes roamed up and down the little he could see of her body.

My words were laced with the promise of violence. "I don't think so."

I knew how to fight Felix. He thought like Emmett did - an overdependence on strength and size. Demetri seemed to have more skill and precision. Even as he tried not to think of physically restraining me, his strategizing filtered through. Certainly he was a great fighter, but I doubted he could compare with Jasper who I could hold my own against.

The thing was, I'd never tried to fight both Jasper and Emmett.

Well, running with her wasn't going to work. They were too close. I shifted my weight, a plan in mind.

"No," Bella uttered under breath.

"Shh." I needed my full concentration. Needed her to draw no more attention to herself than necessary.

God, I couldn't believe she was really here. The joy. The horror. This was the last place on earth I would ever bring her to. The very last place. And she'd brought herself here, clearly knowing, understanding to some extent what she'd gotten herself into. She still cared enough for me to put her life on the line to save me...

Bella didn't hate me.

It was so wrong that, as the world was about to cave in again, I was floating.

But I needed to concentrate. I was getting sidetracked.

"Felix. Not here." Demetri guessed correctly I wasn't reacting to nothing. He knew Felix could be trigger happy. He turned to me. "Aro would simply like to speak with you again, if you have decided not to force our hand after all."

"Certainly. But the girl goes free." I felt sick at the idea of her walking away from me. For one, I'd have to trust their word that they wouldn't harm her - if they would even give me that - and second, I quite literally wanted to chain myself to her body and never be apart from her again.

Demetri grimaced apologetically. "I'm afraid that's not possible. We do have rules to obey." Perhaps Aro would grant you a few hours with her -

"Then I'm afraid that I'll be unable to accept Aro's invitation, Demetri."

Felix's chest swelled with smug anticipation. "That's just fine."

"Aro will be disappointed." Demetri pursed his lips, stressed.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm sure he'll survive the letdown."

Demetri subtly flicked his fingers. A signal.

Felix smirked as he and Demetri prowled closer to the mouth of the alley.

I'm going to miss your cute remarks, Felix jibed.

Demetri worked his way in front of me, planning to slide himself in the narrow space between the sunlight and my hand. Felix was right beside him, blocking me from darting past Demetri with the goal of forcing me deeper down the passageway and away from concerned human eyes.

I held my ground, spinning a new strategy that would take advantage of their proximity. It wasn't promising.

...couldn't turn off the snark for two seconds? Jeez, Edward...

Oh.

Alice.

I whipped my head in the direction of her voice. Felix and Demetri followed my gaze.

...how about trying to buy some time? Pretend to negotiate? I don't know. Something besides getting your hackles up. You used to have a poker face. But of course, I know you've completely lost your mind, so I really shouldn't have set my expectations so high...

I'd missed her.

"Let's behave ourselves, shall we?" she chided us. "There are ladies present."

She danced to a stop at my side. I had to fight to keep the grin off my face. We weren't out of the woods yet, but her stance was casual, comfortable and it made Felix and Demetri wary of her potential.

She must be the fortune teller. Alice...

Damnit, Felix moaned.

Ah. Aro had thought of what I had not. That Alice would be watching. That Alice, a bigger fish than myself, would be drawn to the bait. Aro just had to delay me long enough, and maybe...

Jasper would have my throat if we survived this.

At least their instructions were even firmer on this front. No one was to harm a hair on Alice's head.

Maybe Aro would grant her a request - let her go free with Bella. I knew from Carlisle that it was often Aro's way to wait patiently for the gifted to choose to join him. Yet, it seemed Alice had no intention of leaving without me.

I brought you your Bella, Alice thought brusquely. I saw nothing else would appease you. I told you so, by the way. At the same time she reprimanded me, she watched the future spin under Demetri and Felix's problem solving.

"We're not alone," she pointed out, trying to curb some of the bolder options they were considering.

Demetri watched a spectator, concerned by the obvious defensiveness of my pose, tap a red-blazered officer on the shoulder.

This is a nightmare. Shaking his head, Demetri insisted, "Please, Edward, let's be reasonable."

"Let's," I said calmly. "And we'll leave quietly now, with no one the wiser."

Oh, sure, just run along now. Felix snorted quietly.

Six officers peered at us now. Not so different from the Volturi, they too, did not want a scene that would tarnish their city's impeccable crime record. It caused them to hesitate.

Demetri groaned. "At least let us discuss this more privately." We have spaces throughout the city apart from headquarters you may find less threatening. We could go there...

But Alice could see these spaces were traps.

My jaw clenched. "No."

And so, we've exhausted all diplomatic options.

Felix grinned. Alice watched a flash of his imminent attack and then it vanished, replaced by something much worse.

"Enough." Jane approached us slowly, her features set in a bored mask. Too easy, she thought as I dropped my arms and straightened.

Demetri and Felix relaxed.

Which one is this? Alice wondered, though she had a suspicion given our reactions. She could see us following the little vampire back to the lair. They wouldn't take me to the library this time.

"Jane," I sighed, as if in reluctant greeting.

Well, fuck. Alice folded her arms over her chest. Her mind started racing through the possibilities.

"Follow me," Jane ordered.

Hope you enjoyed your time near the sun. Felix gestured us forward ahead of him, smirking. I don't think you'll be seeing it again.

Alice obeyed at once. As I turned to pull Bella against my side, I saw her face and was struck with another powerful blow of disbelief that she was really here. A strong sense of relief clashed with the present moment. With her warm body tucked against mine, her scent singeing my throat, we existed in a brief, fragile moment that was the eye of the storm. This was it. One more hour. The one I had begged for. Surely it was the devil who had granted it.

As we followed Jane down the sloping alleyway, Bella looked up at me with fearful, questioning eyes.

I could imagine her questions. Probably among them was, How could you be so stupid, Edward? At least that seemed to be a favorite of Alice's at the moment. But we needed to be very careful what we said now. I shook my head, discouraging Bella from voicing anything that might further condemn us.

And from Alice's estimation, we were quite likely - an eighty-six percent chance, she decided - condemned. She tried to push away visions of Jasper's disturbing and reckless vengeance. It wasn't helping her see a way out of this.

She was very focused. It really wasn't wise to interrupt her, but with the odds as they were, I had to know what the hell happened while I still had the capacity to ask. Maybe then I could believe this was real.

"Well, Alice," I began conversationally, glancing at her where she walked on Bella's other side, "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised to see you here."

"It was my mistake," she responded, her pleasant voice in sharp contrast with the tenor of her thoughts. "It was my job to set it right." But still, for you to overreact to such a degree with so little evidence. I suppose I should have anticipated you would be that stupid. Do you see what you've done to Esme? Carlisle? Emmett, even? She thrust the painful images at me as she continued to rant.

She hadn't really answered my question, though. At risk of further provoking her, I asked, keeping up my polite yet uninterested tone, "What happened?"

"It's a long story." Turns out you're not the only stupid one. She cast a quick glare at Bella. "In summary, she did jump off a cliff, but she wasn't trying to kill herself. Bella's all about extreme sports these days."

Bella flushed, her expression that of one braced for something unpleasant, as Alice rushed through what was indeed a very long story... and clearly just the surface of an even longer story.

I saw her jump.

It was eerily similar, what Alice had seen, to my own hideous vision of the incident. Bella smiling, her face lifted to the rain in exaltation. A scream of celebration, jumping from her precarious perch.

But there was one major difference - at the base of her cliff was the ocean. A landing that was forgiving, but only just, with its turbulent, stormy waters. A human would have to be stupid - or suicidal - to find the conditions agreeable.

I watched for her to come up, but she never did. I told them not to tell you - I knew what you would do, but I didn't give them the whole story - and I raced to get to Charlie. I could see he wasn't doing well. I could see him making funeral arrangements...

Well, they weren't for Bella, because guess who shows up at Charlie's house? Guess who I don't see coming? It's Bella claiming she jumped off the cliff for fun. Bella smelling something rotten, but fairly intact given what you left her to deal with. And ohhh Edward, did you leave her with a shit pile.

You want to know why I didn't see her come up? Because guess whose back? She sang the question. The Quileute 'werewolves.' Yeah, I can't see them. And Bella's best friend Jacob Black, a weeks old wolf, fished her out. But wait, he didn't just save her from drowning, he and his pack got Laurent a second before he had our little Bella - who was out hiking in the middle of the fucking woods all by herself - for lunch.

And there's more. The tone of her thoughts changed. They were less cutting for a moment. Victoria. She's been trying to find her way through the wolves to get to Bella. Laurent was feeling chatty, apparently, and mentioned James was Victoria's mate. She wants Bella dead in revenge. She almost got her in the water when she jumped off that damn cliff.

But I didn't update the others about Bella - something flickered too quickly in her thoughts as she said this; something she clearly didn't want me to see - and then Rosalie decided to take things into her own hands... It was Charlie's friend's funeral that Jacob Black told you about.

"Hm." I could manage no more than that. It felt like something was strangling me. Victoria had been in Forks while I was off moping in dirty crawl spaces and talking to myself? And Laurent? I hadn't even anticipated that scum would crawl back into her life. And she was wandering in the woods by herself? And jumping off cliffs for fun? And her best friend was a volatile mutant canine with teeth sharp enough to cut through my own skin?

Her best friend... I was finally processing that bit. Digesting it.

Her best friend? Jacob Black was her best friend?

I remembered their easy chemistry at the dance. How he thought she was pretty. And the unwelcome image of the cluttered little house I'd imagined in La Push...

I tightened my arm around Bella's waist.

Jacob Black was her best friend. So what?

That was... fine. Convenient really. He'd saved her life. Protected her. Managed not to accidently kill or maim her.

Good. All good.

And if we got out of this, I would make my intentions very clear and he could bow out of her life in good grace, just as he had done at the dance.

It was all going to be fine. No one needed to get hurt.

So help me, Edward, Alice snapped, if you want to survive this stop putting visions of china patterns and floral arrangements in my head. I'm trying to concentrate.

She was right. We needed to focus so we could live through this. So we could get back to Forks where I would pledge my devotion to Bella. Seal my promise with the rarest, most precious stone I could find -

Dammit, Edward!

Right.

Ahead of us, the alley squared off in what looked like a dead end, but the location served as an entrance to the tunnels that lead to the Volturi's lair. Jane lifted the heavy round grate at her feet and slid it halfway to the side, opening up the drainage hole in the ground. She slipped through it.

Alice showed me that she would go first and successfully catch Bella. Jane, already moving away, would not take advantage. Nor would Felix or Demetri harm me when Alice had dropped into the lower level leaving me alone up top.

Bella lost the little color in her cheeks as she watched Alice disappear into the hole.

"It's all right, Bella," I assured her. "Alice will catch you."

Though Bella could not have looked less thrilled, without complaint she crouched down, swinging her legs into the small opening. I shuddered, the visual conjuring my nightmarish imaginings of her on a cliff's edge.

You scared to jump, too, little Romeo? Want Demetri to lower you down into my arms? He puckered his lips mockingly.

"Alice?" Bella whispered, quivering.

"I'm right here, Bella," Alice promised, her voice tender.

I gripped one of Bella's fragile wrists in each of my hands and lowered her as far as I could to shorten the distance she would fall.

"Ready?" I asked Alice for Bella's sake.

Loud enough that Bella could hear, Alice replied, "Drop her."

When Alice and Bella were clear, I followed.

I knew the deep colors of the passageway would be pitch blackness to Bella. A journey blind where she would not be able to perceive the monsters around her, but only have the terrifying knowledge that they were in fact there. Her heart and frightened breaths fluttered with this reality.

I pulled Bella against me, my body craving her warmth and the strumming of her pulse the way it had once craved her blood, and started forward. She responded immediately, wrapping both of her arms around my waist. She wanted to be close to me. My arms tightened, compensating for her clumsiness over the uneven stones beneath our feet.

Behind us Felix slid the grate home, dropping from his fingertips. He fell in line beside Demetri. They walked no less than a yard behind us. In combination with the moist, dripping walls, I felt claustrophobic and caged in. Our odds of escape felt smaller with every step we took.

Behind us Felix sighed impatiently.

Knowing Bella could not see, Jane flitted ahead at inhuman speed.

I continued at our human pace as running with Bella would be flaunting even further that she knew too much. But that was the lesser reason. More so, we needed time. Time for Alice to shift through the coming scenarios in her head.

Time for me to drown in all that was Bella.

I wanted so badly to kiss her - it was painful to have her in my arms knowing I might die before I got the chance - but it was no longer my place. I'd abandoned her. Intentionally hurt her...

Just because she did not hate me, did not mean she was mine.

But I blurred the line, pressing my face to her hair, stroking her lip - the soft give under my thumb sent an electric shock through my body. She did not pull away, but clutched me closer.

I only wished, though entirely undeserved, that she would respond with her own kisses and touches. Maybe she was too frightened. Or shy. Time apart was something different to humans. Fading memories meant people had to warm up to one another again. And we had an audience.

I tried very hard not consider other possible explanations. It was silly to worry about such things with so little time left.

But I really did wish she would kiss me back...

Felix watched our muted reunion with perverse gratification, imagining instead that it was his lips on her forehead. He fantasized his mouth skimming over her carotid next.

I stroked Bella's cheek again and again, willing her mind away from the looming horrors, so much worse than she could fathom.

Light filtered through a grate at the end of the passageway and I wondered if Bella could see some in the thinning darkness.

She trembled as we paced and at first I assumed it was from fear, but then I heard her teeth chatter.

Right. It was freezing in the subterranean tunnel. Her clothes were soaked and my skin was certainly doing her no favors.

I released her, keeping only her hand.

"N-n-no," she chattered. Her arms locked around me and, selfishly, I did not fight her.

Bella wanted me. At least I could die knowing that. And she would die knowing that I wanted her, too. It wasn't enough, but it was a better ending than the last.

Every little sound, every clang of a grate or gate along the way caused Bella to jump. It wasn't until we stepped through the next doorway, one that opened into a nondescript hallway lit by rectangular fluorescent panels along its ceiling, that Bella's shoulder's dropped from their rigid hunch. Vulnerable prey eased into complacency by the Volturi's wicked snares.

Alice and I tensed.

A/N: Up next... Aro meets Bella. The shorter chapters are more manageable for me right now, so sorry for the slow drip, but I'll try to keep the Vol. 1 updates coming. Next Vol. 2 update probably won't be until December - my attention has been on untangling the Volterra knot. Thanks for reading!