Bella POV

The week at Jake's somehow dragged and rushed at the same time. Now we were driving to meet the Cullens at home, and I was a nervous wreck for a million reasons. More than anything, I feared for the safety of my baby. I hadn't said a word to anyone about it, but I had already decided that if I had to, I would offer Aro my life in exchange for my baby's safety. I was the one who had gone against their rules. If they needed to punish me, then so be it, but my baby was innocent. I hoped they would at least allow that small bit of mercy if it came to that.

I was incredibly nervous about seeing Edward, too. I didn't want to have to act in front of him, and I was terrified that I would slip up and do something that contradicted the lie I had constructed for him, or that Jake would slip and Edward would pull the truth from his mind. It was imperative that we keep it a secret until after the Volturi was gone. I was incredibly anxious for everything to be over so I could come clean and beg for his forgiveness.

Jake drove in silence, and as we neared the turn off, he reached down and squeezed my hand. This was it. In a couple of hours, this would all be over one way or another.

"It's going to be okay," he reassured me. "I swear, I'm not going to let anyone hurt you."

I tried to smile, but my mouth didn't seem to work. We got out of the car and walked up the steps, and it felt so weird to be a guest in my own home. Jake opened the door without bothering to knock, and I took a deep breath before walking through. I could do this. I had to.

Everyone was standing around the living room, not bothering to sit and worry about making their behaviors seem human for once. I instinctively searched for Edward, then quickly looked away when we made eye contact.

"We have about an hour, maybe a little less," Alice said.

"Has anything changed?" I asked. She shook her head.

"No. Aro is bringing Felix and Demitri. They'll be coming straight here. We talked about trying to cut them off and meeting them sooner to keep them from coming here, but Carlisle thought it would set a calmer tone and show that we don't want any trouble if we welcome them into our home."

I nodded. That made sense.

"Should I go in another room at first or something so you can explain before he sees me?" I gestured down towards my conspicuous midsection and recalled Billy's reaction to seeing me walk in the room. There was no hiding it.

"No, I don't think so," Carlisle said. "We don't want to start on the wrong foot, and he's going to know soon enough anyway. I think it's best that we don't overplan this, given Aro's gifts."

I nodded again. There was an awkward silence that felt like it needed to be filled, but I had nothing to say that wouldn't lead to revealing too much.

Jasper started telling Jake about battle tactics he'd learned before he met the Cullens, and I took the opportunity to slip away and sit on a barstool at the edge of the kitchen, slightly away from the crowd in the living room. From there, I could still be on the outskirts of the group, but I wouldn't have to be so close to Edward, who was standing near my usual preferred seat on the couch. As I climbed onto the stool, I realized that if Aro came in the front door, he wouldn't be able to see my stomach over the counter. Maybe it would give us a chance to explain first after all.

I zoned out and let the rest of them banter back and forth with silly small talk nobody actually cared about. At some point, Jake grabbed my stool and slid me over, then put his own stool where I had been sitting and joined me. He grabbed my hand behind the counter, and it made me feel a little bit better. I could practically feel Edward's eyes on us, and when I looked up, I wasn't wrong. He looked away quickly.

"They're close," Alice finally said. The idle chatter stopped. "We've got about five minutes."

Jake squeezed my hand, and I squeezed back, hard. This was it.

Jacob POV

There was a knock at the door, which really caught me off guard. I don't know if I had been expecting them to break the door down and come in with fangs bared or what, but this whole friendly act just felt fake. Carlisle rushed to the door and swung it open, carefully stepping back and ushering them inside. His voice was warm, but I noticed that he didn't try to shake any of their hands.

"Aro, what a pleasant surprise," Carlisle said to the first bloodsucker that walked in. His long hair and cloak made him look old, even for a vampire, though he must have been in his 20s when he was turned. He was the smallest of the three, but there was an undeniable air of authority about him. I wondered if I would have felt the same way if I didn't know about his background and ability, and suddenly I was very glad I had warned the pack. He was flanked by two considerably taller dark-haired vampires. The one in the back was almost as tall as me, maybe even the same height.

"Demetri, Felix," Carlisle parroted as each one entered the house. I was inwardly grateful for Carlisle subtly telling me what I needed to know. Demetri was the shorter of the two, and Felix was the big one. If I got a chance to take one of them out, Demetri was going first.

Aro chuckled. "I see you've come equipped with jokes, Carlisle. Surely a little birdie told you of our plans?" He looked pointedly at Alice.

She laughed a high-pitched laugh that sounded fake even to me. "Can't get anything past you," she said. I struggled not to roll my eyes.

He inhaled deeply, and his eyes shot over towards Bella, then landed on me.

"Oh Bella, this certainly is not the reunion I had hoped for us," he said. "It's curious, though, that you should pair the best and worst smelling guests together, Carlisle. Have you acquired a new pet?"

I willed myself not to react to the insult.

"Jacob is a friend of ours, Aro. If you would join us in the living room, we'd like to tell you more about it."

Aro held up his hand to stop him. "I'm sorry, but it seems we have a more pressing matter at hand. We had a deal. One that was very gracious on my end, if I remember correctly. The Volturi are not in the habit of giving second chances, Bella. You make a mockery of our generosity by not honoring our agreement."

I got the distinct feeling that this pompous ass liked to hear himself talk. He turned his attention to Bella, and I felt her pull her hand out of my grasp.

"I'd like to explain if you don't mind, Aro" she said. "It's kind of a long story." Her voice squeaked as it came out and betrayed her nerves.

"Very well. I do love a good story, and it's hard to come by a decent tragedy these days."

Carlisle gestured to the sofa again, offering Aro a seat. Dumb and Dumber looked at him for confirmation, and he nodded once. They sat, and so did the rest of the Cullens. I noticed that Aro was careful to take the chair directly facing me and Bella.

All eyes were on Bella, and I wiped my sweaty palms on my shorts. I needed to keep a close eye on their reactions in case this started heading south.

"Jake here is my friend. I mean, we were best friends…at first." She paused and looked at Edward, and I could imagine how hard it must be for her to hurt him like this. "I fell in love with him. I never meant for it to happen, but it did. I tried to convince myself that we couldn't be together, that my home was here with the Cullens. I swear I had every intention of being turned and I came very close, but the truth is, when the moment came, all I could think about was Jacob. I couldn't go through with it."

I stole a glance at Edward, and he made no attempt to mask the obvious look of pain on his face.

"My, that is rather unfortunate for everyone, isn't it? Not exactly the long story you promised, though. If you're done, let's get on with this. Felix, Demetri." The three of them started to stand.

"Wait!" Bella called. "It's not the whole story." She turned to me and grabbed my hand. "Would you help me stand, please, Jake?"

There was no use arguing. Aro was going to find out when he used his freaky talent on someone soon enough anyway. I stood and carefully pulled Bella's stool back from the counter, then offered her my hand and helped her step down. She stepped forward about a foot and came out from behind the counter for the first time since the Volturi had arrived.

Aro audibly gasped and clapped his hands together, a look of glee on his face. What the fuck was that supposed to mean?

"What a plot twist this is!" he proclaimed. "Say no more. Your words are too slow to satisfy my curiosity. Edward, would you do me the honors?"

Edward stood and walked towards Aro, then held out his hand. I thought he was going to shake it, but Aro just awkwardly held it still and closed his eyes.

"I see." He said after a moment. "It seems you left out quite a few details, Bella. You would really attempt to raise a child in this house, as a vampire yourself?"

She looked down guiltily. Rosalie looked ready to argue, but Emmet laid his hand on her knee, and she seemed to think better of it.

"And Edward, I can see why she chose the dog over you. Such a betrayal as yours would be unforgivable. Bella, I offer my condolences for your loss. I had no idea."

I was confused. What betrayal was he referring to? It sounded like he was talking about something Edward had done to betray Bella, but this was news to me. I looked to my left and saw a similar look of confusion on Bella's face.

"What betrayal?" she asked.

"I'm sorry, Bella!" Alice blurted out, and I wondered if she had just seen what was about to unfold before the rest of us. Bella looked back and forth between Alice and Edward, clearly trying to understand whatever was going on just like I was.

"I have to admit, I never thought Alice would use her gift in such a calculating way. I daresay she would make an even more excellent addition to the Volturi than I imagined."

"Alice's gift? Your condolences…" Bella thought out loud trying to piece the puzzle together. I still didn't get it, but as I looked back at her, several things happened at once. The look on her face shifted from confusion, to shock and understanding, to rage, all in a matter of seconds. At the same time as her rage appeared, the room seemed to spin. My vision blurred around the edges, and everything around Bella went fuzzy. Was she making this happen? Was this the gift Aro had expected her to have as a vampire? I'd heard about people getting crazy adrenaline rushes in emergency situations and doing things that shouldn't have been possible, like lifting cars to save someone trapped underneath. Maybe Bella was somehow tapping into whatever ability Aro suspected she had.

It was like a power was emanating from inside of her, and I couldn't look away. My balance wavered, and I had to throw my hand out to the edge of the counter to catch myself. The action jerked me back to my senses, and the moment of disorientation cleared from my head. I looked around, waiting for someone to react to the insane force that had just filled the room.

Instead, they all just kept staring at Edward and Alice. It made no sense. Bella had just lit up the whole freaking room with a surge of supernatural energy, and everybody was acting like it didn't even happen. As I scanned the room, only Edward's eyes were wide with shock, and he was staring right at me. Me, and not Bella, despite the fact that she was acting like she had just discovered some horribly dark secret of his. Suddenly, the truth of what had just happened slammed into me like an invisible punch to the gut. Fuck. This could not be happening now, not in the middle of all of this.

"Edward? Alice? Tell me you didn't!" Bella shouted. "Did everybody know except me?"

She seemed completely oblivious to the fact that my entire world had just been tossed into a blender. I struggled to force it to the back of my mind.

Aro smiled a wicked grin, and it was obvious he knew exactly what he was stirring up. The rest of the Cullens wore confused and hurt looks similar to Bella's. They all looked back and forth between Alice and Edward awaiting a further explanation. Whatever was going on, they seemed just a clueless as I was.

"Alice, what's going on?" Esme asked.

"I'll tell you what's going on." Bella practically spat. "She lied about my first pregnancy. Tell me, did you even have a vision at all? Or did you see Renesmee surviving without me?" She glared at Alice and then turned her gaze on Edward. A small sob broke free as she began speaking again. "How could you let me go through with it? How could you take that away from me? From her? You had no right!"

My mouth dropped open in shock, and I felt a sick rage in the pit of my stomach.

Esme gasped audibly. "Oh, Edward, Alice, no."

"I'm sorry, Bella. This is my fault, all of it. Please don't blame them. They didn't know." Edward said. "I did it to save you."

The hatred in Bella's stare was unmistakable, and I completely understood. Edward had more or less murdered her first child, at least that's how it must have felt to her. None of us would ever know the truth of what might have happened if he and Alice hadn't interfered. Would she have lived long enough to give birth? Would she be teaching someone to walk right about now? Would she be a vampire already? Or maybe he was right. Maybe she would have died and he had saved her life. Maybe he would have lost both Bella and the baby if he had let her have her way, just like he feared. In a twisted way, I understood why he did it. But none of that mattered now. What he had done was unforgivable.

Esme buried her face in Carlisle's chest, and Rosalie…man, I would not have wanted the look she was giving to ever be aimed at me. The Volturi might not have even been at the top of Edward's enemy list at the moment. They'd have to get in line behind blondie.

I watched in shock as she stepped forward and slapped Edward, hard. It couldn't have hurt, not physically, anyway, but the room went silent. She looked ready to lunge and go at him for a second time, but Emmett grabbed her around the waist from behind.

Alice shook her head. "Now isn't the time, Rose. That won't go well."

"Shut up, you're just as bad as he is. I can't stand to look at either of you."

"I'll regret it for the rest of my existence," Alice said. "Bella, I'm so, so sorry."

"You don't get to speak to her," I said through gritted teeth.

I looked at Bella again and worried about the toll this would take on her. She looked furious, and tears streamed down her face. I took a step closer and put my arm around her instinctively.

Aro began to slow clap, and I wanted nothing more than to rip his head off. "Bravo, what an excellent performance on all counts. This has all been rather interesting," he started, "but I'm afraid it changes nothing. Let's get on with the reason we're here, shall we? Now, as for the punishment, I am not an unreasonable man. Bella, considering all that you have been through, I'm feeling rather sympathetic. Perhaps there is an alternative to your immediate elimination. You can either accept your fate here, or you can return with us to Volterra and pledge your loyalty and services to the Volturi as an immortal."

Carlisle cut him off. "Aro, I really don't see any need for punishment. As Jacob's mate, she will need to know about the existence of vampires. There is no crime here. Our secret is safe with her."

"We had an agreement, and I gave my word. Surely you're not suggesting that I go back on it? We have a reputation to maintain. Honestly Carlisle, I thought you'd be pleased by our merciful offer to take her into our home. It is more generous than we have been with most in this situation, and I'm beginning to think you ungracious. Bella, dear, wouldn't you like the opportunity to be stronger than Edward? Come with us. He'll never be able to hurt you again."

Douchebag. He clearly just wanted Bella and her power for himself.

"I don't care what you do with me, but please, don't hurt my baby. Give me at least that long," Bella pleaded. "I'll go with you, just please, please let me have this baby first."

"No!" Edward and I shouted simultaneously. I felt the muscles begin to ripple under my skin. Bella was going with this cape-wearing fossil over my dead body.

"I'd like to make a deal," Edward offered.

Aro scoffed. "This isn't a gameshow. The Volturi don't make deals. Now, if you don't have any other theatrical scenes prepared, I'd like to be done with this."

"Take me instead," Edward offered. "I'll join the Volturi and work for you for as long as Bella lives."

The Cullens stared in silence at his offer. No one protested the idea.

"That hardly seems fair," Aro reasoned. "You're asking me to spare two lives, and yet you only offer one. Now, if I had a second offer, perhaps an arrangement could be reached."

Alice looked at Jasper. "I'm sorry," she said. "I have to make this right." She dropped his hand and took a single step towards Aro. She stopped abruptly, suddenly silent and staring into the distance, eyes glazed and unfocused. I was sure she was either having a vision or giving a damn good impression of one, but she would know better than to fake one here. This had to be real. When the moment passed, she marched up to Aro. She was tiny, but in that moment, she looked fearless.

"I will accept under a few conditions."

Aro laughed. "My dear, you are not in a position to make demands."

"I respectfully disagree. May I?" She eagerly held her hand palm-up towards him. His brow furrowed before he grasped her hand.

We all waited in impatient silence as they held hands for over a minute.

"I see," was all he said as he dropped her hand.

Alice continued with a list of her stipulations. "Bella gets to live her life unharmed, however she chooses. No tracking, no interfering, nothing. The same thing goes for Jacob and their baby and the rest of her family. Edward and I are only with you for as long as Bella lives as a human, so no changing her and trying to say we're yours forever. Are we in agreement?" She asked.

"You have my word," Aro said reluctantly.

I couldn't imagine what she could have possibly shown him to scare him into agreeing so easily. It seemed too good to be true.

"But sir, you can't mean—" Demetri interjected. Aro held his hand up.

"That's enough, Demetri. Felix. We will need to make immediate arrangements for two additional passengers on our flight home." Aro looked at Edward. "You have two days to get your things in order and say your goodbyes. If either of you do not show up for the flight, all will be punished. Is that understood?"

"You have my loyalty for as long as Bella remains safe," Edward said.

Aro gave a single curt nod, and the three of them exited the house.

Leaving the rest of us in the most painfully tense silence in the entire history of awkward silences.

I pulled Bella's hand towards the door before anyone could start another fight. Fuck this place. "We're leaving," I announced.

"Wait," Edward said, reaching his hand out in the empty space towards her. "Bella, please. I promise I won't try to stop you, but please give me just a moment to speak with you."

"Don't. You don't speak to her. You don't touch her. You don't even fucking look at her, or I swear I will tear your head off right here in front of your family" I threatened. "After what you've done, some of them might even help."

"Jake…it's okay." Bella said. "And Edward, there's nothing you can say. I trusted you. I loved you. But this…there's no coming back from this. Goodbye, Edward. And Alice." She looked around the room. "Esme, Carlisle, Rose, Em, Jasper, I love you all and I don't blame any of you for this, but I can't bear to stand in here for one more second. I'm sorry."

She marched towards the door with me in tow, and neither of us looked back as we left the Cullen house for the last time. Good. Fucking. Riddance.