"Well that was interesting," Rosalie walked in with Emmet in tow. "Now what?"
"I don't think the Volturi will be very pleased with being kept out of the loop with this wedding. However, I believe if we explain to them your situation, they will be fascinated enough to overlook the lack of invite," Carlisle strategized.
"But they'll think we're crazy!" I couldn't help but blurt out. "What if-"
"Incoming!" Alice called out. There was a knock on the door.
"They're here," Carlisle started to walk towards the door, everyone following in line behind him.
"Edward?" I looked over at him, scared. Not for me, but for him.
"Don't worry, love. I won't let anything happen to you. I swear on my life," he said with so much determination. How was I supposed to tell him it wasn't me I was worried about?
"Carlisle! Old friend," a man greeted. His skin was so pale it was almost translucent and his dark hair in contrast made him that much more sinister.
"Aro, how are you?" Carlisle politely asked.
"I'm doing better, especially after finding out that our dear Edward has found a mate! Where is the lovely bride?"
I could feel all of the Cullens on guard, Esme even going as far as to wrap her arms around mine as Edward held my other hand.
"How peculiar!" Aro exclaimed once he had gotten a good look at me, the smile never leaving his face. "She's human!" He started laughing.
"Edward, dear. You know the rules. I would have expected more from you," Aro shook his head.
Suddenly, Edward's expression turned deadly. He let out a loud snarl, looking ready to charge at them as he pushed me behind his back.
"Jane dear," Aro simply said, not even turning to look at who he was talking to.
One of the youngest looking members of the Volturi stepped up, looking right at Edward.
"No!" Rosalie hissed, but Emmet held her back.
Jane smiled. "Pain."
And that was all it took before Edward started writhing on the ground.
"Stop!" I screamed, dropping down beside him. Why weren't the Cullens doing anything?
"It's okay, Bella," Edward barely managed to get out.
"No! Please, stop! Hurt me! Hurt me instead! Not him, please!" I was sobbing now.
Aro had the most curious expression on his face. "Jane?"
Edwards' pain seemed to suddenly stop as he was no longer writhing, but it took him a second to collect himself.
He wasn't fast enough as Jane turned her glance on me. "Pain."
"No!" Edward scrambled to get up.
I closed my eyes, waiting to have the same reaction as Edward, and yet, nothing.
I opened my eyes, looking around from Jane, to Aro, to Edward who now had me wrapped in his arms, his back to the Volturi.
"Um…" I wasn't really sure what to do at this point. I was fully expecting to be in pain right now.
Aro started laughing again in amusement. "A shield! And as a human! Oh, imagine…"
"That's what we wanted to explain," Carlisle finally stepped forward as the head of the coven. "Our case is quite peculiar."
"It may be faster if I show you," Edward offered.
Show him? What does that mean?
"Why doesn't Isabella show me?" Aro suggested, beckoning me forward.
I looked at Edward. He knew what was safer when it came to the Volturi.
"It's alright love," he assured me.
I placed my hand in Aro's outstretched one and waited.
Aro furrowed his brows. Was something supposed to happen?
"Edward, are you able to read her mind?" Aro asked.
He shook his head. "No, she is the only one."
Aro nodded, stretching his hand out for Edward. When he made contact, his eyes glazed over for a few seconds.
"Impossible!" Aro marveled. "Isabella was in 1917 with you?"
"We are still not certain how it is possible. We do believe that it has to do with Edward and Isabella's connection," Carlisle theorized.
"Marcus?" Aro glanced the the man beside him.
"Their bond is stronger than any I have seen, even in vampire mates," he concluded.
"It would be a shame…" Aro thought for a moment, before clapping his hands in delight. "Oh! I have a solution that shall appease everyone."
"Now Isabella, dear," he turned to me. "I am sure you are aware, we cannot have humans knowing our secret. Even one mated to a vampire. But it would be such a shame to have to get rid of you-"
Edward growled, wrapping his arms tighter around me.
"Yes, Edward. We understand the bond you share. We as the Volturi would never want to jeopardize that. Not to mention it would be an absolute shame for your talents such as yours to go to waste. So the only solution is for you to join our world."
"You mean," I tried to process what he was saying. He couldn't possibly mean…
"He wants me to turn you," Edward did not look happy. Although he didn't exactly look entirely un-happy either.
"Oh," I blinked. I guess I had never really thought long term about what would happen. But one thing I did know was that I never wanted to leave Edward, and logically this was the only way.
"Now of course we would never force the transformation on you, Isabella. However, as I've said, we cannot have a human running around knowing our secret especially now that others know about you. So of course, our only options are to have you undergo this transformation…"
"Or kill me," I finished for him.
"Precisely!" He smiled.
"How soon?" I asked. In my mind, the decision was already made.
"Bella," Edward squeezed my arm.
"How soon," I repeated, looking right at Aro.
"One week," he decided. "We have some other business to tend to in the area, so we shall be back to check in with you before we head back to Voltura."
That was so soon! But for some reason it didn't scare me.
"One week," I agreed.
"Bella," Edward's voice was pained.
I looked up at him. "One week," I tried to assure him with my voice that I was truly okay with this.
"Splendid!" Aro finally looked satisfied. "Congratulations on your marriage. Carlisle, old friend, we will see you again soon."
Carlisle smiled. "I look forward to it."
Once the Volturi had finally left, I felt like I could breathe again.
"Bella, you don't have to do this. We can run away somewhere, we can-"
"Edward," I turned to face him. "I already made my decision. It was made for me the second I saw you again after thinking you died. You promised me forever and I tend to hold you to that."
"Don't worry about my soul," I placed a hand on his cheek. "As long as I'm with you I know I'm not damned."
He closed his eyes for a moment, but when he opened them again, I knew he agreed.
"Okay."
"Well, if you have no other choice, then I guess I'm kind of sort of okay with it happening," Rosalie crossed her arms, but offered a smile.
"We are so grateful for you, dear," Esme gave me a hug.
"Heck yeah! Baby Bella's gonna be a baby vamp!" Emmet jumped up and down.
"Our trip is supposed to last a few more days. Maybe something can happen that explains why I can't come back for a while. If by some chance I'm able to handle being out in the world after I change, then there's no point in causing Charlie that kind of heartbreak, right?" I felt myself fill with hope.
"What about the treaty?" Jasper asked.
"The one with the Quileute tribe?" I remembered Edward mentioning it after Billy and Jacob had come over.
Jasper nodded. "We aren't allowed to bite anyone, to drink from them or transform them. To them, turning them would be worse than murder.
"What exactly does the treaty say?" I asked.
"There are two parts. One is that we cannot injure any humans, which includes hunting them for food or transforming them into vampires. Two is that we are not to trespass on their land," Carlisle recited.
An idea suddenly popped into my head. It was absolutely insane, but it could be the loophole we needed.
"What if we convince them that I'm not human?"
"What?" Edward's head snapped to me.
"Think about it! If we can convince them that I'm not human, or give them some reason to suspect I'm not fully human, then by the words of the treaty, you won't be breaking it by changing me."
"Woahhhhh," Emmet looked at me like I was the smartest person in the room. "We should keep her. She has good ideas," he elbowed Rosalie who just rolled her eyes.
"Carlisle?" Edward looked at his "father."
"It just might work," he nodded. But his phone rang before he could say anything else. He quickly answered, and I couldn't really make out the voice on the other end but it seemed one sided as they hung up without letting Carlisle say anything. He turned to look at all of us.
"The Quileute tribe saw one of the Volturi members attempting to hunt too close to town and they now want to renegotiate the treaty. I thought you would want to come with to plead your case as well now that the Volturi have given a deadline," Carlisle suggested.
"Now?" Esme looked concerned.
"Yes. Who's going to stay behind with Bella?" Carlisle looked around for any takers.
"No!" I protested. "This is about me and it should come from me. Don't you think it'll be easier to sway them if they know how much I want this?"
"Bella, it's not safe," Edward frowned.
"I know them, Edward. They're Charlie's friends. And out of all of us, I think they might like me the best," I tried to joke.
"She's right," Alice agreed and I gave her a grateful smile.
"I can never win with you," Edward shook his head but he didn't look upset.
"Welcome to married life, baby brother. You better start practicing your 'Anything you say dear," Emmet patted his shoulder.
"Don't you dare," I narrowed my eyes at Edward who had that twinkle in his eye.
"Anything you say dear," he kissed my cheek, making the Cullens laugh. At the lack of a condescending tone in his voice, I decided to let it go.