A/N: I know that none of you are reading, so I won't say much. Just, thank you for sticking with me and my story!

And now, the exciting conclusion to Chapters 20 and 21!

Chapter 22: Fate

Bella

I have always been able to compartmentalize well. Even as a child I could focus on one problem, ignoring other issues around me, and not freaking out about it. I remembered when I was a kid how my mother was so flighty and forgetful, and how it used to frustrate me. But even as young as I was, I would still sort the mail into bills, take out the checkbook and ensure everything was taken care of. Then I would play – though it was usually after I had started laundry, or made dinner, or something. That was just the way it had to be when Renee was around.

But as I found myself within sight of a vampire with bright red eyes, staring at me like I was his next meal, I could feel the terror rising in my chest. There was no calming breath that would help, or sitting down and sorting through issues to be done. It was me and him; even Edward had faded away into the sidelines.

I hadn't even felt like this when I was in Victoria's cabin. That was more a preservation act, for those I loved. This was different. As soon as he stepped out from behind a tree, I could tell that there would be no keeping me alive this time. He didn't care to see anyone I loved hurt, and thus wouldn't keep me alive to watch them suffer. No, he was waiting to kill me.

He and Edward just stared at each other for a while. I knew that Edward was reading his thoughts, and I would have given anything to know what was going on inside that head. But here I was, pressed against a tree, desperately scared and trying to figure out how to get out of this situation. I had no idea why they were so silent and staring at each other so intently.

"Did you hear everything you wanted?" the vampire sneered at Edward.

Edward brought himself out of a crouch, standing up, still in-between me and the vampire. "Demetri, I know what your orders are, but we are not a threat to you or the Volturi. Bella is my mate; surely you understand that I cannot allow her to be harmed."

Demetri laughed. "You know that doesn't matter."

Edward sighed. "I guess it doesn't." And then he was a blur. He was rushing toward Demetri so fast I could hardly see him. Unfortunately, Demetri started moving also, and then they were both blurs.

I tried to watch carefully to see what was going on, but it was just giving me a headache. Instead, I sort of unfocused my eyes and pressed myself up further into the tree. I was trying to make no sounds, so that I didn't get the attention of Demetri. I wondered briefly where Seth had gone, and if others would be coming to help us. But I shook my head at that notion. The others were fighting the impossible numbers of the Volturi; I didn't want any of them to come to my aid, they all needed to stay where they were or we would have losses.

"It's interesting that you chose a human for your mate," Demetri was saying, as he and Edward blurred around each other in the forest. "You know the rules about humans, don't you? Surely Carlisle told you."

"I know the rules, Demetri." Edward didn't stop moving, though.

He had told me some about the Volturi in our time in the cabin, but I really didn't understand why they were needed. So, the laws were to keep vampires quiet; why did they need an entire castle of guards to obey that? It didn't make any sense to me. If they had a full justice system, even close to what we had as humans, then maybe I would have understood.

"Aro isn't here because of a broken law, or anything like that, Demetri and you know it," Edward was saying. "He's here because he wanted a fight. The only reason why the fight broke out between us now is because he was thwarted with the newborn army."

"Are you trying to talk me out of this fight?" Demetri laughed again. "How simple your mind is...perhaps it's the diet. Maybe animals make you stupid; they certainly make you weaker."

Without notice, I watched Seth jump on to Demetri. Edward had kept him focused and Demetri had missed Seth sneaking up beside them. Frankly, so had I. I thought about staying next to the tree, but I wondered if it was better if I ran. Maybe getting the smell of my blood away from the vampire would be safer for me. Seth and Edward could probably take him down together, but on the off chance that he did get away, I didn't really want to be that close.

I watched the three of them struggling, Demetri always getting out of their grasps, for a short time before making up my mind. I stood up and started to run. I made sure I was running in the direction Edward had, meaning I didn't really want to end up back in the meadow filled with over a hundred vampires. But I didn't know this area, and had no clue where to go.

I didn't hear anyone following me, so I breathed a sigh of relief. I kept going, though I slowed down considerably. I was still processing the Volturi showing up, the fight that was starting when Edward took me and left, and the fact that this guy had followed us from the meadow to kill us. I really couldn't focus on that, though, I had to make sure I didn't fall. Breaking skin right now seemed like a very bad idea. Vampires were like sharks, right? They could smell blood for miles.

So, I kept my head down, focusing on the underbrush of the forest, stepping as fast as I could while being careful. I had never been to this part of the world before, but I really couldn't focus on how beautiful it was. At the moment, my terror was winning out.

After walking for who knew how long, I came to a large stream. I was exhausted and just desperately wanted to curl up and sleep, but I pushed on. I didn't even attempt the cross the fast-moving river, just opted to walk alongside it. After a while of walking alongside, I decided I couldn't go anymore. I sat down next to the river, leaning against a tree, and let the day sink into me. This was most likely my last day on earth anyway. If Demetri didn't find me, some wild animal would. Or I would freeze to death when the sun went down.

Whichever way it happened; I just knew that this was it. I fought tears as I stared across the river. I hadn't been able to say good bye to Renee; I had no idea if my father was safe; I had no way of knowing if Edward had made it through the vampire's assault; and I didn't know if any of my friends were still alive in the meadow. I felt the sadness creep over me, settling in; I couldn't think about what they were going through, or I would only feel worse.

I pulled the hood over my head as a cold breeze hit me, coming across the river. I figured then that I would die from freezing to death. The sun was going down, and I had on a jacket and some jeans. No real help in the frigid wilderness.

"I love you, Edward. I'm sorry that I put you through so much. I hope that you survived, and that all of your family did as well. Take care of my father, will you? Make sure he and Esme are happy together. And...be happy, yourself." I spoke as if he were there because I needed to say all of those things. I could feel my eyes drooping. The day was catching up to me, and I couldn't do anything else but curl up on the ground and close them.

Edward

I watched Bella slip out of the area, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I didn't want her too close to Demetri, though I also didn't really want her wandering around the forest. She had the right idea to get away from him, though. I was fairly confident that he wouldn't be able to track her, as his thoughts hadn't indicated being able to pick up on the tenor of her mind. But I had to be cautious, just to be safe.

Seth was on top of Demetri, and I ran over to help. I was just about to tear his arms off when I was grabbed from behind. Two of the Volturi guard had followed Demetri, and once again, I hadn't heard them. I never missed hearing thoughts as people got close, but now I had missed three of them! Shocked to my core, I forgot to fight back for a second. Unfortunately, that was the second they needed.

One of them had a power similar to Kate's, except that it wasn't pain I was experiencing, it was numbness. I felt it radiate through my body, and I couldn't move. I could still hear and see, so it wasn't like Alec's power, but no matter what I did, I couldn't move my body at all. I tried to look to the side to see where Seth was, but I couldn't move my neck. I couldn't hear his thoughts, or anyone else's. The numbing power must cut off my gift.

"Well, looks like we got the upper hand on the human-lover and the werewolf," Demetri sneered, walking closer to me. "Now, where did that human go, I wonder? I'll just have to find her while my friends take care of you."

"Stay away from her," I growled at him, barely able to move my mouth.

He threw his head back in laughter, causing dread to rise in my body. Bella was out there in the freezing wilderness, Demetri was a maniac with no regard for human life, and I couldn't do anything to stop him. I continued to try and move my body, any part of my body, but I was held steady. There was no way I was going to be able to move with this vampire holding me.

I heard Seth growl, so I knew he was close by. I inhaled through my nose, realizing that Seth was closer than I had originally thought. He must have been captivated by the vampire holding me hostage, or I wouldn't have smelled him so sharply. I would give anything to hear their thoughts right now; being able to tell what was coming would be a gift.

Demetri stared at me, continuing to laugh. "The mind reader that Aro told us about. That's hard on you right now, isn't it? Being held and not knowing what was going on. It's amazing, actually, Francis can also block Aro's abilities. He's quite an asset, wouldn't you say?"

"Let me go, Demetri, and we can finish this. Tell him to let me go, so we can fight like men." I still couldn't move, so my words came out of my clenched mouth.

"And spoil my fun with the human? I think not. I'll just have to track her down, now won't I?"

"You can't find her; she's silent to me, and I am sure she is silent to you."

"Ah, but you see, it's only vast distances that cause me to use my power. Short ones, such as the trek she took, are easy. Even if I can't find her mind, I can still smell her," he said, flashing his teeth at me. His eyes jerked up to the guard still holding me. "Kill them both. We don't know how the battle is going, so carry the pieces far up the hill before burning them to ashes."

"Yes, Demetri," the one standing next to me, not holding me, said.

I watched Demetri start to move away from us, hearing him say, "I'll tell her hi for you."

I closed my eyes, thinking that surely this was the end. I remembered back to when I met Bella, the way she smelled causing me to contemplate killing an entire room of children just to get to her. Then, how things had changed. How I found my mate, impossibly a human, and how I had seen for just a short time how amazing my life could actually be. The one person I could confess all my sins to, who didn't judge me, who loved me no matter what I said or did. The woman who taught me that I can't control every situation; that I can't dictate my will in her life. The stubborn yet loving woman wouldn't let me tell her what to do; and if she thought something was the right thing, she would do it no matter the personal harm it could cause her.

Reliving all the moments, conversations, touches and kisses I'd had with Bella helped me to settle my mind. If I died here, at least I knew she would join me soon after. I couldn't help her, and I couldn't help myself either. I desperately needed to tell her how much I loved her, just one last time. So, I spoke to her in my head, so none of the others would hear me. I told her how much she meant to me, how finding her ended a century of loneliness and isolation. I told her that being with her made my dead heart warm, and that even in death I would love her.

I kept my eyes closed, waiting for the blow, not certain I would even feel it. The numbing had taken over my entire body. I didn't want to see it coming, I just wanted the peace of death. In death I would find her again, I was sure of it. Now that I knew she was out there, my perfect match in every way, I felt sure the universe would let me find her in the next life – whatever that ended up being. My heart filled with hope as I heard a crunching sound behind me.

I wasn't expecting to be dropped, falling to the ground, gaining feeling in my limbs again. I stood up slowly, turning around. Esme stood behind the guard, holding his head in her arms, a look of terror on her face. Seth was quickly destroying the other guard, now that he had been set free.

"Esme, quickly! Demetri went after Bella!" I started to run after him, knowing that Seth would take care of the already fallen guard, and the one he was already ripping to pieces. I heard Esme on my trail as I followed Bella's scent.

We ran through the forest and my senses slowly came back to me. I saw the battle with the Volturi in Esme's head as she relived it, still concerned over the fight that she had left. But I pushed on. We came to a stream, following Bella's scent up a short way before coming to a tree. Her scent became minimal at that point, mixing with Demetri's.

"She was here, I can smell it," I said to Esme, bending down to touch the earth at the base of the tree.

"He must have found her. I can smell him more than Bella right now," Esme said, walking up to stand next to me. "Come on, Edward, we need to find them."

We took off running at that point, following the stream north. I was tracking Demetri now, as I really couldn't smell Bella any longer. Her scent would come in short waves now and then, so I had to assume she was still with him. I was starting to panic that I would get to her in time, when I finally heard his mind.

"He's up ahead, in a ranger station. He-" I gasped, picking up speed. "He's already bit her. He thinks that she'll be dead soon and is enjoying the way her blood tastes! Esme, we have to run faster!"

We rounded on the ranger station, and I burst into the door. Demetri was shocked and lifted his head away from Bella's neck. The smell of her blood in the air hit me like a truck, almost bringing me to my knees. I jumped at him, Esme right behind me. She pulled Bella out of the way, while I let the fury loose. I tore at him, biting his neck, desecrating any patch of skin I saw, literally tearing him into pieces. Just as I got his head disconnected from his body, I heard Bella moan.

I turned swiftly, running over to where she was laying, cradled in Esme's arms. "Bella? Are you ok, love?" I inspected her, noting how pale she was. I could tell that he had drained enough blood from her that there was a significant concern at her remaining alive no matter what the venom was doing.

"E-E-Ed-ward," she stammered, keeping her eyes closed. "It b-b-burns!"

"I know it does, love, I'm so sorry," I choked out, trying to keep my voice slow and steady. "I'm here, Bella, I'm not going anywhere." I looked into Esme's sad eyes, knowing that she knew exactly what I was going through. "Esme, you need to go back to the battle. They may need you."

"I don't want to leave you two, Edward." Esme's voice was quiet with restrained sadness. Her thoughts were focused on making sure that Charlie was ok, but she was fighting it. She really did want to stay to help me with Bella.

I reached out and grabbed her hand. "We'll be fine. Please, go and make sure Seth is ok, and then check on the others. Take him with you to make sure they are safe. I'll stay here with Bella until you guys come back. We'll figure out where to take her once everything is settled."

She nodded, shifting slightly so I could move Bella into my arms. Esme stood up, glancing back at me before running out of the station. I kept my arms loose around Bella, making sure not to put too much pressure on her. Internally, I cried for the loss of the human Bella that I loved – even while acknowledging that she would at least be safer once she turned.

It was well into the night before I heard the thoughts of my family coming closer. I continued to hold Bella close to me, listening and memorizing the sound of her heart beat. I knew that I would miss that sound once she turned, so I focused on it. It had the ability to completely calm me down when nothing else could, and I wanted to make sure I remembered it forever, as I felt her human life start to slip away.

Esme

It broke my heart to run away from the ranger station, leaving Edward and Bella behind. I could see the pain in his face as he watched her burn from the venom; but there was a sort of peace that surrounded the situation. I was almost sure that she would be dead by the time we got there, Demetri making short work of her small human body. Honestly, it was pure luck that Edward ran as fast as he did and was fueled by so much anger that he couldn't stop from ripping Demetri to pieces.

Ran past the creek and into the forest, following our trail from before back to Seth. I smelled the fire long before I saw it, so I assumed he had taken care of the vampires. When I got to the area, we had left him, a boy of about 15 was sitting on the ground wearing only cut off shorts, warming himself by the fire. He glanced up at me and smiled.

"Hey, took care of them. They are wishing for marshmallows right about now!" He grinned at me, and I couldn't help but smile back at him. "I'm Seth, by the way."

"Esme. Nice to meet you, Seth. Thank you for your help."

"What happened to Bella? Is she ok? Did you get to her in time?" His face was concerned, and I struggled with how to tell him.

"Sort of," I said, sitting down next to him, but making sure to keep my distance. "Demetri bit her and was trying to kill her when we got there. Edward killed him, but Bella is in the process of turning into one of us."

His face was a mask of rage. "What the hell is their problem? Why did they do this?" he asked, his voice going up an octave as he struggled to keep himself calm.

I shook my head, understanding the anger. "I don't know. They want to be powerful, and we took some of that power away when we handled the newborns on our own. That's what Edward says, anyway."

"Poor Bella," Seth was saying, his voice calming. "At least she's not dead." He brought his eyes up to mine. "Please, make sure she feeds like you guys do. Don't turn her into a killer, ok?"

"I promise, Seth. Charlie, Edward and I will watch over her and make sure of that." I stood up, holding my hand out to him in a gesture of friendship. "Come on, kid. We need to get back to the battle and check on our friends."

"Things are going well; before I shifted Sam said it was winding down." He grinned slightly, taking my hand and standing up. "Damn, you guys are really cold."

"Sounds weird to say it, but you guys are really hot. Your skin almost burned me." I laughed out loud at how that sounded. It was an easy comradery with this boy, though, and he laughed with me.

"I need to shift, hold on one sec." He ran behind a tree, and I could hear his shorts being removed.

When he came out, he had changed back into his wolf form, the shorts tied to his back leg. I motioned for him to follow me, and we took off toward the battle. I kept my thoughts focusing on the hope that everyone survived, and our losses would be as close to none as possible. I knew that the tide had been turning when I left, and Seth had assured me that Sam said it was winding down, but that didn't stop the fear in my heart as we got closer.

A/N: Well...I hope that was a worthy conclusion! Thanks for sticking with me and waiting oh-so-patiently for this chapter. For some reason I needed to write this in a way that made Bella's transformation be not at the Cullen's hands. I guess something inside me just was sure that Edward wouldn't ever have agreed to it? I'm not sure, but here it is regardless.

Not a whole lot left of this story, I'm sorry to say. Though, I do have some surprises coming in the next couple that I hope you will all enjoy. Remember, there are 25 chapters and will be one epilogue as well. Just a few things to wrap up.

Please remember to read my other stories: Inappropriate Love and Consuming Love (which is a companion piece to IL, written entirely in Edward's POV). I always appreciate your support and comments, so thank you all!

This weekend is my birthday, so I probably won't be posting again until maybe Sunday. Still, I'll try and get the next chapter out sooner than next Wednesday, if nothing else.

Thanks again to my patient sister and amazing beta zombiefied419. I appreciate you both so much!