A.
As soon as I sit Jasper safely on the sofa, my mind calls out to Edward. How bad is it? By the looks of him, Jasper is in bad shape. He is completely still, his posture even stiffer than usual, and his eyes are focused on nothing. When I glance over to Edward and see the expression on his face, I find all the confirmation I need. It's horrible. I picture the years it will take to undo this, the conversations and the promises and even then, I'm not sure if that will ever be enough.
'Just stay here', I whisper, my fingers softly tracing across Jazz's hand. I dart back to the other side of the living room. My family is already waiting.
'We need a plan'. Edward looks at no one in particular, but I know all of our minds are racing. 'If the Volturi thinks we're dead, they'll be here soon'.
'To collect Bella and Alice', Rosalie sniffs. I flinch.
Emmett laughs sarcastically. 'They'll be disappointed'.
'It's not that simple', Carlisle interjects. 'If they're not getting what they want, they'll figure out that we survived. They'll hunt us forever if they need to'.
Rosalie makes a snarky comment, but I'm too busy looking at all the possibilities to truly register the depth of her anger. The future is full of tangles and untraceable threads - like one of Esme's knitting projects, only as if it were tangled up and thrown across the room. There's certain possibilities I can't see the result of, but those that I can see are damning. For one, I can see that they'll be here by sunrise. Aro's bringing Alec and Jane, so a fight won't do us any good. But if we don't fight, they'll take Bella and myself all the same. The vision of our house aflame with my burning family members spread out across the forest floor seems to tear a hole into my chest. Running is another option, but Carlisle's right. They'll hunt us to the ends of the earth, and we might be safe for a few weeks… or months, but Demetri will always catch up to us. We'll have to spend the rest of our existence fleeing, never being able to settle or relax… never being able to be a true family again. Even if we split up into groups, which seems to be an unlikely but not impossible future, they'll come after us. I see it confirmed in a vision of me and Jasper in a dark hotel room. I'm sitting on a couch, he's standing protectively in front of me, his face to the door. But the door shatters and immediately there is a fight. Jasper's roaring at me to run as he tries to hold off our attackers, but Demetri grabs me before I think to move. Jasper's fighting Felix and winning, but Jane shows up and overpowers him. I'm screaming… begging. NO! Leave him alone! Please! I'll go, please! Jasper falls to his knees, twisting in agony, only his eyes able to look at me, apologizing, pleading, until Felix kills him. I squeeze my eyes shut, forcing the images from my mind.
'Alice?'. I feel Esme's hand wrap around my own.
'It's all wrong', I whisper.
When my eyes open, everyone's staring at me. Even Rosalie seems to be genuinely concerned. I bite my lip and curl my fingers into fists.
'No matter what we do… we'll never be safe'.
Instinctively, Esme reaches out to Carlisle. Emmett's arm wraps protectively around Rose, and Bella glances at Edward, their eyes communicating to each other what they can't say out loud.
'There has to be something', Edward argues. 'Alice, you have to dig harder, just-'
'I've tried!', I cry out. 'If we stay and fight, you'll die. If we stay and don't fight, you'll die. If we run… even if we split up, they'll come after us. They will find us'. Jasper's twisted face pops back into my mind, and the hole in my chest deepens. 'There's nothing we can do, Edward'.
I've never been this useless, I realize. There have always been options. I've always been able to give my family a sliver of hope but now… it seems as if we can't do anything else but roll over and submit to our fate.
'Then we'll fight', Emmett concludes, and his face hardens. 'I'll take some of them out before I go. That's a promise'.
Carlisle shakes his head. 'There has to be a way'. He sounds calm as always, but I know he's thinking of Esme, of the centuries they've spent together and the family they've managed to build against all odds.
'There is'.
All eyes turn to Bella. Her face is determined as she looks at me. 'We'll give them what they want. We'll go with them'.
Edward growls. From by the sofa, I can hear teeth grinding.
'Think about it', Bella says quickly, not allowing Edward or anybody else to interject. 'If we refuse them, you'll all die. It doesn't matter! Either today or in ten years, you'll die. But if we give them what we want, they'll have no reason to kill you'.
Carlisle glances over to me, and I force myself back into my mind. 'They might', I whisper. Edward groans loudly. 'I'm not sure! I'm sorry'.
'It's okay, Alice', Carlisle whispers. He's quiet for a little bit, no doubt pondering the idea of giving us up, and though I know he'd rather die than go along with Bella's plan, he won't allow the rest of us to die with him. 'It seems this is our only option'.
There's loud protest from Emmett and Edward. Rose stares at her shoes, a deep frown between her brows.
'It's not certain that Aro will allow us to live if we comply', Carlisle starts. 'But it is certain that we'll die if we refuse'.
'Bella.. you can't go. Renesmee-'.
'She'll be safe', Bella says. 'Whatever happens, she'll have Jacob'.
Edward's fists close so tightly that I can hear his knuckles cracking under the pressure.
'Besides, me and Alice will find a way to get back to you, right?'.
I realize she's looking at me for support, and though I'm not at all sure we'll ever escape the Volturi's grasp once we're in it, I choose to play along, desperately trying to tune Edward out.
'What's a few decades in the eyes of eternity?', Bella whispers, an unconvincing smile on her lips.
'We have to make a plan to get you back!', Emmett argues. 'We can't do it once you're gone'.
'We'll have to kill them'.
'Edward-', Esme starts, but Edward shakes his head furiously.
'That's the only way we'll ever get you two back. If that's not an option, then giving you to them is not an option!'.
Silence. I look over my shoulder at Jasper. Though it looks like he hasn't moved at all, I know he's heard our conversation, and I know that he feels responsible. Edward. Edward looks at me, then follows my gaze to Jasper. His mouth twitches. A deep frown appears between his brows and he slowly shakes his head at me. Not good. That's all his eyes seem to say to me, and it's all that I need to know.
'That's a problem for later', I hear Rosalie say. 'We have to survive today, first'.
Edward responds angrily, but I tune out as I walk towards the sofa, fully engulfed in Jasper's pain. I kneel down on the carpet in front of him and softly place my hands onto his knees. He doesn't budge.
'Jazz', I whisper, pleading. 'It's the only way'.
The conversation continues behind me. I wonder if Jasper's still listening, or if he's choosing to ignore all of us so that he can better control himself.
'We need your help', I say. 'When they arrive, and Bella makes the offer, I need you to make them feel… willing'.
A faint grunt comes from the depths of his throat.
'Jasper, I-'.
'Not a chance', he growls. 'I'm not helping you sacrifice yourself'.
'Don't see it that way, then'.
'I can't see it any other way, Alice. You're sacrificing yourself for us.. for me. It's not right. I won't let you do it'. He pauses, and I can almost see the thoughts whirling through his head. 'We can run, baby. We'll run to the other side of the world and I'll keep you safe, I promise'.
I remember the dark hotel room, the three cloaked shapes, and Jasper's face. 'I know that you will try', I whisper, putting an extra obvious emphasis on 'try'.
I also know that he knows better than to debate me on this. He knows that I've thought of and looked at all the possibilities, and that I don't want to do this. Joining the Volturi is the absolute last thing I would ever want to do… but if it means keeping our family safe, I think any one of us would. I know Carlisle would if it meant they'd spare us. I know Edward would, for Bella, and that Rosalie and Emmett would fight each other for the opportunity to join and save the other. I know Jasper would do it if it meant my life.
'It's going to be okay', I promise, gently stroking Jasper's clenched fist.
'Alice'. His voice is softer, now. The tension in his body fades, and the hardness in his eyes is replaced by desperation and sadness. 'I can't let you-'.
'You'll have to', I say, firmly now. 'I need something to come home to, after all'.
He looks up at me, pained, but says nothing. I know what he's feeling. I feel it too. Being away from him, indefinitely, it's not something we've ever done before. The thought of leaving and not knowing when I'll see him again.. if I'll see him again - it makes me more anxious and afraid than I've been in a century. But there's no choice.
I have to protect my family.
And so, decisions are made, and the dawn breaks.
We have collected in front of our home, deciding to face the threat head on. Carlisle and Esme stand in the centre of our group, with Rosalie and Emmett to their right. Emmett's arms are crossed, his face hard where Rose's face speaks of fear and nervousness. She's got her hands wrapped around Emmett's bicep, her eyes shifting through the trees, looking for anything that moves. Bella and Edward stand next to them, holding hands, occasionally exchanging glances. Bella has taken the time to contact Jacob, to make sure he's with Renesmee as this situation unfolds. He wasn't happy to say the least, but she managed to convince him of our plan. Jasper, though, I'm still not sure. As I look up to him, his jaw tightly clenched and his arm protectively held out across my body, I cannot figure out whether he's thinking of fighting. When I look at Edward, he shrugs lightly.
A few more minutes pass. No one speaks, though the tension is almost palpable. It feels like electricity buzzing through the air and I know if my heart could beat, it would've jumped from my chest. It's about thirty more seconds before they arrive. I'm pretty sure Edward is tuning in to their thoughts, but I can't risk turning around. We need to look like less of a threat than we've ever looked before. We can't risk their suspicion.
'They're here', I whisper, finally.
Right as the words leave my lips, seven cloaked figures break through the treeline. They've all come. I feel my body tense, and Jasper's fingertips lightly stroke past the tip of my elbow in response.
Aro looks displeased, I notice, but not necessarily surprised. The others' faces are stoic, not giving me any insight into what they're thinking and for once, I find myself wishing I had Edward's gift.
They stop, leaving a distance of about five feet between us. Aro makes a point of looking each and every one of us in the eyes.
He sighs. 'How… disappointing'.
I can feel the fury radiating from Jasper's body.
'Jasper'. Aro smiles a cold smile and raises his hands, questioning. 'What happened?'.
'He failed', Caius hisses from between his teeth.
'A pity. I must have overestimated her powers'. Aro turns his head, his deep crimson eyes finally leaving Jasper, and looks at something up above in the trees. A dark shape comes falling down, landing perfectly and quietly on the forest floor. I can hear Jasper's knuckles crack and know at once that this must be her.
'What happened here, Laeticia?', Aro asks, his eyebrows raised in indignation.
'I- I don't know', she whispers. 'This has never happened before, I swear!'.
'Ssh'. Aro puts a finger to his lips and gestures at us. 'You have deeply disappointed me. I do wonder what your Eduardo will think of this'.
'No!', Laeticia cries out. I'm startled by the panic in her voice. She's not with them, I realize immediately. They've forced her to do this. 'Please, I-'.
With a wisp of Aro's fingers, Felix and Demetri are at the woman's side, grabbing her arms and forcing her onto her knees.
'Aro, please don't do this'. Carlisle steps forward. 'We want to make you an offer'.
Aro's eyes flash back to us, his hand still raised into the air, ready to give the command that would end Laeticia's existence. 'An offer, dear Carlisle?'.
Carlisle nods and gestures to Bella, knowing as well as I do Aro's… weakness, for her.
Though Caius and Jane seem especially displeased that the killing hasn't yet begun, Aro is intrigued. His body turns to us, slowly, and that same chilling smile spreads across his face.
'Do tell me, Bella'.