Chapter 5

"What do we do?" Edward growled slamming a hand down against the table, "She made it pretty clear that she doesn't want to talk to us." His voice wavered feeling hopeless.

"Yeah, no thanks to you." Rosalie bitterly muttered from across the room, perched on the end of the cushioned sofa. Edward eyes snapped up reaching her face, his eyes hardening, "You've got something to say, Rosalie?" His frustration was snapping.

Not backing down from Edward's glare she took a few strides forward, stopping a few feet away to lean casually into one side of her heeled boots, arms crossed. "I've never been Bella's biggest fan, that I don't think I need to explain, but YOU left Edward. That was your decision. And not just that but you told her you didn't love her and then abandoned her in the woods. Bella Swan, the same girl that was so blindly in love with you was foolishly willing to give up everything for you and you mean to tell me it never once crossed your mind that she would try and follow you?" Harshness coated her words. "I'm sure three days trapped in her mind gave her plenty to think about. I would hate you to."

"Rosalie." Esme tried to intervene softly, hating to see her family in fragments. Seeing Bella once again after all these years now tainted by so much anger only riddled her with guilt over how much they had failed her. How much she had failed her family.

"Oh come on, stop trying to defend him as if he can do no wrong." She barked, "None of you wanted to leave in the first place!"

"We were just trying to honour Edward's wishes." Carlisle sighed keeping his voice void of emotion trying to keep up a diplomatic front.

"Yeah, and look at how great the turned out. Now we have one of the most powerful members of the Vultori who hates our guts and could burn us to ash at any moment. Great job Edward!" Her ferocious growl was cut quiet as she slammed the door, departing to head back to her own room leaving the others behind crowded in Esme and Carlisle's.

The tension in the room could be cut with a knife as the six other Vampires stood stiffly beside one another with Rosalie's enraged words still heavy in the air. Exhaling Emmett exited towards the door following after his wife, "I'll go talk to her."

An anguished laugh passed by his lips as he ran a hand over his face feeling like the world was crumbling at his feet. The chillingly cold look on her face haunted his mind and the painful reminder that she wasn't his, she hadn't been for a long time, was harrowing to him.

"It's not your fault son."

"Yes it is!" Edward roared, "I brought her into this life, I left her. All of this happened because of me!" If they had never met, if he had died in 1917 like he was suppose to none of this would have happened, the thought plagued him. He had tainted such an angel, like Persephone with the pomegranate seeds she had been cursed to reside in an internal inferno.

"And I didn't see anything Edward!" Alice's words brought him out of his inner turmoil. "I just assumed that she had been okay for these past twenty years and I was wrong. But this whole blame game isn't going to solve anything. Find away to talk to Bella and make her listen. Beg if you have to. Just fix this." Alice ranted passionately.

Desperately he looked over to Jasper. "Bella…she keeps her emotions well masked. I can only tell you what she felt in that moment and what she wanted me to feel; anger and animosity.

If there was even anything left of it by this point, Edward felt the remains of his heart shatter.

"Hey, hey! No moping, you've done enough of that to last the century. That proves nothing, Rosalie is a bitch to most people but she still loves Emmett and would do anything for any one of us in this family. Of course she's angry at us right now but that doesn't mean it's all she feels. " Alice's demeanour softened, "Look, Edward, I think Bella needs you as much as you need her right now. You can either spend another 20 years moping or you can fight to get the woman you love back." Meekly, after a second to think, Edward nodded. "Good, right answer. Because I was doing this with or without you." She finished bouncing on the balls of her feet smiling to herself looking smug.

Edwards mind raced. He knew Alice was right but just the thought of him laying out what was left of his heart out to her only to face nothing but her rejection…he wasn't sure he could survive it. Knowing she was out there happy was one thing, it was torment but he was willing to pay any price for her happiness, but Alice had a point, she needed saving. He refused to let the gentle woman he loved drown in darkness.

And at the end of it all he would have her in his arms again…

"What are you waiting for? There's no time like the present." Alice ushered there from the door much to the uneasiness of Edward.

"Should we get Rosalie and Emmett?" Esme asked quietly as they walked by their door.

Carlisle shook his head, "Best to let Rosalie calm down before her sarcastic remarks make more harm than they do good."

Their path back to the main chamber came easy from memory however arriving past the outstretched corridor they were met with emptiness.

"If you're looking for the guard." A woman's voice called out to them heels echoing off the walls walking casually into the room. "They went to train. Down the corridor, first door on the left." She spoke with no fear despite being the only human surrounded by vampires, Edward noted.

"Thank you, Gina." Carlisle thanked the woman as Edward rushed by without a word.

"Wait!" Jasper called out.

"What!" Edward snapped his hand hovering over he handle.

"I know you want to talk to Bella but is barging into there our best plan? This is the Volturi, one wrong move could cost us all our lives."

Edward gritted his teeth, his hand itching desperate to cross through the door. "Then how do you suppose we get in," He growled in response.

"Calm down son." Carlisle spoke calmly placing a hand on the back of his shoulder, "Aro!" He then called.

A moment of silence passed before the door locks twisted and turned behind the steel, when the door finally opened Aro was waiting patiently on the other end as if he was expecting them. "Ah, you found us." He beamed, "I was hoping you would join us for our train session. And just in time, our Isabella is up next. She's one of our finest fighters."

Edwards mind numbed as he took time to process Aro's words, his body working on autopilot as he had no memory of him walking into the room. His Bella? One of their best fighters? He had a hard time trying to remind himself that this new Bella was far from the one he had left behind.

Bella stepped forwards dimly lit by the lanterns; he was still in awe by her beauty. She had always been beautiful to him, only now she was stunning. Her dress had been replaced by form fitting pants and her hair pulled back tightly into a ponytail, reaching up to around her throat she latched onto the cape letting it fall to the floor. Another guard member, twice her size, stepped onto the floor.

He was going to crush her!

Edwards legs crumbled under his weight, his stomach heavy with dread and worry. Before he could swoop forward and pull her out of this mess like he desperately wanted Jasper put a hand on his arm pulling him back before he could do more harm than good. Struggling to steady himself Bella's eyes found his, her lips twisted up into devious smile baring her sharp teeth.

"Start." Aro announced clasping his hands together.

Both grinned at one another before lurching forwards speeding around one another. Bella's movements were angelic and strategic unlike her opponent who attacked with brunt force; the man tumbled to the ground for a time shorter than a second before jumping back up and throwing Bella across the room by the waist. She landed on the balls of her heels, sliding backwards a few feet.

Edward felt Jaspers hold tighten; all while he observed Bella's fighting technique. He was impressed, she showed restraint often forgone by their kind in place for mindless violence. He noted her ability was skilful, had the situation been less dire…he was sure his observation would be one of more gratification.

But Bella fought back. Launching her small form back at his she leapt onto his shoulders, grabbing tightly onto his neck and flipping herself back onto the ground taking the man's head down with her. His now headless body fell lifelessly to the ground. His head soon followed.

The Cullen's utter shock was silenced out by the guards applause. "Isn't she just amazing!" As Aro spoke of the dying claps Bella bowed.

Carlisle stepped forward, "She's uh- spectacular." Unsure what to say her forced a smile onto his otherwise blank expression.

Bella's smirk only seemed to grow at their obvious discomfort.

"Would you like me to finish him off, master?"

Every time the word tumbled from her lips his muscles twitched, his skin boiled. The thought of him owning her- the thought of her placing herself in a position of answering to him- made him feel sick.

"Please, Isabella."

Before any one of them could react Bella raised both hands and, with little effort, the vampires discarded remains set a flame as she did leaving nothing behind but ash. Snapping her fingers, just as quick as they had appeared, the flames disappeared.

Edward's eyes burned into the wall, his chest clenching at she didn't even flinch at killing this man. His mind went on a wild goose chase trying to imagine all she had been through and done over the past 20 years. There has to be a way to get my Bella back. He was determined, more so than ever to get her to at least talk to him. He knew he didn't deserve it-

Until the day my eternal life ended, I will fight for her.