Chapter 14
"You did what?" Carlisle was shocked though Emmett kept his earlier amusement. "And Aro agreed to let you go? Just like that?"
"Well I guess people are more open to persuasion when a firey destruction is threatening to engulf them but yeah, we- well I- can go. Preferably quickly before Aro decides to change his mind." She took a seat on the bed, "One minor agreement I might have missed out. I promised Aro that if he ever needed my help I would lend my services. It was the only way to have him trust me when I said I wanted nothing of the sorts to come after the guard."
She didn't miss the way Edward stiffened at the mention of her returning. She didn't want to, and she was sure Aro would keep her to her end of the bargain but nevertheless it was better than the alternative.
"And you trust him?" Esme asked.
"Trust may be too strong of a word. Aro keeps grudges but I know that he's well aware how well he had me trained; the destruction of the Volturi isn't something he wants. I trust that it's his best interest to leave me alone and that he knows that."
"What if your plan had backfired?" Emmett pressed on, "That was a pretty ballsy move."
"I was expecting it to." She replied truthfully not remembering to expect the shocked response, "Aro is unpredictable and practically impossible to make predictions on. I had an idea and the confidence in myself to see it through but there was plenty of different routes that it could have taken." She shrugged honestly.
"Why not come to us? We could have helped." Edward asked, his eyes pleading. Panic threatened to swallow him hole as he was forced to think of Bella hurt by Aro, not when he was so close to having her back.
"No offence but you guys are kind of a weak spot for me." She answered timidly, "There's no room for weakness when facing evil. The only way to get to Aro us to threaten the very foundation of everything he lives for, so, you fight power with power."
"Well however you did it was pretty impressive Bella." Jasper complimented.
Bella smiled in acknowledgement, standing up to address the room. "Okay everyone. Pack up."
"Right now?" Esme questioned.
"Well I did just threaten the man in charge so I don't think it's wise to stick around for much longer. And before Alec and Jane could find me that would be great too." Edward and Alice stared up at her, "We have a complicated relationship okay." She admitted.
They had originally bonded over their separation from humanity and their enjoyment for torture; they weren't friends, more like demented co-workers who over time having spent the past two decades together had developed some form of a bond with one another.
One she was sure was no longer viable.
With her done talking everyone moved into action throwing items into bags. Slipping away unnoticed she headed back to her room for one final time hoping not to pass anyone in the halls.
She was lucky.
With no suitcase and minimal clothing and items of importance she scooped together some of her more likable objects and headed back to Edwards room in hopes for a bag to spare.
"Do you have a bag that I could borrow?" She asked throwing down the collection of clothes and shoes onto the bed. A heap of black and red.
Edward looked up to meet Bella and then back down at his bags. "I can fit some of your stuff in half of my bag and I'm sure Alice has a bag somewhere..." She watched with curious eyes as he scratched the back of his head, he seemed... nervous?
"You know Edward, I know my word might not mean much given I just threatened Aro with fire but…I'm not about to set you to flames. You can relax."
"What?" He replied half-heartedly turning to look at her, "No, it's not that." He tried to smile but it failed to reach his eyes.
"Then what is it? Why are you so nervous?"
"It's just, I don't want to mess this up." He sighed looking defeated.
Bella sighed dramatically catching his attention. "Edward, do you plan on leaving me again?" She stared him down, her eyes as cold as her stance.
"No. Never." He rushed.
"In the future do you intend on including me in important decisions and validating my opinion?"
"Of course."
"Then don't worry, you won't." Her body softened, her smile reassuring and sweet, "Now I'm going to go see Alice about that extra bag."
Favour her own sake, Alice's and Jasper's room was only a few steps down the hallway.
"Knock knock," she spoke as she pushed the door open revealing Alice neatly folding clothes into one of the many unfilled bags as Jasper sat back against the wall of the bed.
"Alice darling, let me help."
"No, you do it wrong; it has to be perfect. So sit down. Bella!" Alice lay her things to rest on the bed as she came over, "What can we do for you?"
"Uh, I need somewhere to put my things and Edward told me you might have a bag…?" She gestured to the collection in her hands.
"You really don't have a lot of stuff, huh?"
"The Volturi aren't really big on personal belongings." She laughed as to cover her discomfort, the Volturi were monsters that lacked empathy for emotion. Emotion was weak and there could be no connections.
"Well we'll have that rectified soon." Bella responded with a tight smile, "And Edward was right by at least one thing, give me them and I'll find a home for them somewhere. I am so glad that your sense of fashion has finally evolved beyond sweat pants. You are going to so much more fun to dress up then before!" The last part was more of a muttered tangent to herself rather than directed to Bella.
As Alice walked away with her stuff Bella shuffled on her feet nervously, unsure what to do or where to go now. Did she stay? If she left where would she go? Back to her room? She still felt out of place, a bothersome to the family, even despite everything.
Her eyes caught Jasper who by contrast seemed to be avoiding hers. "I never blamed you you know." His attention leached to hers and she continued on, "With- with what happened. I think I blamed you least actually. I got it, I understand what you were going through then even more now." The gesture to herself was transparent yet nevertheless obvious. She waited anxiously for him to reply,
"And I understand how you feel right now Bella too, maybe more than most." She was caught off guard by his bluntness, "You feel as though you are a monster, for what you've done." He stared at her intensely with sincerity, "I've been there, I- did some monstrous things before I found Alice I-" He paused, "You can move on from it. They'll help you move on, just like they did for me. None of us are perfect Bella, we've all done things that we regret. None of us will hold that against you."
Neither continued on, words and intense emotion beyond them both really, but Bella allowed her self just to falter for a second, to smile, and both nodded in acknowledgement to the other. She appreciated his words more than she knew how to show.
Within the following 5 minutes all were packed and they returned to Carlisle's room ready to depart.
"So, do we just leave out the front door or what?" Emmett asked voicing what they were surely all thinking.
"The window sounds good to me." Bella shrugged dismissing the eyes that turned to meet her. Leaving through the window was quick, easy and reduced any chance of running into any of the guard with shameful eyes as she left them behind. That and she was terrified of running once more into Aro, she didn't want to see him change his mind.
"I can understand your desire for a quick and easy exit Bella, I really do, but leaving suspiciously already on bad terms with Aro may have more consequences than not." Carlisle spoke.
Bella had to disagree.
"Come on Bella, where's that fearless spirit from earlier who threatened to burn Aro to ash? Channel her." Emmett encouraged.
"It will be fine." Edward placed a hand on her shoulder, she tensed at the contact feeling the spark of nerves run down her spine, "We'll get you out of here, I promise you."
And that was her other fear, maybe her most prominent. What if she got left behind in the chaos? What if Aro kept her trapped within the walls forever?
She didn't want to go back. She couldn't.
"Okay." She sighed despite her instincts screaming in disagreement, "Yeah, we'll do it your way." She scratched her brow, furrowing in deep thinking.
The empty hallways seemed to stretch out for miles as they walked out, their walls feeling more confining than ever. With hyper awareness she could hear every sound, noises from far beyond what she could see. Every step sent her chest pounding fearful to hear one extra foot join them.
With her nerves alive anxiously awaiting a battle she almost cried in relief at the sight of the door.
A new life was just within reach.
Hesitating in the arch way she turned once more, one final look before she could close away this chapter of her life. This was it; stepping away from what she knew to move into unknown territory that made her chest clench with anxiety.
The air froze around her as she caught sight or Aro, him watching her with cautious eyes at the head of the hallway as she watched him in return.
She waited. Waited for the shoe to fully drop, for the outrage to implode.
She waited yet it never came.
His face bare from any expression he left her behind.
Bella turned, Edward awaited her on the other side.