Okay, so before I get started, I wanted to make a couple of notes. One, this is my first Twilight fic ever – so, since I'm in a new community on this site, I wanted to say that I don't require things to be accurate in my stories. If you notice a mistake, it's most likely on purpose.
Another thing – I haven't read the books since they were released, what, fifteen or so years ago? I've forgotten a few things, I'm sure, so I'm currently re-reading them. I'm only mentioning this because if, by chance, I add something that has already occurred in the books, while thinking it is original, it's a complete mistake that I will own up to. I was eight when I first got into this series, so it's been a while.
Alright, I think that's it. Let's begin.
She was already infuriatingly wonderous as a human. Isabella Swan – a young woman who captured the minds of many. Human, vampire, werewolf – it didn't matter much, so long as they had the opportunity to meet her. Aro had fallen victim, and it wasn't often you found him consumed with anything other than the thoughts of the child residing in Forks, Washington.
He remembered her scent, and the feel of her skin as he attempted to read her past and present. His quarters often filled with shrill laughter when his mind wandered towards her gifts, and what they hold for her as an immortal. She was unlike anything he had ever experienced.
Aro wanted her. The gifts she held; they were more than even the Cullen's were aware. To have her on his side, fighting and serving beside him and his brothers? Why, she may just be as valuable as Jane, or Alec; perhaps even more, should his expectations prove true.
Isabella Swan – she was to become an immortal, of that he was sure. It was as if her soul had been sold, even before her birth, perhaps even conception. He wondered now, had the Cullen's followed through on their promise, and made her an immortal?
It would surely be a pity, had they not. Perhaps it was time for a visit? He couldn't decide, no, seeing as Alice would see him coming then, so he would consult with his guard. Should he ask the question, they would understand and make the decision for him, and not even Alice Cullen would see this.
That morning felt no different than any other. Bella awoke to a familiar sensation – cold, rubbing from her brow to her jaw, so gently that it felt as though she could be imagining it. Perhaps she would have believed as much, had she not known any better.
She raised her lids to look up towards the bronze eyes she knew she would find, her breath catching as his lips met hers. It wasn't until the kiss broke that she realized his eyes weren't bronze at all, but rather they had turned black with thirst.
Oh right, today was the day they were all supposed to hunt. She'd be alone. A sigh escaped her lungs, bringing her relief from the breath she didn't realize she had been holding. Being away from her other family brought her immense anxiety, ever since her eighteenth birthday when they had all disappeared.
Bella did her best to trust them, and she certainly didn't allow herself to feel any of this whenever she was near Jasper, if only because that's when her privacy was breeched. Edward may not be able to read her mind, but he could read Jaspers, and Jasper could feel and manipulate her emotions with just a glance.
She didn't want to burden the Cullen's with her insecurities, because the truth was that she did trust them, more than anyone, but she would always have this lingering fear of 'what if'. So many bad things happened when they were away from her. It could be as simple as a car accident, or a slip down the stairs, but it usually involved vampires thirsting for her, apparently delicious smelling, blood.
Edward must have noticed that something was a bit off with her, because he was just watching her. Not in his usual, curious way, but more of a concerned vibration was emanating from his gaze.
"What are you thinking about?" He questioned.
Bella tried to look incredulous, shaking her head and moving her lips into a slight frown in an attempt to say 'nothing'.
Of course, he saw through her, she had always been a bad liar. Instead of questioning her further, however, he let out a frustrated breath and smiled towards her.
"I'll figure it out, eventually."
She could only let out a brief laugh, realizing then that while she may be a bad liar, Isabella Swan was fairly good at omitting certain things. Edward still hadn't learned of the dream she had the night before her birthday.
Bella bit her lips as she saw the familiar red cloaks, a fountain, and a clock flash through her mind again. It was frustrating for her, and she certainly didn't want to seem insane, despite the fact that everything she had believed to be myth had proven to be true once she moved to Forks. She could remember the sense of déjà vu as she ran to stop her love from exposing himself, and effectively, ending his existence.
She hadn't paid it much mind then, seeing as it wasn't exactly a priority to wonder where she had seen this all before. A light shiver ran through her spine as she saw the faces of Aro, Caius, Marcus, Jane, and Felix run through her mind.
"Cold?" Edward asked gently.
Bella shook her head but moved to make her way out of the bed and towards the closet to gather her supplies for a morning shower.
Then she heard the quiet flush of a toilet, and she groaned. Charlie was awake already. She loved her father, but she also knew Edward, and that he would leave sooner only out of respect.
He seemed to follow her train of thought, for once, and was pulling her back towards his torso, his arms wrapped around her waist. She felt his lips press against her hair, and then her cheek, ending at her jaw. Her breath hitched, and she could feel the smile spreading across his face.
"I'll see you tomorrow."
The sun was shining brightly by the time lunch arrived. She sat outside with Jessica and Angela, none of them speaking about anything in particular, but mostly just enjoying the warmth the sun brought.
Jessica had been stealing glances at Bella now and then, clearly wanting to ask her something. Bella began to feel slightly annoyed.
"What is it, Jessica?"
The girl, who usually voiced her opinion freely, seemed slightly sheepish. It surprised Bella.
"I was just wondering…" She began, "Why Edward doesn't take you along on the hiking trips?" her voice seemed slightly quiet.
Ah, well, that was a fairly easy question. Jessica and Angela had obviously picked up on how close Bella and Alice were, and nobody could miss the fact the she and Edward were inseparable.
She couldn't, however, tell her the truth. 'Oh yeah, you know, they're all just afraid to be in that feeding frenzy and accidentally turn me into a raisin.'
No, that wouldn't work.
"Carlisle and Esme like to keep it traditional. Just the kids and them." Bella lied. It wasn't exactly a good lie, but who ever thought it would be? Jessica seemed to catch on, but she dropped the subject, not interested enough to dig further.
School seemed to drag by after that, and Bella's classes felt lonely. She had several classes with Alice and Edward, and one with Rosalie, but instead, she was alone. No one dared to sit with her, nor talk to her. She wondered why she was suddenly so unapproachable, despite being the center of attention when she first arrived. Sure, she wasn't the bright and shiny new toy, but she was still interesting, wasn't she?
Then she remembered her depression last year, and she suddenly felt very grateful that no one besides Jessica and Angela cared to be around her. It was still a bit embarrassing, but it was an intense time. She realized she had instinctively shrunk into her chair.
The final bell rang, and Bella was more than glad to head home. Charlie was working late, and so she figured she'd stop and get herself something for dinner. Then she didn't have to worry about cooking, and she could relax in her pajamas and read, rather than allowing her dad to feel guilty that she hadn't ate and him want to take her to the diner.
That sounded like too much effort for tonight.
She was confused when the windows on the doors that led to the parking lot were dark. It was so sunny earlier. Now it was cloudy. Was that rain she seen falling?
'This is Forks.' She thought.
Bella bit her lip gently, feeling a bit of chapped skin between her teeth. Maybe she didn't feel like stopping for food after all.
As she climbed into her beloved truck, something most may see as a piece of junk but was everything to her, she turned the key in the ignition, bringing the roaring engine to life. The rain began to fall harder, and the wipers had trouble keeping up with the intense downpour.
Her fingers felt as though they were tingling at the tips, and she wondered if they were colder than she originally thought. Her right wrist, the one James had decided to bite, always ran a few degrees colder than the rest of her body, but she had never noticed a tingling as it was exposed to warmer air.
Brushing it off, she drove out of the parking lot and made her way to the home she shared with the Chief of Police.
There was a blur in her peripheral vision as she pulled into the drive. She wondered if the pack was running through the woods, just checking up on things. They'd let her know if it was important, so she felt little more than slight curiosity.
Her foot slipped slightly as she stepped out of the truck, and she pulled a muscle in her leg, but the pain was only dull and nothing serious, thankfully. She didn't need a lecture on being more careful.
The rain was pouring more intensely now, if at all possible, and Bella hurried under the eave with her keys, unlocking the door and running inside.
"Hello, Isabella." A familiar voice said.
Bella froze in her spot. This couldn't be happening – it had to be her imagination. Of all days for this particular visit, it had to be one where the Cullen's were hunting.
She briefly thought of the pack, but realized it was probably just the guard protecting the perimeter. The pack would have no idea, and it's not like Jake had been coming around lately.
How hadn't Alice seen this coming? It really couldn't have been a last-minute decision, seeing as they had come from Volterra, Italy.
She turned to face the voice, and saw Aro smiling widely, his red eyes blazing. The fire within only dulling at seeing her own eyes, which remained brown and human. Within seconds, it was replaced by a new fire – one that turned the eyes black and cold.
"Stop!" Alice yelled.
Edward froze, his undead heart falling into the pit of his stomach. The vision was playing repeatedly in Alice's mind. He could see Aro through Bella's eyes. He could hear her heart beating fiercely, sounding as though it would go out of rhythm and stop at any moment.
Esme and Carlisle quickly ran from the mountain they had been climbing, fueled by the terror in their daughter's voice.
Emmett ran with Edward, realizing that something had to be wrong with the little human they all cared for. Well, mostly. Rosalie was debatable, but he knew she would never allow any harm to actually come to her, if only for Edward's sake.
The petite woman quickly explained her vision as they all ran, heading back towards Forks. She was growing increasingly frustrated at the fact that she had not seen this sooner. It was times like this that she wondered why she had visions at all, if she couldn't use them how and when she needed to.
After a while of running at top speed, they all stopped at the border of Bella's land. The guard was gone, and Bella's scent was dim.
Quickly, Alice attempted to search the future. She couldn't see Aro, nor Bella, but she could see Jane and Alec at their home. She instructed the rest of her family where to run, and they all set off again.
Edward, being the fastest, along with being able to see Alice's visions as they happened, arrived first. Growls escaped his chest as he came face to face with the red-eyed child. She merely smiled in amusement.
Emmett arrived next, standing in a crouched position, ready to defend his family with his life.
Jasper, Rosalie, Alice, along with Esme and Carlisle, arrived together.
"We told you, the Volturi doesn't offer second chances." The bell-like voice of Jane spoke. "Caius was most interested to learn of your broken promises."
All of the children, Rosalie included, snarled in response. Esme looked broken-hearted, and Carlisle attempted to remain calm.
"Where is she? We have the date set." He explained.
Jane's eyes snapped towards him, and you could almost see a brief hesitation in his stature, fearing the pain they could bring. "She is no longer your concern."
Edward lunged at the girl, who snapped her eyes back to him, causing him to fall to the ground and scream in agony. She smiled as he shook. Esme looked distraught, both for her adopted son and the girl he loved – the one who had brought him happiness.
"Please." She begged. "Allow us to see her."
Alec stepped forward this time, allowing his sister to remain focused on Edward. "Aro, Caius, and Marcus have set claim to her at this time."
A loud snarl brought Jane out of her concentration. Rosalie stepped forward, her steps slow and dangerous. "She belongs to no one!" She yelled. Her anger grew as her mind registered that Bella no longer had a choice in this matter. They all pretended that she did, and perhaps that made it easier for everyone, but she didn't. The Volturi had decided that when she went to Italy and saved Edward.
Now, there was no false belief that it was her decision. She had been stolen away from her protectors – her family, and God knows what was going to happen to her now.
There was suddenly a shrill laugh, followed by light footsteps and a wicked grin, as Aro came out from the home, causing both Jane and Alec to make way for their master.