A Time To Weep

Chapter Four

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"Welcome! Bella, I'm so glad to see you, as a vampire no doubt!" That was Aro, always the cheerful, but slightly insane sounding one. Marcus and Caius were on either side, having no set expression.

Suddenly, Marcus, whom I had yet to hear speak, ever, addressed me.

"Are you ready to live out your destiny?"

I stood there, waiting in silence. What did he say? My destiny? This was too weird. I came to Volterra to find a place to stay because I could think nowhere else, because I panicked.

Then, I realized, I seem pretty irrational. Why would I do this to myself? Why would I drag my butt all the way over to Italy and leave all the people I love? Am I crazy? That's when I remember the Volturi are standing in front of me, waiting for my first words.

I stare at each of them, wondering what Marcus could possibly be talking about.

"Um…what?" Oh yes, Bella, very eloquent. I mentally kick myself.

Marcus, decidedly, has spoken enough, so Caius steps in. "This, being here with us, is what you are supposed to do with your…immortality." I stare at him blankly while he lets me gather everything in. If what he's saying is true, they probably knew I was going to come here every since I wanted to become a vampire, and maybe even before then. This was mind-blowing.

"You see, Bella," Aro continued speaking for Caius, and I directed my attention to the youthful man. "We knew, since you were born, that you would become one of us." Oh my god! Stop! He was saying so little, but it all meant so much. My presumptions were wrong; they had since from my birth! Was that even possible?

"H-how?" I cleared my throat and tried again. "How would you know that?"

"We have our ways…" Ugh, so cryptic, and just at the time when I didn't need mysteries.

"So, does that mean," I decided to take a guess, "that you, or some other source, knows other things that will happen? Like it doesn't have to be 'set in stone' for you to see it."

Aro looked over to Caius. "She catches on quickly." They gave a small chuckle at my disbelieving face.

"You mean to tell me that there are vampires like that?" Aro just nodded, looking at me with fire in his fiery red eyes. He could see the curiosity in me; he knew I wanted to know more. There was probably so much Edward hadn't told me about what vampires can actually do, and how powerful their powers are. I was amazed.

"Speaking of powers, Bella, I believe you were pretty much…destined," He paused, letting that word sink in for effect, "to have a power. Has it shown up yet?" Wow. So he had known what my power would be too, and probably at birth as well.

I thought back to everything that had happened since I had been changed. I hadn't noticed it all the times it happened, but I realized it now. I could block people, or anything for that matter, from my mind. I had felt intrusions, little twitches and pokes up there, and I had commanded them to stop. They did. I guess that's why Edward couldn't read mine, even as a human. I had a power!

Aro smiled at my newfound happiness. He took a step towards me, flowing like water and brought a hand up to my cheek. I looked up in wonderment at his red eyes, reflecting what mine must have looked like.

"Oh, Bella. You will be such an asset to the Volturi." What Aro was, and had been, saying suddenly sank into my muddled head. I was to become one of them, part of the most powerful vampire coven in the world. It was my destiny. I was snapped out of my reverie like I was in a slingshot, heading straight for the stars.

"Whoa. Wait just a minute here. Why…what…How could I become one of you? The three Volturi looked shocked, as if to ask 'How could you not?'

"Bella, I don't think you understand. This is what you're supposed to be. No matter how hard it is to believe, you're a very powerful and strong vampire, or at least you will be. There's no denying your destiny."

"Stop saying that! What if I don't want this to be my destiny?"

"Alright, Bella. Why don't you walk out of here and face all the people on the streets. Go back to your precious Edward. We know how you got this way, so don't look so shocked." He had gotten me there. I didn't have any place else to go.

"You will be staying here, and there's no question about that. Oh, and I should warn you that you will not be alone." He gave yet another cryptic smirk and walked out of the room, motioning for me to follow.

"Alice! What did you see?" My whole family asked.

I already knew. She had seen Bella, as a vampire. My beautiful Bella. She was in Italy, of all places, talking with the Volturi, but there was no sound. That must have something to do with her ability. Alice had probably tried to see what Bella was doing, and she blocked her out of her mind, so she had to resort to someone else's future, like one of the Volturi themselves.

Everyone stared at, probably because of the look on my face. I didn't even know how to describe my feelings, so I couldn't imagine what my face was like. So many things were running through my head as Alice explained her vision. Love, hope, rejection, shame, anguish.

There was only one outcome to this vision, only one.

I gave one last look and Caius and Marcus before I followed Aro. Caius smiled encouragingly while Marcus gave no expression, not even in his eyes. He would be a tough one, I could tell right now.

And here I was, saying things that implied I would be staying in Italy. My life sure had taken off on an interesting chain of events. I tried to process everything.

So, as Aro had said, it had been known for almost 19 years that I would become a vampire, and a very powerful one at that. I would join the Volturi, probably aiding them in any matters that needed aid. I had a sought after power, one that was an advantage in almost all cases. And what was that about how I wouldn't be alone?

The latter didn't take long to find out. Aro had led me down a deserted but beautiful looking hallway, all the way to the end. It was my room, I was guessing. Boy, was I wrong.

He opened the door, and even before he did, I could hear them. There were people in there, talking in soft whispers, and I could make out every word. They were talking about me, about how I would look and the anticipation of seeing me for the first time, as a vampire. There was only one group of people I could think of that would say such things….

As I stood in the open doorway, I couldn't believe my freaking red eyes. The Cullens were here. All of them, every single one, were here, including my one true love, my one true traitor.

Our eyes met, and I couldn't take mine off of his, and I couldn't let his name slip softly from my lips. I hadn't seen him in days, and his face was striking. No matter how much he had hurt me, he was so beautiful. Our eyes searched each other's depths and souls. I stared at him for what seemed like the longest time possible.

The time away from him, and the fresh pain, didn't make a difference. I still hated him for what he had done. But those eyes, that face…

Aro's voice tore me away from his eyes. "Bella, aren't you going to welcome our guests? I'm sure you're happy to see them." I blinked then my eyes almost closed in disbelief. He surely was kidding. Me, happy to see them?

Who was I kidding? I was ecstatic. I felt like running to every one of them, no matter how much animosity was there, and hugging all of them for ten minutes. After all, I had had the time now.

I tried to avoid all their gazes. When I had thought about them in these past few days, I thought the most about Rosalie. Surprisingly, we had made so much progress since she had told Edward I killed myself. I learned more about her, and she even opened up to me in was I never thought possible. She most likely felt guilty for the pain she had caused Edward, but at least I had reaped the benefits.

I still had yet to speak. What could I say? "Hi guys, thanks for coming. Now, leave!" or "I hate you?" Those would hardly be sufficient.

"Bella?" I hadn't been looking at him, but I could recognize the voice anywhere. I could hear the steps forward he took clearly, and the new sound of his sonorous voice. It was him. It was Edward. I couldn't take the sound, and the way it affected me. I wanted to melt into him, even though he hadn't apologized yet, and he hadn't been there for me. What was wrong with me?

Before Edward could get out another word out, I ran. I bolted back to the main room where I had come when I first came to Italy, and then stopped. I didn't know where to go. Did they even have a room set up for me yet? I was breathing heavily even though running was nothing for me now. Seeing Edward did this to me. Seeing him after he bit me and left me for a goner. How could he do that?

Of course, I could hear them behind me. They had followed just like I knew they would. I hadn't planned what I would do to get rid of them though. This place was so big.

I refused to turn around to look at them, choosing to stare at the large wall in front of me. I felt a hand reach out and touch me. I shook it off and used my peripheral vision to see who was behind me. I saw jeans and a nice, and a shirt Edward would wear.

He had just touched me, and I shook him off. Serves him right, I thought. He didn't deserve to touch me ever again.

"What…are you doing here?" I asked in a small voice. I heard womanly sighs from behind me, probably all coming form his sisters. This was probably as heartbreaking for them as it was for me.

"I came, Bella, because I care about you. I didn't mean to leave you like that. I panicked." I laughed bitterly at his reply, and turned around, to face him full on. I looked sadly at his devastating face. I knew he meant it, but I didn't know if I could trust him. I wanted to believe him, but it was so hard to after he left time and time again.

"You promised to never, ever leave again. Look where that got us. You left, again." I couldn't help but bring it up. The only way I could think to trust him again was make him feel the pain I had felt.

"No, you left." He said angrily. He regretted, instantly, what he said. I could tell. "I'm sorry. That was stupid. I'm the one at fault here."

I almost smiled at how hard he was trying. He loved me, anyone could see that. I loved him too, of course, but I don't know if I believed that at this point. Could I really forgive him? Only time would tell.

I didn't answer for a long time. I just stared at the ground, thinking things over. The Cullens' must have been the ones that Aro told me about, the people that would accompany me here. Oh, how cruel destiny could be sometimes. And Edward was standing there too, so close to me. He was so sad, and it was like I had hurt him in some way, cutting deeper and deeper into a wound I had inflicted when I left.

"I think," I had decided, "that I want to go to my room." I directed my statement to Aro. I didn't want to be in this room, with all these emotions. It was draining me. Then I remembered I hadn't showered in a while. I must look like a mess, even though I changed hurriedly at Charlie's before leaving for Italy. There was no time for a shower.

"If that's what you want Bella." Aro said. He even sounded hurt.

"Yes. That's what I want." My words, like a knife, cut deeper into Edward's wound. It was killing both of us.

"Bella!" Edward gave one last try. I had already turned around to follow Aro again, but I stopped, mid-step. I didn't say anything, just waited for his answer.

"Will I…see you tomorrow?" That feeling came again, but not the one I expected. The feeling where I thought I would cry, but nothing of substance came to overflow my eyes.

Should I respond? If I did, what would I say?

"I…don't…know."

And then I left. If I was going to cause him the same pain he had caused me, I might was well do it thoroughly.

I was sitting in my room with Carlisle. Aro had come in to explain the deal to us. Becoming a Volturi, he said, was what Bella was meant to do, and we were supposed to join us. Even those of us that didn't have powers would stay, because it would be pointless to split our tightly woven family up. I was surprised at first. Was this possible? It seemed only yesterday that I was asking them to kill me, and they were asking me to join them.

"Edward." Carlisle said. I had been sitting in the same position for quite some time. I looked up.

"You know she's going to need some time to heal. You must understand that, even if you don't understand anything else." He spoke quietly so as not to darken the mood even more. I nodded. I probably understood more than anybody how much time this would take. I had hurt her, maybe even permanently.

"Yes," I said, "This will definitely take some time."

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