Title: After Life

Summary: Aro kidnapped Bella and changed her, growing impatient with Edward. Edward tried to rescue her, but couldn't. So now Bella's in Russia, with Demetri, and the snow.

The chapters will alternate. Every odd numbered chapter is in Bella's POV every even numbered chapter is in Edward's POV. Enjoy.

Thank you to m.yth001, renabear, AliceCullen351, sftblrox24 and, CraZy pRyo for reviewing chapter seven! You keep me going!

I own Edward Cullen. Not really, but a girl can dream, right?

Anyway, I don't own. Unfortunately.

Chapter Ten: Fail

I walked away from the closet my Bella was in. If she didn't want me anymore, then I would honor her wishes and leave. It hurt me though. Oh how it hurt me.

I kept walking at a human pace, hoping against hope that she would come running out to me, and say that she didn't mean it, and that she still loved me…

I closed my eyes for a brief second and continued walking.

"Goodbye then, Bella." I murmured.

"Edward! Wait!" Bella called. Her voice, her sweet musical voice, stopped me in my tracks. I turned and saw her coming toward me, at a human walking pace. I smiled at her.

She stopped a couple of feet from me.

For a few long moments, neither of us said anything at all. We just looked on, and waited for the other to say something.

"Edward, I–" She started, but then stopped, seeming to be mentally battling with herself.

"B–Isabella, you can tell me." I whispered, coming closer. She glared at me.

"Stay where you are." She sang. She looked surprised. I frowned and tried to take a step forward, but I couldn't move. I was frozen, at her command.

"Edward…I…I never left a note." She said finally. I frowned.

"Neither did I." I said softly, hoping she would believe me.

"Well, then who did?" She asked. Of course, I couldn't answer her.

We were silent again.

Suddenly, Aro, Marcus, and Caius appeared.

"What an interesting aspect of your powers Isabella." Aro purred. Bella froze.

Marcus and Caius were silent, as always, just the bored observers.

"Ah, I see you have met up with Edward again." Aro said lightly.

Bella turned to him, her eyes hard and icy.

"You will be quiet and you will be still." She sang. I closed my eyes as I listened to her voice. It was so lovely, even filled with cold anger. And the tune of her lullaby…I felt a small part of joy in my heart. She sang to her lullaby, which I had created for her.

But then my joy vanished as I remembered the song I had heard upon arriving…and the scream, and Bella's red eyes.

Aro opened his mouth, but no words came out. He couldn't even lift a hand.

Bella turned back to me, her eyes suddenly unsure again.

"Edward…I…" She murmured as she glided closer. Soon, we were mere inches apart.

"Bella, I love you." I said softly. She closed her eyes.

"How can you? I kill humans. I sing them to their deaths. I am a monster, Edward. A monster that doesn't deserve an angel like you." She said, her voice wavering with tears she could not shed.

I chuckled and her eyes snapped open, glaring at me.

"Oh Isabella Marie Swan, how wrong you are. I am no angel. And you are certainly not a monster. I have taken human lives too. And even when you were a human, you forgave my sins." I whispered. She leaned closer, and her unnecessary breath fanned my face.

She opened her mouth to speak, but I leaned forward, closing the tiny gap between our lips, and kissed her.

All too soon, she pulled away. Her eyes held a jumble of emotions…among them I spotted fear, joy, reluctance, and…pain. Immeasurable pain. As if my kiss had actually seared her.

"Isabella. I believe we have already had a talk about you being disobedient." Aro hissed. Suddenly, he had her pinned to the wall by her throat, much as he had me earlier.

Marcus and Caius looked bored, but seemed to be able to move again. I tried, but found I was still frozen, unable to come to my fallen angel's aide.

"Isabella. Do you remember that little chat we had?" Aro asked angrily.

Bella stared at him, her face an emotionless mask.

"Yes Aro." She said, her voice blank. Aro growled and threw her into the wall with enough force that she went through it, into another room.

I lunged for Aro, but suddenly I was on the floor, writhing in pain. It felt almost as bad as when I thought Bella was dead.

I looked up, and Jane was smiling at me. Then she laughed and I was able to get back up. I backed away from them, glaring daggers at Aro.

"Now, now Edward. Don't be getting angry at what I do with my guard." Aro said pleasantly.

I snarled at him.

"She is not yours!" I shouted.

I was seething with anger. I wanted to rip the bastard to shreds for even thinking that Bella could be his.

I heard some plaster fall, and I saw that Bella was getting up. She didn't spare me glance as she stood up, covered in dust from the broken stones she had crashed through.

"Bella, are you okay?" I asked without thinking. I was suddenly at her side.

She looked at me, ad her eyes were cold and blank.

"Are you coming, Isabella?" Aro asked nicely as Marcus and Caius turned to go. Bella took a step toward them.

"Bella, please. Think about this. You know I love you. They don't. They don't love you Bella." I whispered, reaching for her. She took another step away from me.

"Edward, I…I don't need love. I can get by without it. Besides, Aro changed me. I'm part of the Volturri, whether I wish to be or not. I have to stay with him, with them, as much as you have to stay with the Cullens." She said softly. Her eyes had had turned cloudy, as if she was trying to convince herself this as well.

"Bella, I'm not forced to be with them. We stay together because of love! You know that! So, please, Bella. Come back with me." I pleaded.

She sighed. "I can't Edward. I'm not the human girl you protected. I'm not the same girl who loved you. I'm a Volturri, a murderer. I'm different now, Edward." She said softly as she took a few more steps away. Her back was to me now.

"But I still love you!" I said desperately.

She stopped, and turned slowly.

"Do you really, Edward? Do you still love me now that I can protect myself? Now that my blood is silent to you? Now that I have the blood of humans on my hands? Can you still love me like this Edward?" She asked me. I felt as though she was begging me to say the right answer.

"Yes." I answered as soon as she was done speaking.

She sighed. "Think about it, and I'm sure you won't." She whispered, and then she was gone.

I closed my eyes as the pain washed over me. It was so much worse than Jane's talent. It was the pain of my heart, dead or not, being ripped from my chest as she left me.

'Do I still love her? Of course I still love her!' I thought as I began to walk. I was leaving. I would go back to Denali, back to my family. But I knew that if Bella wasn't with me, my soul would be in Volturri.

A/N Wow. Depressing. Sorry about that. That's just how it came out. Well, please review!