Chapter 6: Hope Fades

Edward's Point of View

The Volturi would be here in less than three hours. They were going to come, and they were going to take Bella away from me.

Carlisle was sure we could talk our way out of this, but Alice's vision had echoed in my own mind and I knew that he was wrong.

After an hour of planning and discussing strategy with my family I had excused myself, stealing Bella away to the relative privacy of our room.

I grabbed Bella and crushed her to my body. I kissed her lips with a desperate intensity. After a moment she resisted and pushed me back.

'Edward, you're scaring me.' Her eyes were wide with fright.

I immediately tried to fake a comforting smile, though it probably came out as more like a weird, twisted grimace. 'I'll keep you safe Bella. I promise. No matter what happens I will keep you safe.'

I pulled her to me again and rested my chin on the top of her head. I closed my eyes and inhaled her lovely scent.

Why couldn't we be left alone? Ever since I had found Bella it had been nothing but threat after threat. I had always called Bella a danger magnet, yet she had managed to survive perfectly well before she had met me. My hands balled into fists as a new thought occurred to me. Maybe I had been right all along, I had never truly deserved Bella. Maybe our pairing went against the universe's design and ever since everything had been conspiring against our happiness.

Bella pulled back from me and gazed up into my eyes, hers were full of love and trust. If I still had a heart, it would have melted. My hands uncurled from their tight fists and I grabbed her hands in mine. I pulled them to my lips and kissed every knuckle on both her hands.

'Bella.' My voice was a velvety purr, filled with longing. 'I need you, Bella. Right now.' My hands fumbled at her clothing. 'I'm not sure about anything anymore. I need to be sure of you.'

She took my shaking hands in hers and leaned up on tiptoes, her lips brushing mine ever so lightly. 'Edward. My Edward. No one could ever separate us, be sure of that'

I moaned in frustration and searched her face for any sign of the fear that should be there, my eyes wild and crazy. 'You didn't see what I saw Bella!' My voice broke and I could no longer meet her eyes.

She took my chin in her hand and forced me to meet her gaze. 'It doesn't matter what Alice saw, Edward. I love you. We will get through this together.'

I had no idea where her confidence was coming from. Then she smiled tightly. 'This time, our family won't have to protect me. I can stand beside you.'

'Oh Bella no.' Of course, I should have seen this coming. She assumed that now she was a vampire and possessed our speed and strength that she no longer needed protecting, that nothing would be able to threaten her.

She kissed my unyielding lips, again and again, quieting me. Suddenly I realized that Bella had used her relatively newfound speed to undress us both while she had distracted me with her lips.

I looked into her tender eyes, mine full of dismay and hopelessness. She leaned in and kissed both of my eyelids closed, then gently pushed me onto our giant golden bed.

I reached frantically for her, pulling her on top of me. She positioned her hips over my hard length and pushed down on top of it. I allowed myself an exasperated sigh. The Volturi were coming to wrench our family apart in a few short hours, and the sight of Bella's naked body was still enough to sexually excite me.

I gripped her hips roughly with my hands, squeezing my eyes shut tighter as she began to move against me. She stroked my face tenderly, whispering her love for me over and over.

A conflict raged within me. On one hand, Bella was incredibly beautiful and I wanted to give myself over to the incredible sensations she was making me feel. And yet, on the other hand, the Volturi were coming to take her away and we should spend this time preparing or fleeing or something.

She leaned down overtop me, her breasts gently brushing against my chest as she licked the hollow of my throat. I groaned and arched my back towards her. The Volturi could wait, these last few hours were mine and Bella's alone.

When Bella was finally through with me I felt a newfound hope. Even though I trusted utterly in Alice's visions, there was now a louder part of me that refused to even entertain an existence without my shining meteor.

Bella and I dressed slowly, choosing our items with care. We were not sure what the next hour would bring, but at least we could prepare in even a small way. Bella dressed simply in green cargo pants, a black tank top, and low fitting hiking boots. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail. I wore boots of a similar kind, a pair of loose fitting khaki pants and a button down white collared shirt.

We stared at each other for a moment. Then I offered her my hand. She took it and we went out to join the others.

Alice and Jasper were already on the back porch, gazing out at the incredible Alaskan landscape. Alice glanced back when we arrived and snorted. 'Honestly Bella, I wish you would let me dress you.' She studied Bella's outfit with a wistful smile, probably imaging what could be.

I rolled my eyes. 'It's not like we're going to a garden party Alice.' My eyes took in her outfit. Alice had changed into a simple yet exquisitely tailored knee length red dress. She was wearing the stilettos to match.

Jasper turned to me for a moment and then his eyes flew back to Alice. 'I think she looks absolutely divine.' He leaned down and kissed her forehead. Alice threw a smirk over her shoulder at me and stuck her tongue out.

Before I could start to argue function over fashion, Esme and Carlisle joined us on the porch. The second I saw Carlisle's face it was like I had been split in two by a lightning strike. He was barely holding himself together. I swallowed hard. Of all of us, he best knew the power of the Volturi.

One glance at his side, to my mother, and I felt the two halves of me crumble into dust. She wasn't able to conceal her dread. She came to embrace each of us in turn, first Jasper, then Alice, then me, and last, to Bella. She held Bella longer than any of the rest of us, then returned to her place at Carlisle's side.

Jasper's thoughts leapt out at me. I wish Emmett were here. He is going to be so mad that he missed an opportunity to get into a fight. I shook my head in horror at Jasper, and whispered. 'No Jasper, Emmett would never let them separate us, they would kill him.'

Jasper frowned at my response. He still didn't understand the seriousness of our situation. I could hear from his thoughts that he still firmly believed that the Volturi would follow their rules. He believed they would confirm that Bella was now a vampire, repeat Aro's offer and then peacefully leave after we declined.

Oh how I hoped he could be right.

My small family stared out at the direction Alice had said they would come from, waiting. After a long while I realized I had forgotten to breath. Just as I took a deep breath I heard them.

Not their footsteps, not yet, but their thoughts. I raised an eyebrow. 'I'm flattered. Aro sent twice our number. Alec, Jane, and Demetri are among them.'

Jasper nodded. 'Both the freaky twins, not bad, not bad. He must have a lot of respect for us vegetarians.'

I concentrated. 'They are sending Demetri and a few of the others around to flank us, to block off any attempt at escape.'

One of the approaching guard's thoughts changed quickly, and I growled low in my throat as I became privy to his explicit fantasy about my wife. 'Felix is with them as well.'

Alice frowned and moved a step closer to Jasper. 'Two minutes.' Carlisle moved to stand in front of us, Esme just a step behind him.

We could all hear their approach now, slow and collected.

I turned the full force of my eyes on Bella, losing myself in hers like I would never see her again. I didn't look away from my love until the Volturi entered the clearing.

Carlisle stepped forward to meet them, a congenial smile plastered on his face, and greeted them all in turn.

Ignoring the forced pleasantries exchanged by Carlisle and the Volturi, my thoughts were pulled immediately to one of the guard in particular. I knew this had to be Chelsea, the one who could sever or strengthen people's emotional bonds. She was testing the power of my families' bonds, not yet trying to influence anything. Most likely she was just searching for a weak link. My upper lip pulled back, but I held in my growl. Let her try.

I smiled smugly as I listened to her disappointed thoughts. She had found no weak link among us.

I pulled myself back to the spoken conversation when I heard Bella's name.

Jane had inclined her head toward Bella. 'It is good she has finally been changed. Caius was beginning to have grave misgivings.'

Alice spoke up, her clear voice ringing forth like a bell. 'Aro saw the change in my visions, there should have been no doubt.'

Jane smiled at Alice. I winced. If she hurt Alice…'Ah, that reminds me. Aro once again extends an invitation for you to join our little family.' She looked away from Alice and glanced at each of us in turn. 'That invitation is open to all of you, of course.'

Carlisle smiled grimly and turned squarely to face Jane. 'I believe I am not out of line in speaking for my entire family, but I am sorry to say that we must still decline Aro's offer.'

This was it. I stiffened, my mind assessing the biggest threats while my body tensed for the inevitable leap.

I could hear Jasper's thoughts mirror my own.

A slow, poisonous smile slowly crept across Jane's face. 'Believe me Carlisle, no one is sorrier than I to have to hear that.'

And then everything vanished. A shocked gasp tore itself from my throat, but I couldn't hear it. I was blind. I couldn't smell. I couldn't feel anything outside of myself. I whipped around, searching for Bella.

I didn't know what was going on. I could feel frenzied sobs coming from my throat as I called for Bella, but that was all.

Then, just as abruptly as all my senses had vanished, they returned. I gathered my wits in a second and spotted Bella, her eyes were wide and she was staring at me, clearly in shock.

Two of the grey cloaked guard had Carlisle pinned to the ground and another held Esme's arms behind her back.

Jasper was snarling wildly and thrashing around, but he quickly dropped to the ground and I realized that Jane had unleashed the full force of her power on him.

Alice stood still, head hung. I knew she saw no reason to fight, for she had already seen the outcome. Two faceless grey cloaks stood on either side of her, each holding an arm.

Felix was headed straight for Bella. A feral snarl ripped from my throat as I leapt for him. He was clearly taken aback that I was able to find him, but he smoothly turned to meet me headlong.

The noise at our meeting was terrible. It was like two trains going top speed had collided. I tore at him, and he was just barely fast enough to evade my grasping strikes.

He was as strong as Emmett. In a fair fight, I would not have been his match. But this was not a fair fight. My mind was attuned to his thoughts and I was ready to react on a split second's notice to any decision he might make.

He stepped back from my furious attack, yelling to Alec. 'Take him down!'

I came at Felix again, missing his throat with my teeth by the barest of inches.

I could hear Alec's internal frustration as he tried to envelop me with the nothingness again. Something must be wrong, he couldn't get in, just like Jane and Aro and I had never been able to affect Bella with our abilities…

Then, in the second it had taken me to think all the aforementioned thoughts, it hit me. I risked a glance over my shoulder at Bella. Here eyes were closed, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. She was somehow, impossibly, shielding me too!

Felix crashed into my side, knocking me to the ground. I shoved my new discovery from my thoughts and jumped to my feet. I forced myself to concentrate on reading, and then blocking, my enemies' attacks.

I heard Bella's sharp intake of breath and I twisted away from Felix. I came to a stuttering halt, my body frozen in horror.

Chelsea had her arm around Bella's chest from behind, restraining her, and her mouth was at Bella's throat.

I groaned. Bella must have been concentrating on protecting me and Chelsea had taken her by surprise.

Chelsea's silky smooth voice whispered. 'Don't move Edward, Aro will be pleased enough to have you and Alice. He won't be too put out if we have to lose this one.' She inclined her head toward Bella.

I sensed him coming, but I made no move to protect myself. Felix smashed into me from behind, knocking me to the ground and twisting my arms up behind me. He slammed his foot down into the small of my back, wrenching my arms up at an odd angle. I felt nothing for myself, only terror for Bella.

I lifted my face from the dirt as high as I could, my eyes desperately seeking Bella's.

I was aware only of her face. Not of Esme's dry sobs. Not of Carlisle, pleading with Jane not to do this. Not of Jasper, as he howled in pain, for Jane had not let him go. Not of Alice, resigned, heartbroken at Jasper's suffering. Not of myself, of the pain slashing through my body as Felix gloated overtop me.

But only of her. My Bella. My beautiful, amazing angel.

My vision and other senses began to fade in and out. Bella was losing control, shielding me must be exhausting.

I whimpered as I dropped my face back into the dirt. 'Bella, oh Bella.' Then everything faded back to nothingness.

I let them drag me back to my cell, my body trailing limply along the ground. I had seen her. My wondrous angel. She had…saved me. Protected me from Jane and Felix. Not only had she used her ability to shield me again, she had also physically taken down Felix.

Not that I hadn't deserved every blow he had dealt me.

The guards wrenched open the door and threw me into the damp stone room, slamming the door behind me.

Jasper rushed forward and helped me lift myself off the ground. He sat me back against the wall, measuring me guardedly with his eyes. He must have noticed a change in me. I could hear his thoughts. Damn, what did they do to him? He looks terrible. But…his eyes. They're different, somehow. Not dead, but…haunted?

I turned my face away from his searching eyes. 'It was just Jane again.' I snorted and then winced. 'Nothing we haven't felt a hundred times over.'

I hid my face in my hands. 'I saw her Jasper, I saw Bella.' I shuddered and shivered. I ignored Jasper's shock.

'They took me as bait, to get her to practice her shielding ability.' I whispered, my mouth twisting into a mockery of my former dazzling grin. Jasper's curses filled my head.

'It worked. It worked quite well. All it took was for me to suffer a little bit of pain.' I shook my head as Jasper's thoughts recoiled at the idea of what a 'little bit of pain' had been in reality.

I threw my head back and howled. 'They just keep using me and using me to manipulate her!' I stretched my arms high and then coiled them behind my head, my fingers tearing at my hair. 'And I can't stop them!' Something between a howl and a shuddering sob broke from my lips. 'I can't protect her! I promised her I would protect her.' My voice broke, my body shaking uncontrollably.

'It's unbearable!' I leapt to my feet and fled from Jasper, hiding myself in the same dark corner he had retreated to the last time we had spoke.

I couldn't keep his desperate thoughts from invading my mind. She loves you still Edward. Don't give up hope. Fight for her. For Bella. Be the man that she sees you as. Fight, Edward. Fight.