Disclaimer: As much as we'd like to claim these characters, nothing Twilight-related belongs to us.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews and sorry that the last chapter was below par in the length! But we promised you compensation with this chapter, which we hope suffices the shortness of the last. The end is finally on the loom, and this chapter starts the climax!

ENJOY!

Turning Eighteen
By cALLIEfornia BENches

Previously, on Turning Eighteen:

Aro carefully took a few steps back, with his hands up in surrender and a too-innocent look on his face. "I mean to offend no one," he said. "I am merely curious. Maybe it's best you leave," he said. "I'll have Marcus show you the door."

I bit my lip, wanting nothing more than to stay and do what I could to convince them to give Carlisle back. But nevertheless I followed, Bella attached to my hand.

If they didn't want to do it peacefully, that was fine with us. But they couldn't expect us to give up without a fight.

There was no doubt about it: we would be back, and we would be leaving with Carlisle, no matter what it took.

Chapter 13: Retribution

Bella and I stepped in sync, the sounds of our feet shuffling harmoniously towards the gold-leafed and brightly shining doors. The pillars that had towered over our figures would soon disappear behind us, and the breath I had no recollection I had been holding could be released for the sake of the moment. The lair was even more menacing, dark and quiet as the family and I turned our backs to the guard, despite the chandeliers brightly illuminating every surface available.

I can't believe he's letting them go! After all the planning and effort we have placed into this very moment, Master Aro still lets them trod away?! What if this is our last chance, huh? What will he ask of us next when we could very well overpower them now?! I'm tired of this; we outnumber them two dozen to six. They don't even have Carlisle with them. I say we pounce while their backs are turned.

I'm disappointed. She no longer smells appetizing. Or edible.

How are they still alive?

The thoughts of the Volturi zoomed through my mind, and I let them flow freely, hoping to absorb any much needed information. At this point, we would need all that we could get. All the voices belonged to unfamiliar vampires; Aro and Alec had managed to do fairly well keeping their minds blocked. I gritted my teeth in frustration once I had realized our mistake. In one quick glance at Aro and his guard, I knew we had arrived unprepared. We were shorthanded in power and in strength. How did we assume saving Carlisle would be easy enough to simply 'grab and go?' We were all much too blinded by our family unity, our bond, to realize rationally the consequences. Esme loved Carlisle enough to throw caution towards the wind, and sacrifice her life. We all loved Carlisle. And caution never was best suited for us.

Bella and I continued walking away; her hand clearly indicated her nervousness and fear, as it was almost to the point of crushing my own. To my left, I could already hear Rosalie and Emmett strategizing, marking weak and vulnerable individuals who would be easy to conquer alongside another. Esme trailed a little behind, her thoughts bordering panic and clarity. It took great internal strength not to stop and console her.

We had been lucky. We could leave while we still had the chance. To regroup. To formulate a plan. And to attack at a moment's notice. I couldn't risk the safety of the rest of the family right now; we had to leave temporarily while we still had the chance.

"I'm staying."

The menacing whisper stopped us in our tracks. Venom dripped excessively from those two words as they escaped Jasper. Turning around, I finally noticed that Jasper had not moved an inch since the end of our conversation with Aro; he stood rigid, facing the unrelenting and curious Guard. We had managed to walk without him for about twenty paces, leaving him glaring at Aro and his vampires. Each eyed him with amusement, with deadly pleasure. I could see it in their eyes; they were waiting for him to explode and attack. They wanted a reason to rid themselves of another Cullen. They had already destroyed one and captured another. Jasper wouldn't stand a chance against a couple dozen fighters.

Something had to be done.

Emmett, with a look of determination set across his features, called out. "Jas, let's go. We have other things to attend to." What is the man doing? He's not sticking to the plan! When Jasper failed to reply with any motion or recognition, he quickly strode back, leaving the rest of the family to stand wait by the door.

The tension that had slowly begun to dissipate crawled its way back under my skin, melding with fear once the triggering of numerous thoughts belonging to the Volturi swept through my mind.

He's cracking. I dare him to attack. It'll be the last thing he does.

I wonder if the others will try and save him if anything should go astray. He's clearly outnumbered and outmatched. If I were in that position, I'd turn the other way. He's obviously insane to fight us.

The sneering and wishful threats poured like gushing basin into my head, and I willed myself to place a dam on its flow. The family needed me to stay collected and ready. Without Carlisle, I was expected to carry a family as the second oldest vampire. I needed to be calm. Shakily, I masked my expression as best I could, though I immediately knew my family was aware of my fraudulent exterior.

Out of my internal struggle, I finally noticed Emmett had gracefully reached Jasper. But even with his brute strength and intensive tugging at Jasper's sleeve, he would not falter. He simply swayed as he was, shaking slightly with Emmett's wary tugs. His eyes never left Aro, whose amused smile never reached his eyes.

They were filled to the brim with fear. As was I.

What was going on? Why was Jasper suddenly like this? If he so chose to abandon the family, ignore any further strategic, what would become of us? Of Carlisle? For the first time, confusion mixed with my giant stew of emotions. It was dangerous not to know everything at this moment. Jasper's words rang in my ears, and I hoped for Jasper to sigh in defeat, and follow us out towards the square.

My hand was clenched. Bella had not said a word throughout the entire ordeal.

Edward. Rosalie's cry shouted internally, and I slightly swiveled my head towards her direction; it was subtle enough not to bring forth suspicion, but enough to let her know she had my attention. What is Jasper thinking? What is going on? You need to assist Emmett and we need to quickly escape while there's still time!

My hand shuffled through my disheveled bronze hair, signaling I understood. Hurriedly, I focused for any thoughts that spouted from his mind. But there seemed to be nothing, however, and his blocked mind scared me. He was purposely closing himself from me. I wasn't supposed to know about this.

Alice.

That was the only word that I could hear clearly.

"Jasper," I called, trying to hide the note of panic shaking in my throat, "Don't do this. Come back."

Once again, he ignored me, and continued his piercing stare into Aro. Silence stretched on, and was replaced by a growing suspicion and danger. Slowly, I found myself crouching lower than before into a battle-like position. It was instinct, but it told me that nothing good was to come of Jasper's confrontation.

"Jas, don't be like this." Emmett's pleas and pushes still did nothing. What had gotten into him? None of the family moved forward; we were all too confused and shocked to do much else.

No one moved for an immeasurable amount of time. Red eyes met gold, glares were sent across the room, and the rigid postures that had developed in every single figure within the room never showed any inclination that they were to change.

It was a room full of statues. I didn't breathe the entire time, and I was pretty sure no one else in the room was, either. It was eerie.

Finally, Jasper's voice swallowed up the silence.

"Where is she?" he seethed. Without even seeing his expression, I could already tell his words were seeping through clenched teeth. His hard words sounded to be the only thing restraining him from pouncing across the marble and unto Aro.

Aro's eyebrows raised in an amused fashion. "I beg your pardon? Who is this 'she' you are referring to?"

Immediately, anger and pure hate flowed freely from Jasper, as water gushed from a fountain. His powers as an empath emanated his emotions to all corners of the marbled room, and I felt myself stand on end, angrier than I was previously before, and more inclined to dash to rip off a pale leg. Or perhaps I would choose an arm. All around, I could sense uneasiness in others, and agitation stream through. Beside Jasper, Emmett's broad muscles tensed under his shirt. No one was unaffected by the power of unaltered and long-held emotions. Even Aro, so characteristically calm, humorous, and amused, was slightly fidgeting in his position from being directly across the room from the source of the tension.

We would need to get a hold on ourselves if this was going to go anything like we had imagined. Especially Jasper. He couldn't keep sending signals like this. It wasn't just about him. This was about all of us. And he needed to know that. But unfortunately, I was the one that could read minds. Not Jasper. And we didn't want the Volturi to know how little control we had over him. They'd only use that to their advantage, and that was the last thing we needed.

But it was hard. The anger, especially at the strength it was now, was nearly impossible to push down. I could hear that the others were struggling to do the same as me, too.

What's happening, Edward? I've never felt this much forceful anger before! Can you see into his mind?

Esme's thoughts entered my mind. It took a great deal of time and effort to quell the sudden rage in order to accurately open myself to everyone's thoughts. But I still could not hear anything besides Alice's name being murmured from Jasper. Hesitantly, I shook my head as subtly as I could, hoping the Volturi wouldn't notice anything.

"Where. Is. She?" whispered Jasper. It surprised me that his voice, already previously baritone before, somehow was able to deepen itself further, producing forth a tone soaked in fury and waning patience.

Aro's inability to answer in his usual quick and irritating manner would have been laughable, but in its absence, the desperation that had slipped through his mind worried me. I learned the difficult way never to trust him. And I knew from experience that, when cornered, vampires, were like animals in that they would find any way possible to survive. To scratch and claw their way from death. And Aro, of all that I knew, was capable of anything. He had an army of loyal vampires that could beckon to his every call, and, unlike us, ethics and morals never really obstructed his path for his goals.

We had, by some poor miracle, found ourselves treading even further into deeper waters.

"Do not toy with me, Jasper. I have no recollection or recognition of whom you presume I know of. Tell me and I'll do what I can for a family friend." His smile did not reach his eyes. Instead, I focused on the small movement of his hand touching one of his followers behind him. He was looking for possibilities and decisions from his guard.

Jasper shot off a wave of irritation, and those inexperienced with Jasper's ability to alter emotions were affected this most. Other than Bella, most of the family stayed as they were, frustrated only because of their own thoughts and worries. Jasper's knuckles cracked as his fists clenched tighter at his sides.

"WHERE IS JANE?" he shouted, and his smooth yell reverberated all over the room, producing an echo that seemed to stretch on for hours, as if even the underground mansion wanted to know where she was. Jasper's sudden outburst made a few flinch, Bella included, and in that moment, all thoughts of others' zooming through my head ceased, punctuated only by the few wisps of uncertainty or excitement.

No one had shown a level of disrespect that Jasper had displayed to Aro. Ever. All eyes were between the two figures. A battle seemed to ensue. I needed to stop it; I had already let this go on way too long. I couldn't afford to jeopardize our safety and our chance to save Carlisle by letting this imminent fight ensue. I could tell that Esme was thinking the same thing.

"Jasper-" I started.

"SHUT UP!" he exclaimed, effectively ending anything else I was going to say. I instinctively tightened my hold on Bella, who had become my security. The rest of the family turned towards me as well, a look of evident shock plastered on their features. Out of all of us, Jasper was always the most level headed and mellow. He strayed from the arguments Rosalie and I had, and acted as the neutral party generally during the brawls between Emmett and me.

But then again, that was when he had Alice. That was when he had his security.

"Don't do this, man. Let's leave. Don't say anything that could ruin—" Emmett soothed.

"I said. Shut. Up!" Jasper furiously, for the first time, broke his deadlock glare with Aro to rapidly shift his entire body away from the enemy. And towards his family. His eyes were pitch-black, and the usually complacent exterior was nowhere in sight. His expression had become contorted in grief and rage, known even without the superfluous amounts of emotion exuding from him. It looked as though he had bore this anger for years, decades, and had finally chosen an opportune time to reveal itself. And I knew why he was furious. Angry. It wasn't just because of the guard. Of Jane.

It was because of us.

And my perception was proven, as Jasper's mind finally loosened itself. His words had begun immediately to play out a setting within his head, and all time seemed to cease as I delved into his thoughts.

My surroundings quickly dissolved, transforming themselves into the Denali house.

Snow blanketed the outside of the house in Denali. Its fine furnishings within the rooms were cozy and warm, heated by the blazing fireplace. Frost covered the windowpanes, and there all the rooms appeared to be dimly lit. However warm it seemed to be, the ambience was unsettlingly depressing.

"You have to go."

Alice's voice sounded from a nearby couch, effectively removing my attention from the interior of Tanya's house. She looked as I last remembered her, pixie-like with the naturally short hair that was spiked in every which direction. It was almost as if she never left; this memory, I assumed, held a long lasting clarity.

But she didn't look happy, and a small tinge of sadness from my own thoughts entered my mind. Her small lips were creased downward, and her brows wrinkled in frustration. It was unlike her to be so forward with herself. She was usually so content.

Her eyes stared at a figure with blond hair as he slowly walked towards her, leaning down on the couch from where she sat. Similar to her very own expression, a pronounced frown laid on the figure's pale lips.

Jasper.

"I need to. I cannot stay here for great lengths of time, Alice. Bella's grief and depression is too much to handle. I already have to deal with the occasional bloodlust. I don't need my empath abilities to be compromised as well. Besides, I feel like I've already overstayed. I need to get back home." His lips found her forehead, and there they lingered until he released her from what seemed to be a tight and longing embrace.

Alice's crease furrowed further. She finally looked at him. "I can go with you, if you want."

Jasper weakly smiled reassuringly at her, but it didn't truly reach his eyes. "No. You and I both know that Bella needs you more than I do right now. With everything she's been through lately, she could use all the help she can get." Alice looked deep in thought, enduring an internal struggle, until finally, she sighed in defeat.

"I guess you're right," she whispered. "Ever since he'sbeen gone, she hasn't been Bella. I honestly wonder if she'll ever be the same again." Silence. "I miss him, Jas." The couple embraced, and my heart clenched. This was when I was in Volterra, captured, and all the while, Bella was lifeless. Alice and Jasper were trying to revive her, to keep her alive, and to help her simply through her time of need.

My dead heart clenched when a small whimper echoed from upstairs. Bella.

Alice apparently heard it too, because she was instantly afloat and off the couch. "That's my cue," she laughed dryly, "I should check up on her and see how she's doing. Carlisle's been talking to her lately, and she wants to be changed. I hope that's a step of progress for her, but her fate keeps switching around that I can't keep track of her anymore."

Jasper nodded. "I guess I'll see you soon. Try at least not to make your visits monthly. Weekly would be nice." There was a slight tone of teasing in his words.

Alice smiled, and agreed. She kissed his temple once, but he gently placed his hands on either side of her face and brought his lips to hers for a chaste, sweet kiss.

Neither of them said 'I love you,' but they knew enough of each other to know that it was implicit. To say it aloud would almost make it sound redundant.

The memory faded from my mind slowly, and reality came back into focus. My vision sharpened itself to the surroundings or hard marble and hooded figures. All eyes were on me, including my family. But my eyes were trained on the still angry Jasper before me. He had shared himself with me in those few moments of memories. A look of hatred emanated from his body, for which I was still slightly confused.

That was the last time I ever saw her as a vampire. As Alice Cullen.

His last moments with her. The memory stained my mind, and self-induced guilt crept inside. Alice had left at a time of depression, a time when he and everyone else needed her the most. She wasn't supposed to go like this. She was never supposed to go. She was intended for eternity with him, as his love, and her time was cut short, her plans obstructed.

They didn't say goodbye. They didn't know this would happen.

And I was guilty as charged.

"Jasper, I-I'm so sor-"

"Shut. Up," he murmured, and I immediately stopped talking. Not even Bella's soothing hand across the back of my arm could diffuse the heavy load of shame that at landed upon my shoulders.

Let me do this. For Alice. I have to get Jane. Jasper's thoughts were calm and pleading.

And in my wake of self-pity, Jasper's actions made sense. He blamed us all for Alice's death. He blamed Bella for bringing her to the woods, for starting the confrontation that would kill her. He despised her for being depressed and stealing the unsuspected time he had with his wife. He envied her for the miracle that she and I had cheated death, became human, and still were together and in love. Jasper hated Rosalie and Emmett for their ungratefulness of each other's love and affection. He wanted nothing more than to scream in their faces for being so stubborn about something he no longer had. And Jasper pitied Esme, for the possibility of having Carlisle gone was too similar to his own ordeal. He sympathized with her. But he blamed me for being the root cause, the trigger for his own tragedy.

Jasper had learned to hate himself, lose himself, without Alice. She was his foundation, his world to the Cullens. With her dead, he saw no redeeming qualities in us anymore, except perhaps objects he envied and despised. He saw nothing in anything.

And yet, Jasper was still one of compassion and character. He loved us. No matter how much he wanted to blame us, it was far too difficult. He'd rather blame himself first.

So he chose to blame Jane. To blame the Volturi. There was justification in his voice and mentality.

Whether it was selfishness to divert the shame and fault, or in complete understanding of his decision, I said nothing. Slowly, I nodded my head.

I understood. He needed to do this. Carlisle was no longer the main reason for our rescue anymore. Even if I managed to cease this building of tension, and had successfully saved Carlisle, the whole family would not be saved. Alice would die a burden in our minds. And the man we knew as Jasper would no longer exist.

We were saving Carlisle in this mission.

And Jasper.

A weak smile played upon his lips upon seeing my approval and support. With a surprising amount of vigor and strength, Jasper wheeled himself back towards the guard with motivation. "Where is Jane, Aro?" his voice was no longer a whisper, but a gradual volume.

"I'm sorry, dear friend, but I cannot divulge that information. All you need to know is that her actions are currently under severe punishment. Retribution will be sought through her temporary exile."

"That's not good enough," boomed Rosalie, who by now had sensed a change in our family atmosphere, and was at Emmett's side once again, "my brother deserves to know where she is. Her decisions have cost us a sister and a companion. She must be dealt with however we see fit. She does not deserve to live." Rosalie's last exclamation brought back the tension within the guard, who immediately returned to their rigid postures, poised for any invasion.

Our family slowly formed a line, with Jasper in the middle. We were all here to take what was rightfully ours, and order punishment to how we see fit.

Aro's amused gaze reappeared. "Now let's not be so rash. We wouldn't want any unnecessary violence to occur, now do we? Seeing as how the decision still ultimately is under my jurisdiction, I will not allow the destruction of my fellow guard member. She is a vital asset, as well as a family member to young Alec. As for retribution, the death of one of my Volturi guard, Demetri, was suffered from the hands of you. You have already fought fire with fire. Let there be no more."

Demetri got what he deserved, drilled Emmett's thoughts

A vital asset and a sister? I'm willing to destroy her brother as well if it means her death.

"You don't seem to understand Aro," voiced Esme, "we are here for retribution. We expect to have my husband returned to our family, and amends between us. This means an ending to all of the hunting from my family, and deserving sentences for others. Would you not expect as such if your way of life was threatened?"

Aro did not reply, and the postures of all the vampires in the room were poised for immediate battle. I eyed the red pupils with vicious glares and a low growl escaped my throat in a guttural war cry. Those on the guard removed their cloaks, preparing themselves for attack. The shadow black capes billowed onto the hard marble. Few chomped their teeth loudly.

Edward, the Denali coven is near by if we need them. They wanted to follow us just in case something like this happened, Esme's thoughts rang through my head. I looked toward the ceiling, my quiet way of nodding, before returning my focus to the group in front of me. A part of me was relieved that they were close, but I wasn't sure how they would be warned that something bad was happening. I just hoped things would work out for the best.

"Let us not be so hasty to fight," Aro chided, yet his eyes were alive with excitement, "we have much to discuss. I am extremely interested in your lives, about Carlisle, as well as Bella and Edward. Last I checked, the two had unfortunately passed away. But here they are: they stand before me anew. How is that?"

"Don't fucking toy with us, and cut the crap! You know where Carlisle is because he's in this very building. And as for Edward and I, our deaths were because of Jane and the Volturi. So excuse me if I decide not to divulge any of my secrets!" Bella erupted. She had remained silent throughout the entire time we had all been here, but Aro's amusement and treatment of her family set her off.

Feisty. She better watch out, or I might just have to snap her neck.

Thoughts of the guard increased at the power of Bella's words. Visions of them imagining tearing her apart filled my head and abruptly I was furious. Beyond furious, I was murderously enraged. My hopeless despair from earlier had vanished entirely. A faint reddish glow highlighted the dark figures in front of me and all I wanted in that single moment was the chance to sink my teeth into them, to rip their limbs from their bodies and pile them for burning. All of them. I was so maddened I could have danced around the pyre where they would be roasted Alice. I would easily have laughed while their ashes continued to smolder. Instinctively, I took a step in front of Bella, shielding her in preparation; no one was going to lay a finger on her.

My lips curved back automatically, and a low, fierce snarl tore up from the back of my throat and the pit of my stomach. With the shrewd noise, the imaginations from the guard came to halt. I realized the corners of my mouth were slightly turned up in a satisfied smile.

After that, the glares returned, and my ears droned with silent beats.

The weary silence dragged on, and Aro's thoughts began to gradually dissipate from their cool exterior. Before, his control had slipped only enough where I knew Carlisle's whereabouts within the castle. But now, evident fear and worry gushed through the cracks of his wall. He was weakening. In that moment, I vouched to myself he would not win. That I would fight until the end and resurrect myself if needed; for justice. Maybe not all was lost. Maybe there was still hope. With each passing second, I prepared myself for Aro's immediate and forceful wrath.

The unexpected occurred instead.

Leave, Edward.

The look of shock must have been evident on my features as the clear voice of Aro rang through the ears of my mind. Did he just tell me to leave? What was going on? My confusion quickly startled Jasper, who read my emotions. My eyes darted to Aro's, who was staring straight at me, not fault by my gaze.

You need to leave. I cannot subtly persuade you and your family to escape anymore without drawing attention to myself from the rest of my guard. I still have a steady facade I must maintain.

What was he saying?

Aro's eyes registered my disbelief and hesitance at his pleas. And in that instant, the vampire closed his eyes with a sigh. In defeat that I never knew I fought for yet. Almost instantly, the wall he had held up from his thoughts vanished, and information poured into my head. What was going on? Why, all of the sudden, was Aro doing this?

And then I saw.

Like the scene with Jasper's mind only moments before, new settings sprung into my conscious all at the same time. There was Jane proposing the idea to launch an attack on our family. To destroy our way of life; she called it an abomination and a threat to vampires everywhere. We were setting up an unnatural example to others, and our destruction was essential. There then was Aro's hesitance at the idea, but the rest of the guard approved and greatly supported Jane's proposition.

Unlike Jasper's, the scene was brief, concise, and only mere clips into the scenarios.

Aro narrated once again into my mind.

I couldn't openly detest the plan. A king is only as powerful as the subjects whom obey him. By becoming disapproving of the proposition, I would let it be known my favoritism to your father, Carlisle. I would be seen as a vampire more set on moral code than the balanced control from which Caius, Marcus, and I had built this empire upon. I cannot do that, Edward. And while my clan has revealed itself more influential than I, it is my duty to appease them. I must maintain the figurehead image. I am deeply sorry for your loss.

He opened his eyes, his red orbs once again staring into mine of topaz.

You must take your family and save yourselves. You must persuade Jasper to discontinue his tirade; it is only riling up the guard. I cannot be an obstruction to their attack very much longer. I only have enough to ask you to leave. Jane's words and ideas have rooted themselves deep within this castle, and with her alive, they will not die.

Take your family and go. You cannot save Carlisle. To save him is to bring about the destruction of yourselves.

The tension in the room was numb to my mind. Bella and the rest of the family were not my attention right now. My focus was on Aro's words, his confession, and his facade. In reality, he had no control over any of the decisions and dealings concerning us and the guard. Our fate for death in their minds was sealed because of Jane. She was the driving force of this operation. I should have known. Aro was merely a pawn caught in the middle. He struggled with the right thing and the obligated way. Even now, only his words could save us, not his actions.

In the small moment where I delved into his mind, I found a tiny spark of compassion for Aro. He was still not to be trusted. He was still a murderer and a liar. But he still kept priorities over his loyalties; the fact he even warned me and asked for our safety spoke many more volumes of him than I knew of.

But we couldn't leave Carlisle. We couldn't escape. Escape had no longer existed when Alice died and Jasper lost himself. Running away now would be futile. Where could we go without the Volturi chasing us down, hunting us like prey. The fight was imminent; neither Jasper's explosive behavior nor Carlisle's capture caused it. This battle had been unavoidable for a very long time.

I looked into the eyes of the Cullens standing before me. Unspoken agreement channeled in our stares. We would fight.

This last stand was for our family.

I turned my gaze back towards Aro, whose guards behind him stood straight in wariness, sensing the atmosphere and ambience alter. The storm that had brewed was nearing. Looking at Aro, I tried my best to communicate our answer. Sighing once again, he bowed his head low.

Good luck.

With his cloak billowing, the vampire turned his back to us, and walked away without another glance. The tension began to rise even after his paper thin skin was no longer visible behind the marble wall.

This is it, man. I call the ones on the right. Emmett had already immediately fallen into a battle mentality. Rosalie, Esme, and Jasper were dividing the rest. There was no more time to think of the possibility that we would not make it out alive.

A pale hand intertwined its fingers with my own. My eyes shot up to meet Bella's, but hers were trained ahead with anger and tense motivation. She was preparing.

Suddenly, with Aro's exit, noise from the other side of the marble room erupted. The guard was moving in formation. They moved together; but it was not a march, they flowed in perfect sync across the floor. Those who had not tossed away their black cloaks before did so. Their formation was slow but deliberate, with no hurry, no anxiety. It felt like the pace of the invincible. The thoughts of haughtiness and confidence told me so. As if by survival, the six of us quickly merged together, forming a tight-knit circle of protection in countering the guard.

I couldn't help counting. Without Aro, there were twenty-three of them. We were heavily outnumbered.

The systematic shuffling stopped to a halt.

The battle had begun, and yet no one had leaped from their positions yet. The six of us crouched down, baring teeth. All of us were calculating the strengths and weaknesses of the others; we were simply waiting for the first move. With each exhale and inhale of breath I took, the anticipation and nervousness wracked my body further in tremors of tension.

It was silent for a long time. The pressure continued to build.

"Go."

Faster than anyone had imagined, through human eyes, long awaited and pale fingers shot from all sides of the room, eager to painfully grasp the throat of another in pure vengeance. White, red, black, and an arrayed assortment of colors billowed in their wake. Their carefully regimented formation broke into an all out frenzy, splitting off in six different directions. The advancing numbers geared towards Emmett, Bella, Rosalie, Jasper, Esme, and me. Our figures, having been poised for graceful strike quite some time now, limberly jolted from our positions toward the guard. All the built up energy, pent up fury and rage, came out in that moment. Feet pushed me from the floor. The moment had begun, and the run towards each other invigorated the entire family. The space between us quickly began to diminish; the breadth of our paces left foot-sized holes in the tiled ground, their cracks echoing all throughout the vast hall.

Red and black met topaz.

The marbled room erupted in thunderous growls, and the sound off dynamite was the only closest sound to compare when the fists and legs connected to each other. The guard had underestimated us; we weren't six vampires without any experience. We had all lived life fighting our way through. We had to save our family. And it would take a hell of a lot more to stop us.

It was time to simply allow the vampire instincts to overtake my senses.

I lunged my hands into the nearest guard, not daring to hesitate as I mercilessly ripped a limb; whichever one I cared not to notice. I quickly grabbed what I had already not destroyed, and made hasty work tearing it up. It wasn't long before someone had started a fire.

But there were still too many of them. Every finger or foot I managed to break was rewarded with a heavy scratch or a fist pummeled into my stomach. I tried my hardest to swallow down the pain, the weakness, and focused all my energy on punching harder, kicking faster. Fighting better. I could barely hold off the rest, who continued to encircle my family and me. But I had an advantage: I had the body of a newborn and the mind of a 107 year old vampire.

Sure, they had the numbers. Yes, it was four of them to one of us. But one third of us were newborn vampires, and the youngest one of them was nearing one hundred fifty.

Emmett and Rosalie were viciously mauling those around them, cleverly pressing their backs to one another, and rotating positions to commandeer different fronts. I kept my Bella within sight at all times, but she seemed to be holding her own. Being the newest vampire by experience and technically age allotted her strength that no one else could compare to. Esme and Jasper especially were using all their grief as a crutch for the momentum in their bites and growls.

We seemed to eventually be holding them off. Without Aro, the guard had no real direction. In talking, they diverged their plans. But they didn't know I could still hear every move they made before they would make it. The once uniform guard slowly began to weaken.

And we struck without mercy.

I must run back to signal reinforcements. Aro was stupid in ordering only two dozen to fend off the Cullens. It's not like him to underestimate his opponents. I must hurry before they decimate the rest of us.

One of the remaining guards left unscathed and standing made for the hallways and the nearby corridors, fear evident in his red eyes. He was retreating for more troops.

He had to be stopped.

The vampire's gaze met mine, and the determination I had set was understood in my features. Quick as he could, he ran off towards the corridors, bent on receiving help. The rest of the family was still occupied with other guard members, and without thinking twice, I sprinted across the marble floor, jumping over the piles of soon-to-be piles of burning limbs. We couldn't afford more guard members. We were already lucky to still be alive.

I was closing in on the space between him and me, daring not to breathe as I willed my body to propel even faster through the air. At the rate I was going, it wouldn't be long before I could grab him. He wouldn't be able to escape.

We could save Carlisle.

In the next few strides, I was close enough to almost grab his shirt.

Suddenly, the shirt I was so focused upon vanished, replaced by pure and unaltered darkness. I had never experienced this darkness before; my vampire senses adjusted all my visions at night. I was usually able to see. But not now. Now, the darkness seemed impenetrable, and its blanket of shadow eventually managed to find its way through my ears, my speech, my mind. The darkness, this plague, invaded me. I was numb. And, for the first time since the battle began, I didn't know what was happening. Fear was the only thing I could feel, and the sole emotion had all the available space in my mind to fill.

What was happening? Where was the marble floor, the hallways and the corridor to my left? Where was the vampire I had only mere seconds been close enough to touch? Had he done this?

Every question sank into the darkness, and was replaced by the overwhelming sense of fear.

Where was Bella?

"I'm skipping punishment."

That voice somehow, above all others, including my family's, that had drowned from the pitch black, rose and rang clear in my ear. That voice. Its bell-like enchanted ringing didn't bring elation to my ears. On the contrary, it brought more fear to me than the darkness.

Jane was somewhere beside me.

Which meant that whatever was happening was from her bidding. And that scared me. Before I knew it, familiar blinding pain shot through my spine, and reminded me that, even as a vampire, I wasn't invincible. I had weaknesses. The pain rivaled that of the transformation, and its frequency cracked my eardrums, and opened my slack jaw for a loud scream. It was from me.

I was being tortured.

"Did you miss me?" her voice was close to my ear, but I couldn't be too sure.

I couldn't be too sure of anything right now. I was blinded, and I was in excruciating and unrelenting pain.

A/N: Sorry for such a prolonged time of no updates. That is completely my (Ben) fault. Allie and I have this little joke where, when anything goes wrong, we blame me by simply saying "It wasn't me, it was Ben." And it was absolutely my fault. School has increasingly gotten more difficult, social lives are, well... livening. And I had large moments of writer's block. This chapter is mostly me, and I hoped you liked it. I don't know the next we'll post the next chapter, with life and everything. Cursed, however, will continue to be post as scheduled.

I hope you guys understood the whole Jasper ordeal. I didn't want the story to end with him being portrayed as some unnecessarily moody and mean character. He has feelings and opinions on everything that's going on; it wasn't fair to have him seen as a horrible person from another person's point of view.

Until next time, folks,

cALLIEfornia BENches