A/N: Nothing really new in this chapter except a few deatils have been added in. Hope you guys are still enjoying it. As always, Fate Lowe in an awesome Beta!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot!

An eerie silence fell upon the room, as the last of the dust cloud settled. I didn't understand what I was seeing. Emmett and Caius were still in front of me, but Caius had a strange look upon his face. I don't think I had ever seen that look on another vampire's face before, and it almost unnerved me.

"Not possible," Caius whispered.

A strange sensation was coursing through my body, and at first I didn't recognized it. I concentrated on it for a spilt second and looked around the room. Every vampire facing me had their eyes trained on me.

'What?' I thought, my face showing my confusion.

I looked at Jasper and Alice and found their eyes were set on my hand. Curious, I followed their gaze down and that's when I noticed it. I finally recognized the sensations that were coursing through my veins. My eyes widened in shock.

Adrenaline.

I blinked several times, not believing what I was seeing. The very tip of my index finger was barely touching Emmett's right shoulder. I pulled my finger back slowly, but I could still feel the overabundance of adrenaline rushing through me.

'This can't be good,' I thought.

I felt a hand rest on my left shoulder and jumped from the sudden contact. I whipped around bringing my right hand with me, closed fist to hit the person. My fist connected with skin before I realized who it was and sent them flying back into the wall. Their body broke through it with ease and landed on the outside of the room. I walked toward them and saw Edward sitting up rubbing his jaw.

'Opps!'

I stared at him as he stood up, dusted himself off, and walked toward me. "Can't say I didn't deserve that, but damn!" he said chuckling. His laugh still sounded like music to me ears. I felt the adrenaline start to ebb from my body as I turned back to the others. They were all still in the exact same place they were before, with all the same expressions. Shock. I felt Edward come up behind me and place a hesitant hand on my left shoulder.

"I'm ok," I said.

"I know, but one can never be too careful," he laughed squeezing my shoulder slightly, before dragging it down to intertwine our fingers. I turned to him and smiled, showing I enjoyed the contact.

When I looked back at the others, only Jane had moved from her previous position. She had moved closer to Aro, who still stood motionless, his face showing slight horror, and confusion. I heard Edward laugh softly next to me.

"Am I missing something?" I asked looking at him.

"Kind of. Walk around Emmett, and look for yourself," he replied letting go of my hand and gesturing me toward Emmett.

So I did. I walked forward slowly, not exactly sure what I was going to see, and then as I came up to his left side, the scent hit me.

Blood.

I peered around Emmett's large frame and down at the floor. An ever-growing puddle of blood was forming on the floor below their feet mixing with what looked like wood dust. I surveyed the floor around their feet, and noticed there was nothing there but a pile of wood dust and blood..

'So that's what that sound was," I thought. The table was gone, reduced to a simple pile of dust that now lay at Emmett and Caius' feet.

I followed the stream of blood up to it's source, and that's when I gasped. The blood was coming from Caius' shoulder, or what was left of it. I looked at Emmett's face, and saw a small grin on it, but his eyes showed shock. I looked down again, and that's when I saw Emmett's hand, and what was in it. Still tightly grasped in Emmett's right hand, was Caius' entire rightarm, including part of his shoulder. It had been completely ripped out of Caius' shoulder socket, and now dangled lifelessly in Emmett's firm hand.

"Emmett?" I asked softly, tentively placing a hand on his left shoulder.

"Huh?" Emmett asked, snapping out of his somewhat shocked state and looked up at me.

"You can let go. We won," I said smiling down at him.

"Huh, I guess we did," Emmett said laughing.

Quickly returning his gaze back to Caius he asked, "Did you want this back?" Emmett held up the vampire's arm in front of him. Aro took three quick steps toward us, reaching around Caius' body and snatched the limp arm out of Emmett's grasp. Emmett flinched, "No need to be a sore loser Aro. Just admit defeat, and we will be on our way,"

"I don't think so. You have clearly cheated," Aro said holding up Caius' arm.

"Only because you did first," Edward said from behind us.

Aro looked up somewhat confused, as Emmett and I turned around. Edward had Alec in a tight grip on his upper left arm, dragging him into the room.

"I haven't the faintest idea what you are talking about Edward," Aro said looking smugly.

Edward tapped his temple with his free hand, and said, "I guess you've forgotten I can read minds. I heard what you were planning to do, using Alec to blind Emmett, so Caius could win."

"So that's why the lights went out?" Emmett asked.

"Yes," Edward said flatly.

"Huh, and I just thought Caius was actually stronger than me for a second."

"Thank you," Caius said softly behind us.

"So it seems we are at a stalemate, wouldn't you agree?" Aro asked. I wasn't exactly sure who he was asking, but it was Edward who answered, "Perhaps, but Emmett did clearly win. At least you could do, is release Alice and Jasper from their restraints."

"Fair enough," Aro said snapping his fingers. I turned to see Jane moving Felix and Demetri out of the way as she moved up behind Alice and Jasper. I heard a faint cutting sound, then saw Alice bring her hands in front of her rubbing her wrists. Jasper followed two seconds after. Relief washed over me as Jasper grabbed Alice's hand and walked over to us.

"Now if you would be so kind as to let Alec go?" Aro asked.

I turned just as Edward shoved Alec away from him and watched as Alec crossed the room to stand next to Aro. He stared down at the arm that Aro was still holding on to.

"Alec, take this, and Caius out and see that the damage is fixed," Aro said handing Alec Caius' arm. Alec quickly grabbed a hold of the arm and moved to help Caius up. We all watched as the two vampires left the room.

Silence once again fell upon the room as all of us stared at one another. My gaze flicked from Alice and Jasper hugging each other, to Emmett standing up from his chair to move up next to me, to Edward moving up to my other side, and finally landing on the four vampires that now stood in a line between us and the door that would lead us the hell out of here.

'Now what?' I thought.

Jasper clearly sensing my confusion cleared his throat, "Now what?"

"Now we leave," Emmett said grabbing a hold of my hand.

"Not so fast Emmett," Aro said.

"What do you mean 'not so fast'? We won the bet; we're leaving," Emmett said inching himself and I forward toward them.

Aro held up his hand. "You have not won the bet. You cheated, as I did. I will not let Bella walk out of here without giving me what I want."

"And what is it that you want from me Aro?" I asked.

"Your blood," he replied.

"Why? What is so special about my blood that you just have to have it?" I asked sarcastically.

"Bella, we have talked about your stupidity, don't make this any worse for yourself. You know exactly why I want your blood. Jasper was kind enough to tell me all about it, well, he didn't have a choice in the matter. I stole the information from his mind," Aro replied.

I sighed in defeat. I was never a good liar. Even having 80 years to perfect my lying skills, I was still a bad liar, and I couldn't fake ignorance to save my undead life. But why did Aro want my blood so badly? What would he use it for? I knew he enjoyed being who and what he is, so I was effectively confused about his desire for my blood.

"Why do you want it so badly?" I asked.

"Let's just say for curiosity sake, and leave it at that," he said nonchalantly.

"Curiosity my ass," Edward scoffed. I turned to look at Edward who was staring at Aro with a look of disgust upon his beautiful face. He looked down at me with a look on his face that clearly said he had read Aro's mind, and that his thoughts about my blood were more than out of curiosity.

I turned back to Aro, "You want to see if my blood will help you shut off your vampiric nature?"

"Something like that," he replied.

"That's not all, is it Aro?" Edward asked.

"No, I'm afraid it's not," Aro said.

I watched as the two vampires stared at one another. "Care to elaborate, then?" I asked looking directly at Aro.

"Why don't you tell her Edward, since you seem to know all my thoughts," Aro said politely.

"He wants to see if your blood will allow him to merge his powers with others, like you can do already," Edward said staring at Aro.

"Exactly. You all know very well, that I consider myself the strongest of us all, but I do not like that fact that this, fledgling, holds more power than I do," Aro stated.

'Fledgling?'

Emmett's grip on my hand tightened suddenly. "It's never gonna happen Aro, and you know it. You can't get past us, none of you can. You said it yourself, Bella holds more power than you do, so you might as well give up and walk away now, while you are still standing."

Aro laughed at Emmett a second before adding, "You might be right, but then again, I know what her weakness is."

"And what's that?" Jasper asked. I turned my head toward him, nearly forgetting that he and Alice were still in the room with us. They had been quiet up until now.

"Your pain. Jane?" Aro asked. Jane stepped forward to stand in front of Aro, where he rested his hands on her tiny shoulders. I had never paid that much attention to her, but seeing her standing in front of Aro, I realized that she was just as tiny as Alice was. But, size didn't matter, not in Alice's case, and sure as shit not in Jane's case. We all knew what she was capable of, and that I alone was immune to her power, so what was Aro talking about?

I let confusion show on my face and it only seemed to make Aro's smile widen. "You see Bella, you might be immune to Jane, but the rest of them aren't. And if I can't have your blood willingly, than I will take it by force," he said squeezing Jane's little shoulders.

Screams erupted on all sides of me as I looked around and saw Emmett, Alice, Jasper and Edward all on their knees with their heads grasped tightly between their hands.

'Shit, why hadn't Alice seen this coming?' I thought as I frantically searched their pained faces.

"Stop this!" I yelled.

"I don't think so. Not until I have your blood," Aro said calmly, still squeezing Jane's shoulders. I searched the room, looking for anything that could help me, and I spotted it on the other side of the room, beside Demetri's feet. One of the knives that Jane had been holding in her hands laid there on the floor. It glowed dimly in the room, and it made me stare at it harder. It almost glowed like a beacon in the night sky. This beacon was drawing me toward it even before I realized I was moving across the room. No one tried to stop me as I bent over and picked it up. White heat flashed across my palm as I grasped it in my hand. It felt like little insects biting into my skin, and I nearly dropped it at the sensation. I steeled myself against the pain and stood back up walking back over to my fallen family who were still on their knees. Their screams had lessened, but not by much. I stood in front of them, guarding their crumpled forms. I wasn't about to allow anyone to harm them while they were incapacitated. I knew my next actions would either mean my death, or our escape. Guess which one I was leaning towards?

'Please, let this work,' I thought.

Staring defiantly at Aro I said, "Fine, you want me blood, you can have it," as I tore the bandage off my left wrist and poised the knife over the already healing wound.

"No Bella. Don't do this, just get out while you still can," Edward whispered, his pain was evident in his voice.

"You know it's the only way for us all to get out alive," I whispered back closing my eyes as I felt the sting of tears threatening to blur of vision.

"We can find another way," Jasper said. I shook my head.

I opened my eyes to let the tears fall and looked at Aro, his face was lit up in eager anticipation. I looked back at my family and they were now looking up at me. Jane had apparently pulled back. I was guessing it was her sick way of letting them see my death. Every single one of them had the same expression upon their beautiful faces.

Fear.

For my life.

They knew what I was about to do. I was getting ready to either sacrifice my life for theirs, or possibly give us a way out. I turned away from them with the knife still poised at my wrist, inhaled slowly, and drew the blade slowly across my wrist..

The blade bit into my skin and I let out a low hiss. Blood welled up and began running down both sides of my wrist in two steady streams, one in either direction. I dropped the knife, and held up my arm toward Aro, offering my blood. He quickly pushed Jane away from his body and grabbed my wrist. He stared at me for a split second before bending his headover my bleeding wrist and sealing his lips over the wound.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered as I closed my eyes. I knew what could happen if another vampire drank from me, they would gain my ability to shut off my very vampiric nature, as for gaining my other ability I wasn't sure. How much blood was another question, and I wasn't sure of the answer right now as I stared at Aro's throat as it continued to swallow my blood. As dizziness swam through my head from blood loss, Aro stumbled back from me licking his lips.

"Incredible," he whispered.

I sunk to me knees letting the dizziness take over my body.

"Such power little one," Aro said smiling down at me as I looked up at him through my now blurred vision and a screen of my hair.

"I will have more," he whispered pushing my hair out of my eyes.

"Get away from her!" Alice yelled jumping in between Aro and me. I felt arms encircle my waist lifting me from the floor. From the swell of the chest, I could tell it was Emmett, the hands rubbing small meaningless circles on my back were Jasper's, and the hands that were cradling my head were Edward's. I blinked at him through my still blurred vision. I could see his mouth moving, but I couldn't hear anything he was saying. I felt deaf and partially blind.

'How much blood did he take?' I thought. I felt Edward's lips against my ear, "Too much love."

'If you can still hear me, you better explain how you are able to do that,' I thought to him. I felt him smile against my skin and kiss my earlobe.

My vision came back to me in small doses and I could see Alice shouting at Aro. I lifted my head from Emmett's chest to watch the shouting match. I still felt weak, but I patted Emmett's arm telling him to set me down on my feet. Emmett lowered me minutely but kept his grip tight around my waist as if afraid my legs wouldn't hold me. Jasper stood on my left side, hand resting upon my shoulder. Waves of calm flooded into my system and I sagged slightly against Emmett's large chest.

"You could have killed her you son of bitch!" Alice shouted, nearly screaming. Yep, my hearing was definitely coming back.

"I am aware of that, and if you do not get out of my way, you will damn well regret it," Aro snapped back.

I felt Edward leave our little cicrle to stand next to Alice.

"You've had enough Aro, leave her be. You got what you wanted," Edward said calmly.

"It's no longer the only thing I want. I still want your pain," Aro said quickly grabbing Jane's hand. Alice and Edward dropped in front of us and wailed. Emmett, Jasper and I seemed immune to her attack, and I suddenly knew why. They were both touching me, tucked safely under my shield. I felt the first pulse of adrenaline pour through my veins as the sensation of utter panic overloaded my mind.

"Ooohhh, so I can combine and have it magnified. How lovely," Aro said with a sick smile across his face.

Edward and Alice continued to scream as they thrashed around on the floor in unbearable pain.

"Bella, are you willing to trade your life for theirs?" Aro asked looking directly at me.

I stared at him, anger washing over my vision, tinting everything in a red hue.

"I assure you, with our combined powers, and the magnification, Jane can fry their minds. They would essentially be walking zombies. You wouldn't want that, now would you?" Aro asked.

I cleared my throat. "No," I said through clinched teeth.

Their screaming became louder as I watched Jane stare more intently at Alice and Edward.

"Time is running out dear Isabella, I am most certain their minds cannot take much more of this pain," Aro said.

And with Aro saying my full name, I snapped.

A/N: Want to know what happens next? Review and you will find out!