A/N: Well, this story isn't going to be nearly as long as Moonlight Sonata, because this chapter is setting up the end. There will probably only be three, maybe four, more chapters, plus the epilogue. I'm not sure if I'll write another story in this… series, I suppose you could call it. It depends on whether or not I get any ideas (which I am open to from all you readers). I didn't get as many reviews for the last chapter, which would normally make me cry, except my Mom baked cookies! Yay!

Sorry about that moment of childish behaviour. Please enjoy (and review):

Ten. Broken Promises

I was insane.

There was really no other way to describe me.

If I were sane, I wouldn't have given Emmett the slip while he was watching Sports Center. If I were sane, I would have stayed and fought with him until I got the remote and could turn on a movie.

If I were sane, I wouldn't be waiting for Tiazza at the top of a set of steps that led to a dungeon.

A dungeon that held a werewolf.

Yet, here I was.

And I was insane.

"What are you doing here?" I looked down into Tiazza's eyes. They were livid, and black- she would have to feed soon.

"Waiting for you, obviously," I replied. "How's Andrew?"

My words brought a pained expression to Tiazza's face. It was there for only a second- a look of pure agony- then she had moved and was dragging me down a hall swiftly.

"I told you to leave it be," she snarled, opening a door and practically throwing me into the room behind it.

"You also told me I was too nice," I shot back. "Did you really think I would listen to you?"

"I was hoping that the thought of losing your precious lover-boy would be enough to put you off your curiosity," she huffed in reply, throwing herself down in a chair, looking for all the world like a petulant, rebellious teenager that had just been grounded.

I realized with a shock of surprise that Tiazza wasn't really much older than I was.

"How old were you when you were turned?" I asked, sitting in a chair across from her. The room we had entered must have been hers- we were sitting in a living area complete with couch, chairs, lamps, and television.

Tiazza looked at me a blinked slowly, staring at me as if I were insane.

"What the hell has that got to do with anything?" she demanded at last.

"It's just… you don't seem that much older than me. So I was wondering how old you were. I can't remember if you told us or not," I shrugged. "Don't answer if you don't want to."

"I was nineteen," she replied. "But that's not the point of this conversation. I want to know what the hell you were thinking going back to that door- after I told you not to."

"I was curious," I replied.

"You weren't even trying to hide," Tiazza replied incredulously. "What if Jane and Alec had come?"

"I doubt they were coming any time soon if you were down there," I cocked my head to the side, watching her closely. "I bet you know the exact times they visit him, don't you?"

"You're playing a dangerous game, Isabella Swan," Tiazza said simply- I took that as an affirmative. She didn't say anything else for a while, watching me with something close to hesitance, as if fighting an internal battle. After a moment, she seemed to make a decision and spoke once more. "Aro knows you're curious- he doesn't like it. I'm supposed to convince you that the dungeon is nothing interesting."

"A bit late for that, isn't it?" I asked dryly.

"You're not just gambling with your life anymore, Bella. If I fail to convince you to leave it be, Aro will kill Andrew."

I stared at her in silence. I hadn't been expecting that.

"If they know about my… curiosity," I said slowly, after a while. "Then I'm willing to bet they know about your visits to the dungeons- will those get him killed as well?"

Tiazza stubbornly refused to meet my gaze and I nodded, more pieces falling into place.

"So- if they'll get him killed, then me being curious doesn't really matter, because you're killing him yourself. Unless there's more to the story, and he's dead regardless of the visits and my curiosity… so, what are you leaving out?"

"You're much smarter than I thought," Tiazza said, her jaw clenched, her eyes glaring a hole in the wall above my head. "This means that you just have lack of self-preservation, not brains. I'm not sure which is worse."

"Your distraction tactics- they're not gonna work," I informed her. "So you might as well tell me what I want to know."

"Bella," her voice turned pleading. "Please- leave it alone. You have a lot to… live for. You have forever with Edward, remember?"

"Well, apparently forever sucks," I answered, throwing her words back in her face. "So you might as well tell me what I want to know."

"Damn it, but you're stubborn," she growled darkly.

"It's one of my charms- the answer please."

Tiazza ran a hand through her hair and gave a heavy sigh.

"Aro wants you to join the Volturi," she said at last. "He ordered me to convince you to do it- either join and forget your curiosity, or Andrew dies."

"Oh," I said softly. "So… you want me join?"

"No, not really," she replied. "I can't ask you to give up your life to keep Andrew alive as Jane and Alec's toy. It wouldn't be fair- or even really make sense. Ask you to come to hell so that Andrew isn't forced to leave it?"

I felt a surge of relief that she wouldn't try to make me join the Volturi, but it was quickly replaced with a feeling of sorrow.

"So, there's no hope for Andrew then?" I asked.

"Not unless you know where I can get a miracle."

I didn't reply- she didn't expect me to.

"Where the hell did you go?" Edward demanded when I returned to the rooms. "Do you realize how terr- Bella, what's wrong?"

I looked at him with no expression. I knew my eyes must have looked amazingly sad- that's how I felt at least.

"Did someone hurt you, Bella?" he asked, his eyes checking for injuries.

"I'm fine," I replied. "There's nothing wrong with me."

At least, not physically.

I felt a wave of calm pass over me, and glanced at Jasper.

"Don't," I said. "Please don't Jasper- I really would rather feel these emotions."

The calm went away and I walked into the room I shared with Edward and sprawled out on the bed. I didn't bother shutting the door- I let Edward do that when he followed me, as I knew he would.

"Something's wrong," he said softly, running his fingers through my hair.

"I'm fine," I replied half-heartedly.

"You're right- freaked out, insecure, neurotic, and emotional," he replied dryly.

"I read that somewhere," I commented idly.

"You're not going to distract me that easily. What's wrong?"

I rolled onto my back so that I could meet his topaz eyes and thought over my words carefully.

"I'm going to offer you a hypothetical situation," I said. "It's about morals, and I want to know what you would do."

"Okay," Edward replied slowly, clearly confused.

"Okay, so you know something you shouldn't- and it's a dangerous thing to know, and this thing you know, it causes someone you like… or at least don't mind, a lot of pain. You can do something to fix this thing that causes this person pain, but in doing that something, you'll be putting your life on the line. So, what do you do? Do you pretend you know nothing and let the person you don't mind get hurt past he point of no relief, or do you forfeit your life and do something?"

"Do you realize how confusing that sounds?" Edward asked.

"Thanks for the help," I groaned, rolling back on my stomach and burying my head in a pillow.

"Okay, so maybe that wasn't the best time to make a joke," I felt him wrap his arms around my waist. "Bella- this hypothetical situation. Are you actually in it?"

"Maybe," I replied.

"Then turn the other cheek," Edward begged. "Forget about it- please? I know this sounds selfish- but I couldn't bear to lose you. So please- forget it."

"Would you, if our positions were switched?"

"Yes," Edward replied quickly. Too quickly- he didn't know what he would do. "Promise me you won't do anything that could end with me losing you."

"I promise," I replied, knowing even as I spoke the words that I would break this promise.

I turned onto my back and pulled him down for a kiss. I didn't know if he would realize that I was saying good-bye, but I forgot about my threat of abstinence and opened my body to him.

Tomorrow- I was going to do something incredibly stupid. Tomorrow I was going to make Tiazza a miracle.

But tonight, I just wanted to be in Edward's arms.