AN: Here is the next chapter.

I believe I was promised cookies…:)

Onward…

Marcus left us shortly thereafter with a promise he would return as swiftly as he was able. He didn't say why he was leaving, but I knew he was off to try and remedy the situation as best he could. Leave it to Bella to terrify one of the Volturi.

After he left I wanted to talk to my family. I wanted them to say something to take my mind off my worry. I had born the insanity of Bella's screams during the change, the thought of her hurting again—physically or in any other way—was pushing me over the edge.

"Please," I whispered to Alice, "Say something. Talk to me. I just…I need you to talk to me."

Her quiet voice filled my ears as her thoughts filled my mind with stories of varying length about their life back in England. Sometimes she was speaking, other times she would simply think something at me—an image of the home in London they had moved to three years earlier, Rosalie and Emmett's seventh wedding, the new hospital Carlisle worked at.

What kept my attention more than anything else were the things she didn't even know she was thinking. Her mind pulled up an image of something dear to me as she went though the layout of the new house in her mind, passing over it with cursory interest. They still kept my piano in the house, like a silent prayer I would come home. Sometimes Alice would press the keys just to hear the sound and remember when I had sat and played it myself.

I vowed when we went home I would play for her as much as she liked. It pained me to hear the jabs of sorrow I had left behind in my sister. She had her husband and our parents and our brother and sister. But Alice and I had always been close. She and I had bonded instantly from the moment I met her. It had pained me to leave her almost more than Carlisle.

And as she detailed moments of their lives, some of them interesting and important, others inane and pointless I realized that I wanted that again. I wanted the bond I felt with them that I had been missing for so long. I had gone looking for companionship in a place I was sure to find none. I had been searching for so long for something I didn't even know how to find. So I had tried to live in Volterra to make it easier to bear such a pursuit. It wasn't until recently I had found what I so desperately craved. I wanted to share the life Alice was describing with Bella. I wanted that easy bond and friendship to be something she could cherish as well. She deserved it.

So I memorized the layout of the house from Alice's mind. I catalogued important dates and events to be sure I would know what was happening if someone brought one of them up. I stored away incredibly embarrassing moments about Emmett to make fun of him for later. I was mentally preparing myself to go home, to be part of my family after so long.

But first, I had one very important thing to take care of.

I began my scheming again. Bella was in my rooms. That gave me her exact location in the castle, as well as an idea of what all the entrance and exit points were. I could navigate through that castle with my eyes closed if I needed to, but if I had to try and find her it would take so much longer and I wouldn't have a lot of time. Knowing exactly where she was made things so much easier.

"Edward Cullen if you even think of going in there by yourself again I swear I will have Emmett restrain you," Alice warned. I took her seriously. She had probably seen something—not in my favor as it sounded—and was warning me not to try the most recent plan I had thought of.

"Well what do you suggest? I inquired lazily.

"Wait for Marcus to return," she replied.

"You honestly think I should just sit around and―"

"Edward, please! Marcus knows things you don't. Even now I see things. He is coming up with something to get you inside the castle unnoticed. He is trying to help us, Edward. Just let him. Trust me."

I sighed but resigned myself to waiting impatiently for Marcus.

"If he isn't here by nightfall tomorrow I am just going to have to do this myself, Alice," I told her.

"It wont take him that long, don't worry," she assured me. I tried to be comforted by that fact, but I found no solace in her promise. I wanted to go now. I wanted Bella now. I had never felt such enraging urgency before, save for when I felt my thirst for blood surging through me. What I was feeling now was akin to that, the paralyzing need sweeping aside all other things. Nothing else was important.

When Marcus returned the sun had been up for hours. Thankfully, it was masked by a layer of thick clouds. There would be a storm later.

Marcus shuffled into the room we had all gathered in. He looked somber, almost sad, but there was another look there as well, one that would have been unreadable if his thoughts had not betrayed it.

Excitement.

I would have been angry that he was taking this as an adventure. But then I remembered that this was Marcus. He lived the same dreary, mind numbing existence each day. The pleasures in life were few and far between with him. But now, he had the opportunity to participate in something grand. Getting me inside the walls of Volterra, helping Bella escape, being involved in something that was thrilling and dangerous. How rare these occasions must have been for him was not lost on me.

"I've spoken to Bella," were the first words out of his mouth. I let my mind find his thoughts, the conversation washing over me like the one before.

"I told him not to come! He'll get himself killed!" she said, her voice on the edge of panic.

"He will come if I help him or not. He will not stop until he has you," Marcus replied quickly. Her eyes lit in a slight smile.

"If he gets hurt trying to save me I wont ever forgive myself," she confessed. Marcus nodded. He was trying to understand. He had felt it before, the intensity, the profundity of the feelings she had for him. He knew every word she spoke was in truth.

"I can get him in the city. He knows where you are. If you stay in here, he will find you. After that, it is up to you to get back out. I cannot help you there."

Bella nodded.

The conversation was short but enough. She would stay in my old chambers until I came for her. And then they would go.

"What of Aro? He will not be pleased when he finds out she is gone. And he will know who took her," I said quietly. But he shook his head.

"I will deal with Aro. It will only be a matter of time until he finds out it was I that helped you. He will take that betrayal far worse than Bella's leaving. But eventually he will come to understand I am doing what is best."

We settled the last minute plans. The family would be waiting with two cars a mile outside the walls of Volterra ready to go as soon as we were out. From there we would drive until we made it to the airport, at which point we would get on a plane back to London. To home. It didn't matter what house we were in, or where it was. As long as it was with my family, and with Bella, I didn't care.

"When will all this be happening?" I asked Marcus finally. He had thought of most everything else.

"Tonight. Everyone will be in the feeding room so it will be easier to get through the halls unnoticed. I will go ahead of you some to clear the hall of its guard before you go to Bella. I think it will be enough of a distraction to get you in and out without causing too much trouble."

That was indeed a clever plan. If most everyone else was in the feeding room there would not be so many to take down if we were noticed, though I had no intention of being seen.

"When night falls come to the south entrance. I will meet you there," Marcus stated simply, and then left again.

Tonight. Tonight I would get to see my Bella again. I would get to touch her, hold her. My head swam with the thoughts of that. Just the chance to see her face filled me with sweet anticipation.

Sun down could not have taken any longer. I felt like every single minute was dragging like hours, each hour was a century. This time Alice's words did nothing to soothe my nerves. I was jumpy and eager to get this over with. I was aware I was very possibly plunging myself into certain death if I was caught. It was on my mind but also the mind of each of my family members. Esme was fretting beyond belief. Alice's mind was buzzing with possibilities, those of her own musings and visions. I chose to stay out of her mind in fear of what I might see. If I was to fail, I did not wish to know of it before hand.

But I would not fail. I could not. Bella needed me. And I needed her, desperately and completely. I could not come up with any proper analogies to compare her to. She was not like oxygen—I did not need to breathe. She was not like water—I did not need to drink. The only thing I could possibly think of was blood. But she was so much more than a means to an end. Bella was no simple solution to a hunger. She was a hunger in and of herself. She was the need. She was a craving I needed to fill again and again. She was like a thirst of a different kind, one that needed constant, almost daily replenishing in order to keep me alive.

I had gone ten days without her. The yearning clawed at my insides. It begged to be eased, to be given what it desired so fiercely. So I simply sat on my hands—sometimes quite literally—to contain my anxiety and waited, telling myself it was only a few more hours until this new thirst in me could be quenched.

When night finally came I said goodbye to my family, promising them and myself it would not be the last time I saw them. I would come back again, Bella in tow and we would leave this place. Maybe we would even leave Europe for a while. There was no reason not to.

Be safe, Edward.

Bring her back quickly.

Kick some ass for me.

Please don't die.

A chorus of thoughts followed after me as I left them behind. I breathed in deeply, inhaling the scent of them, using that as a comfort. My family. My sisters and brothers and parents. The only ones I trusted and loved beyond the woman I was going to save. They had tried to get me to let them come. Emmett had practically begged me to bring him along. I would have liked to have some of them by my side. But if the worst occurred, if I were to be caught, I did not want them in danger. They would leave come sun up if I did not return. I told them not to try and rescue me. They were to go back to England and not look over their shoulders or long to find me in Italy.

At the south gate I waited for ten minutes until Marcus found me. Silently we ran though the back alleys of the city we both knew so well. We made twists and turns, weaving through dark areas, staying on alert for someone to see us. No one did.

It was not long before we dropped into one of the many underground passages that led to the castle under the city. How else were we supposed to travel on a sunny day? We went down these corridors as well, completely unnoticed. It must have been quite some feast to distract so many.

"Aro planned this to celebrate Bella's official entrance into the Volturi," Marcus said quietly. I did not remember such splendor when I was introduced, but I was not concerned. Until a thought crossed my mind.

"Has Bella gone hunting since I left?" I asked suddenly. Ten days was not a long time to me, I could withstand far more time without a meal. But I was in practice. I had been for a long time. Bella was young. Ten days without feeding would be like unholy starvation to her. She would go mad with hunger. If she did, it would be all too easy to put a human near her and have her kill them. If she were driven to such appetite she would do so without thinking. And then she would never forgive herself.

I had killed, taken human life without the intention of giving immortality in return. It was a burden I did not wish anyone to have. I have accepted the lust for blood that sings in me when I smell a human close. It is part of what I am, regardless of how despicable I think myself to be. The creature I am also led me to Bella, so I had also surrendered to the fact that I was not all bad. But the terror and pain I had caused in those I had killed still haunted me. To have her carry that around with her forever, the pent up self-loathing in her body was not something I wanted her to experience. She seemed disappointed and disgusted with herself when she simply wanted to kill a human. Her reaction should she actually take a life would be so much worse.

"I believe Demitri has taken her twice since you have been gone. Being a new vampire she has been quite thirsty," he replied.

"When as the last time?" I inquired.

"Yesterday if memory serves." Which of course it did. If Bella had fed yesterday she might have the self control to keep from massacring innocent humans as long as they were far enough away from her. The danger would still be present, but she was strong. She would try her hardest to control it. If Demitri was with her he might be able to aid her.

But that was only if they were far enough away. If they came too close she would lose it. The smell of their blood so near to her would send her over the edge. She was too young to know how to resist. She would break.

Was this how Aro intended to wear her down? Would he force her into a situation he knew would lead to disastrous results and then let her own conscience bring her to her knees? It was almost worse than if he attempted to harm her. If he struck her, found a way to torture her at least the pain would end at some point. If he caused her to kill the guilt would last as long as she did.

"Is Bella going to be at this feast?"

"I believe Aro extended an invitation, though I do not think he assumed she would attend. It would be difficult for her to say the least."

I sighed, a little relieved that her presence was not mandatory, at least not by Marcus' knowledge.

When we reached the end of the tunnel we were at the end of a wing, the hall to my chambers was near.

"Follow me, but not too closely. I will send away the guard and when you hear them leave you must go to her as fast as you can and get out. There will be no guards under her window this night; I suggest you go that way. It will be the safest."

Marcus gave me one last nod and then set off into the large corridor. I followed a few seconds behind, being silent. Marcus stepped into my hall, taking slow determined steps. I remained around the corner.

"Greetings gentlemen. What are you doing here?" I heard him ask. The underlings posted scrambled for reasons. But Marcus laughed.

"No, little ones, I simply mean you should be down at the feast. Just because Miss Bella is not in attendance does not mean you should suffer."

"Are you sure, master?" one of them asked.

"Of course. Go on now, enjoy the evening. Eat to your heart's content. There will be plenty to go around."

I heard the scampering footsteps of excited underlings as they ran down the hall in the opposite direction. Then I heard Marcus coming my way. As he rounded the corner he nodded at me, not risking speaking out loud.

Go now and leave quickly. Trust me when I say I never wish to see you again.

I nodded in return and went quickly down the hall. I paused, my hand in front of the doorknob. I inhaled slowly, filling my mouth and nose with the floral scent that wafted under the door and through the cracks. And then the knob turned in my hand of its own volition.

She was more astonishing than I remembered her being. I was struck powerless; unable to move or speak as her eyes—the color of honey and gold—caught mine. She gasped softly, turning her soft delicate mouth into a small "o". And then she smiled. My memory did not do justice to the radiance of that expression. Her smile was like pure warmth. She mouthed my name, as though she were unable to believe I was here. And then she yanked me by the shirtfront into the room, slamming the door behind her.

She threw herself into my arms, holding me so close had I been a human she would have broken all of my ribs. I was clinging to her as well, relishing this feeling of her in my arms. I had tried so hard not to forget what this was like—the pure ecstasy of her touch. But it was impossible to equate this feeling with anything I had thought of. I was whole again, my desire finally filled. The screaming in my body that needed to be near her had finally subsided. It was happiness and peace beyond what I had ever imagined existed.

"He told me you were coming. And I didn't believe him. I thought it was a ruse. I thought he was trying to trick me. I never risked hoping that you would actually…I told you not to do anything reckless!"

Her words were so fast, ending in a concerned castigation. I smiled.

"I did no such thing. This was meticulously planned and very well thought out. But come, we don't have much time," I said, tugging on her arm toward the window. I was in, I had Bella, and now I needed to get out.

"Wait!" she cried. I looked back at her, wondering what she could possibly want to wait for. But then she pressed her lips fervently against mine, taking me by complete surprise. I kissed her back, my passion and need to hurry battling one another. On the one hand I wanted to spend forever here, kissing her, holding her close to me. On the other I knew I could not. We did not have an infinite window of time here. She broke away from me, her lips curling into a pleased smile. I was about to say something about achieving number three on her list of things to do after the change when I heard the worst possible sound.

Felix's thoughts were suddenly present in my mind and coming closer. If he found her gone now we would not be able to get far enough away in order to escape the search of the guard. Bella's hand tightened around mine. She was hearing it too. I had almost forgotten.

I did the only thing I could think to do.

I hid.

I ran into the bathroom, closing the door behind me noiselessly and waiting. There came a sharp rap on her door, which she answered with a tired sigh. She already knew who awaited her on the other side. I heard him enter the room—my room—as though it belonged to him.

"Bella why do you not attend the feast? It is held in your honor," Felix said, his voice smooth and low. Was he really this blind?

"You know why I cannot go. Is there some other reason you came here to speak with me?" she asked back.

"I came to see if you would like to go hunting," he told her. His mind said otherwise. I shuddered, rage and revulsion shaking my body with equal intensity. Bella sighed.

"Demitri took me this morning in preparation for the close proximity of so many humans. I am fine," she stated. I could hear the anxiety in her voice. She wanted Felix gone. She wanted to get out as much as I did. Then I heard something I wished I had not.

Edward?

"Bella it smells like Edward in here," he said, curiosity and suspicion coloring his voice.

"Of course it smells like Edward, this was his bedroom," she retorted. I could tell she had restrained herself from adding you idiot to the end of that remark.

"I know that. But the scent is so strong, like it is new. You practically reek of him," he observed. Oh no. What kind of lie could she come up with to explain away a fresh scent?

"I was wearing his clothes earlier," she explained. Felix snorted.

"Why?"

"It comforts me," she said. Her voice was not small or embarrassed. She sounded so strong, so wonderfully aware she was in control. I was sure she looked stunning as she stood there, pretending she had to defend her actions.

"Bella, when will you realize that there are other places to find solace?" he asked her, his voice dropping an octave and retaining the same velvet quality.

"When will you realize that you are not Edward, neither shall you ever be? He is the one I want. I want no replacement," she declared, her voice full of quiet impatience and anger.

"I do not wish to replace him," Felix reminded her. No, he wished to make her forget all about me. But she would not. She could not. Then I heard a loud crack and then a dull reverberating thud. From what I could figure she had just slapped him quite hard and then tossed him into a wall across the room.

"I thought you learned your lesson the last time you tried to touch me. Apparently I was mistaken," she said angrily. The heat of rage in her voice was wonderfully intimidating. I could understand where the other's fear came from.

"Bella you must understand―"

"Out Felix! If you come here again I will not hesitate to kill you. I pitied you the last time. I will not be so kind should this occur again. Do you understand?" she demanded.

Felix made no sound. I understood why. Through his mind I saw the enraged Bella he was currently staring in the face. She was terrifying. She was so young, and comparably weak because she did not know the true limits and capabilities of her body. But there was something about her, some unspoken power that was dormant until she called upon it. It was thrilling to watch her become the dominant creature she had been rumored to be. I had never seen this side of her, the purity of her influence being loosed.

It was incredibly wonderful in the most inappropriate and thrilling ways.

When Felix was finally gone again and safely far enough away he would not hear me I came out of the bathroom. Bella's face was composed and serene. The fury, the supremacy of her features was gone, replaced by simple contentment.

"Come my love, let us go now," she suggested, extending her hand. I took it in mine, closing her fingers securely inside my hand. We hopped out the window, still hand in hand.

When my feet touched the ground I was about to take off running when Bella gasped in pure terror. I looked around to see what she had found.

Guards. Eight of them.

And Aro.

Almost stopped here. Then I realized two things. Numero uno, I love you guys way too much to put leave you in such a horrible cliffy, no matter how soon I update. Numero dos, I love this story too much to quit when I have time to keep going!

"Bella whatever do you think you are doing?" Aro asked calmly. "And Edward. Was my warning not clear enough? You would think the words immediate death would be sufficient to keep you away."

His thoughts were racing. He was angry. He was impressed I had managed to get so far without his knowledge. And he was a little hurt. Bella was leaving—she wanted to leave. Bella flinched at these thoughts. She controlled herself from responding to them, but I could tell it was difficult.

"Aro I told you I wanted to leave. I made my wishes very known, more than once. Now he is here and wants to take me away. Can you not see he loves me and I love him? Can you not understand I will not survive without him? I will die Aro, whether you kill me or I simply perish on my own I will not be able to live with him gone."

Bella's words ripped me apart inside. Because I was afraid that living without me was exactly what she was going to have to do. Aro did not joke about death. It was not an empty threat, something I knew very well. I cringed at the thought of Bella simply fading as she let herself die slowly.

He thought about her words but did not believe them. He did not understand, could not comprehend what she was to me, and I to her. He shook his head.

"Bella dear you are young. You will forget about him soon enough. He is just another vampire. Surely Demitri or Felix could fill your needs if only you would―"

"Do not speak of Felix to me," she spat angrily. Suddenly that look of defiant authority was back on her face. This time I was seeing it for real, not through someone else's eyes. Had I not been where I was, holding her hand and so clearly on her side, I would have taken a step back. Everyone but Aro did.

"Do not speak to me that way," he warned her coldly. But I knew she was already in the frame of mind where she feared nothing. Immediate painful death did not frighten her. She would not be intimidated. Aro knew this as well as he watched her face. It had steeled into a look of pure resolve. She would get what she wanted here. She was sure of it.

"I will always belong to him Aro, no matter how many years you keep me locked away in Volterra. Countless centuries will pass, millennia beyond imagining, and I will still be his. Even if you kill him I would be his. There is nothing you could do to ever change that."

"But you are such a splendid mystery," he told her.

"And I am not yours to ponder, neither shall I ever be."

Aro remained silent after this last remark. He then called upon one of the guard to escort Bella back to her room. When he approached Bella hissed menacingly. He froze in his tracks.

"Isabella, you will go with them or I will kill Edward where he stands," he threatened. He was perfectly serious. In fact he had never meant anything more in his entire existence.

It was then I knew what I had to do. I had been keeping this thought in the back of my mind in case it was necessary. I had hoped it would not be, but I had surrendered to it now. There was nothing left to be done but this. I pulled Bella's hand to my mouth, lying upon it a single gossamer kiss and then let go of her shaking fingers. She looked surprised as I walked up to Aro.

"Let her go. I will stay in her place," I said quietly. No matter how quiet I tried to be, I knew she would still hear me.

"What makes you believe I would want you in her stead?" Aro asked. But his mind was racing. This was not a possibility he had considered. Bella was quite the puzzle, true, but he already knew what I could do. He knew for sure what an asset I was after I had proved myself time and again.

"Aro your thoughts betray your desires. You would trade us, I know you would. So I offer myself. I lay myself at your feet. Take me instead and let her go with my family. Give her a chance at a life."

Aro pondered this and then nodded.

"Very well then," he said.

"No Edward! Absolutely not! I refuse to leave you here!" Bella shouted. I turned to her and saw that her commanding demeanor had cracked. She looked petrified.

"Bella I had already had a century of life to remember. I have had experiences and memories to cherish. But you have had none of this. You were not given the chance. Who am I to deny you this opportunity if I can give it to you so easily?"

She shook her head.

"I don't want to leave without you," she murmured.

"My family is waiting just outside Volterra to the south. Find them. Go with them. Live with them. For me. Please," I begged. The thought of living without her was piercing me, driving pain through my very being. I went to her, folded her into my arms, savoring her soft skin, her wonderful scent, her precious voice as she muttered over and over again that she couldn't. She didn't know how.

I lowered my face so it was even with hers and rested my forehead against her gently.

"I searched so long for you, Bella. I hunted the world over for the love I was missing. I almost didn't believe it when I found it in you. You gave me the most precious gift anyone ever could. I will not waste it by trapping you here. Please, go now. Find my family and tell them I love them. And remember that I love you most Isabella. Live each day as you are meant to and know that I love you most."

She closed her eyes and kissed me softly, the sweetness lingering on my lips long after she drew away. She let a shuddering breath out, still resting against my forehead. She came into my arms, pressing herself to me eagerly, holding me close. This was goodbye.

"I will come for you," she whispered in my ear, for me to hear and no one else. I opened my mouth to argue and then decided to let her believe that one day we would see each other again.

I will see you soon. Try to believe that, it makes it a little easier.

How I wished those words could be true. I laid a kiss on her soft cheek before she drew away. Her face was no longer a controlled look of fear. It was a distinct expression of agony.

"I love you," she said, clenching her jaw against tears that would never come. I nodded.

"Forever, Bella. No one else."

And then she turned. And ran.

She was swallowed by the night.

AN: I know, I know…