Hello all! Sorry I haven't updated in awhile. I went on vacation for a week. It was really fun. I had this chapter from my beta before, but I was not able to update before I left. If you are wondering, I did change my penname (not by much) from Alicebrandoncullen to xxAlicexBrandonxCullenxx, so yeah. I just like the x's in between. I don't know why. :D

Anyway, chapter 8 is finally here! It is from Edward's point of view. I am warning you now before you read it that the chapter does have a minor cliffy, and it has a lot of details. Also, a theme is present in this chapter. More later because I don't want to give it away.

Lastly, another amazing thanks to my beta, .Scotland for helping me out. She's really an amazing author and you should check out her stories. I personally love them. :D

With that said (more like rambled, but whatever), I bring you chapter 8: Surprise.

xxAlicexBrandonxCullenxx

Alice was ready to trade shifts with Esme, even though it had been only a day. She couldn't wait for me to see Bella again.

When we got to Bella's, Alice walked in. There was a foul smelling stench in the house, but I ignored it. As long as Bella wasn't hurt, I would be okay. Also, Esme was nowhere to be seen.

"Esme?" I called from the kitchen.

Alice had a vision then. I took a peak in her thoughts to find out what it was. Esme was grocery shopping for the house. She would not be back for a few minutes. I was nowhere to be seen when she came in. Bella still had not come home.

To me, her vision made no sense. Why wouldn't I be there? Where was Bella?

Alice, sensing my next thought, looked towards the future for answers. Bella… Nothing! Her vision was blank. Something was wrong.

I was off in a second. I didn't know where Bella could be. I could smell her scent, but it ended in the driveway. I silently cursed and walked back in the door.

Alice seemed really confused. She had never seen nothing before except when people were dead. She tried to shield her thoughts from me, but I instantly knew what had happened.

I ran off without a second glance at Bella's house. I had one destination in mind: Italy.

I heard Alice trying to reason with me, but both of us knew that I could not be reasoned with. Bella, my Bella, was dead. I hope it wasn't painful.

Emmett, Jasper, and Carlisle were behind me, but they could not catch up with me. I knew subconsciously that it would end badly if they did catch up, so I sped up even faster.

I didn't have time for a plane. My brothers and father would be able to track me down if I got on a plane. It would take forever to finally take off. I would just run the whole way, and I would swim in the parts that I can't.

My followers decided to give up in Iowa. I continued running; I would make it there with no pit-stops.

-A FEW HOURS LATER. EDWARD IS NOW ON THE BORDER OF ITALY-

I knew what I would do once I got there. I would beg the Volturi to kill me. They could do this, right? For me?

Apparently, it was some special occasion in Volterra. I hope they would let me in. I wouldn't cause a distraction unless they rejected my offer. Then, the crowd would help create a spectacle for me. I would think about that when the time came.

I was let in by the security guards. It wasn't sunny outside, so I was able to walk around without being noticed. Of course, some people did notice that I was not normal. They quickly hated themselves for that thought suddenly after they thought it. I smirked and continued going.

I instantly went down to where the clandestine Volturi were. The receptionist was very friendly even though I had woken her up. From her thoughts, I gathered her name was Gianna.

"Hello. What can I do for you today, sir?" she asked.

"Is Aro in today? I would like to ask a favor of him," I said, trying to get my way. Not very many vampires were allowed to see our royalty. I hoped that I was an exception to that rule and would be allowed to see them.

"Please sit down there. I will go find him," she said.

"Okay, thank you. Please tell him that I am Edward Cullen, a friend of Carlisle," I said as politely as I could manage. I hadn't hunted in quite awhile. My eyes must have been really black. Only now did I realize that I needed to hunt. Pretty soon, though, my vampire troubles will be of no use. I went to sit on the chair that she pointed at.

She came back in within a few minutes.

"You may come in. Aro would like to see you," she said.

"Thank you."

Gianna led me to Aro. He seemed quite excited. His thoughts explained it all. I heard that he can read minds from afar. That would be amazing and an excellent addition to our family. I wonder if he would accept. What would he be here for anyway? He asked himself with a laugh. I smirked. He was completely off by a long shot.

"Why hello, Edward! What brings you here today?" he asked, enthralled.

"I was wondering if I could ask for a favor," I said, weighing each word carefully, hoping he didn't take my mood in the wrong way. I tried to make myself happier, but it didn't seem to work.

"Why, Edward, you know we don't do much favors, right? I'm sure my dear friend, Carlisle, would have told you that! If I may be so curious, what is it you would like?" he asked. Of course Carlisle had told me this a long time ago. Once again, I hoped I would be an exception.

"I have heard Carlisle mention this. I hoped you would make an exception. I would like you to rid me of this world. I do not wish to be in existence anymore."

Aro came closer so he could get my inner thoughts. I reached my hand out. Carlisle had told me of his gift once. I knew that he would want to use it on me.

Once Aro had his necessary information, he began to start talking again. "Why, Edward, does this have anything to do with your dear Bella, a human?" he said with a growl. He didn't find the thought of a vampire-human relationship as great as he usually took everything else.

"Why, yes, it does. For, I cannot live in a world without her," I said.

"But, a human?! She is just simply food. How can you resist her, especially when she smells so appetizing?" he asked.

"She is not just food," I argued, completely offended that he would think of Bella as food. "It is with both great restraint and great pleasure that I resist. She is amazing," I said, dreamily. "Carlisle has taught me well. We preserve human life as a treasure," I said.

"But still, la tua cantante, she sings to you!" he seemed amazed.

"I find it within myself to restrain from drinking her. I am rewarded with many pleasurable moments with her, as you have seen in my innermost thoughts."

"Edward, you do know that we do not have any vampires come to us for death. In all my years of existence, I have never seen a spectacle such as this!" he explained.

"Aro, I beg of you to kill me. I am no use to this world."

"Quite on the contrary, my dear Edward. Your power would be very useful as a member of our family. Would you care to accept our hand?" he asked, hoping for a yes. He would not take no for an answer.

Weighing my words carefully, I started. "As enticing as that sounds, would you mind if I thought about this? After all, it would be a huge alteration to my being."

"That is no problem, my future brother. Please let me know what you think in a timely manner. I hope hear from you soon with a response. Bye for now!" he said.

"Thank you, my dear Aro. I will correspond shortly," I said, while leaving.

While walking out, I realized that I would need a different tactic. My mind went over many options to consider.

Walking in the sunlight? No, that wouldn't be too theatrical for my taste.

Lifting up a car in the middle of a street? No. That would simply be too simple.

Killing spree in the city? No. That would disappoint Carlisle and the rest of my family. I do not want to disappoint them in my last act.

I sat there for a full hour thinking about many different options. None of them fit my taste.

I would lift up a car. It would be simple, but it would attract an audience. It would suit my theatrical side. I could lift up a heavy car for my thoughts. Maybe I could do it with people in it.

I was about to do it. I was edging to a car with four passengers in it.

NO! I would not do this. It would scare the people in the car, which I did not want.

I decided on my theory to rid myself. Sure, the Volturi could not conceal this from getting out. The town would be exposed for what they really are.

I would do this suicide mission today at noon. It was March 19, St. Marcus Day, the day in which Marcus rid the city of vampires. I laughed to myself before hiding in an alley. They would find out later just how well Marcus did. He, as a vampire, would not be too happy. He would want me exterminated on the spot for ruining his holiday.

I hope you liked it. It's starting to come back to the whole New Moon theme. I like to try to make the books make sense even with the fanfiction. I know, it's fanfiction, but I like for it still to make sense. I don't know why.

Also, my beta is on vacation. This is the last chapter that I have that she revised for me. I kind of write them, send it to her, and then post them, so I do not have the whole story planned out. She will be back on Tuesday of next week, so there may be a huge break from the updating thing. I do not like to post stories without my beta knowing and having looked over them. Trust me, it's for the best interest. I will, however, still write. I am thinking about having a lot of chapters written when she comes back and just sending them off to her randomly. School starts later this month, so it is definitely going to be hectic trying to get stuff up. Also, I may do a few one shots or short stories. I have one up, called Edward's Pain. Check it out! I should update my other story, A New Dawn, more frequently. I want to try to get that one finished by the end of the summer. Plus, a few one shots never killed anyone. So, yeah. Suscribe to my author alerts, and you will find amazingness. :D Sorry about not being able to update soon.

Also, if you are thinking about commiting suicide, DON'T. Always remember that there are people that you have and have not met that love you and would die if you did. Trust me, it's not worth it. Talk to your friends and family about it once it happens. DON'T TRY TO GO THROUGH IT ALONE!!! Also, the suicide hotline is always open if you can't find anyone to talk to. The number is 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) or 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255). People are always there to help you out. Of course, if you need to talk about anything, you can always email or PM me. I usually check my email (including the PMs) at least 6 times a day, so I can be reached. It doesn't have to just be about that. If you want someone to talk to or whatnot, just write me. My email is on my profile on the link that says email. You have to confirm that you are a human (which you are... not that hard), and then you can get it.

Okay, wow. I rambled A LOT. I needed to get a few things out of the way, but managed to get a lot of other information in. Sorry about that. -sad-

Please review! They make me happy. Of course, once you do, you get a little sneak-peak into the chapter and a gold coin! WHOOHOO... Just because my beta is out does not mean that you won't get a sneak peak. Depending on how early you review, you may get a bigger peak. :D So please review. Also, they help me to write.

Without anymore rambling, I will go.

xxAlicexBrandonxCullenxx