AN: I made a couple small edits to try and clarify some confusion about Bella's appearance.

The pain I felt flying away with Irina and Alec was worse than anything I felt during my transformation. I was leaving my new family behind and was suddenly alone with enemies. In the past there had always been someone there that loved me, that cared about me. Now I was with one person that I knew hated me and another that I was warned may find me a threat.

Ever since Carlisle started planning my return to Italy he had warned me that many in the Volturi guard would find me a threat to their position. Whether I developed any special power or not, they would know that Aro saw potential in me. If he added a new person to his guard that would mean someone else would be leaving. No one wanted to fall out of favor with the Volturi.

I sat in absolute silence just staring ahead. We stopped once in Denver for fuel and then again at Dulles International Airport. There were people everywhere. As we taxied down the runway I could see them everywhere. Inside the planes, in the terminal, running across the tarmac, they were like fish in a tank; mine for the choosing.

When the plane stopped Irina grabbed my arm and began pulling me outside. "Don't even think of running Bella, we may not be able to find you, but your coven will be easy enough to locate and they aren't as immune to Alec's power."

I followed.

A new jet painted burgundy and with a black V on the tail wing awaited us in the next hanger from the one we had parked in. I wasn't human and I wasn't a vampire; I was a zombie once again. This time I was the one leaving my Edward behind. I promised that not even death could part us and here I was leaving him. The entire flight to Italy I tried to convince myself that I was doing the right thing to protect my family but it hurt to be apart from them.

It wasn't until eight hours into the flight that I suddenly noticed the stench. Something smelled like rust…and the ocean. My lip twitched. The memory of nausea surfaced and I could have sworn I was feeling it again. Just as quickly as it came, the smell went away with the slamming of a metal door into what I assumed was a cargo area of the plane. For the first time since the start of the flight I moved.

Standing there with blazing red eyes and a huge grin across her face was Irina. I gasped and was sure I really did feel sick this time. She wiped a small trickle of blood off of the corner of her mouth. As long as she still had the gold in her eyes I felt like Irina could come through as an ally. Now that all hint of her civilized self was gone fear started to flood into the zombie I was becoming.

Ever since I first looked into Laurent's eyes I associated that burning red with evil and something to run from. Gold was the color of safety and all things good.

"Thanks for having them stock a snack Alec. I took the man but there's still the woman left for you. It's a shame it had to be over so quick with him." Even now that I was one of them I found it appalling the way Irina spoke about humans. A snack? The same thing Laurent had once referred to me as.

"Thank you for your help in getting the girl. Caius will be sure to repay you for your loyalty. Carlisle's clan has become far too independent for their own good. Wasting so much effort on this girl, I can't see anything remarkable about her at all. Perhaps Aro was finally wrong about someone," the last part Alec mumbled to himself as he headed back for the cargo. I don't think he meant for me to hear it. It was odd hearing him speak. His voice was still boyish and sounded like an arrogant child bragging about his latest accomplishment.

The Volturi prided themselves on their strength and much of their strength came from the unity of themselves and their guard. Alec's last comment was annoyed and disrespectful. Perhaps a rift was forming. Alec was clearly not loyal to Aro, he seemed to prefer Caius far more.

Alice once told me that he was the reason the Volturi guard was invincible but she had never said quite why that was. She didn't seem eager to talk about the Volturi at all. The entire family was intimidated by them and the risk they possessed. Even Carlisle who was so good at keeping himself in control had let his face slip a few times to show his concern over the Volturi's reaction to our family getting larger.

I tried to focus straight forward and keep my breathing under control. No matter how many other parts of me had changed I still felt the desire to hyperventilate start to overtake me as the fear flooded me. Neither Irina nor Alec had the intention of taking me to a meeting just to make sure I was a vampire. Both of them seemed to be looking forward to a spectacle and I was fairly certain that I would be the center of that spectacle.

"Almost there Bella," Irina chuckled in my ear. I could smell the rust on her breath but I didn't dare move from her. I didn't want to give her the satisfaction of knowing I was horrified. "It shouldn't hurt too much. The Volturi will see what a waste of a vampire you are and will take care of you quickly then."

My death was amusing to her.

I sat there looking completely blank and tried to shut it all out. Edwards face floated in front of me. "Just keep quiet. She won't hurt you my love. Just follow until you get to Aro. Aro will take care of this. It will be ok." I relaxed just a little a bit at the sound of his voice. It rang with truth. The Volturi had no reason to harm me. If I was as plain as everyone kept saying I was they had no reason to feel threatened by me.

I could hear Edward humming my lullaby to me as I shut my eyes. The plane started dropping in altitude but I ignored my impending doom. I escaped into my mind and started reliving every memory I had ever had with Edward. The first day I saw him in the cafeteria, the spark I felt when he first touched my hand in Biology, the day he saved my life in the Forks High parking lot…our meadow.

Alec and Irina were on either side of my body guiding me into a black Maserati Quattroporte. They were in Italy but I was back in the meadow with Edward. I was slowly tracing circles on the back of his hand. He was glistening in the sunlight like a magnificent diamond sculpture. I smiled when I heard a quiet purr slip from him. He was happy and so was I.

Next to me Irina growled. She was not enjoying seeing me still happy despite everything.

"What is wrong with this girl?" Irina scoffed.

"She didn't seem to understand the full implications last time either. It will make it that much easier anyways. Aro will see this time that there is nothing there worthwhile. She stands out no more than an average human to me."

That's odd. What did he mean by the way I stand out? Every part of my appearance showed the tell tale signs of a Vampire. Of course my skin hadn't changed much from the albino it was before unless I was in the sunlight but I was still clearly not human. I was stronger, faster and more agile than any human. In the sun I glimmered and my eyes still had the red tint that came with being a new born.

Oh well. That wasn't my concern now. Edward was about showing me around his home for the first time. He was playing Esme's favorite piece on the Grand Piano. I loved that song but my lullaby would always be my favorite.

It was nighttime in Volterra and my eyes only flickered up for a moment as we passed the bell tower. I grinned again. That was still one of the best days of my life—finally reunited with my love. When I was in his arms it didn't matter to me if the Volturi killed us both right then. All that had mattered was that we were together one last time.

By the time I had fully recalled the feeling of Edwards arms wrapped around me that day we were already entering the reception hall with Gianna carefully organizing paperwork at the front desk. This was the first time since my change that I had been this close to a human. I couldn't help it, my nose crinkled up at the smell of her and a frown spread across my face. Irina must have misunderstood my face because she chuckled to herself about how the young ones are always hungry. Only a small part of me found anything appetizing about Gianna; the same part of me that was willing to eat spinach if I absolutely had to when I was human. She smelled stale to me. A coyote would have tasted better then than her. I was going to have to ask Carlisle about this when I got home. Well, if I got home.

A silky sweet voice sounded in my head, "Mind over matter love, mind over matter."