Note: This has been re-edited as of March 28, 2009. I apologize for the mistakes of the first draft; hopefully this has a lot less errors. Please review if you can, it does a lot for my muse ^-^!

GRAVITATION
by Yih

"Love—is anterior to Life—
Posterior—to Death—
Initial of Creation, and
The Exponent of Earth—"
- Emily Dickinson

8. Volturi

Florence 1815

Bella POV

I was never happier than when the three of us were together. I looked at Alistair and Carlisle, sitting together in front of the fireplace discussing the merits of something or another. It was a quaint sight and it warmed my heart. After twenty-odd years of roaming with Alistair all throughout Europe, we had met up with Carlisle in Berlin before heading on a southern course to Italy.

It was different, traveling with Alistair and Carlisle, especially when I became Alistair's sister and Carlisle was the family acquaintenance. Maybe it was because when I was traveling with Alistair alone, I felt that people automatically assume that we were together romantically. It was not an inaccurate assumption.

Despite the fact that Alistair and I shared dark coloring, his hair was not quite as black of a brown as mine was and our eyes were entirely dissimilar since I still maintained a mostly animal diet. I would freely admitted, I cheated at times. Having once tasted human blood, it was harder to resist it.

At the very least, I could claim that I had never stolen an innocent's life. I have always simply fed off Alistair's leftovers. And most of his victims were old and dying or sickly and close to it. Sometimes they were criminals, the lowest of the low. I think he hunted those because it was easier on my conscience if we were contributing to society rather than just assuaging our hunger.

I laughed softly at myself. My mind had wandered off again. I smiled as I caught Carlisle looking at me. I was pretty certain that when the three of us were together, considering Alistiar and I posed as siblings, that Carlisle and I were assumed to have a tendre. It was interesting how the dynamics changed.

"I do not like this," Alistair said, stating not for the first time his feelings about seeking out the Volturi.

I understood readily enough his feelings. Alistair liked to be safe and he would not risk himself for anyone. Even though, he had known Carlisle for many years and they were close friends – he would not sacrifice himself. I was not even certain he would rescue me from peril, although I would like to believe that he would and I knew that Carlisle thought he would.

I supposed it meant something that Alistair would accompany me this far, this close to Volterra. I was pretty sure that Alistair was going to demand that we remain in Florence while Carlisle continued the rest of the way to Volterra, but I wanted to continue onward. I wanted to meet the Volturi, to study the marvelous books they must have in their private library… to discover secrets of my kind that I only had an inkling of.

"They will not harm us," Carlisle said firmly. "We are their guests."

"You are," Alistair remarked. "We are not."

"You are my guests," Carlisle responded. "And by default, that makes both of you their guests. I showed you the invitation. They said I was welcome to come and to bring any friends, if I chose."

"They are more powerful and more numerous than us. If they wanted to harm us, we would not be able to do anything about that. Do you really trust them, Carlisle? Do you trust your life, my life, and hers?" Alistair looked directly at me with his piercing red eyes.

He had once said I was Carlisle's weakness. I believed it to a small measure, for both of them were my weaknesses. I would do anything to keep them safe, to keep them together with me. They were my only friends. I cherished every moment I had with them and I hated it when they disagreed.

"I trust Carlisle," I stated, moving to stand behind him, gazing at my Creator. "If Carlisle trusts them, then that is good enough for me."

"You two," Alistair muttered and I knew we had won him over, "are going to be the death of me."

Carlisle turned around and winked at me and I grinned back. "I have already arranged the coach," Carlisle remarked. "We should get going unless you want to miss it."

Alistair glared at him, looking more than a little annoyed. "You planned this."

"I knew you could be persuaded."

Alistair turned to me, looking exasperated. "How did he persuade you?"

I smiled sheepishly. "Books," I answered. "Books."

"Figures."

Volterra 1815

Imposing. That is the word I would describe the Volturi. They were not even all present. Two of the seats were empty. Only one was occupied and he was starkly pale, translucent. At his side were two petite vampires, so young that at first I thought they were children until I took a better look at them. They were younger than me, not quite children and not quite adults. There were others too, a woman behind him and two men that stood a little further off, but well within reach to protect. There were also several others, I noted, lurking in the background, hidden.

I stood, flanked by Alistair and Carlisle, thinking that if they wanted to exterminate us it would not even be a struggle. I shuddered inside, conceding that Alistair's cowardice had its merit. If we had not been invited, I would have been terrified. I may have never wanted to be a vampire, but I was satisfied with my existence – if not happy.

"Carlisle!" said the one that must be Aro, the one who had invited Carlisle. "How have you been, my friend?"

Aro stood and urged us to come closer. I stood paralyzed as I watched Carlisle calmly walk over to Aro and offer him his hand. I was transfixed as I saw the delighted expression on Aro's face. What in the world was going on?

"Ah," Aro said as he released Carlisle's hand. "And these two must be your dear English friends."

"They are," Carlisle confirmed. "The man is Alistair and the girl is Isabella."

"Isabella," Aro said slowly.

I shivered at the sound of my name on his lips.

"Come," Aro said, looking at me as he said this.

I looked instinctively at Alistair and his lips were pressed into a flat line. He did not like this, but what could he do? If he said no, everyone here would turn against us. He glanced at me and nodded.

I hesitantly moved forward and Carlisle put a reassuring hand on my back, bending close and whispering, "It's okay. Aro simply wants to read your mind. His touch, with it, he can see every memory you've ever had."

I gasped and Aro laughed. "It is my power," he said. "You do know that some of our kind possess such gifts?"

I nodded slowly. I knew that Alistair was talented with tracking, able to feel a person's mind and follow where it led him. I was the only person he could not track. He said he could not get a good grasp of my mind. I was an empty space for him. It was one of the reasons that he insisted that I always tell him where I was going and when I would be back. Once when I had forgotten and gone off on my own for too long, I had returned to find him enraged, worried, and frightened. I never made that mistake again.

But for every vampire that had a talent, there were others like me and Carlisle that had no ascertainable gift. We were extraordinary in the ordinary sense. Although I did think that Carlisle had been blessed with compassion and the biggest heart I had ever known. Was that his gift? Not a power that most would want, but special in its own way and I personally thought it was wonderful. It is what made him such a good doctor.

I took a deep breath to still my nerves. My curiosity had brought me this far, to Volterra. I wanted to learn more about my kind, about myself. I could do this.

"Your hand," Aro said.

I held it out and I felt his ice cold touch, his skin was even colder than mine. I wondered if that had to do with age? I glanced at him, at how his skin revealed the veins beneath it pulsing with the blood of the humans he must have feasted on. It was intriguing. Again my mind was drifting and I wondered if I was supposed to feel something when Aro read my mind… was he reading my thoughts right now?

And if he could, as Carlisle said, know every memory I had – would it be impertinent to ask him if he could tell me more about my former life?

"How fascinating!" Aro exclaimed, releasing my hand. "I have never come across a mind I could not read before."

I was stunned, yet I was not as shocked as everyone else in the grand hall. The petite girl next to him glared at me. I tried not to let it bother me, but I won't lie. It unnerved me. There was hate in her eyes.

"Jane," Aro said and the girl immediately came to stand between him and I. "Will you do me the honor?"

I did not understand what was going on as Carlisle jumped in front of me and Alistair grabbed me, shoving me behind him, shielding me. There was turmoil all around as Carlisle hit the ground in pain, his face contorted in agony, and the two men – the guards – quickly leapt into action, driving us away from Aro.

"Stop, Jane," Aro commanded and she growled in frustration before she looked away and Carlisle stopped convulsing in pain in front of me.

I immediately ran to Carlisle, dropping to my knees and cradling his head in my arms. "Are you all right?"

Carlisle nodded barely and I knew he had protected me from whatever power Jane must have had. I could not fathom what it could be, but it had brought Carlisle down to the ground easily. I had never seen a vampire in such pain before. I felt Alistair's reassuring hand on my shoulder as he knelt beside us.

"Carlisle, my friend," Aro said in an apologetic voice. "Please forgive Jane's error. I meant no harm. I simply wanted to satisfy my curiosity. I pray that you understand, of course. It is in the vein of knowledge that I seek my answer. I merely wanted to know if it was only my power that Isabella blocks or if she can block Jane's as well."

Alistair stood up, putting himself between Aro and the rest of the Volturi and us. It was the first time I had ever seen Alistair put himself in a dangerous position when he could have just remained behind us, in the slightly safer position. Maybe Carlisle was right. Maybe Alistair would rescue me to his detriment.

"I do not care for any experiment you wish to conduct on Isabella," Alistair said sharply. "We are leaving. Can you walk, Carlisle? Or do you need my assistance?"

Carlisle shook his head and took Alistair's offering hand of aid to pull himself upright. I was dragged up by Alistair's other free hand and I found myself being flanked once more by both of them. I felt safer, but not safe enough, not when the Volturi easily outnumbered us.

"There is no need to depart," Aro remarked, a menacing edge underlining his otherwise friendly tone. "We have started off on the wrong foot. I offer my sincere apologies. You all are our guests here, and we are most gracious for your presence."

"Hosts do not harm their guests," Carlisle stated firmly. "That is code of honor."

"Indeed," Aro agreed, "I should have called Eleazar forward, but Jane was right here and I honestly did not think that anything would happen to Isabella. I would never seek to hurt anyone close to you, Carlisle. You are my dear friend and your friends are mine as well."

"Jane's gift is extraordinary," Carlisle said carefully. "Even if you do not think it would do Isabella harm, I would rather not test that theory."

"You would not be opposed to Eleazar examining Bella, would you?" Aro inquired.

I could feel the tension in the air and physically I felt Alistair's grip on my hand tighten. I looked and I saw his anxiety swirling in his eyes and I glanced at Carlisle and saw his trepidation. I shook myself free from Alistair and stepped forward. I did not want to place them into unnecessary danger and I had the intuition that Aro was not someone to cross and to displease him would be singularly unpleasant.

"I am not opposed," I said, knowing that it could hardly be any worse than what Jane had done to Carlisle. I was brave, I told myself, I could withstand a little pain as long as it kept them – my family – safe.

"Eleazar," Aro called and a black-haired man flashed forward from the background to stand in front of me.

I was unnerved by the way he looked at me. I instinctively shied away, looking down at the ground, avoiding meeting his perceptive eyes. I waited to feel something, but I felt nothing. I finally looked up and I saw him flashing back and forth, surrounding and encircling me.

"She is like Renata," Eleazar declared. "She is a shield."

Aro nodded. "I thought as much. Interesting, very interesting. I did not know you collected rarities, Carlisle."

"I had no idea," Carlisle admitted. "I was unaware she was talented."

"Then it is your luck," Aro proclaimed, smiling broadly. "And think of how blessed you are, Isabella." I felt like I was trapped when he fixated his gaze on me. "You are here in Volterra amongst the Volturi, already discovering you have a gift and now able to fully research it. I hope you will learn even more about your special abilities during your stay here and I hope that you all enjoy your stay."

"Thank you," Carlisle responded, elbowing Alistair until he said it grudgingly.

"Thank you," I echoed.

To be continued…


A/N: This is undoubtedly my favorite chapter that I've written about Bella's past thus far. I knew I was going to get here, but it took a little longer than I thought and yet at the same time it arrived faster than I thought. Anyway, I'm happy it turned out this well and it was rather easy for me to write with all your support!

Thank you for reviewing! I hope you will keep supporting and encouraging me! I really do appreciate it and it really does help the muse along! Please keep reviewing if you'd like to see updates this fast! ^_^!

Released: 3/28/2009