Flight 356 to Manchester – Gates open in ten minutes

Flight 357 to Paris – Gates open in five minutes

Flight 358 to Florence – Boarding

I sat in the airport, waiting for my flight to be called. The plastic chair squeaked every time I moved. Other potential passengers for my flight sat around me. I was being gawked at by five men, three of which were married and had children. I shot dark looks at them all and they instantly looked away. I was glad I didn't have Edward's power. If I did I knew I wouldn't like to see their thoughts.

One of the father's daughters started crying. She had long, blonde hair that curled at the end and was in a red dress. Six or seven years old. She reminded me of myself when I was young. Her mother had her on her lap, playing some sort of game, trying to distract her from whatever made her cry. She was oblivious to her husband's gape at me. The small child jumped down from her mother's knee and ran over to her father, who diverted his eyes from my chest and down to his whimpering daughter. That seemed to bring him to his senses and he asked what was wrong.

"I want an ice cream, daddy."

"We're about to get on a plane, honey. They don't have ice cream here."

"But I want some, daddy!"

"Honey, we don't have any."

"That's just what mommy said."

"She's right though."

"Daddy!" She whined and burst into tears all over again.

So young. She was naïve and the only thing that really mattered was what her next bed time story was called or if Prince Charming would swoop her off her feet and marry her. Life is never that simple. Happily-ever-after doesn't exist. Happy does, but that's as good as it gets.

It hurts to know I could have had a child. That was probably why I envied Bella so much. She could have children. She could get married and grow old. She could see her children grow up and grow with them. She could see her grandchildren play as they messed up her home and no one would mind. She could pass away and be buried with her husband.

My cell phone rang, dragging me out of my reverie. Emmett, the only person could stop me drowning in my own sorrows.

"Hello?"

"Rose. He's coming back!"

My mind whirled. It took a second to understand what he just said. "Edward? As in to the house?"

"Yes, as in to the house."

"But why now?"

"He went to Bella and she was gone."

"What? I thought he was in England?"

"Yes but he came back" Relief swept through me. It was as if Jasper was right next to me.

"How does he feel now?"

"He's furious, Rose"

"Well, my flight hasn't boarded yet so I'll get on my way back. Are you all still at the house?"

"Mmm" I took that as a yes.

"I'll run back now."

"Okay, I'll see you soon. Love you."

"Love you."

I stood up, turning away from the family that could be happy with one another and live their lives as much as they could wish. It was raining but that was expected. My hair was of no importance where my family were concerned.


Jasper and I lay on our bed in each others arms, content from just being together. All too soon he had to go. I frowned.

"Please don't look for it. Your power is the only thing that could spoil it, I haven't even told Emmett. I want it to be a surprise."

"I'll try, but I can't promise anything. I love you." I stood on my tip toes and kissed Jasper on the lips before he left to get whatever it was he was getting me.

"Love you too." He silently shut the door behind him.

I had to admit, the family was getting a little better without Edward. Not a lot, not really at all, but we would manage. I kept thinking about what he was doing, if he was hunting enough, if he was bothering to hunt…

How was he really surviving without her? We were taking it bad – and that was an understatement – but Edward must have been taking it atrociously. I had my suspicions about his hunting pattern.

My cell phone rang. I opened it without looking at the caller.

"Alice." Someone's voice snarled in my ear.

"Edward?" Edward was ringing me. After everything that happened here, he had just decided to ring me. Then I remembered why I was angry. "Rose has just gone out to England to get you back and now–"

"Alice, Bella's gone," he growled.

"What? I thought that…You said…"

"She's gone. She's not at home. I can smell her scent. It's very fresh."

"I…."

A vision interrupted my rambling. I could see Victoria, her scarlet hair flowing behind her as she ran down the side streets of Forks, with Bella on her back. They turned down the main road onto the 101, heading north.

I gasped.

Blinking away the clouds that came with my visions, I heard Edward speak. "Who took her, Alice?" His voice was strained, like he was suppressing fury and torment.

I was close to sobbing. Bella had been taken by her, Bella of all people. I whispered the next word. I didn't want to believe it.

"Victoria."

I heard wind blowing around the ear piece and then an incredibly loud roar. I had to pull the phone away. The deafening bellow rang around my head.

Then I heard the dial tone. I slowly flipped my cell phone shut.

I sat in my room for a minute forty-six seconds exactly.

I got up and paced from one end to the other for two minutes and twenty-two seconds.

Then I went downstairs.

I'd never really given the stairs much attention when I was here. I could see now why I loved this house more than any other we'd been in. The stairs were elegant, matching us in a way, and covered in a plush red carpet. Why was I noticing this at a time like now?

I spoke at conversational level. They would hear. "Guys, can you all come in here please."

Emmett appeared first, walking down the stairs, with a grim expression. He was already missing Rosalie. Carlisle and Esme emerged from the kitchen. Then I remembered Jasper wasn't here.

"Where's Jasper gone?" I wondered.

Emmett raised his eyebrows. "You called us here to ask that?"

I stared back with a bored expression. "No, he just needs to here this too."

"He's out in the garden, I'll go get him. He's given strict instruction not to let you out there."

I smiled with a frown. "Thank you, Esme." Whatever he's planning, it must big, I thought to myself.

"So, what's the big occasion, and why does everything happen in this hall?" Emmett asked, making a face.

"You'll find out soon and the hall... It must be fate. Personally, I blame the stairs." I eyed them warily. I had nothing against them but there had to be some reason. Carlisle just looked from me to the stairs and to Emmett, wide eyed in disbelief.

It was strange, how I could be so calm at a time like this.

"Who's blaming the stairs?" Jasper walked in with Esme after him. He stood by my side and wrapped his arm around my waist.

He leant in and whispered in my ear. "You have worry flowing off you in tidal waves. Is this what you're anxious about?" I looked up at him and smiled grimly whilst nodding. Then turned my attention to the others.

"So, what's all this about then?" Esme asked.

"Well, I just got a phone call…from Edward." I waited for their shock to calm down. Jasper helped out quite a bit, regardless of being taken aback himself. "He went back to Bella." Again I waited for the alarm to cease. "She's been taken by Victoria." Jasper's grip increased on my waist.

Panic arose in front of me. Esme's hands swung up to her mouth, eyes wide. Emmett looked at me, not daring to believe. I could tell Jasper was tensed by the way his hand put pressure on my hip. The whole room was tensed. Carlisle was the only one looking vaguely calculating.

"And where's Edward now?" He asked.

"Oh…" I can't believe I hadn't thought about his next move. I held up a finger. "Hold on."

Carlisle nodded.

I shut my eyes, searching with my mind for Edward. He was running. That was clear. Fast, faster than a human, as we tended to do. He passed places that looked very familiar. I opened my eyes wide and blinked, trying to get my eye sight back to normal.

"He's about five minutes away and he's livid."

Everyone looked up at me in astonishment.

"You mean he's coming back?" Emmett asked with hope.

"Yeah, but he's fuming." I looked up at Jasper. "I wouldn't be surprised if you got a headache from it all." He frowned at me but he felt my concern.

"I need to call Rose." Emmett ran out of the hall.

Esme, Carlisle, Jasper and I just stood there. Esme had a glazed over expression.

She mumbled with a shaky voice. "You mean he actually thought of us before jumping on a plane?" I nodded. "Thank god!" She turned into Carlisle's shoulder, sobbing. He simply held her.

We stood in silence, only hearing Emmett talking to Rose on the phone and Esme's quiet cries of relief.

"Rose. He's coming back!...Yes, as in to the house…He went to Bella and she was gone…Yes but he came back…He's furious, Rose…Mmm…Okay, I'll see you soon. Love you." He hung up and came back into the hall. "Rose says she'll meet us. She's on her way back now."

On the minute he finished his sentence, Edward walked through the door with fury burning in his eyes. Again, no one spoke. We were waiting for one of us to say something. Carlisle broke the silence.

"Edward, Rosalie is on her way back to meet us. Where are we going?"

The anger dimmed a little in his eyes. "You mean you're all coming with me?" We all nodded.

"Bella's a part of this family already. We're not letting her go just like that. It wouldn't be right." Esme spoke.

"Oh…" It was times like these when I wished I had Edward's power. I, and the rest of us, could see no emotion in his eyes – except his fuming. It was like a mask had covered his face, only letting his temper out. "Well, I was hoping Alice could help me with that."

He looked towards me and I realised I was meant to look for where they were going. I nodded in reply.

It went dark before I understood I had shut my eyes. Concentrating on Bella and that vile Victoria was harder than normal with everyone watching, waiting for me to see something. A wave of reassurance washed around me. I smiled at Jasper, opening my eyes for a brief second and shut them again, using the comfort to search.

Bella was on a plane. Victoria sat next to her. Stewardesses were handing out pillows. Victoria was watching Bella slowly drift to sleep, her eyes dark and sinister. Once she was sure Bella was asleep, she took out a plane ticket. On it, it said 'Port Angeles – Seattle – Florence'. When the plane had reached the right altitude, she took her phone out, switched it on and dialled someone.

"Yes, it's Victoria. Put him on." She said into the phone. Her sly, menacing voice didn't escape my notice. She always sounded like that, but her voice brightened considerably when who ever it was spoke. It was still harsh but I could tell from the change of pitch. "Aro, we're on the plane…The thing kept sleeping…Yes, I know. I'm having no trouble…Good, I'll be thirsty when we get there…Yes…You might need to invite Carlisle's coven now… Of course not!...No, but… I see. You have a point…Yes, the gowns are in the suitcases... I double checked… Okay, we may be a while getting there. Traffic and all." I heard a laugh on the other end of the phone. Victoria smirked. "Yes, you too. Bye."

Bella stirred, whispering Edward's name and repositioned herself in the seat.

My vision ended. I blinked away my hazy, blurred vision like before. I replayed the revelation over in my head. It couldn't be true. She couldn't be taking her to the Volturi.

Edward's lips curled and he let out the largest snarl I had ever heard. It echoed around the house with a thunderous power. I cringed into Jasper but I felt a bitterness rise inside me.

"We leave. Now." Edward growled.

My anger got the better of me. "I couldn't agree more, dear brother."

"Will someone please explain what's going on before I rip myself apart with frustration?" I forgot that our emotions would rub off on Jasper. He was just as enraged as us and he had no idea why.

My eyes narrowed and my face twisted as I spoke to the family. "Victoria is taking her to the Volturi." Esme gasped, Emmett gawked, Jasper flinched and Carlisle's eyes went wide. "You should expect a phone call from Aro soon, Carlisle."

"We wait," Edward started, "for the phone call then we get on the earliest flight we can find to Florence. Whatever the Volturi want us for, that can be our excuse for going to get her back."

As if on queue, the phone rang. We all let Carlisle reach for it, edgy and distraught.

"Hello…Ah, Aro! How are you?...Yes, everything is fine here, the 'children' are getting a little agitated, like they need a break." Carlisle was playing this very well. "Oh, really? Well, that would be perfect!…Yes, okay, we'll leave now…See you soon then. Goodbye." He put the phone down and looked at us all.

No one spoke. No one moved.

Carlisle clapped his hands together making us all jump a little. "Well, everyone. Get packing, we have a ball to go to."


A/N: This chapter kinda flopped. Big time. I know, nothing happened, yes. I just needed to get Edward to come and collect the rest of the Cullens. Normally he'd just go straight after Bella but thanks to my werewolf he has effectively had a knock to the head. I'm setting up the next few chapters with the whole Ball thing. I'm not saying who's side the Volturi are really on -shrugs- Wait and see.

In other news I SAW THE GOLDEN COMPASS! Wow, I really wasn't expecting it to be that good. I am a strong follower to His Dark Materials and I will even go as far to say I love the books more than Twilight. You heard me. More than Twilight. I've never read a set of books with such passion in them before. I suppose I would class Twilight as the best Romance Fiction I've read but nothing could beat HDM. They are amazing. In fact, amazing doesn't begin to describe them.
I really suggest you go read them (The Golden Compass/Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass - Philip Pullman)

Review for...cupcakes!

Emma