Chapter 23
After trying to calm her down, which Jasper managed to successfully do after a while, we left her so that we could give her some space so we wouldn't hassle her about what we saw. That was a few hours ago, it wasn't normal for her to react so much over a vision, so I decided to see if Alice needed any help.
Alice was sitting on the couch rocking back and forth whilst Jasper sat next to her rubbing calming circles on her back. No one else was in the room so I walked in and sat in the opposite chair facing them.
After Alice first saw the vision, and I stopped Edward seeing what Alice saw in the vision, it became terrible to watch Alice as she saw whatever terrible future that was laid out for us.
The vision had really disturbed Alice, and if her mind wasn't distracted then that was what she would start thinking of all over again, and she would go into this state of shock. She would sometimes pull her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them as she rocked. She either tucked her head in or would stare aimlessly into the space ahead, which she was doing right now.
"Alice, are you okay?" I asked her, just to see if I was able to get a response. She refocused and turned to Jasper and whispered to him, "Can I just have a minute with Bella?" He nodded and gave her a quick kiss before standing up and leaving. I hadn't realised before but it seemed he must have been trying to keep things calm as the feeling suddenly left the room with him.
I stood up and sat where Jasper was sitting previously. "Alice what's wrong?" I asked worried and in a flash she was in my arms hugging me.
"You've got to promise me you won't tell Edward."
"Alice what's the matter?"
"Please Bella." She pleaded as she pulled back and I nodded tentatively. She took a deep breath in and then turned to face me completely but kept her eyes looking down at her hands, which she wrung together nervously.
"Before, when I had the vision I asked you to shield the vision from Edward." I nodded my head as she continued, "It's just that what I saw in the vision…it was so terrible Bella." She looked up at me and her face was so distressed I worried about what she saw that made her like this.
"You didn't just see their decision did you?" I guessed, and she shook her head.
"It's not their intention to get us involved, but their hoping that because we're family that we will fight."
I wasn't surprised at that. Ever since the incident with Nessie all those years ago, the Volturi were sitting on the edge of their seats waiting for some sort of excuse to see us; either to persuade some of us to join, or ultimately to kill us all.
Knowing that the Volturi were returning to Forks to try and find Jordan and kill him, there was no doubt that we would defend him, even though this time around there was a high chance that it wouldn't be ended with a discussion.
Alice took another breath in as she went to continue telling me what she saw, but I held my hand out to stop her, "Alice if it's too upsetting you don't have to tell me." I assured her.
"No, I have to. And you're the only person who can help me keep it a secret."
"Alice, if it's that bad that you need to keep it a secret, surely the others would need to know-"
"But Bella this part of the vision only relates to you!" She cut me off and I was sure I looked confused as she carried on, "There's a reason I'm only telling you, and why I asked you to shield it away from Edward."
"Alice, I still don't get-"
"Let me tell you what I saw." She interrupted, so I nodded and let her tell me.
"We're all in a field, there's all of us, the wolves, the Denali's, and some more helping us. The Volturi are there like last time, except there's no audience, no wives; they're pretty sure they don't need an approval to attack. Their guard has grown in size, but I'm not sure what powers they all have, but I am guessing if Aro has got them by his side they must be pretty powerful.
"It all happens pretty quickly; there's no discussion, no defending on our side to try and avoid the inevitable fight." She stopped telling me what was happening and turned and looked me straight in the eye, "Bella I'm telling you this because I think you have a right to know, and I'm sorry if I scare you, but you're a sister to me, my best friend and I just wouldn't feel right if I didn't tell you."
"Alice tell me what happens, you're worrying me." I said as I held her hand for reassurance.
Her chest heaved as she suddenly started to dry sob, so I pulled her to me for a hug, rubbing up and down her back in comfort. Her head was buried against my shoulder; her head leaned to the side as she whispered words I never expected her to say.
"You're going to die Bella." She cried as she continued to sob against my shoulder, and my body froze in shock at the words that she spoke.
"There's a chance it might not happen," she tried to reassure me, "but I'm so worried Bella, I can't help but think of the worst."
I tried to tell her that I would be okay, and that I would protect myself, but I was at a loss for words. When you think you can live forever, you never actually think of the possibility of yourself dying. You can't really comprehend it; couldn't think of it happening to anyone around you.
Alice pulled back and could probably see my shocked face. "I've scared you now haven't I? I'm sorry; I shouldn't have told you what I saw…"
Through her apologies I managed to find my voice and interrupted her.
"No, don't be sorry. I'm glad you told me." She looked doubtful so I continued, "You said yourself it might not happen, so hold onto that. If we know this will happen then you will know, and I will know what to look out for when the Volturi come. Can you tell me what happens exactly?" I asked, a little bit curious on how I was going to die.
Alice shook her head, "I can't. I've probably upset you enough with what I just said."
"Please Alice," she shook her head again, "please just tell me what happens in the vision." I pleaded. Alice looked at me softly, most likely hearing the desperation in my voice, and opened her mouth to tell me what she saw.
"Alright, we're in a clearing and-"
"Honey I'm home!" Emmett's voice boomed through the house, cutting off Alice and preventing her from telling me what she saw.
Emmett walked into the front room, but when he saw us he must have seen the worry on our faces as he immediately became concerned.
"Is everything alright? You want me to go get Jasper or Eddie?"
"No it's alright Emm." I answered, putting a smile on my face to avoid any further questioning and took a quick glance to Alice who had also masked her previous expression. "Where are they anyway?" I asked noticing they hadn't followed Emmett into the room.
"Oh I just arrived early. The others will be back in a min. Oh and Alice, why's Jasper standing outside by himself?"
Alice smiled and stood up to get Jasper from outside, as Emmett left the room. Once I was sure he was out of hearing distance, I grabbed Alice's arm to get her to stop. She turned around and faced me, wondering why I stopped her.
"You have to tell everyone." I whispered to her.
"What?! I can't do that, it's bad enough that I know you're going to die…"
"Alice-"
"…but imagine me trying to tell that to everyone else. To Edward, to Nessie and Jacob, imagine how devastated they would be Bella."
"Alice you've got to at least tell them about what happens at the fight, or at least when it will be and who will be there."
"I can't Bella-"
"Leave the bit about me out of it then." I reasoned, "I'll shield you so that Edward won't know."
She was quiet for a bit and then said, "You won't tell Edward?"
I shook my head in response. It would be more appropriate if I told him, but I couldn't do that to Edward, I couldn't put him through the distress and pain, knowing that in a few weeks I'll be dead. There's no doubt that he would try and prevent me from going, but then that would just leave everyone else vulnerable against the Volturi, and I had to at least keep them safe.
I didn't want him to look at me in the following weeks and see the pain he is feeling reflected through his eyes. Not to mention, Edward being Edward will most likely form some sort of suicidal plan. He's done it before so I won't doubt that he could do it again, and even succeed.
It hurt just to even think of Edward no longer being here, and there's my other reason why I won't tell him, and also hope that he would just carry on living his life, at least for Nessie.
Nessie. I can't imagine what she might feel. When I grew up, yes I was with my parents, even if it was at staggered times, but once I was changed I no longer saw them. However my love for them didn't disappear overnight, and it hurt me when they both died. Firstly Charlie, with me by his side, and then a few years later Renee died. I was fastly approaching the time where soon everyone I knew would be dead. First my family, and soon it would be all of my previous friends.
But with Nessie, we've been together for years, and not only is she my daughter, but she is also a friend, and even at times it's like we're sisters rather than mother and daughter. If you suddenly found out your mother, or your sister was going to die, then surely you would be upset.
I didn't want to hurt my family in this way. I'll keep it between Alice and I, and if worse comes to worse then I will die at the clearing, and it would be a shock. I don't even know if anyone else is dying. I've been the first person Alice has told; who knows what will happen on that day.
"Alright then," Alice agreed, breaking me from my thoughts, "I'll tell them later, when everyone gets back."
"Thanks Alice." I said, and she nodded and left the room to go get Jasper.
But as soon as she left the room and I was alone, a huge sense of dread overwhelmed me, as though the impact of what Alice just told me truly hit me – hard and fast, like a powerful punch to my stomach.
I hadn't realised the rest of the family had returned home, it was only when I saw Edward walk through the living room door, his eyes a lightened gold from the fresh hunt, his hair windswept, and his mouth turned into a lopsided grin as he saw me, that I was now scared. It was like I had not recovered from the previous punch, and it now hit me again ten times harder. This pain I was feeling, was possibly knowing I would never see Edward again, that these were possibly my last ever moments with him before I … well before the Volturi come.
I ran quickly across the room at vampire speed and hugged him tightly, holding him close to me and breathing in his scent. I didn't want to move from this place; a place where I was perfectly content staying, a place of comfort and safety, a place which I didn't want to let go.
* * * * * * *
It didn't take too long before Alice had told everyone she needed to speak to us all altogether about the vision. We weren't all excited to hear what she said exactly, me especially after knowing my own personal information, but I was sure we were all curious about what happened, and what made her go into such a state of shock.
Everyone was back in the front room again, sitting where we were once before, however Alice was stood up with Jasper by her side to help calm her, and Carlisle and Esme were sitting where they where previously.
Alice gave a quick look to me as a signal, so I extended my shield and wrapped it around her, giving her a small nod, unnoticeable by anyone else to show I had done it.
"Alright." She sighed, and I saw Jasper holding her hand to help control her emotions, and similarly to just comfort her. "Basically you know the start of the vision. The vampire who has been visiting down in La Push went there to spy on Jordan, most likely knowing he was related to us, on behalf of the Volturi."
"I'm still surprised we didn't know about this sooner," Esme said, shaking her head, "I mean Jordan said this vampire had been visiting Forks for years, since before your father died Bella."
"He did say she had this power of being undetected. That's perhaps why I didn't see her before, because the Volturi knew of my ability and had someone who could be hidden from me." Alice said, and she quickly looked down, "I could have prevented this." She muttered to herself. I was about to quickly tell her off for thinking that but it looked like Jasper had the same idea.
"Hey," he whispered to her, lifting her head up so she was looking at him, "this wasn't your fault. No one could have seen this coming, even a psychic like you." He said, smiling to her. She leant up to him and kissed him briefly before facing back to us and continuing with the story.
"She returned to Italy and retold Aro, Caius and Marcus of what she saw. She also claimed that she knew Caitlin had a gift as well, and that both of them had equally destructive powers.
"They're thinking of blackmailing us. Aro was so interested by the sounds of their powers that he immediately imagined them in black cloaks standing by his side." Alice quickly looked to the side and to Nessie, Jacob and Caitlin. All of them looked equally upset, and I could understand why Nessie was getting upset over this news. She was basically being told her children were going to be murdered.
"Are you ok with me to continue?" Alice asked them, and they all nodded.
"So Aro wanted them to join the guard, but then he remembered Jordan wasn't a vampire, and that just brought on a whole new argument of how much of a threat Jordan and Caitlin could do to them. The Volturi don't like any threats towards them, and they all decided to return to Forks and kill Jordan.
"They are hoping that we will defend him, and the Volturi would love it if we stood up against them as it would give them a perfectly good reason to kill us all, to them we would be committing treason."
She paused knowing she was now telling them the part they didn't know about.
"I saw the fight." She started, and I could hear the collective gasps around the room, "It's not like last time, there's no way of getting out of it, ultimately it will end in a fight."
"How long will it be till they come here?" Carlisle asked.
"Two weeks, I think." She said, and I quickly realised she had just told me my death sentence. Two weeks and I would probably die, leave everybody that I know and love.
"But nobody dies right?" I heard Rosalie ask, "I mean you haven't seen anyone die have you? Not from our coven at least?" Everyone turned to Alice then to wait for her answer, immediately concerned to know if anyone would possibly die.
I saw as Alice looked knowingly to me briefly and sadly, but looked away quickly so no one would suspect anything, but I knew the meaning behind her look, and it was because even if the others may not know it, Alice and I would know that I was going to be the one that dies on the clearing.
To ease the others worries, she shook her head. Everyone took a sigh of relief, and it hurt me to think that everyone here thinks their loved ones, their family would be safe, yet Alice and I knew different.
"I haven't seen anything like that. But after a while the vision goes blurry because the wolves get involved, so there's no way of being sure."
The room fell into silence then as we considered the prospect of anyone else in the room dying. My hand automatically squeezed Edward's hand, and in understanding he squeezed mine back.
"So," Emmett said breaking the silence, "what are we going to do?" He, as well as most of us turned to Carlisle, knowing it was more likely that he would have some sort of solution.
"Firstly," He said after thinking for a few minutes, "We need to inform Jordan and the wolves, tell them that an attack is imminent and that most of them are likely targets, so they'll need to be prepared for a fight.
"Secondly, we're going to have to ask for help once again." Carlisle sighed, "There's a high chance the numbers will be less from last time around. Many didn't really want to really confront the Volturi, never mind fight with them. I am sure we can get some of our closer friends, Alice already saw the Denali's with us. Perhaps some of the Amazon coven, and I'm positive Stefan and Vladimir from the Romanian coven would want to have the revenge on the Volturi that they didn't have last time. We'll just have to see who agrees.
"Also, I think it would be better if we moved to our house back at Forks. We won't have a big announcement of our move, just incase things go bad with the Volturi. We'll just go there so it's closer to the wolf pack, and Jordan.
"And, I also know that most of you can defend yourselves pretty well, but I think it would be best if everyone knew how to fight, and be able to defend ourselves against such strong opponents." He turned his head to the side to look at Jasper, "Jasper, I know your fighting knowledge can perhaps only relate to the newborns, but I think it would be highly valuable if you taught us everything you know to help us all improve. We only have two weeks so I think it would be best if we start immediately. Do you mind Jasper?"
"Not at all." Jasper answered, "I think it's understandable that Bella," he looked over to me then, "might need a lot more in practise, especially using her shield at the same time, it might be a bit difficult to focus on both. And of course with Nessie and Caitlin being half-"
"Caitlin won't be there." Renesmee interrupted quickly, and Caitlin quickly answered back.
"What?!"
"Neither you, nor your brother will be there. It's for your best protection. They want you both dead the most, so the better option would be to keep you out of it."
"The better option!" Caitlin said back angrily, "How is keeping us out of it the better option. Jordan and I could help so much by being there, think of how much easier it would be with half the Volturi in pieces on the floor without the fight even properly starting."
"Caitlin, as soon as they will see you they will attack us. They'll do everything they can to get to you, most likely destroying us all and then leaving you both helpless, or the Volturi might be so heartless that they decide to kill you both before our eyes, and I couldn't bear the pain to watch my children die!"
Caitlin remained silent after Nessie shouted at her. "Our decision is final," Nessie said a lot calmer, holding Jacob's hand within her own. Caitlin glared at the two of them and then ran out of the room and to her bedroom, the door slamming shut behind her.
She sighed and looked around the room, "You understand our decision don't you?" She asked carefully, somewhat afraid incase we thought she made the wrong choice.
"I guess from a parents perspective what you both did was right." Carlisle said, "But don't you think Caitlin has a point too?"
Nessie nodded, "I guess I should speak to her, she's probably mad at me now, mad at us both." She said turning her head slightly to Jacob.
"I'll call Jordan and the pack, tell them what's happening." Jacob said as he stood up, "I'll kind of leave the part out about them wanting to kill him." He added and then grabbed the phone and left the room.
"Well I guess we start getting prepared for it huh?" Emmett said, and it was weird to notice how he wasn't as worked up and excited over the fight as I thought he would usually be. I guess this particular fight is having an effect on us all.
A/N: Yeah..so there's a chance Bella could die...and Alice can't see much that happens after that...Caitlin and Jordan aren't allowed to fight...and Emmetts not happy about a fight ... pretty bad this chap huh. I just hope you are all optimistic and want to carry on reading to see what happens :D
Thanks for reading, and please review XD
Important: I am now revising for my exams for as much time as I possibly can, as I have them in a few weeks, so I hope you can understand why updates might not be as often due to the fact I might not be able to write as often either, so I'm sorry about that.
Anyways, thanks again.
Jaimie x