Disclaimer: All the wonderful Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer, however the story 'Goodbye, Former Miss. Swan' belongs to me.
Well, I'm back from my camp vacation, and ready to start writing again! The sad thing is, the next 3 weeks I will also be going to day camps, so I won't have a lot of time to work on my stories during the day. I apologize, and I hope to make it up by this longer chapter.
Everyone wanted Edward to play hero, so I'm starting to develop the plot from when he goes to Volterra to save Bella. If you have any questions, or any suggestions at all about how I should do it, please do not hesitate to send me a PM or review.
Enjoy, and thanks!
:D BellaJ
Chapter Seven: Invitations
Edward POV
"That wasn't Bella…Was it?" Alice's voice, terrified and shrill drifted over to where I was sitting on the couch. "I can't believe it…" Emmett's tone was slightly wavering, a rare thing for him to do.
I covered my face with my hands, leaning forward on my knees. My mental picture of Bella flashed through my mind again and again. I saw her cold, hard face, and the ruby red eyes that came with it. My mind couldn't seem to grasp that my darling, innocent Bella was a human drinker-it just didn't make sense. I felt my heart separate at the crack which had formed inside. No, she wasn't my Bella anymore, she was Bella Volturi. Hearing those words in my mind never hurt me more than anything else in the world, and I felt lost, trapped in the own workings of my mind.
I really can't believe it…How could she have joined the Volturi? Stupid bitch. I knew she was never part of our family from the beginning, if only Edward had sucked her dry all those years ago.-Rosalie
I let out a growl, directed towards Rosalie. She didn't say anything, but glared at me, menacing. I scowled, fighting the urge to throw something. Instead, I reached up with my fingers and pinched the bridge of my nose tightly to contain the little self control I had left.
I replayed the meeting back in my mind, this time studying Bella's face closer. I noticed how sometimes she would let down her guard slightly, pain burning in her red eyes. But as suddenly as it appeared, it disappeared and her eyes emptied of all emotions.
Flinching slightly at the image, I remembered what Bella had told me back when she was still human.
Begin Flashback
Bella was lying in the meadow, her face peaceful, but still concentrated, as if she was thinking hard about something. Sighing, I leaned in closer to her. Her heartbeat quickened instinctively, and I smiled to myself.
"Bella, what are you thinking about?" I asked her, making sure my cool breath fanned across her face. Her chocolate eyes slightly glazed over, making them look like they had a glossy look to them.
When she didn't respond, I shook her shoulder slightly, laughing quietly. "Bella, breathe."
She took a deep breath of air, attempting to glare at me. "Edward, you know what happens when you do that to me! It truly gets annoying at times!"
Huffing, she shifted slightly so she wasn't looking at my eyes and pouted, folding her slender arms across her chest. Softly, slowly, I steered her so she was looking at me again, attempting to "dazzle" her with my tawny eyes.
"Bella, love…what were you thinking about?" Her breathing caught in her throat, and a faint blush started to rise in her cheeks. "Nothing, nothing at all!" She spluttered out, her face becoming more red.
"You are a terrible liar. Why must you always edit your thoughts? It's at times like this when I truly wish I could hear your mind, your thoughts." I ran my fingers through her hair, and she closed her eyes, smiling slightly. We were quiet for a few moments, before her eyes opened again and she looked at me, making me swim in the depths of her beautiful, doe-like eyes.
"Do you want me to explain why I like it because you can't read my mind?" she peered curiously at me, a small smile on her lips. I kissed her quickly, running my hands over her cheek.
"Please, do enlighten me." I propped myself up on my elbows, smiling crookedly down on her. Her hands entwined with mine as I waited for her to begin.
"Minds are a private place for everyone, somewhere where no one, well, in the human sense, can get into." She looked out of the corner of her eyes, gauging my reaction. I nodded my head, signaling for her to go on.
"Somehow, it's easier to be myself with you when I know that you can't hear what I'm thinking. It makes me slightly less self-conscious of myself."
"You might not think much of it, Edward, but truly, our minds are complicated. We can sense many different emotions, and we're able to comprehend many complex situations and feelings."
She held one of my hands in both of hers, her small hands smoothing over my fingers and palm. I held her hands up to my face, kissing them gently. She smiled back at me, her eyes warmer. "It's also easier for me to lock my emotions in. Whenever I don't want to feel anything, I just lock it up in a tiny, black box in the corner of my mind, and it doesn't show on my face. Everyone has one, but it's size and usefulness differs, ranging from person to person."
End Flashback
My head snapped up from the memory. The little black box. It made sense now, how she had kept her emotions stored away. How she appeared cold and curt, but the pain escaped several times, flickering across her face before she had stored it back into the box in her mind.
Exactly 150 years ago, I had left Bella in an attempt to snap her memory back into focus. I had known it was cruel, using such a horrid memory to break her out of her trance. When none other memories had worked, everyone suggested trying a tragic experience to shake her out of her current mindset.
Was it possible, that it had worked?
I had gone back a week later to check up on her, looking carefully through the windows of the house.
Begin Flashback
I ran like a ghost, winding through the unseen paths in the thick, forested woods. Jumping lightly, like a cat, I looked inside the house from the window. The place looked clean, untouched, like there was no trace of anyone living or staying.
I repeated the same process, climbing all 4 stories of the house to look through the windows, searching for any trace of the Bella I knew and loved. My heart broke slowly as I went from window to window, seeing no trace of the angel that lived here.
Bella's scent was faint, about a few days old. She must have left…
With an aching heart, I turned and ran, away from the house which haunted me with memories.
End Flashback
I had always thought that she had moved, or gone somewhere else in the country, if she was still on the same continent. What if, that week when I had came to check up on her, she was still living there, but had gone on a hunting trip?
I cursed myself at my stupidity. I should have gone back more often, not just giving up after that one time.
If Bella's memories did clear up and she remembered, I could only imagine the pain that she feels. It tore at my conscience, realizing that she must have thought that this time, I was leaving her again. Not to try to regain her memories, but actually leaving, like that first time so many years ago.
"Edward?"
I jumped; I was so caught up in my epiphany that I didn't notice that Alice was talking to me.
"Yes, Alice?"
She came around the couch and sat next to me.
You should probably see this.-Alice
I nodded, and Alice's eyes glazed over as she recounted her vision.
Vision:
There was news of danger in Volterra, and I saw myself racing to get to Italy.
When I got there, there was fighting going on in the streets, lifeless bodies everywhere. I saw the Principessas, fighting ghostly but solid figures. Bella was no where to be seen, but I ran around the place, searching for any trace of her.
Finally, I came upon a vampire, his eyes black and cold, and he was obviously the leader. He attacked me, but someone crashed into me sideways, knocking me out of the way of the attacker. Their figure was blurred; I couldn't see who it was. He or she stepped in front of me, protecting me from harm.
The leader growled, holding a steel rod with a sharpened point in front of himself, attempting to drive it into me. I braced myself for the impact, locking my muscles down.
The other figure saw this, and sprang in front of me, the rod driving into his or her body. The other vampire laughed and fled, while I kneeled over the one that had fallen right in front of me.
I saw myself sobbing, trying to get the rod out, to no avail. The blurred figure spoke to me, before they closed their eyes, dead.
End Vision
"Alice, who do you think that blurred figure is?" Alice looked me straight in the eyes, pain and sadness showing in her golden gaze.
"Bella."
The doorbell rang, and everyone turned to look towards the direction of the door. Carlisle stepped forward to answer it, and in walked Bella with the other 5 vampires behind her.
"We are back. There are things we must discuss."
Bella POV
I grimaced as I turned to step inside the house again. I really didn't want to stay here any longer; seeing Edward was taking its toll on me. It was extremely hard for me to hide my emotions from them; part of me wanted to scream in joy that they were back, part of me was sad at seeing them again, and part of me was in pain, seeing the people that had and could hurt me the most.
I wasn't prepared for the sight before me. All their eyes were fixed on me, confusion and pain mixing together. But what shocked me the most was Edward; I could see understanding in his eyes, and I panicked, what if he knew my secret?
If he did know, he didn't show it. He was quiet, his mouth in a tight line, not saying, not giving away anything.
"I have talked with Aro. He has asked me to extend an invitation to you all who have powers. He urges Edward and Alice to join, exceptionally."
Staring them down, I saw all of them fidget uncomfortably. I tapped my fingers on my arm. "Well?"
It was Nickolas who spoke up, along with Carlisle. "We do not wish to join, any of us. We would like to live our lives in peace here without any inference of the Volturi." I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "Oh, are you two the entire clan? Why don't you let the others speak up for themselves? Or are the too scared, hiding behind you two?"
Smirking, I pushed them away and faced the others. "Join or not join. Tell me, quickly. I have no time to waste."
"No."
"Never."
"No way."
"I refuse."
No's erupted from all over the room, and I turned to leave when I heard Rosalie's voice shriek over all the others.
"Who the hell do you think you are? You barge into our lives like this, acting like a total bitch, demanding us to speak and being the rudest person on the planet! I don't care if you're the leader of the Volturi, you have no right to have treated us like this!" She sneered at me, stepping closer, her eyes flashing anger.
"Why don't you just go run back to Aro and stay there? You have no use if you've chosen to live down to their level."
My irrational side took over as I comprehended her words. Didn't she understand the pain that I had gone through when they left? Had she ever felt the emptiness that took over you when the most important people of your life desert you, leaving you alone to pick up the pieces? I growled in anger and frustration as I fixed my gaze on her, stalking over to her until I was right in front of her face. I saw a trace of fear in her eyes, but it was diminished quickly.
I grabbed her by the collar of her shirt, lifting her above the ground. I used my telekinesis to push everyone away from her, so they couldn't reach her.
"Listen, you little pretty princess. Not everyone's lives are as easy as yours is. Do you know what it feels like to be all alone? To never find someone who you want to be with? Do you know what the pain feels like, when you feel empty and alone?"
I grasped her collar harder, pressing her into the wall. "Let me tell you one thing. You're taking all that you have for granted. One day, it might be ripped away from you, never to be returned again. Can you honestly say that you know what it feels like?" I slammed her against the wall, creating a dent in the scaffolding.
"Shut up. Unless you know what it feels like, turning dark and cold because of what has happened in your past, letting go of all your emotions, never being able to trust anyone fully, you have no right to speak that way to me, to tell me what to do."
I dropped her and released the barriers I had put up pushing against the others. Emmett rushed forward to Rosalie, picking her up gently bridal-style.
"I will be leaving. But if we hear of anything going on with the humans, we will be back. And do not expect us to treat you as we have done this time."
I looked at my former family again, and choking back the tears that I could not shed, I whipped my cloak around me, disappearing into the gust of black mist again.
My unbeating heart slowly cracked, trailing the pieces behind me.
Please review, and I need some help on developing the plot to bring Edward to Volterra. Send or PM me any suggestions, and for those of you who voted on Veronica and Damien being a couple, I have not forgotten-you will be seeing that in the near future.
Have a nice summer, and bye for now! Until the next update,
BellaJ :D