Disclaimer: Not Mine

A/N: So, I am not going to say much. Thank you to Dalloway5906, who reassures me that I will not lose all of you reader after this chapter! See you down below.

Chapter 22

BPOV

I willed my feet to keep moving. I could almost feel Edward moving outside, his motions parallel to my own inside. What was coming was what we both had been dreading. Aro wanted me changed, and he was not willing to wait any longer. I was excited to become a vampire, my indestructibility making it easier for Edward to touch me the way he wanted to. I was looking forward to having eternity to spend with Edward, never having to worry about old age or disease. I was thrilled that I would be truly welcomed into the Cullen family. At the same time I was devastated to be leaving my own family behind. They would notice the changes in my appearance and question my absence. I was supposed to have called Charlie yesterday to let him know how I was doing. I was worried what my disappearance would mean for the Cullens.

My thoughts evaporated as I entered through the broken doorway into my room. Demetri had attempted to fix the ruined door, but the hinges were beyond repair. Aro simply leaned the door against the frame, effectively sealing us inside. My hands were shaking as he turned from the door and faced me. He swept his long black hair over one shoulder and removed his suit coat, leaving him in a black button down shirt. He smirked at me as he noticed my trembling.

"Ah Isabella, excited are you? I promise I will try and make it as painless as possible. I can't imagine how the young Cullen boy was able to deny himself around you. Your fragrance is pure heaven." He said with an exaggerated sniff.

He rolled up his sleeves and approached the bed, patting it as he sat down. "Join me won't you? I promise I will not bite, not yet anyway." He said, laughing at his own joke.

Not fucking funny asshole!

My trembling continued, and I worried that I might shake my fillings loose. I sat down in the spot he had indicated and put my hands in my lap. An upside of the 'changing into a vampire thing' was that I could lose the cast. Although there was the three days of excruciating burning fire thing, that certainly was a bummer. I closed my eyes and willed my mind to think of Edward.

I thought of the thousands of nights we would have together, wrapped around each other as twilight turned to night.

Aro took my hand out of my lap and trailed his nose up my arm.

I thought of the places we would be able to travel. Seeing Paris and London with the love of my life.

Aro pulled the neck of my shirt to the side and buried his nose in the tender spot where my shoulder met my neck.

I thought of the houses we would share with his family. Helping Esme plant flowers and Rosalie change sparkplugs. Playing dress-up with Alice and listening to Jasper recount the battle of Gettysburg.

Aro's tongue darted out and traced the path of my jugular, humming as he felt the racing of my blood through the thin skin.

I thought of Carlisle joining us at the end of the day, telling us about the patients he had been able to save and the few that had not been so lucky. Emmett challenging me to another wrestling match and getting so pissed when he lost… again.

Aro scraped his sharp teeth down my neck, pain stinging as the blood flowed from the scratches he inflicted and a solitary tear leaked from the corner of my eye.

I thought of Edward.

Aro's teeth tore easily through my flesh as tears flowed freely from my eyes.

I thought of Edward.

The burning pain seared through my veins as the venom infiltrated my blood stream.

I thought of Edward.

Screams were the only thing I could hear as the pain pulled me under, darkness cloaking my mind.

I thought of Edward.

EPOV

I must be in hell. There is no other explanation for what I was experiencing. The love of my life was slowly being tortured only feet in front of me, yet I was helpless to stop it. I did not fear for my own existence. If it were to save Bella, I would sacrifice myself in an instant. But I knew it would not save Bella. It would only leave her alone and defenseless. With me alive I could still hold out hope that I would be able to get her to safety….eventually.

I had managed to find a tree near the window of Aro's library. If I leaned across the tree branch, I was able to see Bella sitting in the chair near the fireplace. I could hear everything, but it was disorienting only being able to see a small section of the room. My muscles clenched when Aro asked for Corin again. I did not think Bella's fragile body would be able to suffer through another one of Corin's attacks. She was hanging on by a thread. I could not even remember the last time she had slept.

Bella's body folded onto itself, as if trying to keep itself together. Her screams were painful, and my hands flew up to try and cover my ears. The stinging pain of unshed tears clouded my vision and I found I was mimicking her position, trying to keep the agony of her pain inside. Her screams ceased and I looked up quickly, hoping to see that she had been able to block Corin's gift. I was in time to see her tiny body expel whatever food she had eaten before the pain wracked her body again and her screams resumed.

I could not take anymore. I did not care if they destroyed me. They could torture me for years if it would get them to stop destroying my gentle Bella. I had released my grip on the tree and prepared to jump through the window when I was tackled to the ground by a flying pixie.

"Alice, you have to let me go. They are killing her." I breathed, wishing my body could release some of the agony by shedding tears.

"Edward, they will end up killing you both if you go in there. You have to let this play out." She said as she held me down.

I finally noticed that Emmett and Jasper had accompanied Alice. Jasper looked haunted as he gazed up towards the window in which his newest sister was suffering. I knew he was feeling both my agony and her pain.

"Go Jasper. It is enough that we are suffering, you should not have to experience it as well." I said, as he gripped my hand to help me up from the ground.

The double shot of torture must have been greatly affecting him, because he said nothing as he turned and sped into the night. I looked back to Alice, hoping that her visions would be able to show me some good news. Just as her vision started a different scream came from inside the building. All our heads turned and I jumped back up into the tree. Bella was still crouched down but her screaming had stopped. Corin was the one screaming now. Her mind was racing through thoughts of a black haired man and a brunette, who looked a lot like herself. Aro had her removed from the room and then spoke the words that stilled my world.

"I do believe you have proven yourself Isabella. Why don't we adjourn to your room and we can …. talk."

Emmett and Alice were on me before I could even attempt to move. Alice's tiny hand clamped down on my throat, quieting the growling that was coming through my vocal chords. We all knew what Aro was planning, and they knew it would happen over my dead body. Bella was my life, my future. It should be me that changed her, not Aro. I pushed out of their grasp and vaulted from tree to tree until I was back at Bella's window. I was staring through the glass as Bella entered. Her head was down, her spirit broken. Aro followed and placed the damaged door over the opening, closing them inside. His thoughts were disjointed. He was excited to taste Bella, but was worried that he might not be able to stop himself from draining her dry.

He sat on the bed, motioning her next to him. She sat willingly and my hands clenched into fists. If someone had handed me coal, I could have made a diamond. They were facing the window, and I was able to see as Bella dropped her head when Aro lifted her arm, taking in her delicate fragrance. I was disgusted to find my mouth filling with venom. My love was suffering and my traitor body was reacting to the fact that her precious blood was about to be spilled. Aro ripped her shirt, shoving his face into her neck. My knees weakened and I swayed on the branch as Alice and Emmett joined me in the tree.

My siblings each grabbed an arm as Aro roughly scored his teeth down her neck, causing blood to ooze from the wounds. I never reacted to the blood, I was too busy watching the trail of a single tear moving down her cheek. A sob ripped from my chest as he tore into her perfect skin and allowed her blood to flood his mouth. The venom was leaking out of my own mouth as I watched him taking in the essence of my girl. He managed to stop and started to push his venom into the wound instead. As the poison hit her system, Bella started to scream. The burning was beyond any pain one could experience as a human, and even now I can still remember every second of those three days.

Alice and Emmett released my arms and I fell forward out of the tree. My body's impact was loud, and Emmett quickly lifted me up and ran for the cover of the woods. Alice had stayed to disguise the obvious body-shaped imprint in the ground before joining us. I wanted to stay and make sure Bella was fine, but I knew I would never be able to listen to her screams. Emmett set me down against a tree, miles away from the house. Jasper joined us and wrapped Alice in an embrace. His eyes stayed on me, silently apologizing for my suffering.

I wanted him to take the pain away.

I wanted him to take the agony I was feeling, the betrayal that I had not been the one to change my love.

I wanted him to make the next three days be over already.

I wanted….I wanted my Bella.

But it would be days before I would get to see her again.

A/N: Please don't hate me. There was really no other way I could have it go. The next chapter is finished and will post on Wednesday.

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