Title: Solstice
Author: marjorie16
Fandom: Twilight
Summary: This is a story mid New Moon. Edward leaves Bella. Bella befriends Jacob. The werewolves kill Laurent BUT Victoria gets passed the werewolves and bites Bella.

Laurent: "...but if you knew what she had planned for you, Bella..."

Well, what if you did?

* Third Person POV

!! Certain flashbacks are taken from the movie.

CHAPTER 11

It was just like prom, Edward thought. But his memory of that night was much more pleasant. No. That night was beyond pleasant; it was blissful. He'd had attended many promenades, but that particular prom with Bella was the best he'd ever had.

He recalled the boisterous crowd then because it was akin to the teenagers now who are currently unaware that death is upon them. He, including the rest of his family, had arrived shortly after seven, and they did not plan to stay. They had all agreed that when he had successfully pinpointed and interrogated Victoria's 'second in command', as Jasper had put it, the family would move in and scare the unsuspecting town's folk.

Edward sighed. Massacre the unsuspecting town's folk. Those were Bella's exact words that night too. Why was he remembering his most recent prom night? Well, he was not averse to reminiscing it anyway. That night was beautiful. Bella was beautiful. And, at the time, she was his.

Several voices trickled in the air. Several thoughts whispered in his mind. The masks that the kids wore were a little distracting but by smell, he could tell which of them were humans and which were not. He did not bother to wear his own mask, however.

He saw an immortal escorting a human girl out of the small house. And by the vampire's thoughts, Edward knew what was about to happen. Once that vampire moves in for the kill, Jasper, Emmett or any of his family members would put a halt to it.

If only the same could be done for the humans in here. He could already smell the distinct stench of blood somewhere in the closet. He couldn't do anything for that boy anymore if he still wanted his answers.

He spotted a vampire lounging beside a human. He was wearing a sort of Zorro attire, but Edward could not be sure because it was poorly executed. The vampire was keen on his prey. But unlike those in the closet, he could save this one.

"My, my, your eyes are red as fire! Where did you get those contacts?" The girl said. She was ridiculously flattered for having a hot guy sit with her. And he was leaning very close to her. His scent is fantastic!

"They're natural." He leaned closer. "You look very pretty tonight, fair lady." He whispered. The girl was wearing a medieval dress. "You look so good, I could just eat you."

The girl laughed at his obvious joke.

Edward was walking determinately at them when Alice's familiar thoughts shouted in his mind. The loud pop music enveloped the night, but it was not hard to hear Alice's thoughts once he concentrated on her voice alone.

Edward! Edward! The Volturi! They're here!

Damn! He needed to move faster. Or else, find a different vampire to interview. He searched the animated crowd for the closest immortal he could find. The music kept roaring as he searched for the nearest vampire he could find. Dozens of thoughts shouted at him when he stopped focusing on Alice's thoughts. It seemed like everyone was shouting. That, on top of the deafening music, was extremely annoying.

He finally got a hold on his concentration. A female vampire was walking absently towards him. This vampire was not hunting since she was not particularly interested in the dancing humans around them. She was looking past him, searching for someone. She was probably searching for their leader. He simply stood there waiting for her to come to him.

When she was inches from him, a shattering thought occurred to him: she had no thoughts.

He stood frozen, unable to understand what was happening. There was only one person who could hide her thoughts from him. He examined the vampire closer. She was as tall as Bella. She had dark brown hair as Bella's was. Her lips were curved the way Bella's did. Her face shaped like Bella's.

Unable to stop himself, just as her right arm brushed against his, he grabbed it with his strong hand. She turned to face him. Her eyes, her crimson eyes stared at him.

It was clear that she recognized him. She was shocked just as he was. Frozen just as he was. And, he was right. She was as tall as Bella. She did have the same hair color as Bella had. Her lips were curved the way Bella's did. Her face was shaped like Bella's.

Absently, he used his other hand to lift the mask she wore.

She was Bella.

The dancing crowd moved in slow motion. The sound of the music silenced. Everything felt surreal. Distant. Like all the world stopped. His whole world stopped. His life was staring back at him with her sinister red eyes. Memories of their prom night flooded his mind.

"Edward, why did you save me? Why didn't you just let the venom spread? By now, I would be like you"

"You don't know what you're saying. You don't want this"

"I want you… always."

"I'm not going to end your life."

"I'm dying already. Every second I get closer… older."

"It's the way it's supposed to be."

"Alice saw me in her vision becoming like you"

"Visions change"

"Yeah, based on what people decide. I've decided."

"So that's what you dream about, becoming a monster."

"I dream of being with you forever."

He could do nothing but stare at this gorgeous immortal who used to blush so sweetly.

"Impossible," he whispered.

* * *

There was something odd about this moment. The noisy teenagers seemed like miles away and the loud music was a little more than a ruffling sound. As Isabel stared at this man who held her, she knew what she was supposed to be feeling. She was supposed to be feeling angry. She was always angry lately. It seemed reasonable that when she gazed at Edward Cullen, the man who was practically the cause of everything that happened to her, she would be more than angry.

But she was not.

Her first thought was that he was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. And she was momentarily frozen from where she stood. This face she knew better than her own. Pale. Angular. Perfect.

"Impossible," he said, his low velvety voice was emotionless.

She had no idea what he was talking about. This man she loved looked at her as if he'd seen a ghost. She couldn't form a coherent sentence yet. She was busy remembering a memory.

This was the man she gave her heart to. This was the man she gave her future to. This was the man she loved.

This is the man who left her.

"You didn't want me." She said slowly, as if unsure he remembered.

"Isabel!" Felix hissed. "We've got a problem." Felix removed his gold mask and took Isabel's free hand, yanking her off Edward's grip. His touch brought her back to reality. She turned to face Felix who then nodded towards the main door.

"All right break it up!" A man shouted. Several officers holding guns walked through the door.

"It's the cops!" the kids yelled.

Edward still stood there, frozen. Everything was chaotic around them. Humans, sweet-smelling humans ran towards the nearest exits but the vampires stood their ground to stop them from escaping. This was slaughter, Isabel thought. But she could hardly care. The important thing is to find Victoria and kill her. And since she recognized some of the vampires here as the very ones who feasted on her, she would also be glad to tear them up and burn them.

A man dressed in shiny armor appeared before the familiar-looking cop. Everyone went silent. They were all watching the scene. The vampire offered the man a drink. Isabel recognized the human immediately.

Charlie.

Charlie raised his brow at the knight. "You are a brave boy to be offering me evidence of your crime." He said in an authoritative voice. He reached down to get his cuffs. "What's your name?"

"Riley Mathews. This is my party." He paused for a while and took a sip from his glass. "You know, officer, it is ungentlemanly of you to refuse this drink I offer." The vampire said. Isabel recalled that voice. Her anger ignited once again. She put her mask back on and moved gracefully towards the two.

Charlie had no trouble hand cuffing the vampire. "Well, Riley, you and the rest of your friends are going to continue this party at the station." He looked meaningfully at his reinforcements and they started to move. Then, he looked at Riley. "Come now."

"I don't want to." The boy said. He threw the contents of his drink to Charlie.

The red liquid splashed through his face. "What the---" He tasted it and was horrified at what his taste and his nose verified. He was stunned and looked at Riley. "This is blood."

Riley broke the hand cuffs that held him, removed his helmet and stepped closer to the officer. He smiled slowly and grabbed a handful of his shirt. He angled his head towards the nape of his neck. "Yes, it is officer."

Looking at his gleaming red eyes, Charlie knew this was not some ordinary delinquent; he was staring at a monster.

Isabel pulled Riley back just as he was about to bite her father. She howled him across the small room. "Party's over."

In that instant, it was as if a spell broke. Felix, Demetri, Chelsea, Jane and Alec had distracted the vampires guarding the exits. With the help of familiar-looking vampires, they had cleared the way for the humans to escape. She turned towards her father.

"Leave. Now." She ordered him. He looked at her as if she were an angel. One of the cops moved towards Charlie.

"Sir, let's go." He ushered him. "This isn't normal." He shoved Charlie to an awkward standing position and urged him out of the door. They were gone a moment later. Everyone was screaming and running around them.

Isabel looked for Riley and wondered where Victoria was. She searched for them in the crowd. But they was missing. Where was Riley? She noticed Jasper effortlessly ripping the arms of a handsome vampire. Rosalie, still as beautiful as ever, was helping Emmett with the struggling immortal. It had been a long time since she saw them and wondered if they, too, didn't want her around.

"I don't think you were invited here." A hand touched her right shoulder in a strong force. Riley's voice was layered with sinister intent. He crushed her shoulder blade fiercely.

She shrieked.

Another figure appeared behind them and pushed Riley away.

"Didn't I teach you to watch your back?" Demetri's voice pierced through the screams and shouts that hung in the air.

"Yeah. I got it." She struggled to brace herself. "Riley's mine."

"Is he the one?"

"No, but he's the key."

Demetri nodded and pursued another vampire.

Isabel stood upright and readjusted her shoulder. Abruptly, she turned to face the fallen vampire.

"You seem to have many friends." Riley said as he righted himself. "But, you're the weakest aren't you? Everyone seems to be looking after you. Take off your mask and show yourself."

Oh he did not just call me weak.

She hastily removed her black mask and threw it away.

He was momentarily stunned at the sight. "Impossible,"

She smiled at him tremulously. "See. You and I know each other." She said in a mocking tone. "I am invited to your party."

She surged towards him taking advantage of his frozen state. She pushed him towards the wooded wall, effectively making a huge hole through it. They both landed on the ground outside of the house. She landed on top of him, straddling him.

She punched him twice on the face and it was deformed immediately. She gripped his neck.

"Where's Victoria?" She shouted, squeezing harder. "Where is she hiding?"

The vampire made no sound. Isabel was vaguely aware of the violence the subsided around her. The battle was already won and the smoke she smelled stung her nose. Several dark shadows closed in on her.

"Answer me!" She demanded.

Riley was struggling to lift her off him. But, she was too strong for him. She was crushing his neck.

"Isabel," Aro's soothing voice called from the darkness.

She couldn't contain her anger. She screamed in frustration at the unwillingness of her prey. "Answer me, dammit! Where's Victoria?"

"Isabel," Felix's voice was painted with concern. He was staring down at her. The others were standing beside him. The 'others' included the strange-smelling Cullens.

"Oh, Bella" a woman said, her voice was full of sympathy.

Another wave of memories filled her mind. She remembered a dark night such as this one. That first night, several fiends surrounded her too. She was scared and hurt. She wanted them to stop but they just kept draining her blood, drinking their prey. But now, she was the predator. Her anger somehow translated in her fist as it hit Riley's limbs. And it crush his insides. Riley wailed in pain.

"Isabel, stop." Aro ordered. "There are other ways, dear one."

She reluctantly tore her gaze from her prey and looked at Aro.

"Let him go, Isabel"

And she obediently let him go.

She controlled her anger and once again buried it inside her empty chest. She must learn not to succumb to her emotions. They were volatile and they tended to stand in the way of sound reasoning. Aro taught her that.

Aro moved towards the body that was heaving in pain. He bent over Riley and touched his wrist for a moment. "Hmm…"

Isabel kept her eyes on Aro. She was intensely aware of the golden gaze of her almost-family. She sensed their uneasiness around her. Maybe they felt fear around her now. Fear was good, she thought. Or maybe it was sympathy.

Sympathy was the last thing she wanted from them. She wanted them to feel guilt. She thought for a while and decided she really didn't care what they felt. She just didn't want to be around them anymore.

She heard Edward gasp. He was probably listening, seeing what Aro saw in Riley's thoughts.

"Riley doesn't know where Victoria is." Aro said. "She told him that she would be back but I think she left for good. He doesn't know where she went." He carefully stood up and walked towards Isabel.

He framed her face with his long ancient hands. "I saw what they did to you, Isabel. You will have your vengeance." He kissed her head softly. "We will find her."

"Yes." She said with determination.

"Say 'yes, master'" Aro commanded. His voice was so soft. So reassuring. Isabel felt secure. It was then that she knew she had found where she belonged. A place where she was secure. A place where she was wanted.

"Yes, master"

Alice's chirping voice interrupted the conversation. "I know where Victoria is, Bella"

Everyone turned to face her.

"She's in a cave not far from your meadow."

Her gleaming golden eyes stared at Isabel. It was bright with the promise of friendship.

Isabel stared at the girl who used to be her best friend. She didn't want anything to do with this family anymore. They were once a part of her. But that part died along with Bella. She was Isabel now and she had her own family, one that wanted her and protected her.

It was best to forget the past, forgive all faults and move on.

"Thank you." Isabel whispered. Then, she walked determinately to the trees, towards the meadow she remembered so well.

Aro followed her and then, so did the other members of the Volturi.

"You're welcome!" Alice retorted.

"Wait, Bella!" Edward's velvet voice called from behind them.

She didn't pause to look at the Cullens who were still standing where they were. Demetri walked beside her.

"Why are they calling you 'Bella'?" he asked. "Who is he, anyway?"

"He used to be my lab partner."

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Whew! I hope I didn't disappoint. Review please.

By the way, I'm working on a new FF and I'll be posting it soon. Solstice is about to finish. So please, click that Author Alert button for my next project Night Shadows. Happy new year everyone!