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

CHAPTER 14

"Where's Victoria?" Jane's high voice pierced the walls of the Cullen mansion. She had just arrived at the place and the white was screaming at her. She had one task to do here and that was to find this Victoria. Apparently, this elf of a girl, Alice, is the key.

"I don't know."

"Don't give me that shit! Where's the redhead?"

"I don't know."

"Maybe," Felix said from behind. "Maybe we should try a different tactic. A more encouraging tactic."

Edward growled at him. There were only Edward, Alice and Jasper home. Carlisle was in the hospital. Esme is at work. Emmett and Rosalie were out hunting. Edward decided that this was a bad time to provoke the Volturi, but if they were going to force anything out of Alice, they were going to have to play fair.

And then, a curious thing flickered in Jane's thoughts. Impossible…

"Felix, Demetri" Jane ordered. "Let me take care of this."

Obediently, the two vampires went out of the house knowing that Jane would take care of it. They knew that when she calls them back, she would have the answers she wanted. She always gets what she wants.

When they were out of the house and far away through the forest, Alice spoke.

"Why?"

"I suppose it is very comfortable this way. I don't really have to talk, don't I? All I have to do is stand here and think, and you would already know what I am saying." She paused, eyeing both Alice and Edward and ignoring Jasper altogether. "I haven't even figured out how I am going about doing this and you're already asking me why."

"Your offer is very important. I need to know how serious you are." Alice said.

Edward turned his head towards Jasper who was secretly fuming with confusion.

"Jane is offering a deal." He explained to Jasper.

"What kind of deal?"

"A deal to get Isabel."

"Why would she do that?"

"Exactly." Edward answered. He turned to Jane. "Why would you want to give Aro's precious Isabel back to us? I saw everything in his head. His plans for her, his dreams. Everything. Why would you betray him?"

Jane smiled as she looked at the polished floor. "Because I was once his precious Jane. I was offered everything. And now, it was taken away." She looked at Edward. "I want it back."

"Why don't you just kill her then?" Jasper, always the logical one, spoke. "If you want her out, you can do it yourself? You can be discreet about it. We both know you have the power and resources to do so. Why do you need our help?"

"I can't kill her. She's…strong." And she finally admitted it. Isabel was strong. "The only way I can get rid of her without Aro hating me is that if she wants to go.

"I've already tried convincing her." Edward said. He was both happy and scared that Jane's offer would actually work. "It didn't work."

"No offense but I heard everything you had to say. And it was not even the least bit convincing."

"I know I wasn't actually there, but I think I agree with her." Alice added. She was looking into the future and saw no difference. When it came to Bella's future it was always hazy because it seemed that she wants different things: her wants as Bella and her wants as Isabel.

"So, you help us get in Volterra, snatch Bella and you become the Volturi's sole princess once again." Jasper said. The deal needed to be clarified before agreeing to anything. Jane was one of those vampires that were hard to deal with.

"Not quite." She answered. "You have to convince her to leave. Or the deal is off. What use is kidnapping her if she could just as easily slip away from your hands if she wanted to? And besides, Aro would go through hell looking for her."

"How do plan on----"

"It's a deal." Edward whispered without letting Alice continue her question. If they were going to get Isabel, they had better get on with it now. He missed her too much.

* * *

"Welcome to Volterra, Isabel" Aro's cheery voice did not affect the gloomy house they entered. Isabel was in the Volturi's mansion. She could feel its walls whispering silently, telling her how long it had witnessed monsters devour their unsuspecting prey, telling her how long it had stood strong to house such civil fiends.

They were received by a pageantry of vampires. Caius readily came to, Isabel assumed, his wife. Chelsea had told her that Caius' wife was Athenodora. She was a contrast to Caius. While his features were sharp and relentless, hers was sweet and loving. That image made Isabel smile. Caius was a hard man and he needed some softness in his world. Isabel wondered briefly, what did she want in hers?

Aro was received by the equally charming Sulpicia who was wearing a magnificent shade of crimson. It was obvious that the two dominated the crowd whenever they were in one.

Isabel caught sight of Marcus who was emotionless as ever. Vampires had come to escort him but no female went near him. Didn't he have a wife? He walked silently towards his chambers.

"Isabel," Aro called her. "Let me show you our world."

Isabel went obediently to his side. He showed her the ocean of people who were celebrating St Marcus' Day. They were wearing silly vampire clothes and plastic fangs. Aro told her the story of how Marcus had supposedly driven out all of the vampire out of the city. How ironic.

"This is your world, Isabel" Aro pointed at the window overlooking Italy. "Everything in it, all the immortals and mortals, we control every one of them. You are its princess."

"I'm a princess?"

"Yes. Everything here is yours."

"Wow. Did you know I've never even owned my own dog?" She laughed.

The huge hall doors closed in a startling crash.

"Don't be alarmed. It's just Heidi."

"Who's that?"

"She brings our dinner."

Isabel turned her gaze towards the doors. And then, she smelled them. One by one a slow array of humans walked inside the mahogany doors.

Aro called one of his servants and ordered him to call the others.

"What's going on?" Isabel asked.

"We're going to feed."

Isabel was rendered speechless.

"Come on in everyone." The girl named Heidi ushered the humans into the hall. "This is one of Italy's oldest mansions. It's owned by the Volturi family. It had been passed down by Volturi men through their sons. In fact, we are about to meet them. This family has been around for centuries."

Aro smiled at Isabel. And then he came toward the sea of humans.

"Welcome to Volterra!"

Isabel stood frozen. Didn't they just destroy an army of bloodthirsty vampires? Now, here she is again. It's the same story but this time, it's okay. These vampires are excused.

Confused, Isabel quickly left the room.

* * *

"Gianna?" Isabel called. She met this dark-skinned, green-eyed girl in the front desk.

"Yes, Miss Isabel?"

"Where do I stay? Where's my room?"

"What do you mean, Isabel? You don't have a room. You don't sleep."

"What? Oh yeah. I meant, where can I stay, like, to be alone or something?"

"Oh, yes. Your private quarters."

"Yes, that. Whatever."

"Downstairs, third door to the left."

"Okay. Thank you."

"Isabel!" Alec came from behind. "We're already starting. Shall I save a few for you?"

"No!" Isabel blurted out. "No, I mean. I—I'm not hungry."

"Isabel, are you okay?"

"Yes, I am." She said. "I—I'm not hungry."

"Isabel, it's been days since you last fed."

"I said I'm not hungry."

"Okay. Okay. No need to go angry I was just offering. Oh well, more for me."

Isabel hurried towards her room.

She's a vampire now. She eats humans. She eats humans. She repeated these words to make them seem more real. All this time she was hell-bent on using her 'powers' to destroy the vampire who destroyed her. But now that she was getting a taste at what life would be like without that purpose, she didn't think she'd like it.

Or could she? Could she eat humans for necessity? Yes, she could. But should she? Is this right?

She turned left to the third door along the wall. Slowly she opened it. The scent stunned her. There were three vampires waiting for her.

"Bella!"

Isabel looked at the small dark-haired immortal coming towards her and put her arms around her neck.

"Alice?"

* * *

Isabel's presence always made his insides turn into jelly. Edward could not help but stare at her beautiful face which looked shaken just as she entered.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"We've come to get you."

Isabel looked at Edward. "Why would I want that?"

Damn, Edward thought. Why would she want to be with me?

"Bella," Alice said. "Bella, we came here to give you a choice. We want you to stay with us. We love you and we're sorry for what happened before. We wanted to keep you safe. We didn't mean for any of this to happen."

Isabel looked at her curiously.

"I know that. But why should I come with you?"

"Because we love you."

"You love me and you want me to stay with you."

"Yes."

This was not going good, both Alice and Edward thought. It was going to be hard figuring out the double meaning in her words for surely, they were there.

"This is the first time I've seen my room." She walked towards the golden sofa. "I've never had such a magnificent room." She continued walking to the huge window overlooking a busy plaza. "I've never had servants to do my bidding or whatever you call it."

"Bella, I know that you know that we're not impoverished." Alice said, wondering where the conversation was going. "We can offer as good a life as the Volturi can. One that's less violent."

"And I should go with you because it's less violent?"

"Y-yes." Alice was not even sure what was happening.

"Where's Victoria?"

"How'd it get to Victoria?"

"Jane came to you. She asked for your help. You're here. I'm guessing there was a deal. Did you honor that deal? Will you tell me where Victoria is?"

"Why do you want to look for her? Just let it go, Isabel. And I can't find her, anyway. She knows about my powers. She knows how to manipulate it. I can't find her if she doesn't want to be found."

"I need to kill her. I need to know."

"Know what?"

"I need to kill her."

"Bella, stop."

"What was done to me was monstrous."

"And now, you're a monster."

Isabel glared at Alice.

"If you've come here to lure me away from this world, save your breath, I'm not going."

"What's gotten into you?"

Alice didn't know that what Isabel wanted was to be alone with Edward. She wanted Edward to tell her that he loves her and misses her and that everything is going to be okay---which was quite confusing because part of her didn't want to confront anything. She didn't want to know how Edward truly felt because it might just be a scene from the forest. And he might end up wanting her for guilt.

All she could do now is hang on to Victoria. It seemed safer.

"Bella, listen to me." Alice pleaded.

"I'm not Bella. My name is Isabel."

"Don't be silly. Your name is Bella."

"Do I have to have a nametag or something? Call me Isabel."

Being called Isabel always made her feel braver. When people called her Bella, she felt small, weak. And she wasn't small. Nor was she weak. Isabel was stronger.

"Bella, you have to stop this. Okay? You have to get Aro's chirping voice out of your head."

"Aro?" Isabel said. "He called me princess."

"She's crazy." Jasper whispered from behind.

"Isabel," Edward called. "May I talk to you alone?"

Isabel looked up into his beautiful butterscotch eyes and nodded.

Alice and Jasper went out the door. Heaven knows what will happen if they were seen, but at the moment, Isabel didn't care. She sat down on the golden sofa and stared at the god-like creature sauntering towards her.

He sat at the coffee table in front of her, caught her cold hands between his. He was examining the smoothness of her skin as it glittered when he angled it to the sunlight from the window.

"Isabel, I promise I won't hurt you anymore. I promise to make you happy every day for as long as I live---forever."

Oh my god. Isabel thought. Oh my god.

"But if you don't want to stay with me. I won't force you." He slowly raised their hands and kissed hers. "But if you come to me, even for a little while, I swear I won't play games with you. Everything between us will be completely honest."

Isabel took a deep breath.

"I know I can't bring back your trust in me overnight, but I promise you I'll get it back. I'll try every day. I'll love you always. I'll please you always. And I know I can't make you a princess, but I'll make you feel like one every day of our very long lives. Just please,"

"Please what?"

"Please love me."

A frantic knocking disturbed the long silence that followed.

Jasper pushed the door forcefully open. "They know we're here. Aro's furious."

Edward stood up abruptly still holding Isabel's hand. He never wanted to let it go. He looked down on her unreadable face. "We have to go. You know where to find me."

Somehow Isabel knew what he meant. She knew exactly where to find him.

And he left.

* * *

A long while later, moonlight flooded her bedroom. Isabel was pacing hysterically. The whole guard was looking for the imposters. If or when Aro finds out who the imposters were, he'd surely set out and kill them.

Meanwhile, Isabel was still fussing over what she's going to do. She finally admitted to herself that she was still hopelessly in love with Edward Cullen and he had no trouble confessing his love for her.

She looked at her hands and she remembered thinking before that she was cold. Like she was turning into stone. And she was, she thought, she was stone for a while. She didn't feel anything. She followed orders blindly. In exchange, nothing could hurt her.

But now, her hands felt warm form Edward's touch.

Suddenly, with searing clarity, she knew this was what she wanted.

A soft knock came from the door.

"Come in."

A familiar figure went inside and closed the door behind him.

"I saw them. I heard them. I know everything."

Isabel whirled around to face the man.

"Marcus?"

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I'm sorry this is late. I don't know about you guys but I really love how the scene with Edward and Bella talking played out. It's coming to and end guys. Just one more and it'll be over.

BTW: my next story is already out. Reckless is another dark fanfiction. Here's the summary:

Edward leaves Bella in NM. She desperately needs to find him. So at the age of 19, she successfully writes and publishes a bestselling book, 'Twilight', to catch his attention. Unfortunately, not only does she catch his attention but also that of other vampires. And these immortals are not so happy about it.

When you're "forbidden to remember" but "terrified to forget", what do you do?

You write.

What if it were all true?

I hope you guys enjoy Reckless as much as Solstice.

Please review!