Chapter 1

Gone

I cannot see, hear, taste, smell, or feel…it must be Alec. I feel like I am burning alive…it must be Jane. I desperately try and find them…but I can't.

"EDWARD!" I hear my little sister's voice

"NO! NO! NO!" I shout "HAZEL!BELLA!"

My little sister and love of my life are being taken along with my 2 best friends and older sister Emmett, Jasper, & Alice. It's all my fault or at least that's how I feel there was always something about me that would do that. Make me feel like it was my fault.

I hear the engine of the Volturi truck go into full gear and screaming.

"EDWARD!" I hear again "Edward PLEASE!"

I hear Hazel's thoughts its painful knowing that there is absolutely nothing that I can do. I can imagine her…scared to death trying to comfort everyone else that was Hazel. My sweet careful little sister one of the most precious things I could ever have. Alongside Bella who is my life.

"Edward…they're gone" I hear Rosalie saying to me and I open my eyes.

I see everything normally now Carlisle, Esme, & Rosalie are standing beside me. I get down on my knees and put my head into my hands. Everyone tries to get me up…but I can't I feel as if I am dead…like how I felt the night I was transformed.

"Son" Carlisle says.

"Let's go home" Rosalie takes a deep breath they are all distraught. Emmett had just been taken so Rosalie feels how I feel…if not worse.

We race home and I try to pick up my sister's thoughts since she is the one I am the closest with I can hear her thoughts from very far away. Typically I would've asked her to keep her thoughts to herself… so I wouldn't hear their pain.

"Going out of limit…almost in New York" she was thinking to me before her voice trailed off.

The Volturi had been wanting them for a little more than a year now they already had Demitri as their tracker but Hazel was the most powerful tracker while being able to see what they are doing and can block off other trackers (other trackers can do this too) but Haze was the only one who had figured it out with our help. I went to my room and listened to my CD trying to think…something that is usually not hard for me…but now it was different because before I knew Hazel and Bella were safe.

I am probably feeling the worst I've ever felt. It was bad enough that time I thought Bella was dead. But this was about 2 xs worse because Hazel was also gone. I knew it was my job to protect her…to keep her safe. It was just like that time where she was in school and being tormented by those girls.

"Edward! Get your ass down here!" I hear Rosalie's frustrated thoughts because they have been waiting for me.

I walk down the stairs at a dignified slow pace (slow for me) and Esme puts her hands on my shoulders in a comforting way. I am drowning in sorrow so I do not hear Carlisle talking. They are all very distraught.

"We are going to Volterra" he is saying.

Going to Volterra? To get them back? My facial expression must have been easy to read because Rosalie was thinking "no moron we're going to vacation there OF COURSE WE'RE GETTING THEM BACK!"

I didn't think we could do it. But all I could think about now was seeing Bella again…looking into Hazel's eyes, seeing Alice's smile, & hunting with Jasper and Emmett.

"We aren't leaving just yet" Carlisle said.

I figured that we had to think and strategize…the Volturi needed reasoning because really they were good or at least they tried to be and like Hazel had said before she was taken.

"We don't know if they're abusing their power…they could be and we may be falling for their dumb tricks" let's just say that Hazel does not like the Volturi.

Suddenly I hear Carlisle calling my name "Edward…Edward."

Without thinking I answer "yes judge?"

Rosalie looks at me "Poor Edward" she is thinking and I sigh.

Carlisle knows I am just upset and he says to me, "can you do some research I need to call Eleazer and tell him what has happened. Esme, Rosalie can you maybe search for flights to Volterra?"

"Yes Carlisle" I say.

I tune out everything else and go on to my laptop which I use for work purposes. The background is a picture of Bella and my siblings. And suddenly I wish I could cry. My e-mail messenger keeps going off and I mutter "curse you stupid computer" but then something catches my eye it says and I open it.

I can hear Carlisle's thoughts in the other room "why has Aro made this decision to take away my children?"

I hear Esme's thoughts "Please be alright we're coming" and Rosalie's "hang in there Emmett I'm coming for you."

"Oh shit" I say "Oh shit" I say again I am looking at the e-mail that has just been sent to me I should've known with their evil minds they would have done something. It was from Caius and Jane the worst ones in the Volturi yet, trying to be noble at the same damn time! The e-mail read.

Edward Anthony,

We have received some further notice from a girl named Jane that you have been tampering with our website. Thus, you must choose between death and life. The Volturi's decision is what makes the ending decision. However, we thought that these particular stills would appeal to you hm?

Yours,

The Volturi

I scrolled down and swallowed hard when I saw the first image. It was of my siblings waiting in a dark line and Bella's eyes are looking directly into the camera.

The second image was of a high up no restraint roller coaster that looked tame but it was over something orange…fire? The next image was my siblings sitting in the wooden roller coaster with no restraints and Bella crying behind them. Hazel was sitting with Emmett and Alice with Jasper. The final image was a King – Da – Ka like thing that they were going on and I saw my sister's face she was holding on to the sides and her eyes were wide open with fear.

The reason they were put there…was over the pit of fire…for torture on their way to the castle. Where they would watch the Volturi feed on…wait how did I know this?

"Eddie…Eddie" I heard a voice calling me.

There was only one person in this whole world that would even dream of calling me Eddie…my little sister. Hazel Lucy Masen Cullen.

"Edward, can you hear me? I know you can't answer but I need you to know that the Volturi are murdering humans and are forcing us to watch. Bella is knocked out with chloroform and Jasper and Emmett are in chains on a wall…anti vampire chains I might add. Alice and I are sitting in the Volturi's vampire prison. She says that you probably can only hear my thoughts because we are biologically related. They told us about the e-mail I just summoned you because I saw you…Please come Edward…Please. If you do not get to me in time I just want you to know that I love…"

Her voice trailed off and immediately I knew what happened the Volturi probably used Renata to shield off the castle so I couldn't hear Hazel.

"NO!" I shouted "NO! NO! NO!" I wanted to cry and then die.

Carlisle ran into the room "Edward, are you OK? What's wrong?"

I gulped and showed him the e-mail and images and I don't think it is hard to get what he was thinking.

"Oh my gosh…Oh my gosh" he said and I just stared at the floor. "I never would have imagined them to be this cruel…what did we ever do to them? I mean they are good we try to be good right and why are they going through hell? If anything it should be me because I am their creator and…"

"Stop" I said "if anything it's my fault."

Rosalie walked into the room "now, now boys" she said and I rolled my eyes "it's no one's fault that the stupid low life Volturi lame brains did and it's now in our hands to get them back so why don't we discuss this later and focus on what we need to do right?"

I gritted my teeth and said "now I know how Bella felt when I left but this is beyond agony…I never will put someone through this again" and it's true I never ever will wish this on anyone. I stared down and wished I was dead.

"Edward…" Rosalie's voice was cracking and she was about to cry if she could and I fell to my knees. Rosalie had my head in her arms. I was surprised she was being so nice to me…but then again she was probably just distressed because of Emmett.

I stood up and said "you know what you're right it's up to us to get them back and I'm acting like an idiot…lets go to Volterra."

Rosalie and Carlisle looked at each other and then we all nodded and in ten minutes we came up with a new plan…a brilliant plan a life changing plan. We would go to Volterra…well we'll get to the rest later.

Esme came into the room and announced that she had a red – eye flight to Rome and then we would run to Volterra. Which would take maybe about 13 hours from the Seattle airport to Rome and then it would maybe take 10 minutes for us to run to Volterra from there considering things would go as planned (no sunlight exposure or anything).

The flight was in 2 days so we would have some time to get our strength if needed for a fight. I doubted it would come to a fight…again but I would use my gifts stronger and wiser this time. Last time I was so distracted I didn't have time to think about anything.

But as usual I was being an idiot and thinking about thinking. Now it was just the four of us that remained Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, & I.

I wondered why the Volturi didn't want us and why they had to pick the innocent ones of our coven…well I wouldn't call Emmett and Jasper innocent per say and I wouldn't call Hazel innocent either well maybe she's like a half angel half devil in a little sister playful type of way. Alice and Bella though were completely innocent…well Alice is like a torture fashionable girl. But still why them? Why? Why not make me suffer?

I was a monster a complete selfish fool for bringing Bella into this world because now instead of living a happy normal life with Mike Newton (like that would ever happen) she now has to sit in the Volturi lair waiting for some miracle to happen just like the rest of my siblings.

I went to the store to have a stock of needed supplies not like we vampires needed any of it but it was for Bella and maybe just maybe for the burning of the Volturi (matches). I saw Mike Newton, Jessica Stanley, Lauren, Lee, & Connor. Who all hadn't left for college yet it was a thunderstorm day typical in Forks, Washington I preferred the rain instead of the clouds.

"There's Edward Sullen" Mike Newton was thinking and I growled.

"What a lowlife he's got all the girls in school wanting him and all he ever does is hang out with Bella" Lauren thought.

"Poor guy he looks like he's the most vulnerable thing around" Lee was thinking.

"Where's Bella…crying her brains out because there's no Edward oh is she going to use us again…what a bitch" Jessica was thinking I almost growled how dare she! Thinking about Bella that way!

""Maybe we should invite him to walk with us" Connor thought but I ran away then got home.

Esme informed us that a thunderstorm was causing the flights to be cancelled until Saturday and today was Thursday because the flight was supposed to be tomorrow.

I heard a scream in the other room…Rosalie I sped and got to the room in about 1 nano second and she pointed to the computer screen and it was her e-mail account this time and the e-mail it was from was .

"Oh no" I choked out before staring horrorstruck at the image paused on the screen it was Bella and Felix…not pleasantly getting into it. Hazel was pinned to the floor by Caius and Emmett was violently being tortured by Jane. "Oh no" I choked again.

"Watch this" Rosalie said her voice shaking she pressed replay and at first the video showed Alec, Jane, Aro, & Caius.

"Hello! Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, & Edward! Welcome to the noble causes TV show! Brought to you by…" Aro said.

"Alec" said Alec.

"Jane" said Jane.

"Caius" said Caius.

"And drumroll please…ARO!"

"Otherwise known as the Volturi" Alec sneered.

"Here we have our wonderful peace bringers…" Caius said.

"Bella" Bella cried out and she was crying.

"No!" I shouted and Carlisle and Esme silently came into the room.

"Alice" said Alice staring directly into the camera with a scared look.

"Jasper" Jasper said in a rather calm voice he gritted his teeth however.

"Emmett" Emmett said sticking his middle finger to the camera with his right finger and shoving the camera out of his face with his left hand.

The camera blacks out and we hear a slight ring of agony yelling in the background…it must be Jane torturing Emmett.

"Last but certainly not least we have our favorite friend …" says Jane pointing the camera directly at Hazel who looks away and Jane grabs her face and slams in under the table which she smashes.

Hazel shakes her hair and she says "Hazel."

While Jane is holding her by the neck, Emmett springs at Jane who makes Emmett feel more pain and he lets out another shout of agony and pain. Jasper eases his pain and Jane makes Jasper feel pain so now they are both feeling pain especially Emmett from more.

Alice, Bella, & Hazel are standing there and Caius jumps on my little sister who fights back only to be double teamed by Aro and Caius. But Hazel is just being Hazel and she fights back deliberately and Aro's knee is ripped out. Caius pins Hazel to the ground and knocks a giant statue on top of her but she holds it up and then he flips a bench which crumbles onto her but she is still supporting the statue which she gently places down.

Felix grabs Bella from around the neck. "NO! EDWARD! NO!" she screams.

"Here that Edward?" Caius retorts which putting the camera up to Hazel's face.

"Get that damn thing out of my face before I do it for you!" she shouts kicks the camera and Caius jumps on her again.

"And here is your sister…Hazel" he says motioning back to her.

She stares into the camera with her pained look and says "I'm not putting him through any pain" before turning away.

"Oh g-d" says Esme seeing Caius viciously attack Hazel.

"Tell them to avenge you…" he says.

"NO EDWARD DON'T!" Hazel screams before static fills the camera.

"That was only video 1" Rosalie is saying.

"Show us the second video" Carlisle says softly.

"Welcome back! To the noble causes brought to you by the Volturi" Alec said and he points the camera at Emmett who is on the ground "lifeless" being tortured by Jane and I know how it feels so I can only imagine.

"STOP PLEASE!" Hazel's screams are coming from the background and Jane sneers.

Jane hands the camera to Felix who gladly points it at Bella.

"NO! NO! NO!" she screams.

Felix puts chloroform on a towel and knocks Bella out then he takes her clothes off.

"Oh g-d I can't watch this" I hear myself saying but it's already too late I've seen it before the video statics off again. I shut my eyes and then went off to my room to get ready for the battle. I ran out of the window and wildly hunted killing about 10 animals #1 getting my anger out and #2 powering up.

I return home and Rosalie is sitting on the couch. Esme is comforting her and so is Carlisle. It was Friday afternoon and the thunderstorm had gotten worse. We were just going to pretend to be stupid and just go to the airport early because our flight was leaving tonight at 1:45 a.m. most humans would be sleeping on the plane and Carlisle told us that if we saw a lot of humans sleeping we had to pretend as well.

We would be sitting on a plane with 2 seats so Rosalie and I had to sit together and Carlisle and Esme would sit together. Our plane would land at 11:00pm Italy – time on Saturday night. We were planning to attack on Monday or Tuesday given time for planning.

When we got to the airport it was sunny outside so we wore jackets with hoods and didn't sit near the sun people looked at us but then they stopped because it got dark and we took our hoodies off revealing my blue short sleeve shirt and jeans, Rosalie's pink shirt, & black pants. Esme's green shirt and jeans & Carlisle's white shirt and white pants, the humans all stared at us like we were something else….aliens almost.

"Dang look at the blonde one."

"OMG the redhead is so hot."

"Holy crap they're so pale"

"What are they like aliens?"

"I've never seen anyone so pale before…you'd think that they do it on purpose"

"Oh who cares I'm about 5 times hotter than them."

"Why are they going to Italy dressed like that?!"

"I hope I'm sitting next to them."

There was only one person on our whole flight that wasn't obsessing over us and it was a quiet gothic girl. She was listening to her IPod with a sad expression on her face. Her blood smelled overwhelmingly good. But I wasn't very thirsty at that point I just wanted to see my siblings and Bella!

"Flight 38 to Rome, Italy now boarding." The voice on the intercom said.

We got into the line and when we handed the lady our tickets she said "is there anything I can do for you?"

"No thank you" said Carlisle and he motioned for us to go in front of him.

Rosalie and I took our seats next to each other and I read flipped the TV channels but the airline sucked so there were no good things to watch. Rosalie was reading a fashion magazine with a sad expression on her face. Carlisle and Esme sat across from us we sat in the back. The gothic girl was in front of us.

When the plane took off most of the humans went to sleep. In fact I'm pretty sure the only people not asleep on the plane were Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, & I.

My phone rang and I answered it...it was Aro.

"Hello! Edward! My lovely friend! We're just calling to tell you some updates about our friends…" Aro said.

"EDWARD NO!" Bella screamed into the phone I shut my eyes tight.

"NO!" I screamed in my head.

"Edward! Please come soon we're being tortured everyday" Alice said in a scared voice.

"Edward, please it's too painful that I can't even mend it…please!" Jasper said and the phone was snatched away from him.

"Now I know you have one more friend to talk to isn't that right?" and I heard a scream.

"Don't touch her or else!" I threatened but I could tell they didn't care.

"What you know you're helpless isn't that right Hazel?"

"EDWARD DON'T!" Hazel screamed "STOP PLEASE!" Hazel shouted and I heard more growling.

"Haze…Hazel!" I shouted into the phone Rosalie hissed at me but I put my hand up in the air.

"This is what you get for fighting back you Casper idiot!" Jane snarled before I heard a sheer terror shout…Jasper.

"YOU LEAVE EDWARD OUT OF THIS! IT'S NOT HIS FAULT IT'S MY FAULT BECAUSE I AM SO WEAK AND STUPID!" Hazel shouted.

"NO HAZEL NO!" I shouted but it was too late. Aro had hung up Rosalie cradled me because I had fallen forward.

"Shush it's OK Edward" she tried to sound like she meant it but I knew she didn't I heard her thoughts I just decided to read the minds of everyone on the plane to hear their dreams… because I was bored. Even though I knew it was wrong.

The first one was an old man in front of the plane he dreamed of an angel.

"Helen…you're alive."

To which the angel replied "Yes I am."

"Oh Helen I thought I'd never see you again" the man said.

He was dreaming his wife was back alive and I didn't want to listen to someone suffering so I turned to the mind of a young girl in her 20's.

"Maybe he'll love me…that sexy pale face…hard as skin" more crap and utter boringness.

Most of the people were boring at around 9am the stewardess came around and offered breakfast we all politely refused and she looked at us like we were crazy because we hadn't eaten for a long time. We ate some muffins which tasted like dirt so after breakfast we went to the bathroom to force ourselves to get rid of the food because we vamps cannot digest it so we have to…yeah you get the point.

The plane ride was interesting because I listened to everyone's thoughts which were pretty interesting. One person was thinking about cat, another afraid of a vampire coming to bite her with its Dracula fangs… sometimes it's funny what others thing of the Volturi's myths. It was a little girl however; I realized I recognized her from somewhere. She was in Volterra during the St. Marcus day parade and pointed at me when she saw me just seconds before Bella thrust herself on me and I thought I was in heaven because I had thought she was dead.

She looked at me like she remembered me she was older now…maybe about 6 or 7. Her older sister and sister's husband were sitting next to her because she was sitting in the row with three seats.

"Hey isn't that the sparkle boy? He was sparkling in Volterra during the parade and I tried telling Alessandra but she wouldn't listen. Why did he sparkle? Can he do it again for me? He's kind of handsome actually is that his sister or girlfriend…she sure is lucky I wish he was mine…but he's too old for me."

Yeah way too old. I was old enough to be this girls great – great grandfather. I know I should be flattered that girls like me but I just feel guilty because I'm a monster and they want me. I hoped no other girl would have to suffer the way Bella did because of her selfish vampire boyfriend…Edward Anthony Masen Cullen.

I could've guessed that the girl was going to start thinking fantasies that I would have to tune out so I switched to reading the gothic girl's thoughts…nothing. Just like Bella maybe this girl also had a blockage around her too. It was strange.

I tried watching some TV and Rosalie handed me a book it was about Volterra's musical history and its general geographical history. It was pretty interesting I enjoyed history despite the fact I had studied it for almost a hundred years.

"After all how many times are we going to graduate high school" Jasper had joked at our last graduation from Forks High School.

I doubted we were going to ever move and I liked it that way…I didn't have to separate from Bella and she didn't have to separate from her family. I remember how I hated her at first and I thought I was so appalling because Jessica Stanley was giving her all the dirty laundry on us.

I hated how people judged us the only person that didn't was shy sweet Angela Weber. I didn't know if Bella judged us but I doubt she did because she was very gracious about us vampires as Carlisle had put it. I thought about what I would do and who I would take in the Volturi. I wanted to take Felix, Caius, or Alec for messing with my sisters and Bella.

Rosalie would probably want Jane for torturing Emmett but Carlisle wouldn't want a fight and either would Esme. Around noon the stewardess came around again…this time for lunch.

"We still have a long way to go. Are you sure you're not hungry?"

"Such beautiful people it's like their skin is flawless. The blonde and redhead boys are hot and I can only imagine them being with such beautiful women" the stewardess thought and I smirked the way Hazel would laugh at. Hazel…just thinking about my little sister was too painful.

Hazel, Alice, Bella, Emmett, Jasper. All were very special to me. My siblings were too valuable to my "heart" to lose we were so close and they were so understanding. We were the unstoppable Cullen 6. Bella was my love of my life and I couldn't bear to lose her…this time for real.

The whole reality of the situation really was sinking in. But I felt it more at home than here because they were always there especially Hazel just being herself.

The Volturi were sending me videos and phone calls almost purposely trying to make our pain worse. I knew they were trying to be good and maybe persuade us we would never get them back. Alice said she saw Emmett & Bella being killed because the Volturi were having second thoughts about Jasper's ability. Since it would be useful to them they wanted Alice because she could see the future and enemies coming and they wanted Hazel for her lie detector and she was the most powerful tracker.

At around 4 everyone was asleep again and we all had to pretend to sleep it was pretty funny but I had some flashbacks of when Hazel and I were younger and when we did sleep. I remembered our last night in our house…I know Hazel probably talked a lot about our history.

Papa was in the hospital because he was sick with Spanish Influenza and mama told me to bring Hazel home. So I carried her home and put her to sleep in my bed with me so I could watch her. She couldn't sleep but I held her and rocked her until she fell asleep. She was asleep next to me when I got a very bad headache…like really bad like a hammer was pounding very hard against my head. I fell asleep however but was woken up by coughing realizing it was me. I had blood all over my shirt and Hazel was panting and her eyes were red her face was beat red and she had blood on her shirt as well.

"Edward" she had whimpered.

"It's OK Haze" I assured her.

She shook her head "it's useless lying to me" that was before her vampire days and she already possessed her gift.

The hammer picked up speed and weight. I put my hand on my head

"Don't worry about me…worry about yourself first" she said.

"No…come on let's go" I said and picked her up out of the bed.

"Where are we going?" she asked with a weak voice.

"To the hospital" I said and I ran with her in my arms."Stay with me Haze do you understand" I kept saying.

"Stop worrying about me Eddie…worry about yourself" she just kept saying and I stroked her hair. Carlisle met me at the door it was like he knew I was coming.

"DOCTOR CULLEN!" I had shouted.

"Yes Edward what's wrong?" he asked me.

"My sister Hazel…" I said gesturing to her in my arms. He took her and brought her to Quarantine 17A and I coughed again more blood before collapsing.

"Edward…Edward" Rosalie was calling me and I snapped out of my thoughts she chuckled under her breath and I slugged her.

"Hey ouch" she said rubbing her shoulder "you aren't as strong as Em but you still can hurt me Edward!" she said.

"Shut up" I grumbled.

"Geez!" she said.

Esme said "Edward, Rosalie, please."

"Sorry Esme" I said.

"It's OK Edward why are you sorry?"

"Because everything is my fault this is my entire fault! The reason they were taken and Hazel thinks this is all her fault! Yeah that's right those evil lowlifes called me! They called me! Hazel said 'no leave Edward out of this it isn't his fault it's my fault because I'm so weak and stupid' she thinks it's her fault and she is trying to protect me! When she's in danger herself" I nearly shouted.

"Oh Edward" Esme said putting a comforting hand on my shoulder.

I just wished I could cry and leaned against Rosalie who had my head in her arms.

"Son, it's not your fault I promise you. It's not anyone's fault except the Volturi's" Carlisle said in a voice that was too low for humans to hear.

I sighed maybe Carlisle was right. But I couldn't bring myself to not feel guilty about this. It was my entire fault! My little sister was blaming herself and telling the Volturi that I should be left out of this. She was trying to protect me. I didn't deserve an ounce of it. I wanted to tell her to look out for Bella, Jasper, Emmett, & Alice instead of me.

I was so selfish for having brought Bella into the vampire world. I was a monster but Bella didn't believe it. She thought I could never hurt her and that I was good but I was really a bad guy….a killer…a vampire…a monster. I was half glad no one could read my thoughts except Aro and he would use it to torment me when he would touch me when we got there.

It soon got dark again and most of the humans were asleep. Rosalie and Carlisle pretended to sleep and I read Rosalie's mind. She was missing Emmett and wondering if we would ever get them back. Carlisle was thinking about his poor children that were taken and he wanted them back more than anything. Why? I thought to myself. How could the Volturi do this to us…even if they thought it was for the greater good? How could they even think this was good? Maybe Hazel was right maybe they were abusing their power and we were falling for their "this is a good cause" act. I wasn't sure what to believe I just wanted to get my siblings and Bella back.

The plane was almost going to land and I heard the engine start to descend if the humans thought it was loud to them then they had no idea what it sounded like to us, vampires. The pilot made an announcement that we were now in Rome and we would exit off the back of the plane…the front would go first and we would go last…I watched and waited for our turn to get off the plane and was almost about to die when it was the last row's turn. I stepped off the plane feeling more hope…feeling like there was a tomorrow…feeling like we were…going to get them back.