Disclaimer - I don't own Twilight or any of Stephanie Meyer's Characters. I wish I did but doesn't everybody.Bella POV

The Volturi moved closer, breathing in my scent. With each deep, unnecessary breath the hungry look in their eyes intensified.

I looked at Alice and then at Edward, shocked that neither of them were trying to stop the five dark cloaked figures, who were now within touching distance. Had this been their plan all along? Draw me in, make me believe the most perfect being in the world was in love with me, then take me to Volterra and feed me to the Volturi. How could they do that to me? I had kept their secret, even when they claimed to no longer want me, so why would they betray me? I looked deep into Edward's eyes, today a swirling pool of topaz, trying to read his expression while making it obvious I felt hurt. He met my gaze and winked as another cloaked figure stepped around him, touching his hand as he did so.

The newcomer's cloak was pure black, and going by what Edward and Alice had told me, this meant he was in a position of power. His hood was down and his almost flawless face seemed familiar. His skin looked translucent, fragile even, like the slightest movement could break him. I wanted to reach out and touch him to see if his skin felt chalky or smooth. Unlike the other Volturi, the newcomer had bright red eyes. It was more disturbing looking into his ruby coloured eyes than it was being surrounded by thirsty vampires.

'Felix,' the black cloaked figure said in barely more than a whisper. 'You weren't thinking about disobeying a direct order were you?'

'A...A...Aro!' the vampire nearest me stuttered as a look of pure fear crossed his face. He spun round and saw who had spoken. 'No, of course not Aro. We were just having a little fun.'

Edward growled as Felix spoke. I hated it when he did that. It scared me. How could such an ugly sound come from someone so utterly perfect? The Volturi turned to glare at him before disappearing into the castle.

Soon there was only Aro, Alice, Edward and I left outside. I ran over to Edward and wrapped my arms around him. He hugged me back, pulling me closer. I took a deep breath, inhaling his sweet, intoxicating scent. My heart skipped a beat as he gently pressed his lips against mine. Right then I was willing to forgive him for leaving me, for causing me pain. He had only done what he thought would protect me. I felt myself redden as I remembered that I had thought him capable of planning my death. My Edward could never do anything like that to me. I ran my hands up his back, twisting my fingers in his hair, trying to pull his face closer to mine. A cough behind us reminded me that we were not alone. Edward must have heard it too because he suddenly increased the intensity of our kiss. I recognised the urgency beneath the kiss but I was finding it hard to think about anything other than Edward. Then it clicked. I gasped and pulled away. Edward only kissed me like that when he thought we wouldn't see each other again.

'Edward,' I whispered, staring into the pools of molten topaz that were his eyes. 'Please don't leave me. You can't go. I need you.'

'I don't think I have a choice, love.' He replied pulling me closer. 'I broke the main rule we vampires must live by. I showed humans that I was different, and now I must accept my punishment.'

'I'm afraid he's right.' Aro said quietly. 'I cannot allow him to get away with breaking such an important rule...'

Aro obviously had more to say but Alice interrupted him. 'Please Aro, kill me instead. Bella needs Edward. Can you not see that? She cannot survive without him.'

'She is lucky we have decided to let her live. You know that any other human would be dead by now, or if their lucky they would be one of us. The only reason she is still alive is so Edward won't fight us, he knows it's the only way to keep her safe.' Aro replied coldly. 'And I will not end your existence you could still come in useful.'

'But this is entirely my fault! If I hadn't told Rosalie about my vision we wouldn't be here.'

'Alice, don't blame yourself. I should never have jumped off the cliff, if anyone has too lose their life it should be me. I only jumped off the cliff too...' I felt myself turn scarlet as I realised I had nearly let them know the real reason for my reckless behaviour. Once again I was glad that Edward could not read my mind.

'Bella it's not your fault either.' Edward sighed. 'I should have stayed away from you.'

'Don't ever say that Edward. I love you. I fell for you the second I laid eyes on you. I will always love you. Nothing you could have done or can do will ever change that.'

'No, Bella, if I had ignored you, you would have gotten over me. You would be with Jacob or Mike.'

I was about to argue but Alice spoke before I had chance. 'He's right Bella. I saw it. If Edward had ignored his feelings and acted like you were just any other human we wouldn't be here.'

'I'm sorry I put you through all this, love.' Edward looked into my eyes as he spoke, it was hard to concentrate on what he was saying and it took me a while to realise he had just apologised.

'Edward, don't say sorry. The summer we were together was the best of my life. You've got nothing to apologise for except leaving me.' A hurt look crossed my angels face but was quickly replaced by one of fury. 'I'm sorry Edward I didn't mean to bring it up...'

'Nothing to apologise for! What about putting you in danger every time I came near you? What about being almost too late to save you from James? I'm not good for you Bella. You deserve better, someone who doesn't want to drink your blood. I love you, but there is no way I can get out of this to be with you. Please leave, I don't want you to see what they are about to do to me.'

'Edward Anthony Masen Cullen! You can't expect me to just leave. I can't live without you.' I could feel the gaping hole in my chest, fully healed just seconds ago, tear open. He wanted me to leave; he must have forgotten what I had said. I needed him.

I pulled myself out of his embrace and wrapped my arms around my chest trying to hold myself together. I turned my face away so they wouldn't see the tears that trickled down my cheeks.

'So you don't want me?' The words burned my throat as I spoke them.

I felt Edward's cool arms around my waist as he pulled me back towards him. 'It's not that I don't want you, because I do. I want you more than anything else. I just don't want you here when they end my existence. I want you to remember me as I am now not as a pile of ashes.'

I shuddered as I remembered what had been done to James. I didn't want to see Edward suffer the same fate but I did want to spend all the time I could with Edward, even if that meant staying with him until the very end.

'Edward I'm not leaving.'

'Please Bella. You really don't want to see it. We need to go back to Forks. Charlie is going to report you missing if you're not back by tomorrow. If we stay they might not let us leave. I need to get back to Jasper and your family and friends will be devastated if they lose you.' Although I didn't want to admit it Alice was right. I needed to go home.

My family needed me. Charlie, Renee, Phil and the Cullen's all cared about me and if I stayed I would be hurting them all. Well maybe not Rosalie but she had never liked me. The Cullen's needed to know how sorry I was. Thanks to me Edward would die. I couldn't let any of them fell responsible. This was all my fault. Edward was the only good thing that had happened to me and I had got him killed.

'Edward, I will always love you. No one will ever replace you. You are my everything. I know that's a bit of a cliché but it's true. When I'm not with you I die inside. I'm an empty shell. Ask Alice if you don't believe me, she and Charlie were talking about what happened to me after you left when they thought I was asleep.' I saw him wince as I spoke and knew Alice was remembering her conversation with my dad...

***

'How bad was it, Charlie?' Alice asked softly, and at first I thought they were talking about the Clearwaters.

Charlie sighed. 'Real bad.'

'Tell me about it. I want to know exactly what happened when we left.'

There was a pause while a cupboard door was closed and a dial on the stove was clicked off. I waited cringing.

'I've never felt so helpless,' Charlie began slowly. 'I didn't know what to do. That first week – I thought I was going to have to hospitalize her. She wouldn't eat or drink, she wouldn't move. Dr. Gerandy was throwing around words like 'catatonic', but I didn't let him up to see her. I was afraid it would scare her'

'She snapped out of it though?'

'I had Renee come to take her to Florida. I just didn't want to be the one... if she had to go to a hospital or something. I hoped being with her mother would help. But when we started packing her clothes, she woke up with a vengeance. I've never seen Bella throw a fit like that. She was never one for the tantrums, but, boy, did she fly into a fury. She threw her clothes everywhere and screamed that we couldn't make her leave – and then she finally started crying. I thought that would be the turning point. I didn't argue when she insisted on staying here... and she did seem to get better at first...'

Charlie trailed off. It was hard listening to this, knowing how much pain I'd caused him.

'But?' Alice prompted.

'She went back to school and work, she ate slept and did her homework. She answered when someone asked her a direct question. But she was... empty. Her eyes were blank. There were lots of little things – she wouldn't listen to music anymore; I found a bunch of CD's broken in the trash. She didn't read; she wouldn't be in the same room when the TV was on; not that she watched it so much before. I finally figured it out – she was avoiding everything that might remind her of... him.

'We could hardly talk; I was so worried about saying something that would upset her – the littlest things would make her flinch – and she never volunteered anything. She would just answer if I asked her something.

'She was alone all the time. She didn't call her friends back, and after a while, they stopped calling

'It was night of the living dead around here. I still here her screaming in her sleep...'

***

'I... I'm so sorry Bella, I didn't know. I would never have left if I knew this is what would happen.' Edward said in barely more than a whisper.

'Don't apologise. I should have handled it better. You were only doing what you thought was best for me. I understand that now.' I tried to comfort him but he just stared at me in disbelief. 'Edward don't blame yourself.'

'I have to Bella. It was my fault. I'm so sorry. Before Aro decides we've had enough time together can I ask you something?'

'Yes. Of course. What is it?'

'Why did you jump off the cliff?'

'Jake and I were having a bit of fun.' I started but I could tell he saw straight through my lies. 'Okay then. Are you sure you want to know? I don't think you'll like the answer.'

'Yes, I'm sure.'

'You might regret saying that.'

'I'm sure I won't. Just answer my question please.'

'I jumped off the cliff so I could hear your voice.'

'What!?!'