Do or Die

EPOV

I can't believe this, Bella said after I told her about the note.

We were sitting on my bed while Alice and Esme kept Danni busy with dress up and some cookies Esme made as soon as we got home. They had given her a silent tour of the house, Bella telling her as we went upstairs that we would give her another once we were done talking. Right now, I wasn't sure how long it would take.

"I don't know what to do, Bella," I whispered, looking down at my lap. "I can't just leave you after all of this, but I don't want to put Danni in any more danger either." I ran my hand through my hair in frustration.

"If I leave all of you, then the Volturi will come after and kill me because of what I know. If I stay here and we go on like we never got that note, Logan's going to kill me slowly, and kill Danni. If we stop our relationship, he's going to kill both of us anyway. Just quicker." I gave a sarcastic laugh. "Any way you look at it, I'm going to die." Bella shook her head slowly.

The Volturi…they could just change you. You don't know that they would kill you, she reasoned.

"The only reason I would be changed is because of Carlisle. If a member came after me without those orders, I'd be dead before I could explain," I responded cynically. She sighed and took my hand in both of hers, turning it over and tracing the lines of my palm. I sighed, defeated.

We are not going to let anything happen to Danni, Edward. You know that we will protect her in any way possible, she said, using one hand to sign and the other to continue tracing my palm. I nodded.

"That almost solves one problem," I said.

The other is finding out how we can protect you, she said, pointing at me longer than necessary to stress the word. I shook my head.

"There is no protecting me, Bella-" She shook her head fiercely, cutting me off.

There is one way, but the current circumstances are not ideal for it. I looked at her questioningly, keeping my hopes down just in case. Danni being here would make it a lot harder to do, but I'm sure we could think of something.

"What are you talking about, Bella?" I asked, keeping all emotion out of my voice. She smiled sadly at me.

The change, Edward. The only thing that will make it, at the very least, a little harder for him to hurt you. I don't know exactly how strong he is, so I can't tell you how much effect it will have, but it's the only thing I can think of, she signed. I stared at her, letting her suggestion sink in. My eyes widened with the understanding of a way out, but then my hopes crashed again.

"But you're right. What'll we do about Danni? I couldn't be around her right after I wake up. And what if she were to ask about me? What would we tell her? Where would we go until I could stand being around humans again?" I asked, not giving her enough time to answer. All of a sudden, her hand was over my mouth and the other was on the side of my face.

"Shh…" she said, the closest thing to talking she came to since I met her. I nodded and she looked at me questioningly, like she didn't believe me. I nodded again and she let go slowly, pulling her hand back little by little in case I started talking again.

Moments like that make me wish you couldn't talk, she said with her freed hand. I chuckled and looked down at my lap, shaking my head. She put her hand under my chin and raised my head so that I was looking at her.

We can talk about all of that with Carlisle and the others. We'll think of something. Besides, she started, her face breaking into a smile, we shouldn't be thinking of this right now. Something else is happening soon and now we have someone else to buy for. I sighed loudly and let my head fall into my hands.

"We're on Christmas break now, aren't we?" I asked, not able to believe I had forgotten. Bella started laughing, her silent fight shaking the bed slightly. "I'll take that as a yes."

She kept laughing as the bedroom door sprang open, a little body running across the room and jumping up on the bed with us. Danni hopped right into my lap and wrapped her arms around my chest, smiling excitedly. Bella smiled at me, a confused look in her eyes, and I just shrugged. I looked towards the doorway just as Alice and Esme appeared with apologetic looks on their faces. I shrugged and shook my head, letting them know it was okay. Danni leaned back enough to get her arms between us and smiled brightly.

"What's got you so happy?" I signed and asked. Danni clapped her hands happily as Alice and Esme walked over.

It's almost Christmas! Danni signed, making it almost impossible to tell what she was saying by rapidly bouncing on my lap. They said it's almost Christmas and I'm gonna get lots of presents and everybody's gonna be happy! Bella and I laughed and I gave her a quick squeeze.

"Yup. You're going to get lots and lots. Do you know anything you want right now?" I asked her. She shook her head slowly, like she was supposed to know.

"That's okay," I assured her. "When you think of something, right it down. Did mom ever have you make a Christmas list?" I said, without even thinking about how she would react. I saw sadness flash through her eyes for just a moment, but that was it. She shook her head and gave me a small smile.

No, we never really had any money, so mommy always got me clothes and shoes that I needed before any toys. She always said she was sorry she couldn't get me nice things, but I didn't mind. I thought her presents were always really nice, so I never asked for anything more.

"Well, you don't have to worry about that anymore. Is there something you've always wanted that you've never been able to have?" She shook her head again.

That's alright. If you think of something, let us know. Okay? Bella signed to her, moving so that she was sitting next to me. Danni nodded and hugged the two of us. I petted her hair and looked at Alice and Esme, who were standing at the end of the bed.

"How did this come up?" I asked them, confused. Both of them smiled.

"She really liked the clothes we had her try on," Alice said. "All of them were huge on her, but she was wearing my shirts as dresses. We told her she would get nice things for Christmas and then she came running in here." I smiled and shook my head.

"So what now?" I said, having absolutely no idea myself. Esme shrugged.

"Carlisle called and said he should be able to leave very soon. They guys are going come home with him since his car is the only one still there. The only thing I can think of is to talk about what we know and what we can do about it. Alice said you thought of one thing, but we'll need to discuss it with Carlisle." I nodded in agreement. Right on time, the soft hum of a car motor got louder and louder as it neared the house. All of us smiled at each other, trying not to laugh at the coincidence. Danni patted my chest to get my attention and I looked down at her.

Who's that? She asked, pointing towards the sound after she finished.

"That's Carlisle, the doctor from the hospital," I answered.

Why is he coming here? I smiled at her confused face.

"He lives here, Danni. Remember when I left the hospital?" She nodded. "Well, I came here and have been living with Carlisle, Esme, and the others. Bella came a little while after, and now she's living here, too." Danni threw up her hands happily.

And now me too! She signed, remembering she needed the hands she just threw up to say why. Bella and I laughed.

"Yes, and now you, too," I said, liking how it sounded. The front door opened and closed, letting us know that Carlisle, Jasper, and Emmett were inside. We went downstairs, Danni getting a piggy back from me, and met them in the kitchen.

Carlisle looked as exhausted as anyone who can't really get tired could, but Jasper and Emmett looked okay. I saw something in Jasper's face, something that worried me, and saw that Alice had seen it too. She walked over to Jasper's side and wrapped an arm around his waist, giving me a warning look. I kept a few feet back from him, making sure I was always between them. Jasper gave me an apologetic look and walked quickly towards the door, Alice following close behind. Danni squeezed my neck slightly, letting me know she was confused.

"Don't worry about it," I signed to her. She didn't squeeze again, so I guessed that she let it go.

Carlisle seemed to have something of his own to talk about with us, inclining his head towards the living room. All of us followed him in there, allowing Jasper time to get himself together so that he could control himself around Danni, and took seats on the couch. Esme took a small stuffed animal from a chest along the wall and gave it to Danni to keep her occupied. She held the small kitten out to me, smiling and laughing in her excitement.

"Tell her there's more in there if she wants to play with them," Esme said as she took her place next to Carlisle. "I figured it would keep her busy so that she doesn't ask questions." I nodded and told her, a small smile appearing on my face as she jumped off my lap and ran to the chest.

She opened it carefully, like it was some kind of secret that she was being let in on. As soon as she saw the contents, though, all caution was thrown to the wind. She emptied the contents of the chest onto the floor in less than a minute, giggling and making excited sounds as she started playing with them. Bella wrapped her arms around me and rested her chin on my shoulder as we watched her, baby gibberish flowing from her mouth.

It astounded me that she could already almost form complete words, even if her level was only that of a baby. She didn't even seem to notice, since she continued to play, making the stuffed animals interact with each other. The entire time we watched her, I noticed that she never let the little kitten Esme gave her out of her sight. It was always in her hand, next to her, touching her leg, or in her lap. Carlisle brought my attention from her and back to the reason we were really sitting here by clearing his throat.

"So we have some matters to discuss. Who wants to go first?" he asked. No one said anything.

"I guess I will, then. Danni's mother is going to be cremated, since her body was so damaged in the crash. There will not be any funeral, but she will be buried in the Forks church cemetery after the police close the case. Her autopsy was finished this morning, so it could be any time." All of us nodded and I felt a warm sense of gratification that Carlisle had taken care of it so that Danni wouldn't have to hear about it again.

"So, I guess the only thing left is what Edward and Bella have been discussing. What we should do about the message," Esme said. Carlisle's face turned grim, as if he knew what we had decided on, but he didn't say anything.

"Both of us have decided," I started, gesturing to myself and Bella, "that neither of us is leaving. That cuts out the two obvious options to make sure the least amount of people get hurt, but it doesn't leave us with much else. I paused and cleared my throat, not looking at any of the faces I could feel staring at me.

"The only other thing we were able to think of," I continued, not wanting them to blame Bella for the idea, "Is something we have already discussed and know has to happen anyway. If I leave, he takes Bella and kills me. If Bella leaves, he'll go after her and kill me. If neither of us leaves, he'll kill me and Danni and take Bella. That's not to mention what he'll do to Bella once he has her." Everyone nodded, confirming our guesses about the possible outcomes. Rose spoke up then, before I could continue.

"But why does he want Danni dead? I can see why he killed her mom, since that was his way of getting to you without going directly after any of us, but why still go after her? She hasn't done anything to him," she asked, sounding like she was trying to keep herself as calm as possible so Danni wouldn't get distracted from her playing.

"She is what will make Edward and Bella's bond stronger," Esme answered. "He is using Danni as a reason for these two to leave. Neither one wants to see her hurt, so he thinks they will leave each other to save her. What he apparently did not expect was how far they are willing to go to protect her, even at the cost of their own lives." I looked at Bella and she looked back at me, both of us realizing just how true Esme's words were.

"They are willing to put their relationship in jeopardy to change Edward so that the two of them can keep her safe, even if it means he won't be the same as he is now," she finished. I looked at her, confused.

"What do you mean, I might not be the same as I am now?" I asked. She smiled sadly at me.

"You know the change affects people differently. There's always a chance your personality might change because of it. At the very least, it will only be at the beginning until you are used to your new life." I nodded, acknowledging that I understood. They had told me many times about the possible effects the change could have.

"So that's the only other option we've been able to come up with. Logan is going to kill me, no matter how this goes down. If you don't change me and I somehow survive this, the Volturi will kill me or change me themselves." I gave a short laugh. "No matter what, I'm either going to end up dead or undead, so is there really much debate as to what we should do? I mean, you already know I want to change."

"Don't talk like that, Edward," Esme said, her gaze moving from me to Bella. I looked at her, her face still resting on my shoulder, to see a sadness there that I wish I hadn't.

There was a dullness in her eyes, like she was imagining something that was killing her inside. Unshed tears flooded her eyes, making tiny reflections of the sunlight streaming through the windows. Her breathing was shallow and rapid, like she was having a nightmare. I moved my arms so that they were around her and I was holding her to my chest like I was trying to keep her together myself. I pulled her onto my lap and held her tightly, whispering apologies in her ear, her hair, her shoulder, anywhere to try to get her to forgive me.

"I'm sorry, Bella. So sorry. I didn't mean to upset you, Bella. Please forgive me," I repeated, over and over again. There were soft footsteps and then Danni's face appeared in front of us. I kept going, though, even as Danni stood there and listened. I kept going, even when she let me in to see what she was seeing.

A faceless man torturing me until I died in front of her, the image only changing to start over with different events. The only thing that always stayed the same was Bella's face as she watched the life pass from my eyes, her own soul seeming to die with me.

"Sss…Sssoo…Sssooo…" I heard, seemingly from a distance. The images slowly faded away, even as I held Bella tighter in my arms. I wasn't whispering to her anymore, but I couldn't remember stopping. I tried to think if it was me I was hearing, but I wasn't talking at all.

"Sssooo…Sooow…Sowww…" the small voice continued.

"Sorry," I heard myself say softly. Small hands landed on my knees as my vision finally cleared.

"Sowwy," Danni said, looking at me and then at Bella. She climbed up onto the couch so that Bella was facing her from her seat on my lap and said it again.

"Sowwy. Sowwy, Be…," she broke off, not knowing how to say Bella's name.

"Bella," I whispered, turning to face her. She looked at me and nodded once, slowly.

"Sowwy, Bewa," she said. Bella didn't react, so she said it again. I could see her getting frustrated as Bella sat there, like she didn't even hear her.

She suddenly slid off the couch and ran over to the pile of stuffed animals she had gotten out. She dug through them rapidly as I started feeling Bella adjust herself in my lap. She lifted her head slowly, like it was taking everything she had just to do that small task and turned her head towards Danni. Danni, meanwhile, seemed to find what she was looking for and came running back over, clutching one of the animals tightly to her chest. She jumped up back up on the couch and Bella slowly turned her head back towards Danni again.

"Sowwy, Bewa," she repeated, extending her arms out towards Bella with the small animal in her hands. Bella's head moved until she was looking at the animal.

It was a small white bear, its glittery wings slightly extended to each side. A small gold halo was sewn to the top of its head and a sewn design of clouds was on its chest. It had a small black nose and black eyes, but every other part was pure white.

"Sowwy," she said again. A small smile started appearing on Bella's face as she reached for the bear. She cupped her hands in front of her and Danni set it down so that it was sitting in Bella's hands. Tears formed in her eyes as she stared at it, making me wonder if she could actually see the little angel she was holding.

Thank you, Danni, Bella signed to her, her hand shaking. Danni sat down on the couch looking proud of herself, which made all of us laugh. Bella shook as she laughed, trying to keep herself together. She spread her arms to Danni and hugged her tightly to her chest, still laughing as she did so.

"Can you see it, Bella?" I asked quietly. She nodded slightly.

It's an angel, isn't it? She signed, keeping one arm around Bella.

"Yeah," I said. "It's a little angel."

I looked between Danni and the bear, thinking that an angel is what we needed to get through what was about to happen. Alice and Jasper came into the room at that moment, Alice holding a piece of paper with a look on her face that told me I was more right than I wanted to be. She looked down at it and then back at us, slowly turning it so we could see the bolded message on the other side.

YOU CHOSE WRONG.

A/N: So, almost didn't make putting this one up, but here it is. For those of you who haven't yet graduated from high school, take this advice: do not save everything for last minute. Also, the end of the year can get extremely busy and confusing, but don't sweat it.

These are the reasons why I'm having trouble updating, but this is my last full week of school and all of my testing will be done by Monday, so lots of free time will be at my disposal after that. Hopefully.

Anyway, the song for this chapter is Do or Die by Forever the Sickest Kids. Once again, only the title fits, so don't kill me for it.

Please review! I really love reading what you have to say and any ideas you have for the story are welcome. It's really starting to wind down, but I might be able to fit something in. :)