A/N: Here is the next piece : ) Hope you enjoy : )

Reviews make me smile and I need all the smiles I can get right now (bad week).

Again- not mine.

Chapter 8- Italy

When I reached the airport in Fairbanks, I found whatever flight I could to a major city. I knew I was not able to catch a flight to Italy out of Fairbanks, but I could get a connecting flight from another city. I was in luck. After talking to someone at the ticket counter, I found a flight to New York City that was leaving in less than an hour. It was perfect. There was very little chance that the Denali would reach me in time. It was a very sunny day out, a rare thing in Alaska; their need to remain inconspicuous in the city would limit them.

While I waited, I decided to experiment with the blood. I knew that it was poor timing but I was exhausted, hungry and I needed something in my stomach. This had as good a chance as any of working, so I walked up to one of the cute little gift shops and looked around until I found a covered mug with an opaque straw. I found one of the bathrooms, and once I was sure that no one else was in there, I opened my bag and emptied one of the packages of blood into the cup with one hand while I plugged my nose with the other. The last thing I needed was to get sick. Once I had the liquid in the cup, I put the lid on without looking at the contents, and threw the empty bag away, wrapped inside a few paper towels. Hesitantly, I took a sniff and the strangest thing happened. Instead of being nauseated, I was suddenly famished. I wrapped my lips around the straw and took a small draw into my mouth. Instead of being disgusted, the blood tasted wonderful! I quickly finished the rest off and then eagerly filled the cup up using a couple more bags. Given my normal aversion to blood, it was strange that it was the only thing I could have now without getting sick. I remembered the day in biology when I passed out at the sight of a little drop of blood. Now I was drinking it as if it was ambrosia. Once I got everything set, I walked back out to wait for my flight.

I still had a good half hour until my flight and I was feeling awake and energized. I started tapping my foot on the floor and I gasped. The baby was moving more than it had before. The last couple of kicks before it settled down were enough to make me gasp in pain. I began to wonder if this child was going to be as strong as its father was and cringed. Trying to distract myself, I reached into my bag carefully, trying not to let anyone see the bags of blood that it contained, and grabbed out a few of my books. I figured I should read up about normal pregnancy at this point. I knew that mine was far from normal, however I wanted to be as well informed as possible for the health and well being of this amazing gift I had been given. As I searched my bag, my frustration grew. After a few minutes, I conceded, realizing that my book was missing. I had left it in Denali. They would know that I was pregnant, and Edward would have to find out from them. How stupid of me! I couldn't believe I left the answer right there with them. I considered going back, but I knew there was no guarantee that even with this new information they would find my vampires for me. At this thought, a voice came over the speakers and announced the boarding of my flight. With a determined expression, I collected my things carefully and boarded my flight for New York City.

I sat down in my seat to relax and the next thing I knew I was being shaken gently. I blinked my eyes and realized that the plane was almost empty.

A kind, motherly flight attendant looked fondly down at me and said, "Welcome to New York City. Have a nice day miss."

I thanked her, stumbled awkwardly out of my seat and collected my bag. Then I carefully walked off the plane and headed for the ticket counter and thought, Italy here I come.

After procuring a ticket for the first flight to Italy that I could get, I sank into a chair to wait for my flight. I couldn't help but think about the hard time I had at the customs station. Charlie had used his influence to track me down again. I regretted having to use my real ID to get on an international flight, however, I really didn't have much of a choice. I also reasoned with myself that Charlie would never think to look for me so far from home – but I was wrong. Charlie was truly worried about me and had done everything in his power to track me down. I shuddered at the thought of the vile things I had to say to my father to get him to lift the alert from my name and allow me to get on the plane. If he had known the real reason, I never would have been able to leave. As it was, I had to use every ounce of my being to lie so thoroughly to Charlie. I was eighteen and legally, as long as I was acting of my own free will, Charlie could do nothing. He begged me to come home, but I refused to return or to tell him where I was going. The airline officials could not tell him my destination without cause. I felt horrible because I loved him, but I knew that the survival of this baby was more important than upsetting my father.

Distracting me from my thoughts, I felt another nudge from my stomach. The baby was responding to my stress levels and I gently caressed my swelling abdomen. Then, my stomach began to grumble hungrily and I sighed. I hoped the blood I had in my bag was still good. I was going to have to find another supply when I got to Italy so that the baby could get what he or she needed. I went swiftly to the bathroom, rinsed out the cup that I had bought in Fairbanks, and then quickly emptied the last two bags of blood into the waiting cup. This time, without hesitation, as I walked from the bathroom I began to suck the thick liquid hungrily through the straw. As I waited for the flight, I went to one of the small bookstores in the waiting area and picked up another copy of the book I had left in Alaska. Once I sat down in the chair, I began to read it since I had hours before my next flight. I use the book to track my symptoms, my size and the baby's movement, and realized that, according to this book, I was roughly three months along already. If my growth rate continued on this course in about a month, I was going to give birth. I slammed the book shut and tried to control my breathing. I knew that I was moving through this pregnancy quicker than I should, but I was not prepared for things to go this fast! I knew that I needed to get to Volterra without delay.

Just as I collected my bags in preparation to load my flight, I felt a cold hand grasp my shoulder and turn me around. Suddenly I was face to face with Kate who was holding up the book I had left in Denali at eye level. I gasped and moved backwards slightly.

Kate stared at me for a long hard moment and then pushed out, "Bella, are you pregnant?"

I looked at Kate, not sure how to respond. Kate scowled at me as I tried to come up with an acceptable answer. After trying to come up with an excuse, I knew there was nothing I could do but tell the truth, at least some of it. I knew that Kate and her family could not give me the help I would need for my child, and the look on Kate's face told me that at this point there was no chance that she would contact the Cullens for me, even if she somehow believed that Edward was the father. I decided in that split second that my only out would be to say that I had slept with someone else right after Edward had left. As much as it killed me to betray Edward this way, it was the only explanation that would allow me to go where I could keep my baby safe. It would hurt Edward if he ever found out what I had told Kate, but this was far more important than his feelings. This course would make it completely impossible for Edward to be in my baby's life. I mourned this thought but could not come up with an alternative that would allow me to get on my plane.

I used every ounce of courage that I had, whipped around to face Kate and spat out, "Yes, Kate, I am pregnant. I just found out. I was so upset at Edward for leaving that I slept with my best friend and now I am moving to get away from all of it. Please just leave me alone. I need to get out of here. I went running to Denali so that I could speak to the Cullens but I realize that it was a mistake. I was panicking and it was inexcusable. I feel horrible about what I have done, however I cannot change it now. I am moving away. I never want to have to face Edward with what I have done. Please, just let me go, Kate."

Kate's face was in shock. After a moment, a scowl spread across it and she spat out, "How could you? Do you have any idea-" She automatically let go of my shoulder and froze in place. Then an unreadable mask spread over her face and in a cold voice she said, "We called the Cullens after you left and asked for Edward. They told us he was in South America chasing after some girl. Obviously, you didn't mean much to him. He seems to have already moved on. Not that you cared for him either. Good luck being a single mom, Bella." Kate then whipped around and moved quickly through the airport disappearing in the crowd. I numbly moved as fast as I could towards the now open gate and boarded my flight to Italy. I prayed as I ran that Kate did not realize where my flight was headed. One conversation with Eleazar would connect the dots for her, causing further complications for me.

The moment that I sank down into my seat, I began to sob. I had ruined any chance I ever had of allowing Edward to be part of my life again. Not that he had really cared to begin with. I knew that he didn't want me, but to hear that he was already with someone new broke my heart even further. All I could think about was the fact that he didn't love me, and that his son or daughter would never know who he was; he would never get the chance to be part of the baby's life. I had grown up with very little involvement in my father's life and I knew what my son or daughter would be losing. Silently, someone sat down in the seat next to me, but graciously ignored me and I cried myself to sleep.

The next thing I knew, a kind older gentleman was speaking to me with a heavy Italian accent, saying, "Miss, we are in Italy. The plane is landing now. I thought you would want to wake up before we landed."

I smiled slightly at the older man, groggily thanked him and finished waking up. Once the plane touched the ground, I grabbed my backpack and walked off the plane into the terminal. I quickly moved through the airport and went outside to grab a taxi. After a moment, I caught one cabby's attention and he addressed me in broken English.

I let him know my location and he said, "Miss that will be quite an expensive fare, about sixty dollars in US."

I nodded at the man and wordlessly handed him eighty dollars. He smiled, loaded my things into the cab and sped away from the airport towards the ancient city of Volterra.

When I arrived in the city, I was awestruck by its ancient beauty. The town was old and walled like a fortress. Around the ancient part of the city, it had expanded to include modern buildings, however, the center of the city still looked like it must have when the city was built. At the center of the ancient portion stood a large castle that towered over the town in obvious splendor. I stared at the castle for a moment and then asked the driver who owned it.

He chuckled and said, "Well that castle is owned by one of the ancient families who have lived there since before anyone can remember. They are the direct descendants of the vampire killers that made our city safe from the cold killers that once lived here. Legend says that these killers were actually vampires."

For a moment, I was confused. I knew that this place was home to a large and powerful coven of traditional vampires, however why would this man think that there were no vampires here? Then as the cabby went on, I got my answer. The people that they thought had rescued them from the vampires were the vampires themselves. He mentioned the cities saviors by name and I recognized the names from Carlisle having named them in the painting. They were the same three men: Aro, Caius and Marcus, the leaders of the Volturi. I quickly stifled the laugh that was attempting to escape and requested that he take me to the hotel closest to the ancient castle. The driver smiled back at me, and did as I asked.

I checked into my hotel and then decided to go explore the city after I ate. I went down to the hotel restaurant, ordered the largest steak they had, extra rare, and dug in. The steak left me unsatisfied but fought off my food – well, blood cravings for a while. I decided to go explore the city to see if I could come up with ideas to get in to see the Volturi. If my pregnancy continued on its current course, I knew I would have to find them as soon as I could. The baby was very strong and was already leaving bruises from its movement. I had found the first bruise when I settled into my new hotel room. I knew, instinctually, that it was only going to get worse as the baby continued to grow stronger.

I slowly wandered around the town, taking in the beauty of the architecture and the interesting blend of the ancient buildings with the modern way of life. I headed towards one of the banks that I came across and went in to exchange the last of my US currency for Euros. When I was finally able to complete my transaction, I turned to walk from the bank. As I moved towards the door, a pair of small petite figures looked up at me from underneath their dark cloaks moving to go around me. I gasped when I saw their eyes. They were blood red. They stopped dead in their tracks and stared at me for a long moment.

I fearlessly walked towards them and said in a voice only a vampire could hear, "I know what you are. I need to see Aro, Caius and Marcus. Please!"

They froze in complete stillness like statues. After a long moment, the male member of the set took a couple of very slow steps towards me and took in a deep breath. His mouth dropped open and his mouth moved rapidly. I knew he must have been addressing the girl with him. Swiftly, the young woman took a hold of one of my wrists, as the boy walked towards the counter to take complete their goal here.

While he was working with a terrified teller, the small girl turned towards my ear and lightly, but harshly, said, "I don't know what you are thinking, but I am warning you. Do not try anything stupid. We will take you to them, since it is clear that you have been around others of our kind, but do not count on living through the experience."

As she finished, a vicious smile spread across her face causing her to look at me in a strange manner. I realized that she was looking at me as if I was her next meal. I involuntarily shivered in her grasp and she let out a low chuckle as her counterpart came back to join us. The two flanked either side of me as we quietly walked through the streets. They were both dressed alike in very long cloaks that were just a little too light to be called black. The cloaks completely enveloped them as they walked with their heads down into the light of the setting sun. I stopped breathing for a moment until I realized that their cloaks were designed to block the sun from their skin and keep them from glittering in the sunlight. As we entered the light, the girl dropped my hand for a moment, only grabbing it again after putting on a long black glove. We walked through the streets, until we found a darkened alley that lead to a dead end.

I looked at the boy with a puzzled expression and he said, "You'll see," and motioned me forward.

Once we reached the end of the alleyway, she let me go and crouched down to move a large grate out of the way. With a wink at me, the boy calmly jumped into the dark hole.

After a brief pause, I heard a light thump and then a voice from the black opening saying, "I'll catch her. Jane, drop her down to me."

Jane looked at me with a sweet but menacing smile and lowered me into the hole by my wrists.

She said, "Ready, Alec?"

Then, without waiting for a response, Jane dropped me into the darkness. The distance seemed extremely far and I stopped breathing as I fell into the subterranean space. After a moment, I felt hard, cold arms catch me in the darkness. I attempted to move out of Alec's grasp, but he held me snugly against him.

After a moment he said, "Stop moving. I am going to carry you. It will be a lot faster to travel this way."

I nodded at him, knowing he could see in the darkness, even though I couldn't see him, and tried futilely to squint in the dark. After another couple of moments, I heard the grate close and then another thump as Jane joined us in the tunnel. I unconsciously moved closer into Alec's arms, as I heard Jane land.

Alec laughed softly and whispered, "Yes, my sister is quite a frightening creature, isn't she?"

I attempted to respond, but couldn't find the words in this uncomfortable darkness. After a moment, Alec lightly laughed again and we were moving swiftly through the darkness.

After a little while, I could start to see some light up ahead and in a second or two, we were going through a heavy door into a lobby that looked like a traditional office reception area. It was so strange to see this modern office space inside the ancient underground tunnels that we had just moved through. I looked with my mouth hanging open.

Alec laughed slightly again and said, "Well one thing is for sure, human - you are good for a laugh."

I looked at him with a slight smile on my face and said, "Bella, the name is Bella."

Alec looked at me for a moment, shocked that I was able to come up with such a normal response and then said, "Alright, Bella, you ready to go meet the Volturi?"

Just then, my baby kicked me harder than ever before. Alec gasped as he registered what he had felt and looked at me again with complete shock.

Before he could collect himself to speak, I shakily said, "Yes, Alec, I have a lot to discuss with them. As I am sure you are now more than aware of."

Alec looked down at me and nodded once with a serious and worried expression on his face. He motioned wordlessly for Jane to follow. Jane looked at me in frustration, obviously wanting to understand what was going on as we moved towards a large door.

Alec took a breath and slowly opened the massive door and walked through it, still holding me in his arms. Suddenly, I felt a crowd of eyes on me expectantly. I took a deep breath and looked around the group to find the three people that I knew I needed to address. However, before I was able to get a word out of my mouth, a large figure moved silently towards me. Alec set me down gently and moved back a few steps to join his sister. Then, two others joined the first and I knew I was looking at the three other people in Carlisle's painting, the Volturi.

All right, I know it was an evil place to stop but it was necessary. Volturi meeting coming up as soon as possible- once I finish editing : )

Reviewers get a kid made team Edward poster (I have about four million of them from my students).