Characters are always the property of Stephenie Meyer.

Chapter 4 Running

The girl was waiting expectantly and smiled as she saw my face. I grimaced. Why does she do that? I was a monster of the grisliest sort. Anyone would be right to fear me, but not this one. She invited me into the cell where I was keeping her with a wide gesture. It seemed strange, random, planned. She simply made no sense to me and that made her completely fascinating.

"You can't stop it, you know," she said as I ducked into the cell. "It's already started."

I shook my head. She sounded like we were in on some great conspiracy, when I neither understood nor wanted anything to do with it.

"Look, I don't know what you think is going-"

"I don't think, I know," she said, eyes flashing.

I groaned, wanting to throw my fist in her smug little face. For some reason, it seemed an impossible task, like I was trying to push against gravity. Her smile grew wider as I battled with my thoughts.

I sighed. "What's going on? I can't even think straight anymore."

"For the first time in your life you're recognizing that you are more than this," she gestured generally around her cell.

I met her intense gaze again, noting the color of her eyes. Completely black now. Surely she must be ravenous. I had dined twice since her arrival. As usual, the meals were bussed in as tour groups. That was the only reason Heidi was a part of the Guard. Tourists were so delectable in their innocent unawareness. Surely, I could have spared something to drink for her. I can't imagine what her thirst feels like.

The dark haired pixie shook her head. "I'd never drink it, Bella."

"Ah, yes. Animals only. It's very strange. Why is it you deny yourselves our most basic need? What pleasure do you get?" Over the past few days, I spent too much time wondering why the Cullens had chosen their lifestyle. Choosing animals above humans seemed insane and unnatural. Why go through all the trouble?

"I wouldn't say it's pleasurable, necessarily," she said slowly. "But there's something to be said for clinging to the last bit of humanity we have. By not relying on our basest instincts, we are able to blend in and better the fragile life surrounding us. We don't have to be monsters, Bella. In fact, Carlisle saves human lives on a daily basis. He's much more in tune with the human body than a mortal doctor could ever dream of being."

"He is a good soul," I replied, remembering Carlisle perfectly from his stay in Volterra centuries ago. The golden haired intellect had made an impression on every one he had come in contact with. Even Aro held him in the utmost esteem. He even cursed himself when he signed that particular Cullen death warrant. Aro felt as uncomfortable as I felt now, thinking of destroying someone as pure as Carlisle. It was just we couldn't trust his choice to gather others into his following. Seven was a significant size for any coven. The biggest anywhere in the world, besides my own little Volturi family. We couldn't trust the judgment of anyone who pretended to be part of a world in which they no longer belonged, a world full of prey for the taking. It was simply not our place to mingle and blend in. It created an opening for exposure and that was absolutely unacceptable. On top of that, Carlisle turned so many. Who's to say he won't be happy until he's raised an army? Yes. It was definitely too risky to have a man like Carlisle running around, no matter how good he is.

"You knew him, then?" she wondered, breaking me from my reverie.

"Yes, I met him when he lived in Volterra," I answered carefully.

"Then how can you doubt him?"

I stared at her for a minute before answering. "Your lifestyle imposes too many risks on the vampiring community. It's unnatural, unsafe, and should not be permitted to continue."

"That's what you really believe, Bella? That we are incapable of secrecy? It's true we will never 'blend in' with humans, not really, but we can function in their society. All we want is to share our lives together in the best semblance of a family we can create. There's nothing wrong with that."

"Why did you personally choose that lifestyle?" I questioned. Carlisle had not changed she or her mate, yet they followed his rules without question.

She smiled again, the previous tension wiping away. "There was no one there when I awoke from my change. I was alone except for one thing, my gift of foresight. It showed me two things: Jasper and Carlisle. There were never any choices."

I thought it over for a minute before I found myself smile at her. Yes, it felt a little forced and awkward, but also very genuine. "Thank you, Alice," I said, in awe over myself and the strange ways this pixie was making me behave.

I was halfway through the door before deciding to tell her about Aro's decision. Just as I opened my mouth, Alice gave me an impatient wave. "It won't even matter."

"But-"

"Can I ask you a favor, Bella?" she interrupted.

Not sure where this was coming from, I stayed silent.

"Hey," she said lightly. "I know I'm really in no position to ask for anything, but can I just throw it out there? Maybe like a suggestion or something?"

I raised an eyebrow, but let her continue. "See, it's just that...I mean...I'd just really appreciate it if you kept your kicking away from Jasper's face."

Her eyes flashed with something wilder than I would have thought she could muster, but was gone as quickly as I recognized it. I was shocked for an instant until I realized how she would know what I had done to her mate. My smile changed into something much more familiar than the one I forced a minute ago. I sneered at her and moved all the way out of the cell.

"No promises."

As I walked swiftly down the corridor, I was engrossed with the confused thoughts. I actually walked into him, before I realized who it was. "Felix!" I yelped loudly. My voice echoed down the dark tunnel. "You scared me!"

Muscular arms snaked their way around my waist and he leaned in to nuzzle my hair. The light touch of his lips against my neck sent a flurry of tingles down my spine. "You've been avoiding me," he whispered so softly, it was more like wind brushing through my hair.

"I have," I agreed, more breathlessly than I would have liked. I had to force my voice into a more suitable tone for the conversation. It wasn't easy with his tongue slowly tracing the curve of my neck. I pushed at his shoulders before the little amount resolve I had left fell through my toes. "In fact, I still am."

With all my effort, I averted my eyes from his scarlet ones as he raised them. He didn't look as shocked or upset as I had hoped, but he'd always been difficult to discourage.

"Come on, Bella." Well, at least his voice sounded disappointed. "I'm leaving and I wanted to say goodbye."

I stopped trying to pass him and met those deep eyes again. "You're kidding me, right?" He had only been back a week. Normally, he would be free for months after such a long deployment. This was unusual.

Felix shook his head. "Where have you been? Vampires all over the world are suddenly being spotted by humans. They're calling out the entire Guard for this. All at once, everyone lost their bloody minds."

I gasped. Where had I been? I hadn't heard anything about calling out everyone! Something was wrong. It didn't feel right. "Where are they sending you?" My tone was quiet now that I realized we were saying goodbye.

"To the States again," he answered in the same soft tone. "Alaska, this time."

I reached up and wrapped my arms around his thick shoulders and hugged him tightly. He returned to kissing my neck and I let him for a moment before I put my hands on his shoulders again. Instead of pushing him away, I moved back. "I really have to go."

His eyes sparked with anger. "No you don't," he snarled. "What's down here that has you so preoccupied, Bella? I haven't seen you in days!"

"I have a job to do," I hissed back at him, my own anger piqued.

Felix raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "Oh, so it has nothing to do with the Cullen?" Now his voice dripped with venom.

"The Cullens?" I shouted back angrily. "What do they have to do with any-"

"I didn't say them. You realize he can make you feel any way he wants, don't you? He can manipulate you, Bella."

I nearly laughed aloud. So this was about jealousy?

"Enough, Felix," I spoke it like a slap. With one fluid movement I stepped around him and continued down the darkened corridor. I didn't look back, though I could sense his eyes on me as I disappeared around the corner.

I found Jasper lying on his back, staring at the ceiling. As I entered, he looked deeply into my eyes. "Here for another bout of torture? You do realize that the torture of POWs was outlawed at the Geneva Convention?"

I smiled wickedly at him. "Mr. Cullen, I do not abide by the laws humans set for themselves. Torture is often the only means to get what you desire. That, and there is no war."

He sat up quickly, meeting my eyes and smirked. "Oh no? Didn't Alice tell you? It's already starting. I can feel the electricity, the calm before the storm. Can't you feel it in the air? War tastes like blood."

"Now, now," I chided, "let's not get ahead of ourselves. There is nothing to fight over. We're friends."

"Friends?" He shouted. "You call us friends? Let me see my wife, friend. Let me free from this prison, friend!"

The man was now inches from me, bending over to look me straight in the eye. At that moment I realized how stupid it was of me to enter this cell alone. Alice was one thing. She was no threat to me, as my fighting skills would be undeniably superior even with her gift. But this one was different. He could easily put his hand on my throat and squeeze. I wouldn't have a chance. It wouldn't take much effort from him, a known neophyte handler from the South American territory disputes of the early twentieth century.

I didn't back down, though, I couldn't. It wasn't pride; it was authority. I was still in charge here, and I couldn't allow him to forget that.

"Get out of my face," I snarled on the brink of calling him every foul name I knew in every language I spoke.

He moved a step back. "Can you please just tell me how Alice is? I can't stand not knowing." I couldn't help but catch the desperation in his voice. On second thought, perhaps I was wrong about him again. Taking him away from his wife was crippling him.

The words slipped from my tongue before I thought about what I was saying. "She asked me not to kick you anymore."

He turned his blond head in my direction. "Is she ok? Has she eaten? Can I see her, one time?"

The last two questions were spoken so softly that I wasn't sure if he had spoken them at all. "Look, Jasper, I want you and Alice to be safe. Fact is, I kind of like her." I guess that's what you call it, though it felt more like curiosity. "I don't know why it is that I can't seem to be in control of myself in front of either of you." I paused for a moment. "Well, maybe why for you, but not for her. And why does she make me feel giddy like a school girl while you make me want to throw bricks?" I finished my rant before realizing what I had just said and my mouth dropped open.

To my surprise a warm smile spread across his beautiful face. "She does have that affect on people." Then he actually chuckled. "As do I, I suppose."

My mouth was involuntarily turning upward when there was a sudden explosion from somewhere above me in the main castle. Both our eyes went upwards, but he managed to recover more quickly than me. In one swift movement, Jasper reached out and grabbed my right wrist, twisting it at an incredibly awkward angle and pulling it up the center of my back. I felt the length of his body press against mine as he leaned in close to me to whisper in my ear.

"Not a war?" There was another earth-shaking explosion in the castle above. "Come on. I want to see my wife."

Then, I really did something strange. Without trying to pull away or struggle in his grasp, I followed him to where his instincts told him Alice was. Jasper bound both of my wrists in one of his hands and pushed me down the shaking corridors. A third explosion echoed loudly and the floor trembled as he used his free hand to open her cell.

In an instant, Alice bounded from the room and into his arms, kissing his lips with fervent passion. It was delicate and sensual and I felt like an intruder. I turned my head to give them privacy for the reunion. The earth around us shook again and a sprinkling of rocks fell from above. Neither Jasper nor Alice noticed anything happening around them, lost as they were in each other's eyes.

After what seemed like too many idle minutes another explosion ripped through the castle above. The ground beneath our feet rose and fell like we were in a canoe during a hurricane. My knees shivered with the shock wave and I would have been dumped on the stone floor had Jasper's quick grip on my wrists not steadied me.

"Where do we go?" He asked, confident Alice would know the answer.

She kissed him again. Short, yet with the ghost of the passion I had witnessed between them earlier. A stab of jealousy flashed through me, but I quickly pushed it down. That wasn't like me at all. The pixie turned around and sprinted through the crumbling corridor.

Of course, I was terrified as Jasper led me through the maze of corridors and sewers toward the streets of Volterra. More than that, I felt the overwhelming sense of loss as I ran. I didn't try to fight his strong grip on me, just followed, watching my beloved home crashing down around me.

There were quite a few times that Alice saved us from a sudden cave-in or falling debris. I was surprised when she cried my name, pausing to turn back. Her shout was barely a whisper in the destruction, but ever in sync with her, Jasper shoved me quickly to the right and out of his grasp. An elephant sized chunk of earth and stone lay in the exact place I was just standing.

Completely frozen in shock, I stared at Jasper who stared right back. He looked unsure of what he should do, having released his hostage to save her. My stomach twisted uncomfortably. The walls were crumbling down around us. Smoke and dust filled the air and there was no breeze to push it away. I didn't know what to do.

"Bella," Alice called me instead of her mate. Jasper and I whipped our eyes around and in the same instant, darted after her again. Jasper reached out and I found myself offering my hand again. As soon as our fingers touched, I felt hope. No matter how wrong it felt to run with them from my home, it also felt very right.

Once we reached the western wall of the city, Alice leaped over with no hesitation. Jasper turned toward me. "Alice likes you. You know that, right?"

"How do you even know?" I wondered. "It wasn't like you two have had time for a conversation."

He grinned broadly and I was momentarily dazzled by the soft expression in his black eyes. "Oh believe me. If she didn't, you never would have made it out of there alive." He winked and was gone, bounding over the stone wall without a second glance.

I, on the other hand, couldn't stop myself from looking back over my shoulder. I could see great columns of smoke rising into the sky, mixing with a muddled brown dust. The haze of burning red flames and the screams of terrified humans made me shudder. As impossible as it was to imagine, my beautiful home now resembled hell.

Turning my eyes, I inhaled deeply and jumped over the wall, unsure what I was doing. Deep down I knew the Volturi would survive the attack. Especially since so many of the guard were scattered around the world extinguishing minor uprisings. Of course, it was all connected, but the fact was, the Cullens had unwittingly saved many more than they had conquered by pulling so many from the city. And the brothers were well protected, so this wouldn't be the end of their empire.

Better than that though, I was leaving. As hard as it was to turn away, at least I would know I was doing everything in my power to prevent the fulfillment of Alice's premonition. If I was nowhere near the brothers, I couldn't cause their world to come crashing down.

It was the only thing I could do.