Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer is the creator of these intriguing characters. She and the filmmakers have made a fascinating and beautiful trilogy. I wish to borrow her background and add a plot twist of my own.

Chapter 2 - The trip home

EPOV

Aro stared at me while Felix held me against his chest.

"Now listen to me Edward," Aro said "If you do not comply with the laws we will take measures. These measures mean that Alice will be kept here and your family will have to be controlled".

Alice cried "Don't listen"

Aro just glared at her and said "If I hear one more treasonous word from you I will take both you and your mate….. Jasper is it? ….. and both of you will stay here for as long as I deem necessary. You know I can and you know I will."

After hearing the threat Alice was quiet knowing she had been beaten.

Aro continued. "You will both listen to me. Edward you came of your own accord and you will now leave with Alice. If you don't I will do much more than kill you; I will make your existence excruciating and after your stunt, I will have every right to do so according to our laws".

"When get back to that place you will announce the death of Isabella to the humans who live there. I will make up papers and documents that will acknowledge the fact that she was in a car accident while in Italy and that she was burned beyond recognition. A body similar to hers will be sent in a coffin with certain documents and personal belongings to reinforce the story."

I felt totally lifeless and it was difficult for me to follow all the things Aro was telling me. I had brought all this upon both her and I by my own stupidity and now I knew I was powerless to stop it from happening. Alice tried to comfort me but all I could do was whisper "What have I done? I have dammed Bella not only to an immortal life but to one with the Volturi"

I then heard Caius sneer "Oh, don't worry I will take good care of your Isabella"

Inadvertently I began to growl as I turned my eyes toward Caius. Knowing Bella would be at his mercy enflamed my anger and made me desperate but as I prepared to attack Felix grabbed me from behind.

Aro shouted "Enough! Marcus, can you and Caius please leave the room; we will discuss this situation further when we are alone. In the meanwhile I wish for Jane and Felix to remain, the rest may leave as I wish to question Edward and Alice without further interruption".

When everyone else had left Aro smiled deviously as he walked towards Alice and me. Both of us were aware that his mind was cunningly working out a plan.

"Now Alice" he said his voice like silk "Please, will you allow me access to your ability one last time before you leave?" as he walked towards her, his hands extended.

She shyly gave him her hand knowing she had no choice and Aro held it in both of his while asking "Can you please look into Isabella's future for me? I wish to see it now that she has been recruited in the Volturi household?"

Alice cringed and I felt her fear.

"Now Alice, please do as you are told" he insisted

She closed her eyes and let her mind focus and before I knew it my mind was burning in anguish and she turned to me her eyes brimming with compassion.

Aro laughed and whispered "I knew Marcus felt this but now it is confirmed"

With this said I let out a wail screaming "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO….!"

Aro ignored me and smiled his usual smile and said "Edward you and Alice may leave now. Be careful, we will be watching you and your family and know that if any of you interfere, she will be hurt. You know that I have read your mind and in doing so I have seen her affection for her family and friends. You would not want to be the cause of their demise, now do you? This would only increase her sorrow and destroy her affection to you."

Aro then turned to Felix and said "Please escort Mr. and Miss Cullen to the airport and make sure they leave the country." And with that said he dismissed us.

I was lost, I couldn't see straight; everything I held dear had been taken away from me for the second time. When I saw Bella come through the door I had finally felt hope after all these dismal months and now my heart was being ripped out of my chest. I was defeated and I knew it. What could I do? No matter what the choice, I would be forever desolate.

When Alice tried to lead me out of the room by taking my hand, I pulled away from her grasp and screamed in desperation "Aro please let me change her; I will change her in front of you if that's what you wish."

Aro looked and quietly said "It is too late, I have made my official decision. As you know we do not give second chances"

With that said Aro quickly and silently left the room with Jane.

Felix then grabbed me as I tried to follow Aro to plight my case. He then escorted Alice and me to the waiting limo.

All the way to the airport Alice and I said nothing, both lost in our misery. We were then bustled through customs and set on the Volturi jet heading home. I tried to call my father with my cellular phone but wasn't allowed to use it. The flight was long and all the while my mind was working overtime trying to find a solution to this catastrophe. If only I had changed her, if only I had done what she had asked of me. Now she was not only going to be changed but she will be at the mercy of Caius the cruelest of the three. God what had I done; I had delivered her strait into the hands of the Volturi!

When we arrived at the airport we were met by our parents and family, all except Emmett and Rose. Jasper took Alice in his arms and tried to comfort her as she broke down before him constantly repeating "we lost her- we couldn't take her back, the Volturi have her". Carlisle and Esme and Jasper gasped knowing that this would be worse than death for Bella. When we got to the car Carlisle went behind the wheel as Jasper helped Alice into the back seat next to Esme. I climbed into the front with my father and we took off for home.

We told them as much as we could about our confrontation with the Volturi kings and I ended the story explaining that I had even offered to change Bella myself in front of the Volturi but that Aro had refused me.

After a couple of minutes of silence I informed them of Alice's prediction "Dad, Bella is to be the future mate of Caius."

When I said this Carlisle stopped the car and I heard Esme and Jasper gasp. He turned to face me and asked "Are you sure of this?"

Alice moved forward and said "It's true; if Bella stays there Caius is destined to be her mate"

"That can't be, Caius is married to Athenodora" Esme exclaimed.

Carlisle turned towards Esme and simply said "A true mate supersedes any marriage".

Carlisle then turned to me and I saw compassion in his eyes as he said "Now I understand why Aro has refused to allow you to change Bella" and went further to explain "Caius has no special gifts only his ferociousness has crowned him as one of the Volturi. This is useful for Aro but can sometime result in uncontrollable mood swings. Now Aro fells he has found a way to keep Caius in line; by giving him a mate."

"What do you mean?" I asked

"If Aro thinks that Bella is the future mate of Caius he will use this to make the allegiance between the three of them much stronger. That and the fact that Bella has certain powers, has helped him make this decision. It will be very difficult for anyone to change his mind." He explained.

You were once a part of their group, can you try to use your influence to sway him?" I pleaded.

"I will certainly try but don't get your hopes up, if this is all true and Aro is determined not to let her go it will be difficult for anyone to convince him otherwise; I also doubt Caius will let go of her" he replied.

"I don't think Caius really wants anything to do with Bella" Alice said.

"You don't understand" Carlisle explained "Caius's only pleasure in life is to inflict pain on others and although he loathes humans this will far outweigh his disgust for her. He will enjoy watching the pain that Bella's separation will cause both her and our family and, if only for this, he will hold her very close to his side".

Carlisle then started the car and asked me one more question "Was Caius there when Alice showed him the future?"

"No" I answered "Aro had sent him and Marcus out of the room before he took Alice's hand.

Alice then added "Aro did say something strange when he saw the vision. He said 'I knew Marcus felt this but now it is confirmed'. What could he mean?"

Carlisle had just driven up to the house when she said this and turned his head as he took the key out of the ignition.

He looked me in the eye and said "Marcus has a gift too. He is able to see which mates are best suited for one another"

We then stepped out of the car and as I emerged I saw Emmett and Rose. Rose saw my eyes and slowly tried to pull herself away from Emmett saying "I'm sorry, I really thought that Bella was dead"

My eyes were lethal and my voice cracked; both Carlisle and Jasper had to hold me down before I attacked her. "Do you have any idea what hell you have put me and Bella in, you bitch? Now Bella has been chosen as mate for Caius!" When I said this I saw her jaw drop and heard Emmett gasp. I was furious and although my other siblings were also angry with her they tried to keep me away from her.

I watched as Rose ran away from us with Emmett on her heals and then heard their car speed out of the garage and away.

When I had calmed down Carlisle left me to go to the phone. He quickly punched in the numbers of the international call and after minutes he was able to get Aro on the line. With our vampire hearing we were able to follow both sides of the discussion he and Aro were having. Carlisle tried everything and even pleaded for an audience with the Volturi but he was refused and told that he and his family had to stay in Forks. Aro repeated the instructions he had given to Alice and I telling Carlisle that that the body would be sent for burial so that the last piece of the human Bella could be erased. Then the line was then broken and Carlisle was staring at us with a dead phone in his hand.

BPOV

When Aro told the vampire to take me to my room I fought hard to detain the guards but it was a lost cause. After a couple of minutes one just picked me up like a large sack of flour and carried me over his shoulder kicking and screaming all the way.

"This one is quite lively" said one guard to the other.

"Just wait till Caius gets a hold of her she won't be so feisty then" the other answered.

"No, Caius will break her spirit" the first guard agreed.

"Actually too bad," the other said "I like feisty".

Knowing my fate I refused to give up without a struggle, after all what could I lose? This was even worse that when Edward left me. Now I was literally at death's door with no hope and without my soul mate. From what I had heard of the Volturi, I had no wish to join them because the eternity that I had wished for would now be an eternity of purgatory.

I stopped screaming trying to save my energy until I really could use it. A minute later I heard a bloodcurdling roar coming from the direction of the throne room and I immediately recognized the voice as that of Edward. What the hell was happening?

I was shaken by Edwards scream and didn't realize I had arrived at my destination until the guards unceremoniously deposited me on the bed. I tried to gather myself and run for the door but was pushed back on the bed and warned to compose myself. Well forget that I thought!

I was just about to jump back up and take a run for it when the menacing sight of Caius came through the door. Well that stopped me! My god that guy scares the crap out of me!

He took a couple of steps towards me and with a backward nod of his head motioned both guards to leave the room. They both left and I must have looked hopeless as I backed away from him.

He seemed to find this funny and his cruel laughter filled the room. When he stopped laughing he scoffed "I don't know what that boy possibly sees in you".

"To tell you the truth neither do I." I bravely said and then the fear crept in "What did you do to him? I heard him scream."

Again he began his sinister laugh "That boy is no longer of any concern to you. He and his sister have left and are ordered to go back to the grubby little place you lived in."

"They can't go back, not without me! They wouldn't" I said trying to stop the panic from taking over.

"Well they can and they have. I just came here to say that while you are staying in my wing of this castle you will obey my rules. If not, you will suffer the consequences not only for yourself but also for your family, friends and the Cullens. You see, Aro was able to read your past from the minds of those two and now that we are about to become your future we will use all information necessary to help you conform and adjust."

He paused to let the threat sink in and although I tried to stand tall and not falter I felt my resolve slowly crumble.

He then added "My guards are the best and do you know why?" he said, changing the subject.

I didn't answer but just looked at him

"Because I only accept the best" he smugly stated "I will use any and all means possible to teach them the consequences of not being the best. Always remember your future is based on what I mean your future to be"

"But my parents will ask questions" I explained

"Little Isabella" he mocked as he held my chin in his hand he forcing me to look at him "You don't need to worry yourself over that; it has all been taken care of. The Cullens have been instructed to explain your 'car accident' and make arrangements for your body to be buried in Forks."

"What if my father doesn't believe it?" I probed.

"Let us hope he does or that the Cullens are able to convince him because if he comes too inquisitive his life can become very precarious. Do you understand?"

"It was like being punched in the stomach and I realized I could not escape my fate. I quickly sat on my bed before my knees gave out and my facial expression must have been hollow as he said "You will behave and if you try anything stupid including ending your life, someone you love will be severely punished. Only the Volturi have a power over life and death. You will do well to remember that!"

With this said he turned and left me on my own and I felt like he had taken my heart and crushed it with his bare hands.

I have never been one to cry and found it difficult to do so in the past but I slowly felt the trickle of my tears making a trail on my face. I thought to myself 'I can't live this way, my life will be an endless hell and yet to do anything would be a death warrant to those I love'.

With a numb feeling over my body I left for the bathroom. From then on my body had gone into automatic pilot and I was going through the usual motions of a daily routine. I decided to take a shower and looked in the closet for a change of clothing. Finding mostly men's clothing I selected a large T-shirt that would cover the necessary parts and then turned the water taps. I slid under the rain of water relishing the feel of it beating on my skin and then all of a sudden my spirit shattered. At that moment I felt my lifeline snap; I could no longer delude myself into believing that I would be able to leave. As my spirit gave up, my body leaned on the wall behind me and I slowly slid down to the ground finally giving into the psychological pressure that tore me apart.

I was later found there by one of the servants who dried and dressed me and helped put me to bed. I was always self-sufficient but now I felt like a child and once in bed I curled up in a ball and tried to sleep. Thankfully I was allowed that one mercy.