Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

Previously: Edward arrived at the institution and found that Bella was still alive. Edward removed Bella from her cell and they were reunited. Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper searched Forks for survivors and told the wolves that Bella was dead. Bella received the awful news of the pandemic. After a day of traveling, the Cullen's temporary camp was attacked when Edward and Carlisle were out hunting, and Bella was cornered by a very thirsty vampire. Edward rescued Bella and Carlisle arranged a truce with the opposing coven's leader who told him that the Volturi had outlawed the changing of humans. The Cullens then reached Alaska and discussed their issues with the Denali coven.

Chapter 8 (Edward's POV)

The world around me was silent as I sat on the hill, or as silent as silence can be for me. For the first time in millennia, there were hardly any humans beyond these hills, their thoughts intruding my peace as they went about their daily lives. Now there is only one human, as far as I know. This human is the most exquisite being to ever exist, my beloved Bella; I will be forever grateful that she is the one to have survived this catastrophe. Surely, it seems, there must be more people in the world than my Bella. The idea that so many humans were killed in such a short time is mind boggling enough; something is telling me that their simply must be more people out there.

It is, however, easy to imagine the vampires who stalk the land beyond this in search of their now endangered pray. Closing my eyes, I can see them, their eyes black with thirst and their minds muddled with desperation. And then, in the towers of Italy, a coven of powerful vampires prepares to scour the Earth in search of survivors. The image of them, feral and desperate, would not have sent chills through my body if not for the fact that my reason for living is exactly what they're searching for.

This is the reason that I fled from the house in Denali. Being so close to my family, hearing so many pessimistic thoughts about our future, was unbearable. As soon as I'd ascertained Alice wouldn't let Tanya bite Bella's head off or vice versa, I had run quite literally for the hills like the coward I am.

"This is a definitely a very difficult situation," Esme observes thoughtfully, breaking me from my reverie.

I whip my head around quickly, only now noticing that my mother for all intents and purposes is perched next to me. Her caramel hair blows in the wind, and her eyebrows are knit together in concentration, reminding me slightly of Bella. Her golden eyes are trained on some point for off in the horizon.

"Yes," I agree, frustrated, "Very difficult indeed."

Esme turns to face me, and the intense love in her golden eyes shocks me. "But can deal with it. I know we can."

"Oh, if only it were that simple," I groan, running my hand anxiously through my hair. My stomach twists, the hopeless emotions within me evoking the human sensation within me.

"I'm not saying it won't be hard," Esme sighs, "It will take lots of effort. We'll need all of our strength, our reasoning, and our every ounce of compassion we can muster."

"No offense, Esme," I say bitterly, "But I don't think compassion can help us very much in this situation."

"But, you're wrong," she explains fervently, her eyes alight with her belief in her words, "It is our compassion that has made us who we are today." In her mind, I see each member of our family as she sees us: noble and gracious.

"It is our compassion that led us to abstain from human blood all these years." Shame washes through me as I picture my wretched rebellious years. In Esme's mind, I see flashes of Carlisle working in the hospital, of Jasper in school, and of me in the hospital with Bella.

"It is our compassion that made us all—Bella included—a family." The memory of the fight we had before I left into September bashes its way into my consciousness, and I cringe at the thought. My mother's mind, however, plays a seemingly never-ending reel of times when we have come together to help each other. Each image tugs at my heart encouragingly, and a proud smirk begins to make its presence known on my face.

Esme captures me in her intense gaze, and emotion clogs my throat as she continues. "The people we are today are better than the ones who seek to tear us apart; because of who we are, we are stronger and more united than they could ever be. Our long-term abstinence from the now oh-so-coveted substance puts us at an immeasurable advantage, allowing us to remain sane while all others are driven mad and incompetent from withdrawal. And our family's loyalty outweighs any agreements of convenience they could forge out of nothing!" She takes my hands in hers, and tears that would never shed glisten around her eyes. "What we have is omnipotent, and it can overcome the largest of armies. It may not allow us to decapitate them all with a glance as we all wish sometimes, but it certainly gives us an enormous advantage. Do not underestimate that advantage, my son."

Dry sobs shake my shoulders as she envelopes me in her motherly embrace. Like a small child, my mother's scent sending cool, soothing waves through me, I accept her expression of affection and nearly fall apart in her arms.

"It's just…so much! I only just found her again, and now…I don't know if we'll even stay together through next week!" I choke deplorably, "If only I hadn't left…"

"Don't you dare try to blame this on yourself, Edward Anthony," Esme whispers fiercely, "No choice of yours could have in any way prevented the spread of that wretched plague. Whether you were in Forks or not, we'd be in the same situation as we are right now, assuming Bella could have survived that scenario."

I had thought of this before, of course, but the idea just seems so much more logical coming from Esme's mouth. Still, this does not solve any of my problems. "And now the Volturi want Bella, and when they want something they will stop at nothing to acquire what they need," I assert hopelessly. And I don't think compassion is going to stop them. Memories unwillingly stolen from Carlisle and Eleazer force their way to the forefront of my mind.

Cloaked in black and gray, red eyes gleaming...

Ruthless.

"Sh," my mother soothes me, holding me close, "We'll figure it out. We always have, and we always will." An unusual growl emerges from her throat as she continues. "I've seen what our family is like when it is incomplete, and I will ensure that that never happens again, or so help me I will annihilate the entire Volturi by myself."

I chuckle bleakly, shaking my head at the image of the Volturi fleeing frantically from Esme's wrath, but the reality of what would actually happen in such a situation silences me quickly.

Sensing my distress, Esme assures me, "Everything is going to be wonderful."

Touched by Esme's love, I pledge, "I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, my son," she promises emotionally, "Now Bella is waiting; go to her."

We pull away from our embrace slowly, and, with a nod, I take off toward the house. What an idiot I am! Sulking in the hills while Bella waits for a fleet of vampires to kidnap her. It is as if I didn't learn anything when I ran away in September.

When I reach the house, the first thing I hear is Bella and Alice arguing.

"Oh, Alice, please! Just because I left my wardrobe back in Forks doesn't mean you can force me into that thing," my love pleads disdainfully.

"It's gorgeous, Bella, and you're wearing it," my little sister asserts.

"Who have I got to impress, anyway? Is there a cocktail party later you didn't tell me about?"

"I'd say you have plenty of reasons to dress to impress. Namely, a certain vampire with golden eyes?"

"Darn it, Alice, you caught me. I've been trying to impress Jasper for a while now," Bella responds sarcastically.

"Ha ha, very funny," Alice chuckles, "I'm sure he'd just love this color on you, anyway, so you should definitely wear it."

Bella sighs and I hear her sit down. "You aren't going to let me go before I put that on, are you?"

"Never."

I fly through the entryway of my cousins' mansion, only then remembering to be stealthy; an encounter with Tanya would be especially undesirable at this point in time. Her thoughts when we first arrived had not been the most pleasant; if it came to a real fight and Tanya is as angry as she was then, I might have a difficult time distinguishing her from the enemy. Luckily, the world does not hate me as much as I once thought it did, and the strawberry blond vampire is nowhere to be seen.

I take a seat in the living area adjacent to the room Alice and Bella are in. The door opens, and I see why Alice was making such a fuss about Bella having to wear those clothes. Alice put her in a khaki skirt and dark blue blouse similar to the outfit she wore when she first visited our house. Love sweeps through my chest at the sight of her, and I smile.

I guess everything will be just fine.

XXXXX

3rd Person

"You have broken the law," Jane states apathetically, her crimson eyes, dark from a week of thirst, flat and unwelcoming. Dark gray robes billowed around her small form in the wind, making her appear even more formidable.

"No, no, I'm sorry!" the aberration in question pleads frantically, "I didn't mean to do it, I just slipped. You know how it is, the thirst…"

"You knew what you were doing, did you not?"

Laurent struggles in the grip of the two Volturi guards holding him back. His eyes, bright scarlet confessions of his transgression, are wild as he flails for any possible savior. He seems to find it in his best interest not to verbally admit to what has already been so overtly proven, choosing to stall while he searches for a way out. Looking at Jane's angelic face, framed ominously by the dark gray signature of her vocation, and knowing from word of mouth the demon that lives inside the child's body, fear is omnipotent within his dry veins. The knowledge of what is inevitably coming is like a poisonous gas, thick with the concentration of the situation's hopelessness.

Laurent's screams of agony tear through the air like talons, but the beings in the dark cloaks appear undisturbed. His body convulses with the weight of his newfound pain, making his captors' jobs easier. The small female stares intensely into his scarlet irises, her envy indiscernible to all but herself

"Sister," Alec cautions her, placing a pale hand on his sister's shoulder.

Jane huffs quietly, releasing Laurent from the manacles of her power. Laurent's body sags as if in fatigue the moment relief comes. He breathes heavily, though his air intake does nothing to offer him further relief.

"You knew what you were doing," she states quietly, the slight curl of her lips the only indicator of her contempt. When the transgressor does not respond immediately, her voice rises harshly. "Didn't you?!"

The transgressor looks pleadingly into Jane's hostile glare for a short second before moving on to search her comrades' expressions for any crack in their facades. Finding none, he concedes bleakly, "I didn't mean to! I-it was an accident, you have to believe me! The human, she was just there, and I was so thirsty…"

"You were completely aware of the rule and its consequences?" Jane draws out the question, painfully enunciating each word.

Laurent gulps. "Yes, but…"

"Then you know what must happen now," Jane states, a sweet smile emerging on her angelic face.

"No, please, give me another chance, please!"

"The Volturi do not give second chances," she tells him monotonously. To Laurent's terror, she begins to turn away.

As his captors' arms tighten around him and he feels their muscles tensing to tear him apart, a sudden hope at salvation pops into his mind. "No, please…I have information! Information you need!"

The present members of the Volturi freeze, their eyes suddenly zoned onto him with ravenous intensity.

"What was that?" Jane asks sharply, her voice rising.

"I know where you can find another human! A young, healthy female!"

In an instant, Jane's face is inches from his. "Where?" she demands coldly. After a short second of hesitation, Laurent collapses to the ground in another bout of agony. "Tell me where! And know that the Volturi do not take well to liars.

"No," Laurent gasps through the pain, "I'm telling the truth, I swear. She's in Denali, with my coven. The Cullens, they brought her from America, said she was secluded while the disease spread and wasn't exposed!"

Jane nods solemnly, her exultant satisfaction hidden to all but herself.

"Kill him."

"No, I'm telling the…"

Laurent's cries are cut off abruptly by the sharp scream of metal being ripped violently apart.

Jane turns to face her brother as Felix burns the transgressor. "Well, brother, it would appear we have a human to collect."