AN: This is the second last chapter for Part two, but wait! There's more. Part three will answer a lot of questions. Trigger warning for this chapter.

S. Meyer owns twilight

CHAPTER 18

Rose POV

Emmett paced outside the healing room with J, Bella, Pete and Char. Esme and I were standing in the room, on the other side of the bed from Alistair. Alice was starting to wake up. He was talking to her; assuring her she was safe, promising her no one hated her. "We're here sweetheart. We know the truth and we'll stand by you." Esme whispered.

Alice's back arched against the bed, her eyes widened as she screamed. Alistair leant over her, cradling her face "Alice! Focus on me. You're safe, you're loved and you're healed." Her eyes skittered around the room, not focusing on anything. "The memories are becoming sharper, she's being bombarded with their clarity." Charlie said sadly.

I rushed over to the small refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of enriched Kangaroo blood. I heated it slowly in the microwave and started pouring it in a thermos. Charlie came over with a small bottle of murky liquid, "this will help her put on weight, she needs it." He said. I nodded as he added a few drops. It added a pleasant floral scent to the blood. I added a few drops of the tonic I'd made, it was an extract of the herbs used in calming tea.

I handed the thermos to Alistair and Esme tilted Alice's mouth open. Esme rubbed her throat as Alistair pour the blood into her mouth. "Its okay sweetie, this will help. We're here for you. No one will hurt you anymore. Alistair's here, he's your true mate." He smiled at Esme and put the empty thermos on a nearby table.

Alice's eyes lost the frantic, glazed look and cleared. A sob burst out of her, she rolled onto her side, facing her mate and curled up into fetal position. Alistair smiled slightly, relieved his mate was conscious. "There you are. I've been waiting to meet you." He spoke softly. She met his eyes and just stared at him. Her shoulders relaxed.

He continued speaking to her "I've been here for a couple of days, did you hear me talking to you?" She nodded very slightly, his smile widened "I'm glad. We were so worried. Charlie here has been working very hard, Esme, Em and Rose too. They've been helping you."
"I don't deserve it." She whimpered. "You do, Alice. We know the full truth." Alistair's voice grew strong, leaving no room for argument.

She sobbed and started shaking, Charlie approached her slowly. "Hi Alice" he smiled warmly "I can help you more if you'll let me. There's a lot of darkness around you, I can take it away and ease some of the pain."
"I'm evil" she whispered. "No you're not kiddo. You've been lost and manipulated for a long time, it took a toll on you. I'm sorry you went through so much pain." Charlie spoke softly, sadness in his voice. "Will it hurt?" She whispered. "It might, I've healed a few people, some hurt and some didn't. Did it hurt while you were trapped inside your mind?" He asked. She shook head, Charlie looked relieved. "That's great, it means it won't hurt." He confirmed. She nodded and stiffened in anticipation.

Charlie's fingertips glowed, light moving towards Alice, surrounding her and disappearing behind a shadow. The light broke through at one point and curled around the darkness. "Bring me two bottles from the top shelf, hold them open for me, Rose." He asked me. I held them open and pointed them in Alice's direction. Charlie moved the light to the bottles and darkness poured into them, filling them to the brim. I corked the bottles and put them on the desk for Pete to label them.

Alice started sobbing, turning her head into the mattress. Alistair moved to stroke her hair, his fingers brushed along her scalp. Her hands shot out and she pulled him forward. He picked her up and sat down with her on his lap. He was beaming at her. A sob burst out of Esme, Alistair looked at her in concern "I'm so happy for you two." She said, clearing her throat.

Alice's voice was muffled "you don't hate me?" Esme and I moved around the bed and knelt down in front of them. I shook my head "no. None of us hate you. We learnt the truth, the whole truth, and we stand by you." Alice started talking, venting her memories.

"He hurt me." We stilled as she spoke. "I was so scared, I saw what would happen to me. My parents and Cynthia tried to get me to tell them what was wrong. I told them I had nightmares. I started getting confused between the visions and reality. One moment I'd be with my family, eating dinner, the next I was trapped in a dark room. My parents saw how confused and upset I became and made that vision come true. They put me in that place.

"They spoke to Carlisle and gave me to him. I thought he was nice, he talked kindly and promised to make me better." Her voice cracked "but then he'd take me to a room and restrain me. I couldn't move, speak, anything." Her voice rose higher and higher. Alistair hugged her tighter and kissed her temple.

She took a couple of breaths and continued. "There was so much pain. Once a week he'd paralyze me, hurt me. I was so scared of him. I tried to hide under my bed so many times, but he found me. I was only 15, small. I didn't know he was a vampire, I just knew he tortured me. I told him many times that it hurt too much, but he just brushed me off saying 'you need this to get better' 'It didn't work, I couldn't focus on anything. More and more, my mind clouded. There were black spots in my memory.

"I remember things changed. He carried me somewhere, the smell of bleach burned my nose and I was put on a table. A light turned on above me and blinded me, my room didn't have a light, I was used to the darkness. There was a chemical smell and my head split open with pain. When I woke up my eyes hurt so badly, they were bandaged. I felt odd. I don't remember anything after that until my body started to burn.

"I remember there had been growls and it sounded like metal was being ripped apart. I knew I was lying on the ground, I felt the grass prickle my skin. I didn't know who I was or what had happened to me. When the pain stopped I could move again. I saw visions of Jasper" she sobbed as she said his name. "I was meant to bring him to a family with golden eyes. I fed from deer and got used to the blood lust and went to find him. We fell in love and met the Cullens.

"I didn't recognize Carlisle. He and Edward were so nice to me, but I felt uncomfortable. They wanted me to tell them everything I saw. I did. Anything I tried to hide would be picked out of my thoughts. When I saw Bella appear in my visions I saw that her and Jasper would be together. I tried to leave, I wanted him to be happy. Edward called me stupid for wanting to leave, said I deserved to love Jasper and he would distract Bella. I tried to say no but every argument that appeared in my mind was countered.

"I got so confused. I wondered if everything that happened was part of a story and I was just a character. I thought everyone around me was a toy and got even more confused." Alice paused. I bent down and looked her straight in the eye "thank you for trusting us with your memories." I said gently. She looked at me confused "Rose, I just told you that you and your family were nothing but playthings and you thank me? Am I in hospital still?"

Esme shook her head "no sweetie, you're in Volterra and you've been healed through Charlie's work. He undid the physical damage that Carlisle inflicted." Alice froze "please don't let him see me" she begged. I knew she was talking about Carlisle. "Kiddo, you'll never see him again. He won't hurt you or anyone else ever again." Charlie explained "Aro has the power to read every thought someone's had with a touch of his hand. Edward, Esme and Carlisle came here with the Denalis. You came with them. Aro saw what Carlisle had done to all of the people in the coven.

"Aro read each of your thoughts, Edward and Carlisle were taken to the dungeons. You and Esme were brought in for healing. Esme's now healed thanks to the Masters and the others who were part of the Cullen coven. Now you're physically healed, you remember everything and the mental illness the visions brought on has been healed." Charlie finished.

"Won't the visions bring it back? I don't want to see the future, it's terrifying. I can't cope with it-" Alice was starting to panic. I cut her off "Emmett has a power, he can take gifts away from vampires. You no longer have The Sight."
"Am I in trouble?" She whispered. Charlie answered her. "Nope, Aro saw you were manipulated and very ill. He saw that the responsibility lies with Edward and Carlisle."
"How can you stand to be in the same room with me Charlie? Bella died and it's all my fault! If I had left and let Jasper be with her she'd be alive!" She started sobbing and shaking, Alistair rocked her gently.

"She's alive and with Jasper." I said firmly. Alice started mumbling to herself "this is a dream. I must still be in the hospital, it was all a dream. I'm insane, I'm not a vampire, I'm not in a castle." Charlie headed to the door "I'll bring in the Horsemen." He was carrying an empty bottle.

Alistair spoke over her mutterings "your name is Mary Alice Brandon, you have been a vampire for the last 75 years. Your sire's name was Dr Alan Coulson, he was a vampire who worked in the mental institution and intervened against Carlisle's twisted care. Dr Coulson got him fired. Carlisle tortured you with ECT and lobotomized you, when Carlisle was removed from your care Dr Coulson took over, he was kind to you.

"The nomads; James, Victoria and Laurent, killed him, but he was able to bite you before he died. You lost all your human memories and, until you woke up here, you were manipulated by Edward and Carlisle. You've been here a little over two months and Charlie has healed the damage done by the lobotomy and ECT." She stilled as she listened to Alistair. "It really happened?" She asked. He nodded, "it did, but you're safe now." He promised her.

The door opened, Charlie came in with Bella, J, Char and Pete. Charlie put the bottle on his desk with the other two bottles full of Alice's darkness. I knew J had filled them with Alice's emotions. The bottle looked empty. The Horsemen removed their masks and hoods. J flooded the room with calm. Alice's eyes widened. He smiled at her. "How are you feeling, Ali?" He asked quietly, Alice moved her eyes to Bella and look scared. Bella smiled sadly "it's okay Alice, no one's going to hurt you. You're not in any trouble at all." She assured her.

Alice turned her head to J. "Please tell me you and Bella are together, please tell me I didn't fuck that up for you." Her eyes glistened with venom. J walked forward and bent down to eye level "Bella and I are engaged. You didn't ruin anything. We don't hate or blame you. We actually want to get to know the real you." J smiled at her. "Holy fuck" Alice's voice was breathless, Bella chuckled "we've been saying that a lot around here." Her voice turned serious "are you in any pain?" Alice looked shocked and answered "no, thank you for asking." Bella smiled and told her "we want you to be happy."

PPOV

We stayed till the following morning. I was amazed at how Alice had changed since she was healed. She wasn't the over-excited Chihuahua who pissed on everything. She was cynical, sarcastic and observant. She was surprisingly easy to be around. "I can't help but wonder; if they'd just fucked would they have caused as much damage?" She'd asked when we told her Edward was Carlisle's true mate. I didn't know the answer, I just knew it was impossible because they rejected who they are. Cowards.

Alice admired Bella's transformation; the piercing and red streaks through her hair. Bella pulled aside her cloak and lifted her sleeve, showing the tattoo she'd gotten from the Quileutes. Alice had stroked it, her eyes lit up. "That's really fucking awesome." Alice had beamed.

I'd labeled the bottles of her darkness; Carlisle and Edward. They both knew Alice's history, hell Edward was living with Carlisle in Biloxi when he worked for the sanitarium. I labeled the clear bottle of Alice's emotions for Carlisle. The arsehole deserved it, there were plenty more bottles destined for he and his mate. As the sun rose we headed to our daily briefing.

We were waiting in Caius's study, the Masters were already there and we were waiting for the three Healers to arrive. Esme was returning to Marcus' quarters to take care of the two boys, Evan and Mark, we'd captured from the first mission we'd taken in America. Marcus and Esme had taken time to teach them our laws and had started schooling them. They were like adopted sons to the new Volturi matriarch and her mate.

Today the boys would be introduced to the guard and those who remained after the trial to view the sentencing. They had already met us and Charlie officially and knew to keep the secret. Alec had spent a lot of time with Mark and their mating bond had grown strong. He and Jane had helped the boys with their studies.

The Healers walked in looking happier than they'd been in a long time. We greeted them and Aro asked "how is Ms. Brandon going?" Emmett answered him. "She's spending some alone time with her mate. We've started giving her something to add some meat to her bones." He chuckled "she was thrilled when we told her we could fill her out a little more, she told us she'd always felt self-conscious about her appearance. Her short hair and petite body made her feel androgynous." Em shook his head "poor kid. There's a chance her hair might grow a little with the weight gain."
"She asked me to put streaks of color through her hair, like you've got Bells." Rose said. "Ha! I'm starting a fashion trend! What color does she want?" Bella asked. "Blue, apparently her eyes were a deep blue when she was human, she wants to have something to look at in the mirror to connect her with her human life." Rose explained.

"We've started fattening up Alistair too" Charlie said, grinning. "Alice said she thinks he'll look good with longer hair. He was bald when he was turned as well, that's why his hair is the same length as Alice's. His hair fell out while he was imprisoned." He paused. "Alistair's healing will take a while too, the venom of the transformation froze his organs in a state of disrepair. I can't believe he survived to become a vampire. Hell, I'm surprised he survived with his sanity intact. He's very lucky. Having said that, he does have a social phobia."
"He's been alone for a long time. I haven't read Alistair's memories, frankly I don't want to. Carlisle was a blabbermouth and told me everything. Honestly, we're lucky I didn't confide in him more, it could have ruined the future." Aro said.

He turned to Charlie "do you think they'll be up to joining us for dinner? Our wives would love to meet her."
"I'll ask her, it'd be good for her to see everyone in a less official setting. Plus, I know she'd appreciate some good home cooking. The only problem is that she wants to feed from humans, she hates having gold eyes."
"Are the gold eyes the only reason for her wanting to change her diet?" Aro asked. Charlie nodded and explained. "Yes, she loves the taste of the animal blood we feed her, she just doesn't want the golden eyes."
"I know how she feels" Caius muttered.

Aro grinned "then I have good news my friends. Our scientists have had a recent breakthrough with the synthetic blood. They've found a process that quickens the cloning procedure, they're able to make larger quantities. We'll still have to supplement our diet with human and animal, but if the Healers can enrich the synthetic blood like they do with the animal blood we'll be able to keep our eyes red."

Aro removed his contacts "these things are irritating, I can see why the Horsemen would prefer to drink unpalatable human blood instead of disguising their eyes like we do."
"It also means we don't have to change contacts regularly. When on duty it would look suspicious if we disappeared every few hours. We can't exactly say we need a bathroom break." J joked. "Contacts also obscure our vision slightly, we need our wits about us while on duty." I added. Caius nodded "it's lucky Rose and Esme called for recesses during the trials, our contacts would have dissolved otherwise."

"What's on the agenda for today?" Bella asked. Charlie answered her grimly "we carry out the sentence of Carlisle and Edward." Aro nodded in agreement and added "they will be forced to take on the darkness and emotions they created in others. When their minds are broken they will be disposed of."

Bella put her hand up "may I bring them death?"
"Are you sure you want to?" Caius asked. Bella grinned evilly "I do. I want my face to be the last they see."
"You're willing to show them you're alive?" Aro asked. Bella explained her decision. "I didn't get a chance to testify, I'm thankful for the information Rose and Esme shared for J and I, but I want to see their eyes when they learned I survived them." Aro agreed "as long as you're certain, the burden of death weighs heavy on our hearts, especially when it comes to those you know very well. I can understand if it would give you closure."

My gift pinged me, it had been a while since it'd told me anything "tell Alice about the trial, let her face Carlisle and Edward and have a hand in their punishment." I passed on the message. Charlie wasn't keen on the idea, he was concerned it would hurt her, but he agreed it should be her decision and it could help her. I knew Alistair would stay by Alice's side, lending her his strength.

BPOV

We were masked, cloaked and filled to the brim with morbid anticipation as we entered the throne room. Dad walked in front, his face masked and his cloak concealing his body. Beside him were the Masters, their red cloaks clashed with dad's silvery, venom cloak. We, as The Horsemen, walked behind the four of them. Alec, Jane, Rose and Em were behind us. Em and Rose wore their cloaks, but didn't need their masks for this occasion. They were carrying a basket of bottles. Maggie and the Denalis were waiting for us, their faces were grim as we lead them to the dungeon.

Edward hadn't moved. He looked bored, but as soon as he saw us he smirked. "How long are you going to keep up this pretense, Aro?" He was incredibly smug for a man about to break. "I assure you Edward, there is no pretense." Edward scoffed at Aro. We spread out, I looked to Carlisle's cell. He had given up and was lying motionless on the floor. Good.

Aro nodded to dad. Dad brought out the two clear bottles from the basket, Alice's emotion bottle was for Carlisle. The other bottle carried the emotions from Esme and Rose during the trial, it would be given to Edward. Rose and Em pulled out a few more bottles in preparation. Through the clear glass of the bottles Emmett held I could see muddy clouds roll and boil. It was darkness. Rose's bottles were clear; one held mine and J's emotions, the other held the emotions from the court room.

Edward stopped smirking, he didn't believe what he was seeing. Dad's fingers started to glow, the red contacts and his mask hid his emotions. He was creepy looking, focused on Edward who was now begging Aro. "You want my gift. Think of what it'll mean for the Volturi. You'll know every thought for miles around. Stop this madness, Aro, I'll work with you." He held his hand out through the bars "touch my hand, you'll see. I'll be part of your elite guard." Pathetic.

Aro's voice was cold "you have been judged by your allies, your actions exposed, and been found guilty. You have been sentenced to receive the darkness and emotional burden you created in your prey." Carlisle pleaded from his cell, "I meant no harm."
"The road to hell is paved with good intentions, Carlisle." Aro said stoically as he and the other Masters' turned and left.