Moonlight in Forks

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to SM.

Courage

As soon as Bella saw the black Mercedes S55 AMG with the tinted windows parked across the street from her house, a feeling of déjà vu swept over her. It was Carlisle's car. Every time that car appeared it meant nothing but trouble, usually for her.

It was very dark when Bella turned off the headlights to her truck. Charlie was out on another date with Renee, so the house was deserted. He'd forgotten to leave the porch lamp on. She felt a pang of doubt, staring at the house, deep in shadow.

Bella looked back at the black car, almost invisible in the night. She didn't want to leave the safety of her truck, but knew she must. It was like her fate was scripted. No matter how hard she tried to fight against it, it pushed her like a slow tide toward the inevitable conclusion.

Climbing warily out of the truck Bella found her hands were shaking. She struggled to keep them still as she ran up the porch steps and fumbled for the spare key that Charlie kept above the door. When she grabbed the doorknob to unlock it, it twisted easily in her hand. She let the door fall open. The hallway was black.

She went to call out a greeting, but the words caught in her throat. It was so dark, pitch black-like the mouth of a hole. Where was the damn light switch? Her fingers traced the wall, still searching, still shaking –

Then Bella felt cold fingers grasp her own. She couldn't stifle the scream that followed. Suddenly the light flicked on, though her frozen hand had not moved. She blinked in the sudden brightness, and saw that someone was there, waiting for her.

The feeling of already having experienced this situation before set Bella's heart racing in fear. "Alice." She said, a hysterical edge to her voice. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Unnaturally still and white, with her large black eyes' intent on Bella's face, Alice waited perfectly motionless in the center of the hall, beautiful beyond imagining.

Bella struggled to pull herself together as she stared back at Alice. She wished she had stayed in La Push. She had only come home to have a shower and change into a fresh set of clothes before going back again.

"Bella." Alice choked. Her eyes were dazed and far away, her face drawn and whiter than bone. Her slim body trembled to an inner turmoil.

"Alice, why are you here?" Bella demanded. She clasped her hands together in front of her to stop them shaking. "What's wrong?"

Alice's eyes came back into focus, wide with pain. "Edward." She whispered.

"No, Alice, no." Bella shook her head fiercely, backing toward the door, intending to escape. "I am not going through this again. Whatever trouble he's gotten himself into has nothing to do with me."

Alice ignored her protests, her face bleak. "Oh, Bella, it has everything to do with you."

"No." Bella said again.

Alice kept her pleading gaze on Bella. "This is deadly serious, Bella. We have to go. And go now."

"No. I refuse." Bella's breathing was labored. She tried to suck in more air, but her throat burned with the effort. She wouldn't go through this again. She couldn't. Oh, how she wished Jacob were here like the last time when she was confronted with the exact same scenario. "Whatever is going on, Alice, keep me out of it."

"I can't, Bella. I am so sorry. You have to come with me right now. So many lives will be at stake if you don't." Alice's face was tortured as she reached out and put her hands on Bella's shoulders, holding her in place, just in case she intended to flee. "It's the Volturi, Bella. They know about you, about the wolf pack, about Edward. They know everything!"

"How?" Bella's shriek sounded so loud after all the whispered words. She felt the blood rushing to her face, as she took in the enormity of what this meant for all those she loved

"Irina." Alice whispered. "She was still upset over the wolf pack killing Laurent. I didn't see, Bella. I didn't see until it was too late!"

"You mean she gave us up to the Volturi in some kind of sick revenge?" Bella gasped. "This is typical of your kind! I thought she was supposed to be one of your allies."

Alice flinched at the words your kind. "There is no time to debate this now, Bella. Things have become very serious. Deadly. Aro is set on his course of action."

"Which is?"

"To change you and destroy those who get in his way." Alice intoned, repeating the Volturi leader's exact words verbatim.

Bella stared at Alice with her jaw clenched in frustration. It all made some kind of sick and twisted sense. She knew who was behind the spate of recent killings now. She knew who the two wolf packs had been hunting all this time.

"They're already here, aren't they? Aro sent spies."

"Yes." Alice confirmed. "We knew that we were being watched from afar, we acted accordingly, but didn't expect this outcome. Their real intentions were being hidden, so I didn't see." She lamented. "I'm so sorry, Bella. I really am."

"So, what can you see now concerning me?"

"I'm blind, Bella." Alice wailed dramatically. "My visions are all fuzzy and unclear. I stopped being able to see your future clearly when you allied yourself with the wolves. You are around them so much, I think that contributed to the problem." She was getting more frantic with each passing minute. "We have to go, Bella. Right now. There is no time to waste."

"I can't just leave, Alice. I won't. "

"You have to, Bella." Alice cut in urgently. "I feel it's the only way. If Aro can see you in person, then maybe – "

"Are you offering me up as live bait?" Bella snapped.

"Its not like that, Bella. Please, you have to understand this situation is so much more serious than even Victoria and the newborn battle. The Volturi are deadly. Do you really want more of them to come here?"

Angry tears formed in Bella's eyes. "Damn you, Alice! Damn all of you!" She cried. "I can't just go. I need to tell Jacob."

"If you really love that wolf boy of yours you will keep him out of it. If he faces the wrath of the Volturi it will be the end of him. Do you want to risk that? Let him and his pack deal with the ones who are already here, while we deal with the rest."

Bella wanted to scream her frustration and anger in Alice's face. However, she knew she was out of time. She dashed up the stairs to her room, tripping twice on the way. She pulled the drawer open in her bedside cabinet and pulled out an old notebook. She flipped it open and penned a quick note to Jacob.

Jake, she wrote. I'm with Alice. Don't be mad. I had no choice. If I don't go, the consequences could be horrific. I can't risk you or anyone else getting hurt. If my going can put a stop to whatever is coming, then the sacrifice would have been worth it. Know that I love you. Always. Bells.

The journey to Denali was a complete blur. Bella remembered none of it. Alice drove at top speed, her cell phone attached to her ear as she spoke in a low voice to Jasper.

"I can't be sure, Jasper. No, you can't." Alice's voice dropped so it was nearly inaudible, even with Bella sitting inches from her. Even though she was disinterested in the conversation, she found herself still straining to hear. "Tell Emmet no…Think about it, Jasper, if Aro sees us all gathered together, what do you think it will do? He will see it as a threat."

There was a few seconds of silence as Jasper answered. After a moment Alice nodded. "Exactly, I think Bella is the only chance… if there is a chance…. I'll do everything that can be done."

There was another few seconds of silence. When Alice spoke again there was a catch in her voice. "Yes, I promise." Her tone became pleading. "Don't follow me, Jasper. I love you."

Then she ended the call.

By the time Bella and Alice reached Denali, Edward and Carlisle were being confronted by Aro and his entourage. They were just in time to hear the tail end of the Volturi leader's threatening words, the same words that Alice had heard in her vision.

"To change the girl and destroy those who get in our way."

"Stop!" Alice cried, pulling Bella along with her, she stepped in front of Carlisle and Edward.

"Bella!" Edward cried in surprise. His face became alive, his eyes shimmering with all the love and adoration he felt for her, believing in his deadened heart that she had come to save him, like she had once before in Italy. He bypassed Carlisle, running to her side and taking her cold hand in his. "My love." He murmured tenderly.

Bella stared at him coldly. On the fraught journey to Denali, she'd had time to gather her thoughts and her courage. She was prepared to fight, to fight for those she really loved. "Let go of my hand." She ordered coolly.

Edward recoiled at her harsh tone, his grip automatically loosening. He heard the confused thoughts of Aro's cronies, while the Volturi leader himself seemed intrigued by their interaction.

"Well, we meet again, Bella Swan." Aro spread his hands wide in greeting, an ingratiating smile crossing his face. "Come forward, my dear. Don't be shy."

Bella stepped away from Edward's side, even as he tried to reach for her and pull her protectively behind him. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw Carlisle stop him, cautioning him to stay put. Alice had joined them, standing anxiously on Carlisle's other side, watching silently as it all played out.

"Such a pleasure, as always." Aro continued as he took a few steps closer to Bella. She had stopped at the midway point, her chin jutting out determinedly, eyes hard. "You have taken us all quite by surprise. It was my understanding that you and Edward were no longer together, but here you are…."

Bella composed her features into one of indifference, as she cut him off mid-sentence. "You understand correctly."

Aro's eyes narrowed. He didn't like to be interrupted. "Yet here you are, prepared to plead for his life once again. Or is it your own life this time?"

"I am not here to plead for my life or for his." Bella answered calmly.

She didn't quail under the furious glares of his entourage. She found she wasn't afraid at all. Not like the last time, not like in Italy. Something was giving her courage, and that something was her love for Jacob, and for all those she had left behind in Forks and La Push. She was fighting for them. Fighting with all she had. Even if all she had to fight with were her words.

"Then why are you here?" Aro demanded, his patience waning.

"To accuse you of failing in your duty."

Bella's accusation was immediately met with a series of scowls and angry murmurings from the entourage gathered behind him. Aro's eyes narrowed further as he raised one hand to silence them.

"I presume you have proof of your unfounded allegation, my dear." Aro's voice was like steel.

"Five blood spattered bodies are my proof-two of them children. The spies you sent ahead of you have been wreaking havoc on the reservation and Forks, leaving destruction in their wake. Their actions have been noticed. Questions are being asked. The local police force has called in reinforcements. The media are getting involved. Soon the news will be broadcast far and wide. Isn't one of your main rules that their hunts must be inconspicuous? Well, they are certainly drawing attention to themselves. It seems you didn't choose your spies wisely. Or perhaps they think they can flout the rules because they are so far from home?"

Aro's head slowly turned in Jane's direction. Her doll like face remained frozen under his furious glare. "I told you to send the best, dearest. If what Bella says is true, then you must be held accountable for your poor choices."

"Master, forgive me. I will go and deal with them at once." Jane cringed under his harsh stare, her crimson eyes showing a rare glimpse of fear.

"See that you clear up your mess with as little fuss as possible, Jane. We don't want to attract any more attention than we have already." Aro commanded. "This isn't your first lapse in duty. You failed to notice the shapeshifters the first time you were in the area. Don't fail in your duty again, otherwise your punishment will be severe."

"Yes, Master." Jane murmured. She bowed deferentially, before signaling to her brother and disappearing into the white haze of snow.

A/N-thanks for reading! More to come soon.