Chapter 9: A Family's Sacrifice.

The family looked at Esme in shock as she kept her hand down.

"Mom?" Edward questioned in surprise as he kneeled before her. She was hiding her thoughts intentionally.

"…when we first brought Bella into our home, I was happy. I was happy because she made YOU happy. But then we left, and I had to watch how miserable you were. And now here you are, miserable again. I just don't understand why she keeps hurting you."

Everyone looked at Esme in surprise. This was something completely different from her normal personality.

Edward shook his head.

"You're letting your love for me, blind you to what we really need to do Mom. If Bella is happy, then I have to be happy with that. I just want her to have a happy and fulfilled life. "

"Even if that means you are miserable!" Esme hissed.

"Yes! and a thousand times over! This is the one thing I can do for her."

Esme shook her head.

"im sorry Mom but you are outvoted. I have to do this."

"No! no, you don't! Just find someone else!" Esme cried.

Edward hugged Esme as she cried.

"It has to be done."

"I'll call Aro," Carlisle announced as he looked at his wife in sorrow.

…

Billy Black rolled into the tribal hospital as the nurses nodded their heads to him in greeting.

"And you're sure he wasn't bitten?" he questioned his daughter.

"Dad, for the thousandth time, we checked him three times. No bite marks. He might have a concussion though. That leech was very rough with him. "Rebecca told him.

"Im sure it was but what I want to know is why? Why did she attack him? And how did Paul know that she was coming?"

"I don't know Dad, that's something we have to ask him," Rebecca told her father with a shred of irritation.

"What's your problem?" he asked her.

She sighed and let out a low growl.

"How come no one told us that Paul could transform into a tiger? Is he even Quileute and can phase into a wolf too? And another thing why isn't Chief Swan being taken care of in the Forks Hospital? "

Her father gave her a look of annoyance as she rolled him down the quiet hallway. Standing from the doorway were two elders and a few of her pack members. One of the elders happens to be Elder Sue Clearwater and the other is Old Quill. She could understand why old Quill was here, but why elder Sue?

"Now you stop that right now Rebecca Black. Charlie has always been my best friend, even with my tribal duties, he has always been understanding. Besides he's your godfather for Pete's sake. Snap out of it. And about Paul, I don't know. We always knew something was different about him."

Rebecca sighed. He was right. She was just exhausted. Too many things happening all at once.

"Billy, the doctor is still with him. He hasn't said anything yet." Sue informed them.

"It's going to be alright Sue. He will be alright. where is Paul?" he questioned.

"he's in the room with them sir, he refused to leave," Jared informed them.

"I see. Well, the only thing we can do is wait."

"Has anyone called Bella?" Sue asked as she looked back and forth.

Everyone froze. No one had heard from Bella Swan in two years. She had been seen on the reservation a few times and then one day she was gone. Unfortunately, when she came to his house, his family was cruel towards her. but it was for her own good. She couldn't know about the pack. It was bad enough the vampires had gotten to her; it would only get worse if she got involved with his pack.

It was weird because Charlie didn't make a big fuss about his daughter's disappearance. Billy asked about her once, and Charlie told him she was fine.

"How could we? No one knows where she is." Jared commented.

Billy was going to say something but stopped when Charlie's door opened. And his doctor stepped out.

"Hello everyone. "

"Docter raven, how is my friend?" Billy asked.

"Well Chief Black, he's doing better than expected. He has a few broken ribs, a broken collarbone, and a sprained ankle. It's obvious, this vampire dragged him for a while. Im amazed he didn't have more damage."

"So can we see him?" Sue asked.

"Im sorry Elder Clearwater, but I can only allow Family at the moment. "

"His daughter is gone; we are his family." Rebecca challenged.

"I didn't mean it to be an insult alpha. Im just saying that for now Charlie needs his rest and right now is not the right time but if you come back tomorrow when he's awake, I can get his consent to allow you all through."

"But Paul is in there?" Billy questioned.

"That's because Charlie requested him before we put him under. Now, please go home and come back tomorrow."

…

Carlisle hung up the phone with a shaky hand. He then made his way back downstairs to the living room.

His family looked at him. All of them holding a breath they didn't need.

"Well, it's done. We are to report to them immediately. Aro said he'd even been gracious enough to allow us to keep our vegetarian diet. And he would accept the whole family into the guard."

"All of us?" Emmett questioned.

"Yes. all of us," Carlisle confirmed.

"And Bella?" Rosalie questioned.

"He's willing to let her go."

"At what cost? What's the catch, Carlisle? There's always a catch or a condition with Aro." Jasper pressed.

Carlisle sighed.

"He will let Bella go, if and only if Alice, Edward, and Jasper pledge their loyalty to the Volturi for the rest of their lives. The whole family is to go to Volterra, but we only have to serve a certain amount of time. Alice, Edward, and Jasper don't have that choice."

"Well, then it looks like we are going to be with the Volturi for a long time then. We might as well get used to it." Emmett shrugged as he went and put an arm around Edward.

"Did he tell you, our positions?" Alice asked. With the shifters around, her gift was blurry.

"Yes. Edward, Alice, Jasper, and Emmett are to serve as the guards. Jasper will be in charge of training the guard. Rosalie will be partnered with Heidi to help fish for the humans. Esme will help serve and befriend the wives. Traveling with them when they wish to do so. I will resume my old position as council."

"And what about Victoria and her brother?" Edward asked.

"Aro is willing to send Demetri and Jane, to help with that problem. We are to leave immediately."

"Immediately!" the family yelled.

"Yes. Alice get the sheets. Rosalie, go- "

A knock on the door interrupted him.

Jasper, being the closest answered. Julian and Bella were standing on their doorstep.

"Hello again, we wanted to inform you that Victoria is dead. We will need to wrangle her brother though."

"Please come in. That's wonderful news. Is Charlie…" Carlisle trailed off not wanting to assume anything.

"Charlie is fine. Being stitched up as we speak."

"That's very good. Bella are you alright?" he asked her.

"Fine as I will ever be Carlisle."

"I see. Well, we have some news that concerns all of us."

Julian and Bella stood, neither one of them willing to sit.

"I believe Rosalie should be the one to tell you."

Rosalie sighed and walked over to Bella.

"When you look at Paul, I can see how much you adore him. And I can see how much he adores you. You guys are really good together and it's unfair that you have to miss out on life because of our mistakes. Therefore, we are surrendering ourselves to the Volturi. we are going to serve them in exchange for your freedom."

Bella looked at her and blinked.

She then turned to Julian who looked at her with an arched eyebrow.

"So… you're saying that you all called up Aro and just offered yourselves?"

"Yes," Rosalie answered.

"And he accepted. To do whatever it is you offered for my freedom? The freedom to go back home to Paul and my father?"

"Yes," Rosalie said slowly not understanding what Bella wasn't understanding.

However, a slow creepy laugh emerged from Bella's lips.

"Ok." was all she said and then Bella turned away from Rosalie and headed towards the door.

"Bella? Wait!" Rosalie said as she tried to stop her.

But Bella whirled around, her face angry with tears.

"What Rosalie? What do you want me to say? Thank you. cause it's not going to happen! You all left me and then you came back just for me to be tortured and bitten! Two years of my life I cannot get back! And you know what's even worse? Because of the stress and torment my body has been through, I can't give my husband what he deserves the most! So no, I will not thank you when you all could have offered your services to Aro long before he summoned me! you could have offered yourselves before my name left his lips! But you didn't! instead, you allowed Alice to come and drag me to their clutches. You stood there and allowed him to bite me! and you know what's insane! Is that I knew on some level it's what you all wanted. I was this burden, this secret held over your heads and when Aro called, it was like some sense of sick relief because you didn't have to worry about him finding put anymore! So don't stand there and think that im going to stand here and be happy because im not! You all cost me my life and my future."

All was silent before Bella snorted.

"And I guess I can't blame you all too much. It's my fault too. I should have run away from Edward the moment he stopped that van."

With that said, Bella turned on her heel and began to walk away but she stopped as she turned and looked at Alice. A look of bewilderment on her face.

"You knew…didn't you? You knew Aro was going to call the family. You knew he was going to bite me. and when he did, you thought I would be your sister forever, but you were wrong weren't you? once he bit me you couldn't see my future anymore."

Alice opened her mouth but closed it. her eyes shining with unshed tears.

Bella shook her head.

"Stay away from me all of you. I don't want anything to do with you anymore. "

And finally, she walked out the door and never looked back.

Julian stood there with a look of displeasure on his face. He then took off his glasses, a cat-like growl sounding from him.

"Give me a reason not to kill you all?"

"The Volturi are sending two of their guards to help- "

"No. we don't want them. My people will help my daughter. You all disappear." He hissed.

Carlisle swallowed hard.

"I understand. We are more than willing to help out "

"No." Julian roared "If you think we want your money, you are wrong, and it would be an insult to my daughter. Good day, and good riddance."

The family watched him walk out; this would be the last time they saw him.

Edward looked around at his family and then out the window.

She was gone. The woman he once loved was gone. Out of his life forever.

"Alice you better get those sheets." He said with a tone of detachment.

As long as Bella was happy, he would suffer through life.

….