A/N: Alright, here's Chapter One of the new story I mentioned. This is a darker tale than Fate Unfolding, though some things will be a bit similar. I wanted that same kind of healthy relationship at the center of the story to act as an anchor against the chaos and dark forces around them.

The Heart of Volterra

Bella's stomach was a rolling mess as she looked around her, trying to tamp down both her irritation and fear. Standing in the middle of a group of unfriendly vampires was never going to be a super comfortable place for a human girl, and she was currently surrounded on all sides. The fact that she didn't at all trust the only two vamps she actually knew in the room did nothing whatsoever to give her confidence that this would end well for her.

As soon as Alice opened her mouth, it was plain as day on her face that she wished she hadn't. Aro gave her an entirely false smile as he held his hand out. When she made no move to put her hand in his, a vamp roughly Emmett's size nudged her none too gently in between her shoulder blades.

With an aggravated huff, Alice gritted her teeth and gave the king her hand.

While he was doing his thing, Bella's eye was caught by a blond woman standing against the side wall. She had a frown on her face as she looked between Bella, Edward, and Alice. When she saw Bella watching her, she gave a slight shake of her head, darted her eyes between Edward and Alice, followed by another slight shake.

Bella gave her a small smile and nodded. She appreciated the warning but she already knew not to trust the two vamps who'd meant so much to her not that long ago.

Aro dropped Alice's hand and took a few steps back. He looked at Bella and then back to the telepath and the seer. "You understand that your entire family is in violation of the law, correct?" he asked. "You told a human about our existence, invited her into your family, and then left her behind when you moved away. Very much alive and still human."

Bella bit her lip for a second but figured, fuck it. They were probably gonna kill her anyway. At least she could maybe possibly fix one thing on her way out of this world.

"Excuse me?" she said quietly. Aro turned to her and nodded with what almost looked like a genuine smile. "Everyone but Jasper and Rosalie, sir."

"Everyone but Jasper and Rosalie what, Miss Swan?" Aro asked her, not unkindly, quickly glaring at Alice when she let out a low growl. "If you can't control yourself, Miss Cullen, I can arrange for someone to escort you from the room. I highly doubt, however, that the accommodations we provide would be to your satisfaction," he said coldly, then turned back to Bella with a small smile. "My apologies. Please continue."

Bella had a hard time smothering a laugh at Aro scolding her former best friend, but she managed. She didn't want to offend the man by accident.

"Rosalie and Jasper didn't agree with the family. When Edward saved me from the van, they both voted that I should be killed because of the way he had exposed himself to me," Bella said calmly. "They were all aware of the law and Jasper and Rosalie knew my only options were to be changed or die. For a number of reasons, my change wasn't on the table. So they both argued that I should be killed. They tried to follow the law but they had a coven leader vote against them."

Bella ignored the glares from both Edward and Alice. She didn't give a single fuck what they thought of her and she had to do what she could to spare the only two in that whole damn family who'd been honest with her from the very start.

"Thank you for sharing that information with us," Aro smiled at her and then slowly walked back to his co-rulers, first Caius, then Marcus, who both briefly touched his hand. Aro nodded and Caius gestured to one of the vamps on the back wall, who also nodded and then left the room.

"Well. What a tangled mess this is," Aro sighed, then turned back to the three visitors. "Edward, Alice, you understand we need time to consider how best to proceed. We will arrange a suite for you to make use of while we come to a decision."

Before he could continue, Edward interrupted. "Will we be allowed to contact Carlisle? The rest of our family? Or will we just disappear without a trace."

Even as a human, Bella could hear the shocked gasps from the guard scattered around the room. She rolled her eyes and took a few more steps away from her ex-boyfriend. She did not need to be associated with that asshole when her life hung in the balance.

"Disappear? We haven't yet ruled on your fate, young Edward. Did you not hear me say 'we will arrange a suite'?" Aro asked as he looked at the Cullen siblings a little incredulously, and Bella smiled as she heard light laughter behind her. "I assure you, most in your current situation would be asked politely to please wait in the cells below the castle. You are more than welcome to go that route if you'd be more comfortable there. The choice is yours."

Edward gritted his teeth when Alice jabbed one of her pointy elbows in his side. "A suite would be lovely. Thank you for offering it," she answered for him with a simpering smile.

Aro nodded. "Alec, would you please escort the Cullens?" he asked a young man standing near the blond woman from earlier.

The young man, Alec, nodded and walked over, then held his arm in the direction of the door. "If you'd come with me please," he said quietly.

Bella stayed where she was as Alice and Edward turned to leave the room. It hadn't escaped her notice that Aro had specifically said 'Cullens'. When Edward realized she wasn't following them, he rolled his eyes and reached his hand out like he was planning to drag Bella behind him. In a move way too fast for Bella's human eyes, the blond woman was suddenly in between them, her back to Bella.

"Miss Swan will have her own suite," she told him firmly.

When Edward opened his mouth to argue, it was Alice's turn to roll her eyes. She grabbed her brother's hand and tried to pull him behind her, without so much as a glance at Bella. "She'll be fine, Edward."

Seeing that the blond wasn't budging from her spot, Edward nodded slowly. He looked at Bella for a moment and then turned around with a sigh and left the room.

It was still and silent for a few beats and then the woman turned to face her. "Are they always that insufferable?" she asked with a smile, making Bella and the rest of the room laugh.

"Unfortunately, yes. I'm afraid they are," Bella laughed.

"I'm Chelsea," she said as she held out her hand.

Bella smiled as she shook her hand. "Nice to meet you, Chelsea. I go by Bella."

Aro walked over and gave both of them a smile. "Bella, would you mind coming to my study and speaking to me there? If you'd rather stay here, I can have someone get a chair for you so you'll be more comfortable."

Bella was surprised, but nodded her agreement. "Your study is fine, sir."

Bella followed the vamp king through more hallways than she'd ever have a hope of finding her way out of. After about the fourth turn, she lost all sense of where in the castle they were. About three turns later, Aro opened a door and gestured for her to go inside. Bella was a little too nervous to really take in her surroundings, but she couldn't fail to notice that three very long, very tall walls were made of floor to ceiling shelves practically groaning under the weight of the books on them.

"Bella, is there anyone in the Cullen family you do trust?" Aro asked once they were seated in what was essentially a small living room tucked in a corner of the large study. "Or who was a member of the family when you were in their lives?"

"Jasper," she answered without hesitation.

Aro nodded but tipped his head to the side. "And why him? Why not Rosalie?" he asked curiously.

Bella thought on it a moment before answering. "I suppose I trust both of them in terms of being honest with me about something. But Jasper is always honest without ever being unkind."

"Have you had any contact with the family in the time since they left your town?" he asked. When Bella hesitated, Aro smiled at her. "They're much too far away to hear us. Besides, this room is soundproof. It's why I asked you to speak to me here instead," he assured her. When she still hesitated, he laughed lightly. "Did I mention we have a member of the guard who is a shield? He blocks all gifts. Edward can't read my thoughts and Alice can't search my future."

"Is that why he looked so aggravated? He's nosy and thinks he should be allowed to snoop in anyone's mind he chooses," Bella laughed, then nodded. "Yes. I kept in touch with Jasper until about six months ago. Mostly through email, although I have spoken to him on the phone a few times. He wanted me to be able to contact him if I ever found myself in need of help."

Aro nodded again and was quiet for a minute. "And if we were to offer the choice to you, would you want to become one of us?" he asked softly.

Bella bit her lip as her stomach rolled again. "Change or die, I suppose, huh?" she said with a strangled sounding laugh. She'd wanted to be a part of this world once. But that was when she thought she had a chance at a forever love. Now she wasn't so sure. "Do I need to give you an answer today?" she asked hesitantly.

He gave her a gentle smile. "No, no decisions need to be made yet. The rest of the Cullens will be summoned to Volterra. Exposing our secret to you was only one of their crimes. Reading Edward and Alice… Well, things are not always as they seem. I'm afraid we are going to have to ask you to stay here until this is sorted out. Will that cause problems for you in your life?"

Bella shook her head, swallowing against the lump in her throat. "No. There's no one to miss me now. The only reason Alice caught me in Forks is because I was there to finally clear out my dad's house to sell it," she said quietly. "He died just after I graduated high school. I've mostly been traveling in the six months since then."

Aro reached over and gently squeezed her hand. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause you any upset. Alice and Edward don't appear to know that. I didn't see it in either of their minds."

Bella smiled at his kindness. "That doesn't surprise me. Out of sight, out of mind," she shrugged. "Anyway, staying here won't be an issue. As long as you remember I need to eat at least once a day," she added with a laughed.

"You are not being detained for a crime, Bella," he laughed. "You're free to come and go as you please. Volterra has some lovely restaurants, or so I hear. And if you ever want company or an escort, I'm sure one of the guards would be happy to show you around town," he offered. "If you'd rather not leave the castle, we can bring you meals in your suite. Whichever you prefer."

"Thank you, that's very kind of you," she smiled. "I haven't been feeling well lately so I imagine I won't be roaming around too much."

"Is there anything in particular you need now as we get you settled? Your suite doesn't have a full kitchen but there is a small refrigerator, a microwave, and… well, I don't actually know what it's called," Aro laughed. "It lets you make a hot beverage. Coffee or tea."

Bella smiled as she thought about it. "Green tea with ginger, if that's possible," she answered eventually, thinking that might ease the nerves that were making her feel so sick. "If not, ginger ale would be fine," she added.

Aro nodded and stood up. "I'll make sure that is brought to your room. I'll show you the way if you'd like. I imagine it was a long trip and you look tired."

Bella stood up with a laugh. "I wouldn't mind laying down for a bit, thank you. But just for future reference, telling a human they look tired is usually just a polite way of saying they look awful."

Aro looked surprised for a second before laughing. "Well. Then you have my gratitude for correcting me. I'd hate to insult someone by accident. I much prefer to do it with clear intent."

Bella smiled and shook her head, then followed behind the surprisingly amiable king.

Bella spent a good portion of the next day curled in a ball on her bathroom floor. It was a good thing her suite was the equivalent of a small luxury apartment or it would've been really gross.

When she stopped throwing up long enough to take a hot shower she felt marginally better. Figuring she should use the brief respite wisely, she wandered the castle in a general downward direction until she stumbled across a front desk. After asking directions to a local pharmacy, she braced herself for the chilly air and set off.

As she wandered around looking for nausea medicine, she passed an aisle that made her mind stutter to a halt.

"Goddamn it," she cursed under her breath as she stomped over and grabbed what she needed.

Twenty minutes later she was back in her bathroom in the Volturi castle doing some quick math and rolling her eyes at her own stupidity.

"Motherfucker," she swore quietly.

Now that her quick math was done she needed to do a little quick thinking. She had to find a way to survive the next seven and a half months if her surprising little stowaway had any hope of making their entrance into the world.

Jasper was sitting on the front porch of the house he shared with Peter and Charlotte on a cold December morning, feeling anxious and edgy. He had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach but couldn't pinpoint the cause. The whole last year had been a rollercoaster of emotions for the empath, and it was coming up on six months that he hadn't been able to reach Bella. He'd called and emailed but she never answered or replied anymore.

He missed her. She'd been the one spark of light in an otherwise dark time in his life.

When a month had passed with no word from her, Jasper had gone back to Forks to check on her, only to find that her father was dead and Bella had left town. Jasper took a chance and went to see Angela Weber, who was Bella's best friend.

Angela greeted him warmly but couldn't tell him much. Bella had come to say goodbye a month earlier, but had only said she was planning to travel for a while. She had no destination in mind and Angela hadn't heard from her since she left. When he asked about Charlie Swan, she smiled sadly and said he'd been killed in an animal attack the day after their high school graduation. Bella stayed in town long enough to plan and attend his funeral, but hit the road the next day.

Angela had simply given her a long hug and told her to be safe. She understood Bella's need to escape a town that contained so many bad memories.

After thanking her, Jasper made a quick run through the forest surrounding Forks. Charlie Swan certainly could have died from an animal attack, but warning bells were ringing in his head.

After this much time, there wasn't much to find close to town - although he thought he caught a few faint traces of an odd, slightly sour smell - but as he ran in the direction of the Quileute Reservation he caught a whiff of a revolting scent and cursed under his breath, then quickly headed in the opposite direction.

Rosalie had described the scent of the wolves to Jasper when the family had moved to Forks, and if there was an active pack… well, only one thing caused that.

It was looking far less likely that Charlie's animal attack was really an animal attack.

Jasper slowly made his way back to Montana. He didn't have any leads to try and find his favorite human and Peter didn't know anything either.

"I don't think she's in any danger, so…" Peter had shrugged. "It's a big ass country out there. Does she have any other friends or family anywhere?"

"No," Jasper shook his head. "Her mom and step-father were killed in March in a…" Jasper trailed off with a frown, which quickly turned into a scowl. "Motherfucker. In a car accident. Now I'm thinkin' not so much. Goddamn it!"

With literally nothing to go on, all Jasper could do was wait and hope. He still called and emailed at least once a week so Bella knew he was thinking about her and would love to hear from her. He included his address in every email and on every voicemail so she could come find him if she ever needed or wanted to.

But they were in December now and Bella had gone silent in June.

Jasper suddenly felt a flash of worry from Peter, who came tearing around to the front of the house and skidded to a halt.

"You gotta haul ass to Italy," he said quickly.

Jasper would honestly rather tear off his own hand before traveling to that country. He had no desire to be that close to the Volturi's stronghold. His time in the south, all of Maria's cautionary tales about them, had left him with a very healthy fear of their governing body. Which Peter and Charlotte shared.

"Uh, no," Jasper said while giving his best friend, his brother, a weird look.

Peter smiled and rolled his eyes. "It's about our favorite human, Major. The Cullen's world is about to implode and Bella needs an ally."

"Bella's in Volterra?" Jasper asked incredulously.

Peter nodded and before he could utter a single word, Jasper was up and off that porch, ready to run the whole damn way. Well, swim part of it. Fuck it, he didn't mind.

He hadn't gotten farther than ten feet when he heard Peter laugh. "A plane ticket might be easier. You really wanna run the last leg in soggy clothes? Bella doesn't need you to walk in that castle lookin' like some creature from the ocean depths."

Jasper stopped and turned around with a laugh. "Yeah. Flying's probably the better route."

The two went in the house to book a ticket and just as Jasper was about to run up to grab his passport and pack a change of clothes or two, Charlotte came down the stairs and handed him a bag.

"ID and passport are in the front pocket. Cash is in the zippered pocket inside. I packed some of my clothes for Bella, too. I'm not sure what she has with her."

Jasper smiled and hugged her. "Thanks, Char."

Peter grabbed his car keys and nodded his head towards the door. "Alright, ticket's waitin' on you at the airport. We'll give you a lift."

Jasper gave him a grateful smile and the three hopped in Peter's truck and set off, Jasper shaking his head at the sudden and sharp turn his life had just taken. He was about to walk into the heart of a city he'd hoped to go his entire existence without ever seeing.

A/N: I'm nervous as hell, y'all! Let me know what you think and if I should continue it. In the meantime, the epilogue of Fate will be up tomorrow. ~ M. x