Chapter 1

"Alice," the girl in question flickered her crimson orbs over to the one whom called her. Aro's perfect and handsome features twisted into something that resembled a smile when her gaze focused on him. He gestured his pale, marble hand towards the snarling vampire male held down on his knees between both Felix and Demetri.

"Would you do the honors, my dear?" It was posed as a polite question, but everyone in the room knew that this was not a request. Alice turned her emotionless eyes on the half-starved man glaring back at her with little to no remorse, baring his venom leaking fangs. It would have made no difference even if he had shown any remorse. The Volturi don't give second chances, and this man was guilty beyond a doubt. He'd tried to hide his secret, desperately even but there was no hiding anything since Aro gained the power of Sight from Alice.

The shorter vampire appeared in front of the kneeling prisoner, and he lunged for her immediately but then Felix and Demetri broke both his arms simultaneously and he howled. They needn't have bothered, Alice was never in any danger with her visions. She stared down at him with less than nothing in her eyes, as she coldly stated his sentence.

"Reginald Corven, by order of the Volturi; I, Alice Cullen, sentence you to death for your crimes -"

"He was my child!" Reginald shouted at her through his pain, eyes shiny with tears he could never shed. "I couldn't let him die, I couldn't!" Alice pressed on as if he hadn't spoken, gripping both sides of his face with her small hands. Reginald's eyes darkened a deeper shade of red as she spoke the final line.

"-for creating an immortal child." She snapped his neck with a quick jerk to the side, and he fell lifeless to the ground while Felix tossed a lit match down onto his corpse. Alice crinkling her nose in distaste as she returned to Aro side beside Jane, was the only reaction she had to the quick death. Aro clapped his hands gleefully, grinning at Alice with something akin to fatherly pride. It looked wrong on his face, but Alice simply gave him a small fleeting smile as well.

"Well, that's done." Caius sounded off, obviously bored with the whole thing. He waved a hand at the guards as he tipped his head back against his seat. "Begone, all of you. The Feeding will commence at the usual time." The court dispersed at that, only the Ancients remaining on their thrones.

Alice had hardly made it down the hall towards her room when she heard her name called by a voice that made her skin crawl with revulsion. She knew who it was without even turning around, and she was half tempted to just keep going, ignore that voice. But...she couldn't. There was no ignoring or escaping this certain vampire.

"Hey," the voice was annoyed now, the tone was pleasant but Alice could read between the lines of that melodious lilt. "Where are you going?" She felt a hand wrap tightly around her wrist, a hand even smaller than hers and she finally turned her head to stare with carefully blank eyes on Jane. The twisted little vampire was glaring at her with narrowed slits for eyes, and when Alice didn't give her response she scowled angrily and agony ripped through her body like a thousand swords. They sliced her open like she was nothing more than meat falling off the bone. Alice took this pain silently, her teeth gritted and veins bulging on her neck and temple. Then it was gone, like it had never occured, perfect health.

"Come to my room," Jane said casually, turning on her heel and dragging Alice behind her without waiting for a response. Alice would not have rejected her anyway, and she followed along silently, with her eyes trained on the ground.

"Strip." Jane commanded, her voice brooking no argument as she stared at Alice with open lust and smugness, her pink lips quirked in a grin. Alice hesitated a moment, but the fear of pain had her fingers shakily unclasping the black robe that hung heavily from her shoulders. It dropped to the floor with a muted thud, and the rest of her plain clothing followed and she stood there in her stark naked glory.

"Good," she purrs like a stray kitten, circling the sight seeing vampire slowly, mostly naked herself except for the wretched black cloak all the Volturi guard wore. Alice knew she was completely naked underneath, and in her hand she held a rather unique whip that Alice had come to know very well. It was inky black, with several lashes attached, so long it brushed the floor. What's worse were the diamond spikes lining each and every lash, attached from butt to tail. "Shall we play?"

Alice turned her back on the demented centuries old girl, her resolve unwavering as she bared the many half healed lacerations already scattered across her pale flesh.

"Do what you will...my love."

Time usually wasn't something that vampires ever had need to worry or care about, but when Alice was finally dismissed from Jane's chambers, she felt as if she had lost so much of her time. She could have been doing something else - anything else other than satiate the needs of a sadistic, centuries old child. Alice knew that she needed to hunt, her eyes always turned the darkest shade of black after a session with Jane. Right now, they were a liquid onyx, but she knew 'The Feeding' couldn't be too far off. Of course she'd have preferred animal blood like she had been raised on what felt like eons ago, or at least a blood bag. But no, it was made clear that she only be allowed to feed on something more fresh. Or more like someone more fresh. A human. A person; someone who had a life, dreams, kids maybe? Yet they were fated to be sucked dry through her lethal fangs. When Alice managed to somewhat limp back to her own room, she closed the door with a soft click, and turned to press her aching back against the hard wood. After a few moments, she slid down the length of the door until she sat down hard on the ground, dropping her head down onto her drawn up knees. The raven haired beauty's small frame begun to shake with silent sobs, knowing even if anyone had heard her. They wouldn't care.

It didn't matter, she only had few precious seconds to wallow in her own self-pity before her body seized up, and her eyes glazed over with a vision.

"Wait," Aro called out to the throng of vampires feeding on the scattered and frightened mortals. "Alec, why isn't that one blind and dumb like all the others?" There came a confused silence as eveyone tried to pinpoint who Aro was talking about. Alec already had his blood red eyes locked on a plain looking human, crouched in a corner, obviously cowering but completely aware of what was going on.

"I-I don't know, my lord. She should be paralyzed with the rest." the male spoke in his soft musical voice, his thick brows knotted in angry confusion. Felix suddenly appeared before the girl, and she jumped with a shocked shriek, as he reached down to grab her arm. Aro was there instantly, casually backhanding Felix so hard he flew to the complete opposite side of the room, crashing into, and almost completely through, the marble wall.

"I said wait, didn't I?" Aro snapped irritability, never taking his eyes off the shaking human girl as Felix climbed out of the hole he'd made. Aro ignored his mumbled apologies, and crouched down to offer his hand out towards the girl, a fake, soothing smile curling his lips.

"Hello, dear." He increased the brilliance of his smile when the girl rolled her big brown eyes up at him in clear fright. "You have no need to fear. Come now, I won't hurt you." The human girl hesitated, obviously not trusting him in the slightest, but, seeing as she didn't have much of a choice, slid her hand into his, only to flinch back at his frigid temperature. Aro kept hold of her hand, and helped her up to her feet. Even still, his grip did not drop and there was a...mixed expression on his face. Shock, mild disappointment, hunger, curiosity and lastly, suspicion.

"Interesting." He mused, taking a step back to fully appraise the girl, whom was hugging herself and looked as though she was wishing with all her might to be anywhere but there.

"What is it, Aro?" Caius boomed from his throne, a limp girl draped across his lap, two bloody holes in her neck."Why aren't you draining that human dry?"

"I can't read her thoughts!" Aro called out, whirling around to address everyone in the room. "I am curious to know if she is impervious to all of our gifts. Jane?" Jane barely waited for Aro to finish his sentence before she locked eyes on the human who dared defy her brother's amazing gift.

"Pain." She murmured with barely restrained glee. However...nothing happened but the girl to glance around in fear and confusion. There was silence at this new development.

"She has piqued my interest! For now, she will remain alive until we figure out just who this girl is."

Alice's vision faded away and returned to the surroundings around her, snapping back to awareness with vampirc speed. She blinked several times as she tried to muddle through the rush of emotions that was flooding her system. Who was that girl? How on earth was she able to debuff the Volturi's gifts? Alice quickly tried to look into the future again, hoping for answers about this peculiar human, but besides a few fuzzy seconds of golden eyes, pale skin, and the name 'Bella' Alice was coming up short. So, this girl's blocking ability worked on Alice's visions as well, just not completely. Perhaps…? No. Alice shut down that line of thought before it could even fully form, her lips tightening into a grim line. Aro spent an uncomfortable amount of time shifting through Alice's thoughts and visions, she couldn't even think about what she almost thought about.

The pixie stood and smoothed her hands down her black robes, getting rid of any wrinkles while she made her mind go blank. She was thirsty, and there was a feeding happening. Blowing out a breath, she turned and opened the door to her room, and swept into the hall, towards the throne room.

When Alice entered the last few seconds of her vision was playing out before her, she quickly spotted the human girl, completely frightened, standing beside Aro, the ancient's hand still wrapped around her delicate fingers.

"Alice!" Aro called exuberantly towards his most prized possession, flashing a grin when she turned her attention towards him with an utterly blank expression. "Come! See this absolutely intriguing human we've found!"

Alice kept her features neutral as she made her way over towards the pair, only sparing the girl - 'Bella' a quick, cursory glance. She gathered a decent amount of information from just that quick look, and stored it within the deep passages of her mind where even Aro couldn't reach.

"I can't see her,"

Aro had been reaching for Alice's hand with his free one, but paused at her blunt delivery. He raised a shocked brow before another grin split his lips apart, revealing a row of perfectly white teeth. "Splendid!" He cried out like an excited toddler, even clapping his hands together with glee. That was when the human girl turned and tried to make a run for it, pumping her legs as fast as they could carry her. No one did anything for several long moments, too shocked at the bravery and level mindedness in the human, despite her circumstances. Alice saw Jane twitch in Bella's direction, and she reacted on pure instinct. The pixie literally disappeared from where she was standing, moving so fast that even the vampires in the room had trouble tracking her as she darted towards the human, appearing directly in her line of path, and reaching her hands out to gently wrap the girl up in her arms, forcing her to come to a full stop.

"Let go of me!' The human girl kicked and screamed, refusing to comply quietly, but it was obviously a futile attempt. The slaps and punches she landed on Alice felt like a trail of butterfly kisses on her pale skin. Finally, she managed to pin the girl's arms behind her back in a soft, but unyielding hold.

"I'd forgotten how feisty these humans could get," Caius chuckled in his deep baritone voice, running a single finger down the chest and cleavage of the human girl still across his lap, limp and docile. "Some are more brave and fool foolhardy than others."

"She would make an excellent vampire, no?" Aro said, while staring at Bella with an excited and hungry look that Alice immediately recognized. "Maybe she would develop an even better shield than our dear Renata!" Said vampire stiffened where she stood watching the entire event, but didn't dare say a word against it. Caius sighed loudly before narrowing his crimson eyes into a glare directed towards his eccentric co-leader.

"She is supposed to be food. Do you think she will repay us with loyalty once turned? We will just have to kill her anyway for eventual treason."

"A sound argument." Marcus spoke in his dry, whispery voice. Bella was the only one who just barely heard him, as everyone else had super hearing or was deaf and blinded by Alec's powers. Aro frowned then as he realized that he might not get his way. He turned to focus his gaze back onto the human girl, unaware of the slight stiffening of Alice's spine.

"Hmm. That is something to ponder! I will need time to think about this. Felix will you-"

"I will take her!" Alice blurted out suddenly, cutting off Aro mid sentence. She ignored the widening of Jane's eyes and cleared her throat, speaking again more calmly. "I will watch over the human while you discuss with our leaders. I think I would be a bit more…friendly. No offense to Felix of course, but we would want the girl to join us willingly, yes?" She was speaking the first things that came to her enhanced mind, keeping her voice both light and nonchalant. It seemed to be working as Aro was nodding along and smiling again.

"Yes! What an excellent idea! Please show miss - I'm sorry dear, I haven't asked your name!"

Alice gave the girl's arm -still pinned behind her - a warning squeeze when she took a little too long to answer.

"...Isabella."

"How quaint! Alice please give our lovely Isabella a grand tour of our home, and show her to a room?" Aro turned to face his other vampires in the room, raising his hands in a flourish. "Let The Feeding continue!"

Alice tried her best to get the girl out of the room before the feeding started back up, but just before the huge doors could slam shut behind them, the pained scream of a child managed to get through.

AN: 3