Disclaimer: Only my OCs and the plot belong to me. The world, other characters and the events that led up to this almost all belong to Stephenie Meyer.
NOTE: Bold and Italic is quoted directly from Breaking Dawn.
This was it. Carefully, Bella loosened Renesmee's arms from her neck.
"You remember what I told you?"
Tears welled in Renesmee's eyes, but she nodded. "I love you," she whispered.
Edward was watching them now, his topaz eyes wide. Jacob stared at them from the corner of his big dark eye.
"I love you too," Bella said, and then she touched Nessie's locket. "More than my own life." She kissed her daughter's forehead.
Jacob whined uneasily.
Bella stretched up on her toes and whispered into his ear. "Wait until they're totally distracted, then run with her. Get as far from this place as you possibly can. When you've gone as far as you can on foot, she has what you need to get you in the air."
Edward's and Jacob's faces were almost identical masks of horror, despite the fact that one of them was an animal.
Renesmee reached for Edward, and he took her in his arms. They hugged each other tight.
"This is what you kept from me?" he whispered over her head.
"From Aro," Bella breathed.
"Alice?"
She nodded.
His face was twisted with understanding and pain. Had that been the expression on Bella's face when she'd finally put together Alice's clues?
Jacob was growling quietly, a low rasp that was as even and unbroken as a purr. His hackles were stiff and his teeth exposed.
Edward kissed Renesmee's forehead and both her cheeks, then he lifted her to Jacob's shoulder. She scrambled agilely onto his back, pulling herself into place with handfuls of his fur, and fit herself easily into the dip between his massive shoulder blades.
Jacob turned to Bella, his expressive eyes full of agony, the rumbling growl still grating through his chest.
"You're the only one we could ever trust her with," Bella murmured to him. "If you didn't love her so much, I could never bear this. I know you can protect her, Jacob."
He whined again, and dipped his head to butt it against her shoulder.
"I know," she whispered. "I love you, too, Jake. You'll always be my best man."
A tear the size of a baseball rolled into the russet fur beneath his eye.
Edward leaned his head against the same shoulder where he'd placed Renesmee. "Goodbye, Jacob, my brother…my son."
The others were not oblivious to the farewell scene. Their eyes were locked on the silent black triangle, but Bella could tell they were listening.
"Is there no hope, then?" Carlisle whispered. There was no fear in his voice. Just determination and acceptance.
"There is absolutely hope," she murmured back. It could be true, she told herself. "I only know my own fate."
Edward took her hand. He knew that he was included. When she said her fate, there was no question that she meant the two of them. They were just halves of the whole.
Esme's breath was ragged behind Bella. She moved past them, touching their faces as she passed, to stand beside Carlisle and hold his hand.
Suddenly they were surrounded by murmured goodbyes and I love you's.
"If we live through this," Garrett whispered to Kate, "I'll follow you anywhere, woman."
"Now he tells me," Kate muttered.
Rosalie and Emmett kissed quickly but passionately.
Tia caressed Benjamin's face. He smiled back cheerfully, catching her hand and holding it against his cheek.
Bella didn't see all the expressions of love and pain. She was distracted by a sudden fluttering pressure against the outside of her shield. She couldn't tell where it came from, but it felt like it was directed at the edges of their group, Siobhan and Liam particularly. The pressure did no damage, and then it was gone.
There was no change in the silent, still forms of the counselling ancients. But perhaps there was some signal she'd missed.
"Get ready," she whispered to the others. "It's starting."
Edward turned to face Bella, glancing at the others. "Are you shielding us?" he whispered. "Chelsea… can't affect us."
Bella nodded once. "I'll keep it up for as long as I can," she murmured. "I'm sorry we didn't get more time together."
"Bella, my love," he whispered, holding her tight. "Even if it ends here…I wouldn't trade these last few years for anything."
She smiled softly, knowing he felt the same way as she did. Then Edward straightened up, and the elders spread apart.
"We have decided," Aro called. Bella glanced up at Edward, even though she knew what the answer would be. He shook his head, and she nodded once.
It would come to a fight after all.
"The child is too dangerous to live," Aro said. A hiss ran up and down their ranks, as Caius smirked. Marcus blinked once.
"I do not understand," he whispered. "Why must we cause more death than is necessary? This child has done nothing wrong, nor have her family."
"Quiet, Marcus," Aro snapped, losing patience. Everyone stared. Aro never lost his temper. Ever. Marcus nodded once and stepped backwards, once again silent. Bella wondered if this…lifelessness was a result of his mate's death, or if he'd always been like this.
Aro sighed and regained his composure. "As I was saying…we have decided that the child and any who protect her must be killed. You have this one chance to leave and, for the more gifted among you, join the guard."
Bella stared straight at him. "All of us here would rather die than join your corrupt little vampire dictatorship," she said icily. Emmett snorted at that line.
"Well, then," Aro replied coolly. "Let the execution commence."
The vampires on both sides of the clearing slid into crouches, ready to attack and defend. The Volturi had come to kill, and they were about to try and accomplish that goal.
Jane smirked at Bella, who met her stare evenly. Then, at some signal from Aro, the guard lunged.
"Wait."
As that sweet, childlike voice cut through the air, everyone froze. Aro's eyes widened, and horror flashed across his face. Jane let out a frightened squeak, and Chelsea backed up so fast that Bella could barely see her moving.
"No," Jane whispered. "No, what are they doing here? Corin–" At a glare from Aro, she shut up. Bella was starting to get really nervous about whoever had called out. Then, a figure in a midnight-black cloak stepped out between the trees, so quiet that even the vampires couldn't hear her. She was tiny, so small that she couldn't be more than a child.
"What's going on?" Esme whispered. "Who is that? She's Volturi, but–"
"Quite the contrary, Esme Cullen," the figure whispered, in that honey-sweet voice. "I am here to help you."
Aro's eyes narrowed. "Kierra, what is the meaning of this? You should be back in Volterra–"
"With Corin, yes, I know. I got bored, and anyway, really? Corin? You thought you could just use her gift to turn us into puppets, when even yours barely works on us?"
The expression on Aro's face confused Bella. He looked…scared.
And then the figure flipped down her hood, and everyone in the clearing gasped.
She was about six years old, maximum, and her hair was long and midnight-black. Her skin was snow white, and she looked almost like a doll. Her eyes were a dark, vicious red.
"Is that–" Bella whispered. Edward nodded.
"Yes. That is a real immortal child, but what I want to know is this: Why does Aro have one?"
Everyone in the clearing slowly turned towards the ancients. Aro raised his hands.
"I can explain–"
"Oh, Aro," the little girl hissed. "No. No, you can't. We're good at finding out secrets, my sister and I. She can hide in the tiniest cracks and crevices, and whatever she sees, I do too. So let's see what secrets we've collected about you, while you held us prisoner." She turned her head. Bella was frozen, everyone in the clearing waiting with bated breath.
"Chelsea," the girl called out. "Do you remember the night of January 13th, 1095 BCE?"
Chelsea stared at her. "Y-yes," she whispered. "T-that was the night…"
"That your entire family was killed by a marauding vampire while you were still human."
Chelsea closed her eyes. "Yes."
"What if I were to tell you," the girl said coolly, "that it wasn't a random attack, or bad luck. What if I were to tell you that Aro knew of your talent long before you met him, and the vampire that attacked your family was none other than Aro Volturi, who wanted to make sure you had no outside ties to anyone but the Volturi?"
Chelsea froze. "W-what?" she whispered. Aro sighed.
"Chelsea, you know that the imagination of a child is a wonderful thing. Do you really believe that I would—"
Chelsea cut him off. "Is she telling the truth?" She stared at Maggie. The Irish vampire held her gaze for a moment, then nodded. Chelsea let out a strangled scream.
"ARO!"
"Chelsea, please–!"
"No." She whirled around, a vicious hiss ripping between her teeth. "I'm not fighting for you anymore. Afton?"
Her mate stepped up beside her. "I stand with you, of course."
"There is one thing that I must do before I leave, of course," Chelsea hissed. She glared at the Volturi.
"Go," she hissed. "You're all free of my influence. Stay with that liar or go somewhere else, I don't care anymore." And then she was gone, the single link holding the Volturi together broken in an instant. Bella stared after her, then looked up at Edward.
"Did that really just happen?"
He nodded, looking completely shocked. But the child wasn't done yet.
"Alec and Jane."
Alec stiffened slightly, while Jane was staring at Aro and Caius with an interesting expression on her face–like she was trying to decide if it was worth her time to tear them apart. When she heard her name, though, she looked up.
"Yes? I'm already reconsidering my allegiances. They tied me to them so tightly that I–I– they made me a monster!" She was shaking. Edward stared at her.
"Incredible," he murmured. "She really does hate herself for what she did—both of them do."
"Oh, they wronged you in other ways," the girl whispered. "Aro knew of your psychic talents before you two could walk. He always planned to change you when you were older, but he got impatient. So, to give him an excuse and make you believe you owed him, he whispered in the ears of the villagers. He convinced them you were witches, and then when they burned you, he swept in to 'save' you."
Silence.
Then, Aro collapsed with a shriek, writhing with agony as Jane's eyes bored into him. Caius lunged at her, but he was frozen–his senses cut off by Alec's mist. The twins exchanged glances, then both released their talents and skipped to the Cullens' side of the field. Everyone stiffened, wanting to see what they would do. Bella mentally prepared to cut them out of her shield if they tried anything, but she shouldn't have worried. Jane stood next to her, tipping her head.
"We'll fight with you," she said quietly. "And after that, we'll leave. Do whatever we can to help people. I'm going to go vegetarian—I never want to hurt anyone again."
"Agreed," Alec huffed from Jane's other side. Aro got to his feet, shaking.
"Traitors," he hissed. "You believe that abomination over me?"
A vicious laugh escaped the girl. "Oh, really? I'm an abomination. Let's tell them all how you treated us–two innocent little girls. Gwendolyn?"
Bella's eyes widened as another girl stepped out of the trees beside the first one, the two identical in every way. The duo glanced at each other, before the first girl began to speak.
AN
Hi! So, nobody has guessed the link between this and Reunited yet. It will be made obvious in the next chapter. Review!