Movement from the kitchen woke me from my sleep. The soft clanging of kitchen utensils and the smell of eggs was wafting into the living room. I blinked my eyes open to see Bella lying next to me and Alice gone, no doubt she was in the kitchen with Charlie. Bella seemed to have awoken in that same moment too, her breathing pattern changed into one that was more irregular.

"How bad was it, Charlie?" Alice asked softly and I shifted so I was laying on my back, allowing for Bella to see that my eyes were open.

Uncle Charlie sighed heavily before answering. "Real bad."

"Tell me about it. I want to know exactly what happened after we left." She didn't want to know that it would only make her feel guilty.

"I've never felt so helpless." He began slowly. "I didn't know what to do. The first week I thought I was going to have to hospitalise her. She wouldn't eat or drink, she wouldn't move. Dr. Gerandy was throwing around words like 'catatonic' but I didn't let him up to see her. I was afraid it would scare her. The first night she clung to Aria afraid she would disappear like you lot had but the next morning she shut Aria out completely. Hardly spoke to her for the next three months."

"She snapped out of it though?"

"I had Renee come to take her to Florida. I hoped being with her mother would help her. But when we started packing her clothes, she woke up with a vengeance. I've never seen Bella throw a fit like that. She was never one for tantrums. She threw her clothes everywhere, saying we couldn't make her leave. She started crying then and I thought that would have been a turning point. She did seem to get better at first..."

Bella was completely tensed up beside me and I reached across the blanket to squeeze her hand. I had no clue that Aunt Renee had even come up here to see Bella.

"But?" Alice prompted.

"She went back to school and work; she was eating again. She let you talk to her, and she answered. But she was empty. Her eyes were empty. She didn't listen to music anymore, she didn't read, she didn't even come into the room when the TV was on. It was like she was avoiding everything that reminded her of... him." That explains why she shut me out, Alice would have caught on. "We could hardly talk. I was so worried about saying something that might have upset her. The littlest thing would make her flinch. She was alone all the time; she didn't call her friends back and after a while they stopped calling. Aria bless her, called me to check on her everyday... It was night of the living dead around here. I still hear the screaming in her sleep." Bella squeezed my hand back then as she shuddered at the memory.

"I'm so sorry Charlie." Alice said glumly.

"It's not your fault. You were a good friend to her." It was clear now, how Uncle Charlie felt about Edward. It wasn't going to change anytime soon.

"She seems better now, though."

"Yeah. Ever since she started hanging out with Jacob Black, I've noticed a real improvement." I swallowed hard then, that was when Jacob was still my Jacob. Not the confusing, cold person he is now. "She's happier. I know she used to think of him as a friend, but I think maybe it's something more now, or headed that direction, anyway." Charlie said in a kind of warning tone, like somehow, she was meant to get this to Edward. "He's good for Bella. We always thought he was going to end up with Aria." That stung. Badly. Bella looked at me then and I kept my eyes fixed on the ceiling.

"Then it's good she has him." Alice agreed.

"She still has her moments though. I can tell something isn't quite right. It's not normal, Alice, and it frightens me. Not normal at all. Not like someone had left... like someone had died." Uncle Charlie then went on in a hopeless tone. "I don't know if she's ever going to get over it. I'm a little worried about what your coming back will do to her."

"So am I, Charlie. If I had any idea I wouldn't have come. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologise, dear. It may be good for her."

"I hope you're right."

A silence followed with the sound of eating until Uncle Charlie spoke up again. "Alice, I have to ask you something." He said awkwardly.

"Go ahead." She said calmly.

"He isn't coming back too, is he?" He was angry for what Edward had done to his little girl.

"He doesn't even know I'm here. The last time I spoke to him he was in South America." She reassured coolly.

"That's something at least." Uncle Charlie snorted. "Well, I hope he's enjoying himself."

Alice's voice then grew hard. "I wouldn't make assumptions Charlie." No doubt her brother was miserable.

The sound of Charlie's chair scooting along the floor, and the quietness that fell upon them told me that it was the end of their conversation as Uncle Charlie began to clean up the mess that his breakfast had left behind. Bella and I decided to 'wake up' then. I sat up in the bed, making the springs bounce as Bella yawned loudly.

"Alice?" Bella called out innocently, a crispiness to her voice.

"I'm in the kitchen." Alice called back and from her tone there was no hint that she knew we had been listening.

After a short while Charlie announced that he had to leave to help Sue and the tribe elders with Harry's funeral arrangements. Right after he left, I called my dad, apologising for my absence and asking how he was taking things. He sounded sad yet remained slightly guarded, no doubt because of the Cullen that was currently in the same house as I was. I asked if he wanted my help and if I needed to come home, he refused my offer, saying I should stay with Bella to keep an eye on her, which meant keep an eye on Alice. I couldn't help but ask about Jake but just mentioning his name put Dad on edge, I guess he knew what Jake had said to me the night before. The only information he gave me was that he had a little disagreement with Jesse last night, they were civil now though.

For the rest of the day, we spoke about what the Cullens had been up to in their absence. When she spoke about them it was like I was there too, hearing the stories from them directly. They were residing in Ithaca, New York. Carlisle was working nights and teaching part time at Cornell. Esme was restoring a seventeenth century house, a historical monument, in the forest north of the city. Emmett and Rosalie had gone to Europe for a few months on another honeymoon, but they were back now. Jasper was at Cornell too, studying philosophy and Alice had been doing some personal research. She didn't remember much from her previous life, but she had successfully tracked down the asylum where she spent the last few years of her human life.

Her real name was Mary Alice Brandon, and she had a little sister named Cynthia whose daughter was still alive and living in Biloxi. She said she wasn't able to find out why her parents sent her there but guessed it was because they couldn't understand her special gift of seeing the future. She didn't find much out about them either except for their engagement, and her sister's. Her birth and death were recorded and the date on her admission to the asylum and the dates on her tombstone are the same. In all honesty I was glad she couldn't remember her old life. It sounded horrible. She changed the topic after a while.

Moreover, the Cullens were getting on with their lives now, working around the loss of Edward. They were spending spring break with the Denalis, who I had yet to meet, though we didn't say that in front of Bella. I knew she resented me for that secretly. I had the life she wanted.

Uncle Charlie didn't come back until after dark, he looked more broken down than he did yesterday. The funeral was to be held tomorrow, and I would have to leave Bella and Alice for the night in order to attend early tomorrow.

I had to run home, I waited for Uncle Charlie to fall asleep, so I wasn't questioned. Jesse must have heard me coming and was waiting on the back porch by the time I burst through the trees. I didn't waste any time so I could run into his arms. He looked so drained and upset that it brought fresh tears to my eyes. Tomorrow was going to be a painful day.

We hugged for a short while before Dad and Tori joined us. She looked to be handling it the worse out of the four of us, she spent nearly every day after school at the Clearwater's.

After Tori went up to bed the interrogation began. "How long is she staying?" Jesse asked lowly. At least he didn't call her a name.

"A few more days if that. She'll never come back after this though, it's not fair on Bella." I explained and he scrunched his nose up in disagreement.

"It's not fair on any of us Aria. We can't see if the red head has made it over there or not." He snapped and Dad placed a hand on Jesse's shoulder to ease him.

"She hasn't been around, I haven't smelt her, and Alice has been hunting, she would have been able to tell." I reassured and he nodded accepting that. The next question I couldn't help but ask, it had been playing on my mind since I saw Jesse. "You guys don't wish I was dead, do you?" I bit my lip in anticipation.

"No!" Jesse said angrily, slamming his fist down on the kitchen table sending a spit through it. Memories flashed through my mind of when I broke our last table in half when I got angry last year explaining to everyone what I was. "He had no right saying that to you!"

"Jesse, relax. It has been dealt with." Dad assured him. "Aria, honey, Jake didn't mean it. He's dreadfully sorry, you'll see that tomorrow."

"But his face Dad. It was so cold and angry." I didn't know if I really wanted to speak to Jake anyway after he treated me like that.

"I promise you sweetheart, he's sorry." I didn't know what to believe, all I knew was that he wanted Bella, but she'd always want Edward more, and that made him angry. And reckless. "Go get some rest, we have a long day tomorrow."

* * *

I hadn't been to a funeral in such a long time, the last one being a joint one for my father's parents years ago. I managed to find a black, wrap around shirt dress in the back of my closet from a job interview last year, I hoped that would look appropriate enough. It was a bleak day, the storm had lasted two days straight but the rain had stopped for us today, all that remained was the thinning angry clouds.

Jesse didn't have a suit that fit him, Dad had to run out and buy him some trousers and a shirt so that he could look semi decent. I'm sure his pack brothers had to do the same. The funeral was held at the tribe cemetery and Harry was buried next to his ancestors. When my eyes caught Leah and Seth standing next to Sue my eyes nearly fell out of my head. Leah was a lot taller than I had last remembered and now had a more athletic build, not to mention her waist length hair was now cropped to just above her shoulders. And Seth, he must have been standing around six feet at least, the last time I saw him (which was only a few weeks ago) he was barely scraping five foot nine.

They had both phased. I could smell it on them. A female had phased. I didn't think that was possible?

After the funeral everyone returned back to the Clearwater residence for the wake and I didn't waste any time when I saw Embry standing alone at the side of the room. "Explain. Now." I warned and he visibly gulped.

"W-what?"

"Leah and Seth. I'm not stupid, why did no one mention it?" Embry's eyes flitted around the room above my head before he grabbed my elbow and pulled me out the room and out to the front of the house.

"Keep your voice down." He hissed, looking like he was still listening in to what was going on inside the house. "No one expected it either, alright? Leah's transformation sent Harry into cardiac arrest." He whispered and my hand flew up to cover my gaping mouth. "And seeing that sent Seth over the edge." Oh my god. That poor family.

"How awful." I placed my hand over my heart.

"I know, so you gotta keep quiet. Okay?" He grabbed both of my shoulders then and I nodded quickly. How devastating. "Now, have you spoken to Jake?" Well, that was a complete turn around.

I had noticed his stares all morning, his eagerness to come and talk to me but whenever I saw him even beginning to make a move I avoided him quickly. Even if he apparently didn't mean it, he still said it.

"No." I said bluntly.

"Just for the record, none of us agree with what he said." Embry said softly.

"Thanks." I nodded up at him before falling into his arms, my head against his chest. "Just for one moment I wish things could go back to how they were before."

"Me too, Blue." He consoled me, rubbing my back tenderly. Then he suddenly froze and stepped away from me. "Pack meeting." Oh, great. The six boys all came tumbling out of the house then, Old Quil, Dad and Billy following.

"Alright half leech, give us an update on the bloodsucker that's back in town." The suddenness and inappropriateness of Jared's insults sent my rage sky high. I threw my clutch bag down to the floor ready to charge at him but Jake got to him first, holding him by his throat. Good job none of the guests could see us.

"Now is not the time Jared. I could snap your neck right here, right now. Then we'd have a second funeral to attend." Jacob seethed as he squeezed Jared's neck. His face was going blue as his veins protruded against his skin.

"Enough Jacob." Sam boomed and Jacob immediately released him, the dark purple imprint of Jacob's hand already burned into Jared's skin as he fell to the floor. "Aria we need an update."

"There's nothing to tell." I said nonchalantly, bending down to pick up my discarded bag.

"Aria, be serious please." Dad warned and I refrained from rolling my eyes.

"We need information and what this means for us. Are the rest of them coming back? Is there need for a war, if they won't drive Victoria away they have to be working with her-" I cut Sam off abruptly.

"You've all gone crazy." I laughed at the stupidity. "A war?" I laughed again. They didn't like that.

"I'll go in person to speak with Bella." Jake offered and I laughed a little too loudly. Did I seem crazy right now?

"Yes because I'm not good enough once again." I mumbled but Jake ignored me.

"I'll be able to see if she's being honest." My eyes burned into the back of his skull as he looked at Sam. He considered this idea for a moment before finally giving in.

"Aria take him to Bella's." Sam ordered and I scoffed.

"What? Do I look like one of your bitches?" I snarled, my hands physically shaking. I know Sam demands respect but come on.

"You two need to talk things through. Go now." He demanded before turning, whistling for the other guys to follow him back into the house.

Once we were alone Jake spoke up. "Look, Ari I-"

"No." I held my hand up in front of his face as I stalked past him towards my car. He had hurt me and he had the audacity to just humiliate me in front of my friends and my dad. Wrong move. In other circumstances maybe I would have let him apologise to me by the end of the day, but now there was no way. Especially after he brought Bella into it, as if I hadn't spent the last two days with Alice and Bella. I was a vampire after all, I guess I couldn't be trusted.

The car journey was silent, well on my part it was. He took every opportunity to try and apologise but I just ignored him. I wanted him to grovel, no matter how angry he was, you don't say that to your best friend.

When we exited the car we were hit with a fresh wave of Alice's scent. As I welcomed it, Jake rejected it with a wrinkle of his nose. His apologetic face was hard again, the frightful bitterness had reached his eyes and I refused to look at him. I never wanted to see his face like that.

Jake stepped forward first, ringing the doorbell as he puffed his chest out trying to make himself look even bigger than he already was. From inside the house I could hear Alice trying to leave but Bella was trying to convince her to stay. According to Jake, Bella was taking too long and he rang the doorbell two more times before propelling himself back away from the door when he heard her coming. Obviously he thought Alice was still in the house.

"Hey Bells." I smiled warmly at her and she returned it, pulling me in for a hug.

"Hey Ari." She said sympathetically before she looked over to see Jake behind me.

He was hostile as he lingered behind me. It reminded me of a child hiding behind a parent. It was just so pathetic... Jesse wouldn't do this.

"Hey," Bella finally said breaking the awkward silence.

Jake pursed his lips, his eyes darting over the front of the house. I heard Bella grind her teeth. "She's not here. Do you need something?"

He hesitated and my annoyance with him grew. I didn't want him anywhere near Alice like this. "You're alone?" He finally asked.

"Yes."

"Can I talk to you a minute?" The way the tremors were rolling over his body and how defensive Bella was being I didn't trust Jake to be alone with her.

"Of course you can, Jacob. Come on in." He was still hesitating, infuriating both Bella and I as we stood there waiting for him. "Chicken." Bells mumbled obviously thinking he was scared of Alice. Jake's eyes then flashed back to us, his thick eyebrows furrowed angrily, his jaw was set, and he marched up the pathway towards the front door, sweeping past us and into the house.

Jacob was waiting in the living room, his eyes trained on the pile of blankets on the sofa bed. "Slumber party?" He asked sarcastically.

"Yeah." Bells answered him harshly, she wasn't impressed. "What's it to you?"

That's when he wrinkled his nose again and I clenched my jaw. "Where's your friend?"

"She has some errands to run. Look Jacob, what do you want?" He became edgier then and Bella glanced at me unsurely. Jake was still shaking slightly, his eyes darting everywhere as he refused to answer Bella's question and moved on to the kitchen.

We followed him as he paced up and down along the short counter, Bella went to stop him but I grabbed her arm lightly, pulling her back. I knew he was good at controlling himself but we had never been in this situation before. I stepped forward blocking his path. "Hey, what's your problem?" He glared down at me.

"I don't like having to be here." I glared at him then.

"You volunteered." I seethed through clenched teeth. This boy was unbelievable.

"Well I've changed my mind." He looked away from me then and out of the kitchen window.

"Then I'm sorry you had to come." Bells muttered from across the room. "Why don't you just tell me what you need to so you can leave?"

"I just have to ask you a couple of questions. It won't take long. We have to get back to the funeral." I'd be making him walk at this rate.

"Okay. Get it over with then." Bella chided. He took a deep breath, his shaking stilled for a moment. His face smoothing with no emotion.

"So this Alice Cullen is staying with you?"

"Yes." Bella answered simply and he looked thoughtful for a moment.

"How long for?"

"As long as she want to be." Bella remarked snidely. "It's an open invitation."

"Do you think you could... please... explain to her about the other one? Victoria?" He asked hopefully.

Bella paled and struggled to find her words so I answered for her. "We've told her." I informed him and he nodded.

"You should know we can only watch our own lands now that there's a Cullen here." He began to explain.

"She knows, I told her that too." He didn't like that I cut him off. He stared down at me in silence for a few seconds before turning to look back out of the window.

"Is that all?" Bella asked.

He kept his eyes peering out the window as he answered. "Just one more thing?"

"Yes?" Bella urged for him to continue.

"Are they all coming back now?" He asked in a cool quiet voice. As Bella pondered over her answer my clutch bag began to vibrate, an incoming call arriving on my phone. I stepped away from Jake and looked at the contact to see an unknown number. I let it go until it rung again.

I excused myself, only going as far as the back yard in case they needed me to intervene. "Hello?"

"Oh my god Aria!" Alice burst out in panic. There was a slight whooshing sound in the background, it sounded like she was running.

"What! What is it?" She was worrying me now, she never sounded this... scared.

"It's Edward." I gulped hard. What had he done?

"Spit it out Alice!" I began pacing the back yard, biting my nails as I waited for her answer.

"He's going to try and get himself killed. He's going to the Volturi." My whole body became numb in that instant. The phone slipped from my hand and onto the grass with a light thud. The world tilted sideways as I struggled to maintain my balance. Why the hell would he do this?

My eyes then fell on the house in front of me, Bella had a right to know, right? I picked my phone up off of the floor and started unsteadily back towards the door. Alice was sure to come back here first though, otherwise she wouldn't have told me.

"Bella?" I called into the house just as the phone rang.

"Swan residence." I heard Jake answer gruffly but my mind was swirling. How could Edward do this? Surely he wasn't that miserable? Was he not thinking about his family? "He's not here." Jake said sternly, his voice shaking with rage. Why was he so angry?

I sped through the house then, suddenly appearing beside Bella making her jump. "What's going on?" I asked quickly, watching Jake as he gripped the phone tightly.

"He's at the funeral." Jake spat before hanging up the phone. "Filthy bloodsucker." He sneered as I blinked at him.

"Who was that?" Bella and I asked at the same time.

"And who did you just hang up on, on my phone, and in my house!" Bella added obviously angry.

"Easy! He hung up on me." He?

"Who was it?" Bella pressed, she was absolutely infuriated.

"Dr Carlisle Cullen." He sneered his name and my legs wobbled. I gripped the counter for support.

"Why didn't you let me speak to him?" Bella raged.

"He didn't ask for you." Jake said coldly, his face expressionless despite the anger rolling over his body. He was a selfish, conceited asshole. He's never going to accept that vampires are a part of Bella's life... he's not going to accept me. "He asked where Charlie was and I told him. I don't think I broke any rules of etiquette."

"You listen to me, Jacob Black-" Bella began but Jake didn't seem to be listening, his head shot round to look behind him. His eyes went wide and his body stiff, then he started trembling. Alice was here.

"Bye." He spit out, giving me the once over before darting out of the kitchen. Bella following closely.

"What is it?" Bella asked concerned.

He turned and bumped into Bella then, her body falling to the floor as he rocked back on his heels cursing to himself. As I went to help Bella up he brushed past us, changing directions and heading for the back door but froze in place. Alice was standing there motionless.

"Alice." I breathed, she looked like she could collapse. I pulled Bella to her feet she scrambled over to Alice's side. I stayed put, placing myself between Jake and Alice.

"Alice what's wrong?" Bella cried, placing her hands on Alice's face trying to soothe her.

Alice's eyes flitted between Bella's and mine, wide with panic. "Edward." She whispered.

Bella's face then paled as her body rocked from side to side, her eyes rolling back into her head. Jake moved first, catching her before she hit the ground. "Fucking bullshit." He hissed, his trembling body placing Bella down on the couch. "What did you do to her?" He demanded and I rolled my eyes.

"Bella? Bella, snap out of it! We have to hurry." Alice pleaded, moving towards Bella.

"Hurry?" I gasped. "Where?"

"We have to go." Alice said again, squeezing my hand and pulling me towards Bella.

"Stay back!" Jake warned.

"Will you calm down!?" I snapped and his wide eyes shot to me looking like I had said something completely ludicrous.

"You don't want to lose control so close to her." Alice remarked and a low growl rumbled from his chest.

"Jacob..." I warned taking one step closer to Bella's limp body ready to snatch her out the way. I stared him down and watched as his furrowed eyebrows relaxed and the tremors rocking his body subsided.

"I'm fine."

"Aria? Alice?" Bella's voice weak. "What happened?"

"I don't know." She cried. "What is he thinking?"

I dropped my barrier for the first time in months and watched the flickering vision in Alice's mind. I was pretty sure I gasped aloud when my eyes found Edward huddled in a dark, dingy loft space. He looked weak and drained, his eyes pure black like a shark's as if he hadn't fed in months. He was staring into nothing as the faces of the three Volturi members replaced Edward. I had only ever seen them in the painting in Carlisle's study but they looked so vivid in Edward's decision. He wanted to ask them to kill him.

"What's she doing?" I heard Jacob ask faintly.

"Watching Alice's vision." Bella explained and then I snapped out of it, replacing my barrier quickly. My eyes then shot to Alice in panic.

Her face mirrored mine as she pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialled quickly. "Rose, I need to talk to Carlisle now! ... Fine as soon as he's back. ... No I'll be on a plane. Look, have you heard anything from Edward?"

I decided to listen in then. "I called and told him about Bella, Alice. It's only fair. Maybe he'll come home now-"

"Oh my god." I breathed out, sinking down to the floor, covering my face and hiding the horror from Bella. He's was going to get himself killed because he thinks Bella is dead.

"Why?" Alice gasped. "Why would you do that Rosalie?" I had never seen Alice this angry, of course she had a reason to, Rosalie had sent Edward to his death. "Well you're wrong on both counts, though, Rosalie, so that would be a problem don't you think?" She asked venomously. "Yes, that's right. She's absolutely fine, I was wrong ... it's a long story ... But you're wrong about that part, too, that's why I'm calling .... Yes, that's exactly what I saw." Alice's voice was very hard and her lips were curled back over her teeth. "It's a bit late for that Rose, save your remorse for someone who believes it." She then snapped the phone shut.

Bella's gaze was flicking between Alice and I, trying to decipher our mirrored sadness and horror. "Alice, Carlisle is back though... he called just before." She said slowly.

"How long ago?" She was very confused now and to be honest, so was I. I should've answered that phone, snatched it from Jake at least.

"Half a minute before you showed up." Bella explained.

"What did he say?" She was really focused now, trying to figure something out in her head. Why would Rose say he's not back when he just called?

"He asked for Charlie, I told him Charlie wasn't here." Jake muttered resentfully.

"Is that everything?" Alice demanded, her voice like ice.

"Then he hung up." Jake spit back, the ripples of anger suddenly harsher than before.

"You told him Charlie was at the funeral." I interjected, standing from where I had sunk to the floor earlier.

"What?" Alice snapped.

"Jake said Charlie was at the funeral." I explained and Alice groaned and fell to her knees.

"What Alice?" Bella asked, a unknown fear in her voice.

It then dawned on me as I looked at Alice holding her head in her hands. "It wasn't Carlisle..." She spoke just as I realised.

"Are you calling me a liar?" Jake snarled and I scowled at him as Alice focused on Bella's face.

"It was Edward.... he thinks you're dead." I expected Bella to be shocked and even worried but then I remember she didn't know the full story. What he had decided to do.

"Rosalie told him I killed myself, didn't she?" She actually sighed with relief.

"Yes," Alice admitted. "They rely on my sight far too much. Does she not think about the consequences of her actions?" Her voice faded out as she thought of Edward again.

"When he called here, he thought Jacob meant my funeral?" She said in realisation. She didn't look worried at all and that made me feel even more anxious.

"You're not upset?" She asked, voicing my thoughts.

"Well, it's rotten timing, but it will all get straightened out. The next time he calls, someone will tell him... what... really..." Bella's voice faded out as we stared at her with nothing but panic and guilt on our faces.

"Bella," I whispered, crouching down in front of her confused face, ignoring Jake's furious one beside her. "He's not going to call again. He believed her." You could see the clogs turning behind her eyes.

"I. Don't. Understand."

"Honey, he's going to Italy." By the look on her grief stricken face I knew she knew what that statement meant.

"No!" She shrieked, making us jump leading me to step back and move back up to my full height. "No! No, no, no! He can't! He can't do that!"

"He made up his mind as soon as your friend confirmed that it was too late to save you." My eyes subconsciously flickered over to Jacob's raging body, his eyes piercing mine like he knew I was going to look at him. Maybe even blame him...

"But he... he left me! He didn't want me anymore! What difference does it make now? He knew I would die sometime." She wailed as I felt my own tears spring to my eyes. She didn't know the whole truth.

"I don't think he planned to outlive you by very long." Alice whispered looking down at her feet in sorrow.

"How dare he?!" Bella screamed, scrambling to her feet and out of Jake's arms. He stood up too, planning to place himself between Alice and Bella but I moved to block his way, shaking my head subtly as I placed my palms against his chest. My finger tips tingled with the connection and astonishingly Jake didn't try to advance. He glanced down at my hands on his chest and then to my pleading face and gave in, staying where he was.

"What do we do!" Bella begged Alice. "Can we call him? Can Carlisle?"

Alice shook her head fiercely. "That was the first thing I tried. He left his phone in a trash can in Rio and a stranger answered it." She explained quietly.

"Look Alice, we have to hurry you said. What are we doing?" I asked seriously, turning around from facing Jake and back to the two scared girls.

"I don't think I can ask you guys to..." she trailed off unsure with what to say.

"Ask!" Bella commanded.

"We may already be too late. I saw him going to the Volturi... and asking to die." Alice explained as tears from Bella's eyes began to fall. "It all depends on what they choose. I can't see that until they make a decision. If they say no, which they might - Aro is fond of Carlisle and wouldn't want to offend him - Edward has a back up plan. They're very protective of their city. If Edward does something to upset the peace Edward thinks they'll go after him. They will."

"What are you saying! Why are we still standing here?" Bella yelled, exasperated.

"So if they agree to grant his favour, we're too late. If they say no, and if he comes up with a plan to offend them quickly, we're also too late. If he gives into his more theatrical tendencies... we might have time." Alice tried to decipher what her plan was as she spoke the outcomes aloud. Throughout her explanation I had already decided what I was doing, if she was going to save Edward, so was I.

"Let's go!" It seemed like Bella had too.

"Alice we're wasting time, we have to go." I added, her explanations can be delayed until we were on our way to the airport. Jake then moved subtly closer to me so his chest was pressed against my back. No way was I going to let that affect me and my decision, I stepped forward so that we were no longer touching.

"Listen, whether we are on time or not, we will be in the heart of the Volturi city. I will be considered his accomplice if he is successful. Bella, you will be a human who knows too much, but also smells to good. Aria, god knows what they would do to you, you could pass as a human which would also get you killed. There's a very good chance that they will eliminate us all. Though in your case Bella, it won't be punishment so much as dinnertime... when they figure out you aren't human Aria, they'll question you and most likely kill you too." Jake wrapped an arm around my waist then, holding me to him as he scowled at no one in particular. I had to go, I was determined. But I couldn't let them find out where I came from, I'd rather die.

"It won't come to that." I assured her. "I'd never tell them." Jake's grip tightened.

"Alice, we need to go. If you're scared we'll go ourselves." Bella urged for us, I've never seen her so determined to do anything before.

"I'm only scared of getting you both killed."

"I almost get myself killed on a daily basis." Bella snorted. "Tell me what we need to do."

"Write a note for Charlie, Aria you need to tell your dad, I'll go call the airlines." She instructed, her phone already at the ready.

"Charlie!" Bella gasped, no doubt he'd fly into one after finding Bella has left town again because of Edward.

"I'm not going to let anything happen to Charlie." Jacob's voice was low and angry. "Screw the treaty." He squeezed me a little tighter then.

Bella looked at us then, her eyes searching Jake's face in confusion before they fell on his arm that was wrapped around me. Despite her confused gaze, he didn't let go...

"Hurry, Bella." Alice interrupted urgently, her phone to her ear. Bella nodded before running off to the kitchen and when I turned to look back at Alice she was gone.

"I can't let you do this." Jake spoke up and I turned in his arm to look at his face. The angry bitterness was replaced by concern and maybe even fear.

"Jake, I have to." I unravelled his arm from around me and let it drop back to his side. "Tell Dad and Jesse where I am."

"No. How do you expect me to let you go to Italy and get yourself killed all because of some vampire that doesn't mean anything to you?" He was trying to control his temper, to stop himself from yelling at me.

"He does mean something to me, he's a part of my coven. They helped me, its only fair I return the favour." I explained and he didn't like that answer one bit, a ripple of rage rolled over his shoulders as he stepped towards me again to hold me.

"It's their fault you're like this." He seethed, his jaw clenched. I couldn't deny that fact entirely, but they were like a second family to me.

"Victoria did this to me on purpose, Jacob. It's not just their fault. Even if I wasn't close to Bella before she still would have chosen me." He pulled me back into his arms then and I struggled not to fight it, this could be the last few moments that I'll ever get to spend with him and something internally was telling me to stay with him.

"I can't lose you, I can't just let you go." He placed his head on top of mine and breathed me in. "Don't go." He pleaded, kissing the top of my head.

"I have to." Reluctantly I loosened my grip on him, ignoring how my body was frantically trying to get me to stay latched onto him.

"You'll both need your ID, please tell me you have passports?" Alice's voice made me jump as I turned away from Jake's chest to see Bella and Alice standing in the doorway.

Bella nodded before running up the stairs. "I have my ID in my bag but my passport is at my mom's."

"We can get it on the way. You can grab some clothes there too." She said looking down at my funeral dress and heels.

Just as I was about to agree, Jake stepped away from me and glared hard at Alice as she stood against the opposite wall. "How dare you drag Aria into this? She was fine before you leeches brought Bella into your lives."

"She can make her own choices." Alice remarked coldly as I felt Jake's burning rage beginning to radiate off of him.

"You may control yourself occasionally, but these leeches you're taking them to-" Jacob growled furiously.

"Yes. You're right dog," Alice was just as edgy as Jake. "The Volturi are the very essence of our kind - they're the reason your hair stands on end when you smell me. They are the substance of your nightmares, the dread behind your instincts. I'm not unaware of that."

"And you're offering them up ready to be killed." He shouted and I stepped back in front of him, placing my hands on his chest again hoping it would help soothe him.

"You think I should leave them here with you, with Victoria still stalking them?" Alice spat back.

"We can handle the redhead."

"Then why is she still hunting?"

Jacob growled then, his body completely quivering as I stepped back as he convulsed. "Enough!" I screamed, his body stilling suddenly.

"Stop that!" Bella yelled a split second later. "You can argue when we get back, let's go."

Alice disappeared then, Carlisle's car across the road suddenly roaring to life. Bella followed hastily, grabbing my hand along the way and pulling me with her. Jacob caught my free hand, stopping us. "Please, Blue, I'm begging you."

"Jake, I have to. He's like family." Bella let go of my hand then and carried on walking to the car, not even giving Jake a goodbye.

"You don't though." He said, ignoring my family comment. "You really don't. Stay here with me. I'm sorry about what I said the other night. I didn't mean it I swear. I can't be without you." My heart clenched at his words and his pleading face, tears brimming his eyes. I needed to do this.

Alice began to rev the Mercedes with impatience and I turned back to look at her and Bella waiting in the car. "Jake-"

"Don't die Ari," He choked out, the first tear falling and I began to cry too. I had never seen him fight for me this intensely. "Please."

I wanted to crush myself to him and wrap my arms around his torso tightly. I imagined him holding my body close, I could feel the electricity wanting to buzz between us. Mistakingly I looked back up at his face and refrained from caressing his cheek, maybe this goodbye would have been romantic if the words he said to me two days ago weren't still ringing in my ears. "You said it would be easier if I was dead... maybe your wish will come true. Tell my family I love them."

I stepped away from him and turned away, daring not to look back as I jogged towards the car. I swallowed the lump in my throat just as a harsh ripping sound filled the air. Spinning on my heel I found no trace of Jake by the front door, just the remains of a white sneaker on the ground by the tree line of the forest.