COLD WATER

eighteen.           little one

▬ "ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, this is a really beautiful town." Cori mumbled, her blue eyes taking in the gorgeous architecture of the buildings that towered over her. Her hand was still wrapped around Travis', though now it was more so that she didn't get lost amongst the hundreds of people in red. "Why did I give up photography?"

"You did photography?" The vampire asked, making sure they stayed close to Alice.

"Yeah, when I was ten I told my dad I wanted to take pictures and he got me this little disposable camera and I took pictures of everything. They weren't good."

"Keep up." Alice huffed, looking over her shoulder at the two.

"Sorry." Cori mumbled, it had been her fault they had fallen behind. She kept getting distracted by the sheer beauty of the town around her, even as people milled about in a sea of red - she almost felt like she was underdressed, only because she wasn't also sporting a red cloak. She tightened her hand around Travis' fingers and quickened her steps, reminding herself they were there to save the vampire she called psycho and not to admire the buildings around them. "Do you know where we're going?"

"Yes." Alice hummed, stopping in front of a large wooden door. Then she pushed and the door opened, the lock on the inside breaking before she stepped in, Travis and Cori close behind her. "Come on, guys." She took her sunglasses and scarf off, a small smile playing on her lips as she stepped up beside Edward - two other vampires stood before them. "It's a festival."

"Yeah." Travis added, tugging the hood from his head. "Wouldn't wanna make a scene." He narrowed his eyes at the taller of the two and Cori shuffled behind him. Drawing the other vampires' attention to her... they both had red eyes, like Laurant... like James.

"We wouldn't." The tallest spoke, his voice soft, his eyes on Cori as she gripped onto Travis' arm, her finger curling around the fabric of his sweater.

"Enough." They all looked down the hall as a blonde girl approached them, moving the hood from her head as she stopped between the two red eyed vampires.

"Jane." Edward dropped his gaze to the floor, Alice and Travis soon after and Cori did as well, she wasn't sure what was going on and she didn't want to cause any problems.

"Aro sent me to see what was taking so long." She stated, her crimson eyes bouncing to each of five that stood before her before she simply turned and walked away, her shoes clicking against the floor.

"Just do as she says." Alice whispered, her voice low as she looked from Bella to Cori, who was still mostly behind Travis – who wished he hadn't told Cori. He wished he had kept her in Forks where it was safe. Mostly because he didn't want anything to happen to the small human, she meant a great deal to him, but also because he knew that Emmett would kill him if anything happened to even a hair on her head.

Cori let out shaky breath as they made their way down the hall before taking a set of stairs underground. Her hand tightened around Travis', her knuckles had turned white and the coolness of his skin was making her hand a little numb, but she didn't pull away, she needed the contact.

Then an elevator opened and they were ushered in, the short blonde near the door, Edward and Bella on her right, Travis and Cori on her left, and Alice almost directly behind her. And the two Volturi men in the back on either side.

Travis was sure of one thing when the elevator opened, Emmett was going to kill him, even if they made it out unharmed.

Cori took a shaky breath when the elevator opened and they followed Jane out into a lobby of sorts, but there was nothing modem about it. It seemed old, ancient even. The woman that sat behind the desk pushed herself up, a smile on her face. "Buon pomeriggio." She greeted in italian and the fact that her skin was tan and her eyes weren't red had the Swan sisters slightly confused.

"Is she human?" Bella whispered, hand in Edward's.

"Yes."

"Does she know?"

"Yes."

"Then why would..." Bella trailed off, realization kicking in. "She wants to be."

"And so she will be." The shorter of the two vampires behind them stated and Cori moved closer to Travis, if she moved any closer she would be climbing up his back.

"Or dessert." Jane mused before opening a set of doors and leading the others into a large circular room with stone walls and a dome ceiling.

"Sister." A boy hummed. "They send you out to get one and you bring back three." His eyes drifted between the Swan sisters. "And a half. Such a clever girl."

"What a happy surprise!" One of the three vampires that were perched upon thorns grinned as he stood up. "Bella is alive after all." His grin never faltered as he made his way towards them, and Cori couldn't help the unsettling feeling that built in her stomach. "Isn't that wonderful? I love a happy ending." He then grabbed Edward's hand, pulling it from Bella's grasp. "They are so rare."

"Trav-" Cori looked up at him but he shook his head, tightening his hand around hers and she closed her mouth and leaned against his arm, her eyes wide and on the scene before her.

"La tua cantante." His voice was breathy as his red eyes traveled from Edward to the human at his side. "Her blood appeals to you so much. It makes me thirsty." His eyes settled on Edward again. "How can you stand to be so close to her?"

"It's not without difficulty."

"Yes, I can see that." He simply chuckled, his hands still firmly around Edward's.

"Aro can read every thought I've ever had with one touch." Edward explained, turning his head slightly to the side as he spoke to the two human girls before he looked at the vampire before him once again. "And now you know everything. So get on with it."

"You are quite a soul reader yourself, Edward." Aro mused. "Though you can read her sister's thoughts, you can't read Bella's." His eyes moved to Cori for a moment before he looked at Bella. "Fascinating." He took a step back and looked at the older of the two humans. "I would love to see if... you are an exception to my gifts, as well." He held his hand out. "Would you do me the honor?" Bella hesitated for a moment before she stepped forward, placing her hand in his. But his amusement was gone when he tried, but failed to see into her head. "Interesting. Hmm. I see nothing." He let her hand go and turned, walking away from them. "I wonder... Let us see if she's immune to all our powers." He turned back around. "Shall we, Jane?"

"No." Edward moved, putting himself in front of Bella.

"Pain." The word left her lips like a breath and his entire body froze before he collapsed, inaudible groans leaving him. Cori's hands shook, tears filling her eyes, she wasn't very fond of him but she couldn't help it.

"Stop." Bella moved forward as Cori tucked her face into Travis' arm, but before the older Swan could get anywhere Jane's brother stopped her, pushing her back as Alice kneeled next to her brother. "Stop. Please, stop! Just stop hurting him! Please! Please!"

"Jane?" Aro spoke, his voice smooth.

"Master?" She turned her head towards him and Edward let out a gasp of relief. Travis leaned into Cori a little, not putting much of his weight against her, but just enough to give her some comfort.

"Go ahead, my dear." He told her and she settled her eyes on Bella.

"This may hurt just a little." She smirked, but when nothing happened, it dropped and Aro laughed, the sound echoing around the room and that alone had Cori flinching a little.

"Remarkable!" He mused. "So she confounds us all. So what do we do with you now?"

"You already know what you're going to do, Aro." The other raven-haired vampire spoke from where he sat on his throne.

"She knows too much." The blonde man in the other throne stated. "She's a liability. They both are."

Aro hummed, nothing more than a sound of acknowledgement, as his eyes moved between the two Swans - the oldest hadn't taken her eyes off of him but the youngest, had barely looked his way at all. She was scared, terrified and they all knew it. "Oh, Little One." He smiled, his eyes on Cori and her blue eyes met his. "No need to be afraid." Travis shifted on his feet as Cori shuffled behind him, merely peering at the older vampire around his arm. "And what is your name?" He knew. She had been in Edward's thoughts quite a bit if for no other reason then she completely confused him.

She swallowed the lump in her throat, wiping at her cheeks as she moved a little, standing next to Travis instead of behind him. "Coraline."

"Lovely." He mused and the blonde man behind him merely rolled his eyes. "And why have you come?"

"She's my sister. I'd do anything for her."

He hummed. "Despite your dislike of Edward?"

"Yes."

He paused for a moment, that small smile pulled at the corner of his lips as he clasped his hands together in front of him. She had barely spoken, she barely moved, still it was true that she knew too much - even if she felt like she knew nothing at all. "Felix. Demetri." Their names a simple command.

The bigger vampire started towards Bella, only to have Edward flip her over his shoulder before he charged. Demetri, the shorter vampire, smirked, but it faltered when Travis put himself between him and the small human.

Cori let out a small squeak as the vampires sped around the room locked in a fight, she tried to keep her eyes on Travis but they moved too damn fast for her to see much of anything as Alice pulled Cori to her. But she could hear the creaking of the floor, the breaking of a concrete bench, and the shattering of marble. And the fighting only came to a stop when Travis had Demetri pinned to the floor, his head slightly twisted to the side and a snarl contouring his features, which took Cori but surprise... he looked completely different.

On the other side of the room, Felix had gotten the upper hand, he had Edward on his knees before the Volturi kings, his head twisted ready to rip it off.

"Please! No! No! Please, please!" Bella shouted and Aro turned towards her, slightly stunned, but he held his hands up to stop Felix. "Kill me! Kill me. Not him."

"Are you crazy!" Cori shouted, which shocked nearly everyone in the room. Travis loosened his grip only to have Demetri shake him off and get behind him, his hand around his neck, but his eyes on Aro. "No, Bella!"

"I can't let him die." Bella shook her head, turning towards her sister.

"And I can't let you die." Her teary eyes moved toward Aro as she stood as tall as she possibly could - her shoulders back and her chin held high. "Kill me, turn me. I don't care but don't kill my sister or her lame ass boyfriend. Please. An-and let Travis go."

"Cori-" Travis tried but she simply shook her head to stop him.

"I'll do whatever you want, just please, don't kill my sister."

"How extraordinary." Aro mused, making his way towards the two Swans, his eyes on Bella. "You would give up your life for someone like us." He turned towards Cori, who fought the urge to cower away from his blood, red eyes. "And you..." He almost chuckled. "So quiet, so scared. You would trade your life for your sister's happiness." He had never been so befuddled by humans before. "And you do make such an intriguing offer." He mused before looking back at Edward. "If only it were your intention to give her immortality." His eyes moved from Cori to Bella and he started forward.

"No!" Cori put herself between them. "Just kill me please." She begged, trying to shield Bella with her body but it wasn't exactly working.

"As you wish, Little One." He hummed and moved closer, she closed her eyes as he leaned forward, taking a deep breath and inhaling her scent - she smelt sweet and he could already taste it.

"Wait!" Alice shouted, stopping Aro. "Bella will be one of us. So will Cori." The little Swan let out a small breath and turned to face the woman, ready to disagree. She didn't want to be one of them, she liked being human. She liked her human life, she liked her human friends – even if a few of them weren't entirely human. "I've seen it. I'll change them myself."

Aro, intrigued, held his hand out and she stepped forward as she pulled her glove off. She placed her hand in his and he cradled it close as the vision filled his head...

It started with Edward running through the woods, but he was joined by Bella. Her eyes a golden color and her skin sparkling as the light hit it. Then it changed... a big vampire stood in the forest, a smirk on his lips as he looked around, listening for movement and suddenly Cori dropped down from the tree above him. He fell to the ground, the girl landing on top of him with an accomplished smirk on her face. Her eyes no longer a bright shade of blue, but it faded as he flipped them, pinning her to the ground as a ray of sunlight filtered in through the tree braces, both shining in the sun as he leaned down...

"Mesmerizing." Aro mused, still holding tight to her hand as he came out of the vision. "To see what you have seen before it has happened." He then turned towards the Swan sisters. "Your gifts will make for an intriguing immortal." He told the oldest before he reached a hand out and caressed Cori's cheek and despite everything in her she didn't flinch away from him. "And you, Coraline, oh, how I can't wait to see what becomes of you, of your bravery." She held her breath as she held his gaze and that alone had a small smirk tugging at his lips. "Go now." He turned slightly, looking towards Edward before looking at Alice then Travis. "Make your preparations." Feilx released Edward and Demetri let go of Travis.

"Let us be done with this." The raven-haired vampire spoke as he stood from his throne. "Heidi will arrive any moment." He looked out at the five before him. "Thank you for your visit."

"We will return the favor." The blond that was still perched upon his throne spoke. "I would advise that you follow through on your promise soon. We do not offer second chances."

Travis wrapped his hand around Cori's and started for the door, Alice close behind them with Bella and Edward behind her. "Goodbye, my young friends." Aro told them as they left the room, the door closing with a thunk behind them.