Victoria's POV:
Rejection is something that I've never handled well. I have never loved anyone the way I love Bella. I would burn the entire world to the ground to protect her. I have changed every horrible instinct within myself to match her moral standards. I gave up mouthwatering, thirst-quenching human blood for her. I look at humans with a different perspective now and see them as living beings with feelings and not just another midnight snack. I have done all of this to prove to Bella that I am no longer the monster she once knew. Yet, she still denies my love for her. She still doesn't trust me. It has been three years since Edward joined the Volturi. Three years since Rose took her human form back and had a child. Three years that I have been asking her to marry me.
Every proposal is met with rejection. I never really believed in the institution of marriage. That is until I met Bella and realized I never wanted to be without her. The realization that I wanted to be tied to her in every way possible. I have completely changed myself for her, but it isn't enough. How many times will I have to ask before she finally accepts me? What more could I possibly do to become the person she wants to spend the rest of her life with? If I change any more about myself, there will be nothing left of me. We have traveled the world together and I've proposed at the top of mount Everest and down to the pits of an inactive volcano. Nothing is good enough for her though.
"Are you still mad?" A quiet voice breaks me from my thoughts. I turn to see Bella anxiously wringing her hands. We just returned home from our latest trip. It seems she is finally ready to talk.
"Why am I not good enough for you?" I ask in desperation.
"You are." Bella mumbles in agitation.
"Am I? Because you don't really seem too keen on wanting to spend your existence with me."
"Of course, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You know I do." Bella argues.
"I don't, actually. You act like this is some fling. Like I'm going to just disappear some day and you'll never see me again. I've been by your side every day for three years, Bella. When are you going to trust me?" I plead, exasperated.
"I've already had my heart broken once; I won't go through that again. I read your mind once, remember. You were going to use me to get to Edward. That isn't just something that I can easily forgive." Bella flops down on the bed in irritation.
"I'm not Edward. I would never just abandon you. You also saw my true feelings for you when you read my mind. Why isn't that enough? When will you stop hanging that over my head? I've given you everything you have ever asked for. I've changed myself entirely for you. What more could you possibly want from me, Bella?" I'm almost yelling now. I realize that she has every right to be angry that I once wanted to use her as bait to get to Edward, but I've been trying to make up for that for years. What else do I have left to prove?
"I never asked you to change everything about yourself. You did that because you knew the things you were doing were immoral. That being said, I do appreciate that you wanted to change those things about yourself for me. I'm sorry. You know that I have trust issues. I know deep down that you would never do what Edward did. I don't mean to punish you for his mistakes." Bella says in a soft tone.
"If you know that then why won't you marry me?" I ask, confused.
"It isn't about me not wanting to spend the rest of my existence with you. I just don't believe in the notion of marriage. I'm a child of divorce. I just never really imagined getting married because so many marriages end in divorce. I want to spend every moment of my life with you but marriage to me is just a piece of paper." Bella explains.
"I can understand that reasoning. It is enough though. It means so much more than that. We live in a time where gay marriage is finally legal. New York just legalized it. I mean I want to be able to call you my wife, not just my mate." I respond with intense passion.
"So, you want to get married in New York?" Bella asks with a mischievous smile.
"Well no, actually. I want to get married in Argentina." I smile.
"Why Argentina?"
"I'm not sure if you've ever been but it's beautiful there. I spent some time there for a few years and it's just different. The people are lively, the scenery is gorgeous, and the building I had in mind is something right out of a fairytale." I zone out, reminiscing in nostalgia.
"It does sound pretty romantic. I would love to see it. Look, if marriage is really this important to you, then I will consider it. On one condition though." Bella says.
"Really? Anything! Just name it!" I scream excitedly.
"You have to promise that you will always be honest with me. A marriage would never work if I can't trust you." Bella says with a hint of pain in her eyes.
"I will never lie to you. I will never keep anything from you. I will do whatever you need me to do if it means I can spend the rest of my life with you!" I say taking Bella by the hand.
I kneel down in front of the bed, facing her.
"I have never loved anyone the way that I love you. You have a unique perspective of the world, and it would be a much better place if more people like you existed. You found a way to give me my humanity back and I will owe you for that until the end of time. Nothing in this world will ever matter to me as much as you do. I will be by your side until earth stops spinning, and even then, gravity won't keep us apart. I love you, Bella. Will you marry me?" The hope in my voice fills the room as I speak.
"Yes. I will marry you." Bella sounded choked up as if she would cry.
I produce a ring from my pocket and slide the gold band onto her ring finger.
"Oh my god. This is beautiful. What happened here though?" Bella asks, pointing to one of the missing diamonds. The gold band held a row of three diamonds and three rubies, but the seventh slot was empty.
"Well, it's the only thing I have left of my sister Anne. After the Volturi destroyed her, I found it lying in the snow. I assume one of the diamonds broke when she was fighting them." I explain while standing up and sitting next to her on the bed.
"Woah, I can't accept this. If it's the only thing you have left of your sister, you have to keep it." Bella says, sliding the ring of her finger.
"No." I grab her hand with one quick motion before she gets the ring off. "This is what you mean to me, Bella. I want you to keep it. It might be just a ring, but it deserves to be worn by someone worthy of it. That someone is you. I don't trust anyone more than you with it."
"Uh... Thank you. That really means a lot to me. I will protect it with my life." Bella smiles softly and slides the ring back over her finger. I wrap my arms around her pulling her in a tight hug and she kisses me gently.
"Yayyyyyy!" Bella and I both jump at the sound of Alice's voice.
I look around but can't see her. She giggles and my eyes shoot toward the window. There Alice is, sitting in a tree with a camera in her hand.
"Alice!" Bella chides her.
"I'm sorry. I saw your decision in a vision and sprinted over here to capture the moment." Alice says excitedly, swinging from the tree into the open window.
"You've got to be kidding me." Bella says, rolling her eyes.
"Nope, you two will forever be caught in the image of you saying yes." Alice says, prancing over happily to show us. It is a beautiful photo.
"We should frame this." I suggest. Bella rolls her eyes.
"Oh, let's talk wedding plans!" Alice grabs my hand and leads me out of the room. I hear Bella chuckle and then groan as she falls back onto the bed.
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Bella's POV:
Marriage... It was definitely not something I ever thought was in the cards for me. Most girls imagine their wedding and what the future would hold for them with their prince charming. I don't believe in prince charming. I might've once after meeting Edward but honestly, my human memories are a bit hazy. I know I loved him, and I know I wanted to die after he left me, but those feelings just aren't there anymore. The only thing I feel for him now is... hatred.
The first time Victoria proposed to me was a year and half after we started our relationship. It was such a shock that I blurted out "You're joking, right?" I instantly regretted it. Victoria's eyes filled with sadness, and I swore I could see a tear form in her eye, even though that isn't possible. I never intended to hurt her; I was just shocked. When I realized she was serious I told her that I just wasn't ready. She seemed to accept that answer and waited another year. She took me to inactive Volcano and as we were exploring it, she dropped to one knee and proposed again. I told her I still wasn't ready.
The third proposal was on our most recent trip, at the top of Mount Everest. We scaled the mountain during the night and even ran into a couple of human bystanders. They were climbing the mountain as well. Luckily Victoria planned the trip accordingly and we were dressed to look like fellow mountain climbers. We reached the peak of the mountain pretty quickly and just stared at the stars for what seemed like hours. Victoria poured her heart and soul out to me and yet again asked if I would marry her. I couldn't even respond. I didn't have the heart to tell her no a third time. My hesitation was enough for her to accept the answer as a no. Victoria's eyes filled with rage. She didn't speak, she just walked away. I followed her for a moment and upon hearing my distant footsteps in the snow Victoria sprinted over the side of the mountain. Her orange hair disappearing into the dark. Just as I was getting ready to jump after her, footsteps approached. I turned in time to see the human couple's heads appear over the ridge behind me.
"Where did your friend go?" The woman asked as she tried to catch her breath.
"Oh, she decided to head back down..." I responded with irritation in my voice.
"Really? We didn't see her pass us on the way up." The man responds.
"She took another route." I practically growled.
I could hear the couple talking about me as I descended the mountain the normal way. The man suggested that I pushed Victoria over the edge. The wife agreed that our interaction was strange but changed the subject. I made my way back to the airport and waited for two days for Victoria. I was so angry about her disappearing that I didn't speak to her the entire flight home. I of course understood why she was upset, but usually people discuss wanting marriage. We never did.
I agreed to marry Victoria this time because this relationship shouldn't just be about what I want. I love her and will do anything to make her happy. I'll still see our marriage as a piece of paper, but I already expect to spend the rest of my existence with her. So why not let her have the only thing she has ever asked of me? Victoria truly has changed for the better and I honestly don't believe that would've been possible had I not encouraged her in the right direction. Still, a small part of me thinks that she will just disappear one day. This all seems too good to be true.
"Argentina? I hope you want a night wedding otherwise we'll all be glowing like disco balls." Alices voice breaks me from thoughts. I lay in bed and listen as Victoria and Alice plan our wedding.
"You've been to Argentina, so you know how stunning it is there. Let me show you the venue I had in mind." Victoria responds. I hear keys clicking away at the computer.
"Oh, that is perfect! Bella is going to love it! now, let's talk wedding dresses." Alice responds.
I groan and roll over in the bed, pulling a pillow around my face. I wish I could sleep. In this moment I wish I didn't have super hearing.
"I heard that!" Alice calls up the stairs.
I couldn't bear to listen to it anymore, so I jump out of bed and climb out of my window. I drop to the ground and sprint of into the forest. I run until I reach our special spot by the river, then I sit in the sand and listen to the water trickle. It's a windy autumn night. The breeze is strong, and the smell of rain plagues my nose. I miss the sun. I want to move somewhere that has never been touched by man. I want to dance in the sun and feel the warmth touch my ice-cold skin. I don't feel cold or feel anything really, but it would be nice to walk around on a sunny day and just enjoy my existence. I look up at the sky in search of the moon or the stars, but clouds completely blanket the sky. I scoff in disappointment. This isn't as peaceful as I thought it would be.
With that thought in mind I stand and then sprint into the trees. I need to clear my mind and a nice run would help. I made a promise to human once that I would be watching him until the end of time to make sure he held up his promise to not harm his family anymore. I decide that is what I'll do. I sprint towards town, in the direction of the family's trailer. After about fifteen minutes of running, I arrive. I sneak around to the back window of the trailer and peak inside.
The man, his wife, and child sit at the kitchen table. Pumpkin guts litter the table as the family carve them together laughing. I inhale and through the partially open window to see if I can detect even a hint of alcohol in the air. My nose is met with pumpkin and human blood, completely alcohol free. I'm pleasantly surprised. I have been watching the family since the night I was reborn, and the man has stuck to his word. He treats his wife with respect, and I haven't smelled alcohol on the premises since that night. I have Victoria to thank for that night. I almost made the mistake of ending his life and tearing apart this family.
My phone begins to ring in my back pocket. The volume of my ringtone is just loud enough to alert the family. The man's head snaps towards the window and his face goes white upon seeing me. I dart of into the trees, and shimmy up one. I listen and watch as his chair scrapes against the linoleum floor.
"Honey, what is it?" The woman asks.
I watch as the man comes to the window and peaks his head out. He scans the trees with his weak human eyes but doesn't spot me. Fear is in his eyes and a bead of sweat trickles from his forehead and drips down to his plaid flannel shirt.
"Oh, I just thought I heard something." The man says, closing the window and locking it. Knowing full well that the measly little lock wouldn't keep me out if I wanted in. The man rejoins his family. My phone starts ringing again. I steady myself on a tree branch and pull it out to see Rosalie's name on the caller ID. Why would she be calling me?
"Hello? Rose? Is everything okay?" I ask with concern.
"Bella, help me...." Rosalie urgently whispers into the phone.
________________________________________________________________
Rosalie's POV:
"Theo, honey. Could you please stop moving?" I grasp my child's arm as I try to put his jacket on him.
"We go?" Theo asks with excitement in his eyes.
"Yes, we go. We have to go pick up some groceries for dinner." I say as I slip his jacket on and carry him out to the car. Emmett is out on a hunt, and we need to eat as well. Our quest will be much simpler. It's easier to just go buy food rather than have to hunt it down. I definitely don't miss that.
I buckle Theo in and then climb into the driver seat of my minivan. Why Emmett thought it was necessary to buy a minivan is beyond me. We agreed to have one child. I so desperately wanted to be human and have kids, but I never took into account just how painful pregnancy would be. We also decided it would be best to find a place of our own. It didn't make sense for us to live in a house full of vampires with a human child that gets more scrapes than the average child. Theo is a lot like Emmett in that way. He's adventurous and often finds a way to get hurt. I mean we baby proofed the entire house and still, he finds a way.
I back up out of our driveway and start the drive towards Forks. We decided it would be best to live in a wooded area so that Emmett could hunt twice a week. He insisted that he do it just to be safe. That being said he is an amazing father. I never imagined he would take on being a father so well, but I honestly think he might love our child more than he loves me. That's okay though because I love Theo more than anyone or anything in this entire world. Emmett is my soulmate, and we are incredible parents. This child may never understand just how lucky he is.
As I drive I think of how grateful I am to have the life that I have. I have lived longer than any human should and experienced things that come from fairytales... or horror novels, I can't decide which. Either way, I'm happy. The only thing that would make my life more perfect would be if Emmett were human as well. Before I turned human, I retraced my steps back to where I found him all those years ago. I found the exact tree that he was lying under while being mauled by that bear. I sniffed the ground in hopes that I could find even a hint of his blood. Of course there wasn't. It wasn't logical to find a trace of blood after it had been left outside for decades, washed away by rain. I was lucky to have buried my bloody blouse in a glass container. I knew it would degrade over time if it had been buried in the dirt.
Never the less I have been granted the life I've always dreamed of and even though Emmett won't age with me, we still have a long time together. The thought of that brings tears to my eyes. I often find myself thinking about how one day, I will no longer exist. Emmett will still have a part of me, our child. But maybe that isn't enough. One day Emmett will find himself all alone and the thought of that just rips my heart into pieces. Maybe I've made a terrible mistake. The thought of not being with Emmett for... well forever, brings on a lot of anxiety. I take a deep breath and remind myself that this is what I signed up for. I may possibly have Carlisle turn me again when my son becomes of age. I haven't discussed that with Emmett yet but I think he would fully be on board. If my child decides that he wants to change one day, we could be together forever. A happy family.
"Mommy, look." Theo says pointing at the trees. I wipe my eyes and look over for a moment at the trees but see nothing.
"What do you see?" I ask.
"A man." Theo points to the trees again.
I slow the van down a bit and looker closer. I still just see the trees whipping by. Just when I start to look away something catches my attention. A cloaked figure darted through the trees, matching the pace that I'm driving.
"What the h..." My sentence is abruptly cut short as my vehicle crashes into something in the middle of the road. The momentum of the crash sends us flying. The van rolled through the air and then crashed back into the ground, landing on the roof. My head slammed into the dashboard multiple times and blood streamed up into my hair as we are hanging upside down. My ribs screamed in agony as they had been fractured from my seatbelt. The pain was nothing though compared to the fear that I felt for my child.
"THEO!!" I scream as I struggled to unbuckle my seatbelt. My bloody fingers slip on the buckle as it refuses to unlatch.
"Theo, talk to me baby! Are you okay!" I look around to see the windshield had been shattered and glass littered the roof of the van. I reached out to sort through it, looking for a piece sharp enough to cut through my seat belt. The pain in my ribs intensifies as I move my arms and scream in agony.
"Mommy?" Theo calls from the back seat.
"Oh my god. Are you hurt baby? Does anything hurt?" I cry out in relief.
"No, I no hurt. Mommy you're bweeding." I feel Theo's hand on the back of my head.
"Mommy is okay baby. Mommy's fine. I'm going to get us out of here, okay?" I say as my hand grasps a large piece of glass. I instantly get to work, sawing away at the seatbelt.
"Otay mommy. Look, it's the man!" Theo says with happiness in his voice.
"What? What man?" I ask. I stop sawing and look out the crushed driver side window.
A cloaked figure is walking toward the van from the woods. I grasp the glass tighter and start cutting the seatbelt faster. That cloaked figure was someone from the Volturi. They must've been what I hit in the road. I continue ripping at the belt with the glass as they get closer. They could run at superhuman speed, why were they taking their time? The belt finally gives way and I fall to the roof of the fan. I gasp in pain as another one of my ribs break. After taking a moment to regain my composure I lean up and shift towards the back seat. Theo is just dangling there in his car seat, not a scratch on him.
I pull myself toward him and struggle with his car seat buckle for only a moment. It unlatches, Theo falls, and I catch him in my lap. I wrap my arms around him in a tight embrace and then reach for my jacket pocket, pulling out my phone. If the Volturi are here, then that means they found out I'm no longer immortal and they see me a threat. I need to call the strongest vampire I know to protect my child. Blood drips onto my phone screen from my face. I pull up my contacts and dial. The phone rings once and then goes to voicemail.
"Please, pick up." I mutter in pain. I redial.
"Hello? Rose? Is everything okay?"
"Bella, help me..." The sound of footsteps approaching silence me.
"Rose, what happened? What's wrong?" Bella asks with concern.
"Theo and I are on Calawah Way road. Get here now, the Volturi...." The van door flies open and is ripped from the hinges. I back up towards the driver side of the van, but a hand reaches in and grabs my foot, pulling me out. I scream in pain as Theo and I are dragged out onto the pavement. The pain in my ribs flare up as my body is being tugged.
"I'm coming, I'm close!" I hear Bella shout through the phone speaker. A familiar face rips the phone from my hands and crushes it in one swift move.
"Felix? Why are you here?" I stammer between coughs, gripping Theo as tightly as I can with both arms.
"Because you've been up to no good." A very familiar voice starts tsking from behind me.
I turn my head to see Jane walking into view.
"What do you want? Where is Edward?" I ask, fear masking the pain in my voice.
"You broke the rules, Rosalie." Jane hisses my name.
"Where is Edward?" I shout again.
"He's off on business, doing something for Aro."
"Why are you here? I'm not going to tell anyone anything. I have no reason to." I plead.
"Doesn't matter... The Volturi don't offer second chances. Give us the child, Rosalie." Jane demands.
"What? NO!" I grip Theo tighter.
"You know you don't have a choice. Give us the child before we have to take him by force!" Jane demands yet again.
"You are NOT taking my baby!" I shout. Theo begins to cry.
"I have orders." Jane smiles.
Suddenly pain washes over my entire body. I scream in pain but tighten my grip on Theo. Where the hell is Bella? She said she was close. The pain radiates through my entire being. I continue screaming, purposefully loud so Bella can find us quicker.
"Give us the child or we kill him right now." Jane threatens. Janes power begins to subside. I stop screaming.
"Please. I'm begging you. Don't hurt my baby!" I cry, fresh hot tears stinging my eyes as they escape.
"We won't have to if you give him up willingly." Felix speaks up. His blood red eyes look down on me in pity.
"You're dying either way. Give us the child and we will keep him safe." Jane says with a childlike smile.
"Why do you want him?" I ask, my throat tight with fear.
"Aro has plans for him. When he is of age, he will be turned into one of us. We have no intentions of bringing harm to him. I'm ready to go home so make this easier for us and hand him over." Jane says with irritation.
"No. You are not taking my child." I hold on to Theo with all of my might. I start scooting backwards as fast as I possibly can.
Within a second my arms are ripped open, and Theo is in Jane's grasp.
"NO, THEO!" I scream and try to stand. Suddenly a very heavy pressure is on my chest, holding me to the ground.
"Finish it." Jane says and turns away, walking towards the woods.
"Mommy!" Theo is crying, reaching his hands out towards me.
"Turn your head baby. It's okay. Daddy will find you! Just look away Theo." I plead, knowing he shouldn't have to watch me die. Jane takes off into the woods. I watch as Theo fades into the trees, fully knowing I will never see him again.
"I'm sorry." Felix says under his breath.
"I love you Theo." I choke out as Felix's foot presses harder on my chest. Threatening to break the rest of my ribs.
"NO!" I hear shouting from behind me.
"Get off of her!" Felix's head snaps up in the direction of the yelling.
In the blink of an eye Felix is flying through the air. His body soaring at least a hundred feet away. I look up to see Bella standing above me. Felix isn't fazed and is already running back. Bella raises her arms in a defensive position and her shield starts to radiate from her body. Before it can fully form, Felix is back. His right fist shot out and connected with Bella's chest. Upon impact a loud boom is heard, and Bella was now flying through the air. I couldn't see how far she went but after a moment I heard a thud and what sounded like a tree falling.
Felix is standing above me again. He leans down and grabs me by throat, lifting my body into the air effortlessly. His grip tightens and I feel my windpipe crushing in his mighty grasp. The world begins to fade to black. Red dots fill my vision as my throat is crushed by an outstanding force. The world becomes dark, and my body is tossed to the ground. I hear his footsteps fade away quickly and then a light tap on my shoulder. My body aches but I open my eyes to see Bella leaning over me. I try to breathe and am met with a violent pain in my throat. I gasp for air, clutching at my throat.
"Rose, I'm here. I'm going to heal you. Please, don't die!" Bella sobs.
As I struggle to breathe, I see Bella's red shield around us. At least we're safe in here. I struggle to gasp for air as I watch Bella close her eyes and focus. Nothing is happening though. I feel the darkness returning and instantly knew I only had one choice left. I lift my hand and rest it on Bella's arm. She opens her eyes and looks at me.
With every ounce of strength in my body I say "Ch.. change... me".
_________________________________________________________
Bella's POV:
I hover above Rose, staring at her in astonishment. Her broken crippled body somehow managing to fight for her life. She should be dead. Her words sent a chill through my spine.
"I can heal you. Please just hold on a little longer." I plead. I close my eyes and try to focus on healing her, but the smell of her blood sets my throat ablaze.
"Pl.. please. Dying. Change me... NOW!" Rose manages to croak out. She loses consciousness and her heartbeat begins to slow.
I close my eyes and focus harder. Her face wounds begin to close but I can feel her broken bones and they aren't shifting. I haven't fed in two weeks, I'm not strong enough. I have no choice but to change her. I just have to bite long enough for the venom to enter her blood stream. I can't do this. I'll never be able to stop. But if i don't try she is going to die right here and now.
"I've stopped myself before, I can do this." I say out loud, trying to convince myself.
I lean down and bite into Rosalie's bloody, bruised neck. Her mouth watering Blood instantly starts pooling into my mouth. A frenzy begins, I begin sucking her blood down faster than anything I've ever done in my life. Victoria isn't here to stop me this time. I could do it. I could drain her, and no one would ever know.
NO.
I can't do that. I have to stop. I have to stop. I have to stop.
With every ounce of power in my being, I leap back and focus the shield to form around Rosalie. I quickly reach into my pocket and retrieve my phone and start dialing. The phone rings once and Victoria answers. I explain everything as fast as I possibly can and tell her to get everyone here immediately. Without questions I hear Victoria tell Alice to call Carlisle.
"We'll be there as soon as possible!"
"Vi, stay on the phone with me? I'm not strong enough to do this on my own." I plead.
"Bella, you will be okay. Just keep Rosalie's heart beating. Put me on speaker if you have to." Victoria instructs.
I didn't even think about that. I can't hear Rosalie's heartbeat with her in the shield. I put Victoria on speaker phone and then withdrew my shield. The smell of Rosalie's blood fills my nostrils, and my throat is yet again on fire. I growl in hunger.
"Fight it, Bella!" Victoria's voice says through the phone. "We're almost there!"
I lean down next to Rosalie, holding my breath. I don't hear a heartbeat. I lay my head on her chest and then a I hear a faint fluttering sound. Rosalie's heart was going to give out. I immediately start gentle compressions. Something lying next to Rose catches my attention. A single child's shoe. Oh my god. Theo. Where is Theo?
"Vi, you need to hurry!" I yell at the phone.
"We're just down the street!" Victoria responds. I hear her say it in person and not through the phone, so they really are close.
"We're here!" Victoria yells, full sprinting towards me. I continue compressions and Victoria tilts Rose's head back to open her airways.
"A large guy from the Volturi crushed her throat. She might not be able to breath on her own." I inform Victoria. She leans down and begins giving rose mouth to mouth. After about a minute everyone is here.
"Bella, let me take over." Carlisle says, kneeling down next to me.
"No, if I stop, she might die." I sob.
"Bella, you've done everything you can. The venom is working. We need to transport her home. Let us take her home." Carlisle pleads.
I give up and quickly move out of the way. Carlisle scoops Rose into his arms and darts off. Esme leans down to where Rose's body had been laying and picks up Theo's shoe.
"Where is he? Where is my grandson?" Esme asks, standing quickly.
"I'm not sure... I think the Volturi took him." I stammer.
We all take off after Carlisle. When we arrive at the Cullen's house, we find Evie waiting outside. Victoria must've called her also and filled her in. One after the other we all pile into the house and find Rosalie on a bed in the den. Carlisle hooked Rose up to a machine that was breathing for her. I pull Victoria down onto the couch next to me and clutch her hand in mine. We wait.
Rosalie regains consciousness after the first hour, screaming in pain. After a few minutes she found the strength to ask where Emmett is. Her voice hoarse and strained, barely coming out as a squeak.
"We're not sure. No one can reach him. Jasper and Alice are out looking for him now." Esme says softly.
"He was hunting near our house. Look there. He needs to go get out child back." Rosalie starts sobbing. Tears flow down her cheeks as she tries to speak.
"Who took Theo? We need to know so we can move as soon as you're ready." Carlisle asks.
"Jane and Felix. Don't wait for me, go now. I will catch up." Rosalie insists in a whisper.
"No need. Because you've had venom in your blood before, the transition will only take a few hours." Evie speaks up from across the room. A look of relief spreads across Rosalie's face and then she cries out in pain. The venom attacking all of her cells at an alarming rate is making her sweat. After a few moments, she is out again.
Three hours in, Emmett finally appears after Alice found him.
"What happened? Where is my son." He growled.
We explain everything to him, and a look of pure fury filled his face.
"I need to go now. They can't just abduct my child and attempt to kill my wife. They are going to pay!" Emmett boomed. I have never seen him look so angry. Emmett always has a smile on his face, this new look of his is... intimidating.
"Emmett, wait. I've already called some friends and they're going to meet us in Volterra. The power the Volturi has held over us has gone on long enough. Everyone in our community is tired of living in fear. We're going to put a stop to them and get your son back." Carlisle explains.
"How much longer will Rose's transformation take? I want to go get our son now, but I don't want her to wake up alone." Emmett speaks a little softer now. He takes Rosalie's hand in his.
"It should be anytime now." Evie says, explaining to Emmett how the process works. Emmett gives in and takes a seat next to Rose, watching her impatiently.
Another hour passes. We listen as Rosalie's heartbeat slows. Each beat becoming weaker and weaker until finally...
"Ugh..." Rosalie shoots up, looking around the room in bewilderment.
"I'm not dead?" Rose rubs her hand over her throat and then her ribs.
"Welcome back." Evie says.
"Theo..." Rosalie whispers and shoots out of the bed. Jasper quickly blocks the door.
"Let us explain our pla..." Before Jasper can finish speaking his body flies into the wall as Rosalie flings him out of the way. She is out the door in an instant and is fully speeding through the woods. We all beeline after her, following closely.
"Rosalie, we already have a flight scheduled! It's in two hours!" Alice screams. Rose comes to complete halt and we nearly collide into her.
"I can't wait that long. They have my son!" Rose yells furiously. Her beautiful immortal complexion having returned and her crimson red eyes burning with fury.
"They are likely taking a ship back since they can't fly or swim with him. We'll be there before they arrive. You should take this time to hunt." Carlisle suggests.
Rose thinks about it for a moment. Her face twists in anger and her eyes scan the forest as she debates with herself to leave now or stay and feed. Her eyes stop on Emmett and a new look comes across her face. I couldn't quite tell what she was thinking as her expression quickly returns to anger.
"Fine. Emmett?" Rose's eyes don't break from his for a moment. Then she was gone, he takes off quickly after her.
"I'm going to head home and get cleaned up, we'll be back in an hour." I say, taking Victoria's hand and running in the opposite direction towards our cabin. As soon as we arrive, I make my way to the fridge and begin guzzling down containers of animal blood. The burning in my throat from Rosalie's blood lingered all day.
"Woah slow down. Save some of that for later. You're going to need it for strength." Victoria says in a serious tone.
"I'll get more. You have no idea how badly I need this." I gasp between gulps.
"Sweety, you're going to need more than animal blood to be strong enough to fight the Volturi. For your powers to be at full strength, you're going to need human blood." Victoria says with a mischievous grin.
"I'm not going to kill an innoce..."
"No, you don't have to. Get changed and packed, I'll be back in fifteen." Victoria shoots out the door.
"DON'T HURT ANYONE!" I shout, knowing she can still hear me.
"Yes ma'am." I hear in response.
______________________________________________________
Rosalie's POV:
So many questions race through my mind as I hunt.
What do the Volturi want with my child?
Who told them I was human again?
How did Edward not hear their thoughts when they were planning this?
Why didn't Alice see any of this?
Why didn't Emmett leave the very moment he found out our child was abducted?
The last question made me stop in my tracks. After a few moments Emmett catches up to me. I stare at him for a minute and before I even think about what I'm doing, I pull my arm back and swing at him as hard as I can. My fist connects with his shoulder, and he staggers back a few feet.
"What the hell was that for?" Emmett asks, stunned.
"Why are you still here? Our child is out there with murderous monsters!" I yell.
"Honey, I know. We will get him back, I promise." Emmett tries to reassure me.
"You should've left the moment you found out! Why did it take you so long to hunt? No one could find you." I yell again.
"I lost track of time hunting a bear. I'm sorry but we will get Theo back. You know I will not stop until he is back in our arms, Rose." Emmett says again, gently grabbing my hand and pulling me towards him. I hold myself in place not allowing him to move me. He looks in my eyes and I can see the pain contorting his face. I loosen up, realizing that this isn't his fault.
"I know. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have hit you. I just... he's our son and he's gone. What if we never see him again? What if they already hurt...." I trail off into a sob. I instinctively reach up to wipe my tears away, but my eyes aren't producing any. Right. Immortal.
"Hey, shh. They obviously want him for a reason, so they aren't going to hurt him. We will get him back and every single one of those bastards are going to die." Emmett says in anger.
"Jane told me that Aro plans on turning Theo when he comes of age but why? They could take any child in the world. Why take ours? We're missing something." I ask, thinking out loud.
"I have no clue but we're going to find out soon." Emmett responds.
"Come on, let's finish our hunt and get back. We should go home and pack a bag for Theo as well." I suggest, taking off again.
_____________________________________________________
Victoria's POV:
I race through the trees and think about the events of the night. Bella finally agreed to marry me. After two years of asking she finally said yes. I have a feeling she only said yes to make me happy but I'll take it. I just wish she was more into wedding planning. I want more than anything to make her happy and it would be a lot easier to do if she told me exactly what she wants. I feel i know her pretty well and an extravagant wedding might not be on her wish list. Still, this wedding is for both of us so I'm going all out. I won't wear a white gown but I have something in mind.
I sprint across a highway and the lights of a car distract me from my thoughts. Right, I need to focus on the task at hand. Bella will need human blood to power up for the battle. Her shield will need to be at full capacity and human blood will make that happen. I look for street signs until I see one for the hospital. I change course and run at full speed as the sun begins to rise. I'll have to hurry.
After about five minutes I reach the hospital. I hide in the trees and scan the parking lot. A woman in scrubs is making her way to a vehicle. Her dirty blonde hair is tied up and her scrubs are dirty from the shift she worked. She pulls out her keys from her pocket and I see a flash of white hanging from her scrub shirt. Bingo.
I sprint as fast as I can towards her and snatch the badge off of her scrubs as I pass her. I circle back to the trees and look back to make sure she didn't notice. Of course she didn't. The tired woman climbs into her white four door KIA and then drives off. I casually make my way out of the trees and across the hospital parking lot at human speed. I walk in, avoiding the receptionist and she spoke to a nurse. I duck down a corridor and find my way to what appears to be a storage area for medicine. I use the woman's badge to get in and search signs in the hall for the blood bank lab. I quickly spot it and let myself into there as well.
The far side of the room is lined with refrigerators full of blood. Jack pot. A woman's tote bag full of binders lies on the floor next to a desk. I empty it quickly and start grabbing as much blood from the refrigerators as necessary. When the bag is about halfway full, I throw it over my shoulder and make my way out of the hospital trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. The moment I'm out the door I'm running again and I don't stop until I get to the cabin. Bella is waiting in the living room for me, freshly shower and in a fresh set of clothes. Two bags sit next to her.
"What's that?" She asks curiously.
"This will help you in battle." I say tossing her the bag. Bella opens it up and then looks at me in confusion.
"Where did you get this? Did you steal it from the hospital?"
"Well, you said not to hurt anyone." I state.
"Yes but what if they need this for an emergency?" She asks with annoyance.
"We have an emergency." I shrug.
"Fine. I suppose it will suffice and no one got hurt, so that's a plus." Bella stands and shoves it into her suitcase.
"We should probably get back. Let's go." She walks past me, pulling her bag over her shoulder. Something looks off about her hand.
"Hey, where is your engagement ring?" I ask, realizing that was what is missing.
"Oh. I thought it would be best to leave it here. It has already been broke once by fighting with the Volturi. I just don't want anything to happen to it." Bella says nervously. "Is that okay?"
I stare at her for a moment in thought. "I knew I could trust you with it. I love and appreciate you so much." I pull Bella into a deep, passionate kiss. We stand in a tight embrace for a few minutes and then break apart.
"We better get going." She says and heads for the door.
"What's the rush, we still have an hour and half left." I state.
"Yes, but I need to learn a few fighting techniques. My shield only protects us, it doesn't help me fight though. That giant from the Volturi cracked my chest when he hit me just once. What better way to learn how to fight Vampires than to practice with vampires?" Bella explains and then bounds out the door.
We make it to the Cullen's house in just a few minutes. It's not smart to run during the day but Bella insisted. Everyone is waiting around the living room, bags packed.
"Jasper, can you train us until it's time to leave?" Bella asks.
"Yeah, not a problem." He jumps up with excitement.
We all make our way outside and stand on the deck watching as Jasper shows Bella some defensive techniques. I make my way over to Alice.
"So. Have seen the outcome of this fight yet? You don't seem worried." I ask, wondering why she hasn't said much.
"I... haven't been able to see anything. Regarding any of us. I didn't foresee the Volturi taking Theo. I didn't see Rosalie be turned again, and I haven't been able to see any of the Volturi's decisions. I don't understand why." Alice looks down, contemplating in distress.
"That makes me think that something bigger is happening here." I say, lost in thought.
"I haven't said anything but I haven't seen Edward's future in awhile either. Also he hasn't called lately." Alice says softly. I couldn't care less about Edward but he cares about his family. If he hasn't contacted them in awhile then something may actually be seriously wrong.
"This all seems to familiar. Do you think they could be using the shapeshifter blood again?" I ask curiously. A look of shock washes over Alice's face.
"I didn't even think of that. I have to call Evie. She didn't say anything out of the ordinary when she was here earlier but we should probably find out if she knows anything." Alice flips open her phone and dials.
Everyone stopped what they were doing and of our eyes are focused on Alice. The phone rings a few times and then a woman's voice picks up.
"Alice, I'm almost ready. I'll be on my way in a few minutes." Evie says through the speaker.
"Have any of your people gone missing?" Alice asks.
"What?"
"The Volturi are blocking my visions again. Have anymore of your people gone missing, or anyone else that you might know of who isn't in your clan?" Alice asks hastily.
"Um, no not that I can think of. I mean, Jack willingly left us a while ago but...." Evie trails off.
"But what?"
"We haven't heard from Jack in over a year." Evie states. Jack is the judgmental shapeshifter that was against working with us.
"I'm on my way right now, we'll discuss this more when I get there." Evie hangs up the phone.
"What does this mean?" Esme asks.
"It means that they're using a shapeshifters blood to keep us in the dark. They've been planning this!" Rosalie yells, stepping out of the woods with Emmett at her side.
"Edward would've found out and told us this." Carlisle says.
"Unless he's working with them." I suggest.
"My son would never turn on our family like this. Something is wrong." Esme argues.
"We need to get there, now!" Rosalie insists.
"I've called a friend of mine. He is going to pilot us in his private jet. He'll be ready to leave in an hour." Carlisle states.
"We have to wait for Evie to get here. She's coming with us. So is Otso." Alice chimes in.
"If they're not here in twenty minutes, we're leaving without them." Rosalie practically spits.
"Let's get back to it then, shall we?" Jasper says to Bella, indicating he's ready to continue training her.
After about fifteen minutes of watching Bella and Jasper sprawl in the yard, we hear animal feet sprinting towards us. After a moment a moose and bear immerge from the woods. They both phase into their human forms, standing in the yard fully naked. Each one with a suit case.
"Get dressed. It's time to go get my son back!" Rosalie commands.