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You made your flight with mere seconds to spare, and then the true torture began. The plane sat idle on the tarmac while the flight attendants strolled so casually up and down the aisle, patting the bags in the overhead compartments to make sure everything fit. The pilots leaned out of the cockpit, chatting with them as they passed. Alice's hand was placed on Bella's shoulder, holding her in her seat while she bounced anxiously up and down. "It's faster than running," she reminded her in a low voice. Bella just nodded in time with her bouncing, making you roll her eyes. Humans, you never fully got them anymore.
At last the plane rolled lazily from the gate, building speed with a gradual steadiness. Alice lifted the phone on the back of the seat in front of her before you'd stopped climbing, turning her back on the stewardess who eyed her with disapproval. Something about Bella's expression stopped the stewardess from coming over to protest, making you chuckle. "If looks could kill, right Bella?" you said, giving her a playful smirk, earning you a glare from the human. You chuckled louder and held your hands up in defence, turning your head to look outside the window, listening to what Alice was murmuring to Jasper. "I can't be sure, I keep seeing him do different things, he keeps changing his mind. A killing spree through the city, attacking the guard, lifting a car over his head in the main square, mostly things that would expose them. He knows that's the fastest way to force a reaction." You rolled your eyes. Really? There was nothing more original he could do?
"No, you can't." Alice's voice dropped till it was nearly inaudible. "Tell Emmett no. Well, go after Emmett and Rosalie and bring them back. Think about it, Jasper. If he sees any of us, what do you think he will do?" She nodded. "Exactly. I think Bella is the only chance, if there is a chance I'll do everything that can be done, but prepare Carlisle; the odds aren't good." She laughed then, and there was a catch in her voice. "I've thought of that. Yes, I promise." Her voice became pleading. "Don't follow me. I promise, Jasper. One way or another, I'll get out. And I love you." She hung up, and leaned back in her seat with her eyes closed.
"I hate lying to him." "Tell me everything, Alice," Bella begged. "I don't understand. Why did you tell Jasper to stop Emmett, why can't they come help us?" "Two reasons," she whispered, her eyes still closed. "The first I told him. We could try to stop Edward ourselves if Emmett could get his hands on him, we might be able to stop him long enough to convince him you're alive. But we can't sneak up on Edward. And if he sees us coming for him, he'll just act that much faster. He'll throw a car through a wall or something, and the Volturi will take him down. "That's the second reason of course, the reason I couldn't say to Jasper. Because if they're there and the Volturi kill Edward, they'll fight them. Bella." She opened her eyes and stared at Bella, beseeching. "If there were any chance we could win if there were a way that the five of us could save my brother by fighting for him, maybe it would be different. But we can't, and, Bella, I can't lose Jasper like that." You bit your lip. Even though you were the strongest of the Cullens, even stronger than Emmett, you knew you didn't stand a chance against their other gifts. Bella truly was the only way to save your brother.
Alice was protecting Jasper, at your expense, and maybe at Edward's, too. Bella nodded. "Couldn't Edward hear you, though.'" She asked. "Wouldn't he know, as soon as he heard your thoughts, that I was alive, that there was no point to this?"
"If he were listening," she explained. "But believe it or not, it's possible to lie with your thoughts. If you had died, I would still try to stop him. And I would be thinking 'she's alive, she's alive' as hard as I could. He knows that." Bella grounded her teeth in mute frustration. "If there were any way to do this without you, Bella, I wouldn't be endangering you like this. It's very wrong of me." "Don't be stupid. I'm the last thing you should be worrying about." Bella shook her head impatiently. "Tell me what you meant, about hating to lie to Jasper." Alice smiled a grim smile. "I promised him I would get out before they killed me, too. It's not something I can guarantee not by a long shot." She raised her eyebrows.
"Who are these Volturi?" Bella demanded in a whisper. "What makes them so much more dangerous than Emmett, Jasper, Rosalie, (Y/N) and you?" You took a deep breath, deciding to mend into the conversation, while Alice abruptly levelled a dark glance over Bella's shoulder. You turned in time to see the man in the aisle seat looking away as if he wasn't listening to us. He appeared to be a businessman, in a dark suit with a power tie and a laptop on his knees. While Bella stared at him with irritation, he opened the computer and very conspicuously put headphones on. Bella leaned closer to you. Your lips were at her ears as you breathed the story, trying to not be distracted by the blood that flowed through her veins, which made the fire in your throat burn.
"I was surprised that you recognized thename," you said. "That you understood so immediately what it meant when Alice said he was going to Italy. I thoughtwe would have to explain. How much did Edward tell you?" You asked. "Hejust said they were an old, powerful family like royalty. That you didn't antagonize themunless you wanted to die," she whispered.
"You have to understand," you said, your voice slower, more measurednow. "We Cullens are unique in more ways than you know. It's abnormal forso many of us to live together in peace. It's the same for Tanya's family inthe north, and Carlisle speculates that abstaining makes it easier for us to becivilized, to form bonds based on love rather than survival or convenience.Even James's little coven of three was unusually large and you saw how easily Laurent left them. Ourkind travel alone, or in pairs, as a general rule. Carlisle's family is thebiggest in existence, as far as I know, with the one exception. The Volturi."You said, watching Alice closely for any signs any of the other humans tried tolisten in on the conversation.
"There were three of them originally, Aro, Caius, and Marcus." Youcontinued. "I've seen them," Bella mumbled. "In the picture inCarlisle's study." You nodded. "Two females joined them over time,and the five of them make up the family. I'm not sure, but I suspect that theirage is what gives them the ability to live peacefully together. They are wellover three thousand years old. Or maybe it's their gifts that give them extratolerance. Like Edward and Alice, Aro and Marcus are talented." Youcontinued before Bella could ask. "Or maybe it's just their love of powerthat binds them together. Royalty is an apt description." "But ifthere are only five.""Five that make up the family," you corrected. "That doesn'tinclude their guard." Bella took a deep breath. "That sounds serious.""Oh, it is," you assured her.
"There were nine members of the guard that were permanent, the last timewe heard. Others are more transitory. It changes. And many of them are giftedas well withformidable gifts, gifts that make what Alice can do look like a parlour trick.The Volturi chose them for their abilities, physical or otherwise." Bellaopened her mouth, and then closed it.
"They don't get into too many confrontations. No one is stupid enough tomess with them. They stay in their city, leaving only as duty calls.""Duty?" Bella wondered. "Didn't Edward tell you what theydo?" you asked, wondering how much your brother actually told the humansitting next to you. "No," Bella said, a blank expression on herface. Alice looked over Bella's head again, toward the businessman, noddingtowards you to keep on talking.
"There's a reason he called them royalty the ruling class. Over the millennia, they haveassumed the position of enforcing our rules which actually translates to punishingtransgressors. They fulfil that duty decisively." Bella's eyes popped widewith shock. "There are rules?" she asked in a voice that was tooloud. "Shh!" Alice said. "Shouldn't somebody have mentioned thisto me earlier?" Bella whispered angrily. "I mean, I wanted to be a- to be one of you! Shouldn't somebody haveexplained the rules to me?" You chuckled once at her reaction. "It'snot that complicated, Bella. There's only one core restriction and if you think about it, you can probablyfigure it out for yourself." You said, letting her think about it for amoment. "Nope, I have no idea." You groaned in annoyance. She wassupposed to be clever. Cleary not. "Maybe it's too obvious. We just have tokeep our existence a secret." Alice explained, clearly having morepatience than you did at the moment.
"Oh," Bella mumbled. "It makes sense, and most of us don't needpolicing," you continued. "But, after a few centuries, sometimes oneof us gets bored. Or crazy. I don't know. And then the Volturi step in beforeit can compromise them, or the rest of us." You continued. "So Edward-" "Is planning to flout that in theirown city thecity they've secretly held for three thousand years, since the time of theEtruscans. They are so protective of their city that they don't allow huntingwithin its walls. Volterra is probably the safest city in the world from vampire attack at the very least." Youfilled in. "But you said they didn't leave. How do they eat?" Bellaasked.
"They don't leave. They bring in their food from the outside, from quitefar away sometimes. It gives their guard something to do when they're not outannihilating mavericks. Or protecting Volterra from exposure." "From situations like this one, likeEdward," Bella finished yout sentence.
"I doubt they've ever had a situation quite like this," Alicemuttered, disgusted. "You don't get a lot of suicidal vampires." Thesound that escaped out of Bella's mouth was very quiet, but Alice seemed tounderstand that it was a cry of pain. She wrapped her thin, strong arm aroundher shoulders, while you leant back against your seat, watching the clouds passby.
"We'll do what we can, Bella. It's not over yet." "Notyet." "And the Volturi will get us if we mess up." Alicestiffened. "You say that like it's a good thing." Bella shrugged. "Knockit off, Bella, or we're turning around in New York and going back toForks." You threatened. "What?" Bella shrieked. "You knowwhat. If we're too late for Edward, I'm going to do my damnedest to get youback to Charlie, and I don't want any trouble from you. Do you understand that?" Alice threatened, knowing what you were doing. "Sure, Alice." Alice pulled back slightly so that she could glare at Bella."No trouble." "Scout's honor," Bella muttered. I rolled my eyes.
"Let me concentrate, now. I'm trying to see what he's planning." Alicesaid letting her head fall back against the seat and closed her eyes. Shepressed her free hand to the side of her face, rubbing her fingertips againsther temple. The minutes passed, and if you didn't know better, it would haveseemed as if she'd fallen asleep.
After an eternity, the plane began to descend toward New York City. Alice remained in her trance. Bella dithered, reaching out to touch her, only for youto pull her hand back again. This happened a dozen times before the plane toucheddown with a jarring impact.