Chapter XI: The Right Thing to Do

FORKS, WASHINGTON, USA...

For months since her return from Italy, Alice Cullen willed herself to live as quietly as possible. What happened back in Italy, after all, was a complete mess that prompted from her unwelcome obtrusion into the timeline of life. Her decision meant restricting herself from seeing and interfering with future events, or relaying her visions to any of her family members, no matter what any of them said to try and convince her otherwise.

At first it was difficult to turn the visions away, but gradually she learned to accept the soft lull of unexpectance. She found that when she avoided thinking of the future and decided on a whim, she didn't have to experience the onslaught of a hundred visions that bombarded her mind, endless visions of consequences that she used to skim through, one by one, to live her life.

Edward had been particularly irate with her decision and continued to pester her with calls, but what could he do when she kept turning him away? She refused to resolve his uncertainties like before. She'd put her foot down and it resulted into a full-blown sibling squabble, and Jasper comforted her the way he always did.

"Do what you think is right, Alice." Her husband said, patting the top of her head when he found her hunched over a fallen tree log, chin resting in her hands and pouting like a child. She'd just drained a mountain elk moments before, and a blurred smear of blood rested around her thin lips. "Edward may not understand your decision, but I do."

Of course Jasper understood. He'd been with her for so long. He'd seen both good times and the bad. Making one decision, changing another, seeing life, living in multiples. And despite the capriciousness of her life, he remained her one constant. What would she do without him?

"Sorry, Jazz," she mutters. "I've been such a downer lately."

He shakes his head softly and sits next to her, pulling her small frame to him with one arm. He places a kiss on the side of her head. "It's fine."

"I just..." she shrugs weakly. "I just don't want to feel guilty for anything that happens."

Jasper nods and sends a teasing smile over. "It's not like you won't tell us anything anymore. Think of it this way—you'll be our glorified weatherman. We'll only ask you questions like: will it be sunny, cloudy, or rainy today, Miss Alice?"

She laughs, swatting his chest playfully and they trek back through the wilderness hand in hand.

Months pass, and oddly enough, life happened even without her predicting it. Life was less inevitable, and she learned to indulge her instincts more. She'd forgotten what it was like to not know what happened next. For months she was successful — until one moment, in the middle of a sunny, quiet Sunday, everything came to a screeching halt in her mind again.

Alice braced herself to impede the vision, but for the first time in a long time, she is unable to stop the strong onslaught of her gift. She cripples on the first landing of the stairs of the house with a sharp cry.

A redheaded vampire emerged from the dark path of the trees and into a snowy clearing. Her red gaze looks ahead to where Alice stands alone.

"Little fortuneteller," Victoria hisses. "Have you come to die?"

Alice laughs. "Only I know how this ends, Victoria."

The nomad snarls at her. "James should have killed you instead!"

"No!" Alice cries, struggling against the vision fiercely. "No! I don't— I don't want to see!"

"Alice!" Jasper's familiar presence molds against her form. His hands pull her fists away from pounding the sides of her head. He turns Alice's face to him and flinches when he meets grey, wide, and unseeing eyes.

"The Volturi don't give second chances. You know this." In the vision, Alice starts walking forward. "You made a big mistake."

"How could I have known! I only wanted the girl! A mate for a mate!" Victoria cried. "He promised me I'd have her!"

A howl rang through the trees, and Alice halted in her tracks when a cloaked blur sped through the dark towards the redheaded nomad. In less than a second, Victoria was lifted off the snow, hanging by a fist around her neck.

"You poor thing. You believed them?" The cloaked man spoke, clenching his fingers around her like a noose. "Where did they take the girl?"

Marble skin broke. Victoria shrieked and thrashed. "I don't know! I don't know! Please!"

The cloaked man tutted. "How regrettable."

A sharp noise followed, and Victoria's head rolled through the snow.

Alice's eyelids fluttered as the vision pulled away. Her mind spun in circles and she barely registered the soothing strokes on her hair.

"It was too strong," Alice said weakly when she recovered, hands fisting at Jasper's shirt. "I couldn't fight it... I had to see."

I don't want to feel guilty anymore.

"What did you see, Alice?"

I don't want to see!

"Jasper, we have to go now," she sobbed. "You have to call Carlisle. The wolves... We need to warn the Volturi... We need to tell Edward."

"What? What's happening?" Rosalie crouched to her level. "Alice?"

"It was Victoria all long. The newborns..." Alice curled against her husband's chest. "She's going after Bella. A mate for a mate."

It's not my fault.

"Bella's in danger," her wavering voice continued. "Victoria took her."

"We'll take care of it, Alice." Jasper assured her, securing her to him. "We'll protect her. I promise."

It's not my fault.

»»—- ❈ —-««

VOLTERRA CASTLE, ITALY. PRESENT TIME. . .

Kitten heels clicked against the marble floor as Altheia alighted from the elevator and stepped into the lobby. She pulled a traveler's luggage behind her and sighed deeply. If Bella's hysterical voice was any indication, a commotion was sure to greet her when she rounded the corner.

"Ariana, you know my father's in there!"

"You know I cant let you in, Bella."

"If you'd just let me explain to the—"

"Bella, Edward, please." Ariana admonished as she stood in front of the doors leading to the throne room, a hand resting on her hip. "You know you can't go in. If you keep doing this, I'll have to answer for it. So please. Sit down."

With Jane and Alec leaned against each side of the doorframe, smirking at Edward, daring him to try and get past them, there was nothing he could do.

Edward threw a cautious arm across Bella's stomach and tried to lead her away. "Bella..." he pleaded.

"Edward, you can't possibly expect me to—"

"Signorina!" Ariana called out to her as the secretary spotted her arrival, relief apparent in her voice. "You've returned. The masters are waiting for you inside."

Altheia frowned, pointedly averting her gaze from the couple as she headed for the throne room. "I know."

Bella doesn't take her hint and reaches for the scholar's free arm.

"Altheia! They've got Charlie! You can convince them to let us in, can't you?" Bella cried desperately as she clung. The scholar winced at the tightness of the grip. "You have to help me!"

Altheia paused and glared at the grip on her arm until it was dropped. She lifted her gaze slowly to deign Bella with a cold stare.

"I have to help you? Have to?" she echoed spitefully. The Italian scoffed at wide-eyed expression on Bella's face. "Get your head out of your ass, Bella. I don't have to do anything for you."

Bella stepped back. "Altheia, wha... I..."

"You think I would save Charlie if it meant dying?" Altheia shook her head firmly as she stepped away. "Bella, what if they kill me? Don't you think I want to live, too?"

Bella's lips parted, but not a single word was said as she gaped helplessly at the older woman. Quietly, Edward placed a firm hand on her shoulder. He gestured to the witch twins.

Jane and Alec were no longer simply leaned against the wall. They were taking steps toward the couple, red gazes locked on the two of them in warning.

"Why do you think humans shouldn't live amongst vampires? Why do you think vampires have laws?" Altheia offered tonelessly as she passed the twins and pushed the double doors open. "Whose fault is it that I'm in Volterra? That Charlie might die?"

With the doors parted, Edward could see the glimpse of the kings in their thrones, and the figure of a lone man kneeled opposite to them. Charlie!

"Haven't you done enough?" Altheia hissed angrily.

Bella looked on, mute and teary-eyed as the doors closed shut.

»»—- ❈ —-««

"He speaks the truth, masters," Altheia takes a calming breath before walking to the front of the opulent space with suitcase in tow. "Signore Swan's luggages at the hotel contained case files and reports from Washington's records. Felix is transporting the rest of them as we speak."

"Thank you, dear Altheia," Aro murmured from his seat. "It is simply difficult to ascertain the claims of a mind that is obscured from me."

Altheia nodded slowly. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing, but Charlie Swan's mind was a lot like his daughter's in the sense that telepaths couldn't read him as typical. While Bella's mind was a complete blank to Aro, Charlie's thoughts were supposedly intermittent and incomplete when the monarch tried to read through them. She could tell from Aro's reaction that the consequent appearances of humans with mental shields was starting to become more of an unpleasant hindrance to him, rather than a welcome peculiarity.

The swans in the vicinity were one too many, it seemed like.

She shivered inadvertently when Aro's eyes centered on her. She continued, "It also seemed like Carlisle expected our call. The Cullens will land in Florence in an hour, and they will be here by sundown."

"Of course they expected this," Aro said bitterly. "They have Alice, after all."

At the silence that followed, the woman looked to the monarchs beside him. Marcus' attention was focused on the chief—and the blurry storm in his gaze confirmed that he was using his gift. Caius remained strangely reticent that Aro extended an arm to him.

"He has not divested our secrets, brother, that much I can confirm from his thoughts." Aro assured him again. "Chief Swan knows he will die here today, and is simply willing to die in exchange for the salvation of his home."

"Please, signori. I am no liar," Charlie said evenly, hesitant to lift his head to meet their crimson gaze. "I brought everything I could bring with me to help you understand. You'll see in the files. Where they're taking people from. How many... how many they've taken. I took everything..."

Marcus sighed, shooting a glance at the snow-haired monarch next to him. "What is troubling from your claims is the presence of the Children of the Moon."

Caius nods once, stiffly. Charlie immediately defends, "I swear, I'm not lying—"

"The Children of the Moon were hunted to extinction, Charlie." Altheia says to him seriously. "It's just... unbelievable. They turned in front of you and... you're alive? The Children of the Moon are mindless. They would have never cared for humans like us. Even if they'd just killed a vampire, you would have been torn and eaten the minute they sensed you."

Charlie wiped a hand across his face, frustrated. "I know what I saw. They told me that the pack protected the reservation from the Cold Ones... from vampires. And with more vampires entering their territory, more of the natives began phasing."

Altheia shook her head stubbornly at him, still disbelieving. "What did they look like?"

"Like werewolves," he answered immediately. "Five—no, almost ten times bigger than the usual. They howled too, and they transformed in front of me. I know what I saw. My head was the size of its paw."

"See, that's why I can't believe it. The Children of the Moon don't look like werewolves at all." Altheia turns to Caius slowly. "They should've looked more like apes, shouldn't they?"

Caius meets her gaze briefly before he turns to Aro.

"I do not doubt the existence of other creatures," Caius finally says and rises from his seat, staring down at the human before him. "But there is much to ascertain before judgment. We will reconvene when the Cullens arrive."

Marcus rose as well. Aro turned to Demetri and instructed, "Keep signore Swan in the drawing room. And let Isabella meet with her father. Her cries are far too annoying to tolerate still."

Demetri nodded and spared a glance at Altheia, whose face remained inscrutable as she trailed after Marcus. "And the Cullen?"

"Wherever he likes," Aro sighed as he turned away. "Perhaps Edward will do me a favor and step out into the sun."

»»—- ❈ —-««

THE CONVENING CHAMBERS. . .

Altheia spent the afternoon in the company of Chelsea as they duplicated and sorted through the files Felix and Santiago brought over from Charlie's suite. With Chelsea's speed, half the work was done in no time, and all that was left was for the scholar to read through everything. When they had finished organizing heaps of records across the broad table, a mixed impression of dread and grief nestled in her chest.

Two nights ago, she had met Bella's father and managed to pull him away from undoubtedly causing an uproar in the ranks of the Volturi. The police chief had relented and relayed his concerns to her at a different meeting place. He'd told her everything he knew—the vampires, the Cullens, Bella's residence with the Volturi. When he got to the part where he nearly died from a newborn attack in his own house and was saved by a pack of wolfbeasts, she figured that the supernatural world was not as clear-cut and fantastic as Bella liked to think.

But none of this was her problem, right? There was no reason for her to stick up for Bella, or Charlie, or any of them. No reason at all.

She wouldn't throw away her life again. That was precisely why she'd prickled at Bella's pleas earlier. Hadn't her friend considered how precarious all their situations were? Yeah, she was a Volturi now, but barely, and that hardly meant she could ask for anything she wanted.

And yet Charlie looked so much like his daughter. The honesty and desperation in his eyes reminded her of how Bella was like when she'd met her at the plane months ago. They weren't asking any of this for themselves. And it wasn't like Altheia hadn't tried to ignore all of it and retreat to the comfort of her books. She'd tried. She'd failed.

Ultimately, all of this was so much bigger than her. Much, much bigger. And she had to do what was right.

Countless faces of children, mothers, sons, and daughters stared back at her as she scanned each file. Men and women whose families mourned, and perhaps until now, tirelessly waited for to return home.

She lost track of her surroundings, and by the time she looked around the room, Chelsea had already taken her leave. Her own muscles protested when she moved, eliciting a tired groan from her.

"Three hundred and eight open cases in total," she said after taking account of all the folders. "One hundred and thirty corpses found in different parts of Washington over the span of five months. Suspected animal attacks, murder... The victims are in the age range of ten to sixty-five. No specific demographic."

Aro frowned. The black-haired monarch was so still that he looked like a sculpture. He kept his eyes closed as he sat in his armchair, hands clasped across his stomach as he waited.

Caius, on the other hand, continued to work his own ledger, but the minuscule pause in his writing told the scholar he'd heard her.

Only Marcus held her gaze. He beckoned her over, patting the cushioned space next to him on the divan. Casting a nervous glance to his brothers first, Altheia's lethargy eventually won and she took her place next to Marcus on the lounge. She squeaked in surprise when his palm pushed her head to rest on his shoulder.

Instead of moving away, she sighed deeply and hid her face from view. Altheia allowed herself to succumb to her feelings, closed her eyes, and breathed in the familiar, calming bergamot scent that invaded her senses.

"Is there something you want to tell us?" Marcus asked, his voice seeping into the quiet.

From her place on his side, the scholar tensed. She let his question hang in the air before pulling her head back. Marcus looked at her pointedly, and she began to gnaw on her lip.

"You'll be angry at me... I think."

Marcus hummed noncommittally. "You may be immune to Aro's gift, but not mine. Best to just tell."

Drat. She refused to look over where the telepath was sure to be eyeing her.

"Fine, Mr. I-Can-Read-Bonds-And-Therefore-No-Secrets," she wrinkled her nose at him. She took a quick breath and went out with it. "I didn't just meet Bella's father this morning. I met him two nights ago and helped him plan out his allegations before taking him in. And—before you get angry—" she held her palms out in defense. "—I didn't do any of it for Bella. Or Edward, or any of the Cullens. I'm not siding with anyone, and I don't think it's a savior complex, and I did it because... all those people. You know. It just seemed like the right thing to do."

Altheia fiddled with her thumbs as the silence ensued.

"I understand that I have obligations as a Volturi," she rambled on. "But... all of this is new to me. And most of it I still don't understand. I'm used to keeping to myself, and reading books, and most of my life I've lived following a clear set of rules, morals, and protocols and none of it involved the supernatural, or least of all, their wars and I've never had to deal with this much emotion — and people, having to think about the consequences of the lives of other people is just—" she threw her hands up before exhaling heavily. "It's not... I don't... I don't like any of it. It's best I just stay in the library or, something, I don't know."

When Marcus raised his hand to her, she flinched. But his hand found the top of her head and mussed her hair.

"Mmhm. We know." His voice sounded anything but angry. "You were acting out of sorts."

Aro's tone was chiding. "Did you really think I'd let you walk around town alone?"

"Maybe," she blubbed.

Altheia couldn't help it. She placed her head back on Marcus' shoulder and hid her mess of a face, mouth crumpling as she began to sniffle.

The truth was she did. Because she figured they trusted her. It had been difficult for her to tiptoe around the castle grounds and sleep at night, thinking of how they would react at what she had done exactly because she did. Because this was Aro. And Marcus. And Caius. They gave her so many chances to prove herself. And despite their troubled start and her mixed emotions, she was a lost little person before meeting them, and the wisdom and companionship they'd given her from then on was deeper than anything she'd had with anyone else.