empathy

NINETEEN

"Carlisle? Esme? Rosalie? Emmett? Alice? Georgia? Jasper? Anastasia?" Edward speaks eventually, gaining everyone's attention and Anastasia shares an annoyed look with Jasper.

They were able to smell the human from a mile away.

Jasper holds his hand out for her, and she takes it as they reluctantly make their way down to the dining table, strolling in with the rest of the family.

"The floor is yours," Carlisle nods at the human to go on while Isabella is busy looking over the people nervously.

"Well, I'm hoping Alice told you everything that happened in Volterra?" Bella's eyes fly to Ana, who doesn't pay her much mind. "Everything," Alice means, hinting at everything concerning her.

Jasper quickly shut her down when she wanted to talk about Selene, it really isn't any of the others' business. And if it is, it shouldn't be her or Edward to tell them. They don't have any right.

"And on the way?" Bella turns to Alice, who nods in reply. "That, too." "Good. Then we're all on the same page."

Isabella falls quiet and the air more tense. They're all exhausted and impatient and it's only growing worse.

"So, I have a promise. Alive promised the Volturi that I would become one of you. They're going to send someone to check, and I'm sure that's a bad thing. Something to avoid. And so, now, this involves you all. I'm sorry about that. But if you don't want me, then I'm going to force myself on you, whether Alice is willing or not."

Esme is about to speak up when Isabella raises a finger, stopping her.

"Please, let me finish. You all know what I want. And I'm sure you know what Edward thinks, too. I think the only fair way to decide is for everyone to have a vote if you decide you don't want me then... I guess I'll go back to Italy alone. I can't have them coming here."

Edward growls at that while Anastasia rolls her eyes. Manipulation at its finest, really. Bella could write a book how to guilt trip people into doing things they don't want to.

"Taking into account, then, that I won't put any of you in danger, either way, I want you to vote yes or no on the issue of me becoming a vampire."

Anastasia nearly scoffs at that. How does Bella not put them in danger? Other than the fact, her mere existence nearly pushed Edward into suicide, despite the fact he was at fault as well. Alice, Jasper and her might as well have died as well back in Italy. Imagine what would've happened if the Volturi weren't in a good moon that day?

Oh, and not to forget that the whole family is marked and can't make another tiny mistake without being slaughtered, but sure, she's not putting any of them in danger.

"Just a minute," Edward means before Carlisle can begin. "I have something to add before we vote. About the danger Bella's referring to. I don't think we need to be overly anxious. You see, there was more than one reason why I didn't want to shake Aro's hand there at the end. There's something they didn't think of, and I didn't want to cine them in."

"Which was?" Alice seems curious.

"The Volturi are overconfident, and with good reason. When they decide to find someone, it's not really a problem. Do you remember Demetri? He finds people. That's his talent, why they keep him. Now, the whole time we were with any of them, I was picking their brains for anything that might save us, getting as much information as possible. So, I saw how Demetri's talent works. He's a tracker. A tracker a thousand times more gifted than James was. His ability is loosely related to what I do, or what Aro does. He catches the... flavor? I don't know how to describe it... the tenor of someone's mind, and then he follows that. It works over immense distances. But after Aro's little experiment, well..."

"You think he won't be able to find me." Bella catches on. "I'm sure of it. He relies totally on that other sense. When it doesn't work with you, they'll all be blind."

Edward is smug, overly smug. Too smug for his own good. Demetri doesn't need to find Bella, he'll only need to find him.

"And how does that solve anything?" Isabella counters, very unhappy with that new solution. "Quite obviously, Alice will be able to tell when they're planning a visit, and I'll hide you. They'll be helpless. It will be like looking for a piece of straw in a haystack."

"But they can find you!" "And I can take care of myself!"

"You're a fool if you think that'll work," Anastasia points out. "You can't overpower them, your gift is weak. And Alice's is gullible. What if it isn't the kings making the decision, what if they're simply close by and stop in a spontaneous decision. What then? And what about us? Your plan is stupid and foolish."

Jasper's hand comes to rest on her thigh, rubbing it soothingly and she glances over to him, seeing the slight smile on his lips. He agrees with her.

"Alright then, let's vote," Bella speaks up once more before it can turn into a fight. "Do you want me to join your family?"

"Not that way, you're staying human," Edward is the first to offer his vote. "Alice?" "Yes!" the pixie means without a second thought.

"Georgia?" the girl looks over to her mate before shaking her head. Truth be told, she doesn't really care, but she doesn't agree with Bella's actions. Tricking people, using them. She can't imagine how much stronger those character traits will become after she turns.

"Rosalie?" "No," Rosalie doesn't bother to explain herself. She doesn't need to explain herself to her. "I agree," Emmett chirms in. "You don't respect life, or other people besides Edward and yourself. If it were up to me, I wouldn't even let you inside the house," his thoughts sway to Antonina, who is still sleeping in their room upstairs.

He doesn't want to admit how close they have become; how important she has become. Not to him, because it would be too painful to let her go eventually, and not to Anastasia because he just feels guilty.

"I already think of you as part of the family," Esme is third to vote.

"Jasper?" Bella asks hopefully. "You truly are delusional if you think I'll say yes." "Anastasia?" "If it were up to me, I'd kill you right here and now."

No.

"You've chosen not to live without her," Carlisle looks over at Edward, who shakes his head. "And that doesn't leave me a choice."

Alice, Esme and Carlisle smile at Bella, somehow apologizing while the others can't be bothered.

Isabella looks disappointed, though, staring over to Edward, hoping he'll change his mind. He doesn't. He won't.

"Was that all?" Jasper speaks up and Carlisle nods, dismissing them.

--- -- -

That's a no for Bella!

How do you think this will change the plot of the book/movie?