CHAPTER 27
USUAL PROTOCOL

ALICE took a moment to compose herself. Margo looked around the room, waiting for an answer with her arms out. Jacob sulked beside her, while Bella began to bite at her fingernails. She probably wasn't even conscious of the situation. "Well?" Margo demanded. "Anyone going to explain what a Volturi is or am I gonna have go to my handy-dandy database and –"

"The Volturi are ..." Alice bit her lip, contemplating her answer. "Well, they're the most powerful vampire coven among us. They enforce the laws of our world, and they're basically the equivalent of royalty. They keep the secret society of vampires hidden from the human world, as it is one of our laws."

Margo's eyes went wide as her lips puckered in confusion. "Vampires have laws?" She shook her head. "I guess that's something my database wouldn't have told me."

Alice rolled her eyes, plucking her silver phone from her white pocket. "I have to call Carlisle now," she said before leaving to wait by the hall.

Bella continued to chew at her nails, causing Margo to turn to her friend. She put out a hand towards the brunette. "You gonna be okay?"

Bella finally looked up, blinking her eyes rapidly at Margo. She must've not been aware of anything for the past couple of minutes. Her eyes looked red. "Oh, you know," she muttered, "just finding out that your ex-boyfriend might kill himself because he thinks I'm dead. Usual protocol."

Before Margo could comment, they heard Alice shouting from the hall: "Rose? No, I don't need to talk to you! Where's Carlisle?" She asked, acid spilling from her tone. "Fine, as soon as he's back, tell him to call me ... No, I'll be on a plane. Look, have you heard anything from Edward?"

Margo tilted her head outward, finding Alice by the front door, sinking her back into the corner. The vampire's mouth formed in a O shape. Her phone was shaking in her small hands. "I can't believe you, Rose! Why did you think that was a good idea?!" Alice allowed her sister on the other end a moment to speak, but she continued to yell, "Well, you're wrong on both counts though, Rosalie, so that would be a problem! Don't you think so?!" The vampire scoffed loudly. "Yes, that's right. Bella is absolutely fine – I was wrong ... It's a long story ... But you're wrong about that part too, that's why I'm calling, because I need Carlisle's help ... It's a bit late for that, Rose. Save your fake remorse for someone who believes it."

Alice snapped the phone shut with a solid huff. She walked back into the kitchen, chewing her bottom lip.

"So Rosalie did tell him I killed myself?" Bella asked in a low voice.

Alice nodded. "They rely on my sight far too much for something that works so imperfectly, but still ... didn't she realize ... or care ...?"

Margo gripped Jacob's arm tightly, almost curling into his warmth. "You really think he'd kill himself?"

"If there's one thing I know about Edward, its that he's determined," she muttered, trying to keep her voice from wavering. "I mean, I don't think he ever planned to outlive Bella by long ..."

Bella's mouth went wide. "This isn't the time to joke, Alice!" She shrieked. "Edward told me once that last year, when he thought I was going to die –"

Margo whipped her head at the statement, but decided not to comment on it at this time.

"– He said he wasn't ... going to live without me. He wasn't sure how he could do it, until he thought about going to Italy and provoking the Volturi. He said, 'You don't irritate them unless you want to die.'" Bella's voice became panicked. "We have to change his mind! Do something at least!

"You can't do much from Forks," Jacob muttered.

Bella's face twisted. "SHUT UP, JACOB!"

Jacob looked to Margo with wide eyes, looking for support. Margo only replied, "You provoked her, idiot."

Alice sighed heavily. "He's already made up his mind. I've seen it." She swallowed hard, blinking her bright golden eyes. They shined in the pale kitchen lighting. "We may already be too late. I saw him going to the Volturi and asking to die." Alice cringed along with Bella. "It all depends on what they choose. I can't see that until they make a decision.

"But if they say no, and they might – Aro, their leader, is fond of Carlisle due to past working experiences, and he wouldn't want to offend him – Edward would definitely have a backup plan. They're very protective of their city. There's a law where no vampire can even hunt in Volterra. If Edward does something to upset the peace, he thinks they'll act to stop him. And he's right. They will."

Margo looked from Bella, who was clenching her jaw so tight that it could snap, to Alice. "So ... I don't understand the plan."

"What plan?" Jacob scoffed. "There's nothing you can –"

Margo elbowed him right in the gut, which caused him to yelp and stay quiet.

"Well, we have a couple options." Alice continued, laying out her pale hands. "So if they agree to grant his favor, we're too late. If they say no and he comes up with a plan to offend them quickly enough, we're too late. If he gives into his more theatrical tendencies ... we might have time."

Bella's eyes lit up then, and she was suddenly out of the room. She ran to the dark hallway, grabbing her jacket before retreating back to the room. "Okay, so, what do I need?"

"What?!" Margo exclaimed, releasing Jacob's arm. "You're really going to go to Italy?!"

"What else am I supposed to do?" Bella asked frantically. "I'll go alone if I have to!"

Alice laid both her hands on Bella's shoulders. "Hey, hey – listen. Whether we are in time or not, we will be in the heart of the Voluri city. I will be considered his accomplice if he is successful. You will be a human who not only knows too much, but also smells too good. There's a very good chance that they will eliminate us all – though in your case, it won't be punishment so much as dinnertime."

Margo rubbed at her temples. "I can't believe this is a conversation topic ..."

Bella nodded at Alice's plan. "I'll do whatever it takes."

"You write to Charlie. I'll call the airlines."

Bella bobbed her head quickly, running to the kitchen counter and finding a pad of paper that her dad wrote phone messages on. Bella saw a small message from Harry written down for a moment, and quickly tore off the page, guilt wracking her brain. She scribbled down a few words for Charlie – not too much and not too little. When she turned around to look at her friends, Margo raised her hand.

"We can make sure your dad is okay," she offered.

"I'm technically not allowed to protect anyone on these lands, but ... I'm not gonna let anything happen to Charlie." Jacob said, stone-faced. "Screw the treaty."

Bella smiled softly at her friends before dashing off to her bedroom. Margo sensed she was packing her bag, and after she glanced to Alice on the phone, she turned to Jacob. "I only came here to check on Bella," she whispered. "Now it's been over three hours; Edward Cullen's immortal ass is somehow going to commit suicide; I've learned there's a mobster vampire coven who make a bunch of laws, and I still haven't even had dinner yet."

"Why are you so calm about this, Mar?" Jacob whispered back in a louder tone. "Bella is a human and risking her life for some bloodsucker who left her. I know we agreed to look after Charlie, but ... this is a bad idea. We can't let her do this."

"No, wait, Jake –" But Margo wasn't able to stop him. There Jacob went, stomping over to Alice as she shut her phone once again. Margo released a loud groan when Jacob began to argue with the vampire. "When will it ever end?" She muttered to herself.

When Margo arrived in the threshold, she noticed both Jacob and Alice were standing so far apart that it didn't even look like they were conversing. Margo could hear Bella struggling with her luggage from upstairs.

Jacob knitted his brow. "You might control yourself on occasion, but these leeches you're taking Bella to –"

"Yes, you're right, dog." Alice snarled with a roll of her eyes. "The Volturi are the very essence of our kind – they're the reason your hair stands on end when you smell me, or should I say, fur?"

Margo interjected, "Guys, shouldn't we be –"

"They are the substance of your nightmares," Alice continued, "the dread behind your instincts. I'm not unaware of that."

Jacob's shout boomed off the walls, "And you take her to them like a bottle of wine for a party!"

"You think she'd be better off if I left her here alone with Victoria stalking her?"

"We can handle the redhead."

Alice lifted a brow. "Then why is she still hunting?"

Margo groaned in frustration, interrupting the argument. "God! Can you two just –"

"STOP IT!" Bella exclaimed, throwing her suitcase to the side. The wheels hit the ground from the staircase with a loud thump, and everyone turned to look at the brunette. "You all can argue when me and Alice get back. We need to go!"

Alice agreed with a bob of her head. The vampire was already heading out the door, asking Bella, "You have your ID and passport, right? I don't have time to forge one."

Bella nodded from behind her friend. They disappeared from the house in a haste. Both Margo and Jacob shared a look, and before she could stop him, Jacob was bounding out the door. Margo sprinted down the front steps, yanking his arm back. Jacob gasped at her touch and whipped his head around, "What are you –"

"Let her go, Jake." Margo whispered. "I know it hurts to let one of your friends risk their life, but you gotta let her go. She'll find a way to do it otherwise."

Jacob ran a hand over his face. "I just ..." He paused. "I want to protect everyone, and –"

"I know, I know," she nodded, pulling him closer to her. Jacob wrapped his arms around her waist, looking down at her watchful eyes. "Let her do what she has to do."

The two looked back, where Alice's black car was parked on the side of the road. Tinted windows, Margo thought, Alice must go all out to be inconspicuous. Bella shut the trunk after placing her suitcase in it, and glanced back to her friends waiting near her house. Alice revved the Mercedes impatiently, but Bella waved her off as she walked to Margo and Jacob.

"Thank you for agreeing to take care of Charlie," she muttered, looking at the couple with sincerity. "Both of you. I don't know what's going to happen, but I know I'll feel a lot better with you guys keeping Charlie safe."

It pained Jacob to allow her to go, but he still hugged her and wished her well. He knew Margo was right; he couldn't save everyone, as much as he wanted to. He definitely couldn't change someone as stubborn as Bella either.

Bella went in to hug Margo after Jacob, and her timid arms squeezed Margo tightly. Margo sighed and smiled, despite the complexity of the situation before them. Bella didn't realize until that moment how lucky she was to have people like Jacob and Margo, who cared and stood by her when she was depressed to no end.

Margo leaned away from her friend. "I know it'll be quite difficult for you," she said, "but try not to die for once."

•••

A/N: Just wanted to put a little disclaimer in here that most of Alice's dialogue in this chapter comes from the New Moon book!

I also just published an original book!!!! It's called, Paper People, so go check it out if ya want 🤙🏻 Let's hope I gather enough courage to actually write it lol