The Doctor

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I sped back into my house to hear Bella yelling at Jacob. Alice sped ahead of me and rushed towards Bella. "Bella, it's Edward. He thinks your dead. He's going to the Volturi."

Bella's face dropped at this and she immediately ran to grab a pencil and a piece of paper. She scribbled a note for Dad and rushed outside.

We climbed into Carlisle's car. Bella climbed into the passenger seat and I got into the back.

Jacob ran from the house and reached the car. "Bella, don't go." He pleaded.

"I have to go." Bella told him. "He left you, Bella. He didn't want you anymore. You don't owe him anything."

"Well, I'm not going to let him die out of guilt."

"Bella, what about Charlie? What if you don't come back?" Jacob said and Bella winced. "I'm 18 and I'm legally free to go, and I left a note. If I don't come back, just tell him I love him."

Jacob seemed to see he wasn't going to sway Bella. "Bella, please stay. For me."

Bella sighed. "Goodbye, Jacob."

At this, Jacob looked hurt and he leaned out of the car window. The car was speeding away soon.

"Wouldn't it just be faster to run?" I asked Alice as we made it to the airport.

"No, this is faster."

A few hours later, we arrived in Italy and Alice procured a yellow Porsche for us. "You didn't buy this car, did you?" Bella asked Alice, who smirked. "I didn't think you'd be opposed to Grand Theft Auto."

"Not today." Bella replied and I smiled slightly, then remembered the situation we were in and stopped. I could only pray we made it in time to rescue Edward, or else I didn't know how Bella would feel. The mating bond would be destroyed instantly and she would be crushed.

Alice's eyes blanked and I knew she was having a vision. She gasped as it ended. "What? What did you see?" Bella asked her.

"They refused him." Alice said, which gave me hope we might make it in time.

"So?" I asked her, and she glanced over. "He's going to make a scene. Show himself to the humans."

I winced. I didn't know much about the Volturi, but I know they had an unspoken rule. Any vampire that threatens our secret being revealed, would be executed. And with all these people here..

"When?" Bella asked, her voice breaking.

"He's gonna wait until noon when the sun's at it's highest." Alice told her.

"God, Alice you've got hurry up." Bella pleaded.

With Alice's speeding, we reached the city faster than I'd hoped. "There it is. Volterra." Alice remarked and I tried to quell the discomfort I felt.

We pulled into the city square to see thousands of people clad in red robes. Alice began honking the horn, trying to get the crowd to move.

"Why are they dressed like that?" I asked Alice, uneasy at the crowd.

"San Marcos Day Festival. They're commemorating the expulsion of vampires from the city. It's the perfect setting. The Volturi will never let him get far enough to reveal himself." Alice said, looking grim.

Did she doubt we'd make it out? Was I prepared for that? Had I seen Carlise for the last time? The rest of my family? Had our last interactions been small goodbyes?

Bella glanced nervously at the clock. "We have five minutes."

"I know, Bella. Just breathe."

Alice honked the horn again, but there was no way to get through. The clock inched closer to noon.