"I- I wouldn't-"

"Nor do you seem inclined to make her one of us. She is a vulnerability. However, she has not yet exposed us."

(She can't feel hopeful, she shouldn't, Caius' smile is still too sadistic to be offering her mercy-)

"You may leave, if you wish," he tells Edward and Alice. "It is only her life that is forfeit."

Amazing, how he can talk about her like she isn't even there, even as he briefly inclines his head to indicate her. (As if there was any doubt who he meant.)

Edward starts to snarl, but Alice grabs his wrist. Caius' cruel smile deepens.

"That's what I thought."

Aro raises his hand.

"Unless…" he begins, and he sounds almost pained. "Unless you do intend to give her immortality?"

(No, hope, it's still not the right time to show up. Bella has ever heard of good cop/bad cop, Aro isn't really on her side. He just - doesn't want to lose access to three shiny new toys, or tools, or however it is he sees vampires with special abilities. She shouldn't feel grateful to him even if he's saving her life, he has the red eyes of a killer, he doesn't care about her.)

"If I do?" says Edward.

(The hope Bella's been trying to tamp down on rises triumphantly. This is it, this is what she's been asking for the whole time. I won't end your life for you, Edward had said when she first asked. But - this is it, right? Even Edward has to agree that this would be saving her life, not ending it.)

Aro beams; Edward has given the correct answer.

"You would all be free to go home, of course," he says, turning his indulgent smile once more in Bella's direction, "and give my regards to dear Carlisle."

The smile persists for just a moment, and then fades, as though something has just occurred to the ancient vampire.

"I do mean it," says Edward.

(Bella thrills when Edward responds to Aro's unspoken thought. He does mean it, he didn't even hesitate, he loves her enough to keep her-)

Aro looks unconvinced, though, until Alice steps forward and touches her hand symmetrically to his. Unguarded glee takes over his expression as he digests whatever she's telling him - her life story, the promise she made on the plane, visions of Bella's new life - for a second, two, three…

It's been long enough that Bella's starting to fear the worst when the leader of the vampire world bursts into ecstatic giggles.

"Fascinating!"

He reluctantly pulls his hand away from Alice's so he can focus on the present moment.

"You're welcome," she says dryly.

"Ah, to see the things you've seen - especially the ones that haven't happened!"

"That will, though."

Aro shuts his eyes, nodding. "Yes, yes, you've convinced me. There's certainly no problem…"

He opens his eyes again, looking at the current and future Cullens. But before he can speak, Caius stands smoothly up behind him, stepping forward until he can touch Aro's hand for a private audience. The ancient vampire's expression shifts once more, almost into a pout.

Alice restrains Edward again just as a hiss rises from his throat. Aro finally nods, and Caius returns to his throne, satisfied.

"Bella, my dear," says Aro faintly, "will you come here again?"

Maybe he just wants to try his power on her again. Bella's feet carry her away from the imaginary protection of Edward and Alice without her brain having much of a say in the matter.

Aro takes her hand once more. It feels exactly the same.

With the speed and gentleness only a vampire can command, he pulls her forward and sinks his teeth into her throat.

Aro holds her for a moment as she curls in on herself, a desperate keen spilling out from her.

"It's not that I don't trust you," he says apologetically to Edward, whose rage has transformed into pure sympathetic pain. "Caius simply… reminded me, that there was only one way to be truly sure. Come, we have a room for this."

He leads Alice, at this point practically carrying Edward, to another room. There's a sturdy table, really more of a stone slab, and another drain. He deposits Bella, still curled up and clutching at her burning neck, onto the table, then turns to leave. At the door, he pauses.

"Heidi will do another round in three days," he says conversationally, "but do let us know if there's anything else you need before then."

Edward regains a semblance of function as Aro leaves. He kneels by the table, gazing desperately into Bella's agonized face.

"Bella, my Bella."

Someone is saying her name. She tries to care, but - everything is flames.

She's had nightmares about fire ever since James bit her hand last year. She'd thought that the feeling of the pain had been seared indelibly into her mind. Clearly, though, her memory had been merciful. Had diminished just how horrible it was. This is a million times worse than that, a million times worse than anything.

At first she didn't even have enough to strength to scream, but she does now. It doesn't help. Nothing could help. Even dying wouldn't be merciful enough. She wishes Aro had lost control and killed her before this could ever begin. But there's nothing good about this world, and so of course that could never happen.

This is going to happen for three days. Three horrible days. How long has it been? She can't keep track. Maybe it's been a minute, maybe an hour, maybe a million years. Maybe whatever about her means that Edward can't hear her, that Jane can't touch her, also means that she'll never finish turning and will just lie here being tortured by venom forever.