So Chris was coming. This left Edward, Alice and Jasper to eliminate the three vampires still guarding them. Then they would get Carlisle and the others, and then they would come.

I’d only been on a few flights in my lifetime, and this was by far the least enjoyable. It was a private plane, and Demetri was piloting. They didn’t want to risk swimming across the Atlantic with me; there was too much open ocean for me to escape into.

Chris had met up with us in North Dakota some hours earlier, where our plane had been waiting. To me his presence meant two things: 1) I was forced to sit beside a vampire with annoyingly increased powers of seduction, and 2) Edward, Alice and Jasper had probably already contacted and informed Carlisle of the situation. In fact, they were probably already on their way, but there was no way for me to know for sure, as it seemed that my power had the same restrictions as Edward’s.

Yet as I sat there on the plane I wondered. Did I really want to sit and wait to be rescued? Of course I had tried to delay us at the airport as well, but that was only minutely successful. Other than those previous futile attempts I had done nothing. Surely I could do more than that; I was supposed to be stronger – well I was, technically – but compared to these Volturi, I was still essentially human.

As much as I wanted to be rescued by the Cullens, I didn’t think the Volturi would let me go without a fight, and a fight was bound to go awry.

For the threat of injury to Edward and his family alone did I not want a skirmish, so part of me wanted to escape on my own.

I missed Edward terribly, but saving myself would help me prove myself in the vampire world. No longer would I be ‘Breakable Bella’ or ‘the Cullen Newborn’ or ‘the Inexperienced One.’

It would take a while though, and it would take a lot of convincing on my part to keep Edward from barging in and being the hero.

So when it came down to it, escaping by myself would improve my skills and talent, prove my worth, and result in no injuries on our side, though it would take some time.

I had made my decision; I was getting out alone. Now all I had to do was tell Edward somehow. And I didn’t need to be Alice to foresee that he would not be happy.

“Excuse me Felix?” I asked politely, “May I make a phone call?”