Disclaimer: All recognizable characters, settings, and scenarios are the property of Stephanie Meyer. All original characters belong to me. No copywrite infringement is intended and I make no money from this story.

WARNING: This story is rated M for language, some violence, references to rape and references to violence against women. Please, if you are sensitive to these subjects, offended by swearing, or not legally allowed to view such material where you live, find another story to read. Mine is not for you.

Le Sacre Couer

Chapter 4: With Arms Wide Open, Part 1

PPOV

After Carlisle dropped his little bomb on us, Edward was the first to speak.

"Carlisle, why would Aro be so interested in Buffy, in US, now? What could he possibly want?"

"Now that's the $64,000 question right there, isn't it?" I said, moving over to look out the window. "The simple answer is that ya'll are now the biggest known coven outside of Volterra. I know, I know," I said, waving off the correction I was sure was about to come from Carlisle. "I know you consider this a family, not a coven. Aro, on the other hand, probably doesn't care about the semantics. More than likely, he just sees the numbers. A relatively large group of vampires, half of whom are gifted.... that he knows about anyway...." I turned to grin at Emmett at this before I continued. "....is bound to look like a possible threat to him."

Carlisle shook his head, saying "I've always made it very clear to The Volturi that I have no need or desire for power. I just want to live a peaceful existence with the one's that I love and care for. That's all I've ever wanted," he said, emphatically.

Edward placed his hand on Carlisle's shoulder and looked at the man who was, for all intents and purposes, his father with sympathy and understanding. "We know that, Carlisle. But Peter has a point. Look at the world Aro lives in. Everyone around him is always vying for position or power. He's never had a family like ours. He doesn't understand it."

"And most people fear what they don't understand," I pointed out.

Just then, Alice came sprinting into the room, stopping in front of Carlisle. "Aro's sending someone," she said in a near panic.

The five of us all had the same question. "WHAT?"

"I just saw it," she continued. "He's sending someone to …..deal..... with Buffy. And Jasper and Peter and Charlotte."

OK, now I was pissed. Who the hell did this asshole think he was? "Wait, just one? Who?" Whoever it was would make for a nice bonfire.

She and Edward both spoke at the same time. "Demitri."

"When?" Jasper asked, without moving. His features were still twisted slightly with the pain he was siphoning off of Buffy, but his eyes were cold and calculating. Booyah!! Major Whitlock in da house!! Now we'll see how shit gets done, old school style.

"One week," Alice replied.

Without so much as a twitch, Jasper took command. "Alice, start packing. You and the other ladies. Carlisle, I think the house in the Yukon is the best place to go. There's lots of wildlife and it's remote enough that the chances of a human finding us are slim at best. Also, it's close enough to Denali that perhaps Eleazar could come and offer some insight. Not only into Buffy's possible gifts, but into Aro's reasoning. And we'll need a plane."

"Mine is still in Paris. I can have it brought to Inverness by tomorrow," I offered.

"Do it,"he told me.

I whipped out my cell and made the necessary call. While I was on the phone, Carlisle voiced his concerns.

"Son,we can't move her right now. What if she were to wake up while in the air? Can you imagine the panic she might feel?"

Jasper sighed. He was trying to keep a civil tongue in his head with his "father", but the Major wasn't used to having his orders or his strategies questioned. "I know that, Carlisle. I didn't mean to move her now. Just as soon as possible after she wakes up. I've dealt with hundreds of newborns, as you know. I have a few tricks up my sleeve to handle a rowdy one, if need be. This ain't my first rodeo." He looked at me then, with a wicked grin on his face. Yeah. I'd been on the receiving end of some of his tricks. I wanted no part of that shit again. I just grinned back at him and finished making the arrangements for my plane.

Carlisle spoke again. "Very well, Jasper. I'll defer to your expertise in the mater." He shook his head again, slowly. "I just don't understand why. Why this? Why now?"

I chanced a look at him then. He was trying so hard to get a grip on what was happening. On what the implications might be of Aro sending someone after part of his family. His brow was furrowed in concern and concentration. "No offense, Doc," I said. "But I think right now we should worry less about 'why' and worry more about 'getting the fuck outta Dodge.' "

Carlisle peered at me with a half-smile. Then he chuckled and said "You do have a way with words, Peter. I'll start making arrangements for our transportation once we get there." With that, he turned and went to his study.

In the next few hours, we ironed out the details. Alice had seen that Buffy would wake at exactly 12:15 am. Eight hours later, Carlisle, Esme, Alice, Rose and my Charlotte would be on a commercial flight to Vancouver,BC . While there, they would acquire vehicles and all they supplies we may need for an extended stay in the wilds of the Yukon. Twelve hours later, Jasper, Edward, Emmett and myself would escort Buffy to the airport in Inverness and fly from there to a private landing strip outside of Keno City, YT. There would be a vehicle waiting for us there.

The closer Buffy got to waking up, the easier it became for us to communicate with her. She understood now what had happened and that we were all here to look after her and help her adjust to her new life. She also knew that we would have to leave here soon after she awoke.

At 12:12, her heart started racing and everyone crowded into the room. Jasper kept a hold of her hand, but the rest of us fanned out on the other end of the room, by the door. Edward, Emmett and I took defensive positions in front of the others, just in case.

At 12:15 exactly (never bet against Alice) Buffy let out a blood curdling scream as her limbs went stiff, her body arched off the bed and she squeezed Jasper's hand. Then her heart stopped completely.

JPOV

The silence in the room was deafening. I couldn't even hear Buffy in my mind. Finally, after a minute or two, her grip on my hand eased a bit. Taking that as a good sign, I decided to break the silence.

"Buffy, darlin', it's ok. It's all over now. We're all here to help you. You can open your eyes whenever your ready. Don't be afraid. Ain't nobody gonna hurt ya. We all care about you. Can you let me know if you understand me, sugar?"

She choose to answer me with her mind. "Yes. I understand, Jasper. Everyone is here, aren't they?"

"Sure, honey. Everybody's here just waitin' on you to say hello. They're all excited to meet you," I told her. I was sending her waves of calm and contentment the whole time.

"Me?" she asked. She kept her eyes closed but used her voice this time. "They're excited to meet me?"

Everyone chuckled at that. I glanced back at my family. They were all smiling. Alice was about to bounce right out of her shoes, she was so excited. " 'Course, darlin'. We've all grown quite attached to you these last couple days. Why don't you open your eyes so you can start puttin' faces with the voices and names?"

She took a deep breath then, to steady herself. "Oh, my! What is that smell? It smells so wonderful!"

I smiled and asked "What do you smell, hun? What does it smell like?"

"Mmmmm...... it smells like......rain....and leather..... and..... honey. There's other smells too, but those are the strongest. What is it?"

Emmett laughed out loud and told her "That would be Jasper, sweetie." Of course, everyone laughed at that.

She opened her eyes, then, at looked directly at me. She studied my face for a moment then gave me a smile that, I swear, lit up the whole room. "Hi," she said, shyly.

I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face then. She was just too cute for words. "Hello, Buffy. It's nice to meet you, finally. Would you like to meet the rest of the family now?"

"Ok," she replied, sitting up.

She gazed at the happy faces at the end of the bed, her eyes meeting each of theirs briefly. I stood up then, still holding her hand and tasting her emotions. I sensed curiosity, wonder, awe, amusement, delight and just a twinge of the burn in her throat. I gave a gentle tug on her hand in an invitation to stand, which she did. I slowly walked her over to the rest of the family, stopping in front of Peter first.

"Buffy, this is Peter," I told her.

Recognition dawned on her face. "Hi, Peter"

"Hey, kiddo. Glad to see you up and around," he joked.

"Yeah, you're the smart ass I've been hearing in my head, aren't you?" she thought.

He laughed along with Emmett, Edward and myself. Reaching out and touching the tip of her nose, he said, "Takes one to know one, kid."

By this time, Alice was just about to explode with glee. She was bouncin', bobbin' and weavin' trying to get around the guys. When I started leading Buffy to Carlisle, that was all she could stand. She squeezed herself between Peter and Carlisle with a small grunt, leg first. She looked like a foal being birthed. When she broke through, she squealed "Oh, Buffy! I'm so happy to finally meet you!" She offered her hand for Buffy to shake.

Buffy stared at Alice's hand a moment, then looked at me. I felt her uncertainty, so I gave her a little smile and said "Well, she doesn't bite, usually. Though right now she does seem to be acting like a rabid toy poodle."

Everyone chuckled at that except Alice. She glared at me for a second before turning her smile back to Buffy.

"I'm afraid I'll hurt her. She's so tiny!" Buffy thought.

Emmett's smile broadened as he answered, aloud, "Don't worry, sweetie. The pixie is a lot tougher than she looks."

Buffy smiled at that and took Alice's hand, gently shaking it. "Hi, Alice. You picked my clothes, huh? Thank you."

Alice giggled. "Yes, and you're welcome. I'm so glad you like them. Well, I knew you would. I have others for you and more on the way. I found this really great store online, just until you get past this whole newborn thing. Oh! And I talked to a couple of designer friends of mine. You know, nudging them in the right direction? So I can see that coming to fruition by the spring. Also, I came across this fantastic design house in Amsterdam, of all places. Can you believe it? Anyway, I spoke to them yesterday and they said that they can do all of their designs in custom sizes and all they need are measurements. Isn't that great? So, I'll just..."

As soon as she pulled out the measuring tape, Carlisle cleared his throat and said, reproachfully, "Alice."

Alice hung her head slightly, looking up at Carlisle apologetically. "Sorry," she mouthed to him. Looking back to Buffy, she whispered "We'll do this later," and took a step back.

Seeing that this may be his only opportunity to regain some semblance of control over his children and the situation, Carlisle took a cautious step toward Buffy. His reassuring countenance and calm voice did nothing to diminish his air of paternal authority.

"Buffy," he said, pulling her attention away from the fashion fairy. "I am Carlisle Cullen. I would like to welcome you to our home. Please, feel free to call me Carlisle. This is my wife, Esme." He inclined his head toward our mother. "She and I are the parental figures of the family."

Buffy smiled brightly at both of them for a moment before she spoke. "It's a pleasure to meet both of you. Thank you for welcoming me."

The care and love radiating off of both of my parents was palpable. Esme gazed at her with motherly love and said "We're very glad to have you here, dear."

I monitored Buffy's emotions closely while the rest of the family introduced themselves. She was starting to feel a bit overwhelmed and her thirst was demanding more of her attention than before. I decided to intervene when her hand involuntarily moved to her throat and she swallowed thickly.

"Darlin',?" I asked calmly. "Is your throat burnin' a bit?"

She nodded as the realization struck her. "This is what you were talking about? You all told me I'd feel this. This is 'thirsty'. That means I should hunt, correct?"

"That's exactly what that means, hun," I confirmed, nodding back at her.

Taking that as their cue, the rest of the family began filing out of the bedroom and downstairs to the door. We exited the house and Buffy stopped to take in the surroundings. Everything was green and lush, this time of year. The ever-present Highland cloud cover meant that she would have to wait to experience the effect of the sun on our skin. But even with the clouds and the near constant mist, this was still a beautiful place. "Are you ready for your first hunt, sugar?" I asked with a smile.

She stared at the heavily forested area some 200 yards from the house, a look of concentration on her face. "So..... I'm guessing this will have nothing to do with Real Tree cammo, orange vests, guns, bows, or tree stands. Am I right?" Yeah, this woman was a smart ass, alright. She'd fit right in.

Rosalie piped up this time. "God, Peter! You're all ready rubbing off on her!"

We all laughed and Peter retorted "Oh, no! You can't pin this all on me! Buff here brings a lot of attitude to the table all on her own." Grinning, he winked at Buffy. "Don't sweat it, kiddo. It's instinct to you now. It'll happen naturally," And so will a few other things, he added in his mind.

I was going to question what he meant by that but thought better of it. Now was the time to take care of Buffy. I took her hand and we started to walk towards the woods, the entire family moving with us.

A/N This chapter got to be way too much, so I broke it up a bit. As soon as I get the other part edited and refined, I'll post it as well. If anyone is actually reading this, I'd sure like to hear from you. This is my first real fanfic and I could use some feedback. Even if it sucks, just let me know. Thanks!