Disclaimer: I do not own twilight or any of its characters
(A/N:To quote Paramore "things are looking up, oh finally..." I think we're over the worst of it... no more depression, no more sobbing... just happy, happy, happy!... well kind of... it wouldn't really be the Cullen's if that was the case! Hope you like xxx)
"Tanya!" Esme called leaping out into the green. "Tanya!" She cried again, her voice louder than necessary with the excitement cascading through her.
Tanya was standing in front of Esme within a second, Eleazar standing on her left with Carmen behind him and Kate flanking her right side. Their eyes scanned the house in front of them for any fleeing vampires.
"What's happening?" Kate asked, registering the four familiar scents of Carlisle, Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper coming from their home.
Esme smiled delicately and couldn't believe she was saying the words. "They're safe."
"Oh thank God." Carmen exhaled, closing her eyes gently.
"All of them?" Eleazar asked, stepping forward. "Even the girl?"
Esme nodded, her smile growing wider. "Alice just called. It appears as though they had stayed inside until sunset and so were unable to call us until now. They're getting back tonight."
"I can't believe it." Eleazar said, confounded. "They let them go?" Though it had been many centuries since his time with the Volturi, he couldn't imagine that their mindset had changed that much. Have they lost it? Bella, a human girl who knows far too much. Edward, an immortal who had broken the most important rule and exposed their species. And Alice... whose abilities would make them even more knowledgeable and formidable... completely and undeniably unstoppable, someone, who if I had found her during my employment, would wave made me a God in their ranks. But they were allowed to just walk away, when it would have been so easy to stop them. There must be a reason... and I'm sure the human girl is the link... she's special, and Aro knows it, Eleazar assumed.
"You're leaving?" Tanya asked, changing the subject seeing Emmett already loading up the large moving truck. "Where are you going? To your new home? In New York?" She said hopefully, but knowing where they were most likely heading.
Carlisle's arm was suddenly around Esme's shoulders. "Not quite, Tanya." He smiled. "We're heading back to Forks."
Carmen's face lit up, the dimples either side of her lips deepening in her olive skin. But Tanya's face fell into a sour pout. She didn't want them to leave – especially since they were going back there... to the human. She would have liked to have spent some time alone with Edward.
"Oh, we've got so much to do!" Esme clapped her hands together excitedly and turned back to Carlisle. "What should we do about the New York house? We've only just finished it. Should we sell it?"
He started walking back to the house. "I don't see the need. We could just add it to the Cullen Real-Estate." He smiled. "Besides, it will only be a few years until we have to move on again."
"Carlisle," Eleazar's voice called from behind them, interrupting them. "The girl... what do you intend to do with her?" He said awkwardly.
Carlisle turned to his friend, sombrely. "That is something I have no control over. Bella and Edward will have to talk about it more, but from what I understand their opinions are poles apart."
"But there is a reason why they let her go... alive. And I'd bet that the terms of that agreement were that she is to be changed."
Esme looked worryingly at her husband. It appears as though we're not out of the storm just yet.
Carlisle knew what Eleazar meant and that it was most likely to be true. But the decision was not his to make. "Edward will not have it." He said, knowing all too well his son's opinion on the matter.
Eleazar shook his head. "It would not be difficult for them to find you all. Demetri's talent is incontestable."
"You'll be at the top of their hit list until she's one of us." Kate said, looking seriously into his eyes.
"And believe us, Carlisle... that is not somewhere you want to be." Tanya said, finishing Kate's thoughts, and speaking from their own unfortunate experience.
Kate rested her hand at the top of Tanya's arm and the four of them walked slowly towards their house to help their cousins pack.
The conversation had not gone unheard by Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie.
Emmett had already voiced his opinions about the matter on one of the many days that Bella had come to their house over the summer. He didn't see anything wrong with the world that Carlisle had brought him into. How could a world where he could be with Rosalie be a bad place? He knew that Bella agreed with him, and he was excited that her presence in their family would be made official soon. He had missed her so much, and believed that only an eternal life with her as his sister would make up for it.
Rosalie's eyes looked worryingly over to her husband; she knew that if and when it came to it, he would side with Bella. Even the over-cautious Jasper would agree. He would never stop Alice from getting her way, who Rosalie was sure would be jumping at the chance to get it over and done with. And after all, it would be a lot easier for him. Rosalie looked around her family and doubted that anyone would take her side... apart from Edward.
With the added help from Tanya, Kate, Carmen and Eleazar the Cullen's were packed in no time. Emmett had just packed the last box into the truck and everybody was preparing to drive the convoy of cars back to Forks. Carlisle was driving the van, Esme was taking Edward's Volvo and Jasper was taking the Vanquish, Emmett was taking his Jeep and Rosalie was taking her BMW. She was fumbling with her keys in the doorway, waiting for Esme and Carlisle to end their goodbyes, in two minds whether to speak to Carlisle about Bella or not.
"Thank you, again, Tanya... For letting us stay here for so long." Esme said.
Tanya smiled, "Anytime. It'll be so empty around here now. Especially with that big lump out of the way..." She added, nodding her head towards Emmett who laughed loudly. "Don't be a stranger though."
"Same applies to you, Tanya. It's been a while since you all graced our home with your presence." Carlisle smiled.
"We're sorry about that." Kate interrupted. "But ever since that Laurent joined us... well we had our hands full." Kate added, sourly. She did not like Laurent, neither did the other three, and she was grateful – and unsurprised – when he eventually took off, but the fact that Irina had left a few months ago to find him sadden them deeply.
"Of course." Esme said delicately, "and you will let us know when Irina comes home, won't you? I don't want to be worrying about her too."
Tanya nodded and embraced each member of her extended family.
"Please bear in mind what I said about Bella, Carlisle..." Eleazar said seriously when he shook Carlisle's hand. "What Kate said was true... you're putting your family in danger by keeping her human."
"I know, Eleazar." Carlisle sighed. "And I'm sure it will be discussed eventually... but I think getting Bella home, to her father, is the only thing we need to consider for now."
Eleazar raised his eyebrows, believing that Carlisle was not seeing the importance of this decision.
"Oh and Jasper!" Tanya called from the front door. "You still owe me a new phone!" She laughed as she shut the front door between her coven and the Cullen's.
"Ca... Carlisle?" Rosalie whispered just before they all reached their vehicles. "I don't think we should change Bella."
Carlisle stopped and sighed. He was not surprised by her words – she had not made any effort to hide her distaste of Carlisle's methods of saving her, though he hoped that by saving Emmett for her had managed to make some form of amends.
"We can talk about it later, Rosalie." He said.
"But –"
"Later, Rosalie. Let's just get back and then we can get to the airport. There are more important things to do first."
"But you can't let that happen to Bella." She shouted anyway knowing that this was probably going to be the only opportunity for her to voice her views. She was pretty sure that as soon as Bella pleas her case then everybody else would feel too guilty to say no. "She'll be giving up so much, more than she realises. She can't! Edward's right... it's not how it's meant to be."
"And then we'll have to go through this again in another seventy years..." Carlisle replied raising his hands, his voice graver. "We all know now that as soon as Bella dies – naturally or not - Edward will not be far behind her. If I have to choose between my son's death or giving the love of his existence immortality..." He sighed, knowing that this would hurt his daughter, "Well... my choice is simple."
And for that, Rosalie had no answer. But she had no doubt that the topic would come up again... soon. She nodded acceptingly, not wanting to argue anymore. She had always found it difficult to understand opinions that differed from her own. In the heat of her transformation, Rosalie's thoughts circled around what had happened to her... what had brought her so close to death. She didn't understand what those men were doing, or why, and as far as she was concerned, this trait was something that was exaggerated in this new, immortal life.
One thing she did understand though was Edward's love for Bella... and her love for him. It was something she did not comprehend until two days ago, but as she looked at Emmett now, she had no doubt. Any of them would have done the same if they were in Edward's or Bella's shoes.
She walked slowly to her BMW and revved the engine loudly, taking off quickly into the Alaskan hills. She promised herself that she would speak to Bella about it and make her think about the important things before she went through with it... But before then she needed the alone time to think of what she was going to say to Edward and Bella, to apologise, to beg for forgiveness... something she was not used to doing. It wouldn't be easy, but it would be done.
Jasper had been driving for no more than two minutes before the cell phone in his hand started ringing.
"Alice." He breathed, once again not believing that he was saying her name again.
"Not bad timing if I do say so myself." She laughed musically down the phone.
"Where are you now?" He asked quickly.
"We've just taken off from Rome. Only fifteen hours to go!"
"That's fifteen hours too long... Heck, its four days too long Alice." He said rubbing the side of his head.
Alice sighed on the other end of the phone. "Tell me about it. I've missed you so much Jasper. I've needed you every step of the way... to calm me down, to give me a shred of confidence, to look after me..."
"But you did it Alice. Against all the odds."
"I couldn't have done it without Bella. She was so brave Jazz, stronger than any of us. You should have seen her standing in front of Aro, shouting at Jane! I would have been proud if I wasn't so petrified..."
Jasper gripped on to the steering wheel tightly, the whites of his knuckles showing. "You... they... You spoke to them? Bella spoke to them?"
"Yeah, where do you think we were all this time?"
"Um, Esme said something about you staying out of the sun..."
Alice scoffed into the phone, "Something like that I suppose..."
"Alice... what happened?" Jasper asked, realising that none of them actually knew what had happened.
Alice sighed. "Bella got to him just in time... and I mean just. He was about to step into the sunlight in the middle of the town square. Hundreds of witnesses. The guard were literally mid spring when Bella ran into him and forced him into the shade." Her voice lowered. "I could see that that wasn't the end though... it had only just begun. I tried to get to them, but they were everywhere." She spoke the words carefully and softly. "Every alley, every roof top... anywhere there was a speck of shade. But I saw a way to get to them. By the time I got there, there were only two of the guards with them. Demetri and Felix, I believe."
Jasper's breath stuttered at the names. He didn't even want to imagine Alice standing beside Felix. He must have been almost double her height – let alone one of the strongest fighters in existence and easily the best fighter. Jasper thought that perhaps if he and Emmett were working together they might match the giant's abilities... but alone – they'd be useless.
"I tell you they didn't like it when the numbers had evened up... Don't think they were used to it. But then again, it didn't last long." She sighed again. "Jane took us all to the main hall."
"Alice!" Jasper screamed. "Do you have any idea how dangerous she is? You had no need to be there! You promised me that you would do everything you could to get out!"
"It doesn't matter now. It all worked out in the end. In fact, they would both be dead if I hadn't have gone with them. Aro said he would only let us go if we had the intention of changing Bella..."
Eleazar was right, Jasper thought.
"... But Edward didn't... and you can't lie to Aro. So I had to show him. He saw my vision of Bella as one of us... and he let us go. But we were told that we had to wait until the evening."
"That's a dangerous game Alice!" Jasper called into the phone. "He knows everything about you now. Everything you've thought, everything you've seen –"
"You don't think I know that?" Her voice was lower than a whisper, but sounded like a hiss. "It was awful, showing him everything. Every kiss, every touch, every precious moment. It felt so... violating. But it was the price I had to pay... and I would pay it a million times over if it meant I would save their lives."
"I know, I know my darling." He soothed, wishing he was with her to calm her unsteadiness.
There was silence for a few moments before Alice spoke again. "How is everyone anyway? I can see that Rosalie's got a few things to say."
"When hasn't she?" Jasper laughed. "You know what her opinions of changing Bella are. She's not going to let this one go easily. As for everyone else... well they're just so happy that they get to see you all again."
"Ditto." Alice laughed gently.
"How are Edward and Bella?"
Alice exhaled again, but this time more frustrated. "They're fine. Inseparable. Bella won't even sleep. We keep telling her to get some rest, but she won't listen to either of us. She's going to be in bed all day tomorrow now! And when she wakes up... well lets just say that Edwards going to be even more trouble than Rose!"
Jasper laughed again. "Can't wait. Nothing says home like a dramatic debate!"
"Especially in our home." Alice agreed. "Speaking of which, will you and Emmett please help Esme when you get there! There are more important things to do than set up Emmett's new television! To be honest, I suggest that you don't even get it out yet... just wait a few more days!"
Jasper laughed. There was higher chance of him and Emmett starting a fiery affair than waiting a 'few more days' to play with Emmett's new T.V.. "I'll see what I can do..."
"Hmm..." Alice moaned, not believing it for a second. "Well he can't say I didn't warn him!" Her voice suddenly changed tone. "And Jasper... please be careful when you get home."
"Are you talking about these wolves?" He said gravely.
"They're huge Jasper! And angry! Stupid, moody, teenage... dogs! And they've grown quite... attached to Bella. One especially. I'm pretty sure he's in love with her!" She said ever so quietly, as though she was trying to keep it from Edward – though speaking softly would do no good.
Jasper almost laughed. "And what does Bella think about this?"
"Ergh, she's even worse! She called him her best friend, Jasper... Her best friend! I'm supposed to be her best friend! Edward's ruined everything!"
"Alice, I'm sure she still loves you –"
"Of course she does! But my point still stands. Our actions have done nothing but bad to things to her – as I always knew they would! Only Bella would seek out the only thing on this planet as dangerous as vampires after we left!"
"Edward wasn't exaggerating when he called her a danger magnet then?" He replied, trying to repress the time when she had drawn the darkest side of him to her.
"Yeah... Well their presence is going to make everything a lot harder – especially with this new development. Rosalie's going to have a lot more people on her side. Not that I can see anything..." She added, but more to herself.
"What? They have that much effect on your visions?"
"Unfortunately. That's why I didn't see Bella get pulled out of the water after she jumped... the one that's in love with her did it. It's also why I didn't see Victoria and Laurent go back to Forks either!"
"Victoria? And Laurent?" Jasper questioned. "What were they doing there?"
"They were after Bella, Jazz. Revenge... for James's death. But it's ok, now we're back we can take care of Bella. Victoria's still around, but at least the dogs were handy for a while... They got rid of that Laurent. Apparently Bella managed to attract him as well! But of course I missed it all! Everything just goes black whenever they're involved... So inconvenient!"
"Call time over. Call time over." The same mechanical voice from two days ago said.
Alice growled. "As is that!"
"I'll see you soon my darling." Jasper said, much happier and relaxed now he had spoken to his Alice, but now even more afraid for her safety. He wouldn't let her out of his sight until these wolves were under control.
"Not long now. I love you, Jasper."
"I know." Jasper said, as the line bleeped.
He could feel the calm emanating from his body, something he was sure that the sound of Alice's beautiful and care free laughter had caused. He didn't know how he was going to react when he finally got to see her. He was so convinced that he had lost her forever, and that he was never going to see her impish smile or hold her tiny frame in his large, scarred arms again that he still couldn't believe that she was coming home, and he would see her soon. The dim and cloudy Alaskan sky began to lighten with the morning sun, though it still kept its cover. The day had only just begun, but Jasper could not wait till it was over.
Jasper eventually arrived home, a few minutes after Rosalie. He pulled into the garage and the engine whined to a stop.
"It needs tuning again." The grim, depleted, but attractive voice of Rosalie called, taking Jasper by surprise. She was still sitting in her BMW.
Jasper got out of the car steadily and smoothly shut the door. "What are you still doing in here Rose?"
But she didn't need to answer. He could feel her remorse, her fear, her... sadness. Each feeling was so different, but all equally pronounced. He swiftly went to open her door, but she wasn't moving. He knelt down beside her and went to put his hand on her arm, wanting to calm her down.
"Don't Jasper." She said, moving her arm away. "I don't deserve it."
"Rose –" He tried to interrupt.
"I've hurt so many people." She turned to face him, her jaw was set tight. "You wanted to kill me because of what I did." She laughed ironically and looked away again. "And I wouldn't have blamed you."
Jasper couldn't deny it. The anger swimming through him when he realised the danger Rosalie had put Alice him wanted nothing more than for him to seek revenge. "You're right. But it was completely instinctual. The animal or monster inside me wouldn't have thought twice about ripping your head off..."
Rosalie scoffed again.
"... But as your brother... it was easy to forgive you. And Edward will as well."
She looked at her brother, one of her delicate eyebrows raised. They both laughed lightly.
"You can be such a sop sometimes." She said, pushing Jasper out of the way so she could get out.
He shrugged his shoulders and smiled, following her. "Worked though."
She rolled her eyes as she opened the door into their home.
The large couches were still there, though they were covered in a thin layer of dust. Rosalie's eyes roamed the large living room and finally fell on Edward's piano in the corner of the room. The layer of dust was much more pronounced on this smooth flat surface. She inspected it for a moment, measuring how much dust had fallen. It was the only physical thing that determined the amount of time that they had been away.
"Too long." She said, only to herself.
It wasn't long before Emmett and Esme arrived, only seconds apart.
"Oh, it's awful in here! So dirty." She ran to a cupboard in the kitchen and handed a can of spray and a cloth to three of her adopted children. "Rose, boys. Give me a hand."
"Sorry ma, can't do." Emmett called. He ran to the doorstep and returned with one of the largest boxes Esme had ever seen in his hands. " I've got to set up this bad boy! Can't believe it beat me here. I suppose that's what you get for being a 'Platinum Customer'." He laughed.
Jasper laughed along with him. So this is what Alice meant, he thought. "I don't know Em, Alice mentioned something about no setting it up yet..."
The two boys looked at each other for a few moments, until they both laughed... loudly.
"Yeah, ok..." Emmett cried. "Now, where shall I put it?"
"I've got a good idea where it can go..." Esme joked, nodding her head in the direction of the large hole Emmett had made in the wall before they left all those months ago.
Emmett grinned widely. "I'll go get some plaster!"
"Yeah, you do that." Esme nodded sarcastically.
