A/N: THIS IS AN EXTENSION FROM THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER: I FORGOT TO ADD THIS PART.
"I think I just saved your asses from the Volturi."
Carlisle's smile was infectious. "Let me call a family meeting." He got up and strode to the door.
"Wait!" Alice shot up. "Why don't I just tell you?"
Carlisle was halfway out the door. "Doesn't the family need to hear it?"
"Well, yes," she stuttered. "But...I'm not-" he was gone. She sighed and finished dejectedly, "I'm not part of your family."
But, instead of feeling hollow, like she did normally when one of the Cullens brought up family, she felt a little more whole. Despite her fears threatening to overwhelm her, she followed Carlisle down the stairs and to the never used dining room. She already knew the meeting was going to be good.
"I always side with the winner," Alice murmured excitedly. "And now there's a chance-no more than a chance-of y'all winning!"
The whole Cullen clan sans Renesmee was seated in the dining room. Well almost all were seated. Alice's joy had infected Emmett, and the large man was grinning against the door frame, unable to sit still. Rosalie rolled her eyes in irritation, but all could tell she was amused.
"There's a boy in South America, named Nahuel, who is just like Renesmee!"
Edward and Bella's heads swung towards her in a mix of shock, hope, and excitement. Jasper, who was in close proximity, fidgeted in surprise.
"What do you mean?"
"There is someone like our daughter?"
"Does he age like Nessie?"
"Are you absolutely sure?"
"What did you See, exactly?"
Alice grinned, and for the first time, she felt truly happy in the Cullen home. The atmosphere up until now had been depressing and full of anxious immortals. Everyone around the table looked like they had been given the greatest gift ever offered to them. Now there was a chance, now there was hope.
"I mean that there is a hybrid akin to Renesmee. Yes. He used to but now he's immortal. I am absolutely sure...about that part. And I Saw the Final Confrontation." she answered in quick succession.
Carlisle, who looked happier than he had in days, said, "Do not misunderstand me, I am very grateful that Renesmee is not the only one of her kind, but how does this save us from judgment?"
"It….doesn't." she admitted, losing some of her smile. "But it gives the Volturi, pause. We have to find Nahuel and bring him as proof Renesmee isn't a danger to the vampire community."
Half the room snorted. Nessie a danger? Alice shrugged apologetically; it wasn't her who believed the child to be a threat. Nessie, although physically strong, was entirely too innocent to hurt anyone or anything. On purpose at least.
"How do we find Nahuel?" asked Esme suddenly. "And before our time is up?"
Alice hesitated, understanding the unsaid question. "I'd say we have about three or four days before they arrive. It's hard to tell. To find Nahuel, we need to talk to Zafrina. And her sisters."
"Zafrina's sisters didn't come." interrupted Rosalie. She drummed her perfect, manicured nails on the table.
Alice gave her a look. "I know that, Rose. But they are in South America which is where you'll find Nahuel and his mother."
"Mother?" asked Bella, surprised.
Alice hesitated. "I don't know for sure, but there was definitely a woman with him and she acted like his mother."
Carlisle frowned slightly. "Emmett, could you go find Zafrina?"
"Back in a flash," said Emmett, gone before the words left his mouth.
Carlisle turned to Alice, and his face was back to the pained worry it had been before her vision. "Alice, speak honestly. What are the chances we come out of this?"
She was already shaking her head. "Too many variables. I do know, however, that Nahuel increases your previous chances tenfold. I keep Seeing it go either way."
"We were in that bad shape?" commented Jasper, smiling wryly. Alice smiled and shook her head in amusement, having anticipated the question. Luckily, she didn't have to answer if she timed it just right….
Emmett was back with Zafrina. The jungle woman observed them keenly with large black eyes, a question on her lips.
Alice asked before Zafrina could inquire. "Have you and your sisters ever come across a woman, and boy that goes by the name Nahuel?"
Zafrina frowned. "How do you know about Nahuel?" she crossed her arms over her stomach.
"You knew Nahuel existed and didn't tell anyone?" snapped Edward.
The tall woman stepped forward, her lip curling in anger. "Why would you even want to know about that boy? Huilen, swore me to secrecy. She did not want her nephew to be in any danger."
"Do you know how much that bit of information could have helped us?" grunted Bella, trying to keep her emotions under control. For once, she didn't mind the extra help Jasper was providing.
"Wait!" Alice's lips contorted into a perfect 'O'. New Sights were flashing before her eyes. New things she hadn't Seen before.
"She doesn't know Nahuel is a hybrid." said Edward and Alice at the exact same time. Alice chuckled under her breath. Once this all was over she had to sit down with Edward and just have a long chat. Their gifts were similar in some ways, and completely opposite in others.
"Nahuel is a hybrid?" asked Zafrina, making everyone at the table frown in confusion. Carlisle was watching the whole exchange with polite curiosity. Alice wondered if he had ever taken a negative side in anything.
"You've never seen Nahuel." She realized with a start. "Only Huilen."
Zafrina nodded in puzzlement. "It is true that I've only met Huilen, and twice at that. She came to us in a desperate hysteria. She needed help for her sick child, who I believed was human." She glared at Edward before continuing. "She would only say that he was growing much too fast. My sisters and I offered her comfort, but if we ever knew how to care for human children, we do not now."
"And you met her again?" asked Rosalie suspiciously.
Zafrina nodded once. "She came seven years later to thank us for what we had done. Kachiri, my sister, thought it rather silly because we had done nothing but allow her to speak. She told us her nephew had stopped growing so fast."
"He stopped aging after seven years?" asked Edward blankly, as if to reassure himself that he had heard the number come from Zafrina's mouth.
She nodded. "That is what Huilen said."
At her words, Bella and Edward sighed in relief. Alice realized that they had been worried how fast Renesmee was growing. Even though she had been there mere weeks, even she could the differences in the hybrids appearance. Her beautiful bronze hair was at least an inch longer than when she had arrived. Cheekbones losing the slight chubbiness she had come into the world in. Did they expect that their daughter was going to die before she reached ten years? At the rate she was going it seemed certainly plausible. But this knows with Nahuel served two purposes: one as their salvation, and the other as relief.
"And then?" asked Edward intently.
"And then she left. I have not seen Huilen in many many years."
"But you know where she stays?" asked Alice, a special gleam in her eyes that told everyone that she already knew the answer.
Zafrina nodded slowly and said almost reluctantly, "Kachiri visits her at times."
Carlisle and Edward were already on their feet and moving. The atmosphere exploded into a frenzy of moving parts and decisions.
"I'll book the flight," said Carlisle, flashing out of the room. Alice could hear his fingers tapping on the computer rapidly.
"I'll go to inform the others." Edward followed suit and left, Bella pulled behind him. Esme muttered something about sick leaves and jobs and she left the room as well.
"I'm on packing duty." said Rosalie, uncharacteristically. She stood up and Alice could soon hear her rummaging on the upper floors. Alice smiled, pushed back her chair, and stood up. There were only three people left in the conference room.
"You've done good, sprite." said Emmett, coming over and wrapping his arms around Alice, picking her up, and spinning her around quickly. Jasper flew over to them, concerned, but seeing Alice's smile deterred him from stopping Emmett. One could never be too careful when it came to Emmetts strength. The giant man practically swallowed her when it came to size.
"You've saved us," said Jasper, golden eyes beaming with pride. "Thank you."
Alice smiled hugely and jumped up to peck him on the cheek. "We better go tell Renesmee!" and she bounded up the stairs, dragging Emmett, and leaving Jasper with the stupidest smile etched onto his face.
Why am I smiling? He thought. But as Jasper walked out the room with the intent to follow her and Emmett, he realized he didn't care.
GirlWhoWrites: Jasper was before her time. She was like a group or two after his. Definitely after Peter was changed. But before Charlotte. I figured if Maria wanted no new permanent vampires after Peter, but then came upon Alice and her golden gift, she would be forced to keep her. It gives a better motive for the no exceptions thing and why Charlotte had to die, timeline wise.
************:Uh, thanks? To be honest, I hated Renesmee with passion, as well. But, Alice has learned to tolerate her. And remember that line about immortal children being irresistible and whole covens were torn apart to protect them? I'm using the same logic even though she isn't an immortal child. And I don't think it's a "truly imbecilic idea"to set a newborn Bella against Alice, because if we know one thing, Bella was willing to risk death to birth this kid. Alice has subconscious insecurities about her gift, and considering she's been alone for the majority of her life, it's a miracle she hasn't gone feral. I'm just being true to the characters in my opinion.
DeltaGirl74: Nope they never really talked to each other back during the Wars. I mean, they did but it was a relationship built on fear and violence. She avoided him whenever possible and they never got that essential connection. Alice has a hard time trusting anyone, even herself, so it might take her a bit to realize her attraction to Jasper. Jasper will probably figure it out due to the whole empath thing. Of course, if I went with instant connection now, there wouldn't be a sub-plot to Breaking Dawn. I have a hard enough time writing romance, so I figured I'd get some practice with these two idiots.
Good questions, guys!
