A/N
Wow. What a week!
A huge thanks to my Beta, Bripearl, she did an awesome job with this chapter. She helped me more than she knows. I wanted to pull hair out, but I aint bald yet… so Thank you!
Thanks to all your fantastic reviews…. You guys never fail to surprise me…your words or overwhelming. I just… I don't know what all to say. You all ROCK!
Well… are you ready for this?
SM OWNS TWILIGHT~ I OWN THIS ONE!
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Previously;
"I think either way we start a war. Havin' 'er dead saves us some deeper trouble in the end with leavin' 'er alive for the chance someone else to decide she lives… and saves us the angst."
"I agree."
"I think having Edward go in while someone else talks to her will be beneficial before hand."
"Agreed."
"Then there's Carlisle and Esme."
Oi.
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~ We Missed That? ~
~Izzy POV~
It was three a.m. when we all gathered in the Mac's place to watch the 'life' screen. Mac's place was half the size of the command room with twice as many electronics and gadgets. The back 20' wall was nothing but life size screens with various views of the fortress and the world. It reminded me of Star Trek, or NASA, the way everything was facing and assembled to face the enormous wall of living pictures.
Edward was being escorted to the sentry camp to meet with Dr. C. Jasper had taken Edward aside, before he left, speaking to him briefly. We all agreed having Edward drink human blood might be beneficial; the pros outweighed the cons at this point. Edward declined, although he said he might reconsider. He didn't want to compromise his confrontation by being distracted by the sudden influx of voices. Smart. Everyone's gift worked differently. The one common denominator however, was that whatever gift you had, would be heightened when you drank human blood. I could understand the hesitation, even though he couldn't read the ghouls' minds. Dhampirs were hit and miss, not wanting to test the change while concentrating on his sire, was for the best.
The immediate area they were meeting at was cleared of our people. They were now scattered far enough away to be there in a heartbeat, but still at a distance that gave the Cullens the sense of privacy.
We found our places in front of the monitors. The largest screen held 5 views from the 5 different angles from the cameras placed in the room and set up to watch Carlisle and Esme on the screens in front of us. They sat huddled together on one of the loveseats gracing the room Emmett and Rosalie once occupied.
Once Edward entered, Carlisle and Esme stood and immediately started asking questions, demanding answers. Where were they? Did Edward know what was going on? Where was everyone? Why were they taken? What was the meaning of this? Who were all these people?
Edward evaded most of their questions until there was a lull in the conversation enough for him to start asking his own. That's when things got more interesting.
You know the old adage about train wrecks? You just can't look away. That's what it felt like as their conversation progressed into morning. I just couldn't look away.
I could feel Monstress on the outskirts, paying attention, but not dominate. I could feel Jasper's tension, stretched thinly inside my own emotions. I was sure he was feeling my emotions on top of everyone else's.
We watched as Edward moved to sit opposite them in one of the plush chairs.
Carlisle finally sat down with Esme who was now sitting wringing her hands together on her lap.
"I need to ask you something, Carlisle." Edward's voice was quiet and strained with tension.
Carlisle nodded.
"How do you know Alice?"
Carlisle started at the question and answered on autopilot, "She and Jasper came to us-"
"No, when was the first time you met Alice?"
"I don't… what are you asking Edward?" Carlisle face twitched.
Edward sat still for a moment staring at Carlisle.
"Is that how you met her? Who's the blond you pictured? Heidi? Is that who introduced you?" He asked. You could see how tense Edward was, almost as if he were a tightly strung bow ready to snap.
"Carlisle!" Esme exclaimed. It wasn't an exclamation of 'What's goin on', it was more of a scolding tone. Strange.
They both ignored her, "Why are you asking me this? What does Alice have to do with this?" Carlisle asked.
"Everything. Now, please answer me. Who was the blond, when did first you first meet Alice and Heidi?"
"He doesn't-" Esme started and Carlisle shut her up with a hand on her knee.
"It's all right dear." He sighed. "I was afraid of this." Sounding resigned. "When Bella told us part of the family was trouble, I had a feeling where this was going." Esme scoffed at her mate.
"Answer the question." Edward gritted.
After a moment of silence Edward demanded, "Out loud."
Carlisle sighed again and spoke up as requested, "I knew it wouldn't last forever. Our bubble of safety. I warned her that she was too pre-occupied with Jasper to be paying attention and watching out for us at the same time. She's been so worried about Jasper's health."
Jasper shook his head and snorted as he crossed his arms on his chest.
"Carlisle!" Esme warned him under her breath. Odd… again. Huh.
He patted her leg in acknowledgement but continued talking, "I met Heidi first, in Volterra, when I was working in a lab there. I was recruited by the Volturi when they found out I was studying and doing medical research."
"Carlisle, please," Esme implored him.
"It's alright Esme, its just Edward. Once he knows, he'll understand. He could help us. He's our son Esme, it's time he knew." she looked doubtful as Carlisle turning to Edward.
"But Alice…"she trailed off but Carlisle shook his head at her once again turning Edward.
"I was working with another scientist Dr. Huilen. We combined our efforts on each other's projects. I worked on my research and assisted with Huilen's visions. He was radical and unpredictable, taking random men and woman off the street without concern for their health or well being mentally. Some were sick with the plague, but most were not. He didn't let the test subjects live long enough to find anything substantial either way."
"You know about dhampirs I gather?" Carlisle inquired, to which Edward nodded his head.
"It was hit and miss at first. Technology at the time was not as it is today. I was there around 10 years when I made the discovery. Eventually we found we were taking our samples too late. Once we began taking the sperm of the newest newborn males and implanting it immediately into a human female, we were quite successful. We created the first of a new race. Not all newborn sperm survives of course, and not all human females are able to carry to term, and Huilen's methods and madness worked against me. We had to take the sperm immediately at rising. We were able to successfully bring 7 to term by the time I left. We lost many more. It became clear Dr. Huilen's methods were something I could not condone any longer. He did not treat the females with the care they needed, and was stealing more and more humans off the streets to supply us. We fought and argued over many aspects of our methods.
That's when I met Heidi Volturi. A few months had passed by then and Huilen was becoming more and more unstable. Heidi told me of a woman who predicted the future and having concerns about Huilen, came to warn me. Through several long conversations she informed me this seer predicted Huilen would kill me if I stayed. I didn't believe her at first.
Huilen was becoming unpredictable and more brazen demanding we make as many dhampirs as we could. There was much pressure from the Volturi for results. He began taking too many chances, taking people off the streets with families and humans who had too many ties in the world; his selections were so random we couldn't work with most of them. I began to believe the warnings Heidi brought to me. She came back a week later to tell me I must leave immediately or it would be too late.
"I took my research and ran." Carlisle shook his head, "I felt there was no choice but to run. I fled to Sweden to continue by myself. I told no one where I was going."
"You just left. You murdered countless people, created a new species and you simply left. How did you meet Alice?" Edward's voice was low. His fingers were embedded in the fabric of the chair as he dug his nails into the material.
Glancing around the room quickly I realized we were all stone still. I tried to let go of the tension building in my body, to relax. Centering myself enough I tried to release my tension and provide Jasper something other than the negative emotions to feed from. It seemed to work somewhat as I saw his stature change infinitesimally.
Carlisle was still talking, "She and Heidi found me in Sweden while I was working in my own lab. I was very surprised to see them. It was nearly 100 years since I heard a word."
"You continued your experiments! You just left them and found somewhere else to continue your debauchery! You lied. To all of us." Edward shook his head at his sire. "Why? Why would you do that? Do you have any idea what you left behind? You left Huilen there with no regard for anyone's well being but your own!"
"It was for the best. If I would have stayed it could have potentially given the Volturi too much power. It's not something I am proud of, but I was backed into a corner. Heidi said if I left it would make Huilen leave as well. It was my best option," Carlisle defended; he seemed unfazed by Edward's overall anger. "We saved hundreds of lives."
It seemed he really believed that shit. Unreal!
Edward didn't reply. His breathing was heavy and he seemed to be trying to calm down.
The tension in Mac's place was stretched tight. I reached out, touching Jasper's arm. I asked him with my eyes, he seemed to understand. I suddenly felt a blanket of calm settle over us and I smiled at him gratefully. I glanced at Nevell, he was less tense now, he wasn't fighting Jasper's gift, but he still looked like he wanted to jump through the screen and strangle Carlisle.
"I couldn't tell you," Carlisle finally said. "The more people who knew, the more chance it was for everything we worked for to be exposed. Hundreds of years of hard work would be washed away. It couldn't be changed anyway. What good would it have done? What could you have done?"
"You abandoned them! You didn't think the other scientists knew how or would take over where you left off? You're not the man I thought you were! You're a fucking stranger! How could I not have known this!" Edward exclaimed throwing his hands in the air. "You abandoned them on the ramblings of a woman you never met! You've lied about your involvement with the Volturi all these years!"
"I took all my research with me. They could not continue." Carlisle defense was asinine. "You have to understand, she came with facts no one else knew! Staying would have been detrimental to everyone! I cut ties with the Volturi when I left and hid so they could not continue."
"And you think they just stopped? You left Huilen there!" Edward argued. "You left innocent people at his hands! You left the dhampirs with no protection against him! He knew how to further the discovery. At the very least he could have killed them all. Yes, he left. He left to continue somewhere else. No lives were truly saved. You didn't cut all ties because you still send the Volturi potential people. Jesus, I don't even know where the hell to start with this fuckery!"
"Heidi said he wouldn't continue for the Volturi." Carlisle's voice completely defensive now as he tried to excuse his behavior. "The discoveries would be taken care of after Huilen left. How do you know about my contact with the Volturi?" I saw Esme stiffen.
"Just like I know the rest of it. Why are you sending them people? Why after you broke ties with them would you work for them? You know what they are capable of. Does Eleazar know?"
"No, as far as I know, he knows nothing of this. I would like to keep it that way. He would look at it as a betrayal to him. He wouldn't understand our true goals. He's happy with who he is. When I came to him for help I told no one of my activities or true relationship with the three Brothers. Eleazar holds them accountable for many wrong doings over the thousands of years they've known each other. Alice said it would not be wise to tell him…."
Nevell snorted, "No shit."
"... The Volturi contacted me after I came to Eleazar's line and asked for help. I felt obligated and guilty, so I give my services to them. I am not actively participating in the experiments, just giving my expertise where it is needed. Alice said it was the best way to keep everything quiet and keep us safe. Agreeing to this keeps the Volturi from raising trouble by me being here in America. If it got out what I had done, we would all be in jeopardy."
"What you have done? Not actively participating? Are you…" Edward shook his head in disbelief. "You should be accountable! You send innocents to them to slaughter. Don't you wonder what they do with the people you send to them? How can you say you're not involved in all this? How can you let Alice lead you around by the collar? How could you let them convince you to leave in the first place and leave those babies behind?" Edward's voice was high pitched with incredulity.
Carlisle was getting agitated. "I don't let her lead me around. She has saved our family countless times. Because of her actions, she saved me in Volterra. She didn't have to do that. I didn't know until I came here and saw the evidence for myself that they continued after I left. I didn't know that they were creating more dhampirs. At the time, Heidi assured me the Volturi would come find me and kill me if I took the dhampirs with me. I couldn't help them. They were better there than with me. She said she would help take care of them.
It wasn't until Alice told me when we first met, that she has trouble seeing the half breeds…"
Nevell snarled at hearing Carlisle call him a half-breed.
"…She was unable to see them continuing because the dhampirs already born interfered with her sight. She assured me my concerns were unfounded when we met again. By my leaving I saved hundreds of lives, you need to understand that." Carlisle's was beseeching.
"Oh fucking Christ! You're delusional! You left them there defenseless! How could Heidi tell you they were going to be all right if Alice couldn't see them? It doesn't even make sense."
"Well, I didn't know that at the time. We did the best we could in the situation, please," Carlisle pleaded. "You have to understand-"
"It's unbelievable how you can sit there and defend her! There is no defense of what you've done! You lied to me. You lied to the family! You've betrayed all of us. Everything's been a fucking lie. Do you know how… do you know…?" Edward rambled seemed to be getting more and more agitated as he tried and failed to argue logic with Carlisle.
"We couldn't tell you." Carlisle said.
"Did Alice send you to find me?" Edward asked changing the subject.
"She told me, yes, you would be an important part of our lives-" Edward cut him off.
"Do you know that she's been blackmailing me?" Edward's words cut into the air sharply.
"It was for your benefit, you were out of control." Esme scoffed, answering for Carlisle, scolding Edward. "Look how well you are doing now. You stopped your monster from overtaking you by coming home. Changing your diet. You're so much better off," she praised. Was she insane?
Edward stood and began pacing; I was surprised he held himself together this long. "Better? Better? Are you serious? I'm a goddamn mess!" Edward yelled and Jasper and Peter snorted. "Do you have any fucking clue what I've gone through in the last hundred years of my existence? Trying to atone for my sins to be better in your eyes? Trying to atone for what I'd done? How much of me I changed to be the 'good' son so the Volturi wouldn't send someone to kill you? So I could be the son you wanted me to be? Only now to find out I was set up from the beginning? You were a part of it! All the while you and Alice were laughing behind my back!" Edward's veins were popping out all over his face as he shouted at them. His hands fisted at his sides, teeth bared. "You used me! You used all of us!"
"It wasn't like that-" Esme said petulantly.
"You've let Alice completely make all this shit up as we live in some make believe world while you play fucking 'Dr. Freeman' conducting lobotomies on innocent people. Sending vampires and humans to get torn apart and put back together with something… they give them drugs to accelerate growth… they… you condone all this bullshit!"
"Now Edward, you don't understand-" Esme piped up. Why did she seem so unfazed now?
"You're right, I don't understand, please explain, because I don't know either one of you. I can't believe your sticking up and condoning this Esme!" he snapped.
Carlisle got up and tried to console him and Edward shoved him away hard enough for Carlisle stumble back. Esme looked angrily at Carlisle as she came to stand by him.
"We couldn't tell you-," She hissed turning to Edward as she held Carlisle arm.
"Couldn't tell me what? That you're mate is Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?" Edward spoke harshly.
"Don't talk to your mother that way." Carlisle bit out in defense. But Edward wasn't paying attention to him. He was now staring at Esme, eyes squinting at her. Esme looked stubbornly back.
He seemed to finally realize what Carlisle said to him and turned back to him.
"Let's get it straight, pops." Edward sneered. "You're NOT my parents. From what you've done, you're no longer anything to me. You've betrayed the entire family. You let that bitch come into that house and blackmail me. Knowingly! Do you AARRRGGHHHH." Edward roared and then leaned into Carlisle's face. "What would possess you to do this? Did you ever wonder WHY Alice is doing this?"
"It wasn't like that-" Esme repeated.
"Tell me what it was like. Tell me what would possess someone to mess with other's lives the way he and Alice have." He yelled at Esme. "Do you know he sends humans to the Volturi? How can you defend him dissecting innocent humans while he tells his family not to drink from them?" he asked her.
Esme just looked sadly at him. Edward stared at her as his eyes widened. "What are you hiding? What is your part in this?" he snarled at her. "…. You're gifted? ….. What about Alice?" he bit out as Esme's face scrunched up.
"Son OF A BITCH!" Edward reeled back from both of them as if he'd been electrocuted. He ran both his hands through his hair and pulled it while he growled and paced again.
I missed something. What the hell? I heard Jasper snarl and was joined by others in the room.
"You two are priceless!" Edward laughed harshly as he blurred around the room. "What a team you make. They think you found out how to tell latent talents from the Volturi's research. Or maybe Alice was finding them like she found Jasper and I. You guys have one even better don't you?" his voice dripping sarcasm as he came to stand in front of them again. "Fucking Esme. Sweet little homemaker soccer mom. You have the natural ability to find them yourself. You two make me sick!"
I jerked stunned. Esme? What?
Our room was utterly quiet; we were all catching flies with our gaping mouths. It felt like a vacuum sucked every emotion out of the room.
Sure Esme helped at the hospital fundraisers, volunteered at the hospital itself…did her own designer business on the side…. but… did she actually meet the people Carlisle sent overseas? What did she have to do with any of it? Could she detect latent gifts?
Edward still ranted, "…Alice got you to change Esme as well. So let me get this straight. Are you even mates?" He didn't let them answer, "Esme finds these potential people sends them to her husband to come up with some mysterious disease or sends them on a mysterious cruise and Alice uses her mind tricks to see if they'd be best useful, you send these non-suspecting humans for 'treatments' they don't need, to Volterra so you can change them-"
"Well not to Volterra-" Carlisle spoke stupidly.
"You send them to the labs?" Edward screamed. "What the hell is wrong with you? Do you know what they do to them there? Of course you do, you were a part of it! You fucking helped them! You damn hypocrite!"
Edward stood staring at Carlisle and Esme as we all were.
Holy baby Jesus on rye. I was too shocked to utter a word.
We stared at the train racing towards the cliff and could do nothing to stop it.
I finally looked at Jasper, his face held such a look of distaste and loathing, I was surprised Carlisle and Esme didn't keel over dead.
I glanced at Peter, he and Char both turned to look at me wide-eyed.
How'd we miss that?
I thought Nevell was going to go through the screen at any minute.
"You don't know what you're talking about, Edward." Esme scolded, and I turned my attention back to the wreck in front of us. "Your father-"
"You call him my father one more time and I'll-" Edward hissed at her.
"You'll what? Hit me? Strike a match?" she sneered. Damn, who knew Esme had it in her?
"Take. Your. Pick." Edward's voice was low and dark. For him to threaten Esme I knew he was done with the two of them.
"You wouldn't dare." She challenged at the same time Carlisle said, "Now Edward-"
"Wouldn't I?" he threatened, "You two have teamed up with a woman who has manipulated and wove her webs around all of us, not just us but around so many it's mind boggling. Instead of standing up to her or making it right, you joined her. She made Jasper live in a vampires war for years! The devil created Maria! She tried to kill Bella! She blackmailed me! Tell me why!"
"We did it for you. For us." Esme lashed out.
"How can you even justify … what? How the fuck do you figure that?" He asked bewildered.
"This research could save us." Carlisle said quietly. "At the very least let us walk amongst society again in the sun."
"Research? Is that what you believe Carlisle? You're doing research? That's all we are to you is research? Test tube experiments? So you can what? Not fucking sparkle? Are you out of your mind?" he incredulously and stared Carlisle down. It was quiet and still for a minute as I was sure Edward read their thoughts. "You think you can change us back into humans? What the fuck! Being vampires isn't a disease!"
"If we could find… if we could contain our monsters…" Carlisle started by Edward wasn't finished.
"Why did you change me?" He glared at his sire. "So that's why you made me? Do I mean so little to you? All I am is a means to keep you safe. Alice is a genius isn't she? Having a mind reader in the family paid off didn't it? I could read Eleazar's mind to figure out if he was onto any of you. If he'd figured out who any of you were and what you were really doing, he would have killed you all. Lying to Eleazar about why you defected from Volterra. What about Rosalie and Emmett?"
He watched them and then threw his hands in the air.
"Oh, my god!" Edward's eyes were popping out of his as he breathed, "Oh, my god!" again.
What! Say it out loud Edward!
"You…you were trying to make her… you'd taken my… you… how dare… did you succeed?" his voice high pitched and begging.
Edward's posture relaxed a tiny bit, but he was obviously reeling even more than rest of us, "At least that's something." He bit out harshly. "You put Rosalie through enough. You put all of us through enough. You violated us. You violated her again at her most vulnerable moment in life. You…" he choked, "If you would have succeeded-," he shook his head.
I had covered my mouth to keep from screaming. Monstress was front and center watching, digging her claws into my brain. She wanted blood. Now. I couldn't quite wrap my head around the implications. What it would take for something…. I just couldn't. I couldn't think about it right now. Jasper's arm snaked around me, I could feel his disbelief join with mine.
"It would have helped her." Esme said sternly. "Think about what kind of healing it would have held for her if she'd been able to have a child in this life."
"You don't understand. We did it to make you happy." Carlisle spoke at the same time over Esme.
I was reeling.
OH. MY. GODDESS.
No one was breathing in the room.
Carlisle experimented on them. My mind raced; He would have had to freeze Edward's sperm in the very beginning. Then what? Taken Rose's eggs as she changed? Before she changed? Then intravenously put them in a surrogate.
"Edward, you need to calm down. This is why Alice said to never tell you. You wouldn't understand. You don't think we have souls, but we do. If I could just find the key that made us this way, we could go back-" Carlisle begged for understanding.
"FUCK YOU! You didn't do this for me. You didn't even ask me what I would think about it! You violated me! You didn't do this for any of us! You did this because you think your father would shun you. You think he would disown you! He would kill you knowing you have a 'monster' in your head. If he had lived he would have chased you down and killed you. I've got news for you, he's fucking dead!" Edward was full on screaming. I wanted to scream. "Oh, and don't worry, I'll be lighting the match my fucking self with Rose!"
"Don't talk to me this way! You don't know what you're talking about. You don't know the leaps and bound we've-" Carlisle began to yell back at him.
"Oh, I think I do. I can see it all in your mind. I can read everything going through that twisted fucked up head of yours. All I had to do was ask the right fucking questions." Edward's voice calmed and he seemed to tip over the edge gloating now at Carlisle.
"Get out of my head!" Carlisle snarled.
"Little too late for that! You sired me, deal with it." Then he hauled off and hit Carlisle square in the face. Thunder boomed. Carlisle screeched grabbing his nose as he flew backward onto couch tipping over backward.
We ALL gasped and then cheered.
"How dare you!" Esme rushed to Carlisle, helping him up.
"No," Edward hissed, his cold and harsh voice holding no illusions. "How dare you, Esme."
Then Edward blurred out of the room.
I heard Mac already giving instructions to follow him. Nevell ran out of the room as well.
Esme and Carlisle stood there looking angrily at each other while Carlisle held his broken nose.
"Why did you think about it? Why didn't you listen to me!" Esme snapped. "Why did you tell him all that? Alice told you not to think about it! Now he knows! What do you think will happen when he tells them? What were you thinking? Too much obviously. We've been so careful over all these years, and in one conversation you ruin everything!"
"You didn't help, Esme! They won't believe him, anyway. They'll think he's making it up to save his own ass." Carlisle told her.
"You hope. We have worked so hard for this. What will Alice do when she finds out Edward knows too much? What will happen to us if it gets out?" she whined.
"We'll have to kill him." Carlisle voice was remorseful.
Esme huffed and turned away from her mate.
OH, fuck that.
I wasn't Edward's number one fan, but he just proved his loyalty. Besides the fact of what they put him through for his entire existence.
We all stood a bit stunned watching the snarled train lay at the bottom of the cliff.
"Told you it was Daddy issues." I said into the thick air.
"Do you think they're setting us up?" Peter whispered. Hope leaked from him that it was all true.
"Not if they plan to kill Edward." Jasper said.
"No way." Mac said shaking his head.
"He made sure he told us everything they were thinking, made Carlisle speak out loud. What they said gives them a death sentence being this far involved. Harboring Alice willingly." Char said.
"How could they? They don't even know where Alice is. Carlisle hasn't seen Edward since they were captured. Carlisle hasn't been close enough to be talking to Edward in his head and it's a one-way link anyway." Jasper said shaking his head as well, like he was trying to shake off the trance we were all just in. I felt shocked.
"I think we need to call Eleazar." Peter said. "Maybe get Edward to go back in there."
"I don't want him to think we're using him. He's been used enough just like the rest of us." Jasper said.
"Let him blow off stream. He has a lot to process right now." I said absently agreeing with Jasper. I was trying to think fast. "What do we really need anymore from any of them? We have everything. We have why they were in Eleazar's Line; we have admittance of what they've been doing. Alice's confession and they just confirmed all of it. Alice linked herself to Heidi, and now Carlisle confirmed."
"We don't." Jasper said taking folding his arms over me pulling me against his chest. "We don't need to talk to them again."
"We could get more information about the tournaments." Peter said.
"I don't think they know anything. They didn't mention them at all." Char reminded.
"Let's put Carlisle and Esme in a safe quiet place. Put them underground in a unit. In the meantime," I took a deep breath, "we recorded that, right?" Mac nodded, and gave me a 'duh' look, "This changes things. We have to bring in Eleazar, now. Eleazar can question them; maybe find out if they know where they've been sending these people. If Edward agrees he can be there to see if they know. He can pull it from them. They weren't being blackmailed like we thought. They're in it both feet."
"Yeah, it does, not only do we have one traitor but we have 3 in Eleazar's Line hidden there by Heidi and Alice. Carlisle still performing experiments, Esme… This shit is going to be Council material." Peter turned to me, "I suppose we don't have to fill in Jasper about the council?" he held a mocking to his voice I didn't appreciate.
"UH, as a matter of fact you don't." I grinned at him smugly.
"Oh, you pulled your mouth off his-" SMACK!
"Thanks Char." I laughed at Peter. "At least Jasper's gettin' some."
"Hey-" Peter said irritably.
"Enough," Char cut our argument off.
I looked at the screen displaying Carlisle and Esme at opposite sides of the living room staring out into the forest around them.
"Do we do it here or somewhere else? Show him what we have, bargain with him about the wolves and Irina. This gives us leverage we didn't have before. Make sure we cover all our bases and see where it goes. Showing him it could go either way. He and Carlisle are friends but I really don't see him condoning the behavior, of either of them. But you never know. Esme and Carmen are close as well. But having the Volturi involved… it'll go to the council for sure unless Eleazar just out and out kills them."
"We kill Alice first," Jasper nodded to the screen, "before Eleazar gets his hands on them. That way we make sure her fate is what it is. It's possible her being in Heidi's Line will give her a saving grace."
"Yes, this gives us a timeline for her death. If we don't do it now we may not be able to later."
"True." Char agreed.
"Let's call Zafrina first. We'll need to get 'er to back us. She'll want an update. We can't leave 'er out a' this." Peter said.
"What do we tell her?" Jasper asked.
"The truth. With Zafrina if we leave anything out and she finds out we did, she'd fry us rather than back us." I said.
"Oh, yeah. She wouldn't bat an Amazon lash over that. We're allies, she'd look at it more harshly if we were to hold something back and she found out later." Mac said.
Peter, Char, Mac and the rest of the tech team all turned to look at me.
Ah shit.
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"Zafrina."
"Lo'ly, te' me." Right to the punch.
"We seem to be making headway finally." I started.
"Whoz wit you? Te' me, hez quite.-'
I couldn't stop the growl, "My mate. Major Whitlock is off limits." My tone sharp.
"Oh, you need no worry 'bout me." she pouted.
"Zafrina," I said with a warning tone in my voice, "We have some issues to discuss."
"No vun." She sighed dramatically giving one last glance at Jasper, "what is it lo'ly, what haz you so toubled."
"We talked to Alice, as you know we planned to, and we just got done talking to Carlisle."
"Ohh… you got eem to talk? Tell." she looked excited.
"We strongly believe Heidi is Alice's sire or the head of her line." I said simply.
"Heidi? Az in Heidi Volturi?" Her face was shocked and disbelieving.
"Yes, we knew it was a woman… jut not who. From both Alice and Carlisle we confirmed this."
"No trick?" she asked skeptically.
"I don't think so; we pulled the information with Edward's help. Cheese is sending the information now." as I watched him typing away at his computer.
"Oy, my sweet, do know whad dis means?" she sat back lookin to the side somewhere, thinking. Leaning forward again to look in the camera again, she continued. " 'Dis' is muddee. Dose damn Broders! In da' midle a us." I assumed she was talking about being in the middle of Eleazar and her. Smack in the middle.
"We're talking to you first. We're getting Eleazar over here to break the news to him. We aren't sure what he's going to want to do. There are several options here, as I'm sure you know."
"Kill da' bitches!" Zafrina raised her arm and shook it. Always dramatic.
"What if she was dead before Eleazar could get to her?"
"Do kild 'er?"
I didn't say anything just let her digest it.
"Oy, d' sweet. Ha'e you kilt Cardisle?"
"No." I never said I killed Alice; I wanted to know first what she would say.
"Goot, goot. Adice nod in his line, but eh, Cardisle is. Bad if dou kilt him." She sat still thinking a moment. "I meet wid Eleazar afder dou talk him. Do have tape, no?"
"Yes. You may be surprised; Esme is also a part of this. You'll see on the tape her involvement."
"Goot, goot. Soonder bedder. Esme. I not shocked." She nodded as if that ended it. "De Madjor, bring 'em to meet me. He take der out, he Line hoader bedween us."
I motioned to Jasper.
He looked at me and furrowed his brow.
"She would like to know if you are taking over in Central America."
"Uh." He looked at Zafrina on the screen. "My mate and I need to discuss that further." We had discussed it actually, just not with everyone else yet.
"AH da see." Zafrina commented. "Dou rule wid mate. Do goot. Clean up. We aldies. I back you."
"Zafrina. We will welcome your support." I told her.
She stared at me for a moment.
"Do haven't kild der yet." How the fuck does she do that?
"No."
She nodded her head thinking.
"I wanted to know what you were thinking first Zafrina. We want to kill her before we meet Eleazar." I let her know.
"Dou need do. Beforde Edeazar. Yes. Edeazar go do Broders. Be bad. Take care of her now and have less to mess with. You enough to bargain with. Yes. Cardisle publicly in Edeazar Line, he will kill him."
"We could use her against Heidi and hold the Volturi accountable." I threw out there just to see where she would take it.
"Do dink dey care? Dey say 'we dake care of it'. No. They let her live. Kilt her now why you have chance."
"I agree." Jasper said.
"We have other things going on." I said and we talked about the Intel we'd gotten thus far from her prisoner guards. The information seemed reliable. Finding the island off the coast of Africa was sending excitement throughout all the camps.
Mac found more information and I told her we would be in contact when we were all up to date.
Getting off the call with her finally I banged my head on the table. Talking to her was straining. In the beginning it wasn't so bad. We didn't have all the other stuff going on. She was in this now with us. Although she was easy going, she loved the limelight and the excitement. She'd once told me living life this long grew tedious and predictable. She hated the politics of the Power's and tried to stay out of it. But she loved being involved in a good scam. It wasn't often that this happened. To this extent. She would want to be mixed up with every aspect now.
"We need to prepare for Alice's execution. The less drama around here, the better." I said finally.
"She's still passed out." Cheese said.
"We should get her some blood. I want her coherent and whole when we do this. We'll-" I started and stopped turning to the door as we all heard footsteps racing down the hall.
"Edward." Jasper said and went to the door to open it.
Edward burst in, "You guys got all that right?" He gritted out. Nevell was soon to join him, coming in the door almost breathless. I heard Edward was fast, Nevell only being half vampire would have had a time keeping up with him.
"Yes." We answered him.
He nodded. "I lost it. I'm sorry. I couldn't… I just couldn't… I tried…"
"It's ok. We understand. We got more than enough information to go to Eleazar with. You did really well, Edward." Jasper consoled him.
"You did better than any of the rest of us. Look what happened to Alice with us. You did excellent." I praised.
"Have you contacted Eleazar yet?" He asked.
"No, we were about to discuss when we should meet him, actually." I said.
"I should be the one to call." He was trying to be demanding but it came out hopeful.
My eyes widened at him.
"That would actually be beneficial." Jasper told him. "You would do that?"
"Did you see what he said in there?" Edward asked him sarcastically. He looked strung out, on the edge.
"Hey, man. Back down." Jasper's voice a sharp command. "We all saw. It would be a good idea to have you call. But we need to do this delicately. There's a lot at stake."
"Don't you think I know that? Do you think I'm stupid? Do you think I'm-" Jasper grabbed him by the throat, shoving him to the wall, cutting off Edwards rant. Whatever Edward's emotions were, the Major didn't seem to like it.
"Calm the fuck down." Jasper growled and I watched Edward's body slump from whatever Jasper was feeding him emotionally.
"We know," he let go of Edward, stepping back from Edward's slumped body. "You're going through some shit right now. It's a lot to take in man, I know. You're not fucking alone. But don't get on your high horse; it won't get you far in here. Look around you man. These people have been through just as much shit as you have if not more. You aren't the only one being affected here. Have some respect. We all feel your pain; we aren't taking that away from you."
Edward fell all the way to the floor and for a minute I thought he was going to cry.
He nodded his head.
"I would like it a lot if you called Eleazar." I spoke quietly trying to defuse the temper in the room. "He'll listen to you. You know him, he trusts you. We need you to keep a level head and make sure you don't put Eleazar on the defensive, or alert him to what's going on before he gets here. We need him to come alone, Edward. If you tip him off enough, he'll bring an army. You can do this." Edward calmed down as I spoke. The anger in his eyes slowly melted. "We all get it we do. You did wonderful in there. Just reel it in a bit and try to focus."
"You stepping forward, helping to find the information will help when it comes down to it in the end. You calling him… he'll take it in good faith, Edward." Jasper added.
Edward nodded. "Do I call him now?"
"Well. Yes, you can calm down while we take care of Alice, and then you can call. We need to get rid of Alice before he gets here. It's time. Enough talking and more doing." I said standing up.
"About that." Nevell spoke up. "I have a suggestion." Well turned to him waiting. "We do it publicly. I don't care if I light the torch or who lights it. But my people want to witness. I've been talking to Benjamin on the phone, he's in Mongolia as you know, he wants to be here but can't. He's voiced he also wants his people to witness; we want our people to have closure. Randall will stay in his stead."
"That's an excellent idea." Jasper said immediately. "I also have a proposition. I think this is as good a time as any." He looked to me and I smiled and nodded. "I will be leading Alice's line. I would like it if we join forces. Not with one leader but with Benjamin, Peter, Charlotte and you along with B and I."
Nevell stared at him wide eyed.
"I don't want to go back there. To war," Jasper defined. "I don't want to run Central America and Mexico. I think, however, if we join forces we could clean up in no time. Once cleaned up we could move the operation down there, set up a headquarters as you have here. I would like to provide the place and means. Ya'll have built this place, but I don't see Eleazar lettin' us stay. I don't think it would be neither wise nor feasible. Once we get established, I would like to take steps to come forward and declare ourselves as the Power 9."
Nevell was nodding his head with a bit of awe on his face. "Bloody brilliant. I would be honored to lead with you. As you know, B, Peter and Charlotte are family and leaders to us all. I can't speak for Benjamin, but I think he would join you as well." he slowly smiled. "A true united front. To come out and be openly apart of the supernatural world. Bloody hell. Yes."
I turned to Edward. "Have you thought about what's going to happen in the next 24 hours? What all this will mean for you, Emmett and Rosalie?"
By the look of confusion on his face I took that as a no.
"Your sire's reign is coming to an end. You need to prepare yourself for the possibility Eleazar will end Carlisle and Esme. Carlisle is Volturi, no matter how he ended up in Eleazar's Line; he's working for them. If Eleazar decides to end him, Emmett, Rosalie and you will be soon to follow. Emmett and Rosalie, we will bargain for since they aren't here, and don't know any of this. They won't be in the know until it's over. You, however, are here and in the know and will be calling Eleazar. It is custom to kill an entire line as closely knit as yours when the leader has committed treason. Which is, what he has done"
"What!" His eyes bugged out. I raised my hand stopping him.
"I'll take him." Nevell said before I could say or suggest anything. "Carlisle is my sire as well. He is my creator. I hold enough power Edward can join my line." Turning to Edward he said. "We could give you protection. Today would give you the perfect opportunity to separate yourself from Carlisle and Alice. You will have to publicly denounce Carlisle, no better time to do that than at Alice's execution today. The event will be filmed as well as having plenty of witnesses."
"Protection?" Edward breathed.
"Yes, Eleazar will not be able to touch you without repercussions from us." Nevell said lowly. I was a little astounded at how far he was willing to go for Edward. Maybe I shouldn't be. Jasper squeezed my hand and sent me awe; maybe I wasn't the only one who was flabbergasted.
Edward ran his hand through his hair. "You would do that? What do I have to do, I don't-"
"Nothing, other than stand in front of Carlisle today, after we take care of Alice, and tell him you are no longer in his command." Nevell's voice turned sterner. "You've earned a bit of trust and respect from all of us. But don't let it go to your head. None of us can afford for you to leave on your own. Until it settles down you'll be watched. Not until after the Volturi have been dealt with will you be left alone. I know it seems unfair, but I am not a betting man. I will not jeopardize my people by foolish mistakes."
Edward nodded his head. "Do I get to be involved with the rest? The games? The labs?" Edward asked.
"You'll have to train like the rest of us. When Emmett and Rosalie get back with Josh you can train with them. When that's finished we'll see where were at." Nevell said.
Edward nodded. "When do I denounce? How do I do it?"
We all told him what would happen and how to go about it. It was pretty simple really.
This was going to be an interesting afternoon.
"Where can I call Eleazar? When do I ask him to meet us?"
"You can call from here. Mac will get you a secure line to Eleazar's cell phone." Cheese piped up. Mac got up from his monitor he was working on and gave Cheese a dirty look. I snickered. Mac was always giving orders to the rest of them to do this or that. Cheese volunteering Mac to do something when he could have done it himself was funny.
Peter nodded rubbing his hands together. "This is going to work out better than we thought. All of it. It's going to all be good."
"What do you know, Peter?" Jasper asked.
"Eleazar is going to surprise us. You'll see." He said mysteriously. In other words that's all he knew. I learned Peter's 'tells' along time ago. When he said 'you'll see' it meant he would be seeing as well. Knowing it was going to go well was a relief however.
Mac got Edward a secure line and gave him the phone putting it on speaker.
"…Hello?" Came a slightly accented male voice over the line.
"Yes, hello, Eleazar this is Edward Cullen." I swear Edward's voice shook a little. This had to be surreal right now for him. He was calling for his sire's death. After a hundred and thirty years believing in someone to find out it was all a set up and a lie? I could only imagine the devastation that would catch up to him eventually.
"Edward, Hello! What a surprise to hear from you. I talked to Carlisle just a few days ago, you have moved to Canada again! Welcome to this part of the country! To what do I owe this pleasure?"
"This isn't, unfortunately, a social call Eleazar." Edward informed the leader.
"Oh?" Curiosity shaded Eleazar's voice.
"I was wondering if it were possible to get a word with you in private." Edward asked.
"You are always welcome here, Edward, I've always told you that." Eleazar assured him.
"Yes, and I'm very grateful, but I need your council here rather than me coming to you."
"I don't understand, Edward. Why are you being so formal? Are you ok? You're calling from a private number and acting… strange. What is this about? Is the family well?" Eleazar's inquired worriedly.
"I'm calling from a friend's phone. I don't want to talk to you about it over the phone. This matter is very delicate." Edward assured him.
"Is the family ok?"
"Well, we're having some difficulties. It would be better-explained face to face Eleazar. We need you here as soon as you can. There is much to discuss. We have come to a crossroads and need a bit of your guidance."
There was a long pause.
"We can come. I will have to wait for –" Eleazar spoke finally.
"Just you Eleazar." Edward was quick to cut him off.
Another pause. "I will not leave without Carmen. She is here and much distressed over this phone call. Are you all in danger?"
"No, nothing like that. Not right now, but we could be if we don't meet with you very soon. Carmen is welcome to come." Edward put in at the end. We all nodded at him. I didn't figure he would come without his mate. It would be foolish for us to ask.
"I see. You are being mysterious. I'm not sure how to take all this. Carmen and I will be there. We can be there by late afternoon, I think. Is there a number I can reach you by? Am I to come to the new house?"
Mac handed him the number to the private line, nodding to Edward to tell Eleazar yes about the house. Edward recited the digits and was sure to tell him he would be meeting him at the airport. Eleazar agreed. The Denali's being a close friend with Carlisle for so long paid off for us. If any of the rest of us would have called, I doubt we would have gotten him to agree so quickly or at all. This saved us a huge headache.
"What do we do now?" Edward asked after hanging up.
"We prepare for the execution of one Mary-Alice Bysshop. We fed her blood and she's coming around slowly." Mac informed us.
"Would you like to speak to her again?" Jasper asked Edward.
He thought about it a moment. "Yes, I have a few questions." his voice held so much emotion.
"Would you like to do it in private, or at the arena?" I asked.
He looked over at me, "We can do it there. Knowing now what I know… I don't think I could hold back depending on what she says. I think the only reason I didn't rip Carlisle apart is out of habit and years of conditioning. Is it sick for me to say I still hold respect for the man? I don't understand it."
"It does make sense." Jasper said quietly. "I think you'll find, Edward, the respect is for the man you thought you knew, not the man you know him to be now."
Edward nodded. I noticed people leaving the room quietly as Nevell, Peter, Char, Jasper and I all began to talk with Edward. The ones who remained turned their backs to us, busying themselves with other matters needing attention, trying to give us the illusion of privacy.
"I just can't wrap my head around… how he could… and for me not to know." Edward said to no one unparticular. "I feel like I never knew him at all. What he did to Rosalie. I can't figure out how I didn't know… I mean… I should have known right?"
When Jasper spoke, he sounded as if he was talking Edward off a ledge; I wondered how close he was to falling off, "If he already knew how to control his thoughts around you… it's possible, as you know now. We all know it's impossible for Rosalie to actually conceive and carry in the state she was in. It wouldn't make sense. He could have easily implanted in another human what he took from the two of you. He's a doctor making house calls all the time; it wouldn't have been strange for him to check on a pregnant woman or to think about the pregnancy. It's not your fault."
"I should have known. All I was concerned about at the time was the fact he changed her. How I thought it was ludicrous. Then when she woke up, I spent time with her, trying to help with the bloodlust." Edward said, working out what had been happening at the time. "Carlisle was gone a lot, but he was there helping as well. I didn't… I just can't believe I missed something so significant."
Jasper drew in a deep breath and asked what we all wanted to know, "What were the results when you asked?"
He didn't have to clarify and didn't need to, Edward understood. His face crumpled in anguish and Jasper's knees gave out slightly from the emotion coming from Edward. "He pictured the woman dying. The child was too much for her to bear." He breathed. "She died within the first few weeks after she was…" he rubbed his face and I realized he had tears in his eyes. He looked around himself like he was realizing where he was.
Monstress let out a distressed purr from my chest. Char sniffed and wiped away her own venom from her cheeks. The Major didn't even respond to the emotion coming from Monstress and I; that we ached for another man. It was altogether the wrong kind of ache.
Edward cleared venom from his throat, "The pictures were very vivid. It was not… it was not pretty. I can't … I can't talk about it."
He started to leave and Nevell beat him to the door to release him from the room and then followed Edward out.
We stood in silence for a long while after they were gone.
(=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=)
The morning sun hinted it's rising over the mountain towering in front of us. The air came alive with tiny molecules swaying and dipping in the cool air currents, glinting in the warm rays just cresting the horizon. It was eerily quiet as we all gathered into the pit.
The training pit was a huge oval shaped clearing set to the northeast of the sentry camp. Large boulders and fallen trees usually graced various areas in the mile long obstacle course. The ground was a combination of dirt and sand, pummeled over time by vampires, dhampirs, ghouls and thrown chunks of granite. It was a rough terrain we trained and sparred against one another on, keeping ourselves and our wits, sharp.
The boulders and trees were moved to the outer reaches of the pit this morning, leaving a large empty space for us to all gather. In the center now stood a steel pole erected straight in the air. Underneath the steel lay moss and bracken piled a quarter of the way up. Surrounding and containing it all was a wall of smaller rocks a couple of feet tall.
In the center of the pole, feet resting atop the pyre, tied by vamp-ash bindings, was an alert and terrified Mary-Alice Bysshop.
We stood before her. Jasper faced her head on, I stood to his left and Peter and Charlotte to his right. To my left stood Nevell and surrounding him were the other dhampirs in the camp. To Peter's right stood Randal standing in for Benjamin, the head Ghoul, and surrounding him were the other ghouls.
Carlisle and Esme were amongst the ghouls, shoved to the front and held in place. The dhampirs refused to stand with them. Those that hadn't heard the screaming exchange a few hours ago, were soon enlightened and if they weren't pissed off before they were enraged now.
Carlisle and Esme both tried to hold stoic poses but you could see the stress in both their faces. They were informed what was taking place only as they were being escorted here. I could see the horror in Esme's eyes. After what I learned, I was having trouble feeling anything for either of them. This would be quick compared to what they fated countless vampires and humans to over the past century.
Monstress was completely at the forefront giving off low snarls and snorts as she and I took in our surroundings.
Edward stood to the left of Nevell. Nevell and Edward were bonding quickly it seemed. I found amusement in that. But if you thought about it, it made sense, seeing as the same man sired them.
Mac stood in the 15-foot expanse separating Alice from us. He turned facing the group of us.
Cameras were set up around us for documentation. There were around 60 or so beings out to witness the event.
"Do you have anything to say before we sentence Mary-Alice Bysshop, the Southern Mistress, to death?" Mac asked. We all shook our heads and turned as Edward spoke.
"I have a question first if you don't mind." Edward stepped forward and Mac nodded his head, stepping back to give him the floor.
You could see Edward gather himself visibly and turn to Alice.
"Do you want me to untie her mouth?" I whispered.
He looked back at me giving a sad small smile and shook his head.
Turning back around, he looked at Alice for a moment.
"Why did you go to Carlisle in the first place? Why did you send Heidi to him?"
I heard Esme growl, but we all ignored her.
We watched as Alice breathed through her nose and turned her head from him. Watching a one-way conversation was bizarre.
"What did Heidi hope to gain from Carlisle being in Eleazar's Line?" Edward asked.
He waited as we watched Alice scrunch her brow.
I wondered truly if he could actually read anything from her. She would be singing in her head to keep him out.
"Why were you in Eleazar's Line? How were you going to take it? When were you going to kill Eleazar? Does Maria play into your plans? Where does Carlisle fit into this? Where were you sending the gifted? Where are they now?" he pummeled her with questions one right after the other. He didn't relent. He kept up his questions, asking the same things over and over.
After 15 minutes of constant barking, Edward simply stated, "You were going to take over Eleazar's Line."
Esme whimpered and it was Carlisle's turn to growl this time.
"For the Volturi or your own gain." Alice turned her head and stared at Edward in rage.
"….She's done talking." He said turning and taking his place next to Nevell.
"I must ask," Peter said. "What, if anythin', did you uncover?" his voice holding amusement at the display.
"Alice and Heidi planned to take Eleazar within the next year or two, possibly. Maria's army is quite large now; at least from the few glimpses I got from her. Alice's hatred for you all is astounding for ruining so many centuries of well-crafted plans so close to their goal. Heidi planned to take Eleazar's Line herself. She's been funding the Southern wars, helping Maria build and provide for their armies. The few potential gifted who survived are with Maria now."
Well, that answered a few things.
Jasper nodded and letting go of my hand, he stepped forward.
"Mary-Alice," Jasper's voice dripped with hate. "You have brought heart-ache and pain to thousands of vampires, dhampirs, ghouls, and humans in our world alike. You have corralled, harnessed and manipulated those around you and across many lands. You have takin', never given, never thought twice about anyone but your objective and how to gain it by any means possible. Interfering, destroying and weaving your webs.
Mary-Alice Bysshop, creation of Heidi Volturi, Mistress of the South, we find you guilty of treason. You are hear-by sentenced to death this day. Do you have any final words?" I could see his body tremble with the emotion, his and of those around us. Elation, excitement, fear, awe and all and all relief flooded through our group as we stood staring at the vampire responsible for so many deaths and destruction for over four centuries.
I reached my power forward, stretching, twisting it, and wishing not for the first time that my power could rip her apart by shear will alone. I interlocked my grip with the leather and ash bindings around her jaw and unwrapped them for the last time. Monstress snarled and growled, kneading me with her anticipation.
"Fuck you all!" She screamed as soon as the bindings dropped away.
Jasper nodded and I stepped forward followed by Peter, Charlotte, Nevell, and Randal. Mac lit the 6 torches we carried.
Carlisle and Esme tried to protest, but I blocked them out. I didn't want to hear it.
As Alice screamed threats of grandeur from her perch, we all stepped forward as one and laid fire to her Pyre as we tossed our torches.
It lit ablaze.
We blurred back keeping a safe distance as the flames licked and crackled.
Jasper grabbed my hand and I took it, holding it tightly.
Flames flickered then flared spreading quickly up the dry bracken. Crackling and smoldering as the flames took off, eating what was offered.
Alice's screams grew as her clothes began to smolder and smoke. The flames were relentless in pursuit of its fuel as they caught the taste of venom.
The blaze grew blue as it hissed against her and began to melt her flesh.
Once the fire hit the venom it flared and rushed up her body cutting off her screams. Swarming, swirling, and flaring as it created a blanket around her. Engulfing her. The smell of incense from the vampire venom filled our nostrils and churned its way through the crowd.
Mary-Alice became ash before us.
One last enormous flare erupted as the flames claimed our sacrifice to them. As the flames died down from their feeding and became smoldering embers, the crowd began to disperse. Some walked by to look at the remains, others merely lost in the affair, wandered off. The relief and joy was crushing.
Monstress and I purred in our contentment. I wasn't the only one to rejoice in the taking of her life. I heard various noises of relief and joy around us.
No words were spoken as the crowd thinned. It was always a two fold as we watched one of our own, or one of the supernatural, die before us by our own hands. We fought everyday to keep so many alive. To save those who could no longer save themselves. Some of us died in the fight to save others. Some went off the deep end from seeing what our kind was capable of doing to each other. We all had a stake in this silent war, one way or another.
To witness ourselves passing judgment to one of our own and sentencing them to death by our own hands, as they sat motionless at our mercy, was profound. None of us took it lightly. None of enjoyed it.
The flip side of the coin of course was the joy sweeping through us. The knowledge that we had taken yet another down who was directly involved, whose hand in killing hundreds if not thousands, was even more overpowering. It could drop you to your knees with the weight of it.
Carlisle stood stoically holding Esme up against him as she wept. They would be following the same fate if I had anything to do with it. He would never relent; he would never put aside his nature of destruction. Esme would follow because they were truly mates. Loosing a mate would send her to crazy land and her instincts would tell her to avenge what was hers. Her part in this alone however demanded retribution. Countless humans and vampires were sent to their deaths unknowingly by her hands.
I was curious to know how she played a roll in the Forks debauchery. With her gift she had to have known about me. Hadn't she?
Mac's movement took my eyes from the couple as he stepped forward to shuffle the embers and mix the ash of the bracken with what was once Alice. We would not be using her ash for our cause. A jar would be sent or given to the La Push wolves as promised. The others were to be sent to Maria and Heidi as warning. They would know Alice had fallen, and there was nothing they could do about it.
As the crowd thinned I saw Esme pull her head off Carlisle's chest. I could see her in my peripheral coming to us. Carlisle tried to stop her, but she slapped his hands away.
She passed by Char and Peter giving them glares. As she passed by Jasper she hissed.
He let out a warning growl, as she tried to pass him he stepped in front of her protecting me.
"Don't you dare! Let me by!" she told him. I put my hand to his back and sent him some reassurance.
"Don't talk to my mate in that tone or manner. You have no right." my voice low with a warning of my own. Monstress peered out at her, flaring her nostrils and huffing.
She turned her eyes from Jasper to me. "How could you? She was your best friend! You were her only real friend in this world!" she yelled.
I snorted. "Esme, you seem to be delusional, are you feeling all right?"
She huffed, "How can you act so blasé when you just killed a woman!"
"Don't pretend to know me or how I feel. Get off your high horse. How can you, Esme, defend someone like that? Do you not get the full picture here or are you playing dumb? You seem to be quite good at that. You have the whole Stepford wife role down pat."
"What …you… I've done nothing wrong!" she stuttered appalled.
"No? You've been supplying the Volturi with innocent people for decades now. You and prince charming over there willingly send people to their deaths. You lie, forgive your husband his horrible wretched acts, and never lift a finger to help those he affects. Eleazar will be here in…" I looked to Mac.
"Seven hours." He said.
"Then you can tell him all your woes. Let him decide." I finished.
"You can't do that. You don't know what will happen-" Carlisle said stepping forward.
"It's done." Edward said as he came to stand by his sire.
"What is the meaning of this, Edward? Please don't tell me you are going along with this. Please think about what will happen-" Carlisle pleaded to no avail.
"I am hereby denouncing myself from you…" Edward disregarded Carlisle's words altogether.
"WHAT? You can't do that! Think about what you're doing! Son. We've done this for you, for us. For all of us." Carlisle pled.
"I no longer wish for your protection, manipulation, lies, or want any part of your activities. I denounce myself from you and you're hold. I declare myself free." He stepped back, spun and walked away.
The air was bitter with disappointment. Silence fell upon us once more as we watched Carlisle's face crumple and Esme stare after Edward in disbelief.
I have no idea how hard that must have just been, but the emotions coming off of everyone made Jasper take a step back into me.
"Well…" Esme started, looking at her mate, "Go after him Carlisle! We need him."
"No one will be going after anyone. We will be leaving shortly to meet Eleazar in your home. I would start saying good-bye to each other, if I were you." Jasper informed them as ghouls came up behind them and took them back to camp.
We watched as they protested and hollered. We finally restrained them, taking them to the hanger at the chopper landing. Several ghouls stayed with them as we went to occupy our minds for a few hours. I couldn't sit idle, and it seemed the rest were the same. We made our way to Command central to distract ourselves.
Besides, depending on what Eleazar wanted to know, we may have to brief him on what was going on. It was better for all of us to be on the same page.
(=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=)
We met in the Command room and hovered over the illuminated maps Mac and the tech team found so far. Blue print and schematics of the island showed little. We didn't know what was on the ground as far as people. Mac had found more on financials of the owners than what was happening on the ground.
It was impressive. The 3-4 story mansion, plantation, castle or whatever you wanted to call it was enormous. For the supposed two occupants it was a little over the top. According to sources, the establishment was there for the last hundred years or so. 20 years ago it changed hands to a private owner. An owner who was well known as a second in Vladimir's Line.
"Ok, quick question, whose territory are we walking into? I know the Volturi have Europe, but who has these outlaying areas? Does Vladimir's territory run down there?" Jasper asked.
Peter flipped the map on the table and moved papers out of the way.
"That seems to be the question. To the north are the Brothers; they also have Turkey over to Portugal and up. To the south is Yakini in most of Africa; she has Libya, Algeria, and down. To the east is Sophia in Syria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, all the way over to Mongolia and China."
"Jesus, right square in the middle of 3 Powerhouses. Who has Morocco?" Jasper asked looking at the world map.
"The Brothers."
"So there sitting surrounded… So… question is, do any of them know.." Jasper remarked.
"I wouldn't think it. Vladimir and his brother don't get along with anyone. They compete with Volterra for enemies. It's possible they teamed up with someone, but my guess is they're thumbing their noses at all of them by being there." Peter said.
"Perfect place to hide. The territory is neutral ground. Just like no one owns Jordan or places like that. It's off limits. They wouldn't suspect someone from Vladimir's Line to come squat in it, let alone any of the three of them."
"Well, we know we can't and won't go in through the Volturi territory. That leaves Sophia and Yakini. Now we don't really know Yakini, Sophia however…" I looked at Peter's shit eating grin.
"We can drop by Turkey and see Pefika at the same time. Come down through Volturi land, into Sophia's Territory. There's several islands, a few miles away from 'island doom', we can organize and set up a base camp."
"What about their security?" I asked.
"State of the art, but they only have it on the island as far as we can tell from financials. We've people ascending to outer islands now they should be reporting back soon. Being in the middle of 3 powers I would imagine they have it up and running at all times. Our people on the ground will tell us how far that reaches." Mac said.
"How many do we have there?" Jasper asked.
"Tactical team we have a dozen. In Mongolia we have several units who are in the process of preparing to move out if we need them. Each unit holds a dozen as well."
"Do we know what they're hiding? What their doing? Is this just another lab?"
"We have shipments of various things documented going to the island. Meat, food, medical supplies, that sort of thing. That's the stuff they get from the human population. We don't know what else they're getting. This isn't set up like a normal lab. It's more sophisticated it would seem. I would say we found our first training establishment. There are grounds here," Mac pointed, "appearing to be a pit like ours. We're still waiting for current satellite imagery. It should upload in that area in a few hours."
"How old are these pictures?"
"About 15 years old. I can't find anything newer, which is strange. We're moving our own satellite over these coordinates to get our own uplinks."
"So someone erased or made sure this island disappeared off radar."
"Yes."
"A lot of what needs to happen will depend on those pictures and what has changed. Our team is setting up to do recon as we speak. They'll have to wait for dark; we won't get the results until we get back from meeting with Eleazar."
We discussed what we would do depending what we found. Filling in Jasper what we usually do. He'd seen a little of how we were set up and how we went to places. This however looked like a completely different set up. We went over possible game plans.
(=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=)
We arrived at the Cullens house an hour before Eleazar was to arrive at the airport. The airport was only half an hour away by chopper. Setting up what we would need to show Eleazar and Carmen was quick and easy. Edward accompanied with Peter and Char went to meet them at the airport.
I was on pins and needles waiting. Jasper talked to me, asking me questions about nonsensical things trying to distract me. It didn't really work. Everything seemed to be coming together and was riding on what would happen in the next few hours. I tried to pull my head out of my ass, but failed.
My life right now was a whirlwind I couldn't control. I didn't like relying on others to determine our fate. Eleazar could demand we move now. He could declare war on us. Not that he would do it while he was here, but I'm sure depending on his reaction we could tell what our future held.
I also hadn't seen this coming. I was pretty sure Carlisle was being blackmailed. Knowing now that he wasn't put a new dynamic on the situation. He willingly went along with her. He was still connected to the Volturi. He was supplying them for god sake, knowing what it would do to his family if anyone found out.
To me his research was ludicrous. Ok, maybe not about the sparkly thing, I could do without that, but to send thousands to their deaths so you didn't flag down planes? I hardly think so. Turning vampires back into humans by means of torturing and tearing them apart? What sense did that even make? Their conversation was up and down and followed no set path. Too many emotions stormed through the confrontation for there to be a much focus on one thing for too long.
My morbid curiosity wanted to know what really happened with Rosalie and Edward. Edward was made way before Rose. So how was it that Carlisle used Edward? Freeze his sperm? The man had no morals. This was mind boggling, seeing as how he presented his life and seemed to guide the others to live theirs.
I was so grateful Emmett and Rose weren't there during all of that. We would have to tell her eventually. I wouldn't keep anything from them. It wasn't fare or wise. She had a right to know. They would wonder why Carlisle and Esme were fated in whichever way Eleazar deemed fit anyway. They would watch the tapes just like everyone else. Rose and I had our problems, but I wished something like this on no one.
We would be getting more answers to other questions tonight as well. I had a feeling the drama earlier would be nothing on what it would be like tonight. Although, I'd been wrong a lot lately.
I asked Edward why he had questioned her they way he had. He said with Alice he learned the best way to break her mind when she tried to keep him out was to ask incessant questions. Jasper laughed and said it used to drive Alice mad when Edward would use the technique on her. It would annoy the shit out of Jasper when they would do it when he was around. Edward never thought it would pay off so greatly in the end.
Edward gave us more details about what he found out. It was hearsay, but I'd take it.
We heard the chopper landing outside. I stood leaning against the far wall of the living room by the fireplace waiting. Jasper stood next to me. He sighed heavily and reached to pull me to him, wrapping his arm around my waist.
Here we go.
(+=+=+=+=+=+=+)
A/N
Well well well.. Ding Dong…. Alice is gong… gone…
(I've wished for years I had that big gong from the Gong Show… I don't know if any of you remember that show or not… but there's been plenty of times in life where I wish I had that big gold thing to gong the hell out of people when they're annoying. ANYWAY….
I've watched Alice die in so many ways… I wanted to do something a little different. Hope I didn't blow it and you all like it. For some reason this chapter was hard for me.
~ RECOMMENDED~ A Blog to those of you who enjoy the darker fanfics…. Darkest Temptations. Their sight is awesome! If you don't know what kind of dark you like, they'll help you figure it out… They've even got some dark Emmett! They have great stuff for most everyone. Some Darksper… Darkward… Dark Fems and some Darkisle…. Go… go check it out!
~If ya'll get a chance go check out Savage Grace's Jasper & Bella Online at Paper .li
There's some great REC's there too for fanfic's! I've found a few I hadn't found yet, or had time to go find. There are such amazing writers out there!
OH, OH… Whatcha think of Esme's crazy side? There are so many who dislike Rosalie and Alice… but I secretly don't like Esme…. She rubs me wrong…lol
I ROLL ON THE SQUARE SIDE OF THE BALL.
Tell me if you guys would like to read Jasper's POV on the Mating Dance in the fourth chap… if enough people want it, I'll post it..
Have a great weekend! See ya'll next week.
Leave some love!