Note: I don't own Twilight!!

Chapter 12

Mission Impossible

Sarah lay on the front porch watching a blue jay harass a squirrel that ventured too close to her nest. Papa had left the house in the gray hours before dawn. He bade each of them farewell before leaving.

"Be a good girl, Sarah," he told her as he patted her head. "And mind your mother. I'll be home before you know it."

That was almost two hours ago. The boys accompanied him to the airport, supposedly to bring his car back, but she was suspicious. It didn't make sense really, if he planned to return at the end of the week, why not leave the car in long-term parking. She knew it was more than that; he wanted to give them last minute instructions, especially Edward. He was the heir apparent to the Cullen throne.

Her insides knotted up every time she thought about the wrongness of what everyone was just letting happen. Only Esme seemed to share her sense of indignation. No matter how much reassuring her father gave her, she knew he wasn't coming back. He was going away to die and no one cared.

She got up from her place on the porch and headed for the door. With one deft claw, she managed to pry the screen open and slip inside. Ben was in the living room, he was the only male in the house. He sat with Bella, Alice, and Rose, talking in soft tones. Alice perked up when she entered the house. Did she know what was on her mind already?

Sarah only regarded her psychic sister for a moment before bounding up the stairs. It was the queen she wished to speak to right now, and no one else. Carefully she scratched at the closed bedroom door.

"Not now," the flutes in her mother's voice played soft and sad.

"Mama it's me, please open the door."

There was a long pause before the door opened. Her mother looked haggard and somehow Sarah knew that it wasn't normal for her.

"Come in, Kitten," she invited with a sigh.

Sarah entered the room and heard her mother close the door behind her. The air in the bedroom was saturated with a mixture of her parents' scent. The strong smell of her father made the pain in her chest flare. How could she stand it in here, it would drive her insane with grief.

"What is it, Kitten?" her mother asked tiredly as she crossed the room and sat down on the bed.

Sarah sat on the floor and tried her best to look unthreatening. "Are we really just going to sit around and pretend every thing's a-ok? Are we going to do absolutely nothing while Papa goes off to . . .?"

"Enough, Sarah," Esme interrupted her. "While I share your sentiments, there is very little we can do. Carlisle froze all our accounts and even if he hadn't, Edward, Jasper, and Emmett would never let us go after him. It really is quite impossible."

"Maybe not," Sarah purred.

Esme's eyebrows arched in interest. "Go on."

"I have a personal credit card tied to the fortune Skeeter and Vincent left me," she began, her continued purr increased in volume. "Ben tells me that I'm loaded. According to him, I have enough money in that account to buy a small country. I should think that would be more than enough to cover a couple of airline tickets and other . . . travel essentials."

Her mother's haggard look softened a little and she attempted a smile. "Thank you, Kitten. I appreciate the offer but . . . Edward and the others wouldn't allow it. Carlisle even hid the keys to every car but his Mercedes and I'm sure Edward will guard that with his life."

"Not every car, I have the keys to Carmen in my delicates drawer." she purred with satisfaction. "Next excuse," she hummed.

"You're serious about this." For the first time since her father announced he was going alone, Sarah saw hope in her mother's eyes.

"As a heart attack," she growled low in her throat to punctuate her meaning. "One way or another, with or without you, I'm going after Papa."

Her mother nodded and the expression in her eyes shifted from resignation to determination. "There's still the matter of Edward and the others."

"If you let us in," Alice's voice called through the closed door, "we might have a few ideas about that."

"Come in Alice," Esme laughed softly. "It isn't locked."

Alice smiled at Sarah and patted her head before settling on the floor beside her. "You're not honestly surprised are you? The minute you made up your mind about going, I knew it. So," Sarah watched Alice look around at her fellow conspirators. "It's espionage, is it? Well let's get to planning before the others get back."

Ben, Alice, Rose, and Bella gathered around Esme and Sarah, planning the rescue mission. They all intended to go, but keeping it a secret from Edward was going to be the tricky part.

"He can't read Bella at all so she will be safe around him," Alice schemed. "Sarah can pull her thoughts in until they're too quiet for him to hear. Can you do that selectively?"

She nodded. "I can leave general thought open to his examination, but pull others into sand grain mode."

Sand grain mode was the way she envisioned her thought when she wanted them exclusive from Edward. She imagined them as being as tiny as a single grain of sand.

"Good. Now that leaves only Esme, Rose, Ben, and me."

"I have a hotel reservation at the Airport Sheraton, under an alias of course. Have Bella tell Edward I had to leave suddenly for Seattle on business." He smiled wickedly. "When your arrangements are made, call me and I'll meet you at the airport."

"I like the way you think Ben, very devious," Alice cooed. "Now that just leaves us three girls."

"Nessie," Sarah suggested. "What if the three of you go visit her? Bella can tell Edward that you two thought it would be good for Esme if she got away; you know . . . a distraction for her anxiety. You could make all the travel arrangements from there too and not have to use the cell phone."

Alice patted her tawny shoulders and looked deeply satisfied. "I'm proud of you little sister, my lessons are finally paying off."

In less than twenty minutes, everyone was outside in the driveway. Ben kissed the top of her furry head and whispered sweet words to her before getting in his Jaguar. She watched after him longingly as he drove away.

"Have you ever used this credit card before Sarah?" Alice asked.

"No, but Ben activated it for me." She turned to watch Alice unlock Carmen's driver's side door. "All the password information is in the envelope with the card."

Alice clutched the card against her chest as a look of pure ecstasy spread across her face. "Virgin plastic!" she squealed with excitement. "I promise I'll be gentle."

Esme laughed, it was a sound that warmed Sarah's heart. "Don't worry, Kitten. I'll keep an eye on her spending."

"I'm not so much worried about the card as I am about Carmen," she projected.

"Don't be," Alice scoffed as she climbed in and fastened her seatbelt. "With the Mother Superior here in the car, I doubt I'll get her above 45 miles an hour," she sighed. "A shame really, with the high performance racing package and nos under the hood, I'll bet she can fly."

"Perhaps," Esme retorted as she settled into the front passenger's seat, "but for now, your pilot's license has been revoked. Normal highway speeds will suffice."

It was Sarah's turn to laugh, a sound that was somewhere between a growl and a purr. She stood next to Bella in the driveway as they watched them pull away.

* * * *

Not long after everyone left, Bella brought her a bundle clothes in an old shopping bag. She took it into the trees with her and, after phasing back into her regular form, she returned to the house. When Edward and the rest of her brothers returned home, she was settled at her table working. She picked up the distinctive sound of the Mercedes about a mile from the turn off and gave Bella the heads up. When her three brothers walked in the door, the academy award winning performance was well under way.

Lights. Camera. Action!

Sarah made sure any thoughts regarding their plans were in sand grain mode. The only thing Edward would hear was an ocean of grief and anger. She listened as Bella told the white lies regarding Esme and Ben to her husband and forced herself to think melancholy thoughts about being left alone. At one point the intensity of those feelings became so strong, she hurled a lump of clay at the wall and smiled with satisfaction as she heard it splat.

"That's not necessary Sarah," the piano keys cautioned. "I know you're upset, but making messes for Esme to clean up is just wrong. You owe her a new sofa as it is."

"Bite me!" she growled angrily. "Like you care, you didn't even try to stop him. You just let him go to. . ."

"Sarah." This time it was Bella, surprise rang through her harpsichord voice. "I'm sure Edward feels just as badly as you do . . . take it easy."

"It's ok Bella," Edward soothed his mate, "Carlisle warned me that she and Esme would be the most difficult to deal with." Then he turned his verbal focus to Sarah. "I hate to have to lower the boom on you Sarah, but I'm not like Carlisle, there are things I won't tolerate."

"Like I said, bite me!" she menaced again. "Papa told me to mind my mother; he didn't say a word about minding my arrogant brother."

She heard him sigh. It was a sad, tired sound.

"Where's Ben when I really need him?" He mumbled, and then a little louder he added "I'm going to the lab to prepare your treatment, Carlisle asked me to do it, so don't give me any guff about it."

She listened to his footsteps as he descended the basement stairs.

* * * *

The next morning while the boys were out hunting, Bella and Sarah departed for the airport. Bella left a note for Edward telling him they would be gone to Jacob's for the day. She couldn't find where her mate had hidden the keys to the Mercedes. Fortunately, Alice had taught Bella the fine art of grand theft auto. It amazed Sarah that the Mercedes wasn't locked but then again, she mused, who in their right mind would steal a car from a vampire.

Soon they were pulling out of the driveway and onto the main highway. Late the evening before, Sarah had insisted Edward take her hunting at the prearranged time set by Alice. While they were out, Alice called with the details of their flight arrangements. They would have to hurry, if they were going to meet their party at the airport on time. Neither one of them packed more than a couple of changes of clothes, their passports, some cash and a few other essential items into two small backpacks.

They parked the Mercedes in long-term parking. As they pulled into the lot, Bella spotted Carmen parked thoughtfully near the security station. There was one available space next to her and Bella pulled in right beside the candy-apple red '69 Mustang. Bella informed her that Jacob's homely Chevy pick-up was parked on the other side of Carmen and that Ben's Jaguar was just on the other side of the truck.

Sarah clung to Bella's elbow as she led her across the lot toward the terminal. Her backpack rested comfortably against her. All her essentials including her MP3 player, which she nearly forgot, were tucked inside. In her other hand, she clutched the new cane Papa had bought for her. It was one of those high tech ones made of space age material and very sensitive. The most distinctive feature about it though was the sterling silver medallion set into the handle cap; it bore the Cullen family crest. She was very proud of it and she smiled as she ran an errant finger over the design.

Inside the terminal, they quickly found the rest of the "C-team." Sarah tuned her ears, focusing her mental hearing to pick out the sound of her family's minds from the mass of humanity. To her surprise, not only did she detect Ben, Alice, Esme, and Rose but she also picked up several Quileute. The duplicity of their mental signature was hard to miss. There were five of them. She recognized Jacob and Seth but the other three were unknown to her.

"There you are, finally," Alice quipped. "I was beginning to wonder if you two were going to make it."

"We had trouble getting past Checkpoint Edward; he was unfashionably late to his morning hunt," Bella soothed.

"Do you think he suspects something dear?" Esme asked Bella softly.

"Not after Sarah's performance last night." She nudged Sarah's side playfully. "Bite me! Who tells a . . . well one of us to bite me? I thought Edward was going to turn purple."

"Alice, is he suspicious?" Esme inquired of her.

"No, Sarah and Bella gave a stellar performance," Alice assured her. "Oscar material girls, truly."

They checked in and made their way to the security screening area. Ben had taken over leading Sarah and she trotted confidently at his side. To her surprise the five Quileute were coming along too. They had a vested interest, Jacob explained, as Nessie only just found out she was pregnant. No one other than Dr. Carlisle Cullen would be good enough to care for her during her pregnancy and to deliver the baby.

The concourse was crowded as they made their way to the gate. She listened as the Quileute peeled away from the group to stop at one of the many small food vendors to tank up before the flight to New York. It seemed shape-shifters had overly aggressive metabolisms and they were always hungry.

Their flight would take them first from the small airport in Port Angeles to Seattle and then on to New York, then London, and finally to Rome. From there they would hop a small commuter plane to a town just south of Volterra. The village itself had no airport.

"How is Carlisle?" she heard Esme ask Alice.

"They still have him in a holding cell," Alice replied dryly. "Aro isn't sure what to do with him. He was really pissed when Carlisle showed up alone. Caius wanted to kill him instantly but the calmer heads of Aro and Marcus prevailed."

"Will they make a decision soon?" she asked. Sarah could hear the panic in her mother's voice.

"I don't know, but I'm about to stack the deck in our favor." The piccolos in Alice's voice played a confident tune.

She listened as her crafty sister pulled her cell phone from her pocket and flipped it open. There was the musical sound of a number being dialed.

"Hi, Siobhan, Alice here. It's so good to hear your voice. How are you and Liam doing and Maggie too?" Sarah listened as Alice walked a little ways from their group, for privacy she supposed. She tried to be good and not listen but with eavesdropping being so simple, she couldn't help it. She tuned her ears and raised the volume just a little.

"No, no, Siobhan. We don't need you and yours to come to Italy, believe me we have enough force to give Aro pause. Some of the wolves are coming with us that should make him practically wet his pants. You remember how he reacted the last time." Alice laughed and Sarah detected the sound of laughter on the other end of the line too. It sounded like the faint tinkling of a harp. "What we need is for you to use your gift to influence the outcome of our little mission. Keep the Volturi from killing Carlisle before we can get there and ensure a positive outcome for us. You know, no one gets hurt and everyone involved comes home safe."

Alice paused as she listened to something Siobhan was telling her. The sound of the harp, even muffled as it was, enchanted Sarah to no end.

"Well, let's see, there's Benjamin Wiseman, Carlisle's lawyer. I don't think you've met him. His mate and our newest sister, Sarah. I cannot wait for you to meet her, she's absolutely amazing. Then of course us girls, Esme, Bella, Rose, and myself. Of the Quileute there's Jacob, Seth, Collin, Brady and a new one named Devon. Got all that?"

Sarah listened to the harp play on the line while Alice was quiet.

"Yes of course. I'll give you a call from Heathrow and again when we arrive in Rome." Alice's voice was almost a purr. "Thanks for your help, you have no idea how much we appreciate it."

Not wanting Alice to know she was listening in, she asked Bella who Siobhan was.

"Naughty, naughty Sarah," Bella scolded in a laughing voice. "Siobhan is a long time friend of Carlisle's. She and her family live in Ireland. Her special gift gives a whole new meaning to the phrase Luck of the Irish; she can influence the outcome of events."

"Cool gift," Sarah whispered. "Between her and Alice, they could take Las Vegas by storm and own it in less than a week."

Bella chuckled. "Don't mention that idea to Alice please; I don't think she thought of it yet. Carlisle would have a cow."

* * * *

The non-stop flight from Seattle to New York took a little more than five hours. Sarah sat between Ben, by the window, and Alice, on the aisle. Their party, a supposed tour group, commanded a host of eleven seats in one section. Esme, Bella, and Rose sat in front of them and the Quileute were across the aisle. Sarah smiled as The Ride of The Valkyries played in her headphones. How fitting she mused, and mashed the replay button to hear the song again when it finished.

They had an hour and forty-five minute layover in New York. Alice and Rose were pissed because they couldn't do any shopping in the terminal's boutiques. Eventually, Sarah and her credit card came to their rescue when they insisted it would be good for their cover but only after they promised, in front of Esme, to pay her back.

The four sisters were walking together back towards their gate after their spree when Bella's phone rang.

"Oh crap, it's Edward." She murmured.

"Well, answer it," Alice instructed. "If you don't, he'll get suspicious."

Sarah listened as Bella answered her phone.

"Hi, honey, how was your morning?" Bella soothed.

Sarah hoped Edward couldn't hear the nervousness in the notes of the harpsichord as easily as she could. She turned the volume of her ears up so she could hear Edward's response clearly.

"Bella, where the hell are you?" His voice was calm but with a back note of annoyance.

"With Esme, Alice, Rose, and Sarah, why?" She paused briefly. "Is something wrong?"

"I don't know, why don't you tell me?" There was a hard edge in his response. "I had Jasper swing by Nessie's to make sure you were alright . . . and to bring you the keys to the Mercedes. It seems you weren't there. In fact, Nessie was home alone. To her credit, she wouldn't tell Jasper where you went . . . in spite of his efforts to persuade her."

"Shopping at the mall," Alice breathed in a whisper. "And we're taking in a movie later, to cheer up Esme."

"Well of course we're not there love, Alice decided we should make a day of window shopping at the mall in Port Angeles." Bella had more confidence now and every word out of her mouth dripped with golden honey. "In fact, we plan on hanging around and catching a late movie."

"A movie." His voice was dry. "What are you going to see?"

"Oh, I don't know, whatever Esme wants to see," she went on. "Edward, love, you should see her, she's really broken up over Carlisle going off and we're trying to cheer her up."

Sarah heard Edward sigh, "Very well, but I wish you'd run these things by me first, Bella. I hate surprises. Call me when you're on your way home from the movie theater."

"Of course."

She hung up the phone and the four of them breathed a collective sigh of relief.

"Did he buy that?" Bella asked, obviously directing the question at Alice.

"Yes, but not quite hook, line, and sinker, I'm afraid. Not your fault of course, Edward is just the suspicious type," she answered. "He's not bothered enough at this moment to make an issue of the matter . . . yet. When we get to Heathrow, we might want to consider calling him and confessing."