Chapter 14

"Next month," Carlisle said to Esme, "That's when he wants to meet with us."

"Aro?"

He nodded and handed her a response to the letter he had written back to the Volturi leader.

"Where?" she asked him, letting her eyes scan the piece of paper.

"Maine," he responded, "Our in the deep woods somewhere. I looked up the location on a Google map."

Esme looked at him, "If you're going, I'd like to."

Carlisle shook his head, "I don't want you near them."

"I could say the same," she told him, "I don't what you near them either."

"Can I compromise with you?" he asked her.

Esme looked at him and waited for him to continue.

"You make the trip but stay in a hotel while we discuss everything an hour away."

"An hour?" she asked him. "What if I need to get to you in time?"

"What about Caleb?" he asked. "You should stay here in Forks with Caleb."

"What if they send others here while you're away?"

Carlisle was about to speak before she finished the thought but he stopped and wasn't sure what to say to her question. "There are a hundred scenarios we could run into." His jaw tensed and he looked down at the hardwood floor beneath his feet.

"This says it's going to be Aro, Marcus and Jane," Esme told him.

He nodded.

"Why Jane?" she asked.

"Aro always has a reason. I wonder if he knows about their trip here."

"You don't think this has anything to do with Helen and Micah, do you?"

Carlisle shook his head, but gave a little shrug at the same time, "I don't think so, but I really don't know."

"Who is going to meet with them from our side?" Esme asked him.

"Bella and I," Edward said, sneaking up so quickly he made Esme flinch.

She smiled at him for a moment, as he sensed he startled her. Edward smiled back.

"Emmett won't want to be left out, I'm sure," Esme added.

"Jasper and I will go to the hotel with you and Caleb," Alice offered, joining where everyone stood. "I'll keep everyone updated on what's going on, but as I've said before, I've seen our side and theirs parting ways without a fight. Nicole is staying back and everyone else is prepared to stay together. Alex, Michael, Will, Maddy."

"Lucy has already said she would attend any meetings since receiving the first message," Bella told them, "She wants to go and that means Seth probably will too."

"We're good," Alice told him, "I can see certain differences in your facial expressions, but that's the extent of it. No real confrontations."

"What do you mean?" Carlisle asked her.

"The expressions on everyone's faces aren't overly... happy."

"That's expected," Edward said.

Alice nodded in agreement. "So Carlisle, Edward, Bella, Emmett, Lucy and Seth. That's who I see meeting with them."

"They won't feel threatened by our numbers?" Carlisle asked.

She shook her head, "He doesn't consider Lucy one of us. Seth either."

He nodded, making sense of the logic.

"Nothing will be happening here out of the ordinary?" Esme asked, "I don't want to leave Alex and Nicole or Mackenzie... any of them."

"They'll be fine," Alice said, "We can always have the Denalis on speed dial."

"Why don't we call Kate and Garrett?"

"Emmett and Rosalie go out on hunting dates with them. I'm sure Em won't mind giving Garrett a ring."

"A ring?" Emmett's voice called up from the floor below, "I'm already married to Rose. I can't give him a ring."

Alice looked at Esme and a smile crossed her face as she got the nature of his joke.

"You're hilarious!" Alice called to him.

"I know."

Caleb scampered into the room and slammed his hands down on the table they had all inadvertently gathered around. "Fill me in. What's the plan?"

Bella looked at Edward and giggled. They laughed together for a moment and Carlisle shook his head and grinned.

"The plan is for you, your mother, Alice and Jasper to hang out in a hotel room out in Maine together for a couple of hours."

"Oh, don't forget us," Rosalie said, entering the room with Mackenzie, "Emmett's going to be in the 'talking' group, so we'll have to hunker down in the hotel."

Mackenzie looked at Caleb and smiled, and he shook his head. "We might knock the place to the ground," he said, "Mac's going to pick a fight with me like always." He made a face at her and she shook her head.

"Please little man."

"Little man? I'm older than you."

"Only in human years."

Rosalie looked at her daughter, "Cut it out."

Caleb raised his eyebrows and looked at her, then to his parents as he tried to hide his smile.

"Is Willy coming too?" Mackenzie asked.

Rosalie looked at Alice for a moment, who shook her head. "They'll be fine," Alice added, "Hence Kate and Garrett."

"Maybe I could stay with him and Maddy for a couple days?" she asked her mother, "I've never been away from home."

"Well, you haven't been around all that long," Rosalie told her, "In the grand scheme of things."

"I'll call William right now," Caleb offered, "Beg him to let you stay."

"Stop being mean to Mackenzie," Carlisle told him.

"We've talked about this," Esme added.

"You're coming with us," Rosalie told her, "You're not staying with your brother."

"Why not?" she asked.

"Because for one, you're not quite mature enough to be without us yet. You weren't even alive at this time last year," Rosalie explained, "And two, you've never seen the world. You're going to get to go to the east coast for the first time. There is a world outside of Forks, Washington."

"Mom-"

"End of discussion," she said, "You can go ask your father, but he'll agree with me I'm sure." Rosalie overemphasized the second half of her sentence to make sure Emmett heard her.

"Do what you mother says," he called up, "No if's, and's or but's about it."

"Alright," Mackenzie agreed with a shrug. Edward could see it was mainly because she didn't want to put up a fight in front of everyone.

"So, to Maine then?" Carlisle asked.

Everyone was on the same page and began getting mentally prepared for the journey across the country.

Caleb jumped up and slapped the top of the door frame as he exited the room, "Woo! Airplane. Yeah!"

Esme snickered and looked at Carlisle, who smiled at her and laughed back. "The wild child," he said, shaking his head.

Rosalie let a smile spread across her face, and Alice and Bella shared a laugh.

"He's the spitting image of Masen at that age," Alice said to them.

Rosalie nodded and looked over as Mackenzie slunk her way out of the room. "He really is," she agreed, "Is it weird to think they may have a crush on each other?"

"A little," Edward said with a laugh.

Rosalie shrugged and smiled, "Are we all set regarding our meeting with Aro?" she asked.

Everyone nodded and intended to mentally prepare for whatever the Volturi was preparing.