"Of the three boys, one was big-muscled like a serious weight lifter, with dark curly hair." ~Bella Swan on Emmett's appearance, Twilight

Chapter 25-Emmett McCarty Alice's POV

Jasper and I got to Athens around five hours after we parted from Peter and Charlotte.

"Motel or tent?" Jasper asked, wrapping his arm around me.

We were on the outskirts of the city.

"I say motel. I feel like Peter and Charlotte gave me more than we're using. Actually, I'd say they gave me way too much. So when we go to see them, remind me to get most of whatever's left back."

Jasper chuckled.

"You've got it."

"So what's the plan? It's supposed to be sunny tomorrow, but you don't want to go until Thursday."

"Well we'd actually have to leave Athens, but I can take you to the Parthenon."

"Like the one in Greece?"

He nodded.

"There's one about an hour away if we run."

"I like that idea."

"Well let's go check in."

Jasper and I were mostly quiet through the night. I read some of the books Peter and Charlotte got me, and Jasper sat with his eyes closed, tracing the long scar trailing up my spine.

At around 4:30, I started moving around to go and get clothes for the both of us. We decided we weren't going to leave until around one that afternoon, but I was starting to get tired of sitting.

"Lay down with me," Jasper murmured after we were both dressed. "We still have time."

I curled up against his chest, and he held me tightly to him.

"It's so different," I said, my voice was quiet, "being alone. Just the two of us."

"Do you not like it?"

I shook my head.

"No, no, no. I love it! It's just different."

"Yeah, I suppose it is."

"Do you like it?"

He nodded.

"Charlotte was slightly relieved. She likes you a lot, but I think she's happy she has Peter's full attention again."

I chuckled.

"Do I have your full attention again?" I teased, smiling up at him.

"You've always had my full attention. You always will."

I grinned as he leaned down to kiss the top of my head.

"Good to know."

I closed my eyes, and Jasper quietly started humming.

I liked the humming. It made me feel safer. Even during the energy bursts, the humming helped to keep me calm.

The time seemed to pass, and before I knew it, Jasper stopped humming.

"Is everything okay?"

"Everything is fine," he said in my ear, "but unless you don't want to go to the Parthenon, we need to get going."

He took my hands, and pulled me to where I was sitting up.

"Come on, Al, let me see those beautiful eyes."

I grinned and opened an eye.

He leaned down, and kissed below my eye.

I laughed and opened my other eye.

"Come on!" he said,excitedly, pulling me off the bed. "We have to go!"

"Okay, okay," I laughed. "I'm coming."

He grabbed my bag and placed it around me before taking my hand.

The run didn't take too long. Before we actually entered the grounds, and before the building was visible, Jasper put his hands over my eyes.

"I want it to be a surprise," he said quietly in my ear. "Make it seem like we're in Greece."

I laughed and held onto his wrists.

He guided me forward and then stopped.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

He uncovered my eyes.

It was an exact replica of the one in Greece. While I had never been there, Remus showed me pictures.

"Beautiful," I murmured, looking up to the large building before me.

"Come on," he said pulling me forward. "Let's go inside and see the statues."

"Statues?"

"Athena, Dionysos, centaurs."

"Come on then!"

He laughed and stepped forward.

We stayed there looking at the statues until it closed. I told Jasper the stories of the Greek Gods and Goddesses.

"Did you like it?" Jasper asked once we made it back to the room.

I nodded.

"It was great. Thank you for taking me."

"Any time."

He kissed my cheek, and I moved to set my stuff against the wall.

"So on Thursday, we're still going to find any information on the Cullens?"

I nodded.

"That's the plan."

"What are we going to do in the meantime?"

I shrugged.

"Whatever I suppose. It's supposed to be sunny until then….maybe tomorrow night we can go for a hunting trip. We haven't hunted in a while."

I traced below Jasper's black eyes.

"Being around all of those people must have been difficult for you."

Suddenly, I could remember how close Jasper stood to me while we were at the Parthenon. He had stood with his arm wrapped tightly around my waist. He didn't breathe, and he looked tense. In my excitement, I hadn't put two and two together, and I hadn't caught the small burn starting in my own throat.

I stepped away from him, wide-eyed.

"What?" Jasper asked, suddenly worried. "What is it, what's wrong?"

'Why didn't you tell me?" I exploded. "You were uncomfortable! You should have told me!"

"Alice, Darlin', you were excited about going. I wasn't going to ruin that for you."

"You wouldn't have ruined it. You mean more to me than anything else."

He smiled, and took my hand.

"I don't mind it. It was worth it to see you smile."

I grinned and looked at the ground, shaking my head.

"Next time tell me."

I playfully punched his arm, and he winced slightly, causing me to jump back again.

"Come here," he said, laughing as he pulled me to him.

I started getting ready early Thursday morning. Jasper and I hunted Tuesday night into Wednesday afternoon, and for the rest of the day, Wednesday, I started getting everything ready for the police station the next day.

"Come on," Jasper said when I was dressed. "The police station won't open for a few more hours. Come lay back down while I finish this book."

I curled up against his side under my comforter. It was peaceful like this. Jasper read some book by someone with the last name of Lovecraft, but while he did so, he traced the same scar along my spine. I think at this point, he didn't realize what he was doing.

I closed my eyes, and listened to the soft sounds of him breathing in quietly.

It wasn't until before noon that we left. Jasper finished his book, and I sat contently at his side with my eyes closed pretending, even for a little while, that I could sleep and dream.

"What're you thinking about?" Jasper asked, looking at me.

"Dreams. I miss dreaming."

Jasper looked down at me as we made our way down the road.

"You've never told me this."

"I've never really thought about it actually. Not until today."

Jasper sighed, shook his head, and kiss the top of mine.

"You know I would give you anything. If I could give you the possibility of dreaming again, I would."

"I know that."

"What do you miss about it? Dreaming?"

"Possibility."

I looked up to his confused face.

"In our dreams," I continued, "impossible things can happen. For example, you and I growing old together."

Jasper chuckled.

"Well you can still grow old with me. I, however, was already old when you met me."

"But you're still beautiful to me, my angel," I said, reaching up to kiss his cheek.

We made it to the police station before he could say anything else.

"Can I have a minute before we go in?" Jasper said, hesitantly, as he looked at the door.

"As long as you need. But I've looked. Nothing will happen."

He smiled and pulled me as close to him as I could possibly go.

"I'm sure nothing will. Just stay close to me."

I nodded.

"Of course."

He took a deep breath and nodded.

"I'm ready."

I guided him to the door, linking my arm with his.

The woman behind the desk seemed happy to be there when she looked up as Jasper and I stepped into the warm room.

"Good afternoon!" she said cheerfully. "What can I help you with?"

"I'm looking for somebody. I was hoping somebody here could help me."

She nodded, and pulled her long, white-blonde hair into a small ponytail on the nape of her neck.

"Do you want to speak to the Chief?"

"Anyone can help me really. I just need some information. But I think a chief can provide more help."

The woman nodded and smiled.

"Give me one moment, and I'll see what I can do."

She rose from her seat, and Jasper and I headed for a row of plastic chairs against a wall.

I traced circles into the back on his hand while we waited. He smiled and kissed my hand.

"Are you okay?" I murmured.

He nodded.

"I'm fine."

The woman returned shortly after that.

"The chief can see you."

Jasper and I raised to our feet, and followed the woman through a door. There were several desks crunched together, and an office in the back of the room.

"Go straight through those doors," she said, stopping outside the office.

"Thank you very much for your help."

She smiled and nodded before turning on her heel and walking away.

I knocked lightly on the door before me.

"Come in," called a gruff voice from inside.

I pushed open the door, and stepped quietly inside.

"Oh," the chief said looking at me. He jumped to his feet and extended his hand. "My name is Jonah Smalls."

He turned his hand to Jasper then turned back to me.

"What can I help you with today?" he asked, running a hand through his hair.

"We're looking for any information you might have on a Carlisle Cullen."

He turned his chair from his desk, and turned to a group of files.

"I don't have much. About fourteen years ago, up in Gatlinburg, however, he and his family disappeared right after Emmett McCarty went missing."

He handed me a slim file.

"The Gatlinburg police sent out files on both the Cullens and the McCarty boy."

"Were either of them found?"

He shook his head.

"Seven years ago, Emmett McCarty was declared dead. I don't have much, but I can write a note and the sheriff in Gatlinburg can show you the full file."

I looked down at the file, and wandlessly and nonverbally copied it.

"I'd like that very much."

He turned to get a piece of paper and a pen.

"What's your name?"

"Mary," I said, looking over to Jasper.

"And last name?"

"Whitlock," Jasper answered for me.

I smiled and looked back over to the sheriff.

He handed me a note, and smiled.

"Here you are. Just give that to the sheriff whenever you go, and you can get the full file."

"Thank you, sir," I said, rising to my feet.

I shook his hand one more time, and Jasper and I swiftly left the small office.

Once we left the police station, I pulled out the file from my jacket it and opened it. A picture, almost exactly matching one of Emmett Cullen that I had pulled up from the crystal ball, stared back at me. The eyes weren't the same. This man, had bright blue eyes.

"Is that him, Alice?" Jasper asked.

"Yes."

"So we've found another clue?"

"Yes."

I grinned down at the file.

"I told you I had a good feeling about Athens."

Jasper grinned and kissed the top of my head.

"One day I'll learn to stop doubting you."

"One can only hope."

He chuckled and looked down at me.

"When are we going to Gatlinburg?"

"How far do you suppose it is from here running? If it's not that far, we can just head there now. If it's further, we can go once we see about an early check out."

"It's about forty-five minutes from here."

"Then we go ahead and go now. We should be back before nightfall."

Without closing my eyes, I focused on the near future. I could feel Jasper tightening his hold on me.

I nodded when my vision refocused.

"We'll be back before the sun starts to go down. It's cloudy in Gatlinburg too, so we should be good to go now if you want."

He nodded.

"Let's go."

So we set off to Gatlinburg to see what we could find about the disappearance of Emmett McCarty. From what I learned from Athens, was that Emmett joined the coven after Rosalie.

The two of them were mates, so maybe she decided she couldn't live without him.

It didn't take long at l thought it would have to get to Gatlinburg. It took less time than Jasper thought it would.

"Okay, the station should be this way," Jasper said, pulling me with him.

Once we got there, we paused outside again. Jasper looked at me.

"I'm okay, Alice."

I nodded.

"I know that. I just want you to be comfortable."

He smiled, and pressed his lips to my forehead.
"Just don't leave my side, and I'll be okay."

I nodded again, and squeezed his hand.

"Let's go and see what we can find."

It seemed that nobody was there. The from room was empty except for the woman with salt-and-pepper hair.

"What can I do for you?" the woman asked. She didn't sound happy to be there.

"I have a note from the Athens Chief of Police to talk to your sheriff."

She looked at the note that I had extended to her, before looking up at me.

"I'll go see if he's available."

"Thank you, ma'am."

She disappeared rather quickly down a long, narrow hall.

I swayed back and forth as Jasper and I waited. It seemed like a very long time before the woman came back, and this time, she was accompanied by a man, who I assumed to be the sheriff.

He looked fairly young. Maybe a little bit older than Severus, or maybe even a little bit older than Kingsley. His hair had faintly started to grey, but the way he had it combed over, you couldn't tell unless you stood close to him.

He extended his hand.
"Good afternoon, ma'am. I'm Sheriff Charles Card. You're Mary Whitlock, I presume?"

"Yes, sir," I said, shaking his hand.

"And you are?"

"Jasper Whitlock, sir."

"Her husband?" he asked, looking at Jasper's arm around my waist.

"Yes, sir," Jasper said, flashing a quick smile in my direction.

"Come with me then, and I'll see what I can do for you."

We followed him down the same hall the original woman went down, and behind me, I could hear the sharp clicks of her heels as she returned to her desk.

"Can I get either one of you anything?" Sheriff Card offered. "Water? Coffee? Tea?"

"No, thank you," I said, with a small smile.

He motioned to the chairs in front of his desk before sitting in the chair behind his desk.

"Now, your note from Chief Maxwell says to give you access to the file of Emmett McCarty, any any information I have on Dr. Cullen and his family. Is that correct?"

I nodded, and pulled a notebook from my bag.

"Can I ask you a few questions about the doctor?"

He nodded and motioned for me to continue.
"Go ahead, Mrs. Whitlock."

"Thank you. Now, what can you tell me about Dr. Cullen and his family? Did they stick out?"

Sheriff Card nodded.

"They were all extraordinarily nice. His kids, Rosalie and Edward, never gave me any trouble. But they all stuck out because they didn't cause trouble."

"And the doctor? What stood out about him?"

"The nurses at the hospital had a hard time focusing on their work with him around. They were all…." he struggled to find the words, "good-looking."

"What led them to be suspects in the McCarty case?" I asked.

"They aren't so much suspects. It's more of a questionable situation. The kid goes missing, the doctor and his family leave town."

I nodded, and watched as he spun his chair around to grab a folder.

It was a lot thicker than the one I had gotten in Athens.

"This is everything I have on the case," he said, handing it to me.

As he turned again, I copied the folder, and slid it into my bag.

When I opened the folder, the same blue-eyed man stared up at me.

"About a month after the kid went missing, money appeared on the McCarty family's doorstep. They asked me about it, and I told them to keep it. There isn't much we can do about money turning up."

I flipped through the pictures, police reports, reports from Emmett's family. Lists of names of people who had joined search parties. Everything that could be tied into the case was in this folder.

"It says here that he was hunting the day he went missing," I said, tapping one of the lines in one of the files. "Could he have simply been involved in an animal attack?"

The sheriff smiled at me.

"You're smart. You put the pieces together quicker than some of my deputies. You're right. We thought it could be an animal attack, but there were no traces of a body."

I read through the rest of the file.

"He's been presumed dead," Sheriff Card said, sadly. "It's a shame really. His family are great people. I'm good friends with his oldest brother."

"So you knew Emmett well, then?"

Sheriff Card nodded.

"I did. He was a good kid. Can I ask you a question?"

I nodded.

"What about this case took your interest?"

"My father died, a long time ago. Carlisle Cullen is the only link I have to my father."

"If you don't mind my asking, what about your mother?"

"She died, long before he did. It's sad to say, but I have no other family. So I am trying to seek out Dr. Cullen."

"That's completely understandable."

"Thank you, for all your help," I said, extending my hand again.

He shivered under my touch, but smiled anyways.

"It was my pleasure, Mrs. Whitlock."

He shook Jasper's hand, and guided the two of us back to the front room.

"Good luck to you, Mrs. Whitlock," Sheriff Card said, before turning back to the direction of the office.

Jasper and I nodded to the woman at the desk, and headed for the door, moving quickly to get back to the motel room.

Here we are! A new set of chapters is up! Like I mentioned in the last chapter uploaded, there was more than likely going to be a gap between chapter uploads, because for his, I wanted to have more chapters put up.

I hope you enjoyed, and will enjoy the chapters to come!

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