A/N: None of these characters are mine, well...except Daniel and Katherine
and any others I may throw in. The ones you recognize are Stephenie Meyers'.
The settings are hers as well.
Jake called me today, said he would be mine if I wanted.
IF I WANTED?! IF?
What a sweet baby boy he is! *pants*
Thanks for reading and reviewing.
Your kind words make me almost as happy as Jake's call did.
Thanks to the best Beta in the world, I love ya Murfy.
And now...meanwhile back at the ranch...
By His Side
Chapter Twenty Five
"We're coming for you baby. Just hang on honey. Don't worry."
"Jacob, I'm afraid. There's no light in this box and there's not much air flow."
"Stay with me Bells. I'll be right there with you all the way. We'll be there for you soon. I promise."
"I'm here Jake. We'll try to be strong. I'll try to be strong, for you. I love you, Jacob."
"I love you too Bells. Honey, Embry wants you to tell Katherine that he's coming with us. He says he loves her. Can you tell her that for him?"
"I did Jake. She said tell him she's glad he coming with you. She said she loves him too."
Jacob looked at his Beta and brother and tried to smile. He repeated Katherine's words to Bella to him and grabbed him around the shoulders
when Embry's knees threatened to buckle.
"Jake, man, we've got to get to them now!"
"I know Emb. Everybody listen up! Sam, Jared, Quil, Colin, Brady, you five are here with the remaining imprints and keeping up patrols for the res.
Paul is still healing from the leech attack but he'll be with you soon. The rest of us are in the air. Carlisle has commandeered a plane for us at Forks'
Airport and we will get there wolfed out. Phase now!"
The Pack ran like the wind toward the little airfield on the outskirts of Forks. Carlisle and Esme had left morphine and instructions for Rachel and told
Jacob what they had arranged. Jasper was on alert, ready to meet them wherever, whenever. Rosalie and Emmett had also been notified of the latest
development and vowed to be available for anything the Pack needed. If their help was acceptable, it would be given. Jacob assured Carlisle he had no
qualms whatsoever about accepting their help to rescue Bella and Katherine from the Volturi. He only hoped they could get to Port Angeles in time.
He prayed they wouldn't need Rosalie and Emmett to rush to Italy ahead of them.
When the wolves arrived at the edge of the forest next to the airport, they all phased to human, quickly dressed and ran toward the stretch of tarmac
where they could see the doctor and his wife standing next to a Lear jet. It was fueled, ready and fired up as Jacob and the others skidded to a stop
in front of the vampire couple.
"Damn, Carlisle, this is amazing that you could get this jet here on such short notice. Thank you, again."
The doctor gave a slight smile as he motioned for everyone to follow his wife aboard.
"There's nothing amazing about it at all, Jacob. This is our plane. I'm happy we can use it to help you."
Jacob's mouth dropped open as he took a seat in front of Embry, across the aisle from where the doctor had seated himself. Jacob scanned the cabin
to see that all the Pack were seated and safely belted when he noticed something and the question rose in his mind. He looked quizzically at the doctor.
"Carlisle, where's Esme? I thought she was coming too."
Once again, the vampire doctor gave that enigmatic smile he seemed to always have at the ready. He didn't respond to Jacob's question, except to nod
his head forward toward the cockpit door.
"No way! Esme's the pilot?"
"When you never sleep, you really do have a lot of spare time. And it gets really boring if you don't keep yourself busy. Learning new things occupies our
minds the best and Esme loves to fly. She's had her license for about 57 years, though that's not the actual date that's on it. She has over 1000 hours in
this jet alone. I can assure you we are in good hands."
Seth was nearly bouncing in his seat.
"That is just the coolest, Carlisle!"
This time the doctor laughed out loud.
"I'm sure Esme would love to hear you say that, Seth."
The young wolf put one hand next to his mouth and raised his voice.
"I think you're cool, Esme!"
They heard a muffled voice behind the closed cockpit door.
"Thank you! Everybody sit tight for a few minutes. We're off in 60 seconds."
Within that minute, the jet moved into its parallel path to the taxiway and straightened up at the end of the runway. The second they were nose into the
wind, Esme mashed the throttles to full and they rocketed down the runway, lifting off smoothly within another 30 seconds. The engine noise while they
gained altitude was deafening. Their ears popped and it wasn't long before they began to level off. Esme opened the cockpit door and leaned over the arm
of her seat, looking backward down the aisle.
"Don't have to gain much altitude just for the hop to Port Angeles. It won't take us long. Jacob, can you tell if they are still on the ground, from Bella?"
Jacob nodded at her and held up one finger. He lowered his head and tried to clear his mind of all extraneous thoughts and worries. He took in a deep breath
and held it for a moment before releasing it slowly.
"Bells? Honey, are you with me?"
The voice that whispered through his mind was soft and faint.
"Jacob, I'm here. I'm really sleepy, baby. And it's awfully cold."
"Bells! Baby! Are you on the plane and in the air?"
"I think maybe we are, Jacob. There was a lot of noise and movement. They really rocked us around."
"Honey, are either of you hurt? From the jostling?"
"Maybe some bruises. We'll be okay, Jake. Are you coming soon?"
"We're in the air right behind you Bells. Wrap your arms around Katherine and you two try to keep each other warm, okay? We're coming baby! Please hang on!"
"Okay Jake. I love you."
"I love you, too, honey."
Jacob opened his eyes and lifted his head. When he turned his head to look at his Pack brothers and sister and the doctor, his eyes were feral and glowing yellow
with fury.
"The fuckers have already loaded the container and taken off! The girls got shaken up when they loaded them and now they're short on oxygen and they're
cold. Not one of those Italians will be left alive when I'm done!"
Embry leaned up to look around Jake's seat back. He was pale and shaking.
"Is Katherine conscious, Jake? Did she say?"
"Sorry, Emb, she's having trouble with the short air. She's groggy. I'm afraid I didn't ask. Give me a minute."
He closed his eyes again. He realized he should probably try to stay connected to her to keep her awake.
"Bells, honey wake up! Let me hear you, baby."
"I'm here, Jake."
"Honey, how's Katherine doing?"
"She's okay, I think. She's scared. But I told her what Embry said. She liked that."
Shit, Jacob thought, she's repeating herself. She's not getting enough oxygen!
"Bells, honey, is Katherine awake? Ask her how she's feeling."
He needed to get them talking to each other so they could stay awake.
"Jake, she's still here, eyes open. She says she's tired, too. She says she misses Embry."
Jacob turned his head, opened one eye and smiled at Embry and nodded. His brother let out a heavy breath and slumped back into his seat.
"I told Emb, honey. Tell Kate he said he misses her, too. He said tell her he'll see her very soon and he wants to know if she'd go on a date with him."
He heard Bella's mental giggle.
"I asked her, Jake. She wants to know where they're going."
Jake didn't bother Embry at that moment. He just needed to keep Bella and Kate talking.
"He wants to know where Kate would like to go. Dinner? Movie? Both?"
"She says she'll let him choose and surprise her."
There was a pause.
"She wants to know if you and I are going to double date with them. Can we?"
"Of course, honey. Anything you girls want, Embry and I are right here for you."
There was another pause, this time, longer. Too long.
"Honey, are you still with me?" "Bells?"
A few more incredibly tense seconds of silence circled around inside Jacob's head. He began to breathe a little harder and shorter. His hands began to shake as well.
"Bella? Bells! Honey, answer me! Keep talking to me!"
More silence. Then,...finally...achingly slowly...she responded and Jacob felt his heart begin to beat again.
"Jake, are you still here?"
"Yes! Honey! What happened? Are you guys okay?"
"We're okay. One of the Volturi guard just opened the door to the box we're in."
Jacob's heart once again leaped into his throat and he squeezed his eyes shut tightly. The timbre of his thoughts was low, menacing and filled with trepidation.
"What did he do, Bells?"
"Well, it's funny. He shoved a couple of blankets through the door, threw a bottle of water at me, he missed, and when he closed and locked the door
back, he opened a little door in the middle of it and left it open. He said they didn't want us to arrive in Volterra dead."
Jacob didn't think it was funny in the slightest. He was going to lay waste to the entire village of Volterra if he had to. These bastards had no idea who
they were fucking with. He did his best to lighten his thoughts for his beloved wife.
"I'm glad they aren't trying to kill you on the plane ride, honey. You and Kate bundle up and stay close together still. Just sip the water, don't gulp it.
Now that you have some air flow, it's safe to go to sleep, if you can. Try to rest baby. We'll be there very soon. And I'm right here, honey."
"Okay baby. I'll contact you if anything changes. I miss you."
"I miss you, too, Bells."
Jacob glanced back at Embry. He was staring out the window, a troubled expression on his face and a vacant but worried look in his eyes. Jacob decided
to censor what had happened to just information about the blankets, water and air. No need to tangle up Embry's mind any more than it already was.
He looked over at Carlisle who sat perfectly straight, hands on his knees, eyes closed. He looked a bit like an android that had shut down for recharging.
Jacob shook his head at the ludicrousness that was his life. When would they ever be free of the evil monsters that populated their world?
"Carlisle? Are we going to have to go all the way to Italy to catch them, do you think?"
The doctor opened his eyes and looked at Jacob sorrowfully.
"I hope we won't, Jacob. We will have to refuel at least once to get to Italy, but I'm guessing they will have to stop for fuel, also. I don't think even a huge
commercial jet can make it from Washington to Italy non-stop. At any rate, I doubt Alec could charter an aircraft that big. I can't promise you that I'm right,
but I wouldn't wager against it."
"Are you a gambler, Doc?"
"Living this existence, in this world, making it through a few hundred years mostly unscathed, I'd say I would have to be, wouldn't you?"
"Yeah, I guess I'd have to agree with you there. I hope you're right, Carlisle. If they harm a hair on Bella's or Katherine's head, you can't imagine what we will
do when we catch up to them."
"Actually, Jacob, I can imagine it, quite clearly. I witnessed the power of the wolves up close and personal at the newborn battle. I also happened to know
that you 'stopped' Edward with your bare human hands. I know your strengths as well as your weaknesses, though there aren't many of those. Mainly,
you're hamstrung by your love for your family, your brothers, but mostly, by your love for Bella. Far be it from me to coach you, but if I were in your position,
I would try to channel that love into power and focus it where it will do the most good. You, your Pack, the imprints, and especially Bella, are stronger together
than apart. You're unique connection with Bella has the potential to face and destroy threats head on. At least that's my opinion from my studies so far. But
don't take my word for it. You should feel it yourself so you can understand it and utilize it. Sorry, I don't mean to be laying unrequested advice on you."
Jacob looked at the doctor with a calculating glance.
"No, that's okay, Carlisle, really. I appreciate you sharing your opinion and observations. I just hope you're onto something that we can really use. I appreciate
your take on our weaknesses, too. There's no way around that situation. When the people we love are threatened, our perspective naturally changes. But I like
your idea of channeling our feelings, our emotions, to a position of power that we can use to our advantage. We'll have to talk about that with the others."
"You know, Jasper is on his way to meet us. We'll probably be refueling in Chicago, possibly New York, unless the Volturi stop sooner than that to refuel,
and he can be with us almost instantly. His abilities as a strategist could be of infinite use to the Pack, in any situation, not just now."
"You have a good point there, Doc. Maybe we can work together again."
At that moment, two things happened simultaneously.
Esme turned to look back into the cabin at us.
"I've caught sight of an aircraft that might be the one we're following. They're losing altitude rapidly. They're either landing to refuel...or they're running
out of fuel...and they're going down."
And Bella woke up in Jacob's head.
"Jacob! I was able to access my Spirit and move outside the box! Something's happening! There's shouting toward the front of the plane, and we seem to
be slowing down. And our ears are popping, so I think we may be landing or something."
"I'm here, Bells. I think we might be right behind you. We might be able to see you. Stay with me, honey, stay with me."
"I'm here, Jake. I'm right there by your side."