This is a very short chapter. I will be sadly finishing this Fic soon. After we finish with this Alice fiasco, there will be a wedding and handfasting, and epilogue.

JASPER POV

After sending Jacob, Sam, Felix, and Demetri off to search for Alice, Emmett, Carlisle, the twins, Seth and I, made our way to the Volturi castle. Once we walked into the citadel, the emotional signature of the entire place was grievous. There were very few guard members milling around as they usually are. I sent Emmett, Carlisle and the teenagers, to search the castle. Gianna was sobbing at her post in the reception area of the lobby.

"Oh, Master Caius, Master Jasper, this is terrible, Master Marcus has met his final death, and everyone is blaming Master Aro, while he blamed the Quileute men. They didn't, we were not even here. While I can't speak for Sam personally, Jacob and I… well we were…" She trailed off with a blush, but then she started back sobbing.

I walked over to her and gathered her in my arms and rubbed her back to comfort her. "It's ok darlin' I understand. Why don't you take some time? We will not be receiving visitors for a while. We can handle anyone that will come to the citadel." She nodded and gathered her things. She headed for her small room just off the lobby. Before she closed the door, she turned back to us.

"Is Jacob and Sam coming back? Did Felix go with Sue?" I could tell she really cared about them.

"Felix and Demetri are handling Volturi business at the moment. Jacob, Sue, Sam and his mate have returned home."

"No, Sam's mate did not return." She informed me.

"What do you mean Gianna?" Caius asked her with a concerned look on his face.

"I mean to say that I took Esme, Sue, and Leah to the airport myself. However, Leah did not board the plane with the other women. She disappeared before they boarded. We tried to search for her, but she was nowhere in the airport. I didn't want to hold the flight any longer, so I sent them on their way. I tried to notify Master Aro, but he was grieving so badly, he refused to be disturbed. He only sits in Master Marcus' room staring into nothingness." She then closed her door. Caius looked back at me.

"Why would Leah disappear?" I then pulled out my phone.

"Esme, did Leah ever show up back in La Push?"

"No honey, she didn't. Her mother is very concerned as is her sister wife. Sue also said Leah had been acting strangely and disappearing whenever she received phone calls. I wanted to wait, but Gianna said Jacob wanted us to leave immediately and didn't want to hold up the plane. I thought maybe she was upset to be traveling with me. You know how she feels about our kind." Esme informed me.

"Yes, I know, which is even more strange. Why would she not want to get back to those of her kind; why stay in a place that was surrounded by vampires, human drinkers at that? There is so much that is not adding up. My bet is Alice is the main threat. The only thing I am not sure of is are Aro and Alice in cahoots, and how does Leah disappearing have anything to do with it." I was rambling aloud now. "How are Bella and the babies?" I asked.

"Worried and concerned for her mates, but otherwise they are fine. The babies miss their daddies and ask for you often. Poor little darlings cry themselves to sleep begging for you." This was totally breaking my dead unbeating heart to pieces.

"Please Esme, tell them their daddies love them very much, and cannot wait to get us all back together again. I know this has to be so hard on Bella. Please just keep her safe Esme. I hated sending her away and I know she could hold her own against any rival. But I thought it was important for at least one parent to be with the children, so they didn't think we all abandoned them." I told Esme. "But please, also let me know if anyone hears from Leah, or if anything unusual comes about."

"I will, and please send Carlisle and the others my love. Please promise me to be safe and keep my family safe with you." I love you son.

"I love you too, Esme. You have always and will always be my mom." With that, I disconnected the call. I then called Sam.

"Sam, did you know Leah did not make it back to Forks?" I asked him

"WHAT?!" he exclaimed. "WHERE IS SHE?"

"I'm sorry Sam I wish I knew. Gianna just informed me that she did not get on the plane with the other women. And Esme said Sue and Emily are worried sick." I told him.

"I know she was acting strangely before we left Italy. She wouldn't go out with the rest of us. She insisted on staying in the hotel and ordering room service instead of coming down to eat with the rest of us. But when we would get back, she would be gone. I didn't think anything of it until now. And the phone calls, all hours of the night since we've been here. She would tell me it was nothing, just calls from back home. Do you think she has something to do with this?"

"Sam, honestly your guess is as good as mine. There are so many things that just aren't adding up. Gianna said Aro was blaming the wolves, but knew for a fact, you all were nowhere near the citadel when it happened. In blaming the wolves do you think he meant Leah?" Could Alice have cohorts Leah into this. But why would they join forces? What would Leah have to gain in all this?"

"Jasper, my second wife is a strange one, that I can tell you for sure. She blames vampires for everything under the sun, mainly for not being able to get pregnant, which she blames the total vampire existence on her phasing into a spirit warrior in the first place. Though I do love her very much, I only married her because I felt bad that I imprinted on her cousin, after we were only a few months from getting married ourselves. I had no idea, she even carried the wolf gene. This is a mess. Such a big mess." Sam was becoming distraught.

"Sam, we've just found Aro, let me talk to him and see what he has to say. You, Jacob and the other still looking for Alice and possibly Leah. If you find anything, anything out of the ordinary, please call me, I will let you know what Aro had to say

Caius and I walked into Marcus' room to find Aro sitting in front of a pile of ash, rocking and chanting to himself.

"Brother, my dear brother, I am so sorry, I'm so sorry what I did to you. Please forgive me, brother." He sobbed

"Aro?" Caius called out to him. Then looked at me with concern. When Aro finally turned his head to look at us, his face was stained with blood tears.

"Aro, you vowed to me you did not kill Marcus," Caius said in a calm voice, but the expression on his face did match the calm. Aro did the most unexpected action. He ran to Caius, and practically leap into his arms.

"Brother Caius, I'm so glad you are here. No brother I did not, I did not. It was that she-wolf and that manipulative little pixie. I thought it was just Alice, until a came to find Marcus and vaguely saw her furry tail as she escaped the window, and smelled her all over the room, but more concentrated on Alice's cage." He then looked back at the pile of ash. "I should have let hi a Didyme leave when they wanted to, I should never have bound him here, it's as if I killed him myself. At least now he really does get to spend his eternity with my dear sister." As the blood again began to flow from his eyes.

It now became painfully apparent what we heard come from Aro's own mouth. If anyone else heard that, as in the other guards, they too would believe Aro had committed this atrocity.

"Aro, are you aware of what you are saying? You are giving the guard ammunition to believe you killed Marcus."

"But I did, I did as if I killed him with my own two hands by keeping him here, don't you see?" I really did feel sorry for Aro at this point. I did not feel any deception coming from him. He is grieving as though he'd lost his own mate.

"Where is Sulpecia?" Caius asked Aro.

"She is gone Caius, she does not trust me any longer. She knew what happened with Didyme all those centuries ago, and fears I've done the same to Marcus." Aro said to us.

"Do you know where everyone has gone?" I asked Aro.

"No, they have scattered like the wind. The only ones still her are bound to this throne, yet they fear me. It was then, Carlisle and Emmett approached the room.

"Carlisle, will you escort Aro to his suite, so he may get himself cleaned up. He looks like he hasn't left this room in a few days." Caius asked him.

"Certainly Caius. I have gathered the remaining guard in the throne room. I will take him to the dungeon to feed. He looks like he hasn't in a few days. Then I will make sure he showers and changes. We will then meet you in the throne room." Carlisle advised us.

I was about to pull out my phone, to ring Sam, when I received a message, at the same time as Caius. We showed each other our text messages.

We have the evil pixie, Charlotte and I are bringing her in-PW

We found the she-wolf. She was wandering around naked and confused. Her husband and I are bringing her in.-Demetri

Caius messaged Demetri back immediately

You may all come back to the citadel, Alice is being brought in as well. -CV.

"Cai, baby. Can you handle things from here? I need to go get our family." He placed his hands on my hips and pulled me to him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. He then whispered in my ear.

"Go get our girls." He then gave me a passionate kiss before I sped off towards the garage.