Chapter 28 – Smoke and Mirrors

On Halloween, Kayce was called into Mr. Demetri's office for a third time. She reluctantly gathered her belongings and left her classroom lost in her own thoughts. As she walked, her footsteps echoed throughout the long cement hallway. She was peering down at her spiral notebook that she had clutched in her hands, trying to think of a way she could keep Mr. Demertri at bay. He needed to stay in the dark about Edward and her time travel. As she walked, she bumped into someone outside the door to the office. "I'm terribly sorry. Please excuse me," a male voice responded sweetly.

She mumbled, "No worries" at him, as she reached for the door. She was still gazing at her notebook mentally preparing herself for her encounter. It dawned on her that she thought she recognized that voice. She paused when she grasped the door knob. She let it go and quickly turned. All she caught sight of was the back of a blond head as he turned the corner.

Kayce dropped her notebook and ran around the corner, but saw nothing. "Wait!" she shouted. She was alone in the corridor, searching for whom she didn't know. She knows that she has a "gift", according to Carlisle, but has no idea how it works. Surely, she couldn't bring people to her. When she went to that other reality, it was she who had done the traveling not the other way around. And she believed herself to be unique, so others come to her world was unlikely. But instinct made her start to think that this person could be Jasper, but it was too good to be true. She needed to find him and see his face, just to make sure.

A male voice came from behind her. "Kayce, is everything alright?" Mr. Demetri stood towering over her. He had her notebook clasped in his hands and he was reaching out to hand it to her.

She held his gaze for only a moment. She turned back, looking around again, ignoring Mr. Demetri for a split second. She was hoping to get a glimpse of this person, but he was long gone. "Yes, it was just my imagination getting away from me, I suppose," she responded absently.

She took her notebook from him, as he ushered her inside the main office. He waited at the door intently looking out into the corridor. Demetri leaned slightly forward, sniffing the air. His countenance had turned predatory and angry. He definitely knew that a vampire was out there, but he couldn't pinpoint who or where they were now. Demetri didn't trust Draven at all, though he is far too young to have enough restraint to turn a human, he made a mental note to check for others when it was safe to do so.

He turned his blazing gaze back toward Kayce and as they made eye contact, it softened towards her, "Yes...I see...well let's get on with our visit. Shall we?" He let her lead the way to his office. She walked in, sitting in the worn office chair. She appeared quite bored and pulled her hand to her mouth and chewed on her fingernail.

"So, where shall we begin today?" Mr. Demetri asked, he steepled his hands, looking at her over them, waiting for her to begin from where they left off. Kayce looked at him as if she were oblivious to where they left off last.

"Um...I told you, I have been reading novels and just getting carried away. To be honest, I am unsure why I am even here," she said in a stand-offish way.

"Firstly, you always tell me the same thing. And secondly, you are here because your parents are worried about you. Let's start back with your boyfriend, Edward. Have you heard from him since I spoke with you last?" He looked at her and smiled in a way that made her uncomfortable, which made her fidget in her seat and pick at the frayed pieces of fabric on the arm of the padded chair.

"No, I haven't heard from him and I don't see how that is any of your business," she snapped in annoyance. She looked to the door hoping for an escape window.

"Kayce, your mother and father are worried about you and the way you are behaving. I am only trying to help by getting to the root of the problem," he responded giving her a lingering gaze.

"I guess I am just different, that's all. I don't know why my parents are worrying. Just because I don't act like other kids my age, really I'm fine."

"Kayce, when you are a teenager, it's not unusual to feel...different...special," he offered. "Do you feel special, Kayce?"

"Um...I am unique in my own way, I guess. Everyone is though," she responded, not looking Demetri in the eye. She really had nowhere to look, but at the ugly tan textured wallpaper. He definitely wasn't a decorating type of man, so the office was very utilitarian and plain ugly to look at.

"Oh yes, everyone is unique, but not everyone is special. You, Kayce, I think you are one of the special ones. I think you've got some real hidden talent in there and by the time we are through with our sessions, I intend to bring that talent to the surface...there will be no denying it on your end and then everyone will know you are special, just like I suspect that you are," he said.

She shyly looked at him and then hurriedly looked away when she saw a glimmer in his eyes. "I am just a normal girl, nothing extraordinary about me."

Mr. Demetri changed the direction of their conversation so fast that it made her dizzy. "Don't lose hope on seeing your beloved Edward again...I believe that your talents will help you two reunite and it will happen before either of you see it coming," he said. "Life has a tendency of throwing you into unexpected paths, as I am sure you already know."

Kayce was really freaked out. She gazed into his brown eyes and she saw something that she couldn't explain, but it scared her to death. Her first thought was that he is a vampire, but he can't be, not here. "I'm fine, really. Can I go now?" She never gave him the chance to tell her no. She stood up and grabbed her bag heading for the door.

When he spoke, she turned to look at him one more time. "You can run Kayce, but you can't hide." He smirked right at her. "I am very serious about my job and I intend to get what is bothering you out in the open." She gulped and left the room behind as fast as her legs could take her.

She ran straight to the gym through the empty corridors, keeping an eye out for her mystery man, but she never saw him. She dressed out quickly and then set off to meet the rest of her class. Of course, Coach Draven noticed that she was late and he made a snarky remark even though she had a signed note.

When gym was over, Kayce caught sight of the back of a tall blond haired guy. She picked up speed as she followed him to the boys' locker room. A guy with curly raven locks stepped out, almost bumping into to her. "Um...excuse me," she said. The guy turned around and smiled at her. "Can you tell me if a blond guy walked in there, he looks to be about 6'5 or 6'6 in height? I'm not sure what his face looks like though," she said.

"I didn't see anyone like that, but let me check." The boy disappeared behind the door letting it shut with loud click. Kayce was really nervous. She needed to see him. She wasn't interested in him in any way, but the fact that he was a mystery and wouldn't show himself to her, was driving her mad. She wanted to make sure he was a real guy and not some piece of her imagination gone wild. She paced back and forth waiting for that boy to return. A surge of hope washed through her when she saw the door swinging open.

The raven-haired boy returned through the door, "Anything?" she asked, looking into the boy's eyes.

"No, I didn't see anything. Sorry," he said.

She blew out a disappointed breath. After the boy walked away she took a deep breath to boost her confidence and said, "This is absolutely crazy...you have to know who he is and the only way to do that is to go in there...you can do this Kayce...okay, here goes." She placed a shaking hand on the door handle and opened the door to the boys' locker room. She entered and gave a quick peek around. She didn't see anyone at first, so she ventured further inside no man's land.

She suddenly heard protests, curses and come on's flying her way. There were boys dressing and a few had towels covering them up, looking at her in outrage. She hurriedly walked around the corner looking up toward the ceiling after quick glimpses around so as not to see anything she shouldn't. When she made it near the partition for the showers, she slipped on the wet floor, but regained her stance. She never saw the blond guy she was looking for. None of the guys in there were any taller than six foot. When she saw a naked guy, she covered her eyes and apologized profusely. "I'm so sorry...I'm looking for someone...not you...but it's important that I find him. I promise to get out as soon as I see that he isn't in here, sorry."

When she turned around to head out of the locker room, she dropped her hands so she could see; a boy raised his voice and yelled out, "Hey baby, do you want to see more? There's lot's more where this came from!" He pulled his towel off, showing her his nakedness and Kayce blushed, pulling her hand up to her eyes. "That was a horrible idea...Kayce you idiot...Who did you think you were going to find? Definitely not Jasper." She bumped her way out of there as fast as she could. She felt for obstacles with one hand so she didn't have to pull her hand away from her eyes. Pushing the door open, she quickly exited feeling really reckless and very foolish. She was holding back tears of humiliation and embarrassment.

Back in the locker room, the air was filled with laughter or annoyed grumbles. The guy who had been making the lurid remarks to Kayce was high-fiving his friends and laughing, until a locker door slammed into his face. Screaming out in agony, the guy collapsed, landing on the hard cement floor holding his towel over his broken nose. Jasper stood over him, locker door in hand, with a semi-apologetic smile on his face. He didn't like him speaking to Kayce that way, though he had to admit he was partly at fault. He didn't think she would have gotten a good enough look at him to follow him, much less into a men's locker room. "Oh, excuse me. I didn't see you there, tiny," Jasper said. Grinning sarcastically, Jasper closed the locker door. "Wow, good luck trying to get a date with her or any other girl now. Showing off your lack of equipment wasn't exactly a stroke of genius on your part there, buddy." The guy on the floor cowered away from him and Jasper knew his eyes must be black from the smell of the guy's blood. Gritting his teeth behind his smirk, he headed for the door that would lead him outside. He disappeared out into the rainy afternoon; his desire to fix his family's situation was more important to him than feeding off of a measly bleeding human.

Kayce was berating herself for doing such a foolish thing. As she walked to the girls' locker room on the other side of the gym, she overhead hushed arguing and saw Mr. Demetri slamming coach Draven up against the wall. It was hard enough to make a huge thud and it even left a dent. She hurriedly entered the locker room and left them to their argument. She was secretly happy that coach Draven was getting his just desserts.

"You have blown our cover. I thought I told you to feed far away from here. You left a couple of bodies and now people are getting suspicious. If this girl figures it out, we will no longer have the upper hand, you fool," Demetri spat out.

Sawyer grabbed Demetri's arm and Draven smiled wickedly, turning on Demetri. "We out number you, Demetri."

Demetri laughed. "You may outnumber me, but I am older and much wiser than you will ever be. I have experience killing vampires, which you don't. Do not underestimate me."

"You can't hold anything over my head, Demetri. I am your golden ticket home. Remember that." He became really angry when Demetri laughed at him, yet again. He instantly knew what Demetri was thinking. "You have no guarantee that the human could ever get you home in one piece. If I leave you here, you may never return."

Ripping his arm from Sawyers grasp, Demetri suddenly had both of them pinned to the wall, their necks grasped at painful angles, their feet lifted off the wooden gym floor. "You are assuming you will ever leave here alive. I could snap both your necks right here, right now. Just a simple flick of my fingers and you would be little more then a distant memory of annoyance for me. Cross me again and I won't hesitate to do so."

"You wouldn't dare. You talk tough, but you are little more then a lap dog for your master. He had us created knowing I am special and the only one capable of finding this miserable human. He would be furious with you if you destroyed us."

"Again, you are worth less than the dirt under my feet. Aro had you created as a means to an end. He only needed you to get me here to find her. She has already accomplished more as a human than you ever did. Perhaps she even has accomplished more than you ever will as a vampire. Who do you think he would be more upset over losing you or an appealing puzzle like the girl? If he is interested enough in this girl to go to all this trouble in order to retrieve her, he wouldn't blink at sacrificing miserable wastes like you two. You two are sorry excuses. Were it not for Aro ordering me to turn you, based upon your ability, I wouldn't have even wasted my time on your blood. It left a nasty aftertaste as it was," Demetri growled out in a disgusted tone.

"The girl could be a dud. You could kill us and then find that your precious anticipations for her were nothing but false hopes. You could be stuck in this miserable existence forever," Sawyer choked out in desperation. Demetri laughed, squeezing their necks harder.

"I'm not concerned. Should it come down to it, I will turn her myself. She will not disappoint." Shoving them one final time against the wall, he released their necks and walking off without another glance. He left a menacing growl in the air, "Do not cross me again."

After school, Kayce headed home and fixed her family an early dinner. She ran around the kitchen gathering her necessary items. She knew that her parents had arrived home by the sound of their Mustang's engine. She smiled and called out to them as they entered the front door, "Dinner is almost ready."

"Honey, it is so early," her mom said. "You didn't have to cook for us."

"I wanted to. I have the haunted house to go to, so I thought I would get a jump on my afternoon," she smiled as she chopped veggies. "Plus, you have all of those trick-or-treaters to answer the door for. After they ate dinner as a family, they all went their separate ways.

Kayce was wearing her red riding hood costume. She fastened her red cloak around her neck. After admiring herself, she ran out into the living room to kiss her mom and dad goodbye. "Love you guys," she called out, as she opened the front door. There were some tiny kids coming up her walkway, passing her by with their trick-or-treat bags in hand. They all looked so cute dressed up in their scariest costumes, except for the princess, who looked so sweet. Her mom was ready with the candy bowl in hand and a huge smile on her face. She loves kids and it always made her wonder why her parents didn't have another child.

She jumped in her H3 and headed to the high school. She drove into the parking lot, which was starting to fill up. She huddled among the excited masses of students waiting to enter the carnival and the haunted house. Sheila found her. She waved until Kayce saw her, smiling and waving in return. Sheila, dressed as a devil, was standing in line. Every time Sheila would turn around, her red tail would hit someone that was standing near her. Kayce had to laugh at that, which was the first time in a long while that she felt light and untroubled. After they said their hellos and waited to gain entrance, Kayce couldn't help but wish that Edward and the rest of the family were there with her enjoying the haunted house.

Once inside, it was very dark and eerie sounds could be heard echoing throughout. A man dressed as Dracula, with blood dripping down his chin, jumped out at them and Kayce screamed from the initial shock. Sheila just laughed at her. In reality, this guy wasn't scary at all, but given what she now knows about vampires she was really afraid at first. They held hands in the pitch blackness trying to find a way out, moving extremely slowly, escaping evil clowns, jack the ripper and a guy in a scream costume. They wound their way through cobwebs and felt hands grabbing at their ankles.

They finally reached an opening at the end of the haunted house, when a dim light could be seen up ahead. At the exit, situated on the football field, was a small carnival. Kayce, out of the corner of her eye, saw Mr. Demetri and Coach Draven speaking to one another and they were watching her intently. She suddenly felt really uneasy, like she wanted to run for her life. The two girls turned the other way and headed away from the two men.

Both girls walked up to a booth where you pitch softballs at milk bottles, attempting to knock them down. They handed over their tickets to the carnie and grabbed their softballs. Their first pitches were high and wide, missing spectacularly. They giggled and readied themselves to throw a second time. Kayce stretched out her right arm and then gripped the softball. She pulled the ball up to her right ear and threw it as hard as she could. It tipped right over the last bottle, but never knocked them over. Sheila missed again. On their third try, they were in fits of laughter while they pitched the balls. Kayce knew that the bottles were rigged to not tumble over, but she was having fun anyway.

As they were getting ready to head to another booth, Coach Sawyer had placed his hand over Kayce's on the table. It was cold as ice. She attempted to pull her hand free, but was unsuccessful. She gasped and tilted her head up to look in his eyes and challenge him. His right eye looked utterly strange to her. Half of it was the light ice blue that she was used to and the other half was burgundy wine. The left, all of it was the color of burgundy wine. It was Halloween so it wouldn't be out of place to have him wearing freaky eye colors, but the burgundy color was real, she was positive. She knew then that he must be a vampire. Her instincts about the coaches were right on. She was so frightened that she whimpered, which Coach Sawyer leered in response. He grabbed a softball and threw it with relative ease at the milk bottles. Upon impact, the bottles exploded, showering the carnie with shards of glass.

The carnie looked at Coach Sawyer with shocked eyes. He laughed sinisterly in response and his grip on her hand never wavered. It was tight, giving her an almost claustrophobic feeling. A large group of kids bumped into him and his grip finally loosened. Kayce jerked her hand away, and grabbed Sheila's hand, running as fast as she could go. "Kayce, what's wrong? Stop," she panted out.

She stopped and looked around her, but she saw nothing. "Sheila, you need to run. Go find an adult and stay with them. Stay in a large group of people, that's even better," she said sounding very winded.

"Kayce, this is crazy. Just tell me what is going on," Sheila demanded.

Kayce looked backward and didn't see Coach Sawyer anywhere, which was a bad sign. He could be anywhere. Her breathing was rapid and she had a catch in her side. The adrenaline was coursing through her veins, making her braver than she should be. "Sheila, just go find somewhere safe."

"Kayce, why did Coach Sawyer have red eyes? What is going on? Why is he so interested in you?" she asked in a frightened voice.

"You saw that?" Kayce yelled out, giving her a lingering paranoid gaze.

"Yes. His eyes definitely didn't look like a Halloween accessory," Sheila said in a panic.

"Okay, you need to go find help. I think he is high on methamphetamine," she lied. She had no idea if Sheila believed her or not, but she had to say something to get her to find a safe place.

Sheila grew very serious, "Meth?" she managed to say, then gulping. She was now really freaked out. She nodded and turned around, heading in the opposite direction, trying to find somewhere safe. Kayce was frantic to get away so that nobody would get hurt. Out of her peripheral vision, she would see coach Draven and coach Sawyer smirking at her and then they would disappear.

She entered a doorway hoping that they didn't see her. The inside of the room was practically black, making her temporarily blind. When her eyes focused, she bumped into a mirror and yelped. Her pursuers were there laughing at her. Mr. Demetri appeared in the house of mirrors and it looked as if he were standing with her.

"What's going on?" he asked, looking at Kayce's reflection. Kayce breathed out a sigh of relief thinking he was her savior. "You are not supposed to be confronting her like this in public, you might raise suspicion," he growled out at the other two men.

Kayce looked at him with mask of horror and he smiled in return. "Kayce, we can do this quite civilly. You can tell us about your special abilities and in return, perhaps, we could reunite you with your dear Edward or we could do this the way that these two gentlemen would prefer and I am afraid you wouldn't like that very much," he said tilting his head so he could look at Draven and Sawyer. "You've already found that out once, I believe a long time ago in an alleyway. It would make it so much easier if you cooperate with us. I would hate it if you fight the inevitable. I promised to bring you back in one piece." All three men moved out of sight and disappeared from the mirrors like ghosts.

She needed to escape. She put her hands out in front of her gauging what was real or an image of her being reflected back. The entire time that she was attempting to find an escape route, she kept thinking how it was so obvious Mr. Demetri was a vampire and how naive she had been. Different sized Kayce's could be seen throughout the room. There were tall skinny ones, short fat ones and distorted wavy ones. Out of nowhere Coach Draven appeared in all of the mirrors with her. She screamed out and reached her hand out behind her to feel if he was really right there. He wasn't. He ran to her and hit a clear plate glass window that was put there to confuse the masses. He struck it with the palm of his hand. The glass broke in a spider web pattern, but never shattered all the way, so she ran onward, bumping into mirror after mirror. She almost wet her pants when a disembodied laugh swept through the room. Her erratic breathing came out audibly and she would whimper when she encountered yet another wrong turn.

Kayce ran gasping through the house of mirrors, her heart beating staccato to the rhythm of her fear. She thought she saw a way out, only to bump into another mirror. Over her shoulder, she kept seeing the reflection of her pursuers in the mirrors, yet which images were real, which were not? She could feel them closing in on her. It was a feeling heavier then the worst claustrophobia. Panicked, she turned and ran straight into a hard form. Kicking at her assailant, her screams were muffled by a firm, but gentle hand. "Quiet Kayce, they'll hear us."

Kayce stopped her movements instantly and her eyes filled with tears. It wasn't an assailant, it was Jasper. Seeing that she was no longer thrashing her arms and legs and somewhat relaxing into his embrace, he removed his hand. "Jasper, how did you get here?"

"I am not sure. I think it was your special ability. However, I can tell you two things, firstly; we have to get out of here before they kill us. Secondly, if you don't find a way to get us back to my reality, Edward will die!"

He pulled her around the mirrors, never once hitting one. He found the exit and ushered her out more quickly than she was ready for. They walked hurriedly, almost at a run, moving from booth to booth, always staying one step ahead of their pursuers. He never once looked directly at her. He was too busy looking for places they could be ambushed, Jasper's amber colored eyes darting in every direction. A strong feeling of tension could be felt. Kayce was on the verge of hyperventilating. "How many vampires are there?" Kayce asked.

"As far as I can tell, only three. I have been watching you for a few days. At first I wanted to go to you, but when I went to your home, I smelled them. I have been watching and trying to see who and where they were. I couldn't give myself away," he said. Jasper held up a carnelian ring, smiling at her. "Alice warned us that Demetri was here, tracking you."

"I don't understand," she said with a confused look on her face.

"Remember what Edward told you about the pendant. How people who can read your mind are blocked?" She nodded in response. "Demetri's power is based solely on the mind. He gets into to your mind in order to find your location. This ring keeps him from doing that. That is how I have been unnoticed, until now," he said.

He grabbed her, scooping her up in his arms and started to run. This feeling was something that she missed very much. They were speeding through the streets of town, until they reached the edge of the forest. Jasper heard something that Kayce couldn't.

"They've cornered us...you have to move us NOW. Just do it Kayce. You have to take us back." He poured out a wave of distress and tension, hoping that it would trigger an emotional response from her; thus helping take both of them back. Demetri, Draven and Sawyer all were running toward them. By the light of the nearly full moon, they appeared to be flying, approaching faster and faster. They were both dead if they caught up to them. She knew that Jasper was no match for all three vampires. She knew he would fight to the death for her. She threw her arms around him and held him tight, wanting to be somewhere safe. When the three vampires made it to their specific location, Kayce and the Jasper were gone. Demetri went into a fit of rage and screams of anger could be heard throughout the town.

Kayce felt her feet land on solid ground. She opened her eyes and pulled her head away from Jasper's chest, tentatively looking around them and saw their home, but it was the derelict version. "We are still in my reality," she said in a disappointed tone. Jasper looked around them with a mask of concern. He grabbed her hand and walked her up to the front door. "It's locked, my key doesn't work," she said.

With her hand still in his, Jasper lifted his right foot and thrust it forward with a huge crashing impact. He frightened Kayce a little when he kicked the door down. Fragments of wood went flying as it exploded from the force of his kick. As they walked inside, they both stood on the splinters, crushing it under their shoes. Jasper was taking in the sight of his home. "It's a good thing Esme isn't here, she would cry if she saw the house looking this way." Kayce smiled at him, she never wanted to look away, her brother was reunited with her and that was closer to Edward than she had ever hoped.

"Jasper, you are a sight for sore eyes," Kayce said as she threw her arms around him once again.

He pulled her back by her shoulders and gazed into her eyes. "I feel the exact same way, but we don't have the luxury to delve into that at the moment." Jasper looked around and peered out of the grimy windows. She would follow him as he walked from the front to the back. Kayce was about to say something when he pulled his fingers up to his mouth to signal for her to stay quiet. He listened really hard and thought he heard the cracking of branches and the smashing of grasses in the forest behind the house. He nodded to her, "Can you get us home? I believe you can. I will try to help, but we have to do it now."

"Do you have any pointers?" she asked, worried that she wouldn't be able to deliver and they would be stuck with three vampires stalking them.

"Just want to be with Carlisle and Esme, Rose and Emmett, picture being with them. If you want it bad enough, it will happen," he said. He folded her into his arms and he intensified her feelings of loneliness and her need to get home and he wanted to get home to Alice just as bad.

He heard the sound of approaching footsteps and his need to escape in one piece washed over the both of them. "I don't mean to rush you, but we have company!" Kayce turned her head a fraction and saw three men rush from the trees toward them. She was so scared that they immediately disappeared as everything blacked out. Jasper became extremely worried when her head went slack on his chest and her arms almost released him. He held onto her as tightly as he could without injuring her. As he looked down on top of her head, he saw a faint iridescent glow coming from her body that encompassed him, as well.

The next thing Jasper knew, they were at the edge of the forest and he threw Kayce down on the ground shielding her body with his. He lifted his head, looked up and saw Emmett soaring through the air, crashing into a large brown bear just above their heads. Chunks of fur floated down onto his head as he witnessed the impact and Kayce whimpered. They heard growling and thrashing and then both Emmett and the bear tumbled over a steep hillside.

"Wow Emmett, that was so graceful." Rose was making fun of him as she approached where the attack happened. She laid eyes on Jasper, as he helped Kayce up to her feet. Rose threw her arms around both Kayce and Jasper. "Oh my God, I never thought I would see you again. Jasper, when you disappeared we thought you had gone off to save Alice. I had no idea..." Rose sobbed into Kayce's hair, though no tears leaked from her eyes.

As Rose kept hugging Kayce and Jasper in a clingy fashion, Emmett made his way up the hillside looking bedraggled and wild. Rose slapped him upside the head and said, "What were you thinking scaring her like that."

He looked at his mate helplessly, "Didn't you see what just happened? I bounced down that hill and that damned bear kept gnawing on my head the entire way down!"

Kayce looked at him in shock, but Rosalie rolled her eyes at him in response. "Don't be such a baby. Besides, you know you liked it. The more irritable the bears are, the happier you get."

He looked at her for a long moment and broke out in a huge grin, shrugging his shoulders, "You're right as always, Baby!"

She nudged him with her elbow, smiling at him. She turned her attention back on Kayce and resumed hugging her. Emmett made his way over to her and he pulled Kayce into a large bear hug. She could swear that she heard a sniffle coming from him. She couldn't hold her feelings in any longer. She was overwhelmed and drunk with the knowledge that she was finally home.

Jasper spoke quickly with Rose and Emmett, but it was too low and fast for her to comprehend. She looked from face-to-face attempting to read their lips, but no such luck. Jasper finally grabbed her hand and looked directly into her eyes. "You ready?"

"As I will ever be," she responded. Jasper swept her up in his arms and they ran through the thicket of trees and overgrown brush. He stopped suddenly, but Kayce's stomach didn't feel as though they had. Jasper set Kayce down on rubbery legs next to Rosalie. He and Emmett nodded to her and then disappeared through the trees.

As Kayce opened her mouth to speak, Rose clapped her hand over her mouth. Kayce's eyes widened as Rose put a finger up to her mouth to shush her. She felt as if she were caught in the middle of something bad, but had no idea what exactly it was. She definitely needed some sort of explanation.

Jasper and Emmett returned home and Emmett walked through the front door. Esme came out of the kitchen with a polishing cloth clutched in her hand. When she made eye contact with Emmett and saw he was alone, she frowned slightly. A member of the Volturi Guard walked downstairs and saw Emmett. He turned to head back upstairs when he recognized him as a member of the family. At that moment, the guard member turned back around with vampiric speed, seeing Jasper enter through the front. He advanced to attack him due to his own suspicions and Jasper's prolonged absence. Jasper waited for him to start the altercation and then he had begun to fight back, tearing the guard's head off. Esme suddenly understood and she ran to the fireplace and set it ablaze. After finishing her task, Esme turned around. Her eyes grew large when she saw who had returned home.

They methodically worked together as a team, knowing they didn't have much time until someone came looking for answers. If Aro were ever to read their minds, he would see that they acted in self-defense. Rose noticed the roiling smoke and she grabbed Kayce and carried her through the trees. Eventually, they emerged to see her beautiful home. They hurried through the back door and she was immediately swept up in Esme's arms.

"Kayce, I am so happy to see you, Sweetheart. How on earth did you make it back?" she asked.

"I really have no idea. Jasper found me and we were being chased by vampires and I just felt an unexplainable urge to be home with you," she explained. Esme hugged her once again, while kissing the top of her head.

Jasper took Kayce's hand and led her to the sofa. "Esme, can you get her something to eat?"

"Sorry Jasper, there isn't anything here," Esme said apologetically.

"That's okay. I am fine; really, I ate not that long ago. Jasper, I just need some answers. Why are you hiding me? What is going on?"

"After you left us, we were confronted by the Volturi. We were escorted to Italy to face judgment and Aro wanted Alice and Edward..."

Kayce interrupted, "I know about Edward, I was showering and actually ended up there in a jail just for a bit, but it was enough to see how they were treating him."

Jasper looked at her and a small grin graced his face. He continued, appearing more serious, "They were sentenced to time there in Italy and we were sent home with escorts. Aro said he was going to find a way to apprehend you. Alice has been sending us cryptic letters warning us that they had found and turned someone who has abilities like yours."

"So it was Coach Draven or Sawyer," Kayce said. She shivered when she thought about the three of them alone with her and what they could have done to her. She felt really stupid for being so naive and having the wool pulled over her eyes. "They had so many opportunities to kill me, why haven't they?"

"They want you as an acquisition," Rose responded.

"But if they found someone like me, why keep me around?" She looked utterly confused as she searched their faces for any type of unspoken answer.

"Because if they turned you and kept you in Italy, Edward would be more likely to do as they wish. He would do anything for you," Jasper responded. Her brows furrowed down and she suddenly became very sad thinking how they would use her to keep Edward under their rule. A heavy feeling gripped its way around her heart and squeezed until she was sure that her heart would never be the same again.

"Jasper, how did you get to Kayce in the first place?" Esme asked.

He looked at Esme, "I was out hunting and disappeared. I was suddenly standing on a street in the middle of Kayce's town," he said, as he turned to make eye contact with Kayce. "I picked up your scent and followed it to your house, Kayce. I smelled other vampires there, so I remained hidden to make sure you were alright and to survey how many vampires there were."

"We just thought you left, that you went crazy without Alice," Esme said apologetically. "We had no idea that Kayce pulled you to her."

Jasper smiled, "I have been going crazy without her. I was on my way to find her when I disappeared, to be honest."

"We need to implement the plan, soon," Emmett said with a hurried look about his eyes.

Jasper nodded and stood up. "I am going to need all of your help in order to pull this off. "We need to get to Carlisle to get our necessary supplies."

Kayce felt like she was watching a ping pong match, her head kept bobbing back and forth between each member of the family who was present. "What supplies?"

"You are going to help me get Alice and Edward out of Italy." Kayce's mouth dropped open. She wasn't sure she could.

Rose, seeing her apprehension said, "Don't psych yourself out. You need to believe that you will do this, otherwise we will never get them back."

Jasper looked at the others, "You need to go now, while there isn't anyone to follow you. We will meet at our rendezvous site." Kayce stood up when the others did, as well. They each hugged her and then ran upstairs to gather their necessary belongings.

Jasper took Kayce's hand and led her to Edward's Volvo. They drove over to the hospital. The sun was out and shining. It glittered off of the rain dampened greenery as they drove. Jasper was wearing a ball cap, Ray Ban sunglasses and a long-sleeved shirt. Only his hands were exposed as he gripped the steering wheel. To passersby, they would think he had a crystal hanging from his rearview mirror, but the rainbow of color was coming from Jasper's skin.

He pulled out a cell phone and dialed. "It's me...yes, I am back...we need to put our plan into motion. I am right out back. I will be waiting." As he hung up, they pulled into the hospital's parking lot.

Kayce was silent the entire time they were in the car. She had so many things running through her mind, but mostly she had been thinking about how she was going to be integral in saving Edward.

Kayce was ready to get out, but Jasper put a gentle hand on her shoulder and shook his head. The door opened once and then shut. "Wait for it," he said.

"Wait for what?" she asked, gazing into Jasper's eyes. She turned back around and looked at the back door. The ground was littered with cigarette butts. There was an ashtray nearby that was overflowing. She pictured stressed out, overworked doctors and nurses chain-smoking as a way to cope with the job.

She saw the door quickly open and close. "There is nobody there," she said.

"That's the signal. Let's go." Jasper got out and had Kayce follow. They both entered through the back door and headed to their right. They walked at a human pace through the long white, sterile hallway. Jasper held Kayce's hand and he looked down the hall both ways before entering through a door.

"Jasper, where are we?" Just as she had said that, she felt herself being caught up in an embrace. Carlisle was holding her in his arms, stroking her hair. She was so happy to be reunited with him.

"Kayce, I can't believe you are home. As much as I want you to stay, you need to hurry." He turned to Jasper, "Bring them home and keep Kayce safe." He nodded to his father and grabbed the thermal lunch box. Inside were three pints of bagged blood.

"Let's go," Jasper said. Carlisle kissed her cheek in an icy peck and they ducked out of the room. The hallway was now filled with nurses and orderlies pushing patients in wheelchairs and pushing medication carts. Kayce looked around cautiously and saw a very tall man at the end of the hallway. He locked eyes with her and then he started to run toward them, looking angry, almost rabid.

"Kayce run!" Jasper said.

"Is that a vampire?" she asked breathlessly.

"What do you think?" Jasper responded.

"I'll take that as we need to run like hell!" He handed her the lunch box filled with blood and he grabbed her by her arm, leading her through the hallway. The staff all were yelling at them, yet the high pitched screaming wasn't any louder than Kayce's heartbeat that had been pounding in her ears. She turned back and witnessed Carlisle casually leaving the laboratory and purposely stepping out in front of the man, tripping him.

He went down with a loud crash that made Kayce scream out in terror. By the time they made it to the back door, Jasper had lifted her bodily off the ground, by her elbow and he was supporting all of her weight with one hand. She had prayed that nobody noticed because it wasn't natural.

Jasper and Kayce both raced to the car, each one slamming the door after they got in. The locks clicked, though it was not a deterrent for vampires. Within seconds, they were peeling out of the hospital parking lot headed for an unknown destination.