It's been a long time since the last update but we're in the final week of The Family Business. I won't get emo until the end, but I love how many of you follow my tale and tell me what you think. I also love/hate that I've gotten to the point where I can't keep up with answering all of your wonderful reviews, but I read them all and appreciate them more than you know.

Inappropriate smooches to texaskatherine and heiditown for tidying things up, and thank you Stephenie Meyer for The Twilight Saga and all of its characters. They are her property and no copyright infringement is intended when I co-op them for business purposes.


The Family Business

SuzsPetals © 2010

Chapter 28 Asylum (Bella)

The couple of hours Edward and I had to pass before the first scheduled Port Townsend ferry was made all the more anxious as we waited for word from Jane. She promised to call back quickly as she and Alec dissected their father's notes, looking for some mention of that fateful visit to Alaska.

We parked behind a still-dark strip mall so Edward could retrieve the cooler from the trunk. He reached for the thermos of coffee, but paused when he saw the scotch I also tucked in there earlier.

Looking at me with great sincerity, he said, "God, I love you," before tilting back the bottle and drinking. His hand was less shaky as he wiped the back of it across his mouth.

"Hey," I smiled, "we all have our thirsts."

"What about you?" he asked, concerned as always about my needs, as grisly as they may be. If he only knew how my needs revolved around keeping him safe from harm. Seeing that wolf-bitch's deadly jaws inches from his face scared me more than I would ever admit to him.

I may be faced with losing Edward in 60 to 70 years, but I'd be damned if that mongrel would cut our time any shorter.

"I'm sure I can find something when I cross the border," I assured him. He responded with a quizzical look. "They check ID and passports when you cross, right? I have neither, and am officially a missing person."

"Shit. You're right," he said, dismayed. I could tell he was worried, but if the she-wolf was still out there looking for us, I'd smell her long before she got near. A small irrational part of my mind secretly hoped I did run into her. "Where should we meet?" he asked.

"It doesn't matter, I'll be there first." I kissed him gently and caressed his face, running my thumb over his jaw. His pulse quieted to a normal rhythm and I smiled. Apparently a combination of me and a slug of whiskey was just what he needed.

"What?" he asked, pulling back to look at me.

"Nothing," I whispered, kissing him again. "I love you, too."

Shortly before we boarded the ferry, Jane called with the news I had been hoping for. I listened to their brief conversation, memorizing everything she imparted.

"Well, that was the best luck we've had in a while," said Edward after hanging up. "No telling how long we'd need to drive around the Alaskan wilderness looking for a large family of pale outsiders who never seem to age." Edward was trying to keep his sense of humor, but I could see the release of adrenalin was dragging him into a state of exhaustion.

Alec still had his father's notebooks and other possessions Aro deemed worthless. After poring through them, they realized one page held cryptic directions. When applied to the Denali National Park region, it matched up perfectly to the highway and side roads, ultimately leading to a remote area with little residential population. We silently hoped that between my senses and a little more luck, we'd find them.

Neither of us voiced our concerns about what finding them would actually mean for us. According to the GPS in the Porsche, we'd have over 2000 miles to think about it.

"It's very kind of Jane to help us so much," I offered in the ensuing silence, relieved to let go of the last remains of my jealousy.

Edward nodded. "Jane's been a good friend," he said obtusely.

I couldn't help but laugh and shake my head.

"What?"

"Honey, I think Jane's feelings for you are a little more complicated than 'good friend,'" I explained. "She would have helped you without question. But, encouraging you to get me out of town for my safety, helping us find ... these others? Well, that speaks volumes about how much she cares for you." I met his confused gaze. "I hope I can thank her some day. For everything."

He stared at me for a long moment, his brow furrowed in thought. "I don't think I understand women," he finally said.

I burst out laughing at his bald admission. It felt wonderful to laugh after the last twelve hours of danger and tension.

"That's probably for the best," I answered with a quick kiss before boarding the ferry.

Once we disembarked, I stayed behind the wheel as we spent the last couple of hours in our home state. I was relieved when his eyes finally drifted shut after a valiant struggle. At a secluded spot before the border, I reluctantly woke him and took my own route through the forest. Fortunately, there was plenty of cloud cover to avoid unexplained sightings of a glittery girl — well, that, and the fact I moved too fast for anyone to spot me. I still kept the car in my sights almost the entire way.

Before meeting Edward a few miles into Canada, I built up my reserves with a large deer. It was with a significant amount of pride that I managed it without getting one drop on my clothes this time. Practice makes perfect, I thought as I covered the drained carcass.

Edward tried to sleep some more as we sped through British Columbia, but the sports car was not built for comfortable napping. Besides, we were both too keyed up, wondering what was happening in Forks. Late in the afternoon, hours after we had driven away from Jacob and the black Mercedes, we stopped at a rustic motel in a tiny town called 70 Mile House.

In spite of his exhaustion, Edward pulled me on to the bed beside him and wrapped his arms around me, tucking my head beneath his chin. The room wasn't very well heated and we lay on top of the quilted coverlet while he cuddled with a 110-pound ice sculpture.

"Aren't you cold, Edward?" I fretted.

"No," he mumbled, shaking his head.

"Would you tell me if you were?"

He laughed softly, but it stuttered into a snore and he was out for the next three hours.

Once he woke, we were both still gripped with the need to keep moving — farther from the mysterious wolf and Aro's henchmen, closer to the strangers I was compelled to find. We showered perfunctorily and were finishing up when Alice called. I was dressed in fresh jeans and a sweater, while Edward still had a towel around his waist, water sparkling in his hair.

"Please tell me Aro is dead," he said before Alice could even speak.

"I wish I could," she choked, her voice wracked with emotion. Our eyes met and we both tensed, fearing the worst.

"What's wrong? Is Leah all right? Are you all okay?" he asked in a rush. Alice exhaled shakily on the other end of the line.

"Yeah, we're fine. The other wolf slammed Leah into a tree — hard enough to crack the trunk — and crushed her shoulder before escaping. Leah's still in a lot of pain while it heals, but Dad says she's going to be fine. Jake hasn't left her side. Did you know—?" Alice started to ask, but Edward cut her off.

"Yeah, I had a hunch. What about Aro?"

"We believe he's alive and kicking. The flipped car was reported but apparently had very little blood in it and no Aro. If it was Felix with Demetri, then we think he probably picked Aro and the wolf bitch up before they —," she paused, the tremor returning to her voice.

"What, Alice?" We held each other's eyes, not knowing what to expect. Not after all we had already been through.

"They went back to your house, Edward. He-they-he—. He burned it to the ground. It had to have been Aro."

Oh my God. That bastard.

The color drained from Edward's face. He closed his eyes and took a couple of shaky breaths. Trails of water from his recent shower coursed down his face from his hair, but his eyes remained dry. A deep sob rose in my chest as I thought of the beautiful bungalow full of priceless books, collectible guitars and Edward's blood, sweat and tears.

Gone.

He opened his eyes when I cried out.

"It's just a house, Alice," he said, looking at me fiercely. In spite of his expression, his voice was hollow. Aro tried to kill us hours earlier, and I believe he killed a little piece of Edward when he destroyed the home he restored, the home we spent the past week in, rediscovering each other. "Where's Dad?"

Alice sighed, realizing her brother wasn't going to mourn this loss openly, not then. "He and mom have been on the phone non-stop with our closest allies, letting them know what's happened before Aro can get hold of them. If he gets even a few members to believe we unleashed a vicious newborn on Forks, the ranks will be divided. It's going to get messy." With the little I knew of their business, I could still recognize a gross understatement when I heard one.

"Where are you guys now? Where are you heading?" she asked. I was surprised when Edward hedged.

"I know Aro's not omniscient, but what with the hack job he must have been behind, I'd rather not say until you're positive everything's secure there," he said apologetically.

"Good idea," she said, without hesitation. "I'll address that possibility immediately. In the meantime, why don't you use Bella's phone until I make sure we're all good."

Great. Aro had even thrown our ability to stay connected into doubt.

Alice hung up with a promise to call my cell when she felt confident of doing so without risk. I flew into his arms and they enfolded me at once, but Edward shushed me before I could say a word.

"I mean it, baby, it's just stuff," he said tightly. "We're all safe and that's what matters."

I knew how men operated well enough to keep my thoughts to myself, letting him work out the loss in his own way. Instead, I nodded into his damp chest and said a silent prayer for Martin, the guitar.

###

We programmed the GPS for the general vicinity of the Denali clan, as we had begun to refer to them, and drove for 24 more hours. We passed towns the size of Forks and quite a few that could boast little more than a welcome sign and a post office.

I let Edward drive a few legs of the trip to fulfill his manly quota of wheel time. It was, however, a distinct advantage to have the ability to see police cars long before they saw us cruising along at high speed, not to mention being able to stay awake mile after mile through the Yukon. The scenery was breathtaking and I found myself regretting that Edward couldn't see the brilliant details and vistas I could. He seemed to enjoy listening to me trying to explain it, though.

After managing a few naps, Edward took over for the drive back into the states while I took my own path across the border. On that detour a large cougar succumbed to my thirst and I found I could differentiate between the carnivores and the herbivores. They both still paled in comparison to human blood, but I filed that memory away and locked it up tight.

Soon after crossing into Alaska we stopped to clean up in a mid-sized hole-in-the-wall town called Tok. It was there we found a grizzled eccentric named Alistair who gladly swapped vehicles with us. We promised to send the necessary paperwork for one perfectly good — albeit slightly battered — Porsche in exchange for a ten-year-old black Suburban with a winch on the front and four nearly new snow tires. What he would do with a sports car when severe weather rolled in was beyond me, but he seemed thrilled and we had a vehicle that would get us into uncharted territory — literally and figuratively.

Alice took the news of her car better than I expected when she finally called from a new phone. She also didn't seem too surprised to hear of our destination. I suspected Jane probably told her of our conversation. Aro hadn't surfaced yet, but hostile reactions from two out of the dozens of hunters Carlisle had contacted led them to believe he had already begun his campaign of lies. Fortunately, the majority respected and trusted the Cullens, and their support was firmly behind the family.

The police had questioned them about the devastating fire at Edward's house. They informed the family that they couldn't be sure if it was arson or an accidental explosion, given the intensity of the blaze. The deputy filling in for Charlie also regretted to tell them it couldn't be determined yet if anyone was in the house at the time. It must have been difficult to hear, even if they did know Edward was safe.

How safe was he? If his family was alarmed — understandably so — at the notion of me leading Edward to a nest of vampires in the wilds of Alaska, they didn't let it show. I just prayed their confidence was justified. The phone signal was fickle already, but we promised to contact them as soon as we found what we were looking for.

Late Tuesday morning we skirted the northeast edge of the Denali State Park. The region was raw and majestic, yet there were a few scattered, inhabited centers. The locals were undeniably made of hearty stock — I hadn't seen a WalMart since Fairbanks.

I cruised through the back roads as we passed fewer and fewer signs of civilization. The roads were sporadically paved and we were grateful for the vehicle trade. As much as I pined for Alice's dark blue beauty, I knew the terrain would have eaten the Porsche for lunch. After several dead ends, I rolled down the window to follow my instincts as much, if not more, than the notes we had written down from the Porsche's GPS.

"What do you think?" asked Edward, who was the picture of patience as I drove along; stopping, staring, sniffing the air like a dog, and moving on. Frigid air bullied its way into the truck and I winced apologetically when he pulled his jacket tightly around him.

"I'm sorry, honey. I— oh!"

Edward's scent was like a memory imprinted on my soul. Jasper, Rosalie and all of the members of my newly adopted family could be identified by their individual scents. The wolves — whether they were ones to be hated or trusted — were easy for me to sense now, uncomfortably so.

But the sweet, fragrant breath of another vampire was altogether new — strange, yet oddly familiar. I slowed to a stop as the scent floated across the brisk morning air like a lover beckoning to me. I knew.

"We're here," I said with no reservations, homing in on them visually seconds after I smelled them.

Even after two days of driving, thinking and waiting, Edward was unprepared for my announcement. His heart stuttered with surprise as his eyes scoped the landscape. Of course he couldn't see the couple, standing still as statues beneath the huge fir branches, watching our approach.

"Where are they?" Edward's voice was braced with wariness, honed by years of training. There was a dash of fear, but I was pleased to hear a large dose of outright curiosity.

"Two of them, a man and a woman, are about 100 yards away, over there under the trees. Watching us." I gestured to the distant observers. I had no doubt that they could sense me, and of course Edward's humanity. The fact that they stood, waiting politely, reassured me, but if my heart still functioned it would have hammered loudly with anxiety.

I gazed through the window of the SUV, wondering what kind of future I — we — would face once we met the strangers. With a jolt, I recognized I was one of them, the couple who gleamed dully in the shadows, just out of reach of the sunlight. If they were indeed civilized — friendly, even, then I would have someone with whom to share this new, strange existence I'd come to know. I clung to that possibility, for if they weren't peaceful vegetarians they would probably be like James, and I would most likely die trying to protect Edward.

As I agonized over the unknown outcome of our journey, the man next to me — flesh, blood, life, love — reached out and took my hand which still gripped the gearshift.

"I guess we should go say hello, don't you think?" he gently suggested, as though it were a simple matter of manners.

After twelve beats of his brave, generous heart, I nodded and killed the engine.


The following chapter is coming in the next day or two, as is the last one. Then I hope to update the epilogue while all of my Twitard h00rs are in Forks next week. I realize they'll most likely be too drunk to read it, but it just seems right somehow. Thanks again for reading and I'll see you soon...