Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all.

Rated M for a reason.

Chpt 28 Fight or Flight

BPOV

After Gus an' Char have recounted the entire meeting, including every eye meet an' facial twitch, we set off to purchase some new wheels acquiring two aging SUVs. Either of which I would have been proud to own but I'm surprised the other more automotively savvy vampires okayed them.

We head north to Vermont where Jonathan has booked us rooms at a quaint inn just outside Lake Placid. On arrival we unload our garbage bagged travelling companions with a collective sigh while Harry checks us in. Thankfully no one is watching because I couldn't have thought of a viable excuse for our unusual luggage if my life depended on it.

"What now?" I ask wearily throwing myself into the overstuffed chair in our room an' pouting like a child.

Jasper settles himself on the floor between my legs, arms over my thighs, his back resting against the chair. Idly I start running my fingers through his silky hair earning myself a contented purr.

"It'll be dark soon." He sighs. "We can head out and find somewhere private to talk."

"What about our little friends?" I ask, indicating the two garbage bags we have in our room. Everyone got a goody bag, like a party, body parts split between them to hinder any chance of escape when we can't watch them.

"We'll take 'em with us. We need to decide whether to send 'em back to their master or torch 'em."

Harsh, but practical. Our bags don't agree because they both start rustling in agitation.

"Fuck off." Jasper snarls at them. "Annoyin' a vampire with a lighter ain't a smart move."

Silence.

"How long have we got?" I ask him, I can't remember the last time I saw my watch. My possessions have been scattered across the country in the last eighteen months or so. I really miss my bed, my watch, my clean clothes, my poor wedding dress and sundry other items I can barely remember owning.

"About an hour." He replies, turning towards me an' waggling his eye brows.

"Oh no." I tell him, tugging at his hair. "Not in front of our guests."

He huffs good naturedly an' settles back into his original position so I can resume stroking his hair.

Which is how Pete an' Char find us an hour later.

"Ah, look Char." Pete coos. "Ain't they cute."

"Where are the others?" Jasper asks ignoring his teasing.

"Out feeding Davis." Char says, flinging herself down on the bed.

"What's the plan J?" Pete asks seriously, leaning on the door to keep an ear out for the others returning.

"Not sure Pete." Jasper answers. "Char have you finished moving all our assets?"

"Yep." She confirms. "Laundered three times an' freshly installed in some tax haven whose name I can't even pronounce. We have a sparklin' array of new identities to go with, includin' a nice married one for you two if we ever get our shit together."

"Well then." Jasper concludes. "We'll talk stuff over with the Joneses tonight an' then decide whether to see this through or cut an' run."

"Its scary shit alright." Pete grumbles. "A fuckin' war between The Volturi an' the Romanians an' we're right in the middle of it."

Jasper just nods.

"What do you think Char?" I ask.

"I don't know what to think sugar." She sighs. "People caught up in the middle of wars tend to die first. I'm not ready to die but I'm not sure I'm I can just walk away an' let someone fuck with me like that. All I want is a nice quiet existence, I can't help feelin' someone should pay for tryin' to take it away from me."

"Ultionis?" I mock, amused at her change of opinion.

"Yeah." She laughs. "Don't take the piss Bella, but I'm mighty fucked off right now an' I can appreciate your desire to take it out on someone."

Ultionis, Latin for revenge, vengeance. There sure seems to be a lot of it going around at the moment. Pete an' I still want Rutilio, Stefan wants The Volturi, The Volturi wanted Stefan? Vladimir wants whoever's got Stefan an' whoever betrayed him. Gus an' Char want whoever dragged their families into this mess. Something is nagging at my mind but won't come to the surface.

"The others are comin'." Pete interrupts my musing. "Time to take out the trash."

We all sneak out with our loads an' meet up in the back of the inn at the edge of the trees.

"Matthew." Gus commands. "Lead the way, find us a nice spot with a complete absence of humans."

With a nod he slips into the trees, the rest of us hot on his heels, Davis clinging to Harry's back with his eyes tightly closed, a reaction I remember well.

Eventually he finds a spot he likes an' we drop our burdens and settle in for a serious discussion.

"Where do we start?" Gus asks pleasantly.

"Do we still all agree what Stefan's plan was?" Jasper asks.

"Oh yeah." Jonathan nods enthusiastically. "Use humans to watch the strongest vampires and covens. Find a way to get them exposed to humans to compromise their relationship with The Volturi. Stir up trouble. Get the vamps to sort it out. Take out the Italians in the process. Assume an unassailable position of power with carefully manipulated humans on one side an' strong loyal vampires on the other. Live happily ever after."

"Good summary." Jasper chuckles. "Any questions?"

"Yeah, where the fuck's Stefan?" Pete heckles.

"It's obvious isn't it?" Davis asks. "The Volturi took him out."

"No." Gus says firmly.

We all turn to him in surprise having come to the same conclusion as Davis.

"Trust me." Gus assures us coldly. "If that were true every vampire in the world would already know about it. Such treachery would have been severely and publically punished. They would have taken him across the world, to every coven and nomad, and dismembered him in front of them, bringing witnesses back to watch his repeatedly healed body finally put to flame in Volterra."

"You seem very sure." Char asks, looking as nauseated as I feel.

"It is what I would have done." He answers simply.

I can't tell from the look on Davis's face whether he too is sickened or just a little bit jealous of being able to deal with things so absolutely.

Remembering Gus an' his red hot poker I shudder.

Jasper reaches across an' takes my hand massaging my palm with his thumb.

"I get the plan." Davis ponders. "But you guys knew straight away it was bullshit, surely he would have needed more to convince people to support him?"

"Vampires are very difficult to rule, they generally only want to be left alone." Gus explains with considerable authority. "Recognisable force is required to even begin to do it but what works best is persuasion and manipulation. Stefan would have used the threat of The Volturi wanting to increase their powerbase across the world to manipulate and motivate vampires like us, to attack The Volturi. We would have carried out the destruction, humans would have greased the wheels and lent additional credence to his claims."

"Yes." Jasper agrees. "We had no reason to find your fears credible, Stefan went missing before he could properly develop the situation. However, if he had been able to produce evidence that such a move would have impacted our lives it might have been different, his description of the threat to us would have been different. For example, Edward Cullen, who was abducted and taken to Volterra against his will. The Cullens are well known because of their vegetarian lifestyle, an act like that, to steal his gift for themselves would cause a lot of vampires to question their safety an' freedom under the Italians."

Gus nods. "It would only take a few covens, with powerful and well known leaders such as Jasper and myself, to agree to start a domino effect. It would have taken time but ultimately it may very well have worked, not least of all because immortals can become exceptionally bored an' susceptible to a distraction or two. It is actually quite a clever plan."

"So what did happen to Stefan?" Pete asks when the silence has stretched on long enough.

"Rutilio." I answer without thinking.

Everyone turns to me incredulously except Gus who is wearing his proud smile again.

"Sweet thing, I know he ain't our favourite person but . . . ."

I interrupt him to explain. "Think about it Pete. Jonathan's already said as much last night. Stefan's plan can be carried out by anybody an' we already suspect Rutilio's been playin' both ends against the middle.

He has all Stefan's contacts. He knew the Romanian's plan. Vladimir trusts him. The Volturi obviously trust him. He is the one who sent Edward to Volterra, as far as anyone else would know they've got Alice there too because he's keepin her well hidden an' guarded. He told Vladimir that the Italians have his brother. Who wanted Jasper to fight Caius? Like J said, if he'd killed Caius he'd have got rid of Rutilio's biggest threat for him."

Jonathan an' Gus exchange an amused glance.

"But the fight was Caius's idea." Pete protests. "Iestyn told me."

"Iestyn said Caius was fond of the fights Pete." I press, feeling like I'm onto something. "Who's to say Rutilio didn't plant the idea in Caius's head by lettin' him know The Major was still alive?"

Gus chuckles. "It is plausible Peter, even Caius can be easily manipulated if a suggestion is wrapped up around something he wants. What if Rutilio suggested that The Major was working with Stefan, had worked for the humans, had already picked a side as Alice puts it?"

We fall silent again, considering his words.

"Supposin' it's true." I suggest. "That Rutilio told The Volturi The Major an' Matthew were involved with Stefan's plot. That makes us a target as much as Stefan, who by the way has already gone missing an' can't be questioned or punished. An' what if, the coven he's sold out to Vladimir is us? He'll come after us too, he's already had one go at it."

"You think Rutilio told Vladimir we are the traitors?" Pete gasps.

Gus an' I nod.

"Why would he do that?" Pete demands.

"Perhaps it has occurred to him that we are currently the only ones who might know what he is plotting?" Gus offers.

"It's actually quite neat." Jasper muses. "We're powerful covens, especially together. Whoever comes after us could be severely weakened by the fight, possibly even removed from the game in the case of Vladimir. An' there would be nobody left to rat Rutilio out at the end of it."

"Fuck." Pete says finally an' with some surprise. "We're fucked."

"I take it that means you think I'm right?" I ask him dryly.

"Lil sis' your ability to work this shit out is way beyond me an' I was in the intelligence corp."

I think that's a compliment.

There is a long silence.

"So what do we do now?" Pete asks eventually.

"Well I don't know about the rest of you but I ain't sittin' around on my ass waitin' to be picked off by one power hungry bastard or another." Char growls.

"I take it my delicate petal." Pete chuckles. "That you're not suggestin' we run away an' hide till this all blows over?"

"Damn straight." Char assures him. "I never did anythin' to any of those fuckers, who the fuck do they think they are to use me an' mine like this? If it is Rutilio behind it all you an' Bella'd better hope you get to him before I fuckin' do."

"J?" Pete asks.

"We can't hide for ever, especially not if Rutilio has managed to make both sides believe we are traitors, an' in any case I'm not prepared to twiddle my thumbs while a bunch of people I don't know callously plot the demise of me an' my family to suit their own ends." Jasper pauses an' then growls. "I think it's time to kick some ass, Gus?"

"Neither I, nor my family are playthings or expendable assets. Someone must be held accountable for these actions." He responds with a cold smile, echoing his words from our first meeting.

"Then let's start a fire." Jasper suggests grimly, rising to his feet. "I don't think we should be givin' Vladimir part of his army back under the circumstances."

Spared involvement in that particular activity Gus an' I skirt the area, checking that all is quiet and no one has been drawn in by the blaze. The simple physical activity gives me an opportunity to think, pondering our discussion an' recent events. I suppose we are doing the right thing, nobody seems to find our decision rash or suicidal, so maybe it isn't, or maybe Pete is right an' we're all fucked so it really doesn't matter.

There's something missing. If Rutilio told Caius about The Major an' Stefan that would have been at least eighteen months ago and if it was The Volturi would have come after us already. Why haven't they? Perhaps I haven't been paying enough attention, what did Gus say about paying attention? My mind floats back to my dim human memories, of the time Edward told me about The Volturi, in Carlisle's study. I shiver inwardly, I still don't like to think about that, the actual memories may be murky, like reading a book at the bottom of a swimming pool but the feelings they evoke are painfully sharp.

Night time patrons of the arts, that's what he called them.

"Holy fuckin' shit!" My mouth blurts out before my brain can stop it. "I know who you are!"