Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.
This chapter mostly deals with the search for the Volturi twins and – though I am a high school teacher – I don't have any experience with missing kids (thank God). I have however talked to some of my colleagues about what they would do if a kid went missing during an excursion and incorporated their reactions in this chapter. I'm not a detective and I have no clue about how the Missing Persons department operates so most of the stuff relating to that has been gathered from the Internet, my addiction to BBC detective series and common sense. I hope I did a good job at it.
Panic in the streets of London.
"So what do we do now?" I asked as a panting Zafrina had explained to us that the Volturi twins had somehow managed to sneak off when we were assembling in front of the theatre after the show.
"Are you sure they bailed on us?" Jasper said. "They could have just gotten lost or something."
"Sure," Zafrina snorted. "Did you bump your head on one of those low beams? Of course they ran off."
"I have to agree with Jasper here," I said. "Until we're absolutely sure they didn't loose us somewhere in between the theatre and the station we can't just conclude they ran."
"Then what do you propose we do?" she scowled.
"How about the two of you take the rest of the kids back to the hotel while I head back to the Globe to see if they are still there?" I offered. I really wanted to believe the Volturi's had somehow lost sight of the rest of the group but realistically I knew Zafrina was probably right.
"Good plan," Jasper nodded, "Though I suggest we try calling them first."
I blushed, knowing I should probably have thought of that myself. All three of us had programmed the mobile numbers of all twenty five kids in our contact list. It was an easy way to find them if something happened.
"Straight to voicemail," Jasper spat shaking his head before he left an angry message.
It only conformed our suspicions. If Jane and Alec had gotten lost, they would have answered the phone to tell us how very irresponsible we had been for not doing a headcount before walking away from the theatre. Or, even more likely, they would have called us straight away to tell us how lousy we were at taking care of them.
"I'll best get on my way," I sighed. We had been irresponsible for not doing a headcount. I had thought that because we had kept together during the evening no one would have been able to get away. I realized now how naive that had been, especially since we were dealing with the Volturi twins.
"We'll ask the kids that are sharing a room with them if they know something when we get back," Zafrina said. "Call us if you've got any news."
"I will," I said before walking out of the station.
I made my way slowly back to the theatre, searching every side street for a sign of the terrible two, while cursing myself, the twins and their father for making us take them along.
They were just closing up at the theatre when I reached the building, a sourly looking woman letting me in only after I had banged on the glass entrance doors for almost five minutes. I couldn't blame her. It was already past eleven in the evening, she must be dying to get home.
"We seem to have lost two members of our group when we were leaving after the show," I explained. "Have you seen them?"
"I don't think so," she said, her expression changing from chagrined to compassionate, "but let me just ask my colleagues."
She took me with her to the coat room where most of the other employees of the theatre were getting ready to leave, quickly explaining to them what had happened.
"What did they look like?" an older man asked.
"They are twins, so they look alike. They both have dark blond hair and piercing blue eyes. They are small for their age, I guess you could say they have kind of a delicate build."
"Do they act like your typical spoiled little teenaged brat?" a small woman with a Scottish accent asked. "No offense of course."
"None taken," I said quickly. "And they do."
"Then I think I saw them earlier tonight over by the lavatory's," she said pensively. "I think they were expressing their displeasure with the hotel."
"Has anyone seen them after the performance ended?" I asked. The chances were slim but perhaps I might be so lucky.
"Sorry, I haven't," the older man said, "do you think they scarpered?"
"I think so," I nodded, the enormity of what happened crashing down on me like a ton of bricks. How were we ever going to find them in a city as big as this? Where to start? What to do now?
"Would you like me to lend you a hand dear?" the older man placed a comforting hand on my shoulder.
"Please," I said. "I don't know what to do next. I know I should probably call their parents and file a missing person's report or something but I don't know where to start....."
"How about I take you back to the hotel and we discuss things with your colleagues," he offered. I had told them how Jasper and Zafrina had taken the rest of the kids back. "Maybe they even showed up there."
"Thank you so much," I whispered, trying very hard not to cry.
We said goodbye to the rest of the staff, who all expressed their sympathy and wished me good luck and was escorted to a car by the older man whom I found out was called Charles Bingley, a coincidence I would have found amusing in any other circumstance than this.
"I'm sure everything will be alright dear," he tried to comfort me as we drove back to the hotel.
I knew I should probably be more apprehensive about accepting lifts from strangers but this man was so kind and compassionate I just couldn't imagine him being some kind of ax murderer or sexual predator.
"I hope so," I said with a shaking voice. "But I know them long enough to realize what they are capable of."
"So they are quite the pair of hell raisers?" he asked.
"We don't call them the witch twins for nothing," I sighed.
I nearly ran up the stairs as soon as we reached the hotel, anxious to know if Jasper and Zafrina had found out more. The look on their faces was enough to realize they still hadn't showed up yet.
"Blair and Serena both tried calling them but I think they switched off their phones," Zafrina said. "Did you find out anything back at the theatre?"
"They were spotted but not after the play ended," I sighed. "This is Charles by the way. He works at the theatre and offered to help us out with filing a missing person's report."
"Do you really think we should proceed with that?" Zafrina wondered.
"I think we should.......after we've called Aro," I sighed. "They are just kids after all. We're responsible for them." I turned to Charles who was standing in a corner of the room. "Do you mind waiting for a little while? I'm sorry, but I think we have to call their father before we proceed. I'd understand if you want to leave."
"Nonsense, dear," he chuckled, taking a seat. "Take all the time you need."
"I agree with Bella," Jasper said. "We have to act soon if we are going to find them."
"So who's going to call Aro?" Zafrina's question all had us freezing up. Dealing with Aro was bad enough on a regular day, let alone when you had managed to loose both of his precious offspring.
"I'll do it," I offered, searching for my phone. I was the one who had built up the most credit with Aro over the last few years. Perhaps he wouldn't fire me straight away when I told him the news.
"Please don't pick up. Please don't pick up. Please don't pick up," I chanted as the phone started ringing. Both Zafrina and Jasper looked at me apologetically as I waited.
"Miss Swan!" Aro's heavy voice boomed through the receiver. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this unexpected phone call?"
"I'm not sure if it's going to be a pleasure," I started. "I'm afraid I have some very bad news for you."
"What is it?" All false pleasantry had left his voice.
"I'm afraid some of the students have left our party when we walked back after tonight's play," I explained, trying to break the news to him in pieces.
"What do you mean miss Swan?" he insisted. "How did they leave you?"
"When we got to the underground station we noticed two of the students were missing. No one has seen them since and their phones have been switched off." I talked as quickly as I could. Part of it had something to do with the nerves that were hammering through my body, part because I wanted to get through this as fast as I could.
"Two students?" Judging by the tone of his voice Aro had been able to put two and two together.
"Jane and Alec," I whispered.
"WHAT!" Zafrina and Jasper looked up, no doubt hearing Aro's voice even from across the room where they were standing. "How on earth could you loose them! They would never just take off like that. You must have been grossly negligent. I demand an explanation!"
"I don't have anything else to say apart from what has been said already," I replied, trying to reign in my own emotions. It would do me no good to start crying right now. "We don't know anything more than that."
"What has been done to find them?" he barked.
"I've searched the route from the station to the theatre and the theatre itself but they aren't there We've also tried calling them and having their friends call them but to no avail. They seemed to have switched off their phones."
"Impossible," he stated. "They would never do such an irresponsible thing."
"I can't think of any other explanation," I cried exasperated.
"I'll try calling them myself," he said and I could hear him dialing the number with what I assumed was his mobile phone or another line before I heard the now very familiar sound of Jane's voice mail, soon followed by Alec's.
"Impossible," he muttered again. "I can't believe they would do such a thing."
"I think it would be best if I went to the police to file a missing person's report," I said, hoping he had calmed down enough to handle this. "We have to act soon if we want to find them again."
"Yes," he agreed.
"Could you perhaps notify the embassy and other authorities concerned?"
"Of course." Judging by the tone of his voice Aro had sprung into full action mode. "Call me as soon as you have news."
"Naturally," I sighed.
"And miss Swan? The last words have not been spoken on this matter. There is still the question of how you managed to allow two children placed in your care to go missing."
"I understand," I whispered before the connection was broken.
"Well, that went easy......." Jasper smirked.
"I'm just glad I didn't have to tell him face to face," I added, trying to relieve some of the built up tension. "I'm not sure I would have survived that."
"So what do we do now?" Zafrina asked.
"We go to the police," I sighed. "Like I said to Aro, the sooner we file a missing persons report, the sooner they will be able to find them......."
"And the sooner I'll be able to call them every name under the sun," Zafrina added.
"I only hope they are still in London," Jasper added. "I figure it will get a lot more difficult to find them if they went elsewhere."
"Knowing Aro he'll have Interpol on their track before morning," I said rolling my eyes. "I'd better get going. I can't make Mr Bingley wait any longer."
"Oh, never mind me," Charles laughed. "You have quite enough on your plate."
He drove us to the nearest police station. Fortunately because of the late hour we didn't have to wait long before a detective could see us.
"Ms Swan?" a man asked, as he stepped into the reception area. He looked every bit a gentleman, tall dark and handsome with an air of class and high society about him.
"That's me," I said standing up. "Isabella Swan."
"Inspector Lynley, missing persons," he introduced himself. "Now I understood from one of my colleagues that we're dealing with two underage persons who went missing after visiting a play?"
I quickly explained everything that happened from the last time we had seen them until I headed back to the hotel.
"I see," he nodded. "Now usually we don't pull out the heavy equipment until people have gone missing for a twenty four hour period, but seeing that they are both underage and we've already got their father and the people from the embassy breathing down our necks we are going to be taking a very proactive approach to this."
I couldn't help but laugh. I wasn't surprised to hear that Aro had everyone in an uproar within half an hour after my phone call. The only thing that amazed me was the connections the man appeared to have. I knew it would take more than a smile to get the entire diplomatic service in motion.
"Do you have any idea of where they might have gone?" he asked.
"I don't know anything for certain, but I think they may have gone to another hotel," I said. "They had been complaining about our choice of accommodation."
"So you think they are still in the country?"
"As I said, I can't know for sure," I sighed, "but I don't think they will have left the country. Even though I wouldn't put it past them."
"We'll notify all port authorities to be on the safe side," the inspector smiled reassuringly as he scribbled away in his notebook. "We will also need to speak with the rest of the group, especially those closest to the twins."
"Of course," I said. "They are at the hotel. My colleagues are with them. I assume you need to speak with them as well."
"Yes," he nodded, "plus we'd like to get a recent picture of them if you have any. That way the beat officers will know who to look out for."
I quickly delved a picture of the two of them in front of the Houses of Parliament, made by Blair a few days ago out of my purse. "We had anticipated that request," I explained as I shoved it in the inspectors direction. "Luckily one of our pupils made this picture two days ago. We were able to get it printed at the hotel."
"Good," the inspector said. "Now, I'd like to speak with the pupils as soon as possible. So I'd be obliged if you'd accompany me to the hotel while my sergeant starts making inquiries at all the London hotels to see of they've turned up there.
"That's fine," I said.
"Thank you so much for everything." I tried to smile as I said goodbye to Charles. "I don't know what I'd done without you."
"My pleasure," he grinned. "I'm sure you'd have been fine lass. I was just the lucky bugger who got to help a lovely lady out."
"Still, you've been a great support......."
"Nah, don't mention it," he waved, still not accepting my heartfelt thanks. "Just don't tell the missus I spend the night with a beautiful young woman," he grinned, before he stepped out of the police station. "She'll have my guts for garters."
I chuckled in spite of myself as I followed inspector Lynley to his car, a classic sports car that stuck out amidst the cop cars.
"I understood from the paperwork that you're staying at the Queens Park Hotel?" he asked as he pulled out of the parking lot. A few other police officers followed us in a cop car. They would assist in the questioning of the students so they could get that over with as soon as possible though I doubted everything could 'go back to normal' for them after that as the inspector had said.
Most of the students were pretty stoic about the fact that they were woken up to be questioned about their missing classmates in the middle of the night. Most of them seemed to think of it as just a great story to tell. I guessed that over the years they had gotten used to the witch twins pulling stunts like that.
I hadn't been able to catch up with Jasper and Zafrina on what happened during my absence. As soon as I had gotten back to the hotel we'd had to wake the students up and accompany them to the rooms that had been designated as interview rooms. Since the pupils where still underage they couldn't be questioned without an adult present in the room so I spend the rest of the night hearing the same story over and over again.
Most of the students had picked up on the fact that Alec and Jane had been planning something but they never realized what it had been. If they had, they would have stopped the twins because they thought it was a hugely irresponsible thing to do.
After a while the correct and fake tone in which they dished out their rehearsed answers was starting to make me nauseous. Only a few of the kids seemed to realize the seriousness of the situation and really tried to help. The rest of them just thought it was all a big joke and gave the socially desirable answers so that they wouldn't be implicated in this mess.
The only one who was man enough to admit it was Demetri.
"Look," he grinned. "I don't have anything to do with this shit but I think it's an epic stunt!" he admitted to the stoic looking officer in front of him.
"Demetri," I hissed, shocked at his deviation from the story I had been hearing all night.
"What?" he replied innocently. "It's not like I'd do it. You know I would never trouble you like that miss! All I'm saying is that I respect a good stunt when I see it!"
I shook my head in disgust. Really, I could try reasoning with him and telling him how much of an ass he was for saying a thing like that at a time like this but there was no getting through that thick skull of his.
"It seemed like they have been getting their story straight," Zafrina growled as soon as I entered out room again.
"So you got the same shit I did?" I asked.
"We don't know a thing and shame on those nasty kiddies for making all of us look bad?" Jasper smirked.
"Yup," I sighed, plopping down on the bed.
I had just seen the police officers out. They had finished interviewing everyone and were going back to the police station to assemble their data and coordinate the search.
"Oh and Bella, you might want to call Edward," Jasper added, half asleep. "Alice called me because he was freaking out when you didn't call him."
"Shit!" I yelled, almost running for my phone. All tiredness temporarily forgotten. In all of the commotion surrounding the investigation I had completely forgotten to call him.
I glanced at my watch as I dialed the number. Four o clock in the morning. That meant it was still evening in New York.
How could I have been so stupid as to forget? Edward must have been sick with worry.
--
EPOV
--
"The Volturi twins are missing....."
The sentence seemed to be reverberating though my head as I watched Alice wrap up her conversation with Jasper.
The Volturi twins were missing.
I knew full well what trouble that would cause for my poor angel. Apart for having to search for them and the fact that Aro would be livid when he found out I had no doubt in my mind that she would somehow find a way to blame herself for what happened.
"What happened Alice?" I pleaded once again as Alice snapped her phone shut.
"It seemed those little pieces of shit ran off after the play. They must have planned everything out before cause no one saw a thing. They only noticed Jane and Alec where gone when they reached the subway station."
I smirked. From what Bella had told me about them they were anything if not thorough. There was no way anyone would find them – not even my Bella – if they didn't want to be found.
"Bella has been on the phone with Aro before she went to the police to report the twins missing. I think that's why you haven't been able to reach her," Alice continued.
"How did he react?" I asked. Stupid question! It wasn't as if I didn't know how he would react.
"Like to be expected," Alice smirked. "He had a fit."
"So what are they going to do now?" My head was spinning with everything Alice had told me. I wanted nothing more than to get on the first plane heading for London and be with Bella. I knew she was suffering but I found myself helpless to do anything about it. If only I could get my hands on those two little miscreants.....
"Jasper promised to have Bella call you as soon as she is able to, but that may not be for a little while," Alice said. "There's so much stuff to deal with."
From what I knew from the few detective series I'd seen on the television I could only imagine what Bella would have to go through tonight.
"Daddy?" I didn't notice Libby coming down until she stood next to me, rubbing the sleep out of eyes.
"What is it honey?" I said, trying to expel the worry from my voice.
"Can't sleep," she said in a tiny voice. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," I sighed. "I think mommy just forgot to call me and I got a little worried." There really was no point in dragging Libby into all this. It would only make her confused and frightened.
"You're lying," Libby stated, glaring at me. "Mommy says it not nice to lie."
"Mommy's right as usual," I sighed. "It is not very nice to lie and you should never do it."
"Then why did you do it and what has happened?" she demanded.
"I lied so that you wouldn't be worried unnecessarily," I admitted. "There are some problems with one of the kids that's with mommy on the excursion."
"Of course Libby didn't rest before she had pried the entire story out of me. "Why don't you call mommy?" she asked after I had concluded my account.
"I really want to but mommy's very busy right now," I said. "Uncle Jasper has promised he'll make her call us when she's ready."
"I'm going to wait with you," she stated and I knew better than to oppose her. Bella would probably be angry that I kept our daughter up this late but I'd like to see her try and put Libby to bed when she didn't want to.
I chuckled to myself. Who was I kidding? She'd probably succeed. She could do anything.
"Just try to sleep, baby," I pleaded with her as I settled the two of us on the couch in the living room.
"Kay," she muttered as she snuggled into my chest. She was out like a light before even a minute had passed, allowing me to try and get my head around what had happened.
Knowing Aro he'd probably hurtle all kinds of abuse at her for loosing his kids. He might even fire her for this. She might loose everything she had worked so hard to built up over those years when we had been apart.
I wished there was something I could do.
Something to protect her.
Keep her safe.
It was all my fault of course.
If I hadn't pushed her to organize this whole fucking fail train of an excursion then she would never have been in this situation. She would have been home with me, in bed, with nothing to worry about.
I had made a promise to myself to always protect her and keep her happy and before we had even been back together for a year I had already broken that promise more times than I'd like to admit.
Monster.
"Stop it," Alice barked at me.
"Stop what?" I spat back.
"You're blaming yourself again," she hissed.
"Am not," I argued.
"Oh really Edward," she snorted. "I think Bella's bad acting skills are rubbing off on you."
"Why don't you just go away? Paint your nails or something?" The sting in my cheek told me Alice had just slapped me. Damn that pixie was fast! I didn't even notice her lift up an arm to hit me.
"And what? Let you wallow in self pity like you've done the last five years?" she questioned. "That would sure be a big help to Bella."
"I was the one who made her go on that bloody field trip," I hissed through my teeth, admitting defeat yet again.
"You're seriously overestimating your own charm if you think you can just dazzle Bella into doing something she doesn't really want to do," she said rolling her eyes. "And besides that, she was having fun before all of this happened."
"If you're trying to make me feel better then you're not doing a very good job," I snorted.
"I'm not trying to make you feel better you idiot," she screeched as softly as she could so as not to wake up Libby. "I'm only trying to prevent you from making Bella feel even worse when she calls you."
"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?" I barked.
"Only that the last thing Bella needs right now is a fight with you over who's to blame for all of this," Alice huffed. "Seriously Edward. I know you're my brother and I love you and all but you can be so dense sometimes. I just want to kick you butt!"
"Why don't you go ahead? I've earned it," I challenged her.
"Just in case you're forgetting: my boyfriend is out there as well! But do you see me wallowing in self guilt? NO!" I felt Libby stir as Alice hollered abuse at me. "And let me tell you why that is you dumb ass....."
"Oh enlighten me great Alice," I snarled, my voice dripping with sarcasm.
Libby lifted her head, never quite opening her eyes, to find out what was happening. Apparently she concluded it was nothing out of the ordinary because she rested her head on my chest again and was asleep before we could say anything to comfort her.
"I actually have faith in Jasper," Alice spat back. "I know the situation he's in right now sucks but I have every fate in the fact that he's going to make everything right. The twins are going to be found, beaten to within an inch of their lives and they will all go home and live happily ever after." She glared at me, challenging me to ague with her words.
I knew part of her speech was wishful thinking. Psychic powers or not, there was no way she could know the outcome of all this. Still, I found myself wanting to believe her and feel humbled by her words.
Did I really have so little faith in Bella to think that she couldn't sort out this mess on her own?
Weren't those ghastly Volturi twins to blame for this?
I had little time to bask in the glow of my little light bulb moment since my phone started ringing.
Bella!
"I'll leave you to talk to her in private," Alice grinned. "Fill me in on what she said when you're finished will ya? That is......the PG13 bits."
Yeah right! As if we'd launch into a steamy phone sex session with her being in a room with three other people and me having our sleeping daughter lying on my chest.
I reached for my phone, careful not to wake Libby and was greeted immediately by the voice of my love.
"Edward?" My body seemed to loose a bit of it's pent up tension as her sweet voice floated through the receiver.
"Bella!" I all but yelled. "How are you."
"Tired," she sighed. "I've been up all night."
She proceeded to give me her account of what happened, her anger overpowering her words when she told me how the Volturi's had just made off and how most of the students hand been inwardly smirking at the guts Alec and Jane had shown by running off.
"I was this close to resigning," she sighed, "I have never felt so ashamed for my students in my whole life. I can only imagine what the poor police officer must have been thinking."
"I think he's used to it love," I chuckled. "They won't have been the first bunch of rebellious school kids they've met."
"I guess," she replied. I could still hear the fear, worry and doubt in her voice. It almost broke my heart, knowing that I was – at least – partly responsible for it but right before I could say anything Alice's words drifted back into my head. She had been right. It was the last thing Bella needed right now.
"So what are you going to do now?" I asked.
"We'll continue with the program," she explained. "There's not much else we can do."
"You're just going to continue?"
"We can't just have twenty five – oh wait, twenty three – kids hanging around a hotel for three days," she explained. "It would create a total bedlam and everybody would be bored out of their skull. So Zafrina and I are going to take them to see Hampton Court as scheduled while Jasper stays back at the hotel in case Alec and Jane are found or the police need them...."
I could hear there was more coming.
"......oh and in case Aro gets here sooner than expected."
"Aro is coming to London?"
"What else did you expect?" There was so much trepidation in her voice. I could understand why she didn't look forward to her boss' visit. "His kids have gone missing. He's not going to just sit by the phone all day. If it were Libby I wouldn't......"
"I guess you're right," I said. "I wish there was something I could do for you."
"Just pray that everything turn out alright," she sighed.
"I know it will," I replied, trying to draw from Alice's confidence. "Sleep my Bella, my love. You need it."
"But I haven't even asked you about your day yet......" she complained.
"Call me tomorrow after you wake up," I chuckled. I was so like Bella to have gone through a day from hell and still worry she wasn't paying enough attention to others.
"Kay," she sounded just like Libby had a few hours ago: tired and half asleep.
"I love you," I said, before hanging up.
I looked up at the clock, it was passed midnight.
Only three more days to go.
--
BPOV
--
I never imagined I could sleep like this after Libby had started sleeping though the night. Apparently it doesn't just take a newborn baby to enable you to fall asleep on top of a washing machine. Two seventeen year old examples of the devils spawn did the trick as well.
I woke up a few hours later still fully clothed, on top of the sheets while still clutching my phone in one hand.
The moment I opened my eyes the fear and guilt I had been feeling all through last night came crashing back into my head. A whole night had passed and still the twins had not been found. What if something terrible had happened to them? What if they had been bleeding to death in some alley while I had been sleeping in my bed? I'd never be able to live with myself.
What was to be done? How could I make it through this day, knowing the twins were still missing?
I moved Jaspers arm off my chest (he was definitely a breast man) and got up, deciding I would take full advantage of the fact that I was the first one to take possession of the shower today.
"Good morning," Jasper groaned while stretching his arms above his head as I walked out of the bathroom in fresh clothes after my shower.
"It would be if you stopped groping me in my sleep!" I said rolling my eyes at him.
"I don't...." he sounded a little unsure as he defended himself.
"Do to," Zafrina chimed in, raising herself up in a tangled mess of sheets and black hair. "You were practically raping the poor girl in her sleep! Just wait until I tell Emmett and Edward!" She fled into the bathroom after that, narrowly escaping a pillow that was launched at her head.
While Zafrina was in the shower I called inspector Lynley to find out if there had been any progress in the search. Unfortunately there hadn't. Most of the big tourist-hotels had been contacted but none of them had any guest by the name of Volturi and none of the night receptionists had recognized the picture. They were going to do another round in the hope the regular staff would be able to help them. Lynley still seemed optimistic about their chances of finding the twins.
At least that was something.
"I'm just going to walk into the park to call Edward," I said, breaking the awkward silence that followed the phone call. "We still have two hours before we have to leave for Hampton Court."
"Say hello to him for me," he said, never raising his eyes to look at me. "I think I'll sneak in a quick call to Alice myself."
I walked through the park while talking to Edward. It was late in the morning – we had decided to give everyone the morning off to catch some sleep – and the park was buzzing with activity. There were people running, mothers or nanny walking around with children and people walking their dogs. Then there were other tourists like me who didn't look where they were going and kept bumping into the locals.
I laughed at myself remembering how I used to so pissed at the bloody tourists wandering around Central Park, bumping into everybody. Much to my shame I was now one of them. I was seeing things in a whole new light now.
We left for Hampton Court shortly after noon, taking a bus to the palace. Most of the students were still buzzing with last nights events. We had given them a quick update at breakfast/brunch this morning but there was very little news to add to the story they already knew.
"I hope Jasper was right and they find them today," Zafrina growled as we neared the castle.
"I hope so too," I sighed. "I'd never forgive myself if anything happens to them."
"Then you might want to look away if the do find them today," Zafrina snorted. "The only reason I want them to find those little twerps today is because Aro's plane is landing tonight and I want to get my hands on those two before he gets here."
Everyone was actually quiet during the tour we took of the palace and the maze. We had instructed the children to be mindful of the differences between the other palace they had visited – the Tower of London – and this one and they were really getting into it, even to the point where they were basically harassing the poor guide with a barrage of questions.
"So do you know anything about Tudor plays?" Serena asked, having her mind set on getting a high mark.
The guide, a nice looking elderly lady, smiled and tried to answer Serena's questions as best as she could.
I was actually rather proud of them, a refreshing experience after last nights debacle. That was until we entered one of the state bedrooms.
"Is this the place where Henry boned that Anne Boleyn broad?" Chuck asked, appraising the ornate canopy bed.
I had to hand it to the guide: she never even flinched or showed any other signs of disgust at Chucks rude questions.
"Yes, I think that King Henry VIII must have indeed 'boned' his wife in this room." The term sounded even more sordid coming from the mouth of such a refined English lady. That, and the fact that the whole group by now was watching her with open mouth, had me giggling out loud.
"Way to go miss tour guide," Chuck laughed, bowing down in front of her.
For a moment the strain Jane and Alec's stunt had lifted over the excursion had gone and we were able to enjoy ourselves again. Then I remembered last night events again and the guilt and fear returned again.
My phone rang just after we had watched the pupils storm into the maze.
Jasper.
News.
Oh God.
"Yes?" I breathed.
"They found them." I loved Jasper for getting straight to the point.
"Thank God," I sighed. Zafrina couldn't help herself from letting out a huge relieved sigh of her own as she heard me. "Where? How?"
"It appeared they checked into the Burlington under a false name, using daddy's credit card to pay for the bills. They were on to them as soon as they started checking Aro's bank payments."
Part of me inwardly rejoiced in the fact that they had completely put Aro through the wringer. That was....the part of me that wasn't screaming for Volturi blood.
"Where are they now?" I asked.
"They are still at the station. I think they even put them in a cell or something though that might just be wishful thinking," Jasper chuckled. "I think Lynley wants to make them sweat a little. He's quite a decent kind of guy."
"Did you call Aro?" I asked, knowing their dad probably wanted to know his evil offspring was safe.
"I did," jasper replied. "His phone was still switched off but I left him a message so he should be getting the news as soon as his plane has landed."
"Alright," I said, closing off. "We'll get the kids back to the city and then we can go over to the police station. We should be able to get a good hour of yelling in before Aro arrives."
"Good plan," Jasper agreed. "See you in an hour or so."
As we drove back to London I send a quick text message to Edward explaining that the twins where found and that I would call him with more details after we had spoken to Aro. I sighed as soon as I had typed in the name.
Aro.
Now that would surely be an interesting conversation.
The prologue for my new story CARLISLE"S ANGELS has been posted yesterday. It's very different from this one but I hope it will still turn out good. It's still very short but I'm well on my way to completing the first proper chapter. It will probably be posted on Thursday if I'm not too hung over. The link for CA can be found on my profile so if you want to read it and let me know what you think.......
This is also the part where I start with the blatant self promotion. Nominations for the Twilight Awards have started and it would be so totally and indescribably awesome if I got nominated I can't even begin to describe it. If you want to nominate my story or another story, this is the link where you can do so: www. twilightawards.
As always: please review and let me know what you thought of the chapter.