Chapter Fifty Three

Carlisle

I told the others of my conversation with Jasper and that I was waiting for him to call me back. Of course, that started Edward off as I should have expected. He was incensed that we should need Jasper's permission to go to Bella's aid.

"Just who the hell does he think he is? Bella was my girlfriend, not his. If he couldn't make a go of it with Alice then that's his own fault, no reason for him to go sniffing around Bella. After all look what happened last time."

I found I was losing patience with my son at last,

"Edward, he is there. He helped Bella to escape the bounty hunters and the Volturi. Now his friends are more than capable of keeping her safe, I offered our help as mediators. After all Aro and I are friends so perhaps we can come to some agreement. He must know by now that he will never be able to hold Bella although he does have her parents so there is leverage."

"Well, Bella is intelligent enough to understand she will never get her parents back, not as humans anyway. Besides I am a far better person to help her with the Volturi, now I know all the details."

Rosalie rolled her eyes and Emmett sighed in exasperation, but it was Esme who finally spoke,

"Edward you have already been in contact with Aro and he told you that unless you had Bella he had no interest in speaking to you. Don't you think if Bella had been willing to go back to the Volturi she would already have done so? It seems to me you don't know how to take no for an answer. Bella isn't interested in you. Now if she is involved with Jasper then that is her choice, her right, and you need to move on. Find yourself someone new, who knows it might be third times the charm. I'm not even sure it would be a good idea to take you with us to help, you always end up causing bad feelings and Bella needs help not fighting between you and Jasper."

"Fighting? I wouldn't fight the barbarian, besides which if Bella sees him in his true light, the real Jasper Whitlock beneath the mask he wore as Hale she would probably run screaming."

"Straight into your arms no doubt Edward? God, you are deluded! Wake up, she saw Jasper when he was teaching us to fight, she's not scared of him. She'll probably be more scared to see you stalking her again."

"Rose that's enough, Edward you have to accept that Bella isn't coming back to you and the best thing you can do now is to offer her your help as a friend, son."

"What about Alice? Do we know where she's hiding out or why?"

"No Emmett, but I'm sure she has her reasons. Now I know the Volturi have set up a new headquarters in Lamia Greece so I suggest we fly out there. That way we will be ready to give our help whenever it is wanted."

Esme looked at me warily,

"Are we going to fight the Volturi?"

"Not if I can help it, I'd rather settle things through diplomacy if possible and I know Aro would really prefer not to get into any more situations that might lead to more damage. He has lost one home I doubt he wants to tempt fate. I'm more worried for Bella, if her mind shield has become a weapon then there is something very strange going on, for a gift to change so completely is unprecedented. And if it is as dangerous as it seems then she could well become a danger to both herself and all those around her. It might be a perilous journey, are you sure you want to get involved Rose? Emmett?"

Emmett stood up looking annoyed,

"Hey Bella was our friend too, or at least mine and if I can help her or Jazz in any way then count me in."

Rose had been looking at me puzzled,

"Do you have any theory about this? I've heard of gifted humans becoming more powerful when they become vampires but for a gift to totally change while the human is still human and become so powerful, well it's unheard of isn't it?"

I nodded,

"I've never come across a human with the kind of weapon Bella has. Come to think of it I can't remember a vampire with such a destructive gift, even Benjamin's isn't that powerful and he manipulates natural elements, he doesn't conjure up destruction from nothing. I wonder if Aro wants the gift or to find out how it came into being."

"Well either way doesn't bode well for her does it? Or her parents. I think we should go now. We have no idea how long it will be before Aro loses patience and decides to act."

"True Rose, I think you are right and that way when Jasper calls back we can tell him we are on our way."

I watched Edward and saw the sneer flit across his face so decided I had to do something or he could make things very difficult for all of us, Bella too.

So I called him back asking Esme to make the travel arrangements while I dealt with something.

"Sit down Edward, I think it's time you and I had a chat."

He sighed and threw himself into the chair with exaggerated impatience,

"Please don't give me the "be a team player" talk, Carlisle, I know it by heart."

"Has it ever occurred to you why that might be?"

He rolled his eyes,

"No? Perhaps because for far too long I allowed you to believe you were more important than anyone else in the family."

"I am, I was your first, your best transformation."

"You really believe that don't you Edward? Well, I'll let you in on a little secret, you aren't. You are no better than anyone else in this family and I am no longer prepared to tolerate your attitude, especially where Bella is concerned. You never seem to learn your lesson where girls are concerned. Mary loved you enough to set you free yet you pursued her across half the continent before finally accepting what she told you was true, are you going to do the same with Bella?"

He looked shocked, he hadn't known that I was aware of the way he pursued Mary nor was he aware of the connection between the two women and I wasn't about to tell him. I had watched Mary and her descendants and when Edward fell for Bella I had wondered if this time he might be right. Alas he wasn't and it had taken me some time to understand he never would, that Edward thought he was perfect and that anything wrong was the fault of others.

"You will leave Bella alone."

"But you were the one who said I should believe in myself, in my ability to overcome the urge to drink her blood for something better."

"Yes I did but I was wrong in the words I used, you thought I meant Bella was destined for you. None of us knows what the future holds for us, not even Alice, or she and Jasper would still be together. You can come and help Bella in any way you can, but you will not upset her or try to persuade her to return to you, she made her choice and you must respect that. Do you understand?"

He looked like a sulky schoolboy for a moment and my hand itched to treat him like one but then it cleared and he nodded,

"OK, I understand, but I'm not sure I'll be coming back with you when this is all over. I think I'd be more appreciated by the Volturi."

"That's up to you son, but I wouldn't be too sure of that. Aro wanted you at one time, but he has moved on now and you might find you are no longer so valuable. There will always be a place here for you whether you choose to make use of it or not."

"The family used to be fun, what happened to it, Carlisle?"

"It evolved. You brought Bella in and she changed us all, for the better I like to think. She showed us that we had been complacent. Ready to pat ourselves on the back for being such perfect vampires, living in harmony with the humans. Sometimes you need someone like that to show you the error of your ways and now we are going to help her, all of us."