Carlisle's mind reeled with the implications and he saw all their precautions crumble away. He could not send the girls away.

They would be followed.

They would be killed.

And Charlie…

Edward bolted away the moment the name crossed Carlisle's mind. He was certain over the past few hours Bella had called up her father several times. But her effort, their effort needed to be relentless now. If the girls have been singled out as an ally of some sort, Charlie certainly would have too.

He almost reprimanded himself for overlooking the vampires. They might not have been as big a problem as the wolves rampaging through La Push, but they certainly weren't willing to be sidelined. Just because his creator and his ally weren't that big a threat to his family did not mean they weren't a danger to all humans around them.

His face must have been far more readable than he thought for he heard Emily gasp. "A vampire placed that here?"

He gave a stiff nod. He couldn't be certain. The light drizzle had washed away any scent there might have been. But he doubted there was any other plausible explanation for it. A human couldn't have done it. A shape-shifter, in their wolf form, did not have the maneuverability, and lacked the speed in their human form. That left only one option.

"It would appear so," he agreed, a little reluctant to admit it out loud.

He looked at the girl, her eyes roving over the box with a certain fear.

"Perhaps it is best if we step away," he suggested, his voice gentle as he gestured towards the door to their house. "Until we can determine the contents, at least."

She nodded, her dark skin glistening a little with perspiration as her heart hammered away in her chest. She gave one final look at the box before she turned and walked past him into the house.

He could hear the small commotion inside as the occupants and his family were brought up to speed with the going ons here. He heard Esme and Rose switch places, as his wife took up the spot beside their granddaughter while Rose raced down, towards him.

"Go inside, Carlisle," she breathed as she rushed away into the garage. There was a small clutter of objects and before the sound had completed emitting, Rosalie was back in their front yard, circling the truck like the predator their kind was.

She looked at him once, a little irritated but relented when Carlisle did not move. She leaned low, disappearing on the other side, a little towards the back of the truck. There was soft clang of metal on metal and followed by a light screeching of parts rubbing onto themselves. A series of clicks and another two clangs.

His nose wrinkled as noxious fumes permeated the air. But it was not too much. Rosalie emerged again, this time carrying a metal cylinder in her hands.

The gas tank.

Carlisle's eyes widened as the realization set in and he dipped his head in a grateful acknowledgment to his daughter. He did not expect the box to contain explosives. But if it did, removing any other explosive substance out of the way was certainly the sensible thing to do. Rosalie took the tank with her into the garage and then rejoined him, the two of them together carrying the remaining ordered boxes inside the house.

In the foyer, Alice and Jasper joined them.

Alice's eyes were just a little out of focus and Jasper kept a steadying hand behind her. When she came back to the present, Alice looked up at him. "These boxes have what you expect them to. You open them and go through everything."

She gestured at the crates around them before she threw a distasteful look at the box outside. "I can't see what's in there. No one's decided to open it yet."

"Does it explode or cause any other issue if left undisturbed?" Rosalie asked and Alice shook her head.

"Then I believe it is best we leave it alone," Carlisle said. He threw a worried look over his shoulder but then refocused on more pressing issues. "Charlie?"

"He is in La Push," she grumbled. "Not exactly in the town, but well past the treaty line. Bella is worr-"

Her voice stopped mid-sentence when the daughter in question burst through the house, Edward and Emmett at her heels.

"Carlisle, we have to go get him," her words rushed out before she even came to a halt. "I know we might violate the treaty but his phone is switched off and I don't know how-"

"Bella," he spoke softly. "Alice sees he is all right for now."

His clairvoyant daughter nodded encouragingly at her best friend. Bella still did not look convinced, her eyes wide with panic. Carlisle took a deep inhale. She was headstrong. All his children were. But Bella did not yet understand the importance of maintaining their end of the treaty. She had seen the wolves as friends. They had been so. But that was when she was a human.

The circumstances were different now. They were ready to kill her even when she was still a human, someone they were sworn to protect. All because they perceived Renesmee as a threat. With one vampire making undetected escapades in La Push, the wolves were already on high alert. This was not the time to go venturing into their land. If she came upon someone from Jacob's pack, it would be okay. He wasn't so sure about Sam's.

Plus, the truth was, they were allies on the neutral territory. Perhaps on the vampire lands too. One step beyond the treaty line however, they were not the Cullens. They were leeches. They would be killed. They did not cross the treaty line because their alliance did not cross that line.

But that was not something she looked ready to listen to.

Nor would she understand the pooling of venom under his tongue and the taut muscles in his limbs as the fear flowed freely through every vessel in his body like a dreadful fire. If she went, she would be in danger. Carlisle knew that. As would anyone who went with her.

And those who stayed behind.

He steadied himself against the onslaught of instinct driven fear and spoke just when she was about to open her mouth in protest.

"No," his answer was firm. She winced and Carlisle swallowed. It was not a term he used lightly. But he seemed to have used it far more often in the past two days than perhaps in years. "We will ensure Charlie's safety, Bella. And there are better ways of ensuring that than violating the mutual trust that the treaty upholds."

He looked beyond his children, at their guest huddled together near Leah's bed.

"Edward," Carlisle pulled his phone out of his pocket. "I have the station number saved and that of a few officers. Call them up and see if any of them can reach Charlie through the other officers present at the scene. Or through the La Push Police Department. Ask them to ask him to contact one of us. Any of us."

"His phone is switched off," Bella said, her voice soft. Meek.

"Bella," he fixed his daughter with an understanding look. "Charlie has been on duty the whole of today, last night, the entirety of the day before. Quite possible the day and night before that too. His phone dying is not alarming. We will reach him, and have him safe as soon as is possible. Until then, I can only ask you to stand by this family and believe that we will do the best for your father."

She still looked unsure but Carlisle left her to be comforted by Alice. He threw Jasper a meaningful look as he crossed the foyer and entered the living room. His son would ensure she doesn't go running off to La Push.

"Billy." Carlisle, instead, called out to the tribe elder who looked up when the doctor entered. "Is there anyone in La Push who can reach the boys or Charlie? We must ask him to either come back here instantly else he needs to be taken under the protection of the wolves. If the vampires noticed Emily, Rachel and Kim as our associate, they would have noticed Charlie as one too. It is no longer safe for him alone."

He heard Sue's heart shoot up. Billy's too. The girls were already a little tachycardic. Billy frowned for a second. They hadn't heard anything from La Push so far. But neither Sue nor Billy owned a cellphone and almost all humans aware of the wolves' existence were here. He took a moment before he whispered, "Old Quil."

Carlisle nodded and held out his hand behind him. Emmett handed him his own phone that Carlisle passed to Billy. "Try to reach him. Or anyone else you can."

He had to suppress an affectionate smile when Esme bolted down the stairs and came to a stop beside him. She held a small box that he identified as one of the drawers from his now-destroyed table. It had some normal and some satellite phones. She held it out and quickly, the four woman picked one up each. "All of you, try to call neighbors, friends, anyone who can reach Charlie. Alice has seen where he is. She will describe the place so that you may identify his exact location."

Carlisle retreated with Esme and Alice took their place with the guests.

He could hear her start to describe the place and Kim soon identified the location. A cacophony of cell phone buttons erupted in her wake and Alice rejoined the family in the crowded, jam packed foyer.

He stepped towards his distraught daughter and held her hands where she stood in Rose's supporting arms.

"Bella," she looked up at him. "Charlie is my son's father, just as much as I am yours. He is a part of this family too and his safety is just as important. We will make sure he is safe."

Alice stepped up beside him. "Carlisle's right Bella. I can see his future. Whoever is out there, vampire or wolf, hasn't yet decided to do anything to him. We will reach him first."

Bella's lips pressed thin and she nodded. Carlisle left her hands and stepped back so that those closest to her could stay with her. Edward was upstairs, talking to the Forks PD. Their guests had started calling everyone they knew. It would be sorted soon. They would bring Charlie here.

"Esme what are you doing!" Jasper's startled voice made Carlisle spin around on the spot. He lurched out of the house, bounding off the porch to reach Esme in a fraction of a second. She stood beside the box, her hand clamped tightly over the small dent Carlisle had left when he palpated the box earlier.

He wanted to step forward and snatch her away from the offending object.

But she looked…thoughtful as he fingers applied tentative pressure over the corner.

"Relax Jasper," she said, tilting her head to the side. She took a deep whiff and a smile graced her face.

"Esme?" he asked and she turned towards him. His breaths flowed in easier when her hand was safely in his firm clasp. "What is it?"

Her reply raised more questions than it answered.

"It's a painting."

A/N:

No, it wasn't an explosive. Would have been fun if it was. But I did not think of that until you all guessed it to be so.

I hope you all enjoy the chapter. I have shortened the length a little to not overload any one chapter with info-dump and to maintain a steady update schedule through my last week of classes.

Do share your thoughts!

-ZQ