Disclaimer:

I own no part of the 'Twilight Universe' … only the idea to this story. This is strictly for fun!

Author's note:

Here is the long awaited chapter! Reasons for the delay: I moved to my own apartment! Yay! A huge thank you to all who wished me luck on this quest!

Also I am working too many hours but I somehow have to make money to pay for the couch and such... ;) (It's really comfy by the way. ..)

THANK YOU ALL WHO REVIEWED, VOTED, FAVOURITED, FOLLOWED ! YOU ARE AWESOME!

SPECIAL THANKS: SIERRABEAR! ;) You rock as a beta!

Chapter 43: (Eleazar's pov)

Volterra, 15. 03.2005

Greetings, my dear friend, Eleazar.

So many years have passed since we last were in contact.

I hope this day and age finds you and yours well.

Volterra and the Volturi stand tall and proud.

A new Millennium has just begun and I have found myself thinking often of olden times – times shared with yourself and Carlisle – times before the New World took you both off to different adventures.

I found myself wondering how you and your coven, as well as our dear friend Carlisle and his coven members, were fairing. So much has changed.

Caius, as well as Marcus, are also interested to catch up with the events of your lives.

We have decided we'd like to host a reunion with both of your covens within the near future.

I am certain you have an interesting story or two to tell.

Kindly give my best wishes to your mate, Carmen, as well as to your lovely family. I look forward to your visit.

To Carlisle I extend my heartfelt desire to meet with him and his mate, Esme, together with the members of his coven. I am especially eager to hear all about their lives and experiences in the Pacific Northwest. With living and interacting so closely with humans they must have some interesting tales to share.

Caius and Marcus send their regards - as do our wives.

We are looking forward to your suggestions for possible dates for the gathering.

Agog with anticipation,

Aristeo Volturi

"What shall we do now, Carlisle? You know as well as I that the timing is too much of a coincidence to be one … and the way the letter is worded is really more of a summons than an invitation to an informal gathering," I summarized my thoughts after I had read the letter Aro had sent me to Carlisle.

I myself had reread the letter more than once, not believing what I held in my hands. But it was still there and I feared what it might mean for us all. The only conclusion I could reach from Aro's vague wording was that the Volturi must have come into some information concerning the human girl – not enough to take action or they would have done so – but obviously enough to arouse their curiosity. How this could have happened I had no idea but that was irrelevant to the danger we might now be facing. Once the Volturi had their suspicions they would not rest until they unearthed the full details.

At first, when I had been told, what a foolish act Edward had committed, I had been appalled. To let a human know of our kind was one of the worst crimes in the Volturi's eye, and in general I agreed with them. Only Alice reassuring me that Isabella would become one of them, had appeased me to the point that I had let it be.

Then, only half a year after meeting the girl, they had left her. Just like that.

I remember the day clearly. It was the first time Carlisle and I had ever come to blows – the day I had fought with my friend - first, only with words - then by physical altercation. It had been Jasper, with his unique gift, who had broken the fight up. We all had felt terrible for many days afterwards. It was as if a hole had been torn in the fabric of our family.

After this I had ignored the matter and the relationship between the families had seemingly gone back to normal, although everyone still felt the underlying tension.

In the end, Carlisle's family had come asunder. First Edward left. Shortly after that, Jasper and Alice departed for an unknown destination in the southern states of America. Lastly Emmett and Rosalie decided to escape via an extended honeymoon that would take them to exotic locations across the globe.

To be honest I didn't understand my old friend. How could he risk the well-being and continuity of his family, based on the decision of a teenager? Edward had obviously not been fully mature when he had been changed. True, his exceptional gift had granted him insight into the thought processes of many minds, both young and old. However, in the end, he was just as short-wired as any human teenager I had ever come across. Teenagers often acted based on their ever quickly changing moods and some had a distinct penchant for drama.

It was ingrained in their nature to make rash decisions and then follow them stubbornly through, because they were too proud to admit to a fault. Edward fit well into this category and behaved just like any other 17 year old. His repressed upbringing might even have exacerbated these characteristics. At least, from what I had heard over time, it seemed that the girl acted more considerately than common for her age.

I had often found myself wondering after Edward had left her so abruptly, whether they truly were mates. I could not imagine leaving my Carmen for so long. I just hoped Carlisle had also thought to question his behaviour in this regard.

The only consolation I had was that no one in our coven had directly been involved in this misdeed. Nonetheless I knew that we would suffer consequences as we had had knowledge of the crime and hadn't denounced it to them. The question for us was just how severe this punishment would be. For Carlisle and his coven it might very well mean death, despite his connection to the brothers.

A deep sigh on the other end of the line pulled me back from my musings.

"You are probably right … I never thought they would gain knowledge of Bella so soon. I was certain Edward would eventually realize that leaving Bella was a grave mistake and that he would have gone back to her long ago," Carlisle lamented.

"But do you think it would have been fair to the girl … I mean Bella? Had she been my child or my charge I would certainly have wished him to the seventh circle of hell for his mistreatment of her. As I see it, as their leader, or father, you should have taken care of her needs too, or at the very least you should have taken her opinion into consideration," I scolded.

"I know, Ely, I know. It is just that he has always acquiesced to the requests of the others. He's always backed up their decisions. And I, along with others, we were of the opinion we owed him the same

courtesy." Carlisle tried to justify their decision, yet by the tone of his voice, I could tell his heart was not in his words. They held deep regret. Carlisle continued: "I also truly believed they were mates and, as such, I wanted to respect Edward's decisions. I saw too late that he was simply too immature and unlearned in love to make a reasoned decision."

"And didn't you owe the girl loyalty, too? You have referred to her as a part of your family in my presence more than once, yet you left her without explanation, without a last word." I tried to make my friend see his worst mistake: he had abandoned a member of his family.

Carlisle had been a bright fellow when he had been changed. He had been studious and considerate. His compassion had been so prominent that it had clung to him even through his change. But the authoritarian upbringing at the hands of his violent father had left a lasting impression on him as well. He loathed to lead his family in such a fashion and refused to come to a decision by other means than a democratic vote. It was quite ironic, as he had to make decisions for others in his job quite frequently. I was older than him both in human and in immortal years but it was not my place to tell him how to lead his family. The most I could do was drop hints every once in a while.

In this situation I too had made a mistake. I should never have let Alice convince me. Her visions were subject to change. Had Isabella decided in the spur of a moment to confide in someone it was questionable whether Alice would have seen it at all.

Now all I could hope was that the girl truly hadn't let anything slip during the absence of the family. Otherwise the trouble had sky-rocketed without our knowledge.

Carlilse went on: "We should probably have waited a little longer, and given his erratic emotions time to settle until he could think straight again. And believe me I have spent much time thinking about Bella. I hate that I didn't talk to her. Not one day goes by that I don't think and worry about her. Have I failed them both as a father? I fear I did. And in doing so I failed everyone by bringing the wrath of the Volturi upon us all. Jasper warned me, you know, he urged Alice to minimize the contact with us to distance himself and his mate from us, from the responsibility of a knowing human. He had cautioned me on the first day he had joined us here in Alaska that it was insanity to leave Bella alone. But now it's too late and there is so much I regret. I should have known better.

Eleazar, please believe me, I never meant to put you and your family in danger. I will do anything to convince Aro of your innocence," he rambled contritely in his belated epiphany.

"Carlisle, regrets and feelings of guilt won't help anyone right now. We really don't know for sure what is behind this letter – what information if any, the Volturi actually have with regard to Bella. Usually they would not hesitate to act themselves and eliminate any human who has had contact with vampires. It is unheard of for Aro to send a letter when there is even a hint of suspicion. The fact of the matter is that both our families have been summoned to Volterra and that Aro will find out everything there is to know about Bella with one touch of his hand. In the end we are all in grave danger. The girl and her family will be targeted and brought in. Her heart will stop beating one way or another," I explained what he knew to be true all along.

"I think it would be best to retrieve the girl, summon your family and travel to meet the Volturi as soon as possible to ensure they see our good will. I just hope you are right and that Isabella has kept silent," I advised.

There was a long lasting silence on the other end and I knew that hearing it out loud would finally drive the situation home for Carlisle. He obviously cared for the girl, so to hear me say out loud that she would die, although deep down he had known already, must have been hard for him.

I caught the sound of his convulsive swallow before he found his voice to answer.

"Hmm. I will talk to the others about it. This ought to be a family decision as this concerns all of us … but I do see the truth in your words. Thank you for your advice, old friend." At the end he sounded as if he had aged centuries during the past few minutes.

"You are welcome, Carlisle. We will find a way. I am certain … Call as soon as you have news," I attempted to reassure him and offer consolation.

"I will Ely. I will." With this he hung up.

The conversation had left me worried, too. In response I hugged Carmen, who had been sitting next to me silently supporting me during the call, and placed a gentle kiss on her head. We would stand through this together; we had to. This couldn't be the end, could it?

End note:

Okay guys! WE're back!