Chapter XII

The Pack and Revelation

Esme was thrilled when we got home, until Carlisle explained about the guests we could expect soon. Sitting around the dining room table, we tried to decide what to do about the coming visit.

"How many can we expect, Alice?" Carlisle asked.

"Aro has decided to bring most of the guard, Jane of course, Caius and even Alex. Only Marcus is staying behind." she replied.

Jasper and I asked at the same moment, "What about Felix?" We looked at each other and smirked.

Alice grinned widely, "Felix was destroyed during the crash." We all gaped at her.

After a few moments Carlisle spoke, a look of consternation on his face. "I believe we should let the pack know. Since Aro chose to use the werewolves against us last month, I feel they have earned the right to be informed."

Everyone seemed to agree, though Rosalie made a face, scrunching her nose in distaste.

Carlisle turned to me, "Bella, I'd like you to let the pack know. They'll be more receptive to hearing it from you. Our battle with Victoria and the newborns broached a bond between us, but I don't believe they're expecting another danger from our kind so soon. I doubt they'll be pleased to hear about it."

I felt overwhelmed by Carlisle's confidence in me, and a little nervous too. Edward squeezed my hand suddenly, and leaned his head against mine. He whispered into my ear, "You'll handle it perfectly Bella, don't worry."

Edward looked at Jasper pointedly, and I felt a wave of calm. It did make me feel better, and I smiled gratefully at Jasper. I turned to Carlisle and asked, "Did you want me to contact Jacob tonight, or wait until tomorrow?"

Carlisle looked at Alice, and his lips moved almost imperceptibly. She nodded in response to whatever he said, and he looked back at me. "As soon as possible Bella, Aro and the rest of the Volturi will be here by late tomorrow, and we should meet with the pack so they understand that this is a much different threat than the newborns were. We should meet them tonight."

I had a strong sense of deja vu at Carlisle's words, I turned to Edward and said, "I'm in for another sleepless night."

Edward frowned at me, "There's no reason you need to be there this time Bella, we just-" I glared at him and cut him off. "No, no reason except that a group of 3000 year old maniacs will be coming to try and hurt almost all the people I love most, you're right. No reason for me to be there at all."

Edward's eyes tightened, "There's nothing you can do to help this time, unless you intend to assist Aro by allowing him to capture you again." Edward snapped at me.

"They're coming for you and Alice, Edward!" I snapped back.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jasper's eyes widen and reaching out, he covered the hand Alice had on the table with his own, she looked at him with her eyebrows up. As they looked into each other's eyes, Alice tilted her head and looked at Jasper imploringly, and he relaxed.

I focused my attention back on Edward, "I know I can't help, which is your fault really, but we don't have time for blame. You know I won't stay behind Edward, and this time I refuse to allow you to, when the danger is infinitely worse than before."

I was so upset, I hadn't realized I was standing until I felt Jasper's hand on my shoulder and noticed I was looking down into Edward's anguished eyes. Jasper calmed me again, and I allowed it because Edward was so obviously upset.

Edward took one of my hands and kissed it, "Bella, it's true that Aro and the others are coming to take Alice and me with them, and I'm afraid they're ready to battle us all to do it, but there is another underlying threat to you which makes it impossible for you to be there, two actually, and I forbid you to endanger yourself with either possibility."

In my annoyance, I couldn't figure out what he was referring to, "Edward, all of our lives...existences are at stake! I am at no more risk than the rest of you." I said.

"HA! Sorry little sister, you are at much worse risk than any of us. There are two things you mean to these freaks; lunch or a new recruit." Emmett's blunt words and ringingly loud voice interrupted from across the table.

I looked at Emmett with wide eyes, but then remembering the kidnap attempt, defended myself. "If Aro wanted me to join them, he could easily have done it when they abducted Jasper and I. They never considered it, though Aro made a reference to it, said something..." I turned to Jasper for help.

Our eyes met as he pulled his face away from Alice's direction. His eyebrows shot up in question, then he turned to Edward, looking at him, then across to Emmett. "Aro said he was disappointed Edward hadn't taken his advice yet, but Bella's right, that was the only allusion he made to it. In fact, I recall when he said it, I felt awe coming off him, reticently. Even a little fear, though it was so slight, I didn't give it any further thought."

I turned from Jasper to find Edward sharing a huge and terrifyingly large grin with Emmett. Both of Edward's eyebrows shot up and his mouth dropped a little in joyous astonishment. "I think you must be right Emmett. Of course, he's so greedy and eccentric, I wouldn't have given it a thought, but he's never, or rather" Edward nodded in deference in Carlisle's direction, "is rarely incautious."

Rosalie was glaring back and forth between them, and suddenly she slapped her hand on the table in an impatient manner and shot a meaningful look at them both.

Edward sat back and chuckled. He inclined his head in Emmett's direction and said, "Emmett, I think you'd better explain."

Emmett looked at Rosalie and gave her one of his infectious grins, "Relax Rose, it's just that old onion skin is apparently afraid to change Bella."

Carlisle looked seriously at Edward, "Is this true, Edward?"

Jasper answered instead of Edward. "Just before the airplane crashed, when Bella and I were taken, there was a moment when the front and rear sections of the plane were separating. Bella and I were sitting in the front of the passenger section, just behind the cockpit, while Aro, Jane, Caius and Felix were in the back with the two Volturi guards. When Jane realized what was about to happen she tried to hurt me again. As she smiled at me, Bella threw herself between us. I was afraid she'd hurt herself against my body, so I allowed us to fall back against the seats behind us. Bella dampened Jane's attack. I never felt a thing.

All seven members of my vampire family turned wide eyes to me, Carlisle's look was an assessing one, while Esme looked lovingly proud. Rosalie looked irritated, and Emmett seemed to fidget slightly as he grinned. Alice was nodding her head and said, "Still human too, excellent." and she smiled hugely. Jasper and Edward were looking at each other.

Edward shook his head in response to Jasper's unspoken thought, "It's quite all right, of course you wouldn't think of it." Edward's eyes shot up again. "Really?" he said, and looked up at me. I finally sank back into my chair, shying under the collective stares facing me. Edward said, "Jasper says you told him you tried to do that with me, when we were in Volterra."

I nodded, "I did, but Alice held me back." Edward smiled, "Hmmm, I wonder if it would have worked?"