CHAPTER FIFTEEN:

NO SHIRT, NO SHOES, NO FLY

Alice knew they would be outnumbered but there was no time to do anything about it now. She would have to try and stall once they got to Volterra and hope that Renesmee was a perceptive as she always though she was.

Alice also knew Edward would kill her if she told Renesmee where they were going. That is exactly why Edward had kept her far away, safe in Florida with her own personal team of wolf body guards. But Alice had failed to share that Renesmee was due home any day and she had just seen that she would arrive exactly one twenty-two hours and thirty-three minutes after they left. She quickly scribbled the note and pushed it out of her mind.

Nessie,

I'm so sorry there was no one here to greet you. The family has gone to visit old friends in Italy. They have something of ours and we need to go retrieve it. I hope you and Jake had fun visiting Renee. Too bad your dad wants you to stay home. I'm sure Jake would love Italy. In fact, I'm sure all the wolves would love it. I've left you my VISA card in case you get any spur of the moment ideas.

Love always,

Alice

It was done. Short, simple, and to the point: and she never outwardly told Renesmee to follow them. She didn't even tell her they were going to Volterra, so technically Edward couldn't blame her. At least that's what she kept telling herself as she folded the note with the credit card tucked inside. Alice left the note on Renesmee's pillow, knowing she would come into her room to unpack her things. Their only hope was if the packs showed up. Alice hated to admit it but she didn't know what they would do if they didn't have those dumb mutts to come to their rescue. She just hoped they did. Their alliances with the packs had never been stronger, but at the same time it was a lot to ask.

Alice wandered away from the rest of the family as they waited in the airport terminal. Jasper had tried to follow her but she stopped him, spinning quickly to block his way back through security.

"What are you up too?" he asked curiously, his eyes darting across her face. Her eyes were scrunched up in deadly concentration.

She smiled pushing the visions out of her mind for a second. "I have some phone calls to make. I can't tell you. I'm sorry, Jazz. It's for your own good."

Jasper grimaced. "I had a feeling you were going to say that."

"Cover for me?" Alice gave half a smile.

Jasper nodded. He knew Alice had a plan and was keeping it from them to protect them. If Aro read their thoughts he would know exactly what Alice had up her sleeve and that might ruin everything. It could get them killed. If Alice was the only one holding those thoughts than she was the only one who could be implicated. Alice was once again bearing the weight of the family on her shoulders. Their fate rested with her and Jasper hated it. Sometimes he despised the stupid visions. It made her feel responsible for everything and he couldn't help her.

He kissed the top of her head and watched as she walked away. Her steps were calculated and structured, not like her usual lithe dance movements. She was worried. And if Alice was worried, then they should all be worried. Jasper's heart broke as he followed her movements through the crowds of people filling up the airport terminal. For a long minute he just stood and listened, following her light step and her anxious emotions, allowing him to keep track of her even when she was out of sight. He could pick her out of a crowd easily, but all he wanted to do right now was keep her safe and he didn't know if that was possible.

"What was that all about?" Edward asked suspiciously as Jasper returned looking solemn-faced.

Jasper shrugged. "Alice thought she saw something that might look good in Evelyn's new room," he said. Edward sensed he was lying before he even dove into Jasper's thoughts.

"How can she even think about shopping?" Rose questioned irritably.

Edward turned to her. "It's Alice."

Enough said.

There were payphones all over the airport, neatly spaced against the walls in pairs, divided by see-through spacers made of plexi-glass. Like that was really going to prevent someone from overhearing her conversation.

Alice had left her cell phone at home by accident as they rushed out of the house and instead of asking to borrow someone else's she opted to just use a payphone. She needed a break from her family anyway. They were all imagining different scenarios once they got to Volterra and it was making the future shift around dramatically. Alice was actually getting dizzy trying to watch it.

The phones were also on the other side of the terminal which was good because she didn't want her family over hearing what she was saying. Alice unloaded a pocketful of change into the phone and dialed. It rang twice before someone picked up.

"Kate, we're going to Volterra," Alice whispered into the receiver without even a hello. Strangers had started to stare at her, a lone and extremely beautiful woman standing by the vacant phones. She could tell a few of the single men were contemplating approaching her and she was getting annoyed. She threw them dagger eyes and they backed off. Now she was just the lone, crazy woman standing by the phones.

"The Volturi have threatened us again but we need help. I know you will be passing through Rome in the next couple of days. I was wondering if you could make a slight detour…"

Kate cut her off.

"Of course Alice, what do you need?"

Alice smiled gratefully, "A distraction."

Garret cut in. "I'm your guy Alice, what did you have in mind."

Alice explained and could sense Garret's excitement. "This will be just like the battle of…"

"Enough with the battles," Tanya griped as she took the phone. Alice chuckled. Garrett was a patriot through and through. She could still hear him in the background. He was too excited for his own good. He was like Emmett that way. "Alice, we'll be there, just don't do anything rash, and don't get yourselves killed."

"That's the plan," Alice chuckled nervously. "By the way, I expect the wolves to show up. I hope the wolves show up," she rephrased. "Just so you're forewarned. They might try to attack you. They'll be confused."

"Good to know, thanks Alice. See you in 48 hours."

"Thank you," Alice breathed and she hung up. She picked the phone up again and immediately dialed another number.

"Adrianna?" Alice asked. She had not spoken to her old friend in close to forty years.

"Yes," the older vampire asked. She had been turned at the ripe old age of sixty-three.

"It's Alice. I need you to get a message to someone for me. Do you still have contacts in Romania?"

The Rabbit chugged noisily into the Cullen's driveway and seemed to heave a sigh of relief as a bunch of black smoke escaped from under the hood. "Thank the lord," Jake said patting the wheel affectionately. "I wasn't sure it was going to make it."

"I know what you mean, the next time I see or smell this car again it will be too soon," Renesmee joked. "Next time we fly."

"But that's not a road trip then," Jake said. "You have to actually be in an old beat up car, driving on the freeway way over the speed limit, while the wind blows through your hair."

"If we went any faster I'm pretty sure the muffler would have fallen off. We've been dragging it for the last twelve miles."

"Yah," Jake sighed. "I'm gunna have to fix that."

Jake quickly glanced in his side view mirror to confirm what Renesmee said. He could see the muffler hanging an inch above the ground.

"But other than the car, you had a good time, right?"

"Of course I did," Renesmee said looking at him strangely. "Didn't you?"

"Yah, I just wanted to make sure, you know, since Leah and Seth had to crash the trip and all."

"Yah, my dad forcing them to babysit me was not the highlight of the trip, but having them around for company wasn't so bad after all. And I got to spend more time with Renee, so that's a bonus." She had never spent so much time with Renee. It was easy to see where her mom got some of those human traits her dad was always talking about.

"The ride home took forever though. I think it's because Seth kept singing that song: you know the one that never ends," Renesmee smirked.

Jake looked murderous.

"Don't even think about it. I almost crashed the car, he made me go insane. My ears will never be the same again!"

"Well, at least it was an improvement to having him air his smelly feet out the window. I swear that state trooper wanted to pull us over."

Jake laughed. "Well that wasn't as bad as when we let you and Leah control the radio." He looked serious, then his face broke, "Hit me baby one more time!" he sang at the top of his lungs in his best Britney imitation.

"Ugh, Jake," Renesmee shoved his arm. "We're not that bad."

"Yes, you are, but I love you anyway."

"Well, at least that's better than that scremo stuff that Seth kept changing it too."

They had dropped Leah and Seth off at Charlie's then proceeded to come home. The Rabbit had been sputtering and jolting the entire time. It was definitely on its last legs but Renesmee had been dying to see everybody so Jake made the little car move against its will. Plus Jake was hungry and dying for a snack. He hoped Esme was around. For a blood sucker, she was an amazing cook. Okay, he hated to admit it, but he kind of missed Blondie's incessant nagging too.

Jake unpacked the trunk and followed Nessie up the stairs with her suitcases. He had one duffle bag that belonged to him.

"Where is everybody?" Jake asked, inhaling for the vampire scents as they opened the front door. He had been expecting them to pounce on Renesmee as soon as they entered the property line.

Renesmee shrugged. "Hunting, maybe?"

"All of them, at the same time?" Jake was shocked. "That means we are officially alone?" Jake asked, smiling crookedly. Ever since Leah and Seth bombarded their vacation, Jake and Nessie had not had one quiet moment together.

"Yes," Renesmee smiled, running up the stairs as Jake chased her. She was faster though and jumped on her bed. Jake lunged at her, but caught himself, supporting all his weight so he was over top of her but not really touching her. Slowly he lowered himself so he could kiss her lips. Renesmee leaned up to meet him and that's when the credit card slipped down from her pillow.

"What's that?" she asked.

Jake sat back, picking up the card. "There's a note attached."

Renesmee read and re-read the delicately folded piece of paper. She read it so many times the words seemed to blur together and then she looked at Jacob. She held it out for him to see before bounding from the bed and running down the hall.

Jake followed her automatically with his nose stuck to the paper. "Where are we going?" he asked scanning what Alice had wrote.

"Volterra," Renesmee said, grabbing the Visa card and her purse. She made a pit stop at the vault in Carlisle's office to make a cash withdrawal. Better to be prepared she thought.

"What's going on?" Jake asked, confusion setting in. He was still carrying the note.

"They've gone to the Volturi, something must have happened but they need help. Alice made a specific reference to bringing you and the wolves; I think she means Sam's pack."

Renesmee looked up at his face. Jake's heart plummeted as he saw her eyes full of tears. She touched his face with her hand and a vision of pale faced vampires in blood red cloaks filled Jake's mind. He cringed as he saw the purply smoke and the burning remains of Renesmee's glittery skinned family. His family.

He leaned forward and kissed her forehead gently. "It's okay, everything will be alright. I'm calling Sam now."

He dialed and Sam answered. "Jacob," he said smoothly.

"Sam, I need your help, the Cullen's are in trouble." There was really no point in beating around the bush.

"What kind of trouble?" Sam asked.

"The usual kind," Jake said. He couldn't help but grin. "Evil vampires and such," Jake continued. He didn't have all the details, so he filled Sam in on as much as he could. The vampire-hybrid that had been staying with the Cullen's, how Edward had thought something strange was going on, and the note Alice left that asked for their help.

"Whatever you need Jacob, we're there. Renesmee is like family and if the Cullen's are in danger the pack will fight."

"Good. Then tell the boy's to pack, we're going to Italy."

Jake hung up and dialed Seth right away.

"Seth, don't bother unpacking. Get Leah and meet me at the Cullen's. We've got work to do."

Getting twenty two people to Seattle had been a challenge and that wasn't even all the wolves. Sam had left behind some of the pack to defend Forks and the reservation.

Emmett had left his Jeep, so Renesmee had thrown the keys to Sam when he arrived with his pack. It could seat eight of his members including himself. Jake took Renesmee and his pack in the Rabbit. He hoped it would make it to Seattle. Jared was driving Carlisle's Mercedes, with Paul, Embry and two other Quileute kids Renesmee had never met. It was a tight squeeze because, even in human form, the wolves were huge, but they didn't have many options. The keys to the other rarely used Volvo, which Esme sometimes took to visit Carlisle at work, went to a dark and brooding Quileute who Jake explained was now Sam's second in command. That guy drove the last four members of Sam's pack as they sped off in the pouring rain, destined for the airport.

If Renesmee thought getting to Seattle had been a problem then she hadn't really thought about what twenty-one hulking teenage looking, shirtless in most cases, Quileute natives would have looked like to a bunch of airport travelers. They immediately drew attention and Renesmee had forced most of them into an airport variety store. They emerged wearing an array of pastel coloured t-shirts, that were too small in some cases, which read I 3 SEATTLE.

It wasn't much of an improvement, they still drew too much attention, as airport security started to get anxious, following them closely as Renesmee lead them to a counter. But at least they wouldn't be able to use the NO SHIRT, NO SHOES, NO FLY argument on her as she tried to get boarding passes for the hulking hoard, who were already complaining that they were hungry.

"I need twenty two seats on the flight to Volterra, first class preferably if you have them," Renesmee asked sweetly. First class wasn't really necessary, she wasn't trying to be showy or anything, but squeezing twenty one over-sized, muscly wolf bodies into economy would have been a stretch.

The attendant blanked. "You need how many?" she almost choked on the words.

Renesmee rolled her eyes, feeling slightly annoyed as she gestured behind her. She flashed her credit card at the woman. She could feel the pack breathing down her neck. They probably looked like a gang behind her. She was just glad they all had shirts on now.

"Twenty two seats, please and thank you," Renesmee said again, trying to keep calm.

They woman typed frantically on the computer in front of her. "I'm afraid I can't fit you all on the same flight, you'll have to travel apart. I have one flight going down in half an hour, only five seats. And the other leaves at noon. There's more room on that one, but still not quite twenty-two seats."

"Okay," Renesmee said after a moment's thought. "I'll take four seats on the first flight and put the rest on the next one."

The woman rang it in and couldn't even choke out the amount. Renesmee threw her the credit card without as much as a second glance as she turned back to Sam.

"That way we keep the packs together," she whispered. Renesmee pulled out an envelope with a wad of cash in it. "Here," she said, shoving it in Sam's hand. "In case we get separated or something happens. There's enough money in there to get you guys back to Seattle." Renesmee paused as Sam's eyes bugged. Then he nodded. "Thanks for this Sam," she said.

"Don't mention it."

"Try not to get arrested or detained going through security. Be polite, answer their questions, and tell the guys not to get offended if people stare."

"Dually noted," Sam said.

Renesmee turned to Jake, Leah, and Seth, "Let's go, our flight leaves soon."