Author's Note: Sorry for the long delay in posting this chapter. I haven't been feeling well and just the thought of sitting in front of a keyboard made me feel worse. I did think up a few more plot twists, so there is that to look forward to!
The last chapter posted got us up to 200 reviews! I want to thank kirifox for posting #200 and thank everyone else who has been reviewing and sharing their thoughts and opinions.
(Bella)
Jasper let me pout for a little while before grabbing my hand back. I checked his expression carefully, but there was no sign he was dwelling on Jacob's slip about my status. I didn't want Jasper to mock me for it like everyone else was. I smiled back at him shyly.
We were getting close to the city now, the traffic picking up. Luckily, the skies hadn't cleared up since the morning so my crew didn't have to hide out.
"Any preference or can I pick where we stay?" He asked me.
"Whatever is fine with me." I appreciated that he gave me the option instead of just taking over. He considered for a moment.
"Have you ever been to New York City before?"
"Nope, first time."
Renee had wanted to go once, but I vetoed the idea. She loved vacationing, but when she suggested we go to NYC for New Years celebrations, it was the year 2000 and I was a little worried about the y2k computer bug causing problems. I managed to talk her out of flying. I wasn't afraid of the world ending or something so dramatic as that, but the thought of getting stranded because flights were canceled didn't sound like my idea of a good time. She pouted the whole time and then rubbed my face in it when nothing happened.
"I've got somewhere in mind then, a bit fancier than I'd usually go for, but the view is amazing." His smile convinced me. "Emmett, you'll be getting a room with us?" Jasper asked.
No one had discussed Emmett's plans yet. He left the Cullens, but he had nothing with him besides what he was wearing. He hadn't even said he'd stay with us, just that he needed a ride.
"If you wouldn't mind." Emmett said uncomfortably. "I can't pay you back for a while."
Jasper frowned. "I don't expect you to."
"Thanks." Emmett nodded, looking away.
I could tell he was feeling out of place. I could relate. I had a hard time accepting things from people too, especially when they were extravagant. I had a feeling this hotel Jasper was taking us to was going to be over the top. I balked if someone tried to buy me lunch, nevermind spend hundreds on a room.
Jasper made a call and secured us rooms at Langham Place. I hadn't heard of that hotel before, but I was sure it would be opulent. My fears were confirmed when he asked for the "Empire residence with the additional bedrooms". In my head, that sounded impressive.
As we got into the heart of Manhattan, the skyline made me stare wide eyed out the window. I recognized many of the landmarks from movies and books, but actually seeing them was another matter. I spotted the Empire State Building and pointed it out, excited. Jasper chuckled and pulled the car over. I looked at him confused.
Several uniformed doormen approached the car, opening the doors for us and taking our bags. I looked around as I stepped out of the car. The hotel was a skyscraper in it's own right, but sitting in the shadow of the Empire State Building itself. I concentrated on keeping my mouth closed, trying to look like I deserved all the attention the staff was lavishing on us.
Jasper handed over the keys and a valet drove off with the car. He joined me after that, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me along with him as we entered the building together at the head of our party. The lobby was beautiful and very modern looking.
Jasper led me to the desk and a small woman dressed in a designer business suit greeted us with a smile.
"How can I help you?" She greeted.
"I called ahead, the Whitlock party." Jasper said, sliding his black credit card to the young lady.
"Of course. Your room is ready, I'll have your luggage sent up immediately." She took his card, swiping it and typing quickly on the computer. "If you'd like to know about the services we provide or need anything at all, your personal assistant will be glad to help you." She handed back his card along with the keys.
"Thank you ma'am."
A man seemed to appear beside us and asked us to follow him to our rooms. Jasper led me away and we rode the elevator. We rode up to the 27th floor, the man with us, who introduced himself as Stephan, our personal assistant, explained that the entire floor was ours for the duration of our stay and we'd have complete privacy. Jasper declined the tour, telling the man that we would like to relax on our own after traveling.
Once Stephan left, I spun around and took in the room. I was standing in a large living room with floor to ceiling windows. I could see the entire city and it made me both excited and a little dizzy.
"Jasper this is fantastic!" I squealed.
"I told you, the view is spectacular." He grinned. "Come on, I'll show you around."
There was a full kitchen off of the living room. It even had a small dining room. There were two bedrooms in the main suite, each with a bathroom. Two more one bedroom suites were ours as well. Each bedroom had a massive and very comfortable looking bed as well as more floor to ceiling windows. I ran to them to look out on the different views of the city. The bathrooms were bigger than my room back in forks. The soaking tub made me want to climb in and not get out again for a week. The elaborate walk in shower looked really tempting too.
"Which one's ours?" I asked as I walked into one of the bedrooms, my exploring complete.
"The floor actually has four bedrooms, but if you're inviting me to share..." Jasper pulled me into his arms, leaning his face close to mine. His lips barely grazed mine and I moaned softly, reaching for more.
He pulled back teasing me, his eyes mischievous. I tangled my hands in his hair, trying to tug him back down. Jasper resisted, smirking as he walked us backward until my knees hit the bed. He held me up, not letting me fall back. The contact made me completely aware of where we were however. My eyes popped open wide and I froze.
Sensing my realization, Jasper chose that moment to strike. He bent down to my face, his lips fully connecting with mine this time. He cradled my head to his, kissing me firmly, his hard lips commanding mine and stroking them with his tongue asking for entrance. I gave it, meeting his advances with my own. His kiss made me forget my shock, arousal flooding my senses in it's place.
He pulled back, still holding me with my legs pinned between his and the king sized bed.
"I'm going to go check on everyone. You let me know where I should put my things." He winked at me before letting me slump down to sit on the bed and leaving the room in a rush.
I flopped back, panting and stared at the ceiling. Wow. I'm not sure I'd survive having him here if he kept kissing me like that. On the other hand, I'd be insane to send him away. I wanted to talk to him more before we made our relationship any deeper. I thought I did anyhow, until he kissed me, and then I wasn't so sure.
I groaned at my own ridiculous thoughts, getting up and washing my face in the amazing bathroom. I looked in the mirror, noticing my slightly puffy lips and giggled. Who was I kidding. The extra room was going to waste.
I made my way out to the living room, finding Emmett sitting in front of the television flipping through the channels. I sat next to him, snuggling into his side. He wrapped his massive paw around me, giving me a grin.
"Hey sis, you like the rooms?" He asked.
"Yep." I answered. I tried to guess if he was up for talking but I couldn't be sure. He asked such a safe question. I decided to throw him a bone. I nodded toward the door I just came out of. "That's me and Jay's room."
"You and Jay?" He said, grinning wider.
I shrugged, looking at the television which had stopped on an infomercial for vacuum cleaners as if it was very interesting. I wondered if Jasper heard me from wherever he disappeared to. When I didn't go on, Emmett nudged me playfully.
"What?" I asked innocently.
"Why would you need to share a room with Jasper. There are four bedrooms." He smirked.
"Well, you never know." I said smoothly. "Peter is bound to do something and might end up needing it when Char kicks him out of hers."
"Hey!" I heard Peter yell from the other bedroom in the suite. I could hear Charlotte laughing and Emmett and I joined in.
Peter and Char came out and joined us in the living room.
"She's got a point." Charlotte said, sitting next to me. "Maybe you should just put your stuff in there and save the trouble of moving it later." She told Peter.
Peter hissed at me for giving her the idea.
"Captain!" Jasper said, walking into the room. "You better not be hissing at Bella." He glared.
"But Major! She said..."
"I don't care." He stalked forward, looking aggravated. "Hiss once more, and you'll be moving your stuff into the spare room."
Jasper's face twitched with a repressed smile and Peter's jaw dropped.
"Damn y'all are evil." He sat back in the chair and laughed. "It's good to have you back brother."
"It's good to be back." Jasper said. "Let me put my things in my room and we can figure out where to go from here." He looked at me in question and I nodded. His smile lit up his whole face and he zipped into our room with his bag, reappearing a moment later empty handed.
"First thing, we need to get you some new documents Emmett. You aren't going to get very far with no ID and no money." Jasper said. "I'll get my lawyer on it first thing, unless you have your own you'd like to use?"
"I don't have my own lawyer. Rose said I was too irresponsible to handle dealing with legal matters or finances." He mumbled.
"Mine is in Seattle, but we can get him working on it." Jasper said, frowning at the new information. "Any objections to increasing to five?" He directed to Peter and Charlotte. Jasper already knew I thought of Emmett as a brother.
"No sir." Peter said, smiling.
"None here." Charlotte said, looking past me to Emmett.
I smiled huge, winking at Emmett's stunned face.
"Alright then. Emmett, I'd like to offer you a place in the Whitlock coven officially." Jasper stood up, holding out his hand. Emmett looked at him, his face serious. He pulled his arm away from me and stood up, taking Jasper's hand and the two men hugged, slapping each other's backs in a manly way.
"Thanks brother." Emmett said sounding choked up.
"Enough of that now." Peter chuckled. "We're manly men here in the Whitlock coven. None of that girly stuff allowed." He winked, giving Emmett a hug of his own.
Emmett made the rounds, hugging Charlotte next, then me. I had to remind him like usual not to crush me and he laughed and messed up my hair.
"So when I get your new IDs, you want McCarty or Whitlock. I won't be offended either way. I'm not like Carlisle, you don't need to take my name and you don't need to wear my crest." Jasper went on when we were all reseated. Emmett was smiling much like his old self, only a shadow of his sorrow lingering in his eyes.
"I would say go with McCarty, but your idea with Alice got me thinking. I married Rose with McCarty once and I'm worried she'll use it to come after me." He thought out loud.
"The lawyer can stop her, but it's up to you."
"I'd rather not have to worry. All of you are Whitlocks, right?" Emmett looked around. "Except Bella."
"For now." I told him. "After I change, I'll be a Whitlock." I locked eyes with Jasper.
"Might as well go with Whitlock then. Don't want to feel left out. Will save me the trouble of a divorce." Emmett squeezed me and smiled.
Jasper smiled at me, sending me his pride before dialing the lawyer. The man seemed eager to please and the phone call didn't take long. I gathered it would take a week for the documents to be finished and Jasper had them shipped to Montana. Jasper told the lawyer to make sure Emmett McCarty and Cullen were both dead and have copies of the death certificates sent to the widow Rosalie Hale. He pulled the folded up papers out of his back pocket and had both offshore accounts transferred to Emmett's name while he was on the phone.
"Jasper, you shouldn't have done that." Emmett protested when he hung up.
"It's nothing. Just some start up money." Jasper shrugged, handing him the papers with the account numbers. "I have a lot more that Alice never knew about."
Emmett reluctantly took the pages, pocketing them.
"Just how rich are you?" I said amazed, covering my mouth as soon as the words came out. I felt his amusement hit me hard.
"I'm not even sure really." He said seriously. "Last I checked, I had 16 billion and something, but that was fifteen years ago. I haven't been able to look or else Alice might find out. That was before I invested in Apple right before the ipod came out, among other things, so I'd suppose quite a bit more."
"Wow." I said shocked. "So this," I waved my hand at the expensive hotel room. "Is nothing really."
"Nope. I could buy the entire hotel." He smirked.
"Nice job Bella." Emmett whispered. "You found a sugar daddy." He winked comically.
I laughed, hitting him with a throw pillow.
"Money doesn't mean much to me." Jasper said, rolling his eyes. "I'd rather live simply than in a mansion." He looked uncomfortable taking about it.
"Exactly." I said, drawing attention off him. I felt his relief.
"So Emmett, now that you're a Whitlock, I'd better let you know how the coven works." Jasper said taking control of the conversation again.
"I'm sure it's nothing like Carlisle said traditional covens are." He hedged.
"Best to ignore what he said probably." Jasper nodded. "Eat what you want, Montana has plenty of wildlife if you want to stay veggie. If you want to go traditional, Peter and Charlotte have a system set up that keeps the humans from growing suspicious." He addressed what was the most obvious objection of Carlisle's first. We don't play at being human, so no more high school. No playing house and I'm not your Daddy.
"I'm the leader of the coven and I'll have final say if there's a need, but we decide things together for the most part. As long as you remember that I'm in charge, there's no problems. Peter is my second in command, so if I'm not around, it's his decision that goes. For the most part you'll figure it out just by observing, there isn't a lot of formality."
"Sounds easy enough." Emmett said relieved.
"You'll need to learn to fight properly." Jasper said. "And I don't mean like we used to play fight with the Cullens. Really fight. With where we came from, sometimes people come looking for us to prove their tough or to settle old scores. You need to be able to handle yourself."
"Excellent!" Emmett grinned pounding his hand into his fist. "I could tell you were holding out on me."
"We'll see how much you like it when you're eating dirt." Peter chuckled.
I laughed at the boys. I hoped I got to watch Emmett get his ass handed to him. He was always looking for a fight, not in an aggressive way, but playfully. I was sure he'd be sorry he ever agreed to it by the time those two whipped him into shape. I wondered if vampires could get bruises.
"I can take him." Charlotte said, eyeing him critically.
Emmett looked at her in shock causing everyone to laugh.
"She can actually." Jasper said. "Don't worry Em, we'll teach you."
I didn't doubt it one bit. Charlotte may be small and delicate looking, but I had seen hints of how ferocious she could be already. I remembered the look in her eyes when she warned me to treat Jasper right in the bathroom on the way to the Cullen house. Just because she only spent a year in the wars didn't mean she was any less of a warrior than the Whitlock men.
Jasper was there the longest, but Peter had spent a fair amount of time there as his second in command. If I could assume anything about the man, it would be that after leaving the fighting he would have taught his mate everything he knew about fighting. Peter would insist she be able to take care of herself, to be ready for anything. Charlotte might even be more deadly than Peter. She was so small and cute, no one would think her a threat until it was too late.
"We need to get ahead of the Cullens." Jasper said breaking us from our distraction. "They'll be spreading their version of events around and we need to make sure our side of things is out there as well."
"Who do we call first?" Peter asked.
"I'd better call the Volturi." He grimaced. "I didn't want to talk to them until after Bella's change, but this complicates things. I think we should inform them of Carlisle's indiscretion in allowing Bella to know about our kind as well. She'll be changed soon, so it should be alright."
"I agree." I said, feeling nervous just the same. "It won't be long now. I just need to say goodbye and we can do it when we get to Montana."
"Are you sure Jazz? Aro is pretty tight with Carlisle." Emmett said.
Jasper cringed. "I forgot a rule. Don't call me Jazz. That's what Alice called me, even though I told her not to." He grinned. "Jay is fine if you want to shorten my name. Bella came up with that one."
"Oh, sorry man. I didn't realize. I always pictured a pomeranian anyhow whenever Alice would whine out 'Jazzy'."
"Exactly." Jasper frowned. "Anyhow, I wasn't calling Aro. I was planning to call Caius."
"Isn't Aro the one in control though?" Emmett questioned.
"According to who? Carlisle?" Jasper raised an eyebrow. "They rule equally. Carlisle thinks that way only because he's friends with Aro. I met Caius back when I was involved in the southern wars."
"Something Laurent said got me thinking." I interrupted. "He mentioned how much vampires gossip. The Denali sisters, they wouldn't happen to be the gossiping type would they?"
"Wait, you talked to Laurent?" Emmett said, staring at me.
"Yes." I said, annoyed. "I just figured with their lifestyle, they must meet a lot of people. So are they gossips?"
"The worst." Jasper confirmed.
"Call them first then." I said. "We need news to start spreading now."
"I could call Tanya." Emmett volunteered. "She and I have been friends forever. I think it started out as a way to piss of Rosie, but we actually get along really well." He turned to me and smirked. "Tanya and Rose don't get along very well. Rosie likes to think she's the most beautiful woman in the world and so does Tanya."
"Perfect." Jasper smiled. "Tanya's the leader of the coven, so that's even better than talking to Eleazer. I can call the Volturi at the same time. I don't want to insult them by informing them second."
"Anything I shouldn't say?" Emmett asked.
"Just tell the truth." Peter shrugged. "But keep it to what happened today only."
"I'm on it!" Emmett beamed and took off to his room.
It was silent for a moment and I looked to Jasper, waiting for him to make the next move. He led his coven easily, without having to put on airs. He listened to everyone and they respected his decisions naturally. It was obvious to anyone looking on who he was to us, even if they didn't know our dynamic. I was proud to be a part of this group.
"Before I call, I want to make sure everyone knows what to expect. Caius isn't a very pleasant guy, he comes off as rude most of the time. Don't take it personally, it's just how he is. Also, don't speak unless he asks you something. He's a king and will demand respect."
We all nodded. Jasper made the call and put it on speaker so that I could hear as well. A woman answered in Italian and I hoped the whole conversation wasn't going to go this way or I wouldn't understand a thing. Jasper gave his name and asked to speak to Caius.
He was put on hold for a minute and took the time to move to Emmett's vacated seat, pulling me against him. I leaned into his body, taking comfort from his presence. Charlotte seemed to like Jasper's idea, but instead of sitting next to Peter, she just sat on his lap instead.
"This is Caius Volturi." A voice came out of the phone, startling me.
"Jasper Whitlock, sir. I have news I thought you and your brothers would like to hear."
"I was hoping to hear from you. Aro just received a call from his friend Carlisle. He was very upset about something."
"I expected Carlisle would be contacting Aro." Jasper said in a calm voice. "My coven is with me on this call except for one member."
"Your coven? My, you do have news."
"Yes sir, there is much to report."
"Get on with it! Start with introductions and then tell me how you came to be leading your own coven. I assume you are leading?" Caius said sharply. "I couldn't believe it when I heard you submitted to Carlisle of all people, please tell me you haven't sunk any lower."
"I'm leading, sir." Jasper said, ignoring Caius' commentary. "I reformed my previous coven from before the Cullens. A mated pair I sired while serving Maria, one of Carlisle's children who just joined me today, and a human woman who will be changed as soon as I return to my territory.
"A human!" Caius hissed.
"For now." Jasper said. "Carlisle's coven exposed our kind to her a year ago. She will be in my personal custody until her change. After that she will be one of mine." There was a long pause.
"Acceptable." Caius hissed. "Tell me what led to this exposure?" I could feel Jasper sending out relief. One large problem was behind us. The kings didn't order my immediate death.
"Carlisle's son Edward had a romantic relationship with the girl, who was also his singer. He broke it off in September, convincing Carlisle to move the coven and leave her behind. I've since collected her and she is with me now." Jasper nodded at me and whispered for me to say hello.
"Hello, sir. I'm Bella." I said, feeling nervous.
"Tell me human," Caius said, ignoring my name. "Did Edward tell you of our kind?"
"Yes." I answered. It was true, Edward did tell me about vampires. He just wasn't the first. That was Jacob.
"He also told you of our laws?" Caius went on, sounding angry.
"Yes, sir. Humans aren't supposed to know unless they are to be transformed or killed."
"And you refused to become like us!" He accused.
"No!" I gasped. "I begged Edward to change me, but he wouldn't." I met Jasper's eyes, worried. I couldn't let the Volturi think this was my fault. "I have kept the secret and I will be changed very soon by Jasper." I said firmly.
"Major, were you a member of the Cullen coven while this was happening?" Caius asked, apparently done with me.
"Yes, however I was under orders to have little contact with the girl from the leader and his second. I protested our involvement at the start, but I was ignored." I thought about that statement, Jasper was overlaying normal vampire terms on the Cullens.
"I suppose that makes it alright to break the law?" Caius scoffed. Jasper remained silent and tense, waiting. After a moment, Caius continued. "I'll have Edward and Carlisle brought in for trial. I'm sure Aro won't allow his friend to suffer more than a slap on the wrist, but the boy will pay for his arrogance."
"Sir, that won't be possible." Jasper said carefully. "Edward Cullen was killed today by Carlisle's wife Esme. She is also dead, she took her own life while ensuring Edward's death."
"Really? Now that is unexpected."
"I believe the Cullen coven may have the misguided belief that Esme's suicide and the death of Edward are the fault of mine and my coven. I wouldn't be surprised if Carlisle and the remainder of his coven came to you on their own soon. I'm calling to ask that you reserve judgement on the matter for one year. Bella will be a newborn and will need time to adjust before she is able to travel."
"I doubt Aro will want to wait that long, he can be very impatient." Caius growled out. "Your request is reasonable. After all, if what you say is true you are cleaning up the late Edward Cullen's mess. I'll deal with my brother, you have your year."
"Thank you sir." Jasper said relieved.
"Don't make me regret it Major." Caius said, hanging up.
The four of us stared at the phone for a minute after the call disconnected. Caius had been sharp, but much more fair than I had expected. There was a part of me that was afraid he'd want me dead on the spot and when he accused me of refusing to be changed I wanted to throw up from nerves. Now that the call was over, I was having trouble releasing the tension that was locked in my body.
"One year." Peter said. "More than I expected."
"Is that long enough?" I worried out loud, biting my lip.
"We could have got you ready in six months if we had to darlin'." Jasper kissed my temple and tucked me further into his side. "Caius was feeling generous hearing about Carlisle's misfortunes. They don't get along very well. That's not to say he'll be on our side exactly. Caius is a firm believer in upholding the law to the letter."
"What about Marcus?" I asked.
"He lost his mate long ago. Instead of following her in death, he decided he had to remain alive to uphold his responsibilities as a king. For the most part, he's the tie-breaker vote. It's rare for him to offer up an opinion unless his gift is needed. He could go either way." Jasper my have felt my curiosity when he mentioned Marcus' gift because he continued on. "Marcus' gift is that he can see bonds between vampires and how strong they are. One of the issues that the kings have to resolve sometimes is disputes over coven members and mates."
"With Marcus, it's real simple." Peter took over. "He can see who really is bonded and who is just trying to steal people away. We'll probably have to prove Emmett is with us when the time comes."
"Most likely." Jasper nodded. "Marcus can also tell if a coven member is plotting to overthrow a leader based on the weakening of bonds. He works with Chelsea, a guard member, to keep the Volturi coven together. There are over thirty vampires in the coven. Chelsea's gift is to manipulate bonds, making them weaker or stronger. She can't create one that isn't there or break one completely though."
I was right about the Volturi being more than the wolves could handle. Over thirty vampires! Even if they weren't gifted, it would be a slaughter. A soft knock at the door proceeded Emmett's big head peeking in.
"Done with your call?" He asked before walking in the room.
"Yeah, they gave us a year before we need to go to Italy." Jasper told him. Emmett's face fell, fear spreading over his features. "They will want to see that Bella is changed and find out more about how the law was broken. I'm sure Carlisle will have spun them a tale by then about how I killed his wife and son and stole you."
"I'm too big to steal." Emmett grinned.
"You're also too big to fit in my luggage." Peter said. "We'll have to drive out to Montana since you don't have ID."
"I'll fly back with Bella if you three don't mind driving. Just buy something and drive it out. Emmett will need some wheels once we get there anyhow." Jasper instructed.
"We need to get you some new clothes too, you look like such a tool." Peter pointed out.
Emmett looked down at himself frowning. Luckily, when the mud he had been covered in earlier had dried the dirt had brushed away for the most part. His dark slacks barely showed signs that he had been rolling around in them. His button-up dark gray shirt looked a little more messy however. If he had been clean, he'd have looked preppy.
"Let's go, I'm sure Jay and Bella want some alone time." Peter winked at us.
"Okay, I want to pawn this thing anyhow." Emmett said, pulling his wedding ring off his finger as the three left us alone in the suite.