Chapter Twenty Six: Dead, Red, Head.

Sadly, and with great reluctance we said goodbye to paradise. You know, the part in the bible where god kicks Adam and Eve out of Eden? I know just how they felt. I said that to Edward and Alice as I watched Isle Esme fade into the horizon. Alice nodded knowingly, Edward put his hand in mine and said "Not for me so much, I have paradise wherever I am as long as you are with me...."

I growled and Alice giggled. Edward looked shocked "What? I meant that, from the heart!" I said "I didn't growl because of what you said, but because we aren't alone and I can't RESPOND to what you said!"

"OH, Bella, after he said it I saw you jump him, which is why I giggled! We would have flipped over and sunk. We would have all had to swim to shore!"

Jane socked Felix in the arm "Why can't you be sweet, and say things like that!?!" Felix shook his head "My Angel, Just because I don't say things like that, does not mean I do not feel them...." Jane didn't resist like I did. We all turned to the front of the boat to afford them a little privacy. Lucky for us Felix isn't driving, or we would be swimming right now.....

As we approached the shore, there were several of the guard waiting for us on the dock. We pulled into our slip, and Edward threw one of them a line. We then climbed off the boat and walked up to the group. Jane took charge "Well, this is a surprise!" The wind changed and then I smelled them. It was My family!

Carlisle pushed his hood back a little. "Well we have a history with Victoria, as does Bella, so we asked Aro, if we could go along to make sure Bella was fine. Emmett punched his fist into his hand "She took a swipe at Rose once, then ran off. I want to throw at least an arm into the fire..."

Carlisle interrupted "Jane, this is your show we are at your disposal. Alice sees us finding Victoria outside of Lima, Peru at a farmhouse. We are not going to be in time to save the family there...." He said grimly.

"Very well, which way to our car? We can formulate a plan on the way." Jane said. Carlisle gestured to a large van up on shore. We walked quickly and got in.

Alice slipped into a trance and gave us directions to our destination every once so often. We were going to go after the newborn first, since he was the biggest threat, then we were going to deal with Victoria.

As we approached where we were going to encounter the newborn, Jane had the car stop. "OK Everybody out! We will go on foot from here, standard formations, Cullens pick another member of the guard and Shadow them, do not get into the fray unless your guard member is incapacitated and you are able to act. Bella, like we practiced, shields for everyone." I reached out wrapping everyone in my shield. I pulled back and Jane reached out zapping everyone in the group, to make sure I had everyone.

As with training I would feel her attack when it touched my shield. It is an odd tingling sensation. When she was done testing she looked at me and nodded. She was all business now. But I couldn't resist, I stuck my tongue out at her. She zapped me again, and snapped her fingers "Drat! One of these days Bella..... OK people game faces!"

We formed up spread out and walked to where Alice pointed. We came upon him sitting on a log at a campfire. A human body was laying on the ground next to him. Jasper and I both flinched, we could smell the blood. He looked like hell. His clothes were bloody and torn. He was covered in filth. He looked up and sprung into a crouch realizing the danger he was in, and growled.

Jane stepped forward palms up "Calm down, we are not here to harm you unless you provoke it. We have answers and help for you. What you are now is not our fault, but we can help you." Well, it was a nice speech, I would have bought it.... He sprung at her and used his mental gift as he jumped. My shield stopped it, but it was weird like Jane and Alec together, but very strong. I actually staggered when his attack hit our group, but the shield held as did my concentration. Jane then hit him with her full power. He dropped like a stone screaming. "Now, that was not very nice of you I said we were not going to hurt you, and here you attack me and my friends!" She let up a little he was still shaking but the screaming stopped. "Now, let's establish some rules here. My name is Jane, I am with a group called the Volturi. We enforce the law for our kind. We, you included are Vampires. Now we are much older than you, and much much more powerful. Your gift is impressive, which is why you are not in pieces burning in a fire already. Now, if you would like to be torn apart and burned, just jump up again and lunge at me when you are released. However if you want answers, and to continue existing go back and sit on your log, so we can talk!"

She stopped her attack and after a few minutes he cautiously got up and backed up going back to where he was when we found him.

"Good! Now, I gave you my name how about yours?"

"Daniel, Daniel Johnson, What happened?"

"Well Daniel," Jane started sitting on the log next to him "We have several among our number who are gifted like us. Among those of us who are gifted no two gifts ever work the same. One of us is a shield, and she can block gifts like mine and yours. We have another in our number who is a psychic, she saw you being made, and we came to intervene before you exposed our secret. The one rule you must remember is Humans must never learn of our existence. So all of your actions should be governed by that one rule."

Jane went on to explain everything, sunlight, identity, how to get false documents, feeding making it look like an animal attack caused the death, or to feed on animals and learning to control the thirst. Then finally she went on to explain how we are made, and if he ever decided to make another, how it is his responsibility to make sure that one does not expose the secret.

"Now, your maker was careless. This is a violation of our law, and she has already been condemned. We are going to leave now to go deal with her. Alice what do you see?"

Alice still in her trance said "He is lost, like I was..... But he does not have my gift. He is going to need some help until he is over the newborn stage.."

"OK Daniel, you have 3 choices. The first is the fire." She said pointing to the fire. "The second and third are similar. Since we are taking responsibility for your sire, she will no longer be able to look out for you so that responsibility falls to us. You may travel with us to deal with your maker, or I will send you back with a group of the guard to our city Volterra."

He looked around hesitantly "I laid in the bottom of that well, in ice cold water broken burning and screaming, I came upon several people, I was going to ask for help, I did not know what I was, but when I got close instead of asking for help I killed those people. I hid the bodies, so I think I am OK on the rules, but I KILLED THEM!" he looked down at his latest victim putting his head in his hands and sobbing. Jane comforted him "That is why we came as soon as we could, to help you."

After a minute he stopped sobbing "I would like to go with, to be there when she is destroyed, she did this to me, she made me, and left me to kill those innocent people! Now, I can never see my family again! I am a monste......"

Jane stood up "OK People, back to the Van. Daniel?" He got up "You stay with my mate Felix you follow his lead, and I warn you, he is nearly as strong as you are as a newborn, so if he tells you to do something, you had better listen, he can stop you. And just in case I am giving him help. Emmett? Would you please Back up my Felix?" Emmett reluctantly said "Oh, Alright...." Jane smiled "Don't worry Emmett, I will make sure you get a piece of her!" Emmett then perked right up.

We got back into the van and rode to where we would stop to hunt for Victoria. Daniel was asking everyone questions about their powers, and apologizing for attacking us. We all reassured him that was to be expected, and things about defense mechanisms instincts and why he just fell on those people without meaning to. When we got to a point close to where Victoria was Alice called out "Stop! She is there! She said pointing up a dirt road. We pulled to a stop in the dirt road and the doors flew open and everyone flew out of the van.

Jane told us this was a different hunt. We were chasing someone trained by a tracker. She knew how to flee, how to make our numbers work against us and to confuse our senses.

Demetri took the lead. Alice called out "She has not shown her self to them yet! If we hurry we may save them!" Everyone sped up now. Edward left my side and was running alongside Demetri now when we came through into a field ans saw Victoria in the hunt moving toward the little farmhouse. Edward flew past Demetri but it was Daniel who then flew past him! Daniel hit her like a freight train severing her head in one swipe of his large hand. Jane called out "FELIX! EMMETT!? I SAID WATCH HIM!" They were on Daniel and pulled him off of Victoria, holding him down.

Daniel fought hard trying to break free. Jasper moved over and dumped calm on him, then he finally stopped struggling. "Daniel, it is OK, but before we destroy her, she must be sentenced and allowed to speak, she may have a defense my masters want to hear."

I knew, unless she had something pretty damn good, she was hosed. Edward laughed. I forgot he was under my shield and could hear my thoughts "It's alright Bella, everyone here is thinking the same thing that is why I laughed."

Rosalie and Esme held Victoria's arms and with a nod from Jane Jasper placed her head back on her neck. It was super creepy. It just knitted back together, like that liquid metal robot from the terminator movies. I had seen Felix and Demetri do this sparring once, when Felix got Demetri and tore off his arm. I screamed thinking Demetri was crippled. But they laughed, as Demetri put it back on, and went to feed.

Jane stepped in front of Victoria. "Do you know who we are?" Victoria spat "Yes! Jane I know who you are! Why are you after me? I did nothing!" Jane zapped her "Yes, in a way that is exactly what you did, your crime is you did nothing! The Red haired Vampire who just removed your head is YOUR CREATION! You made him 6 days ago, in Bogotá! Threw him down a well but you didn't kill him.... Careless!"

Victoria's Eyes went wide. She had just admitted to not knowing what she did. She knew she had no deference now. Then she noticed Me and Edward. "YOU! You killed my James!" Enraged she broke free and sprung at us throwing Rosalie and Esme back. She got all of two inches toward us before Jane had he pinned to the ground by her neck flinching.

I was surprised, I remarked to Edward "She sure is strong for being so little!" He looked surprised as well. "Well, you learn something new every day. Apparently her gift when she is actually touching someone is a whole lot worse, and that is saying something! The pain Victoria is feeling right now is worse than the change!"

Jane Grimaced "Alice Honey? Would you be a dear and stir up those coals and throw a few logs on?" she said gesturing to where the farmers burned their brush and trimmings. Alice moved quickly and within a minute had the fire crackling to life. She grabbed some fuel from nearby and gave the fire a little help and it was soon a blaze. The whole time Jane held Victoria in place immobile and in pain. Jasper was bracing himself, he was feeling her agony in part, even through my shield some got through, I could shield his mind but his gift was physical too, which is why Alice moved with such speed I think.

"OK, nice fire. Daniel? I am going to Have Emmett and Felix let you up, now, and the three of you are going to take Victoria from me Alright?" Daniel was still calm from Jaspers influence. The three of them walked over and took hold of Victoria. Rosalie walked up behind Victoria and looking at Daniel "You got the head last time, My turn!" and with that twisted Victoria's head off and tossed it into the fire. Emmett and Felix tugged and tore her in half, Emmett got the bigger half, Edward said "Don't say it Emmett!" But I could tell by Emmett's smile it was too late.... "So does this mean I get my Wish!" Rosalie slapped him in the back of the head. Daniel, Emmett, and Felix finished tearing her into smaller pieces, it sounded like a car accident ripping metal. I turned my back on it. Even though Victoria would hurt the ones I loved, I did not take any satisfaction in her destruction. I wished she just was not the person she was.

Once Jane was certain that Victoria was no more, turned to Demetri. "Demetri, you Heidi, please stay behind a moment and put this fire out once you have no more scent of Victoria please?"

"Sure Munch!" UH OH! This was what some of the guard called her behind her back...... Short for Munchkin! Jane smiled sweetly. "Bella, would you please be a darling and drop your shield from Demetri?" She turned her malevolent gaze back to Demetri......

"It slipped out, I didn't mean anything! Bella, Please! Keep up the shield!"

"Well, I don't know, Demetri, you called one of my best friends a name..... I think there has to be SOME kind of penalty........"

Alice Laughed "PERFECT!!!! Jane, great idea!"

Everyone but Edward and Alice looked confused.

Jane grinned at Demetri. "OK, you want to be zap free?" Demetri said "Yeah, anything!"

"OK, I will show you who is the MUNCHKIN! When we get back to Volterra you will wear lollypop guild costume for a week and you have to sing the song and dance in front of the whole guard or Bella will drop her shield, and I will do to you what I just did to Victoria before we burned her!"

Jane went into a crouch ready hoping Demetri would resist. "SURE, SURE! Anything but that!"

With that Jane straightened up, and pointed. We all marched back to the car, and sat there laughing waiting for Demetri and Heidi to put out the fire and get into the van. Alice was busy on her blackberry ordering the fabric to make the costume, and then a giant Lollypop from a candy store she knows that makes those giant lollypops.

Once aboard the plane Daniel asked "What is to become of me?"

Jane looked at him. "Well ultimately that is your choice. Our masters are going to want to speak to you Aro, Caius, and Marcus. They are the Ancients who are in charge of the Volturi Coven. With your gift, you would be a welcome addition to our coven. And do not take this invitation lightly, there are many advantages to belonging to a powerful coven. There is only one coven that is even close to ours on the whole planet, and that is the Cullens, but they are friends, and three of them are members of the guard now. But no matter what you decide we will set you up with an identity, and resources so you can exist in secret. You will in time find, that the existence that was forced upon you may not be the curse you view it to be. There are advantages to being Immortal..."

After her speech, we all sat silently. We hit some turbulence about 2 hours out over the Mediterranean, at least I thought so.... Edward did his pinching the bridge of his nose thing "EMMETT, ROSE! YOU ARE GOING TO SHAKE THE WINGS OFF OF THE PLANE!!!" I was confused, Edward was sitting facing me, but behind him Emmett and Rosalie were sitting there playing chess. I remembered my shield was still up, so I dropped it, and Edward looked behind him "Oh, sorry Em, Rose, ALICE! JASPER! FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!!"

:):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):) ;P