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XXX

The entire family followed Jasper, although Edward kept Alice, Bella and Rosalie at the back of the group. As they moved quickly through the forest Letty, Lucas, Jackson, Carlisle and Emmett joined the group and Edward quickly filled them in.

As soon as Jasper saw Eric he lunged straight for him and by the time the rest of the family reached them, the two men were rolling on the ground, locked in a bitter struggle.

"Jazz!" Alice moaned as she saw the sight.

"Esme, take the children away," Carlisle said firmly.

"Daddy!" Sierra whispered.

"Go with Esme, now!" Oliver snapped at his sister. Stella walked over and grabbed Sierra and Rosalie, Bella and Esme quickly led Letty, Angel, Lucas and Renesmee away from the scene as Stella dragged Sierra off with them.

Emmett, Oliver, Jackson and Carlisle moved closer to the fighting men but Edward stayed back where Alice stood, his arm staying around Alice's shoulders. Suddenly a loud roar filled the air and bits of flesh flew through the air from the blur of fighting men.

"Jazz!" Alice screamed as the blur stopped and they all sighed with relief when they saw Jasper sitting on the ground, Eric's remains scattered around him.

"We should burn the pieces," Jackson said quickly. Edward let Alice go and she raced over to Jasper and flung herself into his arms as the others helped Jackson find wood and build a fire.

They collected up Eric's remains and tossed them into the flames, carefully avoiding Jasper and Alice, who stayed locked in a tight embrace the entire time. As the flames began to die down Jasper got to his feet and helped Alice up and led her over to where the other men were standing.

"Oliver, I am sorry I had to do that," Jasper murmured. "Especially in front of you."

"Jazz, I understand," Oliver smiled at him sadly. "He was nothing to me but as long as he lived he was free to torment Mom."

"You're not angry with me?" Jasper asked, although he could already tell from his step-son's feelings that Oliver was more relieved than anything else.

"I'm not angry," Oliver assured him.

"We should get home," Carlisle murmured. "The women and children will be worried."

"Of course," Alice nodded and she took a last glance at the flames that had consumed Eric before following the men back to the house.

XXX

When they reached the house they could all tell that the women and children were not inside.

"Where are they?" Emmett frowned worriedly.

"Esme took them to the cottage," Alice said after checking her visions.

"I'll go get them?" Jackson offered instantly.

"I'll come too," Emmett decided and the two men headed back into the forest in the direction of the cottage. The rest of the group headed inside and by the time the others returned they were settled in the living room.

"Jasper, Alice, are you both okay?" Esme asked worriedly as she rushed to them.

"We're fine Esme," Jasper assured her but allowed their mother to check them over, knowing his fight had caused her alarm. Alice glanced at the group surrounding them and suddenly her brow furrowed.

"What is it sweetheart?" Jasper asked, feeling the change in her emotions.

"Brandon," Alice murmured. "Where is Brandon? I can't sense him anywhere in the house."

"He isn't here," Edward added, checking for Brandon's thoughts.

"Did he go to the cottage with you?" Alice asked as she turned to look at Esme.

"No," Esme frowned. "He wasn't in the forest with us all either."

"Check your visions sweetheart," Jasper said urgently. Alice looked quickly for Brandon but everything associated with him was vague and hazy and her eyes went wide as she looked up at Edward, knowing he had seen her visions too.

"Maybe he is on Quileute land?" Edward suggested. "That looked a little like what you see of Nessie if she is just over the line."

"I'll call Jacob," Renesmee said quickly and rushed off to the phone. It was only moments later that she returned and she shook her head sadly.

"The pack have been patrolling all day," Renesmee told them all. "They picked up two strange vampire scents last night. But they haven't seen or sensed Brandon anywhere. Jacob has alerted the pack and they will let us know if they see him."

"Who has seen him today?" Carlisle asked firmly.

"I saw him this morning," Sierra whispered, her fear and sadness flooding the room as she thought about her big brother. "We had some breakfast together before I went hunting with Oliver and Stella."

"I spoke to him around mid-morning," Angel added. "He was out by the pond."

"Has anyone seen him since then?" Carlisle prodded. Everyone was silent and Jasper let out a groan.

"It is nearly sunset," Jasper sighed. "He could have been missing for hours."

"If he isn't on Quileute land why can't Mom see him in her visions?" Sierra asked softly.

"He could be trying to block Alice out for some reason," Carlisle suggested.

"No, I don't think it is Brandon blocking me," Alice frowned. "None of my children have ever been successful blocking me. It would be like Jazz trying to. I am too tuned into them for it to work."

"Well if he isn't blocking you and he isn't on Quileute land why are your visions hazy?" Rosalie asked as she looked at Alice.

"Someone else has to be blocking them," Alice sighed.

"But who?" Jasper asked in frustration.

"Nessie said the wolves picked up two strange vampire scents last night," Edward murmured and turned to his daughter. "One would have been Eric, but who was the other one? Did Jacob give you any more details?"

"That's all he said," Renesmee replied.

"We need to find out more about these scents," Jasper decided and jumped to his feet. "We need to go speak to Jacob."

"The pack are patrolling, they are deep in their lands," Bella pointed out. "We can't cross the treaty line."

"This is my son!" Jasper growled. "An imaginary line will not stop me finding him!"

"Jasper, we know," Carlisle said quickly. "But we can speak to Jacob without violating the treaty. Nessie, could you call Jacob again and ask him to come see us immediately."

"Of course," Renesmee nodded and rushed out of the room again.

"Sweetheart, check your visions again," Jasper urged Alice as he sat back down beside her and then looked up at Oliver. "Oliver, check yours too."

"I'm not seeing anything," Oliver sighed.

"And I'm still not seeing much," Alice added with a huff of frustration. "I can see Brandon's face but everything else is hazy. I can't see where he is or who he is with. I can't even tell how far away he is."

"Jacob is on his way," Renesmee announced as she raced back into the room. "He won't be long. Sam and Jacob had already worked out you would probably want more details about the scents they had picked up, Jacob and Seth are on their way here now."

"Good," Edward smiled at his daughter.

"And of course I can't see what they are going to tell us because they are wolves," Alice mumbled in frustration.

"They won't be long sweetheart," Jasper assured her when he felt her frustration and fear and took her hand in his and tried to send her as much calmness as he could.

"Jazz, don't," Alice snapped lightly but didn't pull her hand from his. "I don't want to be calm right now."

"I'm sorry sweetheart," Jasper sighed and reined in his waves immediately.

"Eww, they're close, I can smell them," Rosalie grumbled and crinkled her nose as the smell of the wolves started to fill the air.

"Just outside," Edward nodded, seeing Jacob and Seth's thoughts. Renesmee rushed to the front door and pulled it open just as Jacob and Seth climbed the stairs to the front porch.

"Come in, please," Renesmee said quickly as she stepped back and Jacob and Seth rushed into the house.

"Tell us more about these scents," Jasper demanded as he jumped to his feet again, not wasting any time with any formalities.

"I picked up the first one to the south early yesterday evening," Seth explained. "It was a male vampire. One not known to me. He only came two miles onto our land and then turned and headed towards the east. He headed off our land and away from this area so we didn't track him past the line."

"That would have been Eric," Edward sighed. "He came from the east today."

"Yes, he did," Oliver nodded. He had seen a clear vision when his father had been approaching and had known he was coming from the east.

"There is a new vampire here?" Jacob frowned and glanced around. "I thought we had agreed you would inform us before any visitors came."

"He wasn't a welcome or invited visitor," Jasper growled. "And he has been taken care of."

"Good," Jacob grinned.

"What about the other scent?" Alice pushed. "Was that picked up in the same area?"

"No," Jacob sighed. "Leah picked up the scent in the early hours of this morning. Opposite side of our land to where Seth tracked the male vampire. It was a female vampire. She was over the treaty line so Leah didn't investigate it further."

"On our side of the line?" Alice whispered.

"Yes," Seth nodded solemnly. "Leah assumed it was a friend of yours."

"We have had no visitors today," Carlisle sighed.

"Leah didn't recognise the scent?" Jackson asked.

"No, it was unfamiliar to her," Jacob replied. "And she shared it with us. We didn't recognise it either."

"What would this female stranger want with Brandon?" Alice whispered.

"It was definitely a female vampire?" Sierra asked in such a soft voice if they hadn't all had perfect vampire and wolf hearing they wouldn't have heard her.

"Definitely a female vampire," Jacob nodded.

"I think I might know who she is," Sierra whispered. "Well, not personally, but I think Brandon might have told me about her."

"What did he tell you?" Jasper asked.

"That he had met a female vampire he really liked," Sierra murmured. "She's a nomad, a traditional vampire but he said she was really sweet.

"Why didn't you tell us straight away!" Jasper roared angrily.

"I promised him I would keep it a secret," Sierra whimpered and glanced at Angel but didn't want to betray all her brother's secrets. "He was a little sad about a few things, I just wanted him to be happy again. I thought she would make him happy again. I didn't want to spoil it."

"Well, tell us more about her," Alice demanded. "Who is she? Where is she?"

"I don't know where she is," Sierra sighed. "All I know is Brandon would meet with her in the forest somewhere."

"Why didn't I see any of this," Alice groaned.

"I guess we are better hiding things from you than you thought," Sierra whispered.

"Do you know who she is?" Jasper demanded. "A name? Anything about her?"

"All Brandon told me was that her name is Candice," Sierra replied.

"Candice," Carlisle murmured, not associating the name with anyone he knew of.

"Oh no!" Alice gasped as she slumped back in her chair, her eyes glazed over. "Oh Brandon, no!"

"Alice, sweetheart, what is it?" Jasper asked in alarm.

"Knowing a bit more about this girl has cleared the haze in her visions," Edward explained quickly. "She can see Brandon clearly now and he has run off with this girl."

"Oh Jazz," Alice moaned and as soon as her eyes had clear she looked up at him and he could feel her terror and fear flood him. "Brandon is in terrible danger."

"Why?" Jasper growled.

"This girl," Alice sobbed as she grabbed Jasper. "Her name isn't Candice…"

"It's Maria," Edward finished for her as Alice crumpled into Jasper's arms.