Author's Note: I'm laboring to get this monstrosity finished before I become so busy in June! Have no fear, my faithful readers, I shall end this story soon! Only a few more chapters to go. Although I'll probably have a Part Five, there will not be seven chapters in it.

This chapter (though I hate to spoil it) answers a point one of my reviewers made: Tanya would not just say 'call me' and run off. Yes, she would, and there's a good explanation for it, as you'll see. ;) I'm really going to be dancing on my toes after this ch. Now I have nearly five different sections of the vampire index to balance! Fun, fun, fun!

Enjoy, and PLEASE REVIEW. Spread the word, tell your friends, encourage people to read it! I love you all!

Thanks!

31. Family Ties

I was sitting with Irina, on our back porch that overlooked the Denali National Park. My sister was curled up on the gently swinging glider, her knees drawn up to her chest, her eyes bleakly looking out over the landscape. The crisp breeze tousled both our locks, my strawberry blond ones mingling with her silver.

I slid closer to her and put my arm around her fragile shoulders. "Darling, it's going to be all right." Irina glared at me from within her misery, but said nothing. "I know you may not see it now, but we'll get you through this." She turned away, and I shook her lightly till she paid attention to me. "We're your family, Irina. We will always be here for you, you know?"

"I know, Tanya," she whispered, shrugging me off her. "But just leave me alone."

"No," I growled, "I will not leave you alone. You've been alone too long."

"Look who's talking," she retorted, her icy eyes flaming. "Since when have you been an expert on heartbreak, Tanya?"

Taken aback by the insult about my vacant love life, I let go of her. I had never found a mate to spend my life with, and Irina was usually very sympathetic to my loneliness. I tried not to let the remark sting-- my sister had a raw hurt, the loss of her own mate, eating at her --and forged on in my mission to console her.

"I can see you're alone, Irina. I don't need a personal heartbreak to know that. I'm rather observant at times. Carmen, Eleazer, and Kate are worried about you." When she didn't react I leaned over and put both my arms around her, burying my face in her hair. "I'm so worried about you, dear," I murmured. "I am so sorry about Laurent."

"Please, just go," she begged me, her voice tight.

Stifling a sigh, I moved off the swing and went to the sliding glass doors, my hand on the cold metal frame. Irina didn't want consolation, not now. I loved her, and wanted to help her, but she didn't want my help. As my family's leader I felt obligated to take care of my sisters, and our newest members, Carmen and Eleazer. Irina was one of the people that had been with me and Kate for time out of mind, and now, I was powerless to comfort her. It made me feel worthless, helpless; I never like that feeling.

"Carlisle," I muttered, "what would you do? How can I make her see she needs to move on?" And where are you? I thought desolately.

"Tanya!" called Kate, from within our house. "Phone!"

Casting one glance back at Irina, I pulled open the door and took the cordless phone from my sister. "Hello?" My voice was tired.

"Yes, is this Tanya?" It was an unfamiliar woman's voice, Irish, from what I could tell. Immediately I knew she was a vampire; her bell-like tones were too pleasing to be human.

Frowning, Kate and I shared a look. Who called us but the Cullens? "It is, who is this?"

"My name is Siobhan, I'm a friend of Carlisle."

"Carlisle! Do you know where he is?" I didn't even stop to think, not after I heard his name. "How is he?"

"I'm afraid I don't know how he is," said Siobhan, "but I do know where. Unfortunately."

Unfortunately? "What do you mean?"

"How to explain? Well, let me start with the priority. Do you know a vampire by the name of Victoria?"

Behind me, I heard Irina suck in breath. Victoria, that red-haired nomad, had been the one to deliver the news to Irina about Laurent's death. My first impression of her had been unpleasant; I had judged her by the choatic tangles of her hair, and her defensively feline posture. "I know a woman by that name." I hesitated. "Why?"

"I've been told through Alice Cullen that a nomad by the name of Victoria is an ally of Adelaide, another nomad. This Adelaide has been hostile towards all the vampires in Ireland, and now..." Siobhan left off, as tentative as I was.

"Now?" I prompted. Kate was at my shoulder, her ear pressed to the phone.

"She has Carlisle."

What? What did this woman mean? What was she talking about? And how could we ever discuss it all over the phone? "Okay, I don't understand, Siobhan. Who is Adelaide, and what is she doing to Carlisle, and why are you calling us?"

"I'm calling you to get more information on Adelaide, but it appears you know as little about her as we do."

"I've never heard of her in my life," I declared. "I'm vaguely acquainted with Victoria, but we aren't chums."

"I see. Secondly, I was calling to see if you might be interested in helping us save Carlisle."

"I am so confused! Save him from what?"

"Like I said, we don't know," said Siobhan patiently. "We know that Adelaide has Carlisle and Rosalie--"

"Rosalie, too?" Good heavens, what were we dealing with, here?

"And she's heading into France. Alice sees her crossing into Italy at some point--if we don't stop her."

Italy. There was one reason a vampire would travel to Italy. I felt myself grow colder. "She's Volturi?" I asked, turning pale. "She's Volturi, and she's taking Carlisle--"

"No, no, she's not Volturi," cut in Siobhan brusquely. "Her actions would never be condoned by the Volturi. She's murdered nine vampires in less than a month. Not to mention she created an immortal--"

Kate, Irina, and I all shrieked in unison, drowning out the Irish woman's last word.

"She hasn't!" hissed Kate. "She couldn't have!"

"We mustn't be involved!" cried Irina. "The Volturi would know!"

"Carlisle! What has he got to do with this?" I yelled into the mouthpiece.

"Please, calm down!" exclaimed Siobhan, perturbed by our overreaction. "We haven't got much time to discuss! Are you willing to come to France or not?"

"I--" I couldn't speak. An immortal child was on the loose! Carlisle was being thrown in with some disreputable people, and I didn't know why. "Where are the other Cullens?"

I already knew the answer. "In France, naturally, tracking Adelaide and her men."

"Her men?" Kate was growing more irate by the second.

"Just how many vampires are with this nomad?" I queried, hand on hip.

"We've estimated about six, give or take one."

"How many are in your coven?"

"Two, not counting me."

"So, if we came to France, we'd even your numbers to--" it took me three seconds to calculate "Ten. Those are good odds."

"Well, nine."

"No, there's five Cullens, without Carlisle and Rose." It took a minute for it to sink in. "Do you mean to tell me that another Cullen is missing?"

"Jasper's gone," Siobhan grimly replied. "Along with Edward's sweetheart, Bella."

"The human girl," I breathed. "Jasper and the human girl are gone. I'll bet Edward's in a fould mood."

"He's been a good leader, so far. We're just now meeting to join forces. Can we count on your coven?"

"No, Tanya," protested Irina. "Immortal children are trouble."

"But you know what we said," I argued. "We agreed to help if Jasper or anyone called us. This counts as a Cullen calling."

With an odd glint in her eye, Kate nodded. "I second the motion."

"We would be endangering our whole family!"

"Irina, the Cullens are family, too. They're in danger; they need us. The only reason I didn't volunteer before was because--" I didn't finish, seeing the pain in my sister's eyes. I had not promised Jasper solid help because I had suspected werewolves were somehow th cause of tension. If werewolves had been in the mix, I would have refused, due to Irina's grudge against them. Laurent, who had nearly been Irina's mate, had been murdered by some Quileute indian wolves right across from the Cullen's territory. The Cullens had been away at the time, and had been unaware of Irina's attachment. They couldn't have stopped Laurent's death, but there were still hard feelings on Irina's side of the relationship.

So I had been sketchy when offering Jasper help, telling him to call us if his family needed anything. Now that I realized the Quileutes weren't in the plan, I was ready to come to my family's aid.

"I can't speak for my sisters," I said to Siobhan, "but I can say for myself that I am taking the next plane out to France. Is Paris fine?"

"You might be better securing a private flight, if you can, and land on the border between France and Ireland. We think they're still close to the edge, maybe Le Havre."

"I'll see if I can arrange it."

"Tanya," Irina clutched my arm, "we can't go!"

I pried her off as nicely as I could. "We don't have to, but I am."

"Then I am too," said Kate.

It was best that Carmen and Eleazer were gone on a hunting trip; I would't feel as guilty taking only Kate with me into a fight. "Let's go, we have to hurry."

"Tanya!" Pitifully, Irina grabbed at my sleeve, needy, now that I was leaving. "Tanya, I'm begging you not to do this."

"I am going, Irina. Carlisle is my dearest friend."

"Is he more dear to you than me?"

I looked into her scared amber eyes, and my heart felt sore. "You look after Carmen and Eleazer for me, yes?" I kissed her on the cheek as Kate dashed to the Volvo. "Goodbye, Irina."

"I love you!" she called feebly, running after me. "I love you, my sisters!"

"We love you too!" we screamed back, slamming our doors and taking off.

"Oh, I hate to leave her like that," I fretted, watching her frail figure in the rear-view mirror.

Kate was relentless, her usual stubborn, fiery self. "You said it yourself, Tanya." She swept her hair into a conventional pony tail, removing it from her eyes in anticpation of combat. "Carlisle's family. And we from Denali always protect our family."

"Always," I repeated.