Chapter 37: Unleavable

"You didn't phase," I said with a satisfied smile curling in as close as I could to his hot flesh.

His chest heaved with an enormous breath, "I know." His dreamy voice filled the air around us, "First time," he yawned, "I guess I don't need to anymore. You can protect yourself."

My mind chewed on the thought. "You really phase just to protect me?"
"Well, not just you," he said through closed eyes, "All humans, but I guess you aren't really human anymore are you?"

"I guess not," I said thoughtfully. "You're still my knight in shining armor though, right?," I said with a mocking grin.

"Whatever, Ness," he piped through another yawn. "Its nice not going all wolf on you, its almost like we're normal," he said with a sleepy chuckle.

I couldn't help but laugh, "Yeah normal," I rolled my eyes. I replayed the scene in my mind, the heat and flush and how soft my skin had felt in the throws of passion-- despite my disbelief, I could some what relate, it did feel kinda normal. I shook my head, annoyed with myself, like I had any idea what normal was.

Jake's soft snores filled the night air. I stared up at the moon. Her shining face glowed down on me. I watched as a falling star streaked across from the other side of the universe. I closed my eyes and took in hefty breaths of the fresh pine air. I pushed back the voices carried on the winds, trying to force myself into a peaceful state so that I could join Jacob in calm relaxation. His skin was still pulsing with heat. I lost myself the comforting beat of his heart, letting it lull me into serenity.

"Nessie! We need you!" Alice's chiming voice screamed through the stillness. I jumped up, listening closely, but I knew that I didn't imagine it. I knew that I had heard her.

"Jake, Jake! Wake up, we gotta go, now!" I shook his arm a bit too hard in my haste.

"Geez, Ness, what is it, are you okay?" he said groggily climbing to his feet to retrieve his clothes.

"I'm fine, its Alice, she's calling me." My eyes fluttered around anxiously.

"What do you mean, calling you?" he said, sloppily getting his pants on.

"I can hear her voice, in my head, clear as day, come on, we have to go! What if its the twins?" I cried as I threw my clothes easily back on.

"Oh God, come on, Ness," and Jake bolted through the trees ahead of me toward the house. I sped off after him, easily overtaking him. I came swiftly up behind him. "Just go," he shouted, "I'll catch up."

I closed my eyes and willed myself through the sea of trees, into the house and up the stairs, instantly appearing in front of my Aunt. Her face twisted in surprise and angst. The post-vision haze was just lifting from her body. "That was fast," she said blinking.

"New powers," I said quickly, "Now, what's going on? Is it the babies?" the intensity and fear made my voice sound foreign. I barely recognized it.

"Calm down, Ness," Alice's dainty hands felt like butterflies landing on my shoulders. Her exquisite features focused themselves into a calm expression forcing me to lock into her swirling amber eyes. I could smell fresh blood on her, she had fed recently. Animal blood was so grotesquely different from humans. It was hard for me to believe that I had ever fed on them. "You have to go, there isn't much time."

"Go? Go where?" I demanded.

David burst through the door, I had never seen him so rattled. His normally perfect hair tossed in several unkempt directions and I think I may have spotted a wrinkle in his usually crisp white shirt. "Swiftly young one, there isn't much time. Marius has summoned me. I hope that he hasn't called to any of the others. I hope that none of the others heard his cry to me. We must go, if you want your family to survive, we must go now." He seemed out of breath and his easy composure was suddenly lost in the pain riddling his face. All I could do was stare blankly at him. I couldn't focus. My head surged with alien fear.

"But, what about the babies?" I whispered. Jake bounded into the room along with the rest of my family.

"What the hell's going on?" Jake said, panting.

"Jake," Alice said calmly, "Nessie has to go with David, they have to get to Marius, and fast. Cauis sent Demitri to track down Athenadora. Demitri caught the last of her scent not far from here. The Volturi knows that David is with us, they may even know about Nessie. Aro's going to kill Marius."

Jake's arms rushed around me like a forest fire engulfing dead brush. "Not without me, she's not going any where with out me!" Jake roared protectively.

David approached Jake, apprehensively without threatening his space, and in a motion of submission, "Jacob, she is well protected, she is more than capable of defending herself." His tone was not accusatory. His gentle voice sought to ease Jake's fears.

Jake was now frantic, unwilling to listen to any one. His mind struggled with wanting to tear David limb from limb and wanting to protect me. His chest heaved and his pulse quickened in distress. "Nessie! Tell him, you tell him that you're not going anywhere without me," he said fiercely, stepping away from me.

"Jake, the babies," I whispered, the tears burning sharply into my vision. "We can't leave them without parents," I didn't want to say it, but it was the only way. I knew he couldn't come with us. My heart shattered at the thought. "What if we don't make it back? Who will raise our children?"

"That's bullshit Nessie! We'll come back and... and Esme and Rose can take care of the twins while we're gone, just till we get back," his confidence was beginning to falter. Just like he couldn't chose between me and the pack, he couldn't choose between me and our children-- we were equally important.

"Jake," I said softly, not wanting to meet his gaze, "if we don't make it back... " I didn't even want to think it, let alone say it, "If we don't make it back, it will be because we failed, and if we fail, Maharet will destroy the Volturi and most likely the fount..."

Jake's eyes bulged and Alice's face darkened against the light of the room, "Jake, you have to stay, if they don't fix this, we will all die." Alice said with an eerie tone of premonition.

Jake was at a lost for words, his face was strange and broken, the tears streamed freely down his face, his hands began a familiar twitch.

"Jake, I love you, and I need you to stay with them. I need you to keep our children safe. David and I will go."

"You're not going without us!" my father's voice boomed taking on a tone of authority I rarely heard. I could hear Jasper's mind working tirelessly to facilitate the situation and send out the right emotions, but strangely, I didn't feel the effects of his efforts. My eyebrows knotted and my jaw clenched as I scanned the room searching the faces and minds of the vampires rallying in full force, even Esme seemed bound and determine to solidify the fate of the Volturi.

"We have precious little time," Carlisle said intently, "let's not spend it arguing."

"I quite agree," David added, "Nessie and I will be able to take two of you with us," he said staring at me cautiously, "That is, if you think you can handle the cloud gift."

I nodded, pushing the fear back into the mouth of the monster inside of me, this was no time for self doubt, I had her blood. I only needed to have the confidence or the insanity to use it.

"So we can take two, but we must leave immediately. The rest can follow by plane," David said, obviously taking the reins.

"Jasper," Alice said quickly, "Plane tickets." He nodded and flew down the stairs.

"Edward and I will accompany David and Nessie," Carlisle said, "Emmett, Jasper, Alice and Bella will follow by flight. They should be able to meet with us by tomorrow night at the latest. Esme and Rose, stay with Jacob and the twins." Everyone seemed okay with this, my father's eyes were searching my mom's. He hated to be separated from her, his thoughts surrounded her protectively as if he were the one that could create the mind blocking shield. Him and Jake were a lot more like each other than either of them cared to admit.

I threw myself into Jake's arms, he was still stiff and fighting back the change. "Its okay, baby. I can handle this I problem. Thank you for staying, thank you for not phasing on me right now, I know its hard, but our children need their father right now." He nodded, wiping the tears from his face, forcing himself to regain composure.

He squeezed me tight and pulled me close to his face, "Get your ass back here, I can't do this alone. Promise me," he demanded through wet eyes.

"I promise." I said with more confidence than I felt. I knew that I would be coming back, I just didn't know who would be coming back with me. I forced myself to remain steady despite the sudden chill racing down my spine. Unleavable, the voice shouted in my head. I am unleavable. I never thought there would come a day when my family could leave me behind, that I would be wandering this earth alone, without my parents or my grandparents, or any of them. I had relied selfishly throughout my existence on them always being there to protect me... no matter what. I'd be damned if I was going to let the Volturi rob me of that security. I felt a great anger growing within me. Only now, it was controlled, it lay waiting for the right time, no more tantrums, only a source of emotion more powerful than the crashing ocean. Swirling tidal waves of luscious red fueled by golden veins filled my mind. I felt a heat, and inner fire that could not be contained. A bolt of energy surged within me, the power of her blood raged in streams of flowing hot lava spilling from the mouth of my inner mountain. My family would not suffer for the cruelty and vanity of the Volturi, I would not allow it.

"Got 'em!" I heard Jasper's voice call from downstairs. "We leave at 6:00am and that puts us into Italy around 10:30pm."

"Perfect," David said, "Nessie, are you sure you're up to this?"

I nodded, "I can do it. I'm going to say goodbye to the twins and then we can go."

I flashed into the Nursery. Their tiny bodies were cuddled up together wrapped in baby blankets. Cold bloody tears gushed down my face. I reached my hands under the plastic shield to stroke their newborn skin. They were so unbelievable fragile. I wondered how my rock hard hands felt on their flesh. I pulled back not wanting to be causing them any pain. I peered into their angelic faces as they slept so peacefully while the world around them was threatening to crumble. I allowed myself a couple more minutes of heartfelt sobbing.

"I love you two," I whispered gently, "and I promise I will be back for you." I sat quivering, unable to take my eyes off them. I was so scared that the miracle before me would some how vanish in my absence.

I heard David exaggerated foot steps fall out side the door. "Nessie, I'm sorry, but we have to go now." I fought back the choking sobs that threatened to strangle me with the fear of never seeing my beautiful children again. I took a hard swallow, gulping down the pain. It took everything I had to tear myself out of the room. I walked at human speed out the door, leaving it open so that I could look back over my shoulder at the two most important things in my life one last time before descending into the pit of proverbial hell.