I have the Block so bad it hurts! But this chapter was a bit of easy release for me, so it's a little earlier in the story than planned. I'm sure you won't hate me too much for that though.


Interlude: An Empty Nest

Carlisle

"Dr Cullen?" I raised my head slowly to greet Beth, the elderly nurse standing in the doorway of my office.

"Yes, Beth?"

"Your daughter is here to see you. Would you like me to send her in?"

"Yes of course, please do. Thank you" I rose quickly when she left, eager to see the only one of my four "daughters" who would ever possibly visit me now.

She skipped in as she always did with a smile not as sincere as it used to be, and leapt into my arms, wrapping hers around my neck. I held her tight in my embrace, revelling in her familiar scent.

"Oh Alice, I have missed you." She pulled away, keeping her arms around my neck as I held her level to me; she stared into my eyes and planted a gentle kiss on the tip of my nose.

"I've missed you too. How are you?" I took a deep breath and gazed into my daughter's pained eyes.

"I'm alright, Alice." I placed her onto her feet and returned to the large chair behind my desk. Alice followed, dropping down on the arm and leaning her little head on my shoulder. "And you? Where is Jasper?"

"He went straight to the house. You know he'd struggle here." Yes, a hospital is a hive for emotion, something that would make Jasper uncomfortable. The fact Alice had bypassed my question of how she was did not go unnoticed, but I would not pry.

"Oh, Esme will be so happy to see him." Alice giggled beside me and I felt a pang of bittersweet joy at the sound.

"Yes, she will be. I stopped watching after I foresaw her shock, adoration, sympathy and excitement. Poor Jazz may have been better off here after all." I laughed along with her, before we both drifted into a peaceful silence; just thinking, and relishing in each others company. It was February now, five long, painful months since the Cullen family, our family, fell apart.

"Have you heard from the others?" Alice squirmed, wriggling her little body closer to mine.

"Yes, I keep my eye on them and when it's possible to catch up with them, we go." Her voice was barely a whisper in my ear, and the pain it demonstrated forced me to pull her closer into my embrace. "I just wish it was over Carlisle." I felt as gentle sob shook through her frame. "I wish we were all together again. I wish I didn't have to see them all in such pain, and Jazz, he hurts too, so much."

If Alice was tortured by the future, and the pain it held for her family, then it was the past that was my constant tormentor.

{--}

Bella had returned last from her search, clutching Renesmee's necklace and a crumpled note.

We each read it as Bella screeched and twisted in Edward's frozen arms.

Esme had sobbed. She cried uncontrollably for our granddaughter, for each of us, who would feel her absence so strongly.

Alice, little Alice had just murmured desperate apologies as she moved around each of us. She blamed herself for not being able to see this, not being able to help or stop it.

When Jacob read it he just ran; not looking back or hesitating.

Rosalie had screamed, cursed and seethed. She tore through the house, ripping doors from hinges, punching walls and shouting until Emmett had encased her in his embrace, and her aggression had dissolved into despair.

Jasper had slid down the wall, leaning against it as he dropped to the floor. In that moment his composure, the stature he carried from his life as a soldier seemed to vanish, and he was broken. He held Alice when she curled up against his chest, continuing to murmur her apologies for not having the ability to keep this from happening, to prevent him from feeling all this pain.

"Emmet," Edward has snapped from his vacant revere. The man who stood before me now, cradling his wife, speaking to his brother with an expressionless, frozen exterior was one I barely recognized. "You and Rose go to Forks, look for her there. If she's not there then you keep looking. Anywhere and everywhere, do you understand me?" Emmett nodded. He looked weak and helpless as he stood beside Rose. "Alice, you and Jasper should try everyone we know. Anybody you can think of that may be able to help. Then Alice, you'll have to keep an eye on what you can see for us, if you see anything you let us know." Alice nodded too, and Jasper lifted her gently to her feet. "Carlisle," I took a deep breath, and Esme's grip on my shirt tightened, she already knew what I must do. "I think you should go to Italy. We cannot involve the Volturi in this, it's too dangerous, but perhaps you may be able to do something. And I need you to help me locate Alistair, we need his help."

"I cannot do that, Edward." Esme dropped a gentle kiss on my shoulder and fell closer into my embrace, offering me strength.

"What?" All eyes were on me. Each of my children gathered before me; questioning.

"She left. It was her choice, one I must respect." A sob came from Alice and a furious gasp from Rosalie. I kept my eyes with Edward's, attempting to structure my thoughts so that he may understand my reasoning.

"She's seven years old, Carlisle! She's a child! She belongs here with us!" Rose shrieked. Emmett appeared torn as he held her tightly in is arms.

"Renesmee is no child Rosalie, you know that. She never really was. And this note … the things she knows, she needs to process them. Renesmee needs to become her own person, not be dragged back here by us."

"She's not your daughter Carlisle, she's mine!" Edward's jaw remained tight, his eyes furious as he hissed his words.

"Then you should go after her, Edward. I cannot."

With no more words, no goodbyes, they left. Edward wouldn't even look at me, Bella looked hurt beyond comprehension. Rose was furious; she flew from the house without a glance over her shoulder. Emmett hesitated, not sure what to do or say before he left. Alice had hugged us and Jasper nodded a silent goodbye.

Then they were all gone.

{--}

I was pulled from my thoughts when Alice's body leapt a little beside me. I turned to find her expression fixed in the way it did when she saw the future. When it passed she straightened further, panic gripping her tiny features.

"Alice? What is it?" She jumped to her feet, her eyes wide in terror. "Alice, what's wrong?"

{--}

Esme

Even in my stillness I felt shaky. I stood perfectly frozen, as I did each day, but something inside me still quaked, a nervous, pained tremor.

Carlisle had left for work just seconds ago, or minutes, or hours, I wasn't sure. I was never sure until the Juneau sky fell dark and he would come home, that's when he'd hold me, that's when I could breathe again.

This house was not a home anymore. This building that I'd put my heart into, made perfect, held no appeal without my babies. It frightened me with its emptiness. So each day I stayed pressed in the far corner of the entrance hall just waiting. Waiting for something that may never happen; for them all to come home.

The unfamiliar and unwelcome silence of the building was altered only by the sounds from outside. The wind blew through the trees that stood tall and plentiful all around the property. In the distance the sounds of the forest changed. The leaves that still blanketed the ground were being disturbed as something rapid flew over them. My body jumped at the sound.

I raced to the front door, throwing it open and standing again to listen. The sound, to me, was unmistakable. Carlisle wouldn't run home, he had his car. This had to be one of the others come back. Though I wanted to race towards the sound my body felt too heavy to move, freezing me to the spot. So I waited.

I felt the bubble of happiness rise and explode inside me as he came from the trees and I flew towards him, leaping up to wrap my arms around his neck.

"Jasper! Oh, it's really you!" He chuckled, his greeting the refreshing sense of calm that washed over me. I pulled away and brought my hands to his cheeks, scrutinising every inch of his beautiful face. He smiled. I'd always get a feeling, like a jolt of electricity to my still heart whenever Jasper smiled. I stared deep into his topaz eyes; revelling in the sight of them. The fear of what the past few months would do to Jasper, what would happen to him, had been something that had at times, become overpowering in my separation from him.

He looked up to the house; the last time he'd been here was the day after Renesmee disappeared. The sadness that drew quickly across his features tore me inside. Jasper felt it and forced a smile before leading me inside. I suddenly felt ashamed at how I had allowed the place to become so cold and unwelcoming. I should have kept it a home for him, for all of them, so that they may return and be safe whenever they wish. Again, Jasper sensed my distress and I felt immediately soothed. He stood in the entrance hall, his eyes surveying all around as though he hadn't been here in centuries.

He was so quiet. I'd often considered what a blessing and a curse it would be to hear Jasper's thoughts as Edward could. Sometimes I wished I knew what he was thinking, if he needed me to help him or talk to him. But then hearing his thoughts I know, would mean knowing more of Jasper's past, something he rarely let me into. And I know that the knowledge of the darkness Jasper has seen in his life would break my heart.

"It's …. Strange, being here." Despite the elusiveness of his words, the sound of his voice sent another wave of crushing joy through me. Though Jasper may deal with the emotions of others every day, he so often struggles when it comes to verbalising is own. He turned to me, and I nodded for him to continue, prepared as always, just to listen to him. "It feels so very long ago we were all together." My insides wrenched. Since Renesmee's birth Jasper had changed, especially at home. He'd once told me the way in which Renesmee loved each of us, loved him, so powerfully, shocked him at times. But the way in which he'd found himself adoring her had shocked him more. I cannot imagine what her departure may have meant to him.

I watched him, stood tall and straight. A sincere smile passed his lips and he turned to look at me again. "I've missed you, Esme. I'd forgotten how good it feels to have a mother's love." He smiled wider and the relief and happiness I felt was overwhelming.

His nostrils flared and his eyes grew narrow, his face contorting into a snarl as he seized my wrist and brought me to stand behind him.

"Jasper! Wh- ?" I stopped when I caught the scent on the evening breeze. Jasper's body crouched low and protective directly before me as he stared down the driveway, his breath heavy and rapid.

They appeared quickly, before moving in a purposeful and slow stroll towards us. Jasper was seething. While one hand was clenched into a fist at his side the other held me behind him, I could feel him tense, almost shaking with anger at the threat of this intrusion. I reached my hand to his shoulder.

"Shh, Jasper. Calm down, we cannot know why they are here until we have talked to them." This meeting had to remain civil, and I had to keep Jasper calm. I could not bear it if some altercation occurred and he got hurt. He didn't move, so I slid around him, not succeeding in shaking his grip from around my wrist. Instead he kept the contact, and walked close beside me towards the door.

"Jane, Felix, Demetri; to what do we owe the pleasure?"


Gotta love Momma & Poppa Cullen.

Peace, Love & Reviews!