DISCLAIMER: SM owns all Twilight settings and characters. No copyright infringement intended.

WARNING: This chapter contains no graphic violence, no suicidal thoughts, no Edward angst and...okay there is still a little angst.

Carlisle's POV

I breathed in my wife's scent deeply; my nose sliding threw her hair. Cupping her head in my hands my fingers slid through her caramel locks trapping her under my tender ministering. I slowly applied kisses to every part of her face from her lips to the part in her hair, before starting all over again. I felt her hands along my back, pulling me to her, the strength of her grip communicating her need to be held, not in the gentle embrace that was part of our daily routine, but tightly, painfully so, as if my crushing grip could squeeze away her sorrow.

The terror over our misunderstanding of Alice's vision had gradually subsided but it had taken almost a week for Esme to regain some control over her volatile emotional breakdowns. Just the thought of Edward's misery would send Esme into a whole new round of hiccupping gasping sobs. Initially she sought comfort from Rosalie or Carmen, banning me from our bedroom, her displeasure over my refusal to consider a rescue attempt, a blow to her confidence in me. But eventually through the cajoling of others, she conceded that it was wrong to blame me for our son's misfortune and welcomed me back with a ferocious passion.

This didn't alleviate my own guilt over my failure to come up with a solution to Edward's situation and the pain I experienced though less vocal than Esme, was certainly just as raw. Alice no longer shared her visions with me, relying on Jasper to relay any relevant information to me after the fact. I suspected they were editing much of it. Alice's face revealed too much pain, too much confusion and on occasion, a glimmer of terror, as she lived her brother's future hour by hour.

I had no answers. Edward's specific whereabouts remained a mystery. Jasper had conclusively determined that Edward was indeed in the south presumably being held against his will by a coven, but beyond that we had nothing. Eleazar offered little in the way of wisdom which frightened me almost as much as Alice's visions. He was the most experienced vampire, the oldest and wisest amongst us. Yet he could offer no solution, no suggestion, nothing that could bring Edward back to me.

I wasn't exactly sure when I seized upon the plan that stood little chance of success, but would allow me the opportunity to attempt to intercede in an almost hopeless set of circumstances. Perhaps as I laid with my wife as I did now, holding her body to mine, whispering endearments that sounded hollow and forced as they gushed from my lips, wondering if she could hear the distraction in my voice, the uncertainty that I was even welcomed in her bed, the privilege of holding her even my right to take.

What kind of husband was I that would not even consider the possibility of trying to save our son; or more importantly what kind of father? Even if the coven Edward was with valued him as Jasper seemed to think it did, I knew Edward was not strong enough, could not survive the depravity that motivated their kind. I'd kept him protected from the harsher reality that propagated our species. His self loathing almost a weight he couldn't bear as it was without adding the burden of a validation of his low opinion of us. He never needed proof of our murderous ways, he'd always assumed we were demonic, more the spawn of hell then the children of God.

I had little doubt given his already fragile state over Bella's death, however accidently it might have been, he would not have the wherewithal to survive whatever tribulations were perpetuated on him or come to terms with any atrocities that he was forced to commit. The only hope I still held of ever seeing my son again, involved rescue and any attempts could easily result in the loss of one or more of us, so how could the tradeoff be justifiable?

It couldn't. In the end that was all I could conclude. I could not sacrifice one of my family members to save another. It was ridiculous to even contemplate it. That was why when all things were considered, it was at my feet that the duty lay. I was the patriarch. Edward was my son, my offspring, I had created him and so it was logical to assign the responsibility of rescuing him to me. I had no intention of sacrificing myself, but I would do my best to find my son and bring him home and I would do it alone.

I kissed the top of my wife's head as she snuggled closer. If things went horribly wrong, this could be the last time I held my wife. Ever. As I pulled her to me I desperately wanted to make love to her one last time. Gently, tenderly, like I had in the first days of our marriage when we were both so new to the experience and she, still held in the grip of human memories that she could not let go of, an abusive husband, the third party that occupied our room for the better part of the first half decade of our marriage.

"What are you thinking about, Carlisle?" Esme whispered against my chest.

She appeared to be sucking in my scent as strongly as I did hers. Did she suspect something? Is that why she gripped me like it might be her last time; our last time together?

"Nothing sweetheart. Nothing important. I find I don't have to think when I'm lying here in your arms and it's very soothing, almost restful." I sighed, sliding my hand down the length of her back, stopping just above the curve of her rounded rear end, not wanting to insinuate something I wouldn't have time to finish. I had to leave for my flight in mere minutes.

Esme caught my restraint and snuggled closer if that was possible, doing her best to press herself against me, communicating her willingness by this subtle act. "What time is your shift?" Her fingers slid through my hair, her tongue flicked out against my chin then along my jaw line, her desire evident as she pushed herself against me.

"Soon darling…very soon." I sighed again. There would be no easy way for me to say goodbye, so I would simply have to refrain from doing so. I could feel her body slump against me, her touches no longer suggestive. It wasn't the first time I had abstained from taking my beautiful wife before a shift, but it could be my last time. I wondered if it would be possible to call the hospital and tell them I would be late. But as quickly as I thought of the idea, I discarded it. I was never late for a shift. The suggestion alone would raise suspicious and Esme had already moved on to other thoughts knowing my passion for her was on par with my passion for my work, at least as it pertained to postponement of our lovemaking.

"Have you talked to Alice, has she seen anything else? I can't bear to ask her. I'm not sure I want to know."

I could feel her tremble. It was a question she'd been reluctant to ask of any of us.

"No. I think we thoroughly petrified them the last time, so we will only be finding things out on a need to know basis," I said with a humorless chuckle. I hoped they would use similar discretion when they searched my future.

Suddenly Esme sat up and looked at me suspiciously. "You'd tell me wouldn't you? Tell me if they saw anything…anything bad? I don't care what it is, I want to know."

I sat up as well pulling her face to me, kissing her sweet full lips. "Sweetheart, do you think I would be able to keep it a secret if anything bad happened."

"No, I suppose not." She pulled her face from my hands and buried them in her own; a new round of sobs bubbling from her lips. "Carlisle, I don't think I can do this."

"Do what sweetheart? Please tell me?" I reached for her but she evaded my arms and slid from the bed, floating to the large window that dominated our southern exterior wall.

I moved to join her, my hands on her shoulders and she leaned her body back against mine. "Please tell me Esme, what can't you do?"

"Nothing Carlisle," She replied in a shaky voice, straightening up against me. "I'm just being silly. You need to leave or you'll be late for your shift."

I tried not to feel hurt over her dismissiveness. I would not be able to hold my wife for some time to come so I didn't want to spoil it with petty feelings of rejection. Slowly, still gripping her shoulders, I turned her around to face me and with a finger under her chin, I tilted her face so I could sink into the depths of her mesmerizing eyes one last time before I left.

"Esme, my beautiful wife. I want you to try not to worry. It will be okay. Trust me. Edward, will come home to us. I need you to believe that. Believe it for me."

If she had been mortal, her eyes would have overflowed with tears but lacking the necessary fluids, they instead widened and she blinked rapidly, her throat working as if she were swallowing a sob. She leaned forward, her lips pressing against mine, parting slightly to allow the invasion of my tongue as she sank into me, drawing me to her, her arms encircling my neck, holding me tightly in a deep meaningful embrace.

I felt in her gestures that she suspected something, but I did not reveal my suspicions and allowed my mouth and tongue to sooth her, the gentle kisses doing much to comfort both our tattered hearts. Embracing her tightly and drawing in on one last taste of her delicious mouth, I pulled away and I left her, feeling it might be the last time I would see my wife again.

The house was quiet, dusk just approaching. It was almost too early to be out hunting but I detected no signs of my family or our guests in the house and I could only surmise that the presence of Esme and I and our emotional devastation had finally become too much for Jasper so with the others to support him, they'd left us in our misery seeking relief in the wild expanses of wilderness we were blessed to live in.

I berated the opportunity to bid them a farewell but understood that it was for the best. I could not trust my control and only a slight slip might reveal my intentions to my already watchful and apprehensive family.

As far as we knew, Edward was in or around Mexico City. According to Jasper there were several covens that claimed to have control of the territories surrounding the city, some well established, others invaders from other areas in the south that had been sorely depleted of its natural resources from over hunting. My only hope in finding Edward would be to run across his scent. I would need luck for that. I would also need to avoid other vampires if I had any chance of surviving.

I reached into my coat pocket and touched a large pendant that I'd tucked there earlier. I'd completely forgotten about it during my cuddling with Esme but fortunately she was too caught up in her own grief to detect the obnoxious piece of metal. She knew what it was; I'd shown it to her in the past. It was the Vulturi seal, centuries old, one of the originals crafted by a thirteenth century artesian. The brothers all wore identical pieces. It had been a gift to me twenty years into my stay with the Volturi. Aro hoped it would be viewed as an unspoken desire to have me join them, perhaps not as an equal, but a trusted friend, a scholar, a spiritual advisor. I'd offered to return it when the day came that I left them for the last time, but Aro was insistent that it might serve me one day and he'd always held hope that I might come back to them to stay.

I had not worn it since I'd made my way to the new world, but I would slip it on when I arrived in Mexico City. I wasn't sure how Mexican covens dealt with the Volturi. Would it command respect or ensure a quick execution? Asking Jasper had not been an option. The shield's significance might even be lost on them, certainly the young ones wouldn't know what it was, but it was always possible that I would run across a leader of a coven from the old country who would understand its relationship to the Volturi and perhaps it could save my life.

My car was parked in the garage under the house. It would be quicker to run to the airport; the darkness would hide me from humans even in the most populated areas once I reached the city, but I had to keep up the charade. Esme would notice if I didn't take my car. So I sucked in one final scent of my family, their odor embedded in the furnishings, the air, the walls of the house and I flew down the stairs fighting the pull of my family's conscience. They would not approve.

I was brought up short by six pairs of eyes staring at me through the inky blackness of the unlit garage. My thoughts were on my strategy to navigate through hostile territory so the startling presence of vampires in the lower level of the house caused an involuntary hiss to escape from my lips.

"Whoa there tough guy, save some of that aggression for those vampires in Mexico." Emmett's good natured taunt was met with groans from the others.

The garage was suddenly flooded with light, the faces of my family and friends revealing a mixture of amusement, disappointment and pain, the dominate emotion depending on who's face it happened to be on. I was speechless.

"You really don't have Edward's skill when it comes to deceiving Alice," Rosalie said, contemptuously.

"Nope, been monitoring you for two days, Carlisle. You are only a minute late," Alice chirped.

I knew my mouth was hanging open as I looked from one face to the other finally resting on Eleazar who was smirking at me.

"Honestly Carlisle. What exactly did you think you were going to do by yourself that would be almost impossible to accomplish with all eight of us." He said dryly. "You haven't acquired any new gifts since last I saw you."

"I...I have to do this." I finally managed to choke out, my feelings of shock, gradually replaced with the knowledge that they would try to stop me, keep me from trying to save my son. My family's interference was an obstacle I was not prepared to deal with, but despite all my ramblings about patience, I could not bear one minute more of inactivity.

"It's impossible, Carlisle; not only impossible, suicidal," Jasper said gravely, rubbing his chin, his eyes sympathetic, but his posture uncompromising. "We are not going to let you kill yourself."

"I must do something," I said, sighing, looking into the faces of each one of my children. "Ultimately I am responsible for Edward. I must bring him home. And you are wrong Eleazar. I do bring some gifts with me. I'm not unskilled in negotiations and I have this." I pulled from my pocket, the Volturi crest, the pendant dangling from the heavy gold chain wrapped in my fingers.

Eleazar's eyebrows rose at the sight of it. "And do you think that will protect you from the covens that know nothing of civility or rules."

I shrugged. "That remains to be seen. Perhaps not, but it couldn't hurt."

"Well then perhaps I should go with you." Eleazar reached around his neck and pulled from beneath his shirt an identical pendant. "Aro must have been fond of you to bequeath such a symbol of status to a guest."

He'd served the guard for centuries, I had only been a visitor for decades, never asked to protect and defend the brothers or submit to the whims of them. The fact that we held the same crest suggested a dismissal of the years of loyal service Eleazar had bestowed upon his masters, but if he felt any resentment he hid it well.

"Any connection to the Volturi will undoubtedly get you killed that much faster." Jasper broke in. He too knew the history of that particular pendant and understood my expectation that it might offer me some protection. "These covens understand that the Volturi's presence represent a death sentence. If there is one member of the guard, there will be more. They may run, but not before they kill you."

"Then I'll need to leave this here with you," I said calmly, holding it out to Jasper. Esme would be waiting for me to leave. I needed to proceed with my plan or she would be drawn to investigate.

"Carlisle, enough," Rosalie snapped. "We are not letting you run off half cocked on some wild goose chase that will result in your death."

"That is not your decision to make," I replied, moving past the group of vampires, keys in hand. "I must leave now before…"

"Before Esme finds out? How could you do this to her, Carlisle?" Leave it to Rosalie to slather on the guilt.

"She will not survive the loss of her son." As I attempted to open the car door, I felt Alice's tiny hand on my arm. I looked at her and with great misgivings I asked the question I'd been dreading for the last two days. "What will happen, Alice?"

Surprisingly she smiled. "You aren't going to Mexico, Carlisle, at least not by yourself. You need to let Carmen and Eleazar take the car, we need to go meet Esme."

My perplexed look was greeted by movement from the others. They had a plan already in place. Before I knew what was happening, my keys were removed from my hand and Eleazar was in my car with his mate in the passenger seat, the garage door slowly opening as the engine roared to life.

I watched my friend drive away in my vehicle, flabbergasted by this turn of events. Surely they understood that I did not need my car to get to the airport. And what did Alice mean by meet Esme?

As if she had picked up her brother's talent, she cocked her head, her eyes sparkling in a misplaced sense of mischief. "We have to hurry. We only have thirty two seconds…come."

I was surrounded by my family and they herded me from the garage through the back utility door.

"Wha…at," I tried to ask but was silenced by an annoyed look from Emmett as he pressed his finger to his lips; the universal sign for silence. Obediently I was stilled, the absurdity of the situation, rendering me speechless.

I was even more baffled when we crept along the exterior wall of the house. Had this lunacy been born of Edward's disappearance; was the stress finally taking its toll? What was my family doing?

Finally as we neared the corner of the house, Alice peeked her head around it and motioned me forward. "Now wait right here, Carlisle," she whispered.

As the rest of my family, continued to act like bumbling cat burglars from an old pink panther movie, I stood with my arms crossed, my annoyance growing by the minute. I wasn't sure what game they played, what type of distraction this was, but I had a flight to catch and wasn't going too dissuaded by their shenanigans.

Seconds later, all my questions were answered. I heard the window of our upper floor bedroom slide open and watched astounded, as my wife's feet appeared, hanging over the window sill. Without hesitation, she gracefully propelled herself out of it and landed silently not thirty feet from me, her back slightly turned so she was facing towards the front of the house. I remained quiet, too shocked to utter a sound. She was obviously trying to sneak away, her movements, stealth-like and elusive. I wasn't sure what to make of it, but I could hear Alice's titter and it spurred me to speak.

"Esme, what are you doing?"

She let out a little squeak and spun around seeing me flanked by our children.

"I was…I was…why are you spying on me?" She folded her arms across her chest, matching my own posture, letting a small carryon suitcase fall to the ground.

"Are you going somewhere?" I cocked an eyebrow, studying her outfit, different from what she was wearing only moments before, the answer obvious if I thought to consider the luggage at her feet.

"She's going to rescue Edward," Alice chimed, clapping her hands together, her delight out of place with the circumstances. "The two of you would have been on the same plane together."

As what Alice was saying dawned on me, I saw Esme's eyes widen when she too recognized the connotation of Alice's words.

"Carlisle, aren't you suppose to be at the hospital?" She sounded amazed.

"You were going to go to Mexico. By yourself?" My mouth worked like a fish out of water. The horror of the thought of my darling wife heading to Mexico on her own was almost more than I could grasp. What could she have been thinking? I didn't feel it prudent to ask why she felt the need to pack for a journey to battle southern vampires.

"It appears I should be asking you the same question." Esme's eyes moved to Alice. "Was Carlisle going to Mexico?"

Alice, her loyalties split, had no problem speaking up. "Yes. He's been planning it for two days. It's amazing. You booked the same flight."

I was left without words. I could not begin to contemplate coming home from the hospital to find my wife gone.

"Esme, how could you?" I managed to whisper. But even as I said it I knew it was entirely hypocritical of me. Hadn't I done the same thing, been willing to abandon her, my fate as open ended as my missing son.

"You were going to leave me too, Carlisle. So don't…don't…" My darling wife was crumbling and I rushed forward catching her in my arms as her body sagged against me.

"Oh sweetheart, I'm so sorry." I whispered against her hair, taking in her scent hungrily, as if I'd been away from her for weeks and months, not mere minutes. "I didn't contemplate how you would feel when you found that I'd gone. I only thought of bringing Edward back to you. Please I'm sorry. I should never have considered it."

She sniffled against my shirt, nodding her head. "I'm sorry too Carlisle, but I just can't sit here and do nothing. Not knowing Edward is suffering. I must try to help him."

"And we will…we will, you and I." There was no other option. We couldn't leave each other and we couldn't remain inactive any more. Whatever happened, we would face it together.

I turned still holding Esme tightly. Before I could speak, Jasper held up his hand.

"Carlisle, we know what you are going to say. You are insane for even considering it. Two might be better than one but it still would be no match for the overwhelming numbers of newborns you would face. The only assurance I can give you and I don't need Alice's visions to see it, is that you will both be destroyed so you wouldn't have to live without each other."

Esme whimpered in my arms.

"Jasper, we don't need the specifics, I'm aware of the dangers." I was surprised at how exhausted I felt. "You don't understand because you aren't a parent. His eyebrows went up and I sighed.

"Edward has been with me for ninety plus years and with Esme almost as long. Much longer than human parents and children can ever hope to have a relationship. I believe I considered him my child from the moment I changed him. My feelings for him are that much stronger than any human parent could ever feel for their biological child as our emotions are so much more enhanced than humans. You know that Jasper."

He nodded but I could see I was talking to deaf ears. His mind was made up; all their minds were made up. There was nothing more I could say.

"If we don't come back, you know how to access everything, the money, the property. Everything will belong to you. The only thing we ask, is please try and stay together and please remember who we are, what we believe in, why we formed this family in the first place." Esme had straightened up and was no longer leaning against me. We were partners, we were a team and we would say goodbye as a united pair.

Eleazar and Carmen had joined us and were listening solemnly. But it didn't escape my notice that there was a surprising lack of emotion amongst my children. In fact both Alice and Emmett looked amused and everyone seemed to be waiting for the other to speak.

"Carlisle, it's very admirably of you to risk your lives to save Edward, but there are six of us here that have no intention of letting you do that." Eleazar said calmly, apparently he was completely confident in his ability to restrain us.

I looked at him astounded. "Eleazar, I appreciate your concern but I can assure you…all of you, that you will not dissuade us from going. The decision has been made, we are leaving. We, apparently both have a flight to catch. Now please…"

"We are going with you," Jasper blurted out. His eyes locked with mine then slide to his siblings before resting on Alice. "We've already discussed it and we can see no alternative. Eleazar and Carmen have also agreed to accompany us, though it's not their place, they have no stake in this."

"Wha..at? No..." Esme mumbled. She reached for and clenched my hand.

I found I could not speak. My plans of only minutes before were being modified in a huge way and it didn't appear that we were going to have any say in it.

"There's been a slight change of plans," Eleazar said looking at his wife tenderly.

I felt some relief. I could not bear to have their lives on my head along with my children. Jasper was right, it wasn't their place. "I bear you no ill will. It's as it should be, you are not responsible for Edward." I said, finally finding my voice.

"Let me finish please." Eleazar held up his hand. "I've talked with Tanya; we are all ashamed of our behavior last spring, our failure to help you with the newborns. Our sisters will be here in hours. You'll have to miss your flight, but we can get another in the morning. There will be eleven of us going to Mexico City."

It was then that Esme broke. I felt it in her body, saw it in her face, heard it as a straggled sob escaped between her clenched teeth. I too felt a wave of emotion roll over me, threatening to bring me down. Words would not be enough to express our feelings of gratitude towards the Denali coven, I couldn't even try. Instead I reached out and pulled the surprised Eleazar into a rough embrace, Esme trapped between us.

"Are you sure…are all of you sure." I managed to choke out, looking past the big vampire, to his mate and my children. "The danger is there. You have no obligation to me; I would not think less of you for changing your mind, think of your mates."

My words did cause a reaction as the couples before me glanced uneasily at each other. But it appeared that this decision had been well thought out by all of them and they were prepared for the consequences as almost immediately Jasper turned from Alice back to me.

"No one is backing out. But understand this Carlisle. We are doing this my way. I know the ways of the southern covens, I know their strengths and weaknesses and I know how to survive amongst them." His face was firm, grim, there would be no compromising and considering the risk he and the others were putting themselves in, I felt I had little choice but to concede to him.

I nodded for him to continue, letting Esme slip from my arms as she went to hug Alice and Rosalie, before finally wrapping her arm over Carmen's shoulder

"Do you agree that the most likely way we will find Edward is by stumbling upon his scent?" Jasper said to no one in particular, but all the heads in the room nodded.

"Yes it is possible that Alice may see something that will pinpoint his location, but it's unlikely, so we have to assume that it will be our only way to locate him. The temptation would be to split up. We can cover more territory that way, double, triple, even quadruple the amount of real estate and in the same amount of time, so the more groups we can break up into the more likelihood we will pick up his scent. Agreed?"

All heads in the room nodded again.

"And that is exactly what we are not going to do!" Jasper said harshly. He leveled his gaze on me. The smaller our numbers the more likely we will be confronted and destroyed. The newborn strategy would be to split us up and take us down individually. We are not going to do it for them. We must always stay together, always. No exceptions. Is that understood?"

Again nods, but more hesitantly.

"We will…I will break down the city into sections, create grids. We will start from the airport and move around the outer city limits ever expanding away from the city. Provided that Nicholas was not lying to us, then using this approach, searching each grid, we would eventually have to find his scent…but..."

"But…" Esme interrupted pressing her fingers to her lips.

"But it's highly likely that we will run into more than one coven long before we ever completely encircle the city even once. They won't be friendly, they won't be understanding and above all else they won't negotiate with us." Another pointed look in my direction. "The coven leaders, the more reasonable ones usually don't venture too far away from their home base so any vampires we run into will almost without question be newborns. We need to keep that in mind and above all else, we need to stay…"

All our heads snapped in Alice's direction, her gasp alarming in its volume. Her eyes were glassy and staring off at nothing, she was having a vision. Esme was in my arms instantly, her arms wrapped around me squeezing me, crushing me, odd little whimpering sounds, tightly contained but still audible escaped from her lips. I felt the pain in my chest, felt I was reliving the horror of less than a week ago, but I was determined to hear Alice out this time, refusing to react until she emerged from her vision and could properly explain it to us.

We all waited, staring at her in anticipation, the suspense agonizingly painful. Eventually her eyes fluttered open and she focused them on Jasper, her lips trembled, but otherwise her face showed no emotion.

"Tell me Alice," I said gruffly. Esme groaned against me.

"I see Edward," she whispered looking at me.

"Do you know where he is?" I wanted her to give me all the information at once, as much as I didn't want to hear it at all.

"He's in Mexico."

"But where in Mexico?" I heard the frustration in my voice.

"No. He won't be…he won't be in Mexico."

My lips remained sealed. I understood that I could not ask her a question every time she paused.

"I see Edward…I see him, but he's not in Mexico, he's with….he's in….Volterra, Carlisle, the Volturi…he's with the Volturi."

Esme didn't scream this time; instead she rocked against me humming out her pain. But unlike Esme whose terror I could feel through the quivering of her muscles, I felt only one emotion, an unfamiliar one and it burst from my lips in a loud expulsion of air.

I felt hope.

As dawn approached, Esme and I cuddled in our bed, a far cry from where I thought I would be just hours before and with a much different outlook on my son's future. If
Alice's vision held true and she appeared confident in its likelihood, Edward would be out of the clutches of the horrors of the south and on his way to Volterra before the sun set.

Convincing Esme that this fate was more preferably then remaining in Mexico had been a bit of a challenge. Her fear of the Volturi stemmed as much from Edward's last visit there as my stories of their cruelty and brutality, which had drove me to leave them centuries before. She would not be appeased by my words of comfort and fretted that her son had gone from one hell to another, his chance of rescue that much dimmer, given that we could not very well storm the walls of the Volturi castle no matter how much we might want to.

I could not relay my feelings of peace to her, knowing where my son was without a doubt, understanding Aro's need for power, his desire to accumulate vampires with gifts, Edward's being one of the most powerful he would have in his collection. For now my son was safe. His stubbornness, his antagonistic attitude, his outright defiance could all do much to sabotage a stay with the Volturi, but where the southern covens were Jasper's field of expertise, the Vulturi were mine. And with Eleazar here to guide me, I felt much more prepared in dealing with Aro than I had with an army of newborns.

My conversation earlier with Eleazar had done much to confirm what I already knew to be true. To free Edward from the brothers' clutches, I had to be the one thing that I struggled with earlier. I had to have patience.

"Carlisle," Esme asked softly. I was spooned around her, trying to touch every part of her body with mine.

"Yes sweetheart," I mumbled against her neck.

"Tell me how we are going to get our son home."

As much as I wanted to make my wife feel better, I was hesitant to provide details. I felt confident in my abilities in winning his release but I had to let certain situations play out before I would make my trek to Italy to retrieve him. Hiding the truth from her was not an option and I could hardly refuse to answer a direct question.

"We must be patient Esme, it will take time," I said hesitantly, hoping the questions would stop there.

"And how much time?"

Distracting her with my kisses and the hardness of my body, the feel of my arousal might have worked in less trying circumstances but she was not persuaded to take the bait now and she turned in my arms to face me.

"How much time Carlisle, what are you waiting for? If you have such a relationship with the Volturi then why can't we just go get him? We want him back, it's important that he knows that." Her voice quivered. "I can't bear the notion of him thinking that we don't miss him, would let him go without searching for him."

"Esme," I said, my hand under my head propped up on an elbow so I could look into her face. "Are you sure you want to hear this?"

"Of course I want to hear this, what aren't you telling me, Carlisle." Panic now. I could kick myself for my stupidity. Her fear of the unknown was more powerful than any truth would be.

"I will go to Volturi and I will request that Edward be released. They took him back for a reason. My guess is the guard was unprepared when they found him and needed further input from the brothers. Aro, will want Edward to remain with the Volturi, become part of the guard, but he will not want to be accused of holding Edward against his will. It's always been his philosophy that anyone can leave at anytime."

Esme's face was contorted in confusion and pain and I lightly brushed my fingers long its familiar curves.

"I cannot force his hand. He must feel confident that Edward will choose to stay with him or he will invent some charge against Edward to bind him to them.

"But how will he feel confident? I can't imagine a situation where Edward would ever agree to stay with the Volturi. How will you know?"

"Alice will see it. She will be the one that lets me know when I should go." I felt the dread in my stomach. Esme's nightmare wasn't over yet.

"And what will she see, what does she have to see?"

Aro will only feel confident that Edward will remain with him when he defies me."

"Enough Carlisle. Enough with these innuendos. What are you talking about?" My wife had jumped up on the bed. The look on her face was furious. I could stall no more.

"When Alice see's Edward…feed from humans…Aro will relax his grip on Edward's internment to him. He won't see it as a simple slip; he will see it as a rejection of my teachings, a betrayal of my values."

A soft little oh was all that Esme offered and she fell to the bed cross legged next to me, with the understanding of what still faced her son.

"But Carlisle, Edward's control is so strong. That could take…that could take years. They couldn't break you after decades." She covered her face with her hands and for the fourth time today she began to cry.

"No, my darling. It won't take years; I doubt it will even take months." I took her tiny wrists and pulled her hands from her face. "Please look at me, Esme."

When she looked up, her lips were trembling, her face contorted in grief. I smiled, not in humor or happiness or even relief. It was a soft knowing smile of a man with a secret, one that I was going to share with my wife.

"I didn't have Edward's gift. I could avoid their feeding, I could avoid the humans and I was not exposed to the taste of human blood. Edward can read their minds. Aro will do everything he can to make sure that the thoughts of those around him are focused on the blood of humans. The taste, the smell, all the memories of all the feedings of all the vampires in Volterra. As much as I worry for our son's state of mind at such torture, it's a necessary step in order for us to get him back."

She nodded, leaning into me her head against my shoulder and I embraced her, feeling her melt against me, resigned to the further torment that awaited her son.

I, for one had my own demons to deal with. For the first time since I created him, I prayed that Edward would let his guard down, succumb to his natural instincts, let the monster, his metaphor for his thirst, out of its cage. God help me, but I wanted him to drink from a human and when his eyes glowed red in Alice's visions, I knew then that it was time to go and bring my son home.

Author Notes:

Off to Italy we go.