Chapter 60 - The Sword of Damocles
With Caius and Athenadora safely out of the way for the time being, the victorious vampires temporarily settled into the partially destroyed castle to begin the process of creating a new world order. After three intense days of discussions, disagreements, debates, arguments, and compromises, the vampires gathered in the remains of the seat of power of the defeated Volturi empire, were miraculously able to hammer out a new government and laws acceptable to everyone present. Indeed, if it weren't for Carlisle's prodigious skills at diplomacy and Jasper's indispensable and propitious gift of easing tensions, it never would have made it to completion. Of course, it didn't hurt to keep everybody well fed. Bagged blood, including animal, was brought in to keep aggression minimal. With everybody satisfied nearly to the point of lethargy, or at least the vampire equivalent, it was rare for disagreements to actually come to blows.
It was finally agreed there would be seven members on the ruling Council, who would handle any official business that couldn't be handled on a lower level. They would make, interpret, and amend laws as needed to govern all of vampirekind, and the same laws would hold true on every continent. The seven Council members would represent the seven continents, with the Antarctic delegate representing the nomads who regularly traveled between continents. The number of delegates had been hotly debated, though all readily agreed the number needed to be odd to prevent the possibility of a deadlock. The debates on the topic soon proved the number needed to be relatively small as well, lest the Council become unwieldy and accomplish nothing. Seven had finally been agreed upon as the minimum number needed to keep any one member from wielding too much power.
Each Council member would also head an Advisory Board, containing representatives from each of the major territories within that continent. Antarctica's Advisory Board would have positions that rotated every twenty years, the same length of time as the Council members' term of service. Additionally, no Council member could serve more than once per century, even if they changed continents.
The Advisory Board of a given continent would handle any official business for their continent, enforcing the International Code of Law. Only if the business involved multiple continents, became more than the Advisory Board could handle on its own, or the Board's decision was appealed would the matter need to be settled by the Council.
Each member of the Advisory Board had the power to head up a Judicial Conclave as needed, made up of representatives of the minor territories within the major territory. This division of labor allowed for disputes and problems to be handled at the lowest possible level, keeping the decisions local the majority of the time. Of course, the safeguard was that all decisions of the Judicial Conclaves could be appealed to their Advisory Board, and all decisions of the Advisory Boards could be appealed to the Council. This was intended to ensure each individual a fair trial and keep larger covens from 'railroading' or oppressing smaller ones.
The final documents - the new Constitution, Vampiric Code of Law (with minimum and maximum penalties listed for violations), and the Vampiric Bill of Rights - were a work of art. Every vampire present knew they had helped shape them and believed all their concerns were at least heard and addressed, even if they didn't get the final result they'd wanted. Compromises were made, issues were handled, and wording was tweaked until everyone was satisfied enough with the finished product to sign their names to it. One of the most beautiful pieces of compromise was in the Bill of Rights. "No hungry vampire can be denied blood when passing through a 'claimed' territory, though, at the discretion of the one(s) staking the claim, that blood may be bagged, synthetic, or come from an animal."
Hungry vampires were considered an exposure risk, since the hungrier they got, the more likely they were to lose control and slip into hunting mode in an unfavorable moment. The nomads wanted to be able to pass safely through claimed territory without being killed for trespassing, while those vampires who maintained a stable or permanent residence in a particular area wanted to be able to discourage others from feeding within their territory and disrupting the harmonious synergy they worked hard to maintain within their chosen ecosystem. Animal blood was generally regarded as a sufficient deterrent, to the amusement of the 'vegetarians', and the least threat to established covens, while still providing for a vampire's nutritional needs. This led to a compromise with both sides giving enough and gaining enough to produce a result acceptable to all parties.
xxxxxxx
Despite the new connections, friendships, and camaraderie, vampires are instinctively territorial, including 'vegetarian' vampires, and aren't meant to coexist in large concentrations. This made evolutionary sense, as too many predators in one area would inevitably lead to the decline of the population for that species as the amount of available prey decreased. Having the blood catered helped considerably, but poor Jasper was run ragged, working overtime to keep everybody behaving calmly and respectfully toward one another. In fact, Peter and Emmett had multiple running bets on the subject.
Those bets covered everything from how many times Carlisle would give Jasper 'the look', silently asking him to intervene, to how many fights Jasper wouldn't be able to prevent before it came to blows, to when Jasper would run screaming into the night to get away from the overload of emotions. Jasper hadn't told anyone other than Carlisle and Bella about the new shielding aspect of his gift that helped tremendously to keep him from getting overwhelmed by everybody else. As a result, Bella won that particular bet hands down, to Peter's and Emmett's chagrin.
By the third day of negotiations, everybody's nerves were on edge. To his family's shock, even the previously unflappable Carlisle Cullen was running out of patience. He found himself grinding his teeth more than once in his effort to resist the urge to snap at others, whether deserved or not. Seeing this, Peter and Emmett began wondering just what it would take to push Carlisle over the edge to lose his cool. Before they could put any of their plans in motion, the womenfolk got wind of their mischief. Esme, Rose, and Charlotte were quick to put a stop to it, knowing that if Carlisle lost it, many others would as well, ending in mass chaos.
Rather than spending her time in debates, knowing she would inevitably support whatever Carlisle did, Esme stayed with Edward and Alice. She was relieved to see them safe and spent many hours helping their bodies mend and nursing them back to health. She blamed herself in a way for their condition, as mothers often do, believing she should have somehow known earlier they were in trouble, sensed their distress, or perhaps have been able to predict Aro's treachery and prevented it, even though she had never met Aro herself. Some small corner of her heart worried she should have known better and simply chosen a more appropriate punishment for the two herself, rather than pawning her unruly children off on somebody else to fix. This same corner was certain she shared the blame of Edward's and Alice's actions and shortcomings, believing they would have been better people if she had been a better mother, as if she had failed them in some way.
Alas, it is a common failing of mothers, to blame themselves for the wrongs their children commit, thinking they must have done something wrong, or not done something right, that would have made the difference in the child's behavior. Luckily, several wise older females counseled her to know she wasn't to blame. After all, one can teach her child how to identify right and wrong, along with the reasons to choose to do what's right, but it is the child who ultimately makes that decision for himself or herself. Once they are of an age to understand the consequences and potential consequences of their choices, the moral responsibility for those choices lies squarely on the shoulders of the children making them. Unfortunately, most of the time a person's wrong actions end up affecting many individuals in different ways, not just himself or herself, so many people get hurt or end up paying for that person's mistake regardless.
In addition to the counsel of her peers, Esme needed Jasper's timely reminders that her guilt was misplaced. She was neither responsible for Edward's and Alice's actions that caused them to be sent to Aro for discipline, nor for Aro's decision to torture them, instead of disciplining them in the manner agreed upon between him and Carlisle. Many lives were changed at least in part because of Aro's treatment of Edward and Alice, though in the majority of cases, thankfully, the change was for the better.
Jasper was concerned about how Bella would handle Edward's and Alice's apparent 'return to the fold'. Indeed Bella watched Alice closely for any hint she might still covet Jasper, but Alice's eyes were blank and unfocused, seeming entirely unaware of not only Jasper, but everyone else too. Of course, as the 'baby' of the family, Bella didn't like the amount of attention and pampering the prodigal couple was receiving from Carlisle and Esme, but after viewing their desiccated limbs for herself, she couldn't begrudge them the obviously needed medical care. She knew Carlisle and Esme would have done the same for any vampires found in that condition, even if they weren't related to the Cullen family in any way. It was one of the qualities she loved about her parents, and thus felt it would be the height of foolishness to complain about it.
As far as what to do once the other two were finished healing, Bella was more ambivalent. She didn't particularly want them hanging around and really didn't want them 'stealing' Carlisle's and Esme's attention and affection. However, her biggest concern was how the two would treat her Jasper. If either of them did anything to hurt her mate, she fully intended on lighting their bonfire herself, though she was careful to keep that thought from her parents, knowing they abhorred violence. Really, they abhorred unnecessary violence, but their definition and Bella's definition of necessary didn't always match.
So, Bella wisely decided to reserve judgment until either of the problem children gave her a reason to act. No matter how small the reason, act she would, without hesitation. She had no emotional ties to the two, having no sentimental memories of a shared past, so it wouldn't bother her in the slightest to remove them from existence if they threatened or hurt her family. One show of disrespect, one snide comment, one attempt to come between her and anyone else in her family, just one indication they hadn't fully learned their lesson, and it would all be over for the gifted duo.
xxxxxxx
After all the documents were properly ratified, the first order of business of the new Council was to declare a break for everyone for three months to settle their affairs at home and recuperate from all the forced proximity and intimacy. It would also allow time for the word to spread to the nomads and covens who had chosen not to go to Volterra, that the Volturi Kings were deposed and a new government of the people was now in effect. Ideally, everyone needed to know the law, before the law could be properly enforced. Those who hadn't been at this groundbreaking meeting would have the opportunity to present their own issues and concerns before the Council, when it next convened, to sign the documents as is or to make suggestions for changes, additions and amendments.
This news vastly improved the overall mood, as vampires eagerly began packing up and preparing for departure. Those ready to leave began gathering in the courtyards and gardens outside, enjoying the fresh air and space. At the same time, with every vampire that left the building, all the ones still inside felt it was just a little easier to breathe. Rose was overjoyed to have room to move around without bumping into anyone and couldn't wait to get back to her own house, where she wouldn't feel as if she were always on display. With Carlisle's role in the rebellion and subsequent government position, his family was under constant scrutiny, expected to be role models for the rest of the vampire world. Rose liked attention, but this was definitely a case of way too much of a good thing, enough to make her sick of it altogether, at least for a little while.
Emmett, as usual, was tuned into Rose, so when her mood vastly improved, his normally buoyant spirits skyrocketed to a nearly out of control giddiness, leading to a lot of silliness. The boyish wolves were altogether too willing to make mischief and play pranks with him, especially when it meant getting one over on a bloodsucker. Leah ignored her immature pack brothers, preferring to spend her time bonding with Rose over working with engines and making disparaging remarks about the hopeless cases of males in general, but especially teenage boys.
Bella's and Jasper's moods improved significantly at the thought of getting a little alone time to finally cement their bond with several days of nonstop lovemaking, like they'd been wanting for ages. The icing on their proverbial cake came when Eleazar and Carmen volunteered to take care of Edward and Alice for a while, allowing Carlisle and Esme a chance to unwind from all the stress of the past few days and months. Knowing the troublesome two would be far away instead of in the same house, relieved both Jasper and Bella tremendously. Bella saw it as a good sign, hoping Edward and Alice could be 'distant' family in the future, like second cousins twice removed, rather than her step-brother and step-sister.
The notable exception to all this was Peter. Instead of enjoying the boosted morale and causing trouble with Emmett and the wolves, he grew increasingly concerned and uptight the closer it came to the time of departure. He began frequently pacing empty hallway, growling at nothing and muttering to himself. Occasionally, he would hiss at random, acting as if he was listening to something only he could hear. Jasper and Charlotte watched him, familiar with his coping mechanisms for handling the download of information through his gift, but helpless to ease his consternation.
xxxxxxx
"I don't like this, Major," Peter warned. "I've got a bad feeling in my gut. Something's about to happen, something big, something really fucking colossal. I'm talking the shit to end all shit."
"You've got to give me something more to go on than that," Jasper growled in frustration. "I get it. Your gift is going haywire. You've already said so half a dozen times! But you don't know what, when or who. You don't know where, why, or how. You don't even know what steps we need to take to prevent it or to minimize the damage. Focus, dammit!"
"I'm trying, fucker!" Pete roared. "You know damn well how hard I've been trying! What more do you want from me? Ya can't squeeze blood from a fucking stone, dipshit!"
"Fuck!" Jasper shouted throwing his hands up in the air and trying to calm himself down. "I know, Captain. I'm sorry. Only, I can't fight an enemy I don't know. We just made it through this latest lame excuse for a war with no significant losses, and before we even get a chance to relax, you tell us we've got a war coming that'll make the last two look like a walk in the park. I just want to settle down for five damn minutes and enjoy my mate. Is that too much to ask?"
"Apparently it is," Peter grumbled bitterly. "I don't know who you pissed off in the way of omnipotent beings, but fate sure as hell is having a blast with your eternity."
"Me?" Jasper scoffed. "Why are you so certain I'm the one who's supposed to be the target for all the shitastic lightning bolts sent from the man upstairs?"
"Well who else do you know has an existence as shitty as yours?" Peter pointed out piously.
Jasper paused and then groaned. "You may have a point, dammit."
Peter chuckled half-heartedly. "Don't I know it. It kinda sucks being your brother right about now, Major."
Jasper rubbed his eyes with his fingers and sighed. "Guess I'll go question the demented pixie then. Maybe she's finally able to 'see' again."
"Good luck with that," Pete offered, not envying his best friend in the slightest. "I'm gonna go work off some of this tension with my mate. It seemed to work fairly well for you in the middle of the fucking battle."
"Bite me," Jasper chuckled, flipping off his oldest friend, the man he trusted more than any other. "On second thought, go bite Charlotte. I heard she's into that kinky shit."
"Hell yeah!" Peter cheered on his way out the door. "You didn't think all these marks were from newborns, did ya? My woman is one feisty hellcat! Especially if you stroke her the wrong way . . . Reowr!"
Jasper smirked to himself, the banter reassuring him all was forgiven between them. He rubbed his face with his hand, then gathered his strength and marched off to the suite housing Edward and Alice. Carlisle was in there with them as he had been as often as possible over the past few days, monitoring their recovery.
Jasper's face was unsmiling as he reluctantly entered the room housing the ones whose betrayal still rankled. Hearing Jasper's inadvertent thoughts expressing the bitterness he still felt toward the duo who had willingly and knowingly duped and manipulated him for over half a century, Edward winced and hung his head. The tortuous experience at Aro's hand had taught Edward a humility he'd never had before. Gone were the days he thought he knew everything just because he could hear a person's stray surface thoughts. His time in the castle comparing what he learned to the things Aro gleaned from the people he touched was enlightening and disheartening at the same time.
Edward had gotten the opportunity to see for himself just how misleading and superficial a person's surface thoughts usually were. They typically weren't even the tip of the iceberg for what was going on deep in a person's mind and heart. Previously, he had believed the thoughts he heard on a daily basis were representative of the people who thought them. He would have bet money he knew the person inside and out, based on that daily sampling of what the person would never dare say aloud. Comparing those samplings with the full deal Aro received with his gift, showed an entirely different picture.
Contrary to his beliefs, the surface thoughts skating across a person's mind at any given moment were often just as false as the face that person chose to show the world. Some who thought often about sex with numerous individuals were just as likely to be virgins, saving themselves for marriage. Those who thought bitterly and insultingly about others' looks, often were harshest in their criticism of themselves, envying the beauty of the very ones they insulted. People whose surface thoughts seemed obsessed with money or possessions might be hiding worry over making ends meet, fears of inadequacy they hoped to cover with expensive things designed to distract from the reality at hand, or even the fear they are worth nothing more than the numbers in their bank account. On the negative side, such thoughts could be hiding a life of crime, an intent to steal, or a hope to deceive through the use of expensive props.
Perhaps the scariest revelation of all was learning that even a person who had dedicated their life to serving others, who had never harmed anyone in their lives, would occasionally entertain a random thought of murder or ill will toward another. Edward couldn't help but wonder now, if all those he'd killed during his rebellious period were really the criminals he'd believed them to be, or if some had just had a really bad day. He finally understood what his family had been trying to tell him all these years - a person's surface thoughts only gave the tiniest glimpse into who a person really was and could often be terribly misleading if taken out of context. Unfortunately, the deeper context was the part he couldn't hear.
Finally, after realizing just how little he really did know, Edward was made to realize just how easy it was to work around his gift, to hide the thoughts that really mattered and expose only the mindless drivel that held no relevant meaning. The gift he'd been so proud of all these years, that he'd been certain granted him a degree of superiority over other sentient beings, had been the very thing that brought him the greatest pain of his existence. A worthless gift that hadn't been able to save him when he needed it most. Gone was the arrogant teenager who believed he knew better than everybody else. In his place, was a lost, broken little boy, scared of the dark and terrified of things that go bump in the night, who really just wanted his mommy and daddy to protect him from the world and kiss everything better. He desperately wanted somebody to hold him close and promise everything would be okay. He had lost the innocence of being Carlisle's son, sheltered and protected from the harsh realities of vampire life, having now seen first hand the horror of the atrocities a true monster was capable of committing against his own kind. Never again would he consider Carlisle or himself a soulless monster. He had looked into the eyes of the damned and read in the minds of demons the depths of depravity they could fathom.
None of this gave Edward the words to say to beg for his brother's forgiveness. None of it could take away the pain he had caused Jasper with his conceited attitude and belief in his own superiority. All he could do was send his humble regret and sincere remorse, hoping that some day in the future his brother might deign to speak to him again, to grant him another chance, to give him the opportunity to earn Jasper's respect and forgiveness.
Indeed, feeling Edward's sincere humility and unconditional acknowledgement of wrongdoing, went a long way to soothing Jasper's righteous indignation. If there was any doubt in Jasper's mind of Edward's true repentance, it was dissolved upon seeing the utter brokenness in his onyx eyes. Despite the large amount of blood Edward had consumed over the past three days, his eyes still depicted the emptiness of one locked in a box and slowly starved.
Carefully testing his emotions, showed Jasper the biggest change of all in his once cocky kid brother. Edward now carried the same grief in his soul that Jasper did. The grief of mistakes made, wrongs done, crimes committed in the past that can never be undone. The grief for innocents harmed, for unnecessary suffering caused, for pain that could and should have been prevented. While painful and always present, the grief was a good thing, for it was the reminder to never walk that road again, never repeat those things, never be that person again. It was the impetus to never lose sight of the lessons learned, the battles fought, and the character gained through the realization of wrongdoing and the promise to be a better man in the future.
Knowing Edward had gained his degree from the school of hard knocks, just as he himself had done, melted the last of Jasper's reserve toward his little brother. Ask and ye shall receive, he thought to Edward.
Edward's head lifted instinctively in response to having a thought deliberately directed his way, and he met Jasper's eyes, fearing what he would see there in his brother's expression. Shocked by the acceptance and understanding on Jasper's face, he dared hope enough to try, "I'm so sorry for the way I treated you all those years, Jasper. I'm sorry for my attitude, for the secrets I kept, and for the ways I manipulated you for my own gain. I know words can never make up for the pain I caused you with my betrayal of your friendship and trust, but I hope you will give me the chance to prove I have changed. Can you possibly find it in your heart to forgive me, Jasper?"
Smiling Jasper reached over and tousled Edward's hair affectionately. "Sure, Eddie boy. That's what brothers are for, after all."
"Hands off the hair and don't call me Eddie," Edward responded easily, naturally, habitually. Recognizing the oft given reply, Edward grinned, knowing it was Jasper's way of setting them back on even footing, restoring the familial relationship to some degree of it's former glory. It was a step in the right direction anyway, that first critical step on the road to reconciliation, and Edward accepted it joyfully, eagerly, thankfully, vowing to himself to do his part to make things better between them, better than they'd ever been before.
Carlisle didn't even try to hide the joy, hope, and satisfaction this reconciliation brought him. He'd hated having his family divided, knowing he had to support the one wronged and punish the offender, but hurting from it all the same. He knew Edward and Alice had a long way to go to prove themselves to the family, but at least they now had the time and opportunity to do it. Not to mention the inclination. If nothing else had been gained by their experience at the hands of Aro, at least Edward and Alice had learned humility, a virtue they had previously been completely lacking.
Jasper finally turned to look at Alice, who had watched the proceedings blankly from her perch in the corner. "Alice," he greeted, his tone formal.
A slight nod was the only response he received. Her eyes didn't even move in his direction, though he knew she could see him just fine in her peripheral vision.
Jasper scowled at the perceived disrespect. "Have you regained your 'sight'?" he inquired, his tone flat.
With that she simply closed her eyes. Edward sighed and Jasper returned his attention to him. "She hasn't had any visions since before you rescued us," Edward admitted. "She tries periodically, but it's always black, no matter who she tries to see. It's as if something is blocking her. Or someone perhaps. Have you encountered any new vampires who might be preventing her gift from working, the way Bella blocks mine?"
Jasper frowned and turned to Carlisle, who shook his head. Eleazar had taken careful note of all the talent present at the talks, and Carlisle had studied his written observations, just in case.
Edward sighed deeply, drawing his legs up to his chest and wrapping his arm around them. "Oh, well. It was just a thought. We don't really know why her gift stopped working. It started when you faced Victoria. We saw you poised to strike and then the scene faded to black, just like she sees now. We'd never seen anything like it and believed it meant you were all dead."
"Really?" Carlisle questioned thoughtfully. "Describe to me exactly what you saw happening. Maybe we can pinpoint a cause."
"I'll leave you two to that," Jasper murmured, quickly making his exit before getting drawn into their discussion and speculation. Something big and bad was coming, and he didn't have time to waste. He needed answers, and they weren't to be found in there.
At his wits end for the moment, he decided to seek out inspiration from his mate.
xxxxxxx
Once all the other business was handled and plans made for reconvening, as well as keeping in touch in the interim, untraceable cell phones were passed around to all who would accept them to enable rapid communication whenever needed. Less technologically savvy vampires were given quick lessons on how to use them, as well as email and the internet, to keep them in touch with the times. Thanks to perfect memories, the newbies only needed things to be demonstrated once before mastering them.
The Cullens, Whitlocks and Denalis saw everybody else off before saying their own goodbyes, breaking up into smaller groups for the time being. Chelsea and her children eagerly left at the same time as the Denalis, anxious to put Volterra and its memories behind them. The Whitlocks were amongst the last to leave, still apprehensive with Peter's premonition of impending doom. He seemed to feel leaving the castle would somehow be the trigger for tragedy on the apocalyptic scale, though he had no idea why or how.
"Well, we can't stay here forever," Leah bitched, annoyed by the constant waffling and the alert inaction.
Rose rolled her eyes and whacked her lightly on the arm, just enough to sting but not leave a mark.
"Ow! Bitch!" Leah yelped, glaring at the girl she had come to love as a sister in the time they'd spent together scouring the earth for support. Their comfort and ease with one another was a constant source of amazement to other vampires and wolves alike, raising the standard for interspecies interaction.
"Takes one to know one," Seth muttered under his breath, though obviously not quietly enough in present company. He was promptly whacked by both Rose and Leah in retaliation for his snide comment. "Ouch! Monsters!" he whined, moving away to get sympathy from Esme, who obligingly kissed his boo-boos, despite her own amusement with the scene. He decided to stay safely behind Esme, pretending to sulk from there.
"Baby!" Emmett teased with a snicker.
"Stop provoking, Emmett," Esme calmly scolded. "Really, I expect more from a man of your advanced years."
Emmett's face fell at her public reprimand. Seth grinned and stuck his tongue out at him from behind Esme's back.
"Mooom!" Emmett immediately whined, pointing his finger accusingly at Seth. "Tell him to stop provoking me!"
Esme sighed. "Just ignore him, Emmett. Remember, dear, you're nearly ninety, while he's still a child."
Emmett scowled and started pouting, while Seth grinned in victory, at least until Esme continued speaking, "And Seth, dear, it's rude to stick your tongue out at others, so don't do it again, unless you want to lose it."
Seth's eyes widened and his jaw dropped, before he hastily responded, "Yes, ma'am!"
Emmett was left staring at his 'mother' with awed pride.
Jasper decided that was his cue to get the party started and finally agreed to let everybody leave the premises, despite Peter's fears.
xxxxxxx
"Heigh ho, heigh ho, it's off to home we go!" Emmett sang, skipping merrily through the streets of Volterra on their way out of town. Leah gave Rose a questioning look.
"Don't look at me," Rose deadpanned. "I've never seen him before in my life."
Leah snickered, watching Emmett's crestfallen expression, as he focused his sad golden eyes on his wife.
"Don't be cruel, to a heart that's true. Why should we be apart?" Emmett crooned. "I really love you baby, cross my heart."
"Does it still count to cross your heart if it doesn't work anymore?" Embry asked with a smirk. "Seems like that would void the warranty or something."
The wolves chuckled and gave each other high fives.
Emmett stuck his tongue out at them, only to have it grabbed by Esme. "Aaack!" he shrieked in surprise, trying to pull away. Unfortunately for him, she merely tightened her grip, allowing her sharp nails to begin to puncture the skin, instantly stopping him in his tracks.
"Do you want to keep your tongue, Emmett?" Esme asked, her voice coolly casual, as if merely conversing about the weather or flowers in spring.
"Bes ba'am," he responded, giving a wobbly nod, his eyes wide.
"Then keep it in your mouth where it belongs," she chided, letting go. "Or next time your tongue will be coming out of your mouth entirely."
He gulped and covered his mouth with his hand, giving her a scared nod. She smiled and patted his cheek affectionately. "Good boy."
His eyes followed her as she took Carlisle's arm again. Carlisle's lips were twitching with amusement, but he chose not to say anything. Em shook off his shock and turned back toward his mate, who simply sighed and shook her head, sharing the universal 'men are idiots' look with Leah.
Shrugging, Emmett grinned widely and tried to woo his mate. "Vision of beauty, thou art the fairest in the land, please won't you love me and give me your hand?"
Rose smiled in surprise, putting her hand over her heart. "Are you asking me to marry you again?"
His eyes widened, but he quickly recovered. "Absolutely, I am, my darling dear, I'll get the ring later, never fear!"
"Humph," Rose huffed, rolling her eyes. "No ring, no reply."
"What? No reply without a ring?" Em pouted. "You mean my love isn't worth anything?"
"Aagh!" Quil shouted, covering his ears with his hands. "A rhyming Emmett! Please, somebody, make it stop!"
Everybody started laughing as Emmett huffed. "Oh, yeah? Let's see you do any better," he challenged.
"Dude, I haven't got a pretty lady to impress by making a fool of myself," Quil hooted. "So, no dice. I'm saving that shit up 'til it's worth my while."
"Dude, you're pussywhipped by your girl and you haven't even found one yet," Embry taunted.
"Nah, the boy's just being realistic. Any guy who thinks he isn't going to make a fool of himself over his girl is either in denial or a stupid son of a bitch who's gonna become really well acquainted with his own hand," Jasper drawled. "See, the smart guys know that what's good for the goose is good for the gander. That road runs both ways. If he keeps his lady happy, then she's gonna want to keep him happy too."
"Hear, hear," cheered all the mated males, while their ladies simply smirked.
"Investing in your relationship with your mate is the best decision you'll ever make," Carlisle agreed. "Because the dividends you receive in return are well worth the cost of the initial outlay. That holds true for both men and women."
"Whatever you say, gramps," Embry teased. "If anyone would know about long term investments, that would be you, right? Considering the stuff that was new when you were my age is now gathering dust in museums. I'm surprised the hospital lets you practice medicine, knowing that leeches were cutting edge technology back in your day. See, Doc, there's your problem right there! When the textbook said 'leeches can cure diseases', you were supposed to use the leeches, not become one."
Carlisle rolled his eyes and remarked, "Remember, son, you still have to sleep sometime." He then stared at Embry pointedly, with a wicked smirk.
Embry shuddered and muttered, "Oh, shit. Looks like Mama Vamp isn't the only one with serious parental mojo. It's always the quiet ones you have to worry about."
The group had been traveling at a slow jog, due to Peter's distress, though everybody pretended to ignore it. Thus, they hadn't gone far when they got their first call for help.
Jasper's phone beeped, indicating an incoming text message. He flipped it open and read it aloud. 'Help, under attack'
"Who is it?" Carlisle demanded.
Jasper checked the caller ID. "The Tokyo coven. They were the first to leave."
"Well, what are we waiting for? We need to go help them!" Emmett growled, punching his fist into his palm.
"Who should we send?" Rose asked. "Or should we all go?"
"This is just the beginning," Peter whispered, his eyes widening.
Sure enough, Jasper's phone went off again, followed by Peter's, and Carlisle's.
'help, ambushed'
'help, newborns'
'man down, 2 many, send help'
"What the hell is going on here?" Leah snarled. "They're all under attack?"
"Newborns?" Charlotte questioned fearfully. "How many?"
"Major?" Carlisle delegated. "What do we do?"
"We can't be everywhere," Emmett admitted with concern.
"Divide and conquer?" Seth suggested.
Jasper stared intensely at Peter, but before he could say anything, the three phones went off again.
'newborn army, need back up'
'help, surrounded'
'please come save us'
"Shit, fuck, damn!" Jasper cursed. "It's them, isn't it? The biggest ones who didn't come - the ones we were worried about - the Southern covens."
Peter's eyes widened as the pieces finally came together. "Damn! Shit! You're right! Fuck! They've got the whole area surrounded about half an hour or more away, depending on the direction!"
Most of the vampires present immediately began to panic, while the wolves watched with confused fear, not knowing much about the Southern covens. Jasper had never been more thankful for his gift upgrade than at that moment, knowing the amount of panic, confusion, and fear coming off his companions could easily have incapacitated him in the past, rendering him both helpless and useless.
Instead, he was steadfast beside his mate. "We can't be everywhere, Major, like Emmett said. We need to make a stand," she whispered to him.
He nodded in agreement and quickly began sending out a mass text, while barking out orders to the group around him.
'Retreat to castle NOW, distract newbs w/fresh blood, ANY, 2 escape.'
Carlisle frowned at the thought of them spilling blood to confuse the newborns, but Jasper just ignored him, knowing it was the only hope of escape for most of the covens. He knew some of the covens had taken bags from the leftover blood supply to 'eat on the road'. They would have the easiest time, since the blood was right there on hand, but it was likely many humans and vampires alike would die today. Without sacrificing a few humans to save the older vampires, there wouldn't be anyone to stop the newborns from rampaging across the countryside, killing and feasting in ongoing feeding frenzies, which would result in a lot more loss of both vampires and humans than his plan.
With the decision made and orders given, they ran back to the castle at full speed, ready to help their friends and wipe out the Southern covens once and for all.