As promised, Carlisle accompanied me to the front door after Charlie returned from fishing. Alice was behind us wearing contact lenses. I shook my head at the story we'd put together. Charlie would probably buy it, but he wasn't going to like it. Not one bit. At least we'd convinced the Guard to wait two weeks for the end of classes.

Once it was clear that Victoria was in Monterrey and it would take an army to retrieve her, Jane and Alec had agreed that it was best to take James back first and return with reinforcements. They hadn't been as keen on twiddling their thumbs for two weeks. I was glad Bella hadn't been there for the discussion. I had gotten a little heated with Jane instead of calming her down as I normally would. That meant I had the displeasure of experiencing her gift first hand and now understood why James was even more pliable under her supervision than Alec's. After writhing on the ground, in a pain that was only a little short of the burn of transformation, for ten seconds, I decided to talk softly with Jane and use my gift more than my words to convince her of anything. Alice had reminded them they might return without her and us. She had seen that we would arrive in early July, with or without the wonder twins. They had opted to stay.

"Carlisle, Jasper. I wasn't expecting both of you. Come in." Charlie held the door open for us. "Bella! The Cullens are here. Oh!" He stopped suddenly when he spied Alice. "I don't think we've met. Are you a relative?"

"Yes," she answered with a smile, taking Charlie's hand in her gloved one. She wore lacy blue gloves that stopped at her wrists. They almost looked odd next to her suit-style sheath bearing wide lapels with a row of buttons down the center. I had no idea where she kept clothes when wandering with the guard. "Carlisle's cousin is my father. So... we're second cousins, right, Carlisle?"

"That's right, Alice," Carlisle said with a smile for her. She squeezed Charlie's hand once more and I heard his pulse pick up. Then there was a twinge of discomfort, the kind that comes from fighting unwanted thoughts.

I whispered to Alice, "Not enough to have his daughter?"

"Hush you," she whispered back. Charlie wouldn't even have seen our lips move, it was all so quick.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Swan," Alice was saying, pulling her hand back.

"And you ... Alice, was it?" He smiled broadly at her and closed the door behind us. My eyes went to Bella while Alice continued to play with her father. Poor Charlie, he was putty in Alice's hands. Maybe getting him to agree to let Bella join us in Italy wouldn't be so hard after all.

"That's right, Mr. Swan."

"Please, call me Charlie." His voice was slightly strained and a very light whiff of lust came off him. Alice...

Bella was watching Alice's exchange with her father too, but rather than concern, she felt happiness and humour. "Carlisle, Jasper. It's good to see you. I didn't know when to expect you." She hugged each of us in turn. "And this is Alice?" We were going to play that Bella hadn't met Alice yet, only been told of her arrival.

"Bella!" Alice said, drifting to Bella's side and hugging her as well. "I've heard so much about you. It is wonderful to finally meet you." She kissed each of Bella's cheeks, making her blush.

"Well, perhaps I'll let you all be ... to talk about ... whatever it is." Charlie started to excuse himself.

"Actually, Chief Swan," Carlisle interrupted him. "We came to speak with you. You see, Alice didn't come on a purely social visit."

She frowned prettily and took over. "Grandfather has taken ill. We don't know how long he has left. Rather than simply call, Father thought it would be best if I came and told Carlisle in person."

"I see," Charlie answered.

"Well, Jasper and I are planning to go to Italy after his graduation," Carlisle explained, "but I was wondering, since I'll likely be occupied much of the time, if you would mind if Bella joined us as well." He nodded to her.

She looked to her father with a small smile that said, 'I knew they were planning this, but didn't want to tell you myself.'

"Really? Italy? Wouldn't have guessed the Cullens came from Italy," he mused.

"Grandfather moved there when Grandmother passed. He found the climate of Tuscany easier on his arthritis than the island," Alice explained.

"And you want to take Bella?" Charlie was still confused. He eyed me now with distaste again.

"I know she isn't truly a part of our family, but sometimes it feels as though she is," Carlisle answer. "I would like her to meet Uncle Marcus before he passes, but mostly, since we're going there anyway, I wanted to give her the chance to come along, see the old world."

"She could stay with me!" Alice piped in.

I shook my head, cringing slightly at her enthusiasm.

"There are plenty of guest rooms in the house," Carlisle told Charlie.

"How long? When?" He was considering; that was good. Better than I had hoped.

"Three weeks, starting at the end of June, so only a couple of weeks away. Bella tells me she has a passport already." Carlisle nodded to her again. She smiled back at him and watched her father's face.

"Were you still planning on going to Phoenix?" Charlie asked her.

"I'm not sure. Mom and Phil are buying at that place in Jacksonville. So they'll be moving or just moved in."

Charlie rubbed his chin. "If you're flying anyway, and Dr. Cullen doesn't mind," Charlie nodded to Carlisle, "maybe you could fly back to Jacksonville and visit her then. Save a ticket."

My jaw nearly fell open. Not only would that give us even more leeway if problems arose in Volterra, it might give us the possibility of stealing Bella outright. A crash over the Atlantic at the right time... I stopped the thought in its tracks. Bella may want and even be destined to be a vampire, but she wasn't ready for it. She had too much human life left to experience. I felt Carlisle's shock too and knew he had just had the same thought.

"That's not a bad idea, Dad. I'll have to talk to Mom of course, work out times. Would that be okay with you, Carlisle?"

"Of course," he agree immediately. "I'd feel a little bad about leaving her to fly across the Atlantic on her own, though."

Bella jumped on that. "Mom wouldn't mind Jasper coming, I'm sure of it." She smiled at me. I felt Charlie's ire at the same time as Bella's excitement. It was an odd combination.

"Well, we'll have to talk with her about that," Charlie allowed. The we seemed emphasized for Bella's sake. He planned to talk Renee out of any such plan I was sure. I just smiled and nodded. Obviously Charlie was still sure I was out to sully his daughter, which I was. "You've been awfully quiet, Jasper. What do you think of all this?"

Had I really been silent this whole time? I had. "I'd appreciate having Bella with me, sir. It's not likely to be the happiest of family reunions." I kept it dour, reminding Charlie that this wasn't some pleasure cruise we were taking her on.

That seemed to push him over, actually. "Right. Well, let me think about it, talk to Bella and Renee. We'll let you know by the end of the week so you can go ahead with your plans one way or the other."

"Thank you very much, Charlie." Carlisle said, shaking his hand again. "Alice, did you want to stay and chat with Bella more? I have a shift at the hospital in less than hour."

"I would. Would it be all right if Jasper and I stay longer, Charlie?" she asked, batting lashes at him.

His pulse picked up, and I fought the urge to roll my eyes. "No, that's fine. I'm just going to catch a game." He picked up the remote.

"Can I bring you anything, Dad?" Bella asked as he settled himself on the couch.

"Can of beer would be great, Bells."

"I'll get it," Alice sang. Bella and I followed her into the kitchen and were quickly passed as she skipped by with the can in hand.

"Is she seriously hitting on my father?" Bella asked.

"Not seriously, no. That doesn't mean she isn't doing it," I said, looking over my shoulder as Alice pressed the can into Charlie's hand.

"Here you go, Charlie," she murmured. "Just let us know if you need anything else."

I shook my head.

"That went well," Alice bubbled as she came back to us.

"Yes," Bella agreed. "I didn't expect it to be so easy." She sat at the table. "Do you think, I'll come back," she whispered.

I closed my eyes, cringing. Alice had a far away look when I opened them a breath later. "Hmm. Too many decisions it seems. In some you come back one of us, in some you come back here, in some you go home to Carlisle's house. Too many choices. And there's that redhead again!" Alice stamped her foot. "She's leaving the south? Why? Where to?" She growled quietly. "Of course she hasn't decided. I swear she chooses her direction by rolling dice. I've never seen a more random person."

"She's leaving?" I verified. "With Maria?"

Alice was still unfocused. "No, Maria isn't with her, but she is planning a trip of her own. She's going... north. Alone? I wouldn't have thought her one to travel without that entourage."

"Me neither," I agreed. "North where?"

"Here," she said simply.

I jumped up. Alice put her hands on my chest and I felt her soothing vibe. Bella was suddenly filled with concern for me as well. "Not soon, Jasper. The time isn't set, but it isn't soon. Calm down." She stroked my chest , urging me to sit again.

I did and she moved her hands to my hair continuing to stroke. "She isn't coming for you," she said. "She's coming for Bella." Alice looked to Bella. Her fear spiked. "Who won't be here when she comes of course. I've see it and so none of us will be here." She smiled and kissed my temple, fingers weaving in and out of my hair.

Bella calmed even more quickly than I did. "Of course. And I probably won't even be human anymore then."

"Bella?"

She jumped right out of her chair thinking Charlie had heard her.

"Would you bring out that bag of Doritos?"

She shook with relief.

"I've got them," Alice said with a wink, grabbing the bag from the counter.

Bella came to me and perched in my lap. She put her head to my shoulder, arms around my neck. "I'm not scared," she said. There was no falseness in her. She had been scared of Maria coming for her, but she trusted us, all of us. "I'm going to be a part of your family, Jasper. I'm going to help you."

I hugged her in return, inhaling her tempting scent. "I know you are. I love you, Bella."