Chapter 15

Edward could hear Alice's thoughts as she and Jasper got closer to home. They were calling for him to come meet them. He excused himself from the house, but slipped out quite unnoticed as everyone was busy doing their own thing. He made his way just slightly beyond the trees that bordered their home and met Alice and Jasper. Alice filled him in on her vision.

"We'll go in and tell Carlisle now," Edward stated.

"We need to come up with a plan," Alice told him. Jasper quickly agreed.

The smell of wolf creeped in on them and Jacob appeared, apparently overhearing the last part of their conversation as he did.

"What's going on?" Jacob asked, concerned.

"It's like you practically live here," Jasper managed to joke, despite the tension.

Jacob didn't respond, but waited for a response to his question.

"Alice had a vision. Aro wants to meet with Carlisle. One tough of his hand and he'll know everything."

"Great." Jacob said, "Better round up my troops."

"Not yet," Alice told him, "I can't see the rest of my vision, or the outcome with you guys so close all the time."

"So we're not going to help?"

"We're not sure there's a need yet," she explained.

He looked frustrated, clenching his fists, but snapped out of it quickly. Jacob was much more rational these days.

"I think we owe it to Carlisle and Esme to completely protect them from this." Edward said firmly, "He's sacrificed everything for us and brought us all together as the family we are. I don't care if they both protest. We have to put ourselves between them and the Volturi."

Jasper seemed to be one hundred percent behind Edward. He looked psyched even; ready to go. Alice fully agreed, also, but wasn't as thrilled about fighting as her male counterpart.

"Let's go talk to them," Edward said, leading the way.

The four of them entered the Cullen house. Things were quiet. Edward lead the group upstairs to where Carlisle and Esme were. Jacob felt a the pit of his stomach tighten as he watched the two elder Cullens in a moment of sheer happiness, talking very closely with smiles. Carlisle gently kept his hand on Esme's stomach as he kissed her forehead, cheek and nose.

"That reminds me of a time when you and Bella were expecting Renesme," Jacob said in a low voice, "I walked up these stairs just like this and saw the two of you just so happy." He grinned and shook his head at the anger and hurt he felt during that moment in the past, that now seems like a silly, distant memory.

Edward turned to look at them, remembering the exact moment Jacob was referring to. He turned to Alice, "We'll tell them in a bit. Let them have this moment together."

She and Jasper didn't stop to argue. They all went back downstairs.

"What's going on?" Rosalie asked. She studied their faces. Emmett's body was tensed and ready, unlike his usual relaxed manner.

"We'll talk to you about it in a little while, Rose." Edward told her.

Her face hardened, "No, you'll tell me right now Edward."

"Come with me," Alice pulled her and Emmett aside to talk.

Edward heard the piano stop playing and knew Bella and Renesme were on their way into the living room. He quickly filled her in and let Jacob take Renesme away somewhere so she wouldn't hear what they were talking about, not that she hadn't already experienced Aro and the rest of the Volturi first hand.

"So, what are we going to do?" Bella asked.

"We'll do what we have to," Edward told her, "We're hoping Alice can get a clearer picture."

"But she had that vision of Carlisle and Esme with a boy as old as Renesme."

"I know, so Aro might not even be meaning harm, but we are preparing for the worst. Hoping for the best."

Rosalie came storming in from the next room with Alice on her heels telling her to calm down. Rosalie didn't seem to listen, "I will rip all the Volturi's heads off!" She shouted.

"Rose, relax babe," Emmett said, playing it cool.

"Relax? I can't relax Emmett! Those monsters are not going to bring harm to this family. They've put us through enough. If I could I would rip them apart one by one."

Bella remembered back on Rosalie's story and the way she had described herself in the past, "I was a little theatrical back then." The fight in Rosalie made Bella's lip curl into a half smile.

"What is going on?" Esme said from the top of the staircase. She made her way downstairs with Carlisle close behind.

Alice and Edward glared at their sister. Rosalie didn't seem to care, knowing they were going to tell their parents anyway. Alice took charge and informed Carlisle and Esme of her latest vision and how incomplete it was, reminding them of the previous vision she'd had of them with a slightly older boy.

"I'll talk to Aro," Carlisle said, "I was with their coven for a time. I know him better than any of you."

"Carlisle, no," Esme shot back, "You can't." She placed a hand on her stomach.

"He's not like Jane," he insisted, "He'll talk reason, that's why he's the leader of the Volturi."

"You know what he's capable of, Carlisle," Edward insisted, "Don't downplay it."

"I'm not downplaying anything," Carlisle explained with a overwhelming calmness in his voice.

"What if-"

"If Aro decides to come down here, I'm going to talk with him." Carlisle told him again.

Edward shook his head.

"Well, we'll all have your back," Emmett said.

"I don't think he'll come before the birth of the baby," Alice told them. "Like I said, my vision isn't complete, but from what I got from the visions I've had recently, that's what it seems like."

"How long after?" Esme asked urgently.

"I'm not sure. I'm sorry."

"You can't do this, Carlisle," Edward protested.

His father still seemed very calm, "Edward, things will turn out fine. Alice, keep my updated on your visions."

"I don't want you to talk to Aro," Esme pleaded with him in a tone just above a whisper. Her voice was shaking.

"After the last time, I don't think he's going to be all about fighting," he caressed her jawline with his thumb and pointer finger, "We'll all be okay. Trust me"