Chapter Forty Nine

Bella

Our conference was interrupted by a phone call which Jazz took and we all heard Felix voice explaining what was happening in Volterra,

"Caius thinks you should know, you might want to visit Italy and be closer to the action."

"How long do we have Felix?"

"Well I'm not an expert like this Stefan but I'd say at least a few days. Can I tell Caius that you will be visiting the area? It is going to come down to a fight I'm afraid and I'd like to think you and we are on the same side."

Jazz looked at me and I nodded, we had no choice, it was the only way to keep Jamie safe from Aro.

"I think we might bring Jamie to see Pisa soon, tell Caius"

"Thank you Major, I look forward to meeting the boy"

The thought of the huge Felix in the same room with Jamie gave me goosebumps but he was on our side. Looking at the others I sighed,

"Well, the decision's been made and it's too late to run, besides we have no where that will offer safety so we're going to Italy and you are welcome to join us"

Everyone got up at the same time ready for action and I felt a lump in my throat.

"Thank you all"

Jazz took my hand and we went upstairs to our son who was sleeping peacefully, unaware that his liberty if not his life were now in danger.

"We will keep him safe won't we Jazz?"

"We'll do all we can"

"Hey, there's a lot of us to get through before Aro reaches the little cowboy"

Peter stood behind me, his arms around my shoulders in solidarity with us and I nodded unable to speak further.

Carlisle

Well I guess I always knew I would have to face my old friend eventually and what better cause was there? Jamie had stolen my heart along with every other person in the house and we would all lay down our lives for him. Knowing Aro as I did I was quite sure it might come to that but I was comfortable with that thought. This little boy could be the beginning of the end for our world, if hybrids were possible, hybrids that had our strengths without our weaknesses then we could live in the human world without fear, Whether it would prove the end of humanity I couldn't say but the world was constantly changing so it could be just the next evolutionary step or alternatively another dead-end. I was glad to have been even a small part of it all. As we packed Jamie woke up and squealed with delight on being told he was going on holiday and on an aeroplane too. I rang my friend and chartered his private jet for the journey, it would be quicker and far less hassle for the large party that we made.

Bella

It was almost impossible to keep Jamie still for more than a few seconds he was so excited, he stuck to me for the rest of the day, bombarding me with questions about Italy in general and Volterra in particular. In the end we went on the computer to find out more about the area. I showed him the Leaning Tower and he decided we should build our own. Thinking quickly I sent the guys out to find stones while Jamie and I planned our own tower. It had to be big, that was Jamie's stipulation and it must lean. I tried to explain to him that the leaning tower only did that because the foundations were sinking but his tower must have a lean so we decided to cheat slightly by digging one side of the foundation lower than the other. Of course we had to wet the ground to dig as it had been hot and dry for weeks and Jamie plus water plus dirt always equalled mud and plenty of it. By the sixth bucket full we were both liberally coated with the stuff which had him rolling around the floor in fits of laughter. Then he decided that it would be fun to have a mud fight so by the time the guys got back with armfuls of nice flat stones we were both covered. Emmett, never one to miss a good fight, joined in and Jamie took refuge behind me so I got most of the mud. When Charlotte and Rose came out to see what all the fuss was about they just stood hands on hips and feet tapping.

"I think we're in trouble Mummy."

"So do I. I'll tell them you started it"

"No fair!"

Jamie ran to Rose,

"Auntie Rose, Mummy started throwing mud at me then Uncle Emmett joined in. Now I'm all icky so I'll need a bath hurrah!"

Charlotte took him by the hand as Rose started telling me off in a very convincing motherly way and Jamie stopped, giggling madly when I was told to wash off in the horse trough before being sent to bed early for being naughty. We heard him chanting all the way up the stairs,

"Mummy's in trouble and I'm not"

As I got cleaned up I thought of Carlisle's words about my shield, if I could protect us all Aro couldn't win and the more I thought about it the more I thought it might be possible with Jamie's help. Once in Italy, if there were time, we would practise, he would love that, trying to protect some of us like a game. I just hoped we'd be coming back, all of us and leaving no one behind, no ashes to blow in the Italian winds. Emmett and Rose took his truck to the airport with Peter and Charlotte while Jazz and I travelled with Carlisle and Jamie. The car journey wasn't long but Jamie loved every minute of it and I suddenly realized he'd never been further than the river on our property since he was a tiny baby, this was all new to him and I watched the excitement shining in his eyes. It was a scary reason for his first adventure!

Carlisle

Jamie grabbed my hand after we parked the car and pulled me along pointing out all the things that to me were mundane but to him new and exciting. Bella and Jazz followed us and we met up with the others in the terminal. Here he left me to go and tell Rose and the others about the car journey while I did the paperwork with the pilot. We knew each other well and he was happy to see me. When I told him he had a plane full this time he looked round recognising Rose and Emmett from a previous flight.

"We have my Grandson with us and I know he'd like to sit with you for a bit if that's OK"

"No problem Carlisle. Where is he?"

I called Jamie over and introduced him to Jeff the pilot. Jeff knelt to look into Jamie's face.

"Hello there Jamie. I have a problem today, my Co Pilot called in sick so I have no one to talk to during the flight. I wonder if you would keep me company and maybe fly the plane for a bit if I get tired. Do you think your parents would mind?"

I watched as Jamie dragged Jeff over to ask Jazz if he could fly the plane and as Jazz nodded Bella looked over,

"Thank you Carlisle"

I grinned, it made me feel good to see Jamie smile and know I'd helped put the smile there as we walked to the plane.

Bella

To watch Jamie climb into the Co Pilots seat and buckle up made me smile, he was very serious as he listened to Jeff explain the Cockpit check list and Jamie held it as they went through them before Jamie's voice came over the speakers asking us to please sit down and put our seatbelts on for take off.

"Do you think we were that absorbed in things at his age?"

"I can't remember Bella. The only things I remember from my human life are playing with my brothers in a tree and my mothers face when I told her I had joined the Confederate Army. Not much for nineteen years is it?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you think about it, your life as a human that is."

"It doesn't matter. It's just that seeing Jamie reminds me I was like him once, a very long while ago."

"Then its good he's here, you can relive some of it with him"

"I just hope I'm a good enough Father to keep him safe Bella. It's a hell of a responsibility knowing he depends on us for his very life. I'm not complaining, I wouldn't have it any other way. Thank you for giving him to me."

"I think you might have had a small part in it at the very beginning"

He smiled

"Yeah that I remember! And hopefully we'll be repeating the exercise again soon, well part of it!"

As he leant over and kissed me I closed my eyes thinking back to our first time and sighing in pleasure.