Chapter Seventy Three
Bella
AS we walked out into the evening gloom of the square Peter was at my elbow,
"Bella the suspense is killing me, who did we miss?"
I shook my head,
"Not yet Peter, but soon, very soon."
The car took us back to the airport but this time the driver stayed barricaded in his seat so Peter was forced to travel in the back with us.
"What did you do to that poor driver? I asked him curious.
"Not yet Bella, but soon, very soon"
I laughed
"Touché"
On the flight back I could hear Peter moaning about people keeping secrets from family until Char told him what she would do if he didn't shut up. his mumbles quieted to whispers but he kept it up all the way back to Seattle.
"Peter, you rent the car" I suggested just to shut him up.
He went off eagerly enough and came back with a beaming smile a while later.
"Ready when you are" he said dangling the keys to a sports car,
"You rented a Porsche?"
"Don't be stupid Bella. I lifted it from the long term car park. Ticket has two weeks to run yet. I'll get it back before the owner lands don't worry."
Charlotte shook her head and followed him out to the front where it was illegally parked and being watched by one of the airport security guards.
"Thanks Ray"
"No problem sir. Any time"
AS we drove away Ray was still smiling at us,
"What did you tell him?"
"Just mentioned the guy coming for the car was a rock star and slipped him a few dollars.
I looked at Jazz,
"A rock star eh? Yeah I can see you with an electric guitar around your neck"
He smiled,
"Sorry darlin' I only play the acoustic guitar."
"You really play?"
"Peter and I both do. We have been known to perform privately"
He smiled that gut wrenching smile again and it was all I could do to keep my hands off him on the drive to Forks.
Esme
WE heard a car and I wondered if it was Carlisle, he'd disappeared for days at a time before but never so long without contacting me and I was worried. When I opened the door I saw it was the Whitlocks and smiled,
"Oh I'm glad to see you. Have you heard from Carlisle only he's disappeared."
Bella smiled gently and took my arm,
"Can we come in Esme? We've got quite a lot to tell you and it would be better if we could talk to everyone at once"
"Of course please"
I took them into the living area where Emmett and Rose sat watching the TV. The place seemed so empty without Alice and Carlisle but I had no idea when either would be coming home again.
Bella nodded to Rose while Emmett got up and hugged her before shaking hands with the guys and giving Charlotte a kiss on the cheek. Rose glanced at them and nodded before going back to the programme.
Bella
I sat at the other end of the couch Jasper seating himself at my feet and wrapping an arm around my legs, Peter leaned against the wall and Charlotte took the empty chair opposite.
"I have something to tell you all, a story and I'd appreciate it if you could turn off the TV."
Rose sighed heavily and rolled her eyes before ostentatiously flicking the remote. The room went quiet and they all looked at me.
"You know about me and Alice being Aro's children"
They nodded,
"Yes, Edward overheard Jasper's thoughts, so he told us." Esme explained. "Do you know where he is?" she added.
"I'm so sorry Esme to have to tell you but he's dead, so is Carlisle."
she put a hand to her mouth and strangled a sob,
"Dead? How? Why?"
"Edward was killed because he posed a threat to me and because he was stupid enough to think he could win a fight with Jasper. Carlisle was killed because he was Volturi."
"Carlisle Volturi? Rubbish" Rose said scathingly.
"Never the less its true. He was in fact the fourth member of the ruling body. He channelled troublemakers to the Volturi guards and kept safe Aro's children, or at least some of them."
"Who?" Emmett boomed interested
"Alice for a start. Alice was also Volturi. She came here to wait for me. You were her cover and Carlisle looked out for her.
"You said children. Who else? Are you trying to tell me that another one of us is also Aro's child?"
I nodded to him,
"I didn't suspect it until he refused to send you and Rose to help us in Mexico. He sent for Volturi help instead. Why? He was still protecting someone, the question was who? Not you Emmett, you were found accidentally by Rose and changed by Carlisle, which meant either Rose or Esme, both of whom were changed by Carlisle and both had human lives that were cut short. He was sent to save Aro's children from death."
Rose looked at me and laughed,
"Bella, you should write mystery stories. I've never heard such rubbish, really!"
"Well it was only a theory until I asked Caius for a list of Aro's children. When we matched it against those we knew about there was one name left, a girls name. I think this girl was taken under Carlisle's protection because Aro had high hopes of her gift developing as a vampire but they never did. She stayed under Carlisle's wing and I think he was genuinely fond of her, despite knowing who she was.
I looked from Rose to Esme and smiled,
"No one is asking the million dollar question. Don't you want to know which of you is Aro's daughter, my sister? Or did you already suspect that something wasn't right? Did you already know what Carlisle was? Did you try where possible to warn nomads that he found, of his intentions and try to shield her?"
I turned to Esme
"Well did you? Did you deliberately start that conversation somewhere you knew Charlotte would hear you? Did you know who Rose was?"
Esme
I was shocked when Bella started firing the questions at me, she knew, she knew everything, every detail.
I nodded, my eyes pools of venom and I bit my lip,
"I loved him, I really did and I thought he loved me. He collected a family for me and we were happy but he would disappear, or have strange phone conversations. Then I heard him talking to Alice one night and I learned Rose was one of Aro's daughters too. I'd already got my suspicions about his actions because nomads wanting a new life would turn up here and stay for a while before disappearing. I got a bad feeling but I couldn't do anything and through it all I still loved him. I always will."