Chapter Twelve

Peter

When the phone rang I knew it was trouble, my antenna had been twitching for days now.

"Yeah?"
"Peter, its Carlisle Cullen"
"Fuck! I knew it was trouble but I didn't expect you. What do you want Carlisle?"
"Look I know you and I don't get along too well Peter"
"Wrong Carlisle I hate you and your fucking family so you have about 30 seconds before I hang up."
"Its Jasper, I need to contact him"
"Yeah I'll bet 20 and counting"
"Its his mate, she's in danger"
"Alice Cullen in trouble, now why doesn't that surprise me? 10 seconds left"
"It's not Alice Cullen. It's another girl and the Volturi have her"
"Ah the magic word Volturi. Now I should be shitting myself I guess Carlisle, good try, 5 seconds"
"Peter please contact Jasper and tell him Bella's in trouble, he'll know who you mean. If he wants to he can ring me but we're running out of time."
"Bye Dr Cullen"

Charlotte was at my side as I disconnected,

"The ass hole"
"Peter, what if its true?"
"Well now, why do I distrust Carlisle and his family so much?"
"I know but what if he's telling the truth?"
"If its true how come the good Doctor knows about this woman and we don't?"
"We didn't exactly part on the best of terms if you remember"

"Yeah as a matter of fact I do recall Alice the bitch visiting. What I don't understand is why the good Doctor can't contact The Major and why he thinks we can?"

"Maybe they broke up, Alice and The Major I mean"

"I know who you meant I'm not totally stupid Charlotte"

"I'm not so sure about that and I think we should at least try to contact him"
"OK genius and how do we do that? Remember the "Never darken our doorstep again" conversation he and I had when that fucking pixie came with him
"No, but I did tell you at the time you went too far."
"Oh God don't start that again and in any case if he and the bitch were still together Carlisle would hardly be ringing us about another woman he says is The Majors mate, now would he? The point is we don't know where he is Char and I doubt he'll be keen to answer the phone to me even if they are history."

"Well I'll try. I think we need to find him if we can, just in case"
I handed her the phone,

"Be my guest but don't come crying to me when he tells you to fuck off"

Charlotte

I took a deep breath and rang Jaspers cell phone. After a few rings it went to voice mail and I cursed,
"Major, I know you don't want to hear from us but I think there might be trouble. Do you know a girl called Bella? Carlisle says she's in trouble and that you'll want to know. Please at least contact him if not us. I miss you"
Peter rolled his eyes at that but I just blanked him.
"Well all we can do now is wait."

"Yeah I'll grow old before he rings back"
"You might be right but I had to try Peter and what if he doesn't get the message and Carlisle's telling the truth? Don't you think we should at least find out what's going on?"
"You want me to ring the Cullen house and ask? What fucking planet are you living on?"
"All right then, I will."

He marched off muttering unhappily but I was worried. Luckily Esme answered, I'd spoken to her before and we didn't have a history, neither had Peter ever upset her, probably the only Cullen I could say that about.
"Esme we just got a call from Carlisle about a girl called Bella, do you know what's going on?"

"Sorry Charlotte? Bella? That was Edwards girlfriend"
"Edwards? That's not what Carlisle told Peter"
He came storming back in,
"See I fucking told you. You can't trust any of them."

He tried to grab the receiver but I growled at him and he stood arms folded.

"Just a second Charlotte he's coming downstairs with Eleazor."
Carlisle came on the phone then,
"Charlotte, have you reached him?"
"No Carlisle and do I really need to? Esme says this Bella is Edwards girlfriend, you could at least get your stories straight"

As Carlisle started to explain with Eleazor's help Peter took the phone from me.

"I've just about had it with your family Carlisle. If you want The Major you find him. He's hardly likely to turn up here after the performance your sainted daughter put on when she visited. If it's so fucking important why don't you deal with it. You and the Volturi are bosom pals after all."

He slammed the receiver down and turned to me,

"I told you it was a load of fucking eye wash. When are you going to learn that the Cullens are trouble, all of them, now give it a rest. Let them sort out this Bella, better still why doesn't the boy with the golden bollocks, Edward, go and help her?"

He was interrupted by the phone ringing insistently and I just stopped him from chucking it through the window and into the Horse Trough. I knew he was hurt and angry about Alice Cullen and it was only getting worse the longer he thought about it. I answered, holding him back one-handed,

"Hello?"

"Charlotte its Carlisle, we got cut off. There's been a misunderstanding"

"Yeah, you got your stories twisted Carlisle, why don't you fuck off and leave us alone. If Edward the Tin God has got himself in a scrape you get him out. Stop trying to use The Major to do your dirty work for you"

I hushed him angrily,

"What's going on Carlisle? Because I have to tell you I'm beginning to feel the same way as my husband."

"I'm truly sorry Charlotte, Esme didn't know what I'd just learned. Bella Swan was Edwards human girlfriend..."

Peter started up but I threatened him silently and he turned and walked out,

"I'm going for a walk. Let me know when story time is over"

"Go on Carlisle."

He explained what Eleazor had told him.

"You mean this girl who was Edwards girlfriend, the one who Jasper attacked at your house, is being held by the Volturi and Alice says she's Jaspers mate? You'll understand if I'm a little skeptical."

"Will you at least speak to Eleazor?"

"OK"

I listened as he told me what he'd seen. He knew nothing about Alice's claim but the rest seemed verified by his words.

"Look, I have to be honest with you. We haven't seen or heard from Jasper since he and Alice left and we don't expect to. Their leaving was, shall we say, less than amicable."

"But you will try?"

"I already have Carlisle but I can do no more than you, leave a message or messages on his cell phone and hope he picks them up, but I wouldn't want to bet on it."

At that moment my cell phone buzzed insistently and I looking at the number showing on the screen
I sighed in relief,

"Just a minute Carlisle. I think its him."

And answered it, fingers crossed.