Chapter Six

Peter

We'd tried everything we could think of, Char tried everyone she knew and even rang Alice again for any clues.

"I don't know, I told you he's vanished from my visions, Bella too, but I know there's trouble at the root of it all. Something isn't right, I can feel that"

"Funny I'm not feeling anything"

"Maybe because he's not close enough or you haven't picked up on it Peter"

I nodded thoughtfully,

"Could be. I did have a spell a few years ago when I sensed something going on but I could never pinpoint it, so maybe I have blind spots too."

"How long ago Peter?"

"Oh fuck, maybe a couple. You remember I kept getting the feeling something was happening, something bad but I could never pin it down"

"Do you think it could have been him then? In trouble I mean."

"I suppose it could, it wasn't close just made me feel antzy. So the Seer can't tell us anything?"

"No, he vanished from her visions when he walked out of the Cullen house"

"And no ones seen him since? My money is on him never leaving, maybe he's hiding in the attic plotting revenge"

"Be sensible Peter"

"Well its as sensible as him vanishing into thin air, he's good Char but not that good. In two years not a single sighting?"

"Oh God, you don't think he's gone back to Maria do you?"

"It did occur to me as a remote possibility but I rang Nick, he has his finger on the pulse down there and he says nothings going on. No rumours, no Major. He was curious though why we would think he might have gone back because he heard a rumour that The Major was dead"

"Dead? Who from?"

"Well that's the kicker, it originated up North and I just wondered if a certain Alice Cullen might have been responsible."

"Peter, if Bubonic Plague broke out up there you'd blame her"

"Well she'd probably be behind it. Anyway who else up there would start a rumour like that?"

"I don't think its Alice or why would she contact us?"

"Who knows how she thinks, don't forget she was in an asylum before she became a vampire. God knows what the change did to already weak wiring. I dug a lot deeper but no one seems to remember where it came from. He's not dead, that I'd know"

"I hope so Peter but there's trouble somewhere."

Feeling pretty fucking useless I tried to decide what to do when the phone went again and I grabbed it hoping there might be news of The Major but it was the fucking pixie again

"Before you ask Alice, no we haven't found him"

"Peter, get on I-5 and watch out for a battered red truck with Washington plates. Its Bella and she's headed your way, she needs a place to hide. I think its Carlisle, he'll be on her track soon enough and if he finds her then its all over. Get to her first and keep her away from him."

"And why? Just give me one good reason why I should go haring off after a human who's being chased by Carlisle Cullen?"

"Because she's pregnant with Jaspers child but she doesn't know it."

"Good one Alice, you nearly had me believing you."

"It's true Peter. I think its Carlisle, someone's been drugging her and used medical knowledge to get her pregnant, if its him then my guess would be that he wants the child because he thinks it would be an ideal gift to keep Esme happy. She never got over losing her own baby and by using Bella and Jasper he has a good chance of producing a real hybrid child for her."

"And Bella doesn't know this?"

"No because he's been drugging her, I told you"

"And The Major?"

"I don't know Peter, I can't see him but I think he's in terrible trouble somewhere"

"Well he would be if he's being milked like a bull for his sperm"

"I don't know how Carlisle got that and I don't want to know but the only way he could were if he had control of Jasper somehow. You're his friend, you work it out"

"Why don't you catch up with Bella and look after her?"

"I think Carlisle suspects I know something, he's watching us too carefully. I'd only lead him to her."

"So how come you are busy making phone calls?"

"I'm on the move at the moment, on my way to Denali and I'm hoping he'll follow me thinking I'll lead him to her. Please Peter, Bella doesn't deserve this, she's lost one child already. I have to go. Please Peter"

Char

I looked at him as he put the receiver down,

"Well what did you think of that?"

He looked at me and laughed out loud,

"You know she almost had me there. The last little "please Peter" was good, very good."

"You don't believe her?"

"What, mysterious biology experiments? Impregnating human women with vampire sperm? Creating Frankenstein's kid for his wife? Are you nuts? She's as crazy as a loon, should be locked up somewhere, preferably as far from me as possible."

"So we're not going?"

"Where?"

"To find Bella"

"Charlotte, let me tell you something that may come as a shock, I don't trust Alice Cullen as far as I can see her. What a load of crap."

"What if its true? The Major has vanished."

"Yeah, and I believe in Father Christmas and the Easter Bunny. For fuck sake Char!"

I got up and went to the key rack taking down the keys to the car,

"Where are you going?"

"Up I-5"

"Why?"

"See if I can locate the red truck."

"You're going to drive up I-5 looking for a red truck with Washington plates, being driven by a human girl called Bella? Good luck with that."

"You coming?"

He sat looking at me before getting up with a curse,

"One day and that's it. No red truck, no human girl, no Washington plates, and we're finished. I must need fucking certifying myself."

Peter

I took the keys from Char,

"I'll drive, you play I spy."

She sighed but got in the passenger side and I started the engine and drove off

"Just out of interest what are you going to say to this imaginary Bella? "Hi there we're friends of Jasper and by the way you're pregnant with his baby by the Pregnancy Fairy AKA Carlisle Cullen"?"

"I'll worry about that when we find her"

"If we find her Char, IF"

Once we got on I-5 I saw Charlotte watching every truck coming down the opposite side of the Interstate,

"Like looking for a needle in a haystack"

"Shut up and drive Peter before I lose my temper."

Once she got one of her moods on it could last for days, so prudently I kept my mouth shut and my eyes on the road. If we saw a battered red truck how were we supposed to check out the plates when she was on the other carriageway? It was just a way to empty the car's tank and shorten my temper, a wild goose chase set up by the Twisted Pixie!