AN: S. Meyer owns twilight

CHAPTER 6

PPOV

Char and I were back in Caius's sitting room, it was late in the afternoon. This would be our final briefing before we left for the states. I was looking forward to some alone time with my mate. I didn't know how the Volturi had coped with so much responsibility all these years. Aro walked in with Demitri, J and Bells. We were all desperate to start this 'diplomatic mission.'

"Thank you for joining us, I know it's early but we just wanted to go through a few things before you depart. While with the tribes we would like you to formally introduce them to the vampire world. There are matters they need to consider; they will need to form a government of their own. They'll need to think of laws, not just for their species, but what they'd like to add to our laws and the laws for the Children of the Moon as well."

He handed J two envelopes; one labeled for Billy and the other for Theresa. "These are for the Elders. Please convince them to accept our gifts. There are copies of our own rules and a few rules we hope to implement in the future." Caius explained.

"We're fortunate that both tribes are already aware of our presence, they will need to contact any other tribes who have a connection to the supernatural world like they do. We have put together an investment portfolio for each tribe which will give them resources for the future. We've been around a long time and built many investments in mining, pharmaceuticals, environmental science and medicine. We have also built Villas near us that will house them should they wish to visit.

"There is an outline of our plan to commence feeding from synthetic blood. This is in conjunction with the new laws we wish to implement, namely the global cessation of hunting humans and other species. There will be those with diplomatic immunity, the Horsemen will be given the only exception among our kind as you're instruments of fate. Other species may have similar concessions, depending on their reasons.

"Other rules regarding our kind will involve the territories held by other supernatural species. It will be possible for interaction between the species on each other's land, but only with written permission from three leaders; coven leaders, alphas, elders or rulers. We've written a rough draft of rules regarding crime within the supernatural world. So far our aim is to allow the leader of the species decide the fate of the criminal in question. There will be recommendations for punishment that must be adhered to with minimum and maximum sentencing guidelines.

"A governing body will preside over all species, it must be made up of a Spirit Walker, a Werewolf and a Vampire. We will need a representative from the spirit walkers or spirit wolves to be elected, the delegate must be immortal. I would like you to speak to Theresa and Billy and have them start talking about candidates."

Aro's mood lightened "now, concerning diet. You won't have to drink human blood while away from us. In fact it'll actually help it if your eyes are gold. Thankfully, Charlie stopped feeding you the human blood a few days ago, your eyes will return to their golden hue and your scent will change back before you land. Demitri won't have a problem blending in with you as he has been wearing red contacts for the last couple of weeks." Demitri smiled at us and removed the contacts from his eyes.

"While you're away we have a good stock of blood for you to feed from. There is about two months' worth of blood carefully prepared by Rose, Emmett and Charlie. Should you need more Theresa has volunteered to help you. Charlie has kept in contact with her and passed all his recipes to her and the other healers. Unfortunately, you'll only be able to see the Spirit walkers at your home in Texas, we cannot ask them to drop their shield to let you on their land."
"We understand, I wouldn't want them risking their community." Pete said in agreement.

There was a lot of information to go through. Aro discussed their plans regarding Iceland and Australia. Caius and the guard would be busy with the Volturi duties. Felix was still doing a sweep of America, looking for any new signs of war with Jane, Alec, Renata and Eliza. Hopefully they would visit us before they returned to Volterra. Felix hoped to be finished by the time we left La Push for Texas.

We donned our disguises and headed to the airport. Demitri wore his blue cloak and Horseman pendant. When we arrived at the airport we were greeted by the Denalis, they would take us to SeaTac, refuel and return to Alaska. Demitri and Eleazar swapped contact details. The Denalis had insisted, just in case we needed help or my gift gave me useful information for them.

Demitri sat in the cockpit with Tanya, keeping her company and acting as co-pilot. The flight was almost enjoyable, Char stayed by Carmen and Eleazar's side, Bella was talking with Kate about her shield and J and I sat back and relaxed with Irina.

BPOV

We bumped onto the tarmac as SeaTac. We said goodbye to our friends and helped them unload our coolers full of blood and luggage. Pete arranged for the house key to be sent to Theresa with a note asking for some blood to be left in the fridge. He included Felix's contact details, advising her on the Volturi mission and asking her to call him to check in on their progress. Demitri called Felix and updated him on our whereabouts, extending Pete's invitation to use the house in Texas.

We each had a trolley carrying coolers designed as suitcases. No one stopped us or questioned our masks, the Volturi had a strong connection with the human world. A few tourists gawked, but we soon left the terminal. Leah and Seth were waiting for us when we got out into the fresh air. I gently hugged her, she had tears in her eyes, I would have too if I'd been capable of crying. I missed her so much.

Demitri introduced himself to Seth while Leah held onto me, she soon hugged J, Pete and Char. I smiled underneath my mask, hopefully the rest of the tribe would welcome us just as warmly. Leah turned to introduce herself to Demitri and froze. Her jaw slackened. Seth glanced between the two of them and started chuckling, Pete soon joined in, but had the good taste to try and curb his amusement. Leah had imprinted.

Pete took the keys from Leah and we headed towards the community bus. Demitri was looking at Leah in concern, she was still staring at Demitri. We loaded up the bus while Pete went to have a chat to the newly mated couple. I was happy, Demitri was a great guy and Leah deserved a good man. We headed into the bus, Seth, Char, J and I watched as Pete explained imprinting and Leah's face turned redder and redder. J huffed and headed back over to them. I saw him pull Pete away and send some calm to Leah and Demitri. They followed behind.

I heard Pete yell "shotgun!" As he entered the bus. Leah tried to grab the keys, but Pete shook his head and jumped onto the driver's seat. Leah sat across the aisle from us, hoping for a distraction from Demitri. Demitri sat next to her and her jaw clamped shut. He tried to talk to her a few times, she'd try to respond, but struggled to make words.

I nudged J and he sent her some calm. She turned and smiled at J weakly before turning back to Demitri and becoming red faced. "Hi." She mumbled. He smiled and returned her greeting "it's nice to meet you, Leah. Bella speaks highly of you." He said kindly. "Thanks. They speak highly of you too. You helped them clear out the southern states?" She asked. Atta girl! She was still quiet and blushing brightly, but this was progress.

Demitri seemed to relax as Leah regained the power of speech. I wondered if he felt the imprint. I'd have to ask J and Char later, I didn't want to embarrass Leah.

Seth was sitting near the front and chatting with Pete. I listened in as Seth caught Pete up on all the gossip. "Dad's started jogging. Mom couldn't believe it when he started. I think he's bored because Charlie isn't around to fish with him. He and Billy go fishing sometimes, but apparently Billy talks too much and scares away the fish." I chuckled, I thought my dad was a gossiping old lady, turns out Billy was just a bad influence. I should have guessed it when I found out about dad's belly button piercing and tattoo.

"Emily's nearly ready to pop!" Seth continued, I my amusement dropped as I tried to hear if she was okay. "She's due in a week and is already desperate for the kid to be born. Leah and Mom have been running the community dinners, Emily and Sam moved into Oona's place so she can keep making remedies for our pack." Thank god. She was doing well.

"Emily went to Port Angeles a month ago. She bumped into this old cow, Mrs. Stanley, who asked her who her plastic surgeon was because her scars had been healed. Emily nearly lost it, it was lucky mom was with her. Mom told the cow that 'it's easier to heal when you're young.' Man, was she pissed." Damn. I hadn't thought of anyone I went to high school with in a long time. I wondered how they were. I thought about Angela, Ben and Eric. They were so nice to me, I hoped they were happy.

We were on the ferry now. Demitri went to the back of the bus where the coolers sat, he wanted us to feed before we got on the Res. My control had grown strong since I was changed. I could be around humans easily. It was hard to believe it had only been seven months since I was turned. So much had changed. My world had changed drastically in my mind, but seeing my friends showed me how slowly the rest of the world moved.

The ferry ride felt short as my nerves kicked up a notch. What if my tribe rejected me? They would treat me different? I was their enemy after all. J stuck a flask in front of me, I lifted my mask slightly and sucked through the straw. He leaned down to me "they won't think badly of you, Honey. The Clearwater's wouldn't allow it." I smiled in relief.

I saw Demitri sit back next to Leah. She smiled, her blush eased slightly. She was finding it easier to be around him now. That was good. He was telling her his life story, I tuned them out and concentrated on J. His hand grabbed onto mine and he brushed his thumb across my fingers. I rested my head against his shoulder and closed my eyes, concentrating on his scent, he smelt like himself again.

Dad's scent changing human blood had worn off, it was a relief. I noticed then that the wolves scent had changed. At first it'd been unpleasant, but now they smelled like pine and resin. It was a comfort. Dad must've made another recipe to make it easier to be around them. Hopefully it worked for them too, I didn't want to smell bad to them.

I heard Seth sniff the air "you guys smell different." He announced. "Less bleach and ammonia, more like a perfume counter in a department store." I sighed in relief. Hopefully we'd be tolerable. Pete started explaining dad's healing abilities and some of the remedies he's concocted. We were on Res land now, hopefully we'd be able to take our masks off soon.

JPOV

Sue's house was visible in the distance. I didn't know whether to be anxious or relieved. Leah and Demitri's emotions were a little strong; she was feeling worried and there was a strong need to be close to him. Demitri liked her, but also seemed worried. Hopefully, with him as Leah's mate, Sue would concentrate her affection on Demitri. It's not that I didn't like Sue, it was just unsure what to do. She was human and nurturing. It was very strange.

Pete parked in the driveway. Sue and Harry had jogged out to meet us. I could feel their shock as they took in our disguise. Pete took his mask off and smiled, we copied him. It was nice to feel the air against my face. Harry immediately went to Pete, he was oozing gratitude. "Come in, come in! It's nice to finally meet you. I hear you're the one who got the premonition about my heart attack." Pete nodded "nice to meet you too, Harry. Thank you for allowing us onto your land." Harry waved him off "you're practically family." I felt a spike of surprise from Bella and put my arm around her shoulder.

Sue saw me and made a beeline for us. She wrapped her arms around the both of us and Bella chuckled I was glad her control was good. "It's so good to see you kids!" Sue said, hugging us tighter. "Thank you ma'am" I teased lightly, she went to scold me until she saw my amusement. "Now, Jasper, I'm glad to see you've joined us in the land of the living, but please dear; cut the crap." I smiled and hugged her back. Harry cleared his throat, I rolled my eyes and hugged him. Sue's emotions were getting to me, although I enjoyed his surprise at being hugged by a male vampire. Bella laughed loudly behind me, Sue giggled along with her.

"Damn, Charlie did a good job." Sue commented. I turned to her "it was a joint effort between him and Bella." I reached out for my mate's hand and she joined me. I was glad to be here. This area was calm and simple; there was no backstabbing, no secrets, no hiding our identity. We could be ourselves here.

Demitri towed Leah towards her parents. I could feel her fear, she didn't want to disappoint them by imprinting with a vampire. I decided to help them out "Sue, I'd like you to meet Demitri. He's taken care of us on all our missions and protected us." I felt some relief from Leah as Sue and Harry introduced themselves nicely. Seth grinned and opened his mouth "Hey mom, dad, guess what?" Leah pounced on him. I couldn't blame her.

Sue and Harry tried to separate the pair when Sam turned up. Leah's embarrassment hit a record high and Demitri swooped in to pick her up. Bella stepped forward "is it okay if Leah and I show Demitri first beach?" She asked Sue and Harry. They nodded and smiled, I sent Bella a jolt of happiness. I'd help Pete explain the imprint. She smiled and led Dem and Leah away.

"Harry, Sue." Pete started "this is my imprint Charlotte." Char smiled and waved. So far, so good. "I imprinted on her after I was changed. You see, our tribes have a similar way of finding our mates. Char feels as strongly for me as I do for her, we protect and support each other like any good mate does. Vampires mate in a slightly different way, but the end result is the same.

"I'm telling you this because I found my mate in the same way my tribe found their mates, through imprinting. Technically, we're an example of inter-species mating. While I'm definitely a vampire I'm also a spirit walker. You know as well as I do that our mates are important for our existence, it's fate's way of bringing happiness and purpose into our lives."
"Why are you telling us this?" Harry asked. I slowly let out a trickle of calm.

"Well, Harry, Sue. Your daughter has found her soul mate" Pete continued, I increased the calm. "Who?" Sue asked. Pete looked to me and I nodded, their emotions were curious, but there was an underlying dread. Their emotions were surprisingly stable. "Demitri." Pete said quietly. Sue gasped and Harry paled a little. "I can vouch for him, we all can. He is our family too and he helps us work with Fate. He's a good man and has converted to animal blood." Char said calmly, but firmly.

We waited for them to respond. It took a while. Their emotions turned to anger, before turning to denial, then acceptance. Sue was the first to recover "I want what's best for my daughter. If you can assure me he will be there for her and respect her that's all we can ask." She said. Harry sighed and nodded. He wasn't happy about this, but he knew how strong imprinting was. They weren't about to think less of their daughter because of something she had no control over.

"What's his role in your group?" Harry asked. "He's a communications officer. He is a gifted tracker and he can find anyone, anywhere in the world. The Volturi saw how close he was to us and release him from their service. We happily accepted him, he goes above and beyond what is needed to help the people he cares about." I said. Harry nodded and thought a bit more about the situation.

"What will this mean for our daughter?" Sue asked. I answered carefully "it means she'll always have support, she'll be happy with him and he won't take advantage of the imprint. He'll be as devoted to her as she is to him. Whatever plans they make will be equal, if they want to stay here on the Res then we'll happily release him. If they want to assist us we'll cover their travel when we go on missions and keep them safe. In the meantime we must let them make a life together. The choice is theirs alone." I said. Sue nodded and smiled, she was feeling relieved. "I'm sorry for doubting him, I trust you guys and I know you wouldn't be around people who weren't good. Imprinting has been an issue here of late." Her emotions dimmed.

Pete asked them "what happened?" Harry looked at the ground sadly, but there was an undercurrent of anger. "One of our boys imprinted on a girl in Forks. It hasn't turned out well and we can't help him. This girl uses him, cheats on him, and mocks us for not having much money. No one outside the tribe knows about your assistance, Pete, they think we're getting grants from the government. Sam issued an order than no one can discuss our livelihood with someone who isn't a blood member of the tribe or associated with you guys. She thinks we live of food stamps and calls us lazy."

"Damn." I sighed. "What's this girl's name?" I asked. Sue looked at me, her voice bitter "Lauren Mallory." I shuddered, and told them "I went to school with her. She's bad news. How about I contact Charlie, there may be something he or the Masters can do."
"Really?" Harry asked. I shrugged "it's a long shot, but the Volturi have someone who can strengthen and weaken bonds and Charlie might be able to help with his knowledge or power. It's worth a try."
"Isn't Charlie in Iceland?" Harry asked. I nodded "it could be hard to get a hold of him, but no matter how long it takes it's better than doing nothing." I said. They agreed.

I headed out to call Aro on the satellite phone. I sighed in relief when the call connected "War, how are you?"
"I'm well. How is Iceland?" I was curious to see how the trip was going. "We just landed here. I've missed home, but I must admit the smell is worse when you're a vampire. Are there any problems at your end?" He asked. "There's a problem with one of the wolves, I was wondering whether Chelsea or Charlie could help." I gave him a rundown of the situation and he relayed it to Charlie.

Aro handed the phone to Charlie. "There are a few options we can try. I'll contact Em and Rose and see what we can do."
"Thanks, one of the boys has imprinted on Lauren Mallory." Charlie cursed "I'll call Em and Rose now and give them a few pointers, maybe Chelsea can deliver it and we can release the poor kid from that bitch. Who imprinted on her?" Charlie asked. I turned to Harry and repeated the question "Jacob Black." Shit.