AN:
Here are the groups as they stand now;

Texas – Peter, Charlotte, J, Bella, Spirit Walkers, Jake, Emmett, Rose, Chelsea, Charlie, Brenna, Briggita, Fred, Aro, Picia

Volterra – Esme, Marcus, Caius, Dora, Renata, Eliza and a few of the Elite Guard and Lower Guard

America (travelling) – Demitri and Leah

South America - Felix, Jane, Alec, Evan and Mark

Iceland – Alice and Alistair

S. Meyer owns twilight

CHAPTER 13

BPOV – Texas, two days before Alice is struck by lightning.

Dad had arrived an hour ago with Aro, Picia, Fred, Briggita, Brenna and Aaron. Dad and Chelsea were attending to Jake. Theresa was absolutely fascinated by the wolves and new vampires. The rest of us looked on. Rose and Em were translating the medical jargon spouting between Aro and Theresa. They had already told our group about the advancement they made in creating an anti-vampire virus, but half of the information went in one ear and out the other. Aro's extreme happiness was the only thing we needed to see to understand that HEALERS DO GOOD. We felt like cavemen encountering a zippo; awed and a little afraid.

Rose explained as simply as she could that the virus wouldn't change the humans in any way other than making them stronger against disease. "We made sure the venom producing genes weren't added. The only changes that the humans would notice would be less time off sick." The infected scientists already needed fewer sick days. In a month they would arrange a physical examination under the guise of supplying the workers and their families with 'comprehensive health insurance.' They would thoroughly check each infected human for any side effects. So far the animal trials had shown no difference other than the increase to their immune system.

My head hurt, the only thing I took from the whole conversations was; healers do good. I looked to Pete; his eyes were glazed over. If he'd been human he would be snoring. He started suddenly. "The ancestors say the virus will be a success, but wait six months before infecting the rest of the human and animal populations. There are a few more details that need to be ironed out with the synthetic blood."
"What sort of details?" Emmett asked worriedly. "They said it's something to do with the actual cells you cloned. I don't know, in my day we didn't know any of this stuff. I'm a fighter, not a doctor Damnit."

Dad and Chelsea came out of Jake's room looking exhausted. Em sprinted to the kitchen and heated up some blood and tea. Brenna came out with a bowl of pasta for dad, I smiled at her gratefully. I had forgotten dad still needed to eat occasionally. "How is Jacob?" Picia asked dad. She'd seen how young he was and the pain he held from the broken imprint, it had flared her protective instincts. "He's doing well. Chelsea was able to slowly decrease his bond to Lauren and I was able to heal the effects it had on his body. The bond is hanging by a thread."

"He won't be able to go back home." Theresa said sadly. Dad agreed "if he's anywhere near Lauren the bond will grow." My anger grew. I hated this so much, Jake was a kid who had a long life ahead of him and a lot of responsibility, I had been so sure the bond would break, but it was still there, like a cancer. He was still enslaved to Lauren, an ungrateful bitch. Why give the wolves the ability to imprint? It hurt so many people; Leah had been tossed aside, Emily had been hurt, Sam was caught between guilt for Leah and forced love towards Emily. What sort of gift was that? I froze. ...gift? Was it a gift?

J felt the change in my emotions as I had my epiphany. He looked at me. "What's wrong, Bella?" He was worried. "Is imprinting a gift?" I asked. They looked at me in shock. Em sprinted into the room where Jake was recovering. He came back out with a wide grin. "Charlie, how soon before you recover?" He asked. "It'll take a few days. I'm pretty tapped out." Dad said. "Theresa?" Em asked, she thought for a moment before replying, "I can give it a go, but I'll need back up." She said. Pete and I stood, we followed Em into Jake's room while Theresa grabbed a few supplies from Charlie's stores. The Ancestors could lend Theresa our strength to heal the removal of the imprint.

Jake was passed out, exhausted from the previous healing. "The gift is at its weakest now. We'll have to act fast." Em said as Theresa joined us. "I can see it. It shouldn't be too hard to get rid of it now." She said in relief. "Jake hasn't got a lot of strength left, we'll have to work fast and avoid disrupting the wolf spirit." She added. Em nodded, "It could hurt him, we'll have to tread carefully." He agreed.

"Would J's gift help?" I asked. Theresa agreed, "It's out best solution. Many of these remedies will drain the rest of Jake's strength, we have to use them sparingly. If we can alter Jake's level of consciousness without our remedies he'll be safe." She said. J heard out conversation and walked into the room. Theresa explained how Pete and I would need to be brought into a meditative state in order to open our minds to the spirit world. She also said that she'd need J's calming mojo as she healed Jake. J nodded and closed his eyes to focus on the emotions he'd need to send.

"Thanks to you, Charlie and Chelsea, the worst is over." Em said to Theresa. He continued, "My part will be easy, I just need to hook my gift around the bond and remove it gently, it's the healing that will be most important." A look of determination came over Theresa's face. "We'll do our best. It's up to Fate to decide how he recovers." She said. Pete and I moved forward. This would be different to the initial healing in La Push. There would be no burning leaves to draw out the spirits, we would have to get ourselves in the right frame of mind to make contact. I heard Theresa say J's name and felt a trickle of foreign emotion.

My body felt heavy, my head felt foggy. I concentrated on Jake. From the corner of my eye I saw a faint glow emit from Pete, he put his hand on Theresa's shoulder. A voice tickled my ear we're ready, touch Theresa's shoulder and we'll pass your strength to her. I didn't recognize the voice, I felt like I was dreaming. I touched Theresa's shoulder and felt the warmth I used to ignite my shield leave me and enter Theresa. She began to glow.

I watched as Emmett knelt by the bed. His fingers rested over Jake's bare chest. He had a dim blue glow around his arm, it reached inside Jake's chest. Em drew his fingers together and moved his hand back slowly. The blue glow was attached to a red cord, I had seen that cord before; the first time Theresa had healed him. The cord left Jake's body completely, Em's blue glow returned back inside his skin, bringing the red cord with it. I saw the cord flicker and die within Em's chest.

Theresa stepped forward, Pete and I followed. She sat on the bed and put her hands either side of Jake's head. Her fingertips glowed like dad's did when he healed someone. I saw Jake's whole body enveloped in pure white light. Theresa whispered J's name and the room flooded with calm. There was a flash of light, like a shooting star, it zipped across Jake's skin. The glow from Theresa faded back into her. I felt my strength return. Pete and I removed out hands from Theresa's shoulders and sighed in relief.

"How is he?" J asked. "He's healed. The imprint no longer exists, he's a free man." Theresa announced cheerfully, she high fived Em. "Good work, Emmett." She congratulated him. There was a quiet knock at the door, I opened it to find Rose who had a tray of cups, each cup held energizing tea. We took them gratefully. I smiled, Jake was free.

We walked back into the lounge room. The others were talking quietly, dad was snoring. "We'll have to postpone the bonfire." Theresa announced quietly. "What about the full moon?" Brenna asked, I understood her worry, I didn't want to be in close quarters with her during her transformation. Rose turned to Theresa "there's a Rowan tree on the Res, isn't there?" She asked. Theresa nodded, adding "yes, but it's not the same species as the European variety."
"Would it be possible to get a sample? The wolves can smell whether the plant will help curb their instincts." Aro asked.

Theresa went outside to make a call. She and Jake weren't fit for travel tonight. The people on the Res could bring a sample of the wood. Neither the werewolves, Aro or Picia wanted to miss the bonfire, but they would if it was necessary. She returned with their answer. "They'll bring leaves and twigs of the Rowan tree soon. If it works we'll be able to help you contain the wolves." She said. The wolves looked a little relieved; they were in an unfamiliar country and we didn't know whether dad's vodka worked. Hopefully we could keep them contained when the moon rose. If the wood didn't work they would have to leave at dawn to return to Volterra in time for the full moon.

Jake woke up a few hours later, he looked better than ever. There was a weight off his chest, he seemed healthier and lighter. Theresa smiled at him, "you're at peace." She observed, he nodded and smiled. Jake was grateful Emmett had been able to remove the imprint completely. He spent some time getting to know Em, Rose and the werewolves too. I was grateful the wolves had travelled to us, they were giving Jake a very different perspective on phasing and their inner beasts. We listened as they told their history to him.

Brenna came over to me. "How are you enjoying your vacation?" She asked. I sighed, "I know it sounds strange, but I'm bored shitless. I've fought for most of my vampire life and now I feel stuck. There are so many changes happening and I want to see them happen. I'm glad you guys are here, I feel included again." I told her. "I'm glad too. I haven't had enough time to get to know my mate's daughter." She said. I smiled at her. "I'm glad dad has you in his life, Brenna." He'd been trapped by his love for Renee for many years.

We chatted about their trip to Iceland and Australia. I was particularly interested in dad's reaction to the den of the wolves in Iceland. It sounded like an amazing place. Hopefully we'd visit there soon. The underground city in Australia sounded interesting as well, I chuckled as Brenna described seeing Aro and Sulpicia in shorts and tank tops. I listened as she described the meeting place in Western Australia, they explored the Cave Hills at night with the wolf pack led by Cynewulf and her daughter Ginna. Her descriptions sounded similar to parts of Arizona. I'd love to visit the continent.

A car rumbled up the driveway. One of the Spirit Walkers had arrived with a sample of American Rowan wood. I met Micah at the door, I had only met him once while I was human. "Hello, Bella. It's good to see you again." He said with a smile. "It's good to see you too, did you guys have any problems with Vampires while we were gone?" I asked, he shook his head, "no problems at all. I met Felix and the other Volturi guards, they were very helpful." He said. I led him into the lounge room and introduced him to everyone. He was fascinated by Aro and Picia and asked many questions about leading the vampire species. They seemed to enjoy their encounter with Micah.

Micah was just as fascinated by the wolves, especially Brenna. "I see you have a strong connection to life." He said. She explained her gift; aiding plant growth. He was excited and was glad she was dad's imprint. He passed around the samples of American Rowan he collected, the werewolves noses wrinkled. "It doesn't smell very nice, our inner beasts should hate it." Fred said with a large grin. Micah left soon after with a promise to bring whatever Rowan wood he could salvage from their tree. Brenna arranged to visit the Res in the morning, she would use her gift on their plants in thanks for their assistance. The Res had never encountered a werewolf before, it would be interesting to see if their shield let Brenna in.

Slowly the wolves, Theresa and Jake went to sleep. Aro and Picia joined us outside as the sun began to rise. "We've never been to America before, there is a very different feel to the land." Aro said. Pete spoke, "Most of the Southern States smell of venom, this area was protected by the Spirit Walkers during the Vampire Wars. This is probably the cleanest smelling area in the south."

We took them on a tour of the land and told them about the places we'd seen. Picia was enjoying the scenery, it was a stunning area and we were lucky to have a great view from our home.

"Picia and I haven't travelled much since we came into power. It feels good to stretch our legs." Aro said. "Didn't you take vacations?" I asked in concern. Aro shook his head. One thousand years of constant work, being cooped up in one place. It sounded like a boring existence. "Well as agents of Fate I order the Volturi to relax." I joked. He smiled, "we will have to Bella. We've missed so much while sitting in the castle day after day."
"I'll make sure we have time off, dear. You know no one wants to piss off the Volturi Wives." Picia said sternly. Aro chuckled. "Picia, my dear, we will travel the world." Her eyes lit up. "I'll have to arrange vacations for Marcus and Caius. Once there is the new government we can take all the vacations we want." He said.

"Won't you still be leading our kind?" I asked them. Aro nodded. "Of course, but there will be new leaders governing the three species. One vampire, one werewolf and one Spirit Walker." He said. "Who will be the vampire ruler?" I asked. He smiled and replied, "Eleazar." It made sense, "does he know yet?" I asked. Aro shook his head and smiled cheekily, "No, we'll break the news to him at a later date." Pete smirked. "He won't be happy, Aro, but Carmen, Amun and Alistair will convince him." He said.

We walked back inside as our skin started to sparkle. It was going to be a sunny day. "It's nice to feel the sun on my face, the Castle in Volterra is too public for us to enjoy fine weather." Picia said. Pete ran upstairs and brought down a few cushions from the meditation room. "Why don't you and Aro enjoy the sun, we can take care of the wolves." He offered. They took the cushions and headed back outside to sun themselves. Pete made a tray of drinks for dad, Theresa and Jake. Char and I got to cooking, I could hear Jake's heart beat pick up and knew he'd soon be awake. Dad and Theresa would join us soon as well.

The werewolves started to stir, they ate quickly and went into town to pick up some supplies. Brenna hugged me before leaving to go to the Res. I offered her the keys to my car, Binky, but she waved them off. She wanted to jog to the Res, needing some time to herself.

Jake padded down the stairs as soon as the next batch of eggs and bacon was plated. I made a coffee for dad and a put together small plate of food. When I went to put the remaining bacon and butter back in the fridge I noticed the shelves had been stacked with bottles of blood. Rose, Em and Chelsea had brought the synthetic blood with them from Volterra.

I was due for a feed and excited to try the new food source. I grabbed a few bottles, handing them to Char, Pete and J, then headed outside to join Picia and Aro. He jumped up when he saw what I was carrying. "Is that from Volterra?" He asked in excitement. I nodded and handed he and Picia and bottle each. Rose and Em came outside to watch our reaction to the blood. I opened the bottle and was hit with the scent of blood, venom pooled in my mouth and I practically attacked the bottle. The scratchy feeling of thirst abated and I felt strong and calm. The blood was incredible.

I heard Picia gasped something in a language I didn't understand once she finished the bottle. Aro looked to be filled with euphoria. He looked younger than he had while ruling in Volterra. He must have only been eighteen when changed. Picia looked to be the same age as him. It had never occurred to me how young they were physically, they were always so serious and mature in Volterra. It was a nice change to see them act their physical age. "The shower in Pete and Char's room is free if you'd like to freshen up." I offered. Aro smiled evilly, "I think I will get changed, I can get the gifts we bought for everyone while we're upstairs." He said, he and Picia ran inside the house.

I shrugged and decided to get changed while our bedroom was free. J followed me, picking out a clean pair of jeans and a black tank top. I chose a denim skirt and white tank top. J grabbed a few more cushions from the meditation room and we walked outside to enjoy the sun.

Aro and Picia called to us from the lounge room, Aro had pulled his hair back into a pony tail. He and Picia had left their cloaks off and were wearing tank tops with jeans, it was strange to see them in casual clothes. I could see a few scars on Picia, but Aro had a lot of scars showing where he'd been dismembered and bitten by the Romanians. It made the history of the Volturi all the more real.

They were handing out pairs of flip flops, I hadn't worn these in ages. I thanked them, scooting the flip flops on. J, Pete, Char, Em and Rose were looking at the footwear oddly. Aro began to chuckle and Picia rolled her eyes at him. "I've seen young people wear these, but never tried them." J said. They each put on the new footwear and tried to walk. The flip flops fell off their feet. Picia and I began to giggle. Dad came down stairs and watched Rose, Em and the other Horsemen in amusement. "Curl your toes slightly." He suggested.

They tried walking, but shuffled awkwardly. Aro's laughter grew. Dad smirked at Aro, "you were funnier." He teased. Aro shrugged, "true, but now I get to witness other people's discomfort." He said happily. I could only imagine how the Guard would fare with the flip flops. "Did you buy more pairs?" I asked Aro, he nodded gleefully and added "enough for two pairs for each person living in the castle and plenty of spares." He said. "I'll have to see that." I whispered conspiratorially. J and I went back outside, Aro and Picia followed us. My body warmed in the sunlight and patterns emerged where our skin reflected the light. It felt like I was in a large kaleidoscope.

The sun began to set. The Spirit Walkers from the Res would be here soon. Aro, Pete and J were preparing the bonfire site. Char, Picia and I cooked dinner for the Werewolves and Spirit Walkers. Em and Rose were putting a few remedies together at the dining room table. I looked forward to seeing Emmett's reaction to the histories. He'd never been to a bonfire.

Three cars pulled into the driveway. Nine people from the Res joined us, Brenna was with them. It appeared the werewolves would be able to visit tribal land. The werewolves returned from their shopping expedition a minute later. Jake made a beeline for one of the Spirit Walkers; she was tall, had long brown hair and green eyes. She looked to be about 18 years old. He smiled widely at her and led her to me. "This is Samantha, she's a protector like you and Pete." He said. I smiled and shook her hand. I could see she was nervous, but couldn't tell if it was because we were a large group of unfamiliar people or a group of species she hadn't come across before.

We led her to the back of the house with the others. Aaron was stacking the Rowan wood. Lucas, a healer Spirit Walker from the Res, introduced himself to the wolves while the others gathered the rest of the Rowan wood they'd brought from the Res. Aro, Picia, Em and I rushed to help them. Char called the Spirit Walkers and wolves inside to eat. We unloaded the rest of the cars and joined everyone in the lounge room.

The fire pit was prepared and everyone had been fed. Night had fallen, it was time for the bonfire. I glanced at the moon, it was nearly full, the wolves would transform tomorrow afternoon. Thankfully, the Rowan tree on the Res had supplied us with enough wood to contain them. I ignited my shield and pushed a few flames onto the wood in the fire pit. Theresa added some herbs "the smoke will cleanse the area and bring us closer to the spirit world." She explained.

I withdrew the fire from my shield and took a seat next to J. The warmth of the bonfire relaxed me, it wasn't like the oppressive warm air of Texas, it was a warmth that brought comfort and tranquility. Theresa spoke first, I watched the figures created by flame dance in the fire. The histories of the Spirit Walkers came alive. All was quiet, the living creatures in the area seemed to silence themselves and listen to the Histories.

I felt like I was being watched, I lifted my eyes from the fire and looked around. I could see animals peeking out from the forest, their eyes glowing from the light of the fire. My body seemed to hum from the energy around me. I saw a foreign light to the side of me, dad was glowing. I looked to the others, the Spirit Walkers were also glowing, but not as brightly as my dad. Pete's glowing skin was as bright as dad's. I passed the phenomenon off as a Spirit Walker thing and returned my gaze to the fire.

Theresa finished, we took a break. Jake would speak next. As a blood born alpha to the La Push pack he could orchestrate the telling of the histories, giving them the energy and gravitas they deserved. I could see him preparing himself, his brow furrowed in thought.

Theresa cleared her throat and introduced Jake. He braced himself as he started the Quileute history. His voice held a faint echo I'd only heard in Sam's voice. Through the flames I saw the image of the first wolf and his battle with a cold one. I heard the light padding of paws against the grass and looked up. A pack of wolves was walking in our direction. It seemed appropriate. Somehow I could tell there was no ill intent. This was the closest I'd ever been to a wild animal, they usually avoided vampires.

The wolves stopped behind Jake and sat, listening and watching. It was a beautiful sight.

Aro POV – Texas, the same time that Alice is struck by lightning.

This was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. We were surrounded by animals, listening to the history of the Spirit species. I couldn't help it, I leaned over and stroked the back of a wolf near Jacob. It looked at me and moved closer. I hadn't felt so connected to the world since I lived in the little inlet in Russia, even then the animals were wary of me.

There was an intelligence in the eyes of this wolf. It felt like it was looking into my soul. Slowly, the other wolves moved around our circle, other animals began to join them. I looked to Jacob, his voice was strong and steady, but tears ran down his cheeks as he saw the new additions to his audience.

The power of nature humbled me, I felt like a boy in a new world. Jacob finished speaking, we were all silent, enjoying the comfort of the fire and our new companions. The wolf and I returned our gazes to each other.

A large crack sounded from the fire. The animals turned and walked back into the forest. I was sad to see them go. I faced the others and looked around our circle. Many were watching the animals leave, but Bella, Jasper, Pete, Char and Emmett seemed to be in some sort of trance. I watched them carefully, unable to work out if there was something wrong or whether this was a supernatural influence. I decided it was the latter.

The rest of the group was transfixed by the forest. My attention was occupied by the Horsemen and Emmett. They stood and paced towards the flames. I called out to them, they didn't stop. I ran to them and tried to hold them back. The others turned their attention to me, Sulpicia and the others joined me in trying to pull the Horsemen and Emmett away from the fire. Rose was trying to tackle Emmett away from the flames. Charlie and Jake were trying to move Jasper and Bella, Fred and Aaron were trying to pull Peter and Charlotte away from the flames.

Bella covered the group of five with her shield, pushing us away from them. We couldn't stop them. We watched as they walked into the flames, Bella's shield dropped and their clothes caught fire. The flames grew. Charlie was screaming, the others were running into the house to get water. "Their skin isn't burning." Theresa gasped. I looked closer, she was right. Only their clothes were burning, they appeared unharmed.

Spirit walkers and werewolves returned with any container they could find filled with water. They poured it onto the fire, it didn't dim. "This is living flame, it's different to fire. They're unharmed." Theresa announced. The Spirit walkers stopped and sat. The rest of us watched the grim scene in front of us. I felt so helpless, scared for the wellbeing of the Horsemen and Emmett. If they died how would we carry on? What would happen to Rose if her mate died? How would Charlie recover if his daughter, aunt and uncles were harmed? Caius and Dora would be broken. I felt so helpless. Such pure hearts were needed in the world. To lose them would be a waste.

I heard Charlie sob and went to him. Picia moved to help Rose. There was nothing we could say to make the situation easier, but we could be there for them as a support. Charlie looked at me and touched my hand. Images flicked through my mind. A woman who looked a lot like Peter was standing next to Charlie, telling him the flames wouldn't hurt or injure his family. This was a gift from fate, they were becoming Spirit Walkers.

Fate had decided to bring them impartiality, making them part of both species. Charlie's memory of his Spirit guide passed on another message; tomorrow the Horsemen must be bitten by a werewolf, only the Horsemen. They would become a gestalt species; a perfect mix of vampire, werewolf and Spirit Walker. I stood and announced what Charlie had told me. Brenna ran inside and gathered some clean clothes for Emmett and the Horsemen to wear.

The fire suddenly extinguished. It moved into Bella, but didn't free them from the trance. They looked different. We averted our eyes from their bodies to give them some privacy. The others returned indoors. I stayed outside and faced the woods. I hoped my wolf friend would return as I stood guard over the Horsemen and Emmett .

Picia came out with my cell phone. "You have missed calls from Caius." She said as she sat next to me. I called him back. "Aro, something strange is happening. Everyone seems fine, but I heard from Alistair and Felix. Alice is in Iceland she was pulled there by unseen forces and struck by lightning."
"Is she okay?" I asked Caius. "Alistair said she has a scar and she looks different, a couple of young witches were practicing a summoning spell. Something used the witches as a conduit and changed something in Alice's appearance. Their silver athame pierced Alice's heart. We'll know more when she returns." Caius finished.

"What about Felix? You said he called you." I asked. "He did, it seems that while Alice was being struck by lightning, there was also a lightning strike that hit Jane and Alec." He said. I froze, overwhelmed by everything that was happening. These people were like family! Caius continued after a pause. "Aro, they're alive and seem to be well, but they've under gone the same transformation. Alice, Alec and Jane seem to have scarring from the lightening, white hair and strange eyes."

Something was going on. "I'm glad they're alive, Caius. Something bizarre just happened here as well. We had a bonfire where the Spirit Walkers and Spirit Wolf told us their histories. The Horsemen and Emmett walked into the fire-"
"What do you mean they walked into a fire? What the hell is going on?" Caius roared. "I don't know Caius, I wish I did. All of them are fine, but they're in a trance. It's been a strange night. The spirits were active. Caius, the wild animals joined us for the bonfire ceremony. They were docile."

"Do you think it's the witches?" Caius asked. "No, I think it's Fate. Charlie showed me his connection to the Ancestors. They had a message; the werewolves must bite the Horsemen-" Caius interrupted me. "That'll fuck them up! Aro, we can't let them be hurt. They're my family."
"I know Caius, believe me I don't like the idea either. I have to trust whatever is behind this. Charlie's Ancestors would have warned us if this was bad. I'll speak to Peter if he recovers, his gift brings him answers from the spirit world."
"Let me know as soon as you find anything out. Hopefully this is a good sign." He said as he hung up.