Ithaca, NY

Bella was still and silent all through out our car journey to the Cullen house in Ithaca, New York. The only thing changing was the firmness of her skin, her pale pallor lightening. I didn't think Alice was lyin' but seeing it was something else entirely. When a human goes through the transformation into full vampirism, it was a change in the entire way the body functions. It was not meant to be painless. The pain and longevity of it all, was supposed to kill weaker minded humans. To prevent them from transitioning and becoming one of the vampires that made us all famous to begin with. Like vampirism's evolutionary solution to crazed out of control vampires. Not that it worked as intended, in my opinion. Thinking of vampires like Aro, James and the Romanians. The latter mentioned, rumored to be the reason of said myths for centuries.

Charlotte and Peter were talking in the front, but I wasn't paying them any mind. I was thinking of all the ways the next few days could go sideways. It could be a trap, and the Cullens could have ratted me out for something in return. What, I couldn't possibly know. Everything on that, hinged on Alice lying to me from the get go. Using Emmett and Rosalie as bait to get me to help was plausible, but I just didn't have that gut feeling. I don't think they would be able to keep Rosalie or Emmett from alerting me to the trap, they were loyal to Carlisle, but they wouldn't let him murder me by giving me to the Volturi.

I stared out the window, watching the scenery change from small town to small town as we drove through. The leaves were already changing for fall, the bright yellows and orange leaves darkening to red and then crimson. I always did enjoy the weather in the locations the Cullens chose to call home. It was a mild day, scattered clouds and crisp air with a hint of the promise of fall showers.

I was going to go to the Cullen's house alone, leaving Charlotte and Peter to watch over Bella. I felt only mildly uncomfortable at the idea of leaving her alone with Peter and Charlotte, but incredibly hostile to the idea of bringing my mid-change mate to the very vampires who threw her out and left her vulnerable. Threw us out, actually. Nevermind, doing that with the threat looming over their heads. I would help them, but I would not jeopardize my future, or my coven members to do so.

Alice had made it seem like her and Edward wouldn't get there in time for the Volturi's arrival, and I was thankful for that. The last thing I needed was an adolescent vampire's temper tantrum over mates so the Volturi could come upon us unawares. I wasn't sure if it was just Carlisle or if he had sent the rest of his coven away. I couldn't imagine what I would do in his situation, it wasn't one I would ever have to be in. I could manipulate emotions and when that didn't work, I could rip heads off. I had strong coven members who could not only hold their own, but I didn't have to worry about them doing anything that would fuck everything up in a terse situation, let alone a show down with the Volturi. Emmett had no impulse control, and Rosalie had a smart mouth. If Carlisle knew what was smart, he would send them away. I'm sure they would be there waiting, though. He had an unfortunate need to believe in the good of everyone. He's just fortunate it's never bit him in the ass.

Peter pulled the truck over the next town over from Ithaca. He would stay here, out of scent and sight with our mates. Close enough that if needed, he could come to my aid, or flee with the women to safety. He knew how to deal with a disoriented newborn, but that was the worst case scenario. We didn't say anything, he didn't tell me where he was going to hold up, and I didn't ask. Charlotte gave me a wan smile, her emotions sending out safe, protective vibes. She was letting me know that my mate would be safe with her.

I didn't watch them drive away, I turned around and ran straight for the Cullen house.

weewooweewooweewoo

When I arrived, Carlisle was waiting alone for me in front of the house. I scoffed inwardly, like he didn't want me to soil the steps of his home. He held his hands up to me with his palms out as I slowed to a stop several yards away.

"Jasper." He greeted me, his voice tired and worried. I nodded a greeting in return,

"Where's everyone else?" I couldn't sense anyone else nearby, the only emotions I could feel were Carlisle's. They were all over the place, but the general theme was fear and anxiety. With a little bit of shame and guilt.

"Emmett and Rosalie took Esme hunting. Far away from here." He looked pained, as if it was a very difficult parting. I could feel he was trying to gain the courage to say something, and we didn't have time to pussyfoot around embarrassment and hurt feelings, so I asked him outright,

"What's going on Carlisle? Coven leader to coven leader. I am here to help, you risked a lot harboring me over the years, when I know you didn't want to." He looked right into my eyes then, and I felt a lot of shame, that wasn't my own.

"It wasn't that I didn't want to, I so badly wanted you to join our family. I've always enjoyed our talks and hunts together immensely." I could feel nothing but sincerity in his words and his emotions. "But you have got to realize how terrifying you look." He rushed out in one breath, feeling absolutely terrible and guilty. "I was always embarrassed that you had such a hard time adapting to the vegetarian lifestyle. I felt like a failure, I couldn't help you overcome your issues with your gift and feeding from humans." He continued, looking away again, absolutely wallowing in his self inflicted misery. He was referring to my brightly crimsoned eyes, almost exclusively from the blood I had taken from Bella when I changed her. I could see where Edward got his constant moodiness from. Carlisle puts a lot on himself that he has no business feeling guilty over.

"I am sorry for the way I've treated you and the way I've made you feel over the years, Jasper Whitlock." Carlisle started again, more formally. "As one coven leader to another, I ask for your help." I stepped forward and took both of his hands in mine, grasping them firmly. Acknowledging that civilized vampires did things a lot differently than I had been used to.

"I am here to help your Coven, but not at the expense of my own." We nodded and dropped hands. "Do you know why they are coming?" I asked finally, wishing we could have avoided all that other shit and gotten to it later. I think the Volturi coming was more of a pressing issue than his apology, though I respected him for it. "After centuries of living on your own, why now? Your gifted family?" He nodded,

"That's what I am assuming." He replied, sounding defeated. He hadn't any more of an idea than Alice, and she could literally see the future. "They haven't tried to contact any of us at all, no one knows anything. Though I admittedly haven't reached out to many of my contacts." That was smart, not knowing who he could trust. He still contacted too many, by my guess. My phone vibrated with a text message.

Volturi incoming, Major.

It was game time.

weewooweewooweewoo

Edward

I was annoyed. If Alice could tell, she didn't let on in her actions or her thoughts. Which only annoyed me further. How could she be so chipper when Carlisle was in danger, my mate was turned by another, and she wasn't even trying to force any visions to see how things were going! She is just happily chatting with the stewardess, and the old woman sitting across from us. Pretending to drink alcohol and get drunk, when she knew alcohol had basically no effect on us in that amount. She could probably empty this plane of alcohol and barely hit tipsy.

She pointedly never even looked in my direction. As if she was mad at me or something. I couldn't imagine what for, I got her away from that psychopath she was parading around as her mate. I got us all to leave Bella alone, and her lunatic ex found her and changed her. How could she be mad at me in the slightest? I tried to protect Bella from that very thing. Hadn't she listened to me when I told her everything I saw in his mind, his horrid past of murder and destruction?

Her mind was completely closed off to me aside from her active thoughts and conversation. She was doing it on purpose. Giggling over grandkid photographs and cooing how adorable they were. We were completely helpless, stuck in a tin can thousands of miles above the earth and I wanted to tear the door off the plane and jump out. She didn't even look at me at the thought. I turned and stared glumly out of the window, wondering how everything had gone so wrong. Victoria was supposed to kill her back in Forks, not involve the Volturi. This would ruin everything!