A/N: The round-up of everyone before the hunt begins xx Alexis

I had had a very relaxing day in Kansas City, yesterday and now was on the open road. Peter asked me to bring the Major's bike with me to Virginia and it was 'en absolutt nytelse'(an absolute pleasure). To be riding it on these much bigger, longer and straighter roads than we have at home. I really feel good and have the sense that something was coming my way, but not something bad. Well I'm not going to worry about it, 'det som kommer, kommer'(whatever is coming, is coming). Motorbikes are a great way for us to get around unseen, you know what I mean, no damned sparkling! Even stopping to fill up is easy, not lifting my visor until I'm out of the sun's glare. It is very peaceful here, I haven't seen sight or sound of another vampire at all, back home we run into each other quite often.

That is one of the reasons I'm always on the go, just in case one of Isak's sycophants sees me and tells him where I am. There is a much greater feeling of freedom here, as well as freedom from the Volturi. In Europe and Scandinavia they are just too close and yes they spy on us a lot. Boredom, is the curse of vampires, the longer they live the more bored they become. But for them is because they are so sedentary, they have become all they once fought against. The are like the Romanians and the Egyptians before them, once in charge sitting on their laurels and petrifying slowly. Whereas smaller enclaves don't have these problems and work much better. A lot of the leaders of our individual countries wonder why they think we still need them to tell us what to do.

That I'm afraid is a problem for another day, and not my problem at that. In other words, 'Sånn er livet' (Such is life). The miles slipped by quickly and before I realised I'd crossed the border into Virginia. I stopped to call Peter and let him know I'd be there in just about two hours.

"I'll meet you at our boundary line suga'. Come in slow, let's not scare my newborn" Peter said laughing,

"Okay Peter, see you soon" I reply,

I know he is hiding something, but this is Peter and it could be anything. Oh well, I won't know sitting here trying to second guess him.

RNFSG

"Jasper? What are we going to do about Alice? She can't get away with this, she wanted me dead and to make you that coven's killer!" I ask him randomly,

"I! Wow, I was goin' to wait until you were more settled. But if you want to discuss it, we can and make some tentative plans" he replied smiling happily at me,

I sighed, glad he was willing to discuss it with me. But I didn't want it just be the two of us and asked if the others could join us.

"Good idea darlin', they will have a different prospective to me and possibly you" he said and both Char and Emmett joined us then,

"So guys, main question, does she die?" Emmett asked and we all nodded right away,

"It's a given Emmett, Alice is insane! Her last stunt has clearly shown that" Jasper added and he then nodded his head as if resigned,

"Well, first off I wont ever be going back to the Cullens. So I have no problems with both Alice and Edward's deaths. I'm guessing the Chief will be out for his venom!" Emmett said sagely,

"What?" I asked confused,

"Your dad has vowed to kill that boy little by little. It wont be quick but it sure will be painful!" Char said and I huffed out a breath,

"Oh!" was all I could reply,

"Don't you want him dead, for what he did to you, to us?" Jasper asked and I could hear the hurt in his voice,

"Yes, of course I do! I just never thought it would be Dad, I thought it would be us. You and me, after we'd dealt with her, because he's not that important!" I said pouring my feelings onto him and he relaxed,

"Right, now that's sorted, where is she?" Emmett inquired,

"Europe, Paris was the last sightin' so Pete says" Char announced,

"Who saw her?" Jasper quizzed,

"The Denali sister, plus Maggie from the Irish coven and Bente from Norway along with the London coven's top two females. You know Jasper, Agatha and I can't remember the other one's name" Char explained,

"Clara" Jasper replied,

Just as Char went to agree her cell buzzed and she laughed.

"Looks like Maggie or should that be Mái, is no longer with the Irish, but is in Greenland with Conrad, she's his mate" she said smiling happily,

"Damn, good for him!" Emmett whooped and Jasper smiled,

"I can see it, they are perfect for each other. Wonder what she thinks of his eyes?" he mused,

"His eyes?" I asked nor understanding,

"Oh, they are so pretty, a kind of lilac or lavender colour due to his diet of half humans, half marine mammals" Char gushed out breathily,

Wow, they were something I wanted to see one day. In fact they have mention lots of people who I hope to meet one day. We then started to discuss how we could get close enough to Alice to get her out of the public eye and alone long enough to kill her. They kept thinking she would she us coming, but I didn't think so, not anymore. I would shield us and that way we would get the drop on her. So Jasper thought I should work on it now I was completely changed and see what it could do. I also asked him to help Emmett teach me to fight and Em laughed.

"You mean he needs to teach us both how to fight properly!" he said with a little annoyance,

"You know the basics Emmett, but I can now teach you some more advanced stuff. I wasn't allowed to before, because Eddie was scared you'd beat him to death!" Jasper explained also in annoyance,

It was one more black mark against Carlisle, from all of us. He did everything wrong every time and just couldn't help himself from making so many mistakes. But maybe these were Edward's mistakes and also Alice's and the weakling just followed suit. But I wasn't interested in any of them, just Alice and Edward. Once they were gone the Cullens except for Emmett can go fuck themselves!

RNFSG

I was so happy when Emmett called, well not happy because of why he had to call. But nonetheless happy to hear his voice and know that although he was very unhappy with me, we could and would eventually be able to work things out. All this free time alone was giving me the perfect opportunity to reflect about myself and make some very long overdue changes. First was all the designer clothes and thing I really did not need and all the vintage things I still had here, I sold them. I put the money into the account Emmett had left for me and for once I was doing something for him. I appraised all the cars I had and sold many of them too. Who needs eight cars, all in different locations, just in case? I haven't touched anything of Emmett's and will wait to see what he says.

I also tore around the house and got rid of the over the top and the just plain unnecessary things I had. It's not as if anyone but us ever came here, nobody saw them and I barely even acknowledged them either, it was all just tat for show! I felt lighter, I felt free for the first time. I refused to were make-up for no reason and wore my hair down like Emmett preferred. I was finally seeing the woman he saw, he's right I didn't need any of that artifice to prove anything to him. It was all quite strange to me at first, all my life, human and vampire I had worn this mask of clothes, make-up and hidden the real me. For the first time I understood Bella's dislike of Alice always trying to make her over, why? She didn't need it and neither did I! Alice had tried her tactics on me, but I had been doing it all long before she came along.

So I refused to let her interfere with my routines. I had laughed in her face when she insisted red was not my colour but a dingy grey was! Yes Alice wanted us to fade into the background while she stood out. But her one problem was even dressed to the nines she didn't! She was to small to be statuesque, her hair too short to be elfin and sadly her figure too underdeveloped to be anything but waiflike! If she'd wanted to help us, fit in with us, even be like us it would have been one thing, but sadly no and therefore she got no help or input either, we fought against each other without words. All of this it turns out was because of her stay in the mental asylum and now it appears that was for good reason. Much as I feel sorry for her, no way can I condone what she tried to do to us, and mostly to Jasper and Bella.

But in no way was the destruction of our coven her doing, no that was Edward long before Alice and Jasper arrived and I played right into his hands over and over again because of sheer pigheadedness! I thought I was better than everyone else, acting all look at me, I killed my rapist without shedding his blood, but it gave me no satisfaction and was worthless. Two wrongs didn't make a right, I should have found a way to turn him in to the authorities, his peers, to humiliate and ridicule him. Instead I made him a martyr, a minor celebrity, the victim of an unsolved murder. His facade intact as the beloved son and heir to the Royce dynasty! Yes, so many missteps I refused to be guided rightly by Carlisle on that matter, while in the background Edward silently encouraged and egged me on.

RNFSG

I was nervous as hell when Peter said his friend was nearly here. Bente he said her name was and I was terrified I might attack but he just laughed at me and it didn't really help me feel better. Well, I better get a grip of myself, because I can hear a motorcycle getting closer and Peter says to wait there while he brings her in.

'Come on Charlie get a grip'

I tell myself sternly and then I see them walking towards me, Peter is wheeling the bike and my whole being is watching her intently. She pulls of the helmet she had on and my heart which just stopped recently, jolts in my chest! She's beautiful, she's perfect in every sense of the word and as she locks eyes with me I know. She's mine! My forever, my eternity and I'm frozen in place. Peter laughed and just wheeled the bike away from us, there is only about ten feet between us but it could be a mile or an inch, I see nothing but her. It's her who speaks first and the sound of her voice wraps around me like a warm blanket. Her accent is strong, and beyond beautiful, I'm mesmerised by it and she is smiling.

"Hello Charlie" is all she said,

I clear my throat unnecessarily and reply in only one word.

"Mate?" It sounds more like a question than a statement,

"'Ja' (Yes), it appears so" she answers quietly,

I move slowly towards her holding out a hand, not to shake but just to feel her own in mine. She meet me half way and we both look up as the feeling of power and rightfulness surges through us both.

"Sorry I'm a little overwhelmed. This was not what I expected today, although I should have known Peter knew something" I explain to her as she holds tightly to my hand,

"You are so controlled for a newborn, in fact your the first such newborn I've met" she tells me and I laugh,

"I believe my daughter is also as controlled, so it must be a family trait" I acknowledge the unusualness,

"Ah, yes. Bella is that right? She is Emmett's newborn, but both of you were attacked by that child, that imbecile Edward!" she exhales in disgust,

"He appears to have very few friends, so it won't be a loss when I kill him!" I snarl slightly,

"When we kill him Charlie" she replies softly,

I laugh and for the first time wrap my arms around her and smile as I realise she comes up past my shoulder. She almost sighs, feeling like I do so happy to be touching.

"Right you guys I'm off to meet Char soon, so be good and Bente, remember to feed the Chief!" Peter yells from a distance,

"Chief?" Bente asks curiously,

"Yes, I was Chief of Police in a small rural area, before I was changed. Most people called me Chief, rather than Charlie" I reply,

"Ah, a man of the law then. Chief, I like it" she says smiling at me as I realise we are now alone,

RNFSG

Well that couldn't have gone better, neither are rushin' into this matin', but neither are in the first bloom of life and know what is important. I hadn't passed this bit of news on yet until they had met, but Char can tell the others. This will be a shock for Bella, but it will also make her matin' with the Major easier on them both, if the Chief's mind is elsewhere. Yes, it's all workin' out nicely and then all eyes will be turned to the handlin' of Alice and Edward. It wont be that hard for them to take out Alice, but that boy will run and give the Chief and Bente an extended honeymoon, as it were. He isn't aware how near the end of his short second life will be, but very soon Carlisle will set him loose. Rose of course is already away and up in Rochester awaitin' the pleasure of her husband. Time to call the wife, I miss her, whenever we're apart.

"Hey sweetie" is her openin' salvo,

"Hi suga', love you, miss you!" I say not carin' if anyone hears me,

"Me to lover, me too!" she replies,

"Come meet me in Lexington baby, I've got some news, big news" I say laughin',

"Okay Pete, see you soon" she says happily,

I heard her shout for the Major before she broke off our call. I'm on the Major's bike and will hand it over to Char in Lexington. If she brings the truck then it can go in the back or she will ride it herself. It was really only a ruse to get Bente and the Chief together. Once they get over the first blush as it were, she'll help him deal with Edward and he will personally deal with Isak at long last! What nobody is aware of is his small gift of, it's not persuasion, it's more like blind faith. He speaks and they listen, all except the one he really needed to, Bente! But the Chief's gift will turn that back on him and he will sing like a demented canary! She will then finally take her place as leader with her mate as her defender. I can see them being a good thing for the region and her country.

But for now it's just me and my lovely wife havin' a good time and reconnectin'. Some vampires don't seem to realise once you find your mate you still have to work at it. Char and I often take off to reconnect alone and it's worked well for us. So for a little while we'll leave them all to fend for themselves and get some time for ourselves.

RNFSG

I was so pleased that Isabella wanted to be by my side as I removed Alice from this world. She cared nothin' for Edward and that too pleased me. We were beginnin' to gel more and she sought me out more and more. Emmett is just happy to be here for her but to let me make the decisions and plan her trainin'. It will soon be time for him to seek out his own mate, they can't leave things so up in the air. But for now Charlotte is meetin' Peter for a couple of days.

"Okay guys, lets try some trainin' and see if Isabella can fight with her shield up and down" I say and they are happy to get rid of some pent up energy,

After lettin' them chase each other around for half an hour, somethin' Emmett needed. I call them over to start a few basic fightin' techniques. Isabella picked it up quickly, at this rate she and Emmett would be on a par sooner rather than later. This is good because I need her to be able to protect herself against any and all attacks. I can't be everywhere all the time, and one day she may need to defend herself or even me, God forbid! I hope it never happens, but I wont pretend it can't. I ask her to try usin' her shield to stop Emmett and for him to use more force. It took a couple of times, with Isabella flat on her back in an indent in the ground for her to use her shield. Now she was truly usin' it to repel him and I was pleased, she had to be able to do both interchangeably.

I was also realising Emmett's strength was more than he'd ever shown before. Did Carlisle make him downplay or was it Edward? Damn them all, he was and should have been one of their best assets before I arrived, but they misused and abused him badly. Well that is a mistake I will rectify, because out there alone he will need every bit of that strength. I intend to discuss with Isabella about us formin' a loose coven, not together but there for each other if needed. She has to agree first, then we'll take it from there. In all good conscience I can't leave them out there alone and unprotected. I would hope Isabella knows that about me and just because we dislike or hate Rosalie is not a good excuse. Then there's her dad to consider, life would be better if he had a mate.

So as far as things go at the moment when Char gets back I'm sendin' Emmett to see his mate. He needs to get it sorted for his own health as well as hers. Much as I've lost trust and faith in her she is still Emmett's mate. I didn't even think we'd have to wait for Isabella's year to be up before we set out after Alice.