I'll be home for Christmas

Chapter 42

Chapter 42 - I'll be home for Christmas

Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods.

Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading.

"We have to kill one of the Volturi messengers," Jasper said.

Emmett lifted a brow. "Oh, right. Alice said they are sending two messengers. One is clearly a spare."

"It reeks of extravagance," Jasper said with a grin.

"And the wolves got to kill one; it's not fair if we don't match them," Emmett complained.

"Exactly."

"We'll save them some travel expenses."

"Fold his cloak for him. It will be a him, right?"

"He won't send Jane after she messed up the Victoria thing," Rose pointed out.

Emmett grinned at her. "They can recycle; another guard can wear it."

Carlisle sighed. It was an affectation given that he didn't breathe. "This will mean war."

"It's already war," Jasper said. "You heard Billy. He said even the wives were coming."

"That was what their seer said."

"How did he even know there are wives?" Emmett asked.

"Bella knew that, I think." Jasper looked at the doctor. "I hate to say it, but they have to be right."

Emmett managed to look concerned even though Jasper knew his major emotion was elation. He loved a fight and he saw this as a game.

Jasper was more circumspect. "We need all the info we can get on each and every guard member."

"I can tell you about a few of them and Eleazar, from the Denali coven, will know more, but as far as the recent additions go?" He shrugged. "I can't help you there."

"There must be people we can contact who have had run-ins with them."

"And survived," Emmett added. "They can show Edward."

"They will probably demand that we hand over Bella without a fight," Carlisle suggested.

"As if we'd do that!" Emmett sounded disgusted at the thought.

"It might gain us some more time, though," Esme said. "Negotiating things we will never agree to."

"Esme," Emmett joked, "You're getting sneaky."

"I know where they will be-" Alice said.

"-And we can intercept them," Jasper finished.

"Send one back with our message," Emmett added.

"And never let them get near Bella," Rose said.

Edward could hear them and he was pleased that his family held the same high regard for Bella as he did. They would do the right thing for her.

Carlisle was thinking that he needed to contact Billy himself to tell him what they had learned from the Denali clan and then he had to call them back with their response for the guards.

Jasper was certain he was still eager to hear about the retreat of the diabetes but he wanted to hear what what said so he listened in shamelessly.