Blind Crimson

Ch. 14

Carlisle was beside himself. He didn't know what he was to do. Bella and Edward rarely visited their daughter, Renesme, who looked to be about 3 now. It had been a little over a year. They spent most of their time traveling, calling once in a blue moon. Jacob, the young shifter and old friends with Bella, had imprinted on the young hybrid, vowing to protect her from what was to come. Rosaline was the main caregiver for her niece, getting more and more irritated with her coven brother and his damned wife.

"My love, what are we going to do?" Esme asked her husband as they drove to the airport.

The doctor sighed. "We go to Italy. Rose promised to meet with Renesme and Jacob later in the week. Then Emmett a few days later. Jasper will come last. He's the one who can at least fool Alice long enough or us to get away."

"How has our lives come to this?" she said softly, venom pooling in her eyes like she was going to cry.

Carlisle grasped her hand, placing a soft kiss on her knuckles. "It's my fault. I shouldn't have allowed Edward to bring Bella home. Maybe... Maybe if I hadn't had been so lenient... If we had stayed gone and let Edward..." He couldn't believe was he was saying. Sacrificing his own child?

"You were only doing what you thought was right at the time. You are not a monster, Carlisle. You saved Edward from dying, bringing him into this life as your son. No one could've seen this coming, my love."

He stayed quiet. Esme just looked at him and squeezed his hand, knowing he had to think about the next step.

Back in Forks, Jacob was watching cartoons with Nessie while Rose talked to Emmett.

"Do you think they'll help us?" Rose asked Emmett.

"They are Carlisle's friends, despite the tension... I'm sure Carlisle can get through to them." He rubbed her arms in a comforting manner, trying to calm her nerves.

"What if a lifelong friendship isn't enough?"

"What about their mate? That redhead? Didn't you talk with her at the mall?"

The blonde vampire scoffed. "Doesn't mean she thinks of me as a friend. We talked until she was picked up... I don't think us talking about fashion and other random things entails saving our lives from a certain demise."

"Small acts of kindness can go a long way, babe."

She still wasn't so sure.

Jasper, on the other hand, was sitting on top of the tallest tree about 500 yards from the house.

"What are we going to do? If the kings think we are behind the treason... How could they be so stupid? So careless?" Jasper was angry. His 'wife', 'brother', and sister-in-law were planning something big, but what? He was a master of strategy and yet he couldn't figure out what their next move was. Their motive. Why was this all happening now? What were they going to gain from going against the Volturi? "Was this because they were upset with speeding up Bella's change? Was Edward even going to change the poor human at all?" And Alice. "Alice... When did you become... this?" He's always felt a pull whenever he went to Italy, but never was able to act on it. Alice always drug him the opposite way of the pull. What more is she hiding from him?

Volterra was still the same. Alex was growing and learning faster than a normal child. Candace was learning more every day, as were her kings. They've learned a lot about patience and how to love. It was currently 4AM. Candace was asleep in Marcus' room; her room still being renovated since the weather incident a month or so prior. Somehow a huge storm only destroyed her room, thankfully she was in the library at the time with Alex and Laci. No one knew the cause of the storm as it was uncommon for a storm that severe. So, she's been staying in either of the king's rooms until hers was fixed, and they figured out the actual cause.

Aro, Caius and Marcus were working on some usual paperwork when Sexton and Heidi came in.

"My kings, Carlisle Cullen and his wife are here to speak with you on an important matter." Heidi said as she bowed.

The three kings glanced at each other, then back to the other vampire.

"Send him in, of course."

Both nodded and move out of the way as the doctor and his soulmate entered. Both bowed.

"My kings- "he started.

"Now none of that, Carlisle." Aro said, motioning for the two to stand up straight. "We are old friends after all. What brings you here this early in morn? And what is of great importance?"

"Its about the letter I sent you... Its time..."