Elastic Heart

-chapter forty nine-

"Hello?" Carlisle answers his phone, trying to squash his panic down. 

"Carlisle, my friend!" Aro greets him. "I have a message to give to you!" 

"Message?" Carlisle repeats. 

"My good guard Demetri wishes for me to inform you of your human daughter!" Aro relays. 

Carlisle stiffens and the mention of Jolene catches the others attention. 

"He said that she's about to make the stupidest decision of her life. I do believe that she is on her way to Phoenix," Aro tells him. 

Aro just delivered such gracious news. Now Carlisle would seem like an asshole. 

"There was only one reason Jolene was able to slip by," Carlisle admits. "The twins are missing." 

"Missing?" Aro repeats, cheer gone from his voice. "Carlisle, my friend, are you telling me that my guard I entrusted with you are gone?" 

"They disappeared while we went hunting. Jolene didn't realize they weren't guarding anymore and slipped away. I fear for their safety," Carlisle does all he can to not let out a huge sigh. 

"I see," Aro was clearly displeased. "Demetri is on his way to fetch the wandering Cullen. Unfortunately, we cannot leave but shall send a few guards in our place. Expect Felix, Afton, Santiago and Renata in a few hours time." 

Aro hangs up and Carlisle is left holding the phone to his ear. 

Demetri was on his way to protect her. 

And he better protect her well because if she comes back with a single hair out of place, Carlisle would murder him for letting his baby get hurt. 

-elastic heart- 

Demetri doesn't expect too much when he arrives in Phoenix. He thinks that he'll get there, babysit Jo's younger sister for a few hours as Jo heads in and then take Jo home. 

But he enters the area and is on guard as he smells foreign vampires in the area. 

He speeds up just a little more, trying to ignore his instincts to follow the scent as he just makes his way towards the Swan household. 

He approaches the house at 5.02am on the dot. There's yelling coming from inside the house as Demetri scales a tree to peer into the second floor. 

He knows which room is Isabella Swan's. He's been here before to check on her per the request of Jo. 

He peers into the window, surprised to see the girl curled up against the wall furthest away from the door. There is a dresser in front of the door, right under the large lock put in place. 

He listens to the mixture of drunk shouting and fucking as he waits for Jo to arrive.

She never does.

-elastic heart- 

Rosalie had never felt so betrayed. 

Her mate was missing and didn't even bother to leave a note. She had to hear from the kings that her mate was heading to Phoenix and had the audacity to contact Demetri but not her. 

Was she mad at her? Did she do something wrong? 

Carlisle, Eleazar, Kate, Edward and Jasper head to Phoenix. The rest stay behind to watch for the twins. Carlisle made Rosalie stay behind, afraid that she wouldn't have a level head. 

She sends text after frantic text to her. She must've sent a few hundred by the time the phone is pried away from her fingers. 

"You know how Jolene never charges her phone," Emmett tells her. "It's probably just dead."

Rosalie prides herself on being strong. She was the only one of the Cullen's who had yet to cry since her turning. 

But at this very moment, she feels like there is nothing left she can do. 

-elastic heart- 

Charlie Swan pounds on the door of the Cullen household, very, very angry. 

Esme is the one to open the door, startling him at how her hair is in a disarray and she looks frantic. 

"Got a call from the school that Jolene skipped. Where is she?" Charlie demands, skipping pleasantries. 

"Jolene is home sick. Half my kids spread the flu around and couldn't make it to school. Been spending all day trying to take care of them," Esme answers. "Terribly sorry but it slipped my mind to call you." 

"I wanna see her," Charlie tells her. 

"I wouldn't suggest it. They're quarantined to their bedrooms because it's very contagious. Did Jolene get her flu shot this season?" Esme questioned. 

Charlie shrinks back as no, Jolene didn't get a flu shot. In fact, Jolene hasn't had a check up since she has been in Forks. To be honest, Charlie isn't sure what vaccines she's had. "Er, no?" 

"That would explain it. It hit her the hardest," Esme tuts. "I need to go and take care of my children if there's nothing else, Mr. Swan." 

She goes to close the door when Charlie holds his hand out. "Wait!" 

Esme hesitates, staring at him as she waits. 

"Er, would you mind if I changed her emergency contact at school? She lives here now and I don't see her anymore. Would you mind if I put your number in the computer at school so they call you?" Charlie questioned. 

Esme's face softens slightly. "We would be delighted to be the emergency contact for Jolene." 

"Great, er, I'll let the school know," Charlie rocks on his feet, unsure of what else to say. "Thanks, for looking out for her." He blurts before turning and heading to his police car. 

Esme sighs, closing the door before burying her face in her hands. 

Jolene didn't call her mom, she didn't even hint that she wanted Esme as her mom. 

But that was her baby. Her only human baby. After losing her first son, Esme refused to go through that same pain again. 

When Jolene became a Cullen, she became hers to protect. She'll be damned if she lets anything happen to her. 

She doesn't know if she can take another one of her children dying. 

-elastic heart- 

Phones were placed in a pile on the coffee table in the living room because if they were in their hands, nobody would be able to stop spamming Jolene's phone with texts. 

When one pings there is a dogpile as hands grope through the pile for whichever one got a text. 

"It's Rosalie's!" Kate holds up the black phone. 

Rosalie snatches it, seeing who the text is from. 

"It's from an unknown number," Emmett reads out from over her shoulder. "What does it say?"

Rosalie unlocks her phone to reveal the full message. 

My sister gave me this number if I couldn't reach her

She usually texts me goodnight every night. 

She hasn't for two days. I guess I called her last night but I don't remember doing it. Did I say something?

Where is she? Tell her I'm sorry, she won't answer her phone.

-Isabella Swan

Rosalie reads the text before the phone is crushed in her hand.