Chapter Three

"Dad! Dad!" A sixteen year old boy frantically ran from one room to another searching his home for his father. On his face the searching boy wore a look of both angry and rage. What he just learnt had infuriated him greatly and once he found his father the boy planned to rectify the matter at hand. "Dad! Dad! Da-"

"Yes son." The familiar voice of the very man he had been searching for said behind the boy stopping him in the middle of the hallway just outside his father's study. "What's wrong?"

"Akatsuki!" The boy spat out, immediately revealing what had enraged him to his father as he turned around to face him. "They raided Hinata's village last night and killed eleven people! Iruka, Kakashi, Neji, pervy man Jiraiya, Teuchi, Asuma, Kiba, Shikamaru, Sasuke, Choji, old man Hiruzen! Their all dead!" The boy awaiting his father's response impatiently paced back and forth before him, his hand pulling at the golden locks of his wild untamed hair in an agitated manner as he did.

"Naruto..." The boy's father at loss of what words to say to his son and how best to comfort him after he lost so many friends sombrely called his name stopping the boy, Naruto's pacing and returning his gaze to him. "I'm sorry." Naruto's father moving forward placed a consoling hand on his shoulder. "What Madara and his coven did was wrong. I'll talk t-"

"I don't need you to talk to them or anybody else dad!" Naruto's anger rearing its ugly head again caused the boy to explode. His usually ocean blue slit eyes taking a rouge appearance as his kitsune half caused his already wild features to become more feral like it usually did when he got mad. "I need you to help me stop them. With grandpa Kurama's help we could do it tonight and end those bastards once and for all!" Naruto having had enough of Madara's coven and their foul feeding habits decided enough was enough. Tonight he would terminate them before they took the life of another he cared for. His friends Shikamaru, Sasuke, Neji, Kiba and Choji that he had lost the previous night were already too many. God forbid Hinata had been among them Naruto would have lost it but thankfully she hadn't. She was still alive along with many others he cared for and Naruto would be damned if he did nothing to ensure it remained that way.

"Naruto… we aren't killers, son."

"But they are! The Akatsuki are butchers and have murdered twenty three innocent people from Hinata's village alone! That's twenty three families dad that lost a father, mother, wife, husband, son or daughter! How many more does that number have to increase by until it's enough?! Ten?! Twenty?! Thirty?! Or maybe even forty?! Is that how many it will take for you to do something and stop sitting here all day mixing herbs?!" Naruto striding past his father and entering his study raised his leg and brutally kicked the table where all his father's herbal healing concoctions sat. The infuriating piece of furniture and all its equally infuriating contents flying across the room and crashing into the wall violently creating a huge mess of splinters and weirdly coloured goo. Naruto however not noticing it as he turned his glare back to his father awaiting to hear his number.

"Son, please calm down," Naruto's father who had always been level minded and long tempered unlike him calmly pleaded. His incredible tranquillity as he did pissing Naruto off further who expected to at least get some kind of reaction from him after destroying his entire precious medicine supply. "The Akatsuki coven are a coven of nine very talented vampires, even if your grandfather rallied the entire kitsune clan behind you Akatsuki would still be able to fight back. Many would fall before the last of them fell." Naruto's father tried to point out the glaring flaw of his son's impulsive plan but Naruto's anger was too far gone and it blinded and inhibited him from any form of straight minded thinking or reasoning.

"And if we sit here and do nothing, many will still die so what's the difference?" Naruto seeing his father wouldn't help him stormed past him and made for the front door. His hand however hovering over its handle as he paused in front of it and turned back to say one final thing to his father before he left. "I know it's my fault mom died." Naruto began. "Every day… Every night… I think about it and hate myself for it. Even though I was just a baby and had no way of knowing what I was doing at the time, had I not been born mom would still be alive and living right now and knowing that eats away at me every second. The guilt of being responsible for someone's death is a very hard burden to bear. Personally having dealt with the weight of one all of my life, I would rather not add the hundreds the Akatsuki will no doubt take to that. So I'm going to stop them dattebayo! Because staying here and doing nothing means every life the Akatsuki take from here on is on us! You can sit here and go back to your potions for all I care. I don't need a coward's help." Having said his piece and satisfied with the pained look that flashed into his father's golden eyes when he branded him a coward, Naruto left his home and ran down the hill he and his father lived upon.

With each stride and step Naruto took away from it he regretted what he had just said more and more. He was angry and hadn't meant to say those words he had thrown at his father's face out of spite. His saying them was merely a means to vent his frustration at him and his inaction but now as his head cleared a little and some of the red in his vision left it, Naruto regretted that he had. Pausing at the edge of the woodland that surrounded the hill he lived upon, Naruto looked back at his home wondering if he should perhaps run back now and apologise.

'No.' Naruto scowled at himself, the irrational thought of going back he just had leaving him as quickly as it came. He had nine murderers to take care of and after he did that then he would apologise. For now his mother's clan was where he needed to be.

"-ruto. Naruto."

"Hmm… Alice?" Naruto blinking a few times and shaking his head clear as he awoke from his slumber, let out a tired drawn out yawn and looked at his wife who was bent over in front of him. Her small hand that still rested on his shoulder proof that she had been the one to wake him, not that it could have been anyone else since besides Bella the two of them were alone in this house. The dream Naruto had been having of the argument that began the decline of his and his father's now non-existent relationship luckily hadn't been a good one therefore Naruto didn't mind that it had been interrupted. "Why did you wake me? Is something wrong with Bella or baby?" Naruto becoming anxious about the possible reasons Alice might have woken him, looked past her and turned his gaze onto the sleeping girl who lay in a comatose state on the bed before him. The heart machine and other vitals monitoring instruments connected to her showed her vitals were both stable and strong therefore she wasn't in imminent danger so why had Alice woken him.

"Nothing's wrong." Alice reassured Naruto shifting his now confused blue eyes back to her. "I woke you up so you could go to our room and enjoy a good night's rest in a comfy bed instead of this uncomfortable couch." Alice explained. It had been two weeks since they found a near dead Bella in the woods and by some beautiful, amazing miracle Alice's vision had been wrong. CPR had worked. After less than a minute of Naruto administering it in fact and since then he had been slaving like a dog to take care of Bella. His kitsune limited self-cloning ability and the top quality equipment they had in the medical room Naruto had been able to get set up in their newly acquired Seattle home after making some calls helped, but even Naruto had his limits. The bags under his eyes told Alice he had reached them and was now running solely on fumes. The lack of rest and sustenance he had had to endure for the past weeks having drained him. Sleep, blood and food was what Naruto in that order needed and Alice was here to ensure her man got them in a mega dose so he could properly recharge.

"Alice," Naruto running a hand through his more than usual dishevelled hair tiredly began to voice his protest in a stubborn tone that told Alice he wasn't going to make this easy for her.

"Don't fight me on this Naruto." Alice folding her arms under her ample chest interrupted her often times pig-headed husband before he could go on. "You'll lose, if you want to try you can but we both know how it'll end." Alice shooting Naruto a challenging smirk waited for him to step up to her dare and begin the verbal bout that they both knew she would no doubt win. Their years together however having seemingly taught Naruto something for instead of a fight, all Alice got was resignedly sigh much to her pleasure and satisfaction. "Good! Now come on." Alice holding out her hand offered it to Naruto to take with a victorious look on her face.

"I still wear the pants in this relationship." Naruto taking Alice's hand grumbled in reminder.

"If you say so." Alice giggled back at Naruto as she guided him down the hallway towards the master bedroom. Naruto too tired and exhausted to think of a witty reply wisely chose to remain silent. The dream he had had earlier coming back to mind. In the century since meeting Alice, Naruto rarely dreamt of his father or thought about him really. Since finding Bella however his father had been a constant fixture on his mind. Maybe reading his name in Bella's diary had been the cause of it but Naruto suspected it was more, their impending reunion that he felt coming in the wind to be exact. Naruto just hoped that when it came he was ready to face Carlisle after over two hundred years of avoiding him.

-LineBreak-

New Hampshire

"Now, Anastasia, I know you love soccer and are dedicated to it but trying to practice with a broken leg is taking it a little too far in my books." Carlisle seeing his final patient for the day chided her as he examined her new x-rays. From the looks of them the earlier fall Anastasia had endured hadn't done any further damage to her healing leg.

"Sorry Dr Cullen, just tryna keep up with da team." Anastasia's freckled cheeks flushing rouge in embarrassment apologised to Dr Cullen, mentally kicking herself for what she had done as she did. Her stupid friends Linda, Max and Amy had convinced her it was a good idea to practice her penalty kicks with a cast on now here she sat two hours later looking like the biggest idiot in all of New Hampshire in front of the cute new doctor that she had recently become very infatuated with after he set her leg a week ago.

"Well keeping up with the team is one thing Anastasia, doing something that might prevent you from playing soccer again is another." Ambition in a healthy dose was a good thing, too much of it and it quickly became poisonous and toxic. Many people lost themselves to it chasing their dreams and Anastasia Carlisle feared might be one of those. At just fifteen, the young girl practiced soccer and attempted to hone her already impressive skills ever second of the day she got not caring about the other equally important things she neglected like school. If the girl didn't soon stop and continued down the road she was going Carlisle dreaded the worst for her future.

"I told her the same thing." Anastasia's mom Beth, said from next to her. The middle aged policewoman with greying blonde hair glad that some else for once saw things her way.

"Ma!" Anastasia embarrassed by her mother like she always was raised her voice in protest in an attempt to get her to shut up. Anastasia didn't need her mother to make her look like a bigger idiot than she already felt like in front of Dr Cullen right now.

"What honey? What I said earlier was true and Dr Cullen saying the same thing proves it. Listening to that boyfriend Max of yours and his 'obsessed is the word the lazy use to describe the passionate' nonsense is only going to end badly for you Ana."

"Ma, Max is just my friend." Anastasia needing to make it perfectly clear to the cute doctor that sat before her that her friend Max was strictly in the friendzone amended the title her mother gave him. "And I don't needa snoozefest lecture right now. What I did was dumb ok, I get it!" Anastasia praying her mother would drop the topic conceded her stupidity.

"Cleary you don't!" Beth needing to drive her point home went on much to her daughter's chagrin. "Just like your pathetic excuse of a father you think you're above everything and can do what you want but look at where that mentality ended up getting him, in prison that's where!"

"Ma!" Anastasia disbelievingly exclaimed, staring wide eyed at her big mouthed mother. How could she reveal the most humiliating thing about her in front of Dr Cullen, now she would never get with him. Carlisle knowing that this was the point in the conversation that he needed to cut in or else things would drastically escalate if he didn't cleared his throat loudly turning both Anastasia and Beth's attention back to him.

"Now Anastasia as I was saying putting a lot of pressure and stress on your leg whilst it's trying to heal like you did today might result in some irreversible damage. Promise me you'll rest and stay off of it."

"I promise." Anastasia blushing under Carlisle's beseeching gaze promised him. Her burning cheeks flushing further when he smiled at her satisfied.

-LineBreak-

"You seem exhausted." Esme observed as greeted her husband at the door with a chaste kiss to the lips. The sound of the engine of his black Mercedes having alerted her of his arrival minutes ago when he turned into their suburb.

"Long day." Carlisle admitted loosening his tie and undoing the top button of his shirt.

"Well it's about to get longer." Esme taking her husband's jacket handed him the piece of paper she had found on the kitchen counter earlier today. "Rose left this earlier whilst I was out."

Gone on honeymoon with Emmett.-R

"Well, I can't say that I'm surprised." Carlisle sighed after reading the five worded message on the paper. "With all that's happening it's just like Rosalie to run."Carlisle loved his children he really did but the flaws they had weren't something he could honestly say he was too fond of. Rosalie's self-centredness particularly was one of them, he was never too fond of it and right now the reasons why were showing. At a trying moment for their family Rosalie decides she can't handle the drama so she goes on a 'honeymoon' to get away from it. Edward's leaving to have some space to deal with his separation from Bella, Carlisle could understand. But Rosalie, her leaving now when the family needed to stick together the most Carlisle couldn't.

"Carlisle." Esme's voice trembling called her husband's name turning his attention back to her. "Our family is falling apart." Esme's shoulders shaking as she sobbed tearlessly buried her face in Carlisle's chest accepting the comfort he offered. "Ever since Edward left Bella we have been growing apart. Jasper is always off visiting Maria, Edward won't accept any of our calls and now Emmett and Rosalie have left."

Holding his wife Carlisle had to agree with what she said, the family was indeed falling apart. Jasper's more frequent trips to Texas to visit his sire/mate who he was in an on-again, off-again love-hate relationship with should have been the first warning but it hadn't. Only now was Carlisle realising that the bonds between the members of his family were unravelling and something urgently had to be done before they were completely severed.

Ring... Ring… Ring...

The quiet chirping of Carlisle's mobile phone, interrupted his thought process of what to do and startled both him and Esme. Carlisle putting some space between the two of them so he could pick up his jacket and retrieve his cellular phone, flipped open the tiny device after he did and hit the green dial button to accept the incoming call his phone's caller ID said was from a private number.

"Hello."

"Bloodsucker." A cold voice immediately reached Carlisle and Esme's ears. The owner of it someone the two straightaway recognised.

"Chief Black, how may I help you?" Carlisle using his diplomatic skills didn't return Billy Black's insult instead he addressed him in the polite manner he always did.

"Where is she?!"

"Where is who?"

"Don't play dumb with me cold one. My son smelt your foul scent all over her truck, now tell me where she is?!"

"…Bella?" Wheels turning in his head after the mention of a truck Carlisle was promptly able to put two and two together. Billy was asking about Bella but why would he, they hadn't on Edward's request seen or spoken to her in months.

"Yes her, the leech lover." Billy addressed Bella in the same icy manner that he usually reserved for his family and other 'cold ones' surprising Carlisle. "If you have her know that she and the demon she carries aren't safe. My tribe won't stop hunting them until they're both dead."

"Billy wha-" Carlisle tried to reason and understand the situation better but the line went dead before he could even finish saying the second word of what he wanted to say.

"Carlisle, what are we going to do?" Esme who had heard the entire conversation with her vampire hearing looked at her husband distressed awaiting his answer. For some reason that she didn't know the girl she had grown to see as a daughter was in danger and they needed to do something to stop it. "We have to go back to Forks, Bella is in danger!"

"And we will Esme, go book us two tickets on the first flight available to there. I'll try contact the others and tell them what's going on." Esme running off to do what she was told left Carlisle behind who began dialling his four children's numbers starting with Rosalie and Emmett's first. Hitting the dial button Carlisle waited for Emmett to pick up, the last part of what Billy had said on his mind as he waited.

If you have her know that she and the demon she carries aren't safe. My tribe won't stop hunting them until they're both dead

'Demon she carries… No!' Carlisle gasped as realisation struck him. Bella was with Edward's child! It couldn't possibly be, could it? Years ago when Carlisle's first love, Kushina, fell pregnant her father Kurama had said that kitsune were rich in life and blessed by the Shinto deity of foxes and fertility Inari herself hence why a baby that went against all laws of nature was able to be born. But humans weren't blessed by Inari. It was impossible for them to have babies with vampires so how could Bella possibly be pregnant.

"Yo!" Emmett's booming voice broke Carlisle's mind from its stupefied state as he reached his voice mail. "If you have this number then you know who this is and if you own a phone you know what to do, so after the beep if you ain't Eddie start talking."

"Emmett, it's me." Carlisle speaking urgently after he heard the beep began to leave a message. "Bella's in trouble and the family needs to get to Forks right now to help her. Call me when you get this." Scrolling through his contacts after he finished Carlisle found Jasper's number next and dialled it, like Emmett's it went straight to voicemail.

"You've reached Jasper. You know what to do." Beep

Carlisle quickly leaving an identical message to the one he left Emmett tried calling Edward last. Out of all of them Carlisle hoped Edward would be the one to pick up but fate was a very cruel mistress and she rarely gave you what you wanted.

"…Hello," a dead, lifeless zombielike voice that Carlisle needed a moment to recognise since it sounded nothing like Edward's picked up after the fifth ring.

"E-Edward?" Carlisle needing confirmation that the voice was his waited to hear it but it never came. The line remained open but no words or sounds of confirmation came through it. "Son if it is you, Bella's in grave danger. You need to go to Forks. The rest of the family and I are already on our way ther- Hello! Edward are you still there?" Carlisle looking down at his phone screen saw the connection had been lost, when that occurred during the conversation was after when what needed to be said was said Carlisle was sure. He just hoped Edward listened to him and went to Forks.

"Was that Edward?" Esme carrying a small suitcase that she had packed a few items for herself and Carlisle in came back into the room. In her other hand was her purse and the slip paper she had written all their flight details on. Not that it was necessary with vampire memory and all, Esme merely did it out of habit.

"Yes it was." Carlisle ever chivalrous grabbed the bag Esme held as he responded to her inquiry. A lady shouldn't have to carry her own luggage even if she had unnatural strength.

"Do you think he's coming?" Esme smiling her thanks to Carlisle voiced her hopes wanting his take on them.

"He cares about Bella, he'll come." Carlisle throwing on his jacket moved towards his still warm engined car, holding open Esme's door when he reached it. Truth be told he didn't know if Edward would come. When it came to loved ones people often reacted impulsively. Not thinking with their head or using logic but guiding themselves and their actions with their emotions and heart. Truthfully anything could happen, his own out of character actions were proof of that. From his separating from his son, to his lying about his existence and Kushina's to his family Carlisle had made many heart guided mistakes. Admitting them was something Carlisle feared he would have to do if Bella was indeed with child, he just hoped Esme, Edward, Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper could forgive him for lying to them for a near whole century. Losing a family was a gripping pain Carlisle couldn't endure a second time.