How anyone can wonder why Esme isn't fond of Milliways is beyond her, especially when the stakes and situations there seem to keep ramping.

Her reasons are scrawled across all of the faces before her. Alice huddled into Jasper, who winces even when he's holding her that tightly. Carlisle near yelling disbelief. Edward's, even greater than normal, detachment.


"Now." She says, in a tone that is more than half direction rather that request. Compassion with the understanding that requests in panic are not listened to, while direct orders often times were.