One by one they died.
A massacre that took all night
They had no chance, it was no fight
You can't kill what has been killed before,
They died... ;;
Things seemed to have settled into a bit of a calm. They had escalated considerably, with the death toll in Seattle climbing to even higher numbers, but it seemed to have leveled out with no murders in the area for the span of a few days. That of course did not distract Jasper from focusing on the fact that a war was inevitably going to go down. Whether it was tomorrow or next month, they needed to be ready. Every night, Jasper took the family out to train in the field which was once used only for their baseball games. Bella was brought with them, because Jasper refused to leave her unguarded even for a few hours. The story told to Charlie was that she was going to be spending some evenings with Jacob, which wasn't a lie (though it killed Jasper's pride). The wolves were there, much to his disdain, remaining at a distance to watch as Jasper taught his family techniques and maneuvers that were especially handy when dealing with newborn vampires.
The killings had seemed to slow, but Jasper had not let up for even a day. He took this situation very seriously. This was Bella who they were protecting, and his family members were his soldiers. The stakes were incredibly high, and he was not going to lose anyone he cared about. They all had to be safe, and they all had to be well trained. All of them were eager to learn, especially Emmett. Jasper didn't care much if the wolves were paying close attention. If they served to be a distraction while they took care of the newborns, then so be it. He wasn't counting on them to be of any help. And if any of them killed one of the Cullens in place of a newborn and claimed it to be an accident, Jasper would not hesitate to retaliate and kill the entire pack himself.
When they weren't training, Jasper did his best to spend every night with Bella. Unfortunately, with Charlie still not exactly in his corner, it wasn't always easy. And when Jacob Black learned of this fact, he had used it to his advantage by coming over in the evenings. It was no secret that Charlie would have preferred Jacob to Jasper, and that was very hard to deal with sometimes. But what Jasper had to remember was that every night, Jacob had to say goodbye to Bella and he never did. He was the one Bella kissed as she fell asleep at night, not Jacob. There was no reason for him to be jealous, and really, he wasn't. It was just annoying.
Jasper was listening to the evening news from outside of Bella's house while she and Jacob were inside watching it. It was a painful sight for him, but he would endure it for her. From what he could hear, there had been a string of deaths ranging from the Seattle area to Port Angeles. That alerted him. They're on the move.. he thought.
This was it.
He wasn't just being overly paranoid. That was a definite sign that Victoria had begun her advance on them. He needed to get Bella away from here now, back to their house and out of the line of danger. He tossed a pebble at the glass on the window which alerted Jacob. The two, though rivals, did agree that Bella needed to be protected. An excuse that they were going out to dinner and maybe a movie was given to Charlie, though the Police Chief was heading out himself to investigate with the rest of the police force.
Once Jacob had brought Bella outside and Charlie was gone, Jasper wasted no time in walking up to them. "I'm taking Bella away from here."
"I've got her. You go deal with your other leeches."
Jasper's lips pulled back into a slight snarl. "No, the plan was clear from the start. I would take her to safety and alert my family while you round up the rest of your pack and meet at the field."
Jacob shrugged. "Don't care. I'm taking her with me."
"No you're not," Jasper said, his eyes narrowing. "I don't have time to waste arguing with you. I have to take her." He reached out for her hand. "Belle, we need to go now."
It was hard to allow anything to live up to how wonderful Bella's birthday had been. But there hadn't been much to challenge it once it was over. It was a toss back into reality once Bella and Jasper left their house. It was calm - for awhile - in terms of deaths being reported in the news. But those on the inside knew that there was nothing to relax about. Jasper certainly hadn't. He had done so much in terms of training that even Bella was in awe of his leadership skills. She had never seen him in action until after her birthday, having to miss the first intensive training session that took place before it. But it was good for her to bear witness to what was going on. It could have been taken in two ways: one on hand, it made everything real. There was no denying that soon enough, all of this teaching would need to be utilized to defeat a common enemy that was going to be admittedly tough to beat. On the other hand, watching the training made Bella feel a little more confident. Seeing it all unfold with two powerful forces made it seem as if they had a chance for victory.
Any other instructor wouldn't have handled it as well as Jasper seemed to be doing. Bella knew that he didn't like the wolves - to put it mildly - and yet, he was always very collected and kept his head on straight when it came to instructing them. He took a less hands on approach with them, of course, than he did with his family members, but Bella was grateful that the mutual dislike they held for one another didn't interfere with the main idea of the training sessions. There was no telling - at least not when it was quiet and there had been no more deaths to track - when the newborns and Victoria were going to strike. They constantly had to be on guard and prepared. In the meantime, they trained as much as they could. Rather, the Cullens and the wolves did. Bella, much to her disappointment, could do nothing but sit there and watch. It was hard for her to do that, considering that none of this would be necessary if it wasn't for her. She felt incredibly guilty for that reason and if something happened to anyone, be it vampire or wolf, the blood would be on her hands.
It didn't make matters any easier when the tension between the two parties was at an all time high. The two 'leaders' of the groups were the worse of both bunches. Because rather than the obvious choices - Carlisle and Sam - being the ones to make the decisions and control their sides, it was more in the hands of Jasper and Jacob on both ends. For Jasper, the reason was because he was the most well-versed in dealing with newborns, especially battling against them. The fact that it was Bella was who was the one who needed to be protected probably played a factor in that as well, considering the two of them were a lot more than just acquaintances. But it was for that last reason that Jacob took more of a prominent role in leading the wolves. His relationship with Bella gave him an advantage in the lines of communication. But because the two of them felt so strongly about keeping her safe, they clashed with one another despite the common goal.
The night that it looked like things were about to get underway in terms of the battle was a testament to that clash. As soon as the three of them were reunited, there was arguing. With things already being stressful considering a serious battle was about to take place where no victory was guaranteed despite all their training, the last thing Bella wanted was for the two of them to start fighting. She opened her mouth to protest - once...twice... to no avail. Bella couldn't help but to grow angry herself. With the way the two of them were bickering over her while she was standing right there and yet, not being asked an opinion, was more than frustrating to her.
She knew the importance of moving fast as Jasper was saying, but when he held out his hand to her, she didn't take it. Instead, she fixed him with narrowed eyes, the same being cast to Jacob a second later.
"Stop it!" she groaned. She closed her eyes and pressed her fingers to her temples. There was already too much at stake. The last thing Bella could deal with right now was being at odds with either of them. Or them being at odds with each other.
"You're both acting like idiots," she said when she opened her eyes again. "If you can't even get along for five minutes here, how are you supposed to get along there?" she asked, waving her hand fanatically toward the distance. Taking a few moments, she took a deep breath, exhaling with a sigh in order to calm herself. It wouldn't help either if she too was worked up.
"We're sticking to the plan that everyone agreed upon for weeks. Jake, you need to get the pack ready. I'm going with Jasper to the place we've decided on where..." she paused, making a disappointed face. "...where I'm going to be out of there way. On the way, the rest of the Cullens will be informed. You'll all meet at the field. There's no time to start changing things around now, let alone fighting like a pair of five year-olds over it," she said firmly. "Now let's go."
Before either of them could protest, she started walking off to the direction of Jasper's car.
Jasper immediately felt terrible for speaking of her as if she was not there. He truly had not meant to, but his contempt for Jacob Black had gotten in the way of his thoughtfulness. It had led him to disregard Bella's feelings, however momentarily, and for that he felt awful. He owed her a heartfelt apology, and vowed to himself that she would get one. But at the moment he would endure the guilt he felt for the sake of getting her out of there and to safety that much quicker. Bella had agreed to follow the initial plan, which gave him a victory over Jacob. It should have elated him, but he didn't have time to be smug. Instead, he just walked with her to where he'd left Annabelle. Jacob was left to deal with his responsibility to the pack by himself.
As always, he opened the door for her when they reached the car, then got in on his side. This was routine, but he'd done it at a much quicker pace. Once they were both inside, he turned on the car and sped off. Jasper did not normally push Annabelle's speed, but tonight they were in serious need of it. Victoria's army could come at any time, and he had to make sure Bella was safe and secure when that happened. He did not want to leave her alone, but the problem was that they needed every fighter they could get. They had no idea how large Victoria's army was, but it was certain that they outnumbered them. He would do everything he could to make sure all the intruding vampires stayed on the battlefield and did not stray.
Jasper sped across town, pushing Annabelle as hard as he could to race to the home he'd just recently purchased for them. It seemed like a safe, neutral location. He did not think Victoria would know where to find it.
"I'm sorry," he said while driving. "Really, I.. I didn't mean to disregard you." He frowned deeply as he gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. "I'll apologize to you properly once things have settled.."
He paid no mind to most of the street signs and lights, flying through them when he could. Along the way, he took out his phone and called Carlisle, informing him that they were going to have to meet on the baseball field that night, because this was the moment they had been working towards all this time. The car did not stop until it was inside the garage of the large, lake front home he'd purchased for the two of them. This house, it already held beautiful memories for them. Jasper hated that it would be forever associated with this particular event, but it could not be helped. It was the only place he could think of that she'd be safe, but close enough where he could get to her if he needed to move her somewhere else really quickly. Once inside, he got out of the car and opened her door again.
Now came the hard part. He had to leave her there. Jasper did not feel right about it, and he certainly didn't want to. But there really was no choice. If he stayed, the whole family would be at risk and it was highly likely that one or more newborns would get away and possibly find them. He didn't want Bella at risk of being attacked either, though. It was a very difficult position for him to be in. But he ultimately had to choose the least bad of all bad options.
"I should go," he said softly. "I need to meet the others to prepare." What else could he say? This was killing him inside to have to leave her like this. "You should be safe here. Just, stay away from the windows, all right? I'll be here the moment it's over."
There was really no point in trying to alter her emotions or attempt to conceal them in any way. They were too strong and it was obvious that Jasper already knew the truth. The only reason Bella would be thinking about trying to hide them would be for his benefit. She didn't want to overwhelm him with any sort of negativity when there was enough of it already. She was scared. That was the strongest emotion that was coursing through her. Nobody needed special ability such as Jasper's in order to detect that in the brunette. Just looking at her would be enough to tell. The fear was an almost tangible thing. She felt like she could taste it, feel the way it shrouded her like a dark cloak of some sort.
There wasn't much conversation between the two of them during the car ride. He spoke about what happened just before it and apologized for his actions, but Bella couldn't respond. She simply nodded. She felt badly that he was so apologetic over it, but at the same time, there was a part of her that realized it was something that he should have been sorry for and she was glad that he acknowledged that. Still, being right before such an important, a life or death situation, Bella didn't want to dwell on it. Instead, she was quiet for the rest of the drive, which was much shorter than it normally would have taken. Jasper was moving Annabelle quicker than he'd ever had while Bella was in the car and the mixture of the fast driving and the situation at hand, her stomach was starting to feel somewhat queasy.
That feeling didn't dissipate by any means once they were out of the car, however. In fact, it only seemed to intensify as opposed to anything else. There was a rock that formed in her gut when he told her he should leave, that he needed to get back to the others. She could only nod again, keeping her eyes averted from his. There wasn't time to waste. Even seconds counted in this situation. But Bella couldn't help but to wish the minutes could be drawn out longer, that they could have a proper goodbye. It had all been so rushed; she hadn't thought about what it was going to be like when she had to say goodbye to him and be left behind to wait and worry about what was going on.
Before he could go anywhere, she lifted her eyes to meet his finally. She wasn't crying, nor were there tears brimming her lashes, but her eyes appeared to be wet, as if she were trying very hard to keep her emotions further at bay. Throwing her arms around his neck, she stood on her toes and kissed him soundly, pressing her body against his. There was so much emotion and pure desperation thrown into that kiss, so telling in and of itself, that it nearly left her breathless. But until she absolutely had to take in oxygen, Bella kept her mouth firmly attached to his. It was only a few seconds long and when she pulled back, she buried her face into his chest for a moment, holding him close to her and breathing in his scent.
She didn't say the words 'I love you' but her body spoke it. She was afraid if she said them, she would fall apart. When he was going into battle, it was the last thing he needed was to remember how broken up she'd been.
"See you soon," she said, managing to get her voice not to crack. He would already know everything else.
Jasper did not intend to say goodbye to her. That was too final, too definite. It didn't feel right to him to say goodbye to her, so he didn't say it. Instead, he just held her tightly against him and kissed her deeply. All of his emotion poured out into that kiss. He loved her, and if she even had the tiniest shred of a doubt of that, it would be erased in that kiss. His love for her was so strong, it was almost overwhelming. This moment was so precious to him, but he was trying very hard not to make it into something that would make them both sad. He didn't want it to become a goodbye. He would come back. She would be kept safe. They would be together again.
Even so, they had to be cautious.
"Keep your phone near you, all right?" He said, looking down at her. He placed the key to Annabelle in her palm and closed her fingers around it. "If I tell you to go, I need you to go. Please, don't question it Belle. I'll still come find you, I'll just need you to put more distance between yourself and the fight. If the battlefield moves.. I want you safe." He couldn't let that happen, though. They had to defeat this quickly, else word might somehow reach the Volturi and that was the absolute last thing they needed.
"Promise me." He did not wait for her to say it; he just needed to feel it.
He looked down at her a moment longer, then brought one hand to her cheek and held it there briefly. "See you soon," he said, and let his lips pull up into a sideways smile.
It wasn't forced, despite the situation. Anytime he looked into her eyes, he could not help but feel himself falling even more in love with her, and that could only bring happiness to his heart. His eyes were a rich gold, a sign that he was at his strongest, as strong as a vampire could be without feeding on human blood. He'd contemplated cheating, but there was no guarantee he'd have the time it would take for him to recover from the pain and anguish he suffered upon drinking human blood. He also did not want Bella to have to see him with red eyes.
Jasper lowered his hand and took a step back. Turning around was the most difficult thing he had to do. It made everything that was happening that much more real. This was for her, though, for her safety. That was what drove him to turn and run off as fast as he could. He did not look back, for he knew if he did then he would not be able to go through with leaving. He ran, and ran, and ran, through the heavily wooded areas so to be away from human eyes. He did not stop until he reached the clearing. The family was already there, standing together. One sniff of the air told him that the wolves were nearby as well, in their formation.
All they could do now, was wait.
Waiting.
Nothing was more cruel than waiting.
Waiting and wondering what was happening. Bella felt as if she were blind. She was cut off from the world, unable to see anything on the outside. Instead, she was holed up with her thoughts, trying to change their bitter patterns of negativity and failing. There was nothing she could have done to take her mind off of what was happening. She tried to think of things, entertain the thought for a moment that maybe something small could do the trick. But everything she came up with was useless. She couldn't sleep. She couldn't do any other activity that would allow her to think of anything besides the battle. And of Jasper.
She should have told him she loved him. It wouldn't have mattered if she would have fallen apart in the process. She should have told him outright that she was in love with him. It didn't matter if her body language said it. He needed to hear it. He deserved to hear it. There was a chance that he might never be able to hear it again if... if things didn't go as they'd all hoped. She could feel it radiating from him and knew he would be able to feel it from her. The smile he gave her just before he left was better than any other expression.
Still... It was hard to stray from dwelling on the possibility of something happening that was not in their favor. Bella would be devastated if any person on their side would suffer a loss. It would be her fault. The fact that she wasn't even there just didn't seem fair. Since this was all on account of her, she should have been on the front lines. Of course she would have been eliminated within the blink of an eye, but it was the principle of the thing - she should have been fighting with the rest of her family.
Her family.
They were her family. Even the wolves were a part of that family. They were all her friends and she cared about each one of them deeply. The Cullens of course... They were different. They truly were her second family. Carlisle was another father to her, Esme another mother. Emmett was the brother she never had. Even Rosalie was someone that Bella considered to be somewhat like a sister, despite everything she'd done that year to compromise those feelings. She was still family. They all were.
But Jasper was more than that. Jasper was not just her family. Jasper was her everything. He was the love of her life. Bella thought it was wrong to say that past loves did not mean as much. To both of them, those they loved before were unique - Alice and Edward. But it was because of the two of them that Jasper and Bella were brought together. Bella was confident that would never change. She might never have predicted it before - nor had Jasper - but everything they felt for each other was so genuine. It would never change. No matter what happened that night.
Since he'd gone, she'd crawled into the driver's seat, Annabelle's key still pressed into her palm where he'd left it. It was imprinting into her skin, but she wouldn't let it go. She curled into the leather of the seat, laying her head back against it. She could smell him. His scent surrounded her there. For now, it was the only comfort she could get.
Waiting for the action to start made Jasper more nervous than actual fighting. Having to stand around, wondering when and where they were going to strike made him uncomfortable. Esme was listening to the news in Carlisle's car, in the hopes that they might get some sort of clue beforehand of their arrival in the Forks area. If perhaps, another person was killed along the way, they might hear about it and know they were close.
He paced a little, stopping to listen every now and then. Jasper hoped he'd be able to hear some sort of distinct sound in the distance to also alert them of their closeness. A drop of rain splashed against his marble cheek, another landing on the toe of his boot. Rain wouldn't help matters any. It would just make the ground slicker and affect their line of sight somewhat. Fortunately, Jasper had trained them all in the rain more than once. They were still prepared for what was to come. At least, he wanted to believe that was true.
Carlisle felt his phone vibrate and picked it up, having received a text from Esme. "There's been a report of killings in Fairholm. They were found twenty minutes ago."
Jasper's jaw clenched. That was it. They were just around the corner now.
Another five minutes passed, and then it started. They were engaged in battle. One of the wolves had howled, and not even a split second later there were dozens of newborn vampires darting out of the wooded area to the left of the clearing. They'd barely had time to step into formation to meet them head on, but somehow they did it.
All of the Cullens were tangled within swarms of newborn vampires, fighting for their lives and for the unsuspecting slumbering humans in Forks, as well as the one human girl waiting in anticipation and fearing for them all. Bella's face was all Jasper could think of as he clashed against the newborns who tried to take him down. But as much as he wanted to keep thinking of her, he had to erase the image of her face from his mind. Her safety was still his goal, but he could not associate her with this violence. She meant more to him than that. He couldn't think about how much he loved her while he was slaughtering newborn vampires. It wasn't fair, really. These poor creatures didn't stand a chance. It wasn't their fault that they were raised in this way. But he knew he couldn't let his conscience interfere. It was very fortunate that all these newborns could feel was rage and violence, else Jasper would have been crippled from the pain and fear from killing them. Instead, their rage just fueled him to fight harder.
He couldn't let himself worry for his family. As much as he wanted to check on them, to make sure they were doing all right, he knew it would cloud his judgment. It could cost him a newborn, or worse, his own life. But as much as he didn't want to lose focus, he couldn't help but check. He was mostly worried about Esme, his mother. It cost him a few bites, but it was well worth it to know she was holding her own.
During one small window of opportunity, Jasper took a moment to scan the field. He was looking for Victoria. She seemed absent from the fray. That didn't surprise him. She did seem the cowardly type to let others do her dirty work for her. But he also knew that she would be looking for Bella. The Swan house was left unguarded, but Charlie was not there and wouldn't be there. If they tore apart the house looking, at least no one would be there to get in the way.
His eyes fell upon a young man who seemed to be doing the same thing he was. Curious, he observed the man's movements, even when he began fighting again. That was a scout, he realized. Jasper needed to get to him if he wanted to find Victoria. He fought his way through the newborns, making his way through towards him without drawing attention to himself. The young man turned and disappeared into the woods, and Jasper ran after him. He felt badly for abandoning the field, but he felt confident that his family could hold their own. They also knew that there was a chance that he would have to leave, if he needed to go to Bella. That was the plan. He tracked the man through the trees, until he saw a flash of bright red hair. The two whispered and then ran off together. Jasper followed. He slowed his pace, until he realized where they were going. Victoria had managed to track Bella's scent, he'd heard.
It hit him, then. He'd left the top down in his car when they left Bella's house. She had the scent. They were going to the house.
Jasper wasn't sure he'd ever run so fast before in his life. As he did, he pulled out his phone and called her, hoping she had her phone near her as he'd asked. She had to get out of there. She had to get to safety.
"Jasper? Is it over already?" Belled questioned when the phone buzzed.
"No, get in the car."
"I'm in the car. I haven't left the car. Why are you telling me to get in the car? What's going on?"
"Drive, get out of there right now. Put the top up and drive."
"It's not starting!"
"What?! I.. Damnit! Try again!"
"Jasper... it's not starting. I'm turning the key. Can you hear it? It's... I don't know. Not starting! I don't know why. I don't know anything about cars!"
"Keep trying! You have to get out of there! Victoria found your scent! She's coming there now!"
"What? She- How? How could she find it out here?"
"I left the damn top down when we left your house! She went looking for you and found the scent. Try the car again!"
"I'm trying! I'm trying! It's not- It won't turn on, Jasper! Where are you?"
"I'm trying to get ahead of them and take a different route to the house. They're sticking to the road so they don't lose the scent. I'm coming through the trees. I'm close."
"What do I do?"
"I'm ahead of them, I see them on the road. Get in the house!"
"I'm... I don't... Jasper-"
"Get in the house Bella! I'm here, I'm- Get in the house!"
Everything happened in such a whirlwind.
Time had felt as if it were standing still until Bella's phone rang. She literally had not moved an inch since Jasper had gone. The key had still been pressed into her palm, her cheek sticking to the leather of the seat. She'd nearly jumped out of her skin when the tiny cell phone she'd had in her jeans pocket vibrated and sounded off loudly. If the top on the convertible hadn't been down, there was a good chance she would have hit her head in the way she was given a serious fright. The key was still clutched in her hand as she fumbled with the phone, flipping it over without looking to see who it was first. She already knew. There was no question it was Jasper; it was just a question of what he was going to say.
Bella hadn't been prepared for what he did say. it had taken her some time to comprehend what was happening even after he explained it to her, but time was not something they had anymore. Every half second counted and as she continually tried and failed with getting the engine to start, those seconds were passing by and bringing Victoria closer to her target. It didn't seem like their safe little haven was so safe any longer.
When the phone hung up, Bella didn't waste any time. As fast as she could, she scrambled out of the car, leaving the key in the ignition. He would be there in a few seconds, but until then, Bella didn't even know where to go in the house. She made it up to the first floor above the garage where the glass wall started and where she expected Jasper to be coming through the front door. Even though he told her to wait inside, she couldn't until she saw him and made sure he was all right. Throwing the door open, she ran outside.
It was only a couple of steps before he caught her in his arms. There was no telling how long they had, but Bella guessed it would only be about a minute or two from the way Jasper sounded on the phone. But in that time, her arms wrapped around him so tightly, it was as if she were molded to his body.
"I can't- Are you- Where-?' Sentences were impossible at this point.
All he wanted to do was take her and run. If he could have, Jasper would've put her on his back and run as fast as he possibly could have in order to get her to some place safe, far away from all this danger. He didn't care where they had to go. He would've run to the ends of the earth if he had to in order to make her safe. There was very little that could be done to achieve that safety, though, if her predators remained living. Victoria would follow them to the ends of the earth if it meant getting to Bella. That was the only thing keeping him from running with her right this very moment. While he wanted to help his family and keep them safe, he knew that Victoria's vendetta was with Bella. She would go wherever Bella went.
As she propelled herself against him and threw her arms around his neck, Jasper slid his around her waist and held her to him. He had to remember to keep his strength in check and not squeeze her as tightly as he would have liked, else he would've crushed her torso. He needed her to get in the house, away from the fight that he knew was about to ensue. He'd asked her to stay in the house, but he should have known that she wouldn't listen. He couldn't be upset with her for it, though. It actually gave him some peace of mind to feel her, to know she was still safe and alive.
He knew he had to be a bit of a sight. His shirt and pants were torn from the battle, his hair in a disarray of curls, and new angry red bite marks would be visible beneath the torn fabric of his clothing. But he didn't care about any of that. Jasper kissed the top of her head and then pulled back enough that he could kiss her lips.
He'd intended it to be gentle, so has to calm her down, but he could not help but be passionate about it. He kissed her deeply, tightening his arms around her. It felt so good to hold her; it was the most precious reminder as to why he was fighting as hard as he was. But he had to stay focused. He couldn't let himself calm down, or lose sight of what was going on. Despite all he'd been doing, the worst was yet to come. And it was going to be there fast.
"Get back in the house," he breathed against her ear. "Go, now!" He let go of her and stepped back.
"Don't come out until I come in to get you. Belle, go!" He turned around and in his line of sight he could see Victoria's fiery hair whipping through the breeze as she and her accomplice ran down the road that led to their house.
Jasper made a definite mistake in kissing her like that. There was more in that single kiss than most people would feel from an entire lifetime full of kisses. It was so raw in emotion, so telling. It was passionate beyond belief. That was the kiss she wanted every day. That was the kiss she wanted just because, not on account of the fact that there was a chance it could be their last.
It wasn't that Jasper didn't kiss her passionately just because; he did. It was just different this time. Bella knew he could feel it too. The difference was what was driving the kiss. The difference, quite plainly, was that it could have been a goodbye kiss. Either way, she put as much into that liplock as she could. She memorized the way his lips tasted and the way they felt against hers. She would never forget that kiss. But the mistake was that he made it almost impossible for her to leave him after that.
His breath was colder when he spoke in her ear as opposed to when he was actually kissing her. But that was likely due to the seriousness and the desperation in his tone. There was nothing warm or comforting about it. She wanted to look after him when he went, but she knew if she did, there was a chance she would catch sight of what Jasper was going after and that would have cost her her nerves. That was something she couldn't risk. As frequently as she didn't listen when she was worried about someone she loved, Bella did as Jasper told her.
As fast as she could, she ran back into the house, slamming the door closed behind her. She went up the stairs to the second floor but stayed in the kitchen, away from the full glass wall. She wanted to see what was happening, but at the same time, there were reasons why she stayed back. For one, she knew it would be worse if she was in the line of sight of her predators. When Bartholomew had come to her house, it was worse when he could see her standing in the door. Jasper suffered bites because of that and this time, she couldn't afford to cause any harm to him if she could help it. The other reason was on account of the fact that she didn't think she could bear it if she saw him being hurt. She'd witnessed people she loved dying in front of her already that year. It was enough. If something happened to Jasper that she couldn't stop...
Bella winced and shook her head violently. She couldn't think about it. She would stay where she was, crouched against the cabinets on the floor and wait until he came to get her like he instructed. He would come back for her. He had to come back. There was just no other option. But even though she couldn't see what was happening, it didn't mean the sounds could be drowned out completely.
She could hear growling. There were ones that she knew were Jasper's. There were others that she didn't recognize. When Jasper had been on the phone, he say 'they' were coming. That meant Victoria wasn't alone But Bella hadn't had time to ask him to clarify or to explain to her who else would be with her. She was so tempted to go to the window and look out to see. But she was too afraid that it would mess up everything and it wouldn't go in Jasper's favor.
That idea went out the wind though when the window was shattered.
Something - and Bella was honestly scared to know what it was - hit the glass wall with such force that the entire thing shattered to pieces, cracking and breaking down in pieces with a loud clatter. On shaky legs, Bella pulled herself up. She had to see if whatever it was that caused the event wasn't in the house. It could have been Victoria launching herself at the house and trying to get there and if it was, Bella wouldn't just sit there and wait for her, cowering in a ball with fear. She would stand up to her, especially if something had happened to Jasper.
And so, willing herself forward, Bella moved to the edge of the house that was now completely open to the outside. She was still alone inside. That much was confirmed when she finally caught sight of what was going on behind the broken glass wall. There were two of them. One, fiery-red catlike vampire that Bella would never mistake, and another younger blonde one that was eager and willing to do his mistress' bidding. That's what Bella could conclude anyway, just in the minute she stood there watching. Victoria was barking orders and the blonde was following them. In her favor, it was working. The two of them working together were getting Jasper right where they wanted him.
Jasper.
Bella's Jasper.
He was fighting as hard as he could, but two against one made it difficult. The outlook wasn't looking as Bella hoped. That was unacceptable. That was not a possible outcome. She refused to lose him too. She wouldn't.
But there was only so much she could do. It didn't seem like the trio had noticed her at the window. Victoria and her minion were fixated on Jasper. Jasper was fixated on them. It was a sickening scene to observe when the outcome wasn't good for the boy she loved, the one who saved her heart. If she didn't save him now, her heart would be gone along with his life.
It was Jasper who gave her the idea. Thinking back to her birthday party, Bella remembered the way all attention was immediately on her when her paper cut drew a drop of blood from her finger. It had only taken a drop for the damage to be done. She knew that her blood was potent enough to draw the attention of even the strongest vampire. It wouldn't be a question of it attracting a blood-thirsty newborn and the one vampire who only desired her blood to be spilled.
Throwing off her jacket, she pushed up the sleeve of her shirt to reveal the scar from her birthday that ran the length of her forearm. Her hand was shaking as she stooped down to pick up a piece of the glass from the shattered windows. She couldn't think about it. She just had to act. If she wasted any time in thought, she would have lost both her nerve and the opportunity to save Jasper's life.
Pressing the jagged tip of the shard of glass against the origin of the scar, she looked away, closing her eyes and gritting her teeth as she reopened the wound. She kept her shaky hand clutched so tightly against the glass that she wound up cutting her palm as well. But it had worked as far as spilling blood was concerned. With the searing self-inflicted pain, there was a steady stream of red coloring her pale skin. When she opened her eyes, it wasn't to look at the wound, but rather, to look to see if he had worked.
All Bella could see was that Jasper was a moment away from death.
Author's Note: We had to leave you on a cliffhanger to start off the second part of our story! But we hope you liked it. In Chapter 2, you'll see how its ends, but we guarantee it won't be in a way that you're ever expecting! Please let us know how you liked the new start. Remember again to follow, favorite, and review this story as well as Take Me Back to the Start! Welcome to our new readers! :D Cheers x
Lyrics: The Gatekeeper - Within Temptation
