Get Your Southern On Contest

Title: Brewing Storms

Rating: M

Fandom: Twilight

Pairing: Jasper/Bella

Summary: When a storm hits New Orleans, Jasper rushes from Texas with his brothers to find his Isa. Can he save her in time?

Word Count: 4,762

Disclaimer/Warning: I do not own anything Twilight related, also may contain swearing and graphic scenes.

Multi-POV

Jasper POV

Laughter fills the dining hall, bringing a smile to my lips. I've had the last week off of duty and if I have to admit I am a little more excited to return to work; no matter how much I enjoy spending time with my beautiful wife. I can't help but chuckle as the smell of chicken and all the sides cause my starving stomach to growl loudly.

"Oh capt'n, my capt'n! How was your week away in bliss with that wife of yers, gonna share the details?" Peter calls over the voices of my unit's laughter once he catches sight of me in the doorway. I cast him a look before shaking my head, my smile growing as I did.

"Careful now, that wife of mine happens to be your sister-in-law and very good friends with Lotte, wouldn't want to make a comment like last time and end up in the dog house again," I drawl out with a wince, having just got out of the doghouse a month ago because of him and his mouth making rude comments to my wife about our sex life. Oh, both Isa and Charlotte were not impressed and promptly kicked us to the couches.

"Not to mention she's my baby sis, I don't wanna' hear anythin' 'bout their ten year anniversary. Though, I want to know whether I'll be called Uncle Emmett soon or not," Emmett chuckles out in his thick Tennessee accent while slapping me on the back as I take my regular seat by his side.

"No, not yet, Em, not yet; in her words, she's only twenty-eight. Have you guys seen outside? Seems Houston is in for a downpour; guess no one's getting sleep tonight," I reply while gesturing out the window to the dark looming clouds and pouring down rain. Mind you, Houston needs rain, especially this time of year, but I am not looking forward to the car accidents, the downed power lines, and everything else rain entails.

"The storm isn't supposed to last, it's going to bypass Houston, and this is just the edge of the cell, thank god," Ben sighs out in relief; the poor kid. He's just out of the academy and from all the updates I've received from Peter and the others, he's only done back burning and helped rescue a kitten stuck in between two concrete walls.

"So, tell us, Captain, where is Isabella? Normally she comes in and delivers us baked goods. The boys and I have been dying for her chocolate chip cookies," Marcus asks from the head of our table. No matter how busy, tired, or stressed out he is, the Chief always makes time for the unit. Well, except on the nights he spends with his wife, Didyme.

"Oh, she had to go to New Orleans for a week, she left yesterday. I'm going to miss my Darlin' and her food, but I'll be here working so it's best timing for the both of us. So ya'll will have to wait for her cookies, I get them first," I reply with a smirk before digging into the dinner that Peter so helpfully 'gathered for me'. I can't help but smirk at my brother as he sends me a glare and gets up to get another plate and seconds for himself; serves the asshole right.

I am happy, though; Isabella, my darlin' wife, is treasured like all the women here. More so due to the fact she helps out around the station when she can, even after working a long shift at work. Though, in her words, the fire station crew are her family, family are always there, and she can't let them starve. This includes helping the wives with bake sales to raise money and other things; truly I don't know where she gets the energy.

"I also need to thank her; she's been teaching my Leah and Ben's Angela how to cook with Rose and 'Lotte, of course. I'm glad to say tha' I don't have to worry about Lee-Lee burning the house down to boil water anymore. Your wife is a saint; how she has time to do this, I will never know," Paul manages to get out as he shovels more coleslaw in his mouth. In fact, he and Emmett are always eating, and myself along with a few others, well, nearly everyone don't know where they put it; they literally eat for an army. Everyone feels for their wives, or, well, in Paul's case, his fiancée.

"Alright, enough. Eat your food; we need to get some sleep," I order with a chuckle before finishing off the rest of my now-cold dinner while listening to my unit banter about any random thing they can. I am lucky, though, that I ended up here with this family, my brothers.

XxX

The sound of the fire alarm bolts me awake, causing me to jump and fall to the floor, which is then followed by Emmett and Peter bursting into my room, gear already on. Dread churns in my stomach as I take in the fear-filled faces of my brothers, something that I have only seen very few times, and each time the news was never good.

"You need to get ready; Marcus is flying us out with the helicopter in five minutes," Emmett rushes out a few seconds after they burst in, his eyes frantic as they scan the room, never resting on me. I feel my brows rise in curiosity as I jump to my feet and begin to pull my work gear on.

"What, where…?" I trail off as Peter and Emmett share a look; it is a look that tells me I really, really don't want to know the news, too.

Peter sighs before stepping forward and placing a comforting and slightly restraining hand on my shoulder. I know then that the news involves me; involves my Bella. "A category three hurricane just hit New Orleans, we're being dispatched to help and look for Bells while everyone else goes to other towns that were affected."

I feel my knees give out, glad for a second as Peter catches me before I hit the floor which is followed very closely by dread. My wife, my Isa is in New Orleans and I know for a fact that where she is staying near the Bayou has no storm shelter due to the floods that come with it. We both researched it before she left, before she made the hotel bookings, and now for the life of me, I can't remember the name of the place.

Adrenalin fuelled by fear kicks in, my feet rushing out the door with a mind of their own. "Fuck, I need to leave now!" I yell over my shoulder as I dodge the crew as I race through the frantic station.

Normally, I would have to stay with them, this being my second year of captaincy, I have just gotten off probation of sorts and as the familiar whumpa-whumpa sound of the helicopter grows close I find myself unable to care if I lose my captaincy. But Marcus would stick up for me, I know, and it is a very big favor I am asking, but if it wasn't for me, his wife Didyme would be gone forever.

I dive into the helicopter, Peter and Emmett following suit as quickly as they can. Not even before our harnesses are secured, Marcus is off the ground. I can feel him and my brothers staring at me, but I don't really care. My mind is focused on my wife, my Isa, and trying to remember her location; all I know and remember is that it's near the Bayou, but fuck, it's New Orleans.

"She'll be okay, Jasper, Hells Bells is strong an' a very good EMT; she'll be okay," Emmett states over the coms while placing a hand on my shoulder in what is Emmett's way of comfort, but the words barely register as my eyes take in the swirling dark clouds before me, as the rain pours down upon the towns below.

"I hope so…" I whisper back.

I curse the helicopter I'm in for not going fast enough; though it is better than a five hour car drive then this little-over-an-hour trip, it seems like time is ticking by slowly.

I'm coming, Bella.

XBELLAX

The first thing I realise when I wake up is water. Why is there water? I can't remember what happened but when I open my eyes and blink away the drowsiness to see the collapsed roof above me, I remember.

I remember being out, admiring New Orleans in the rain, then I remember alarms? Alarms and screaming, and I remember running into a building and helping people along the way before wind… a lot of wind and cracks… before nothing. I can still hear and very much see the rain pouring down outside, filling the building with water. So far it is nearly up to my shoulders if I am standing.

A hiss escapes my lips as I put pressure on my leg. Looking down, I see a gash in my calf that is easily 12 inches long. I let out a harsh sigh as I pull myself out of the water and begin to rip up my shirt for strips to bandage my leg, very glad I had decided to wear a singlet today under my shirt. Even though I am annoyed, I am slightly amused that it is my leg that got hurt, after all it was only a few days ago when Jas and I were complaining about why it was always the leg that got hurt during our horror slash sci-fi movie marathon.

"Fuck!" I hiss out as I tie the strips tightly around my leg with the remaining shirt as a bandage. I know I will have to get it looked at soon, get it stitched and get shots before I get sepsis or blood poisoning.

With a grunt I am able to pull myself up onto a fallen bit of wall and look around at the surrounding damage. I can see well into a few rooms that have been demolished by the storm along with the roof, and as much as I wish to leave, I have to find the people that might be in here. I am not the only one alone; I know that for sure there were people following me in.

The water is brown, brownish-green, who knows, but I know it is because of the Bayou, and I hope to god that there aren't alligators in this godforsaken building. That would be my luck though, getting eaten by an alligator.

No, don't think like that… don't overstress, Isa… swim… yes… move the branches…

I shoot up with a gasp, water spluttering from my mouth as I emerge from the water, gasping heavily for breaths of air before I dive back down into the watery depths. I am aching, each kick of my leg burning, but I can't let it bother me. I have to find survivors; I have to check each room for anyone who is alive.

At the slight pressure in my lungs, I begin to seek for air once more, instantly breathing in as my head breaks the surface, my hands flying out for anything to keep me from slipping back into the water. I begin to regulate my breathing, calming my heart as I do so, I need to keep calm; keeping calm is the important thing.

"Mommy! Help!" a voice cries out, catching my attention immediately. I begin to search frantically as the cries continue on; cries of a little boy, cries I need to attend to immediately. There is no way I could ignore the call of help from anyone, especially a child. It is against my very being.

"Where are you? Keep calling out and I'll come help you, okay?" I call out, my eyes still scanning the area.

"Who are you? Have you seen my mommy?" the little boy asks sniffling, causing my heart to clench. But I am oh so glad; because of his question I find his location, he is only in the next room over which is blocked by more roofing and a tree.

"My name is Bella and no, sweetheart, I haven't, but I promise… I promise I will help you look for her when I reach you, okay? Just hold onto something and make sure you don't fall in the water," I instruct before taking a deep breath and diving back down into the water. I squint my eyes in hope it will help me see into the dark to try and find a hole in the wall or something that will get me to him.

An internal "ah-hah!" echoes in my brain as I spot a hole caused by a fallen tree or roofing or another wall, in the wall. I will just have to move the debris out of the way before making my way through.

With a smile, I kick to the surface, taking in a deep breath before diving back into the cold water. Once again I am glad that the surrounding walls pretty much kept out the alligators and other things that like to munch and bite. My hands curl around the branch blocking the hole, my feet finding their place against each side. With a grunt, I use most of my strength with my legs and push, my back arching before a muffled crack fills the water and I find myself flying back.

"Ahhh!" A muffled cry escapes my lips as I feel something pierce the soft flesh of my lower back, but I can't let it stop me. Hissing in pain as I push myself off the ground and away from the debris in my back, I begin to kick up and through the hole, almost gasping in the water once again as a woman's face pops out from the darkness.

"Oh, god!" I choke out as my head breaks the water, my eyes locking onto the teary boy before me. Sadness wells as the more I take in his features, the more I realize the woman is his mother.

"Mommy isn't coming back, is she?" The little boy sniffles, causing me to choke back tears as I pull myself out of the water on to the fallen wall he is rested on. I pull him closer to me as he begins to cry, not being able to do much else, unable to say anything.

My free hand rests above my stomach in agony at the thought… the thought of… but I would do the same as she, I would give my life for them to have theirs if need be. Letting out a sob, I look up into the cracked roof to the pouring rain and black clouds, fear churning in my stomach that I may never tell Jas, may never get to see his face light up as I tell him the news.

Jasper… where are you? Find me… find us…

XJASX

My stomach churns and it takes everything within me to not jump out of the helicopter as we fly closer to New Orleans. The destruction around me is massive; the flood, houses flattened, blood splattered as people run around screaming for their loved ones or helping others.

It makes me feel guilty, guilty that I don't seem to care much for them, I can't focus on them; I need to find Bella. I just… I don't know what I will do if I lose her; she is the light of my life, and if it wasn't for her, I would have gone down a very dangerous path with Alice.

She had saved me from that dark, drug-filled haze, and made me see reason, gave me a reason to get clean and start a future. It was rocky but she stood there with me, never once did she waver from her devoted spot at my side, through all the pain and agony, withdrawals and setbacks. It made me love her and it made me promise that I would always be there for her; it was a promise I kept and I won't let this break it.

"Radio me if you need help! GO! GO! GO! FIND HER!" Marcus yells over the helicopter blades as we unbuckle and dive from the cab into waist-deep water.

People around us flock forward, begging for help, screaming that they need us, but they fall on deaf ears. I cast Peter and Emmett a look as we come across a group of people trying to free a bunch from the debris blocking the door while I push on.

"BELLA!" I call, my voice laced with desperation. "ISA, DARLIN'!" I scream again, my hands shooting under the water to catch the poor boy that had gotten swept up in a torrent, handing him to his thankful mother.

It's a blur, really; street turns into street, into nothing and into street again, my voice going hoarse with the screaming. I manage to help people along the way, those in my direct line of sight as I come across them; it is getting harder and harder to resist them and the ache in my chest which is growing.

"Have you found her?" Emmett's voice crackles over the radio desperately as I grasp the fallen tree blocking my path into a building out of the way.

"No, I haven't; I've looked everywhere… Either she can't hear me or… or…" I trail off, my voice cracking at the thought of her gone.

Will I ever see her smile again? Will I ever hear her sweet voice and laugh? Will I ever get to tell her I love her? Oh god… I can't even remember if I told her I loved her before she left, I can't remember anything I said before she left.

"Don't panic, calm down, brother. She's a fighter tha' girl of yers, she'll be okay; she probably can't hear ya'," Peter's sharp voice replies, reminding me much of our momma when she scolded us for doing something naughty.

"We'll you'll have that…" Emmett trailed off over the radio.

"Ya'll probably right. How you holdin' up, Emmett?" I ask causing Peter to snort.

"He's busier than a cat on a hot tin roof. He's helpin' out everyone while lookin' for Doll Face but it's getting' to him. Radio us soon brother, we need'ta help some people. Peter out," Peter informs us before the radio crackles, indicating he is no longer listening in.

Sighing, I take a seat on a fallen tree, running my hand tiredly through my hair in frustration. God, I… I don't know what to do, I—

"You all right there, Sonny?" a voice asks, causing me to look up. The man is in his late fifties by the looks of it; he looks tired and wet like the rest of us, his hands are wrapped with tape across his palms. "Sorry to frighten ya', Son, there ain't many people this way and I thought I'd come check on you, a firefighter away from people; sumthin' must be wrong," he continues, taking a seat next to me, his eyes soft.

"I'm lookin' for my wife. She was here when the Hurricane hit an' I don't know where she was, I can't remember… I just know she was by the Bayou, how unhelpful that is," I drawl out, distressed.

The man hums. "How about I help ya'? I know what it's like… when I was your age I was in your very position right now; 'cept I didn't have help and I didn't find my Eleanor in time. Come, we'll start lookin', there's no use sittin' around here doin' nothin'," the man drawls out before hopping back to his feet.

"Tell me, what do ye remember of th'place yer wife is stayin'," he asks, causing me to sigh, my brain racking up any form of information I can.

"It was new, a new building; it backed to a Bayou or onto it… uh… she was excited to feed something… not an alligator or was it?" I manage to get out, confused, I can't remember, why can't I remember? "It has columns at the front near the door out of sandstone," I state, causing the old guy to smile wide.

"Ah, shoot, I know jus' were that be. Com' on, let me show you the way." He laughs while making his way up the street; I quickly shoot to my feet following him, hope blooming in my chest.

I'm coming, Darlin', just hold on…

xXBELLAXx

A shiver runs through me as I do everything in my power to keep the young boy warm. He is tiny, so tiny, and he knows that he is alone now; he has no one.

"Did mommy go to the happy place to be with Da, Pop-Pop, and Gran-Gran?"

It had broken my heart. His wide blue eyes had stared up at me so brokenly, so full of wisdom. I had sworn then and there that I would look after him; I wouldn't let this boy go. I couldn't.

With a grunt, I hop back onto my feet and begin to try to move the bar out of the way once again.

"Tell me, Sweetheart, you haven't told me your name," I breathe as I try to yank away a bar blocking the exit with no luck. We can get out through the roof, thanking every god out there that I am not in the hotel or in the building across from here.

"My name is Charles, but I like Charlie; I'm five and three quarters. Momma called me her Charlie Bug," he tells me, his voice lifting happily at the nickname. My heart clenches at the name and I know then that my own father is looking out for us.

"Thanks, dad," I whisper before facing Charlie.

"Charlie! Wow, that was my daddy's name, he was a brave man. Are you brave, Charlie?" I ask him causing the boy to smile and nod, his little teeth gleaming and I couldn't help but laugh.

Pain shot through me causing me to whimper and fall to my knees, my hands clutching my stomach in agony.

"No… no… no… please… PLEASE!" I cry out to the sky, begging for them to not take the life that was growing inside.

"Bewwa!" Charlie cries, scared as he rushed to my side. "Please be okay," he cries as he places his little hands on my face.

"Charlie… Charlie, I need you to be a big boy now and see if you can get help… I need help… find a policeman or fireman… I'll help you out of this room but you need to be a big boy, okay?" I gasp as I wobble to my feet and move to the bar once again.

"Okay, okay! I can be a big boy, I can go get help," he states, mainly to himself. I can't help but let out a little huff of a laugh at his determined face.

A cry leaves my lips as I grasp the bar and pull back as hard as I can, using my foot as leverage. I feel blood pool in my hands as the barslices through my palm, but it is all worth it when Charlie opens the door enough for him to get through.

"Tell whoever you find, that I'm here… tell them my belly is hurting and I'm carrying," I tell him carefully, cutting back the words to something he will remember and others will understand.

"Okay," he tells me before repeating it over and over, making his way through the room over the fallen obstacles.

My hands slip, causing the bar to swing back and close the door, my vision beginning to blur and darken. I feel my knees hit the floor once again, my hands flying out to catch my body before darkness consumes me.

A light, a blinding light, causes me to blink,; it makes me feel warm and safe.

"Bells…" Daddy sighs causing my head to whip to him.

"Daddy, where am I?" I ask causing him to sigh once again and pull me into his arms.

"You're in the in-between place, you need to go back Honey, it isn't your time yet," he tells me strongly causing me to frown.

"But…"

"No, you need to look after Emmett and what about Jasper or the little boy you saved… my grandchild that you're carrying?" he asks me, causing my hand to whip to my stomach in fear.

"Okay… Okay!" I state unsurely at first and then firm.

"I love you, Bells, be good, ya hear; tell Emmett to stop being a dunderhead for me." He chuckles, causing me to smile before the light begins to flicker and flash. "Time to go honey."

"Bella, come on, Darlin', you need to wake up!" Jasper's voice demands desperately, hands touching my face.

I blink back the lights that are flickering above me, voices around me yelling, and I know I am in the hospital as I hear the familiar medical speech only doctors, nurses and EMT's know.

"Jas?" I rasp, slightly confused, causing my husband to sigh in relief, his face popping into my line of vision quickly as he places a kiss on my forehead.

"You gave me a fright, Darlin'…" he trails off as a Nurse begins to push him away as we go through the doors toward the surgery room.

"Charlie? " I call out, my body trying to twist and turn only to stop when hands hold me down, a needle prick in my neck.

"He's safewith Emmett!" I hear before the darkness consumes me again.

~x~

When I come to again, I am in a private room, loud snores drowning out the beeping of the heart monitor causing me to roll my eyes as only Emmett can snore that loud; how Rosalie lives with him I will never know.

"Bewwa?" Charlie asks sleepily at my side, causing me to smile warmly.

"Hi, there, Charlie bug, you're okay," I whisper, causing him to nod and snuggle carefully in my side.

"I found a fireman like you said, he called others… Are you okay now, Bewwa? No going to the happy place to be with your daddy and my mommy and daddy?" he asks tearfully.

"No, sweetie, I'm not going anywhere. Now, can you go wake that big oaf over there and tell him to be quiet?" I coo, causing him to nod quickly and jump off the bed.

I hold back a laugh as he jumps up on Emmett, causing my brother to jolt awake and land on the floor, causing him to shout. Luckily, he has kept Charlie up with his arms, taking the brunt of the fall, drawing out his laughter.

"Charlie! Shh, don't want to wake Bells now," he states causing me to snort and catching his attention.

"Too late, you dunderhead, you're snoring brought me back. How Rosalie lives with you I'll never know. Now where is my husband? I had thought he wouldn't leave my side for a second!" I state in mock anger, trying yet failing to hold back my smile.

"Aw, hell, Bella, I haven't slept in two days… Pete an' Alistair took Jasper down to get some food into him, kick'n an' screamin'," he drawls out, causing me to smirk.

"Darlin'! Oh god, you're awake," Jasper gasps as he rushes into the room, placing a hot, wet kiss on my lips. I pull back,gagging as the scent of coffee hits my nose.

"Ugh, guess that's banned from the house now. Coffee, bleh." I gag again causing him to chuckle.

"That little miracle managed to hold on, no damage at all to the bean. We got there just in time thanks to this little man." He smiles, pulling Charlie into his arms.

"Can we tell her now?" Charlie asks shyly causing Jasper to nod. My brows rose in confusion, but relief and gratefulness are the main things I feel.

"Tell me what?" I ask, causing both of them to smile.

"Well, I asked, and it seems Charlie can come stay with us an' if they can't find a next of kin, then he can be a Whitlock," Jasper drawls happily causing me to squeal.

As my two boys come back over and hug me, I can't help but send a silent "thank you" up to my father. My family is here; they are safe and okay.