Alright, here is Chapter 4. This is twice as long as the previous chapter, so I hope everyone likes it.
Thanks to my wonderful new Beta, XO BellaItalia OX, Who is currently working on getting my previous chapters perfect.
Thanks to all of you wonderful people that have been reviewing and reading since chapter one. It really is awesome.
Disclaimer: All Characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I just love to play with them.
Read the A/N at the bottom…
Previously on TDOT….
"How the fuck do you know those names? Who in the fuck are ya'?" He spat at me. His mouth way too close to my neck for comfort.
"Peter…please…trust me." I managed to rasp out. He looked into my eyes deeply for a second and then let go, dropping me like a sack of potatoes on the hard forest floor. That was going to leave a bruise.
"Shit! Fuckin' Hell." He whisper yelled. He glanced at me again, seeming to have an inner war within himself. Then a slow smile, genuine looking, crept onto his perfect features. "Alright sugar, but I want me some explanations." I nodded in acceptance, wandering if the term Bi-Polar had been created yet, and whether or not Vampires could carry it into their immortal life.
And Now…Chapter 4- Clarity
"You're a human drinker." I immediately wished I could take that statement back.
Even in his picture he had red eyes. He probably thought I was a moron. I could only bet that the term 'Veggie Vamp' had never even crossed his mind. I was just musing my thoughts out loud, but he gave me a funny look. One that clearly stated, 'well duh. What other kind would I be?' I mean I had just seen him drain a guy right in front of my very eyes. What in the world was wrong with me?
"You have a very strong grasp of the obvious." He snickered. Smart Ass.
We had only been in the forest for about thirty minutes, but I was increasingly getting creeped out. There was still a very dead body only twenty feet away from where we stood. Peter noticed as I gazed over in Frank's direction.
"What are you going to do with him?" I asked in a whisper.
"Well, I'm gonna make it look like somethin' attacked him of course. By the look o' that scar on your wrist I'd be guessin' that ya' already know what I am?" He made his statement a question, expectant of an answer.
"Yes. I know you're a vampire." I snorted.
"Well, either way, I doubt you'll be wantin' to see what happens to him next, given your earlier projectile response. So turn around sugar, I need ta' make it look like an animal attack. Then we'll be on our way." He seemed almost sympathetic, while at the same time indifferent about everything.
I turned around so he could get on with it. I knew he was still curious as to how I got my scar and how I would know about Jasper, Maria and Himself. I knew that Jasper would have to be the one I told everything to first, but I would have to tell Peter something. I knew he wouldn't let it go either. I could hear the tearing of human flesh in the background. Other than that there was no other sound. I wandered if my state of nausea would be a permanent thing.
"You shouldn't turn around right now, but I'll be back in less than a minute." I whipped around too quickly and gave myself a head rush. I didn't want to be left here in the woods alone. I also didn't need the reminder of how similar this scene was to me. I hadn't ever fully gotten over the fact that Edward had left me in my previous life time. Last time I may have been found by wolves, but I knew all too well about the danger of being alone like this could bring.
He was right though, he was back before I could work myself into a real panic attack. He just stood there looking at me inquisitively, probably trying to figure out what to ask first. As he stood there watching me I took the time to finally look him over for the first time. He was tall, around 6'3", with light short blond hair. He was on the leaner side-Not skinny, but maybe not as quite as broad as Jasper is. -through with his tattered blood stained shirt I could still see the muscles he was sporting. It still didn't seem fair to me that vampires could all be so perfect. Either way, he was exceptionally good looking. His eyes would sometimes hold a lightness in them and his few smart assed comments reminded me a little of Emmett.
"We need ta' go ahead an' get on outa' here. I won't treat ya' like the others, since there is something different about ya', but I'm not walkin' at your pace either. "And with that I was back in his arms being carried bridal style as we ran through the forest at a dizzying pace.
Unfortunately for me, as soon as I pressed my face against his chest to get rid of the dizzy spell, I knew it was a mistake. He was still caked in blood. As soon as I smelt the traces of metallic rust I was already losing consciousness.
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When I finally came back to the land of the living I realized we had stopped running. I felt the leaves crunch under me as I rolled onto my side. Peter was sitting not five feet away looking rather annoyed and staring at me.
He was still covered in blood. I reached up to rub my eyes and instantly wished I hadn't. I pulled my hands back down to see what the dried up gunk on my face was. I didn't think I had anything left in my system, but obviously I was wrong. My face, and now my hands were covered in Franks dried up blood.
"Oh God. Get it off!" I screamed to no one in particular. "Get it off of me!" I sobbed.
Scratching my nails down my face, and trying to rid myself of the blood. I looked around, frantically searching for anything that could take it off. Desperate, I reached for the bottom of my dress, pulling it up to my face only to realize that it also had blood on it. I screamed, out of sickening horror or desperate frustration, I wasn't sure which.
"Please…Please Peter." I sobbed brokenly. I didn't know how he could help. He didn't have anything that wasn't blood stained himself.
Through my hysteria I hadn't even realized he had picked me up again, at least not until he dumped me on my ass. I was going to have to talk to him about the fragility of humans. I looked around and nearly started sobbing again in relief. He had brought me to a stream. I practically launched myself into the water.
Not caring if I was going to hurt myself in the process. My only thought was to rid myself of the blood. Thankfully, I did not harm myself. I dunked my whole body, including my head, into the shallow water. I most likely resembled a dog rolling around in the dirt. I didn't care.
Once I was as clean as I could get, without a proper shower and soap, I headed back to the area where Peter stood. His silent stare was starting to irritate me. Why did he need to watch me so intently?
"Ya' good now princess? I ain't gonna be caterin' to your every whim this trip. Ya' need ta' grow a backbone sugar." He smirked.
"Your instincts may love the idea of blood and gore Peter, but mine still tell me that it's disgusting and horrific. Speaking of you catering to my needs, I need to find a bathroom, for my human moment." For the first time since I met Peter I began to think of my present family.
"Did you fake my death or something? What's my family going to think?" I whispered. I may not have known them that long, but I was going to miss them regardless. They had been exceedingly wonderful to me since I had been here.
"Your family, sugar, will think the same thing that all families think once one o' their own disappears. Either that ya' ran off, or ya' were taken. It don't really make a difference, since you'll never see em' again."
He was right in the grand scheme of things, but it frustrated me regardless. There was no emotion behind the words he spoke, neither sympathetic nor harsh. He understood something that I had yet to grasp, the reality of my situation.
Alice had been right with all of her predictions so far, and even though I was now a firm believer in her, I wasn't sure if I had truly accepted my impending fate yet. Not that I really had an option, but I didn't think I was ready to let go of the fact that I really wouldn't see Charlie or Renee ever again. Edward would never write me my lullaby and my friendship with Jake would never happen because of this.
Once again, I told myself to let them go while I sobbed and sank down onto the forest floor. I zoned out on everything surrounding me and really let go this time. It seemed like every memory flashed before my eyes. I let my heart really break for the loss of my first love.
These last few days I had been here I had really just put everything in the back of my mind. I had never fully dealt with everything. I had accepted the loss of my family. That included the Swans and the Cullen's.
What I hadn't really dealt with was my love for Edward. I had told myself I had. But right now, in this moment, sitting on the cold hard forest floor, this was my time for Edward. Because after this, no matter what, I knew Alice was right. I could still feel the pull towards Jasper, and now that I was with Peter, it was getting stronger, but it did not erase what I had gone through.
And while I knew there could be something amazing with Jasper, it had not happened yet. So I let my memories of things that had happened encompass me. I let them overwhelm me and drown me for the time being. And I let the tears fall freely while it happened.
I thought of the moment I laid eyes on Edward and how Beautiful I though he was. I thought of the beautiful crooked smirks and the smile he reserved for me. I thought about all of the times we visited the meadow and all of the chaste kisses he had given me. I remembered the way my heart would race and how I would get those small butterflies in the beginning. I remembered the touch of his fingertips as they grazed my cheekbones when he would admire my blush.
I thought about the way he held me tightly in his arms when we were in Volterra. I thought of everything I could remember from all of the good memories. I then realized that I had truly fallen in love with him all that time ago. There wasn't a mating pull guiding me to him. No, we had grown love each other without too much supernatural influence.
Then, to really let the past go, I remembered everything else. The way he wasn't willing to fight for us when he left me. The way he always tried to shield me from the truth of things. The way I felt when he refused to let me be his equal. I thought about the feelings of rejection and unworthiness, when he refused to let me really show him how much I wanted and loved him.
How could I have been his soul mate if he was willing to give it all up? I thought about how he underestimated my feelings for him, as if I had no way to understand what love was.
I remembered the positives and then I remembered the negatives and everything in between. With a deep breath and a heavy heart I let the Edward Cullen, as I knew him, go. I wasn't mad at the things I couldn't control anymore. I was finally done grieving for my past that would never be my future. From what I understood, my current situation had a very bright and promising future.
I could feel the weight I had been holding onto finally lift. With my personal brand of closure, I would be able to move on. I also felt the pull in my chest grow significantly stronger. It made me wonder if by somehow holding onto my past, I had been repressing my feelings for a certain someone in my near future.
If I hadn't just let go of my past would it have caused issues for me when I changed? It didn't matter though. I had finally done it, and I felt tons lighter because of it. With a deep breath and a heavy sigh I stood back up and walked over to Peter. He was still staring.
"You alright sugar?" This time there was a sincere amount of sympathy in his tone.
"I will be. Thanks though." Before I could change my mind, I reached up and hugged him. It was extremely selfish of me, but I needed a hug from someone familiar, and Peter was my only option at the moment. He tensed underneath my embrace and didn't move a muscle. "Sorry about that." I mumbled when I finally pulled back.
"Uh, don't worry about it. I'm just gonna go have a quick washin' myself." He walked into the water with all of his clothes on, just as I had.
"Well, I gotta' finish up my assignment, so come on, hop on up. We got about an hour's run till' we get to the next city." He told me once he was finished cleaning himself up a bit.
"Wait. What? Aren't we going straight back to the camp or whatever? I thought you were going to take me to see Jasper?" He better not have lied to me. That would be just my luck too.
"Course we are, but I gotta make a few stops along the way sugar. This here was a recruit mission. You are number one, now I need three more." That brought a new question to mind.
"How did you find me?" He looked contemplative for a moment.
"I'll answer yer' questions sweet thing, once you've answered some o' mine."
"Alright. Fair is Fair. But I need you to know that I can't tell you everything until I talk to Jasper first. Sorry. I'm not sure if it will make a difference or not, but I do know that Jasper has to hear the whole story from me first. Actually, even that might not matter. I would just feel better talking to him first. I trust him. I don't know you, so I can't trust you yet. Understand?" He gave me a once over before agreeing.
"I will start with an easy one then. How do you know Jasper?" I laughed out loud. I couldn't answer that question without making myself his dinner. He would most certainly think I was crazy and eat me.
"Sorry Peter that is probably the hardest question. How about I do us both a favor and tell you what I can?"
"Sounds good to me sweet thing."
"Okay, right, well, I will start with my scar then. The only thing I am comfortable telling you is that a nomad got a whiff of me and wanted a taste. My boyfriend at the time sucked the venom out and here we are." Peter was shaking his head back and forth, most likely in disbelief.
"Is, is that even possible? You can have the venom sucked out? Wait, so why did the nomad stop? Does that mean you were dating a vampire? Jesus Fuckin' Christ, did I just steal ya' from your mate? I didn't smell another vampire scent on ya' though. Oh God. Holy Fuckin' shit. But you're human, why haven't ya' been turned? I need to get back ta' Jasper.
"I've just fucked myself, stealin' someone else's fuckin' pet. Or worse yet, mate. Do ya' have any fuckin' idea what a male vampire will do if someone tries to take their mate away, get in between the two of em'? Jesus Christ on a cracker. What've I gotten myself into? I need ta' talk to the Major, but if I go back without the other three Maria'll toss my sparklin' ass straight ta' the fire."
I watched him in a shocked silence as he kept going and going. I had never witnessed a vampire have a panic attack. So far this one was bi-polar and on the verge of a meltdown. He was pacing ten feet one way then ten feet the other. Ranting and raving about all of the what if's. Jesus, he was starting to give me a migraine.
"Whoa, whoa. Slow down there cowboy. Jesus, are you mental or something? Calm the fuck down Peter. No one is going to come after you. Not my ex or anyone else. There was no scent because, well I can't get into that right now. But I have no contact with any vampires other than you right now. I don't have a mate waiting somewhere for me." It was only a partial lie.
My mate had no idea I was on my way. I could only wander though, how would jasper deal with this? I'll find out soon enough I guess. "Just take an unnecessary breath, you never know it may help, and chill out for a sec. No one is coming after you. There is no one waiting for me somewhere. I am sorry I can't give you any more information, but like I said I will tell jasper and if he trusts you then you can be in on the story too. Okay?"
He stopped pacing, at least it was something. "You can't give me any more information?" He asked with sarcasm dripping from every word.
"No."
"Ya' know who I am." He growled. "Who Jasper and Maria are. You are obviously connected ta' my kind somehow. Ya' refuse ta' give me any real information ta' work with, and ya' want me to take you to my camp and ta' Jasper. How do I know this isn't some fucked up trap or some shit?" He was getting angry. The red in his eyes slowly turning black. I wasn't sure how, but I had to try to fix this somehow.
"Yes, and I know I'm being hypocritical. Asking you to trust me when I tell you I won't do the same right now. Please, I would never harm Jasper, and if you mean something to him then that includes you. I won't say the same for Maria. But, I Promise, there is no one looking for me. I can tell you that I knew you would come for me. I didn't know when or how you would find me, only that you would. I'm sorry for asking you, but my entire reason for being here is riding on your decision."
"Now what was that supposed ta' mean?" He hissed.
I shook my head and looked at the ground. "Please Peter…Please." I whispered. He roared in outrage, at least I hope it was in outrage and frustration and not in an I'm about to eat Bella type of way. Then he was in front of me again. My nose nearly touching his chest.
"Fine!" He snapped. "But, I'm warnin' ya' right the fuck now. The Major has never lost. Never. So if you're tryin' ta' do somethin' stupid, you're deader than you woulda' been otherwise." I understood what he was saying. There would be no vampire life for me, only one six feet under, if this was a trap.
"Like I said, there is no one that knows about me and the supernatural other than you right now. Not anymore. I just need to see Jasper. I already know I'll be changed. I would never lie to you about all of this." I said. Stealing my nerves and standing up straighter, so he could see I was serious.
"Good, cause if yer' lyin', and we will know if ya' are, then I'm gonna let him change ya', then rip apart the pieces slowly, makin' sure ya' suffer, for tryin' to put me and mine in danger." It was with that statement that I realized I could most likely trust Peter.
If he was this protective of Jasper then he had to be a good guy, right? Even though his words promised severe pain for me, if I was lying, which I was not, I could still see the protective brother that I knew he might one day be for Jasper. He was lucky to have someone so fiercely loyal to him.
"Then me and you are going to get along just fine. I would expect nothing less." And just like that, his eyes were red again and sparkling with amusement. I'm gonna say it one more time and then, maybe, I'll let it go…Bi-Polar. The man has issues. "Who is the Major?" I suddenly thought to ask. He kept bringing him up, yet I didn't know why.
"Are ya' fuckin' kiddin' me?" He asked, incredulously.
"Um…no?"
"Jasper is the fuckin' Major." He laughed. "How could you be lookin' for Jasper and not know people refer to him as the Major? Very few even know his name…"
He looked at me questioningly again, and then shook his head in annoyance. "Lem'me guess, you can't tell me." And cue in the sarcasm. I shook my head and muttered an apology.
It was very unperceptive of me not to make the connection. Jasper may not have mentioned what they referred to him as in the vampire wars, but I did know that he was a major in the confederate army. How could I have missed that tid bit of information?
After we had cleared the air Peter had lifted me onto his back once again and we were off. I dozed off on his back at some point. I awoke when Peter had begun to shake me lightly.
"Sugar, sweet thing wake up. Um, do you have a name? You have mine, but I dunno what yours is."
"Isabella, but everyone calls me Bella." I said groggily. I just wanted to go back to sleep.
"Well, Bella, wake up sugar. We're at a stop, and I need ta' find another prospect and then get some stuff for us." The thought of another kidnap victim woke me up pretty quickly.
I felt like an accomplice or something. "Actually I think you are goin' to be a nice little advantage for me. You can lure em' away an' I'll come in for the kill, so to speak." He snickered. I was horrified. Did he really think I would help him with this?
"I hope that's your idea of a joke. I'm not luring away people so you can take their human lives from them." I sniffed in disapproval.
"Well, a man can try can't he?" He laughed. I sighed in relief. Then a thought occurred to me. I hope he accepted.
"Can you go for the ones that don't have a wedding band on? At least then we aren't knowingly taking someone away from their family." He gave me an appraising look this time, seemingly approving my method.
"That's not a bad idea sweet thing. We can do that. You are gonna have ta' stay with me though, or at least close ta' me. I can smell a pub not far from here. We can start there." He seemed to be talking more to himself than me.
"Do you have some money on you?"
"A couple a' bucks. Why?"
"Well, um, I've never drank before. I just want to try it once. Before I die and all, you know?" He bent over at the stomach and did a full on belly laugh. I was only mildly offended. I knew it was weird to ask.
"You're one strange fuckin' human, ya' know that? You're talkin' to a vampire about the future death of one of yer' own, and all ya' can think about is gettin' drunk. What the fuck. Here ya' go sweetheart, have some fun." He said through his laughter while handing me what resembled a five dollar bill.
I did know that it was an odd request. However, I had never had a drink before. I figure, why not? I will only be human for a short while longer, might as well have one more last human experience. I smiled in appreciation, got back on his back and we were off again.
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Peter's Pov
I knew what she was doin' the moment she decided to go ahead an' have that third shot of whisky. She didn't want nothin' ta' do with takin' humans from their homes an' friends. She was given herself a reason to be, how should I say it…out of commission. I may not have known why we need her, but I did know that harm should probably not come her way. So instead o' focusin' on my assignment of gettin' the other three, I watched her instead.
The girl probably thought I was a crazy nut job or some stupid shit like that. My 'gift' may have been givin' me some insight an' shit, but it was really fuckin' hard to trust someone that knows way more than they fuckin' should. The thing was, that why would my 'gift' have told me to find her, if she was gettin' me an' mines into trouble? An' yes, it was definitely her that I was supposed ta' find. I had no doubt about that part.
However, my knowledge of certain things didn't keep me from bein' suspicious either. Maybe my gift was wrong this time? It hadn't been wrong before, but then again it was all still relatively new. Nine years ain't that long in the grand scheme of things. It just unsettled me is all. She was one huge question mark and I wasn't sure how I felt about that.
In the meantime though, maybe I could have a little bit o' fun with her. She is strikingly gorgeous, for a human. If she does end up turned then I couldn't even fathom how much more beautiful she could get. Not with her already perfectly translucent pale silk looking skin. The gorgeous deep mahogany brown hair that cascaded all the way to her hips in those perfect loose soft curls. It even looked as soft as a feather would be. She was the perfect height for a female too, all of her 5'5" tall. She had perfect dainty little hands and the most stunning silhouette. Curves in all the right places, with all of the right proportionin'.
Her whole body shouted, 'pick me up and fuck me already'. She was probably an innocent though. Well, either way, if she was willing, then I would certainly let her have me. Yes, as long as she was tellin' the truth about her whole ordeal then we would keep her. I wasn't the one that had decided to go celibate an' shit, no, that would be Jasper's issue, not mine. Definitely not mine. Thank God.
She was on her fifth shot now. I couldn't remember much about the stuff from when I was human, but from the way she was swayin' on her stool I could guess that maybe she should stop. I walked over to her and put my arm around her waist.
"Come on, sugar. We gotta go." She giggled an' leaned into me. Maybe she was into me…
"Oh Pete. That was soooo greaaat. I feel reeaaally niiiice right now." She sighed. I began to worry. What was wrong with her? Why was she talkin' like that? Oh God, I've already fucked her up.
"Sweet thing? You okay? Why are ya' talkin' like that?" She kept giggling.
"I thiiiink I'm drunk Pete." As she said it a flash of something from my human life hit me.
I was carryin' my older brother, much the same as I was doing with Bella here now, and he had been drinking all night with some of his buddied. He had talked much like she was now. Then the next mornin' he had woke up pukin' his guts up. I could have gone without that memory, but at least now I vaguely knew what was goin' on.
"I reckon you might be right sugar." I laughed with her.
I really hoped she wasn't gonna puke, like he did in the mornin'. The smell of any human waste was horrific. I walked her out o' the pub an' back ta' the forest. I could just grab some unlucky fucker in the mornin' before she woke up. When we got close enough ta' the woods an' outta' sight from any onlookers I picked her up an' ran at a very slow pace to a spot I had seen earlier.
I set her down in the clearin' and got to work on buildin' a fire for her. She caught me off guard when she spoke.
"Why are all you vaaaaampires, soooo fucking hot and gooorrrgeous?" she slurred. For a moment I was happy she thought I was hot. "I mean reeaally, how is thaaat even fair?" She pouted. It automatically brought my eyes to those full pouty fuckin' lips. There were just so many possibilities.
I was in front of her in a second flat. Both of my hands holdin' her face, makin' her look at me.
"Sweet thing, you are gorgeous too." I said quietly, keeping one of my hands on her cheek while letting the other trail along her jaw and down to her neck.
"Not like Rosalie. She is gorgeous, and I am plain and boring." She sniffed. I briefly wandered if being drunk made you say things that you normally wouldn't. Because I was insanely curious about whom Rosalie was and whether or not she would tell me more. However, right now she was bitin' that plump little bottom lip o' hers, and I was getting' jealous of the teeth that were bitin' it.
I looked in her eyes one more time before softly pressin' my lips to hers. She gasped and her lips parted accordingly, allowing my tongue access to deepen the kiss. She kissed me back for about a full two seconds before I felt her whole body freeze up.
Then just as quickly both of her small hands were at my chest applyin' pressure as she was tryin' to push me away. I knew she was special and all that, but still, to be rejected by a human hurt none the less. This is what I meant, why couldn't my so called 'gift' mentioned this could happen?
I let her push me away. Watching her face and reaching out to keep her from falling. Her eyes were squeezed shut and she was shaking her head back and forth. I wasn't sure what was wrong. She did say she didn't have a mate, right? Nor a boyfriend, so what was so wrong about kissin' someone? Sure in my dirty mind, I had a lot of fantasies, but so did every other guy in the world, I was sure. And it's not like I woulda' forced her ta' do anythin' she didn't want to do. Either way, I was fuckin' clueless.
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Bella's POV
Oh. My. God. I had just kissed Peter. My probable mates' future, almost, brother, or something. It wasn't like there was a spark or fireworks or something of that nature. No, it was like two seconds of kissing a stranger that you knew nothing could ever come from it.
I may not know Jasper all that well right now, but I didn't feel like kissing someone else would be approved of. Jasper may think it was nothing, because he doesn't even know me yet.
For me though, I would know Peter for the rest of my life. At least I had the knowledge that he had a mate out there somewhere. I could only hope that he would be meetin' her very soon. That or at least agree that this was one weird mistake.
I may have been drunk five minutes ago, but I felt surprisingly sober right now. It wasn't like I had a crush on him or anything. He seemed like a decent guy when he wasn't being a smart assed asshole. And sure, he was hot, but he just isn't the one for me. The pull in my chest could prove that much.
"I'm so sorry Peter. That never should have happened. I got too drunk to really think about what I was doing. It can't happen again Peter. This is one of those things I need you to trust me on, okay? It never would have worked, I promise you that." I said, pleading with my eyes for him to understand.
"It's alright sugar, no worries. You probably couldn't handle me anyways sweet thing." He chuckled.
I could see the faint trace of hurt he was masking, but decided to leave things as they were. He would figure it out soon enough, hopefully he wouldn't tell Jasper about this little mistake. I knew Jasper was a good guy and all in my time.
But right now? In this time and in Maria's army, and drinking human blood, I wasn't too sure how much of the instincts take over. So I didn't know if Peter telling Jasper that he had kissed his mate would be good for him, Peter that is. Though, I couldn't tell Peter any of this without giving too much away. I would just have to hope all was forgotten.
After drinking all of that alcohol, I was exhausted so I fell asleep quickly near our homemade fire. I woke up to the sound of hollering, which did nothing for how much pain I was in. I felt like my head was going to explode, and every shout and holler made it that much worse. I could see the light, from the fire, behind my closed eyelids. I refused to open them, knowing that when I did the light wasn't going to do my headache any favors.
"Who are you! Let me fuckin' go! What the fuck is wrong with you man!..." It kept going, on and on and on. I felt like murdering whoever was causing me so much pain.
"Shut Up." I groaned, though it was more of a whisper and I doubt he heard me.
Peter would if he was close by. "Peter, shut him up." I begged. Not registering what was really going on around me. All I could think about was the pain that this unknown man was causing in my brain.
"Let me go! Untie me! You won't get away with this!"
"Sorry sugar, I don't have anything to shut him up with. You should go ahead and rise up anyways, we've got a ways ta' go still." I shook my head no, still refusing to open my eyes. "Come on Sugar, I come in piece and offerin' gifts." He chuckled.
"I hate you right now." I muttered finally rolling on my side to sit up. It took me a full minute before I was oriented enough to look at my surroundings. There was a woman's dress, blood free, a few feet away and an apple and a banana that Peter was holding out to me with a smile on his face.
"Hey! Hey you! Why isn't she tied up! Who are you people! What do you want with me?"
"Has he eaten breakfast yet Peter?" I asked looking up to Peter.
"Uh, no. I took him before he woke up. No wedding band, as agreed upon." He chuckled. "But I wasn't thinkin' of his needs, you however are a special case." He smiled at me again and I hoped that I wasn't a special case because of what happened between us last night. I shuddered at the thought.
I looked back over at the guy. He barely looked twenty. Had light red hair and a little bit of scruff on his chin. His voice was demanding, but you could clearly tell he was terrified. I stood up, and winced at the pain it caused in my head from moving. Drinking was most certainly something I was not going to miss when I became a vampire.
"Where did you get the dress?" I asked Peter before I went over to the scared guy tied to the tree twenty feet away from me.
"Stole it." He shrugged, as it was perfectly natural to do such a thing.
"And your new outfit?" I asked accusingly. He grinned, a full teeth showing mischievous smile.
"That, Sugar, is an interesting question. I simply found a guy that resembled myself in the physical aspect and had him for dinner, then took his clothes." He laughed at my shocked expression. "What? He wasn't gonna be usin' em'. Oh, don't look at me like that Sugar, you'll be doin' it soon enough." He smirked. I snorted.
"As if." I scoffed. "I won't be eating from…" Oh God. I hadn't even thought about the diet. How would I get away with drinking from animals? Would I be able to resist a human if they were shoved at me like cattle for the slaughter?
"What was that sugar? You won't be what?" he asked suspiciously.
"Nothing." I muttered despicably. Resigned. Without the support system from the Cullen's I surely wouldn't make it. Is this what Alice had meant when she said it would be hard in the beginning?
"Let me explain somethin' to ya' sugar. Humans are only food for us. We don't think of em' the same way you do. When and if ya' are changed it will be instinct. There is nothing better in this world than the blood from them when it's gliding down your throat. What you see as disgustin' and violent or cruel now, will be the complete and total opposite when you're a newborn. You won't be able to hold back, and you won't want to." He said with conviction.
It was a hard concept to grasp and I had a feeling that I would know exactly what he meant soon enough. I nodded my head in acceptance of his words and headed over to the guy that was now crying.
"Who are you people? What do you want with me?" He whispered through his trembling form.
"I am sorry that this has happened to you. What's your name?" I asked.
"Jimmy."
"I brought you something to eat. Which would you prefer?" I asked, holding out both options.
"I would say the apple, but I have no hands to eat it with." Despite his predicament he managed to roll his eyes at me. I smiled.
"I can untie you, but you can't run. If you run, you won't get more than five feet before that guy over there kills you." I said pointing over to peter.
My voice held indifference for the situation that I hadn't known I was capable of before. Peter's words were sinking in. He could and would kill this man for acting foolish. One way or another Peter would get his three other people and this guy's life meant nothing to him. It was a sad moment of awareness for me. Would I really be like that?
"What is he? Did you see his eyes? What are you?" Very suddenly Peter was a breath away from Jimmy. His face was hard, menacing. A cruel smile formed on his face that gave even me the shivers.
"I'll be yer' worst fuckin' nightmare if ya cross me." He hissed. "If ya' want to keep yer' head where it's at then I suggest ya' listen to the woman." Jimmy cowered back in fear, trying to mold himself into the tree bark. I said nothing to defend Jimmy. It wouldn't have mattered if I did, and I didn't need Peter pissed at me.
Before I could think about it, Peter had grabbed me and sped over to the other side of the clearing.
"I need ta' grab a horse, we'll be ridin' in the trees till night falls again. The sun is about ta' rise and I need to get the horse before that happens. If ya' trust him, untie one of his hands an' if ya' think he's gettin' any ideas then use this. I'll be back very soon." He said as he handed me what looked like a butcher knife.
"Be careful." He gave me a look I couldn't decipher and turned and ran off. I really hoped his 'be careful' look, was one of a brotherly concern or something similar. I really didn't need to deal with the whole love triangle thing again. I could only hope that Peter took my words to heart, it would never happen.
I sighed and walked back over to Jimmy. I improvised with the knife, cutting two small whole parallel with each other vertically near my right hip. It made a nice makeshift holster for my knife. The blade slid right through and the handle stopped at the opening of the top hole, resting comfortably there. I probably looked like some savage animal hunter. I paused in front on Jimmy considering what to tell him, and decided either way he wouldn't be able to tell anyone.
"As for your earlier questions," I sat down a couple of feet away from him, just to be on the safe side. "His eyes are red because he is a vampire. I am a human, just like you." I sat with my back straight and shoulders back.
"You are serious aren't ya'?" He asked after a couple of minutes. "But that can't be right, those are just stories our parents tell us to keep us in line." He said defensively.
"Yes I am serious, and stories always originate from somewhere." I told him somberly.
"What does he want with me? Us? Are you a prisoner too?" He asked me.
"He is going to take us back to the others, where they will change us and in a sense, yes, I am a prisoner. He wouldn't let me go if I tried." I didn't bother telling him that I didn't want to be let go or that this was exactly where I wanted to be.
"Why aren't you tied up? Why does he trust you not to run?" He sounded as if he was accepting his fate and now he was just curious.
"I'm not tied up because he knows I am not stupid enough to run. I know how that would end. I've see what happens when he is pissed off. "Even though I had seen Peter kill Frank, I knew now that I would never meet that fate, but this guy needed to understand that his future was based on his fear of what would happen if he made the wrong move. "How old are you jimmy?" It was off topic, sure, but I was curious.
"I just turned 19." He paused, looking at me with tears in his eyes.
"I'm never gonna be able to go home am I? I'll never see my momma and pops again? My friends?" He sniffled.
"No…I'm sorry." I whispered. He inhaled a deep breath and started sobbing again.
I figured it was safe enough for now so I went to one side of the tree and untied one of his hands, and then set the apple next to him. I left him in peace and noticed the sun had just broken over the horizon. Peter would be back soon and we would be on our way.
When Peter came back he only brought one horse with him, and it was struggling to get away from him. It took me a minute to figure out that the animal was probably scared of the close proximity of Peter. Its instincts were telling it to flee.
"You!" Peter barked, walking towards Jimmy and dragging the horse behind him. "Ya' know how ta' work a horse?" I hadn't really seen this side of Peter. There was this air of authority that surrounded him and could make a man shiver in fear. The way he held himself screamed 'You don't want to fuck with me.'
"Yes." Jimmy replied, his voice shaking.
"That would be yes Captain, to you kid." He sneered at him.
"Peter." I hissed. What the hell was wrong with him? "His name is Jimmy."
"Not now Isabella." He hissed back at me. My shoulders slumped. I thought we were passed this phase. Bi-Polar asshole. "Why haven't you changed yet?" He demanded.
"I figured I could save that dress until later, so that I could bathe again in this one and use that one when I have freshened up again." Jimmy was looking back and forth between us. No doubt trying to figure out what type of messed up dynamic this weird relationship held.
"Alright, well, it will take till about sunset before we get to the next town, we should get going, and we can get their faster if you go at a gallop." He turned to face Jimmy. "Can you do that,' Peter cast me a quick glance before turning back. 'Jimmy?" I smiled over to Peter. He may not like it, but he was trying.
"Yes Captain." He nodded.
"I'm gonna put the fire out, cut him down and remind him of the circumstances sugar." He whispered to me, sounding more on the normal side. Peter walked over to take care of the fire; I briefly wandered for his safety, but then figured he knew what he was doing. I crouched down to eye level with Jimmy.'
"Are you going to run?"
"No." He shook his head.
"Just remember what I said. He does not care whether you live or die. So if you make that mistake you will die. If you do as you're told, then one day, you may have a chance to live an okay life."
"Thank you. For being kind to me and for giving me answers." He said.
"No problem. We just have to do as we're told and it should be fine." I reminded him.
I cut him loose and he picked up his apple took a bite and walked over to the now tied up horse. I returned my attention to Peter who was watching me disapprovingly.
"What now?" I asked him.
"You shouldn't do that ya' know."
"Do what?"
"Get to know him, it most likely won't matter, he'll probably be dead this time next year." He stated, as if it wasn't any type of big deal. I openly gaped at him.
"What? Why?" I shrieked in a whispered tone. I didn't want Jimmy overhearing this conversation.
"Cause' Maria very rarely let's the newborns live past the one year mark. Once their baby strength is gone, they're of no use to her." Now that he said it I remembered Jaspers words floating into my mind.
"And then it was time to purge again. The newborns were outgrowing their strength; they were due to be replaced…"
I loved remembering the sound of his voice, smooth and rough at the same time, and every now and then during his story I could sense a bit of his Texan accent coming through. I wondered at why he had suppressed it and whether or not he would sound similar to how Peter did now with the full country accent. There was just something so…sexy?...about picturing Jasper with a cowboy hat and talking with an accent. Soon, I told myself, soon I would see him again.
.
.
.
Peter carried me for the majority of our trip to the next city. Eventually I had to ask him for a break because my muscles were strained and starting to burn from being in the same position for way to many hours. During that time Jimmy would get off the horse and I would walk next to him for a while, while he took a break from the horse himself.
Peter always kept a good distance from the horse. I was sure he could still see it and all, but he didn't want to spook the horse and then have to take the time to get it back settled down again.
While I walked next to Jimmy he would talk about his family and friends and tell me stories about his childhood. I think, in his own way, he was trying to recall all of the good things about his life before we had taken him. He was trying to keep what he held dear to his heart, and I could sympathize with that.
On our last stretch to the city Peter asked if I had wanted to ride on the horse with Jimmy. I didn't mind either way. I had never been on a horse before and decided why not? Another thing for me to experience. By the end of the ride I had questioned my ability to find last minute human experiences that would not case me pain.
"Oh God." I groaned as I toppled off of the horse when we came to the outskirts of a small town. I had tried to stand and just fell on my ass instead. Jimmy was quick to get off and help me while Peter stood a ways away laughing his ass off.
"Are you alright Bella?" Jimmy questioned, concern lining his features. I had finally managed to tell him my name during one of our little chats.
"Does riding a horse always cause so much pain?" I whined. My legs felt like Jell-O and my thighs, god my thighs, hurt like no other.
"You've never rode a horse before? That's odd. You did say your family lives in Houston right?" I ignored him. I wasn't sure how to answer him, but I did regret telling him about my current family. It would make no sense if I didn't know how to ride a horse, or the pain it would cause, if I grew up where horses were still a major mode of transit.
From the corner of my eye I saw Peter stop laughing and look at me again. He had a weird expression on his face, like he knew there was something seriously wrong with me. He squinted his eyes, as if willing himself to understand the mystery that is Bella Swan.
"So is this where we will get the others?" I asked loudly enough for Peter to hear, still ignoring Jimmy's questions.
I waited for Peter to walk over to us while watching Jimmy tie the horse up to one of the trees, all the while doing a bathroom dance. I really wanted to use a toilet and not the forest floor this time.
"Others?" Jimmy asked worriedly. "Like him? That type of others?" He gulped. I understood his sudden distress.
"No." Peter said in a clipped tone. "I need two more humans." He snapped.
"Oh." Jimmy flinched, stepping back and away from Peter.
"I need a restroom." I told Peter.
"Restroom?" He asked as though he had no idea what I was talking about. Had the term restroom not been invented yet? I was struggling to find a balance with the way I spoke and the way people from the 1800's spoke, it wasn't going very well.
"Um," I racked my brain for information. "Outhouse?" I questioned.
"Oh." I sighed in relief. At least he understood that one, though I wasn't sure if it was an outdated expression or not.
"You can do yer' human business in town. I'm gonna tie Jimmy here up right quick so we can go." Peter said. It was then that I noticed the rope in his hands. I hadn't even realized he still had the rope.
"No, no. Please, please don't tie me up. I won't run I promise." Jimmy begged him as Peter advanced on him.
Honestly I didn't want to see him have to be tied up either. "Come on Peter. He won't be a problem. "
He growled a ferocious annoyed sound that sent shivers down my spine. His head snapped in my direction.
"This is yer' fault!" He hissed at me. "Got me caterin' ta' fuckin' humans! What the fuck! He so much as tries to scream and yer' gonna be the one that regrets it." He told me. "Ya' willin' ta' take that chance?"
I thought about it for a second and then looked over to see Jimmy giving me a pleading look. I lost my normally calm behavior.
"You're such a manic fucking asshole Peter!" I yelled at him. "Look at him! He's scared to death. He isn't going to be going nowhere."
Peter looked shocked at my words. I could understand that because I was pretty shocked myself. I had cursed a couple of times since I have been in his presence now. His colorful language was a bad influence on me. After a couple of seconds he regained his hard mask and strode over to Jimmy, grabbing him by the throat and lifting him off the ground by a few inches.
"If I so much as here you inhale wrong, like yer' plannin' on screamin' then it's gonna be the last breath ya' breath boy. Understand?" Jimmy nodded as best he could under the circumstances. His face was turning purple. Before he could pass out Peter dropped him to the ground and turned back to face me.
"Ya' want him to come?" I nodded. "Then yer' gonna be helpin' me lure away the two new guys." He stated. I looked back over to Jimmy's shaking form and nodded again with tears in my eyes. I couldn't believe that I was willing to do this, kidnap someone, but I couldn't just let him leave Jimmy out here tied to another tree. "Right then, lets go."
"How do you normally treat us? Humans I mean." I asked him once we were walking closer to the town.
He looked at me, contemplating. "I rough em' up a bit, knock em' unconscious and carry em' back ta' camp. An' normally it's just two that I'm supposed to find, so I can run back with em' before they wake up." He said after a while.
"Why not talk to them?"
He looked at me as if I wasn't all the way there. "The Major will either kill em' himself by drainin' em' dry or they're gonna be dead in a couple o' weeks after they've been changed." He stated it as if it was common knowledge.
"What?" I asked incredulously. It was sickening how I was hoping that Jasper had fed recently. I knew only too well how good I smelled to the vampire community. I had to have faith that he wouldn't drain me completely. "I thought they had a year. What do you mean a couple of weeks?" I asked warily.
We had stopped a few yards away from one of the pubs in this town. He turned to face me completely and sighed exasperatedly. "Newborns are volatile. They care about nothin' other than blood and more blood and fightin' for that blood. At camp we only feed when we win another battle. So imagine ten ta' twenty newborn vampires that're irate cause they're so thirsty it feels as if their throat is bein' roasted over a camp fire. It causes em' to pick fights with one another. Most of em' don't make it any longer than two ta' three months at the most."
And just like that I could remember another part of Jaspers story;
"…you must understand that there are places in our world, Bella, where the life span of the never-ageing is measured in weeks, not centuries."
"Okay." I said as if I could understand. I instantly felt terrible. How did Jasper deal with all of that anger and hatred and thirst? What kind of person would I be encountering once I finally got to see him again? I needed to prepare myself for the worst, yet I hadn't ever really seen what the worst could be. I would just have to deal with it once I got there.
"Okay? How can you be okay with what he just said? We're probably gonna be dead in a few weeks." Jimmy whispered in outrage. "And you just stand there calmly and say okay, like it doesn't even matter." Peter stood there, also curious, waiting for an answer.
"Because Jimmy, I accepted this as my fate a long time ago. I came to terms with my future. Even without that though, it would do me no good to fight a losing battle. There is no use to let myself drown in anger and panic. This will be my life now and I have always been a survivor."
I was only half lying about coming to terms with this. I had accepted the fact that Alice wasn't crazy and that I really did time travel. However, when I had accepted becoming a vampire as a part of my future, the picture I had envisioned did not include being in the southern wars and violence and battles. No, my original picture had been much, much more peaceful. But it was like I just told Jimmy; there was no reason to fight a losing battle.
I put my hands on Jimmy's shoulders. He was about to have a serious panic attack and that would cause unnecessary and unwanted attention. "Jimmy look at me. Jimmy, there you go, breath. How about we look out for one another once we are changed, hmm? If one of us gets too wild or hot tempered we will try to help the other. Keep us ourselves out of harm's way. What do you say?"
I wasn't sure exactly why I did it really. He had grown on me though. Maybe with his talk of his family and friends, or maybe it was the way he looked to me for reassurance. I wasn't really sure. Either way I had somehow come to care for him as a friend. And I didn't want him to become just another blood bag for the others.
"Okay." He said once he had calmed down.
"Well wasn't that just adorable." Peter scowled, looking at me, and then shaking his head in disapproval.
"Wow Peter, I think that's the first time you said something without throwing in some obscene language." I mocked.
"Well fuck me sugar," He smirked. "I'll just have ta' be fixin' that. Can't be ruinin' my reputation. Now let's get the fuck on with it so we can get back ta' camp." My lips quirked in amusement while I tried to give him my best glare. It didn't work and when he laughed at my attempt I couldn't hold back the little laugh that escaped my mouth.
Without much notice, my bladder decided at that moment that I couldn't wait any longer. I was on the verge of doing the I-gotta-go-potty dance. "Let's go." I muttered through clenched teeth. "I'm gonna use the powder room." I told them and then asked, "You need to go to Jimmy?" He nodded.
I looked over to Peter to make sure that was okay. He turned to Jimmy. "Just remember what I said kid. Nobody would ever find yer' body, an' I'm gonna make it hurt if ya' fuck up." Jimmy turned around and walked in without saying anything back.
"Why do you have to be such an asshole to him? He's doing well for everything he's been through today." Glaring at Peter seemed to be the new thing to do.
He ignored my question and made a statement of his own. "What you did back there. That little deal you made with him, was really fuckin' stupid. He ain't gonna last a month unless he toughens up. Hell, even then, he probably won't be makin' it outta this alive. Ya' shouldn't be makin' deals with them, they'll only set ya' up ta' be disappointed." He sighed and shook his head again. "You'll see soon enough." His words left a sick sensation of dread in the pit of my stomach. I had a feeling he was right. I turned and walked into the pub and then further to the restroom.
Peter had already picked out the two guys when I returned to his side. Jimmy was standing to his other side watching random people. Before we did this final task I needed to write down everything that Alice had told me so I wouldn't forget during the change.
"Peter?"
"Yes?"
"I need some paper and a pen or pencil." I told him.
"What for?" He questioned.
"There are things I need to remember after I am changed and I know that there is a possibility that I could lose my memories during that time." I hoped he wouldn't ask again. He already knew more than I was comfortable with.
"One of these days sweet thing, yer' gonna tell me all of these secrets you've been keepin'." He promised. I shrugged non-committaly. "Maria ain't gonna let ya' keep any personal items. She would burn it before you could do anythin' 'bout it." I frowned and then wondered if I really could trust Peter. "Then again, Maria won't be back ta' camp for a couple a months. Just read whatever ya' write down, right after ya' change and get rid of it soon after."
"Thank you Peter." I said sincerely.
"Don't move, stay with Jimmy an' I'll be right back." He walked out of the bar and jimmy and I sat in comfortable silence for the five minutes Peter was gone. When he came back he handed me a leather bound book and a pencil. I smiled in appreciation and opened up the book. It was actually a journal and had never been written in. He gave me a small smile in return before he was back to the hard mask.
"Alright, Bella I want ya' to walk over ta' that guy and tell him somethin' to make him come outside and around the buildin' with you." He said, pointing at a man that was clearly drunk. "Jimmy an' me will take care o' the other. Meet me in back, I'll be waitin' for ya' sugar." They both walked in a different direction than where my target was located. I squared my shoulders and counted to three mentally, and then walked over and tapped on the man's shoulder.
"Excuse me, sir?" He turned and looked at me. Raking in my form from head to toe. The way his eyes wandered over my body made my skin crawl.
"How can I help you, sweetheart?" He said suggestively. I wanted to vomit, but played along none the less.
"My horse is acting funny." I told him. It was the only thing I could think of, however I knew that he would assume I was just trying to get him alone with my next words. So either way he would be following me outside. "Can you come outside with me and look at him?"
"Sure Sweetheart." He nodded and turned to wink over at his buddies. "Show me this horse of yours." He said with a chuckle. I couldn't tell if he gave me the creeps or if he was just a normal man that thought he was getting lucky tonight. Either way he was going to hate me for this later. "What's your name?"
"Bella." I said just as we rounded the corner to the back. Peter already had another man unconscious and tied and gagged. It was just so in-humane.
"What in the world are y-" He didn't finish his sentence. Peter had already knocked him in the head with some metal pipe I hadn't noticed previously. Within minutes the man was tied up and gagged as well. Jimmy was standing against one of the building's walls looking on in horror.
"Man up kid!" Peter snapped at him. "At least you were asleep when I took ya'. You haven't even seen bad yet." He said. "Bella, take Jimmy back to our horse. I'm gonna run with these two once ya'll get close enough to the forest. I will see ya in a few." Without another word I grabbed Jimmy's elbow and led him back to our stuff. Peter was there when we got there, setting the men down.
"You said you needed ta' write somethin' down?" He questioned me.
"Yes."
"Then do it. We're gonna be leavin' here as soon as yer' done an' as long as ya'll gallop on the horse then we're gonna make it to camp in a few short hours." I nearly choked on the air I was breathing. This was it. I would finally see Jasper. My heart constricted at the realization. I barely knew him, yet I missed him so bad.
"Okay." With my soft spoken reply I felt the pull in my chest loosen just a smidge. Now that I knew we were close I was vibrating in excitement. It was in that state that I wrote everything I could down. Everything Alice had said. Every detail I could remember about Jasper's story and other stories I had heard along the way. I wrote stuff about each family member, in case I couldn't remember, and I wrote random little notes to myself as well.
When I was content with the filled pages I closed the book and looked at Peter. "I'm ready."
He smiled genuinely at me and reached over to grab the two tied up men. I walked over and got on to the horse after Jimmy. "Alright then," Peter said. "Let's go."
Okay, firstly I want to explain something. When I put it in here that The Major Never loses-I don't mean that his army had never lost a battle, because they have-I simply mean that whoever personally goes up against The Major will always lose.
Secondly, I know I said I would do updates on Fridays, however I was done with this one early, so since ya'll have all blown away my expectations with the reviews and whatnot I figured you deserved an early update.
Lastly, I wanted to recommend a story to all of you. It is a Peter/Bella story. I had one of my readers tell me that they hadn't ever read one of those. Well this one is amazing and you should definitely give it a shot. 'The Subtle Grace of Gravity' by; wonderwoundedhearers.
Also, I have written two one-shots. Go check them out and review. Let me know what you think.
Alright now don't forget to Review, Let know all about what you think…