I'm not sure how long it's been since I updated and I'm really sorry for not updating. I got distracted by writing. It was supposed to be a one shot with just a one thousand words but now has well eleven thousand words and might end up with more because I have yet to finish.

Hope you like this chapter.

MJM

"Bella you got some time?" Jasper asked.

"Why do you ask?" Bella replied.

"I wanted to take you to lunch." He said loud enough for those around them to hear but lowered when he added. "I need to talk to you about Claire. You know away from prying eyes and ears."

"Sure if you are paying." Bella replied. "But you do know that there are a ton of those in this town anyway."

"Of course I do. Do you think we could go now? Peter and I are scheduled to take over a stakeout sometime this afternoon." Jasper told her.

"Ooh fun." Bella replied sarcastically.

"See you outside in ten." Jasper said as he rolled his eyes.

Bella watched Jasper leave. She knew that Jasper didn't really like Aro but then again she didn't either and only showed him respect because Aro was a superior officer and her boss. Bella thought for a second and opened her desk drawer and grabbed the photo of Aro from inside it. She would at least see what Jasper thought she should do about it.

Bella had barely made it out of the station when Jasper first called her name. She turned on her heel to face him. He was grinning when she found him. Her cheeks were red and heated from the blush that rushed them seconds ago. She felt like she was in high school again blushing every time Jasper smiled at her. Bella quickly shook her head to keep herself from grinning like a fool right back at Jasper as she walked up to him.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't." Bella replied.

"Good point." Jasper replied opening the car door for her.

She climbed in sat her bag in the floor board before she put her seat belt on, Jasper wouldn't move the car and inch until she had it on. She looked over and saw that he had climbed in behind the wheel. He started the car and left the police station parking lot in the review a few seconds later.

The restaurant that Jasper had picked out for them wasn't that far from the station but it took more than thirty minutes to walk so they had chosen to take the car instead –at least that was Jasper's reasoning. It was a dinner with a theme that threw anyone that walked into back into the fifties without it being the cheesy fifties dinner thing.

Bella had kept quiet until they were seated. Jasper had remained quiet to but had opened his mouth several times to say something but didn't. The table they were seated at was at the back near a booth that used to hold phone.

"So what's going on with Claire's dad?" Bella asked after her order had been placed.

"I found him, I honestly didn't think I would but I did."

"So where is he?"

"Afghanistan." Jasper told her. "At least he was when I checked last night."

"What?" Bella exclaimed.

"He's a Marine. He has been serving his tour in Afghanistan for the past year and has another year to go. At least that's what is going on with the name on Claire's birth certificate." Jasper said. "But I won't know that until a DNA test is run."

"That doesn't mean he's who Claire knows as her father." Bella said.

"True but that's why I have a picture that I plan to show Claire whenever I see her again."

"That's a good idea you have but I don't think it will be happening anytime soon."

"Why?" Jasper asked.

"Because I didn't see Claire at the last service," Bella said.

"I never thought it would happen right off the bat. I've only been at this for a few hours at the most because work comes first." Jasper said. "I just hope she's okay."

"Oh, I hope she's okay," Bella said. "And there is a children's carnival tomorrow at the church you could drop by and see if she's there and if she's not you can always stay and help out."

"I'll think about it." Jasper said. "Is there something else you want to say because I feel like there is?"

"There is I just don't know how to word it." Bella said. "Actually it's more like showing you but I don't think this is a safe enough place."

"You can show me or tell me in the car on the way back to the office." Jasper said.

"Got it, now let's eat." Bella said pulling the menu closer to her. "It's been a while since I've eaten here."

"Why haven't you?" Jasper asked.

"I prefer to eat at home. Don't really like people watching me while I eat and I feel like that happens a lot." Bella said.

"Then why do you stay away?"

"I told you I don't like people looking at me while I eat and that seems to happen a lot now that Bear McCarty escaped from prison."

"You know he's called Emmet by most people."

"Yes I do but I knew him as Bear."

"I knew him as Emmet and I think it was only girls that seemed to call him Emmet." Jasper said.

"You might be right about that. I only called him Bear because that is what my sister called him."

"Your sister knew him?" Jasper asked.

"Yeah she did. She was dating him when she went missing and most likely killed." Bella replied. "It's also why I don't think he killed her."

"How do you know that?" Jasper asked.

"She kept a diary of sorts. She wrote in it every day up until the day she went missing and there was nothing but love about Bear in it."

"That doesn't sound like just another crush to me." Jasper replied.

"I don't think it was. The last thing she wrote in it made me think that she thought he was going to propose or had proposed to her."

"But what about all that blood found at his apartment?" Jasper asked.

"You should know from the Weston case last year that blood evidence could be faked."

"That doesn't mean it was faked just because one case was faked doesn't mean all others will be."

"True but you can't rule it out." Bella said. "The evidence in Bear's apartment was so degraded that they could only get that it was female blood with the same type as Rose. No DNA could be tested."

"Alright I get. It's almost two and I need you to show me what you need to show me," Jasper said.

Bella looked around to make sure no one could see them. She pulled the picture out of her bag and slid it across the table to Jasper.

"That is what I wanted to show you."

Jasper had flipped it over and was looking at it intently.

"Is this who I think it is?" he asked. "Where did you get this?"

"It was on my desk when I came in this morning." Bella replied. "And yes it is who you think it is. It also came with a few others."

"Are they still there?"

"No. I gave those to Aro and kept that one because well I think the reason is obvious." Bella said. "Aro said he was sending them to the lab but if that is the truth or not I don't know. The others are not as incriminating as that one there."

"What did they show?" Jasper asked.

"They show what looks like an ordinary police raid, just with a younger Aro."

"Much younger by the looks of it; I can't believe he was ever that skinny." Jasper said.

"That's for sure." Bella said.

"Okay so who ordered the chicken?"

An hour later Jasper sat in the unmarked car he and Peter would be using for their stake out. It had been planned for weeks. If everything went alright today they would be closing another case.

"You were late." Peter said.

"No need to state the obvious and I was with Bella." Jasper replied.

"Doing what?" Peter asked.

"It wasn't like that. There is this little girl Bella wanted me to help and we were talking about that." Jasper said. "The girl was worried about her father and her mother doesn't seem like the best one out there."

"That bad?" Peter asked.

"That bad and maybe worse." Jasper said.

"Need to get that girl out of there if you can and as soon as you can."

"I know. The only case going slower than the girls is the one with Emmet McCarty," Replied Jasper. "But that whole thing seems fishy to me."

"I still can't believe they haven't caught him yet. A week and not one lead either," Said Peter.

"So when's this guy supposed to show up?" Jasper asked.

"Ten minutes. Now quit changing the subject." Peter said. "Why do you think it's fishy?"

"Blood evidence could be faked and we know that because of the Weston case last year." Jasper said. "And I wasn't changing the subject."

"Sure sounded like a subject change to me." Peter said. "But if you need Help with anything let me know. I've got contacts at the FBI."

"As long as it's not too dangerous."

"I am a cop nothing would be too dangerous for me."

"You sure about that?" Jasper asked.

"Yes and the suspect's car just pulled up." Peter replied.

"Black or Green?" Jasper asked.

"Green."

"Can't be there is a female in the car." Jasper said. "And there are no other passengers that I can see. You can look for yourself."

"Don't need to the girl is getting out." Peter replied.

Both men had one hand on their weapon and one hand on the door handles in case they needed to get out fast. They watched as the girl grabbed a large box from the back seat at set it down at the curb when three loud pops screamed through the air. Both men were out of the car with guns drawn before they even realized it. Steadily they covered each other and looked for where the shots had come from.

Once he was sure that he was no longer a target for the gun man Jasper ran over to the woman lying on the ground. He quickly looked over her to see if he could do anything but there was nothing he could do. Her pulse was nearly gone and it looked like she had been hit by two bullets while the third hit the car.

"Peter call for a bus, she's going to need one." Jasper called over his shoulder.

Peter had already been on the phone calling for back up and an ambulance which arrived a few minutes later with a patrol car in tow. The paramedics hopped out and immediately went to work on the woman. Jasper stayed with them while Peter grabbed the stretcher out for them. They put the neck collar on, checked her vitals and made sure she was stable before putting her into the back of the ambulance.

"How bad was she?" Peter asked when the ambulance had disappeared around the corner.

"Bad," Jasper said. "Her pulse was weak. I say it'll be a miracle if she makes it to the hospital."

"Just pray that she makes it."Peter said slapping Jasper on the back.

"Already am but that doesn't make it any easier."

They told the officers that arrived with the ambulance what happened before they were allowed to leave. They would have to make statements later after they had cleaned up a little bit.

"No it don't. Now let's go get you cleaned up." Peter said.

Jasper nodded and walked toward the car he removed his ruined shirt after crossing the yellow tape. He got in the passenger side and wiped the blood off his hands onto a clean part of his shirt. Peter dropped him off at home so he could change and come back to work to do what he knew was needed to be done.