Dun-dun-DUNNNN... oh wait, I guess this starts with a little "brown-chicken-brown-cow" before the Dun-Dun-Dunnn... Ah, these crazy kids...

Beta'd by the Minxiest Mynxi I ever knew.

SM's characters plus a few extras.

Bella

The door to our hotel room was barely shut before Jasper pushed me up against the door, kissing me furiously. We didn't have much time and he seemed determined to make the most of it. His hands gripped my waist, grinding me up against him as he deepened the kiss. He gathered the fabric of my shirt in his hands and began to tug. I placed my hands over his in effort to slow him down, earning a growl of protest.

"Don't rip it," I said. "We don't have time for me to grab a shirt to change into."

"Off." His command was quick and concise, leaving no room for further discussion. He was going to run this particular show. Glad to hand the reins of control over for a while, I obeyed. Unfortunately, I didn't think to remove my bra and as a result, it was quick to fall at my feet in tatters. Promptly latching his lips around a nipple, he lowered his hands underneath my ass and lifted me. I wrapped my legs around his waist, threading my fingers through his hair, as he carried me to the bed, lavishing my breasts with attention.

He stopped when his legs reached the mattress and, without removing his mouth from my skin, lowered me to the bed. I released his hair quickly, to unfasten my jeans before they suffered the same fate as my bra. He stood and helped tug them and my panties off, tossing them to the side before dropping to the floor on his knees in front of me. I rose up on my elbows to look down at him as he gripped my hips, pulling me to the edge of the bed. Locking eyes with him, his gaze was fierce, never wavering from my eyes as he leaned forward and slid his tongue up my slit, from ass to nub, softly growling, "Mine." He buried his face in me, with my knees propped over his shoulders, feasting on my center like a condemned prisoner at his last meal. I lay back on the bed to enjoy the sensations he was inflicting on my body when he suddenly spoke up.

"Ah, ah, ah, Bella, eyes on me," he murmured.

I rose back up onto my elbows and looked back down at him. "Better?"

He nodded and swirled his tongue around my now-throbbing nub. "Much," he softly replied, sliding two fingers into me. I gasped, resisting the instinctive response to throw my head back into the pillow with my eyes closed. Instead, I kept my eyes focused on him, on his fingers as he steadily plunged into and then withdrew from me, while his mouth nipped, sucked, and teased my engorged clit. It was one of the most erotic things I'd ever witnessed and it felt amazing. It wasn't long before my inner muscles began to clamp down around him. I fought to keep my eyes open, to watch him as he added another finger and began to thrust deeper, twisting his hand around to stroke the spot that would make me come undone. I cried out as the first wave took me and he removed his hand, replacing it with his tongue to lap up everything I gave him.

As my orgasm calmed, he stood to remove his own jeans. Once they were off, I moved quickly and had him down on the bed before knew what was going on. It's not often I catch him off guard. "Now it's your turn to watch," I purred as I straddled him, leaving a trail of kisses down his throat, my tongue tracing down his chest over his scars, licking a ring around his navel before venturing down further to his member that was full-salute. "Eyes on me, Major," I murmured before sliding my lips all the way down to the base, never breaking eye contact. He mimicked my previous position, leaning back resting on his elbows, watching my mouth slide up and down his length, my tongue swirling around his head and flicking the tip before sliding back down again.

"Fuck, Bella, don't stop," he groaned.

I increased my pace, bobbing up and down his length, squeezing his balls gently in my hand. They began to tighten and his brow creased with his effort to try and hold back as long as possible. That's when I slid my pinky finger into his puckered hole, quickly thrusting it in and out a few times. Jasper bucked his hips and threw his head back onto the bed, groaning loudly. "Gah, fuuuuuck!"

I smiled around his cock and pulled my mouth away to chide him, "Eyes on me, Mr. Whitlock." He snarled, sitting up so quickly it was nearly a blur to me. He gripped me under my arms and flipped me, so that I was underneath him on my back. Then he slid into me, filling me with one powerful thrust, before quickly withdrawing and thrusting again.

"You sneaky little bitch, where'd you learn that maneuver?" he growled, each syllable punctuated with a thrust, each thrust hitting directly on my sweet spot, having me dangerously close to my second orgasm within seconds. Sitting up on his knees for leverage, he gripped my hips in his hands "Fuck Bella… so… fucking… good…" he grunted, power-driving into my contracting muscles. "Missed…you… love you… so… fucking… much…"

"Love you…don't…stop…" I gasped, and then unable to hold back any longer, cried out as the next wave overtook me. Jasper released into me with a growl, latching onto my shoulder and biting down, causing me to hiss and spasm again from the unexpected pleasurable pain.

Slowly, he drew his tongue across the mark he left on my skin. "Sorry 'bout that," he murmured. "Guess I got a little carried away."

"Feel free to get carried away anytime," I replied with a sigh.

Our afterglow was short-lived when my phone buzzed. Both of us quickly sat up.

"Already?" Jasper asked.

I glanced at the clock; there was still thirty-seven minutes until we were supposed to regroup in the parking lot, which meant only one thing: plans had changed. "Fuck!" I swore, picking up my phone.

"What is it?" Jasper asked, hopping up to put his jeans back on. I read Alice's text.

Get down here now. Plans changed. They're gonna leave in 10 minutes.

"We need to go. Rafael and Sofia changed course."

We gathered at the rental where Alice explained the situation. "I think they became suspicious when Madeline didn't return when expected or answer when they tried to call her. They alerted Rafael and Sofia, who have now turned around and are headed south, and were instructed to scatter, but 'make sure you get the boy'."

I snarled and pulled out my phone to send a text to Jacob to put the wolves on alert in case any slipped past us. Whoever we didn't catch, I was confident the guys would make quick work of them. Just as I was stuffing my phone back down in my jeans pocket, I saw a brunette vampire quickly making her way across the motel parking lot. "They're moving. You guys go around the back. I've got this one."

Before any of them could reply, I was headed across the street and toward the girl. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw I was joined by Alice and Char, Rose having joined the guys in chasing down the other three. "Going somewhere, Julia?" I asked. The girl froze and dropped immediately into a defensive crouch.

"How did you know my name?" she growled.

"I've got skills. Now, where the fuck do you think you're going?"

"Get up, you stupid twat, we're in public!" Char hissed, grabbing the still-crouching girl up by her throat, and slamming her up against a nearby parked van. "We just want to talk to you."

"Bullshit," Julia snapped. "Sofia told me you guys roasted Madeline!"

"And just how does Sofia know that?" I asked her. I didn't sense anyone in the woods that could have spied on us. Did they show up after we'd left? What the fuck is wrong with my spidey sense?

"I don't know, it's what she said!" she exclaimed.

"Tell me what else she said," I ordered.

"No! My allegiance is not with you," she hissed. "You're a fraud and I'll do whatever it takes to help remove you from power!"

"Who holds your allegiance?" I calmly asked. I was getting pissed and it wouldn't do to begin shredding this bitch in a public arena.

"Fuck you, that's who!" she spat.

I reached my hand out in front of me and concentrated on crushing her throat, beginning to squeeze gently. Julia's eyes widened at the sensation and she became panicky. "You know, I'm pretty sure I could separate your head from your body without laying a finger on you," I calmly informed her. "So let's try this again. With whom, is your allegiance?"

"Maria!" she blurted, her voice garbled from the pressure I was imposing against her vocal cords.

"Maria?" I asked, a little dumbfounded. I knew that Rafael and Sofia were tight, but I hadn't realized she'd already become involved to this depth. "She sent you?" I flexed my hand a little tighter to show the girl I still meant business.

"She is my creator," she rasped.

"You didn't answer my question. Did. She. Send. You?"

"Yes."

Before I could ask anything further, Alice whispered, "We're about to have company."

I released the level of pressure I had on Julia, indicating to Char to keep her close. She threw an arm around the girl's neck, softly telling her, "Act natural, sugar, or I'll rip your head off myself." This is why I love Char.

Just then we were flooded in a bright light. I was thankful we were all dressed in long pants and sleeves because I had no doubt the four of us would have glittered like disco balls under the blinding light of the police cruiser spotlight. I shaded my face somewhat with a calculated toss of my hair. Alice, Rose, and Char followed suit.

He parked and dimmed the spotlight, leaving the cruiser's headlights still trained on us. "Is there a problem here?" asked one of Port Angeles's finest, as he got out of the vehicle, a handsome, well-built man in his late thirties. He held a flashlight up asking to see our IDs.

I handed him my Boston driver's license, flashing him a brilliant smile. "No problem here, officer. Just a civil disagreement as all. Nothing to be worried about."

Caught off-guard by my smile and the dazzle I was laying thick on him, he smiled back and then glanced down at my license. "Boston, huh? Long way from home, aren't ya? What brings you to Port Angeles, Ms. Whitlock?"

"I'm from Forks originally, officer. My father used to be chief of police in Forks. I came back to visit some friends."

The officer looked at Alice's ID, which just so happened to be her Washington license, and then at Char's Boston ID. Both girls smiled prettily as he handed them back. "What about you, Miss? May I see your ID please?"

Julia's eyes widened, bright red gleaming in the light of the headlights. "I, ah, forgot it up in my room?"

"What's up with your eyes?" he asked, taken aback.

"Contacts," the four of us answered.

He shook his head. "Huh. Creepy." He turned his attention back to me. "Your daddy was the Fork's police chief? You aren't talking about Charlie Swan, per chance, are you?"

I nodded. "The one and the same."

He shook his head. "I was so sorry to hear of his death. He was a fine man, one of a kind."

"Thank you, Sir," I answered. "I appreciate that."

"You're ID says your last name's Whitlock. You married now?"

"Yes, sir. Brought him back to meet my friends. He's out somewhere with these girls' guys though. We're sort of having a girl's night."

He raised an eyebrow. "Looked to me that your girl's night was getting a little out of hand here. Why was that girl up against the van like that?"

"Like I said, officer, we had a bit of a disagreement. Wasn't gonna go any farther than that."

He looked over to where the brunette vampire stood with Char. "Well, make sure it doesn't. You girls move on along now, alright?"

"Yes, officer," Alice, Char, and I chimed. We started walking back toward the hotel, prodding Julia along with us.

He headed back to his cruiser; the minute his back was turned, Julia took off like a shot before any of us could grab her, running at full-speed behind the hotel. "Fuck!" I spat. We paused briefly to allow the cruiser drive away before giving chase.

"I'm sorry, hon!" Char cried, as we followed Julia's scent up the street toward a residential neighborhood. "I should've kept a hand on her."

"Don't worry about it," I said. "We need to find the bitch, though. I don't like her freely roaming a neighborhood. Any ideas Alice?"

She slowed as she searched the future, and then darted off to the right, saying, "She's about to spot an open window, we need to catch her before she goes inside. It's a green two-story."

We caught up to Julia just as she was crouching to spring up to the second-floor window. "Oh hell no," I said, tackling her. "We aren't finished with you yet, bitch."

She kicked me off, flipped up to her feet and then sprang at me, her hands out in claws. Before she could reach me, Alice was on Julia's back with Char helping to bring her down. "Take her behind the shed!" I hissed. The two of them brought the struggling vamp to the back area of the property where there was a ramshackle shed secluded in the shadows.

"You have thirty seconds to plead for your life," I hissed.

"Go fuck yourself!" Julia snarled, spitting in my face.

"You've gotten all you're gonna get from her, Bella," Alice informed me quietly. "You let her go and she'll be back to help Rafael and Sofia with their quest. She was telling the truth when she said she worked for Maria, but I think you already knew that."

"Then we only have one course of action, don't we?" I actually felt some regret at having to destroy another vampire tonight, but this one wasn't leaving me any other choice. I sighed, turning to Julia. "You stupid fucking cow, it didn't have to be this way." A moment later, her head was in my hands.

There happened to be a burn barrel nearby with some soggy paper trash in it, so once Julia was fully dismembered, we placed her parts in the barrel and I pulled out my Zippo to set her afire. As the fire burned bright and hot, we noticed a light come on in the kitchen of the home located on the property. Someone would soon be on their way out to investigate the fire. Fortunately, vampire parts burn quickly; she would be ashes by the time the resident of the house got out here to investigate. "Time to go," I said and we ran off into the night, back to the hotel. It was my hope and my intuition the guys would meet us there and we could figure out our next step from there. I only hoped the other three traitors were stopped in time.

Jasper

Bella's command to for us to chase the other three escaping vampires caught me off-guard, for the briefest of moments, before we sprang into action. She was already headed toward the female, and I knew she wasn't in danger battling just one vampire, especially with Char and Alice there to back her up. The other three had gotten a bit of a head start, so there wasn't much to go on.

We followed their scents into the woods, quickly approaching Quileute territory. Sure enough, we came upon a fully engaged bonfire with acrid purple smoke rising from it; a pissed but proud Seth Clearwater stood nearby, shirtless with arms folded across his broad chest, along with two others wolves that had not yet phased back. "Wow, Seth, nice work," I commended. "I don't suppose you got to question them first?"

He shook his head. "Sorry, Jasper. Once they saw us, it was pretty much battle-on. We made quick work of them, but Brady got tore up a little bit." He gestured to one wolf that was bleeding from the side. They weren't too concerned, considering it'd probably be healed by the time he made it home. "Do you know if any more are coming?"

I looked at Peter, who shook his head. "Naw, Stella caught the other one. The other two we were expecting turned tail and ran. That's not to say there's no danger; I'd recommend staying on alert, just in case."

Seth nodded once. "We're always on alert, but with Tyler's safety at stake, we're pretty much at Defcon-One for the foreseeable future."

We heard something large quickly approaching us. "It's Sam and Jacob," Edward quietly said. They approached the fire, wearing shorts and nothing else. "Good work, Seth; Colin, Brady," Sam said. "You guys can head home. I'll catch up with you later."

The two wolves darted off. Seth gave us a quick salute and headed behind a tree. After a moment he took off in his wolf form after the other two. Sam watched as he departed then turned back to us. "So what are we dealing with here?"

I explained that Rafael and Sofia had apparently changed course and ordered the rogue vampires to scatter, adding that Bella, Char, and Alice had taken on their female counterpart. "We don't know where Rafael and Sofia are going, however Alice believes they are headed south. That could mean Portland, it could mean back to California. They probably hadn't decided yet at the time. I almost wonder if they did this as a test, to see how close they could get." Jacob growled at this. "And what the response would be. It sounds like a tactic my maker would pull; use low-ranking, expendable vampires as pawns for recon. More can always be made," I added bitterly. I felt Peter stiffen beside me; Edward gasped, having picked up Peter's thoughts, and I growled reflexively, Rose and Emmett echoing in response. Peter's emotions went from surprise to rage in a matter of milliseconds. It was a familiar kind of rage, a variety of which that has risen whenever the subject at hand, has been of one particular bitch from our past. My eyes locked with Peter's and I growled again, sharing in his anger.

"What? What is it?" Sam asked, his body reacting to the sudden tension, beginning to tremor as he looked around us in the woods.

Peter swore at the ground, running a frustrated hand through his hair. "That fucking cunt. I should've known…" he growled.

"She's directly involved now, isn't she?" I asked him. "That fucking bitch is helping them." He nodded. "Goddamnit!" I swore, swiftly turning and kicking a tree in my rage. The base of the trunk cracked, causing the tree to come crashing down.

"What the fuck, Jasper?" Jacob cried. "Will someone tell me what's going on? Who is helping these motherfuckers go after my son?"

I clasped my hands behind my head and willed myself to take a few calming breaths before I answered him. "Pretty sure it's my creator, Maria. She's an evil whore, and if she's involved herself in this, we've got our work cut out for us." I gave them a summarized version of my creation by, and involvement with, Maria during the southern vampire wars. I explained how I created Peter as one of many soldiers, but he proved himself useful and wasn't disposed of as many were at the time. "If we're right," I finished, gesturing between Peter and me, "she's using Rafael and Sofia as a means to get to Bella, and begin another quest for power, now that the Volturi are out of the way." The more I talked about it, the more it made sense.

A new thought occurred to me, which I posed to Jacob. "Have you considered coming to Italy? Bring Lexi and Tyler and come stay with us? It doesn't have to be forever but…"

Jake was shaking his head at me slowly but meaningfully, his lips a thin line, as Sam cut me off. "Surely you're not suggesting we aren't capable of protecting Tyler?" He was offended.

Peter stepped in. "Not at all. Your boys made quick work of the vamps that were here just now; we have no doubt you aren't a force to be reckoned with. But you haven't seen the likes of what Maria is capable of, when she sets her mind to something. I'd hate for Tyler, for your people, to become a casualty in Maria's wicked game."

"Guys?" Rose interrupted. Our heads whipped in her direction and she held up her phone. "It's Bella. They're waiting for us back at the parking lot."

I nodded to her, a feeling of relief washing through me that she was ok. I knew I had nothing to worry about, but there's always a chance something could go wrong. I honestly didn't know what I'd do without her. I turned back to Sam and Jake. "Just think about it, ok? Nothing needs to be decided tonight, but know that you have an open invitation to come stay with us. Say the word and we'll make all the arrangements to get you there."

Jake nodded and stretched forth a muscular arm to shake my hand. I was somewhat surprised at his gesture, but took it, shaking it firmly. "I appreciate what you are trying to do. I appreciate that you care enough for my and Bella's son to go to this length to help protect him. But I can't abandon my people here with this sort of threat looming. The pack will fight to the death to protect us."

Sam agreed. "They will never be without surveillance. Our patrol detail will now include at least two permanent guards at the Black residence."

I released Jacob's hand and took Sam's offered hand. "I only hope it's enough. The offer stands. In the meantime, we'll keep a permanent guard set up at the Cullen residence to keep an eye on things. I may send out a couple more reinforcements once we get a better grasp on the situation. We'll keep you fully informed, of course, as information comes along."

Sam nodded. "Thank you, Jasper."

"We should get going, Major," Peter said softly.

"Right," I agreed. Peter, Emmett, and Edward shook hands with Sam and Jacob, though I picked up a note of disgust from Jake as he shook hands with Edward. I realized tonight was the first time the two had seen each other since Edward abandoned Bella all those years ago. "It's in the past now," I heard Edward whisper to him in response to whatever thought he'd heard in Jacob's mind. "I've made my apologies and she and I have made our peace, just as you and she have done, as well. I'm only here to help now, ok?"

Jacob glared at him for a moment, before finally nodding reluctantly. "Yeah."

"We'll be in touch," I said, with a final wave to Sam and Jacob before we turned to head back toward the hotel.

We arrived at the parking lot to find Bella, Alice, and Char sitting in the rental SUV. Bella hopped out as soon as we arrived, and met me part-way across the parking lot to embrace me. "Did Peter tell you?" she asked, her voice muffled in my shirt. My mind only briefly touched upon the fact that the connection she shared with Peter not only enabled her to know that he knew what was going on, but that the shared information was concise enough that I could be briefed on what both of them already had figured out.

"Yeah, darlin', he did," I said, kissing her softly on top of the head. A quick glance around showed me the other couples were embracing similarly, with Alice and Edward standing quietly off to the side. I looked at Alice. "Do you see what she's up to now? What their next plan of action is?"

She shook her head. "They haven't decided. I've only seen that Rafael and Sofia are headed south. They've passed Portland now, but I don't know what their destination is. I don't think Maria has told them yet. It feels like a retreat though. For now, anyway."

I pulled away slightly from Bella, to tell her of my offer to Jacob for his family to stay with us in Italy for a while. She was saddened, but not surprised, by his refusal. "I think sending some more reinforcements here is a good idea, just in case she sends more vampires sniffing around the area. I'd love to stay here to protect them myself, but I don't think that's what's in the game plan at the moment." The frustration she was feeling was plain on her face.

"Let me and Sebastien come stay here for a while, Bella," Alice offered. "I may not be able to see things that involve the wolves directly, but I can watch the circumstances surrounding them. Being closer will enable me to do that better. And you're right," she continued. "I see the rest of you getting on an airplane. You're needed back in Italy. You still have a government to run."

Bella sighed, letting Alice's words sink in. "I guess I do, don't I?"

"Mini-Bitch has a point. You've got other work to do too," Peter agreed, ignoring Alice's hiss. Apparently friendship was not in the cards for those two any time soon.

"But what about my son?!" Bella cried. "How do I leave with this, this crazy fucking bitch hunting him for sport? Hunting him because she's got a one hundred and thirty-year-old personal vendetta?"

I recoiled in shock. Her words implied this was more to Maria than a quest for power. "What do you mean by that, Bella?"

"I hadn't gotten that far yet, Stella," Peter said with a sigh.

"Well someone better fill me in right the fuck now," I growled, trying unsuccessfully to keep my anger at bay.

Bella's expression was sorrowful as she elaborated. "Think about it Jasper. Her former right-hand man, former lover who left her in the lurch at the height of her power, is now happily mated to someone with the position of power she'd always dreamed of attaining. Even better, she's got a couple of willing puppets who have the means to help her attain this dream. What more could a sadistic bitch like her ask for in a conquest?"

I just wanted to fucking break something, the rage and frustration building in my belly like pressure behind a champagne cork. And then I was hit by a heavy wave of calm. "What the fuck?" I asked Bella. It wasn't like her to influence me like that; that heavily, anyway.

"Officer Friendly's just returned," Bella said, brightly smiling into the headlights of the approaching police cruiser I'd failed to notice in my ire. Officer Friendly? "I've already talked to him once tonight, just shut up and let me handle this."

The officer parked the car and got out of the car.

"What's going on here now? Hell of an hour to be lollygagging in a parking lot, Bella," he commented, looking me up and down. I bit back my jealousy over the man being so familiar with Bella, yet his attitude was coming off hostile toward me.

"Oh I know," she said breezily. "Our girl's night is over and we just reunited with our men. We were just getting ready to head back to Forks now."

A flashlight shined in my face. Fucking seriously? "Y'all got a designated driver?"

"That's me," Edward politely replied. "I'll make sure everyone gets home in one piece, Officer."

The officer gestured toward the SUV. "That rig ain't gonna fit all of you."

Char spoke up, pointing toward the car she and Peter had arrived with. "That's our car too. I haven't had anything to drink either, Sir. I'm pregnant," she smiled brightly, emphasizing her words with a hand over her stomach. Peter grinned and slapped Char on the ass before grabbing her around the hip and hugging her closely to him, playing up the role of proud-father-to-be. There was a twinge of sadness I felt from him, knowing that what she said was something that could never be true.

"Ah, well, congratulations ma'am. Now, I hate to be the hard-ass here, but I'm gonna have to ask you folks, again, to move along. What you're doing is loitering and the hotel owners don't look too kindly upon that." He paused, looking at me narrowly.

"Something else wrong, officer?" I asked, struggling to keep my voice sounding calm. This guy was pissing me off.

"I'm assuming you're Bella's husband?" he asked, putting forth an air of authority. He was trying to intimidate me. I bit back a defiant smirk.

"Yes sir, I am." I hugged Bella a little tighter to my side. I felt her amusement at my feeling jealous and territorial over her. She knew what kind of bastard she married; I ain't changin' any time soon.

"You take good care of Charlie Swan's baby girl, do you hear me? He was a fine man who loved that little gal with all he had in him. You do her right or I'll come lookin' for you," the officer finished sternly. Ah, so that's what that was about.

"She's in good hands, officer. I love this little gal with all I have in me, too." I looked down at Bella who smiled back up at me. Whether or not it was for the officer's benefit, the words and actions rang true.

"Alright, then. You kids move on along, now. I don't want to see you here on my next pass-by."

"You won't," Bella assured. "We're leaving now."

The officer headed back to his cruiser as Emmett quietly asked, "Where are we going?"

"Let's meet up at the house," Bella replied, meaning the Cullen home in Forks. "We can make flight arrangements from there. With the exception of Alice, we're going back to Italy."

A/N: This was the last chapter written before I pulled everything down last month. The next chapter is brand spankin' new, baby!