Jasper

I was tearing apart a rock when Andrew Aster found me. He looked startled I was on his land, but his expression quickly turned into one pity. That angered me; I didn't want any of that.

"What?" I snarled. "What do you want?"

"I'm sorry." Andrew said. "We heard."

I rolled my eyes and glared coldly at him.

"Why do you care?"

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. The gesture reminded me so much of Carlisle I was immediately put at ease.

"I think you need to know something about Bella..." He leaned on a tree. "When she was human, she was cheated on by a young man. She was very much in love with him. That's how we found her dying."

When he said this, my head snapped up.

"How do you know this?" I demanded. "I thought Bella doesn't remember anything from her human life."

"Tanya Denali told me once. I was on a business trip in Alaska, and I met the Denali coven. When I mentioned the newest member of our family and showed her a picture..." Andrew trailed off. He had a distant look in his eyes, and yet, it was one full of displeasure. "It would break Bella's heart. I haven't told her because it would hurt her too much."

I sat down on the half of the rock that I hadn't reduced to gravel and put my head in my hands. Andrew continued speaking.

"Bella doesn't remember who it was, or that it even happened. All that's left of the betrayal is a hole in my daughter's heart that refuses to be filled. She doesn't know why, and that frustrates her. I'm sorry she doesn't return your feelings, yet, Jasper. It's not your fault. Bella is just too afraid to love again. She's gotten so used to that emptiness... I would go so far as to say she's scared she'll hurt you more if she loves you, than if she hates you."

She was scared? Edward had really done that to her?

"Thank you for telling me that, sir. It makes me feel a little better." I said. It was true. "But I need to tell you something now. I know who deceived her."

Andrew's eyes turned black.

"Who?"

"Please don't tell anyone, and please don't hurt them... It was Edward and Alice."

"Your brother and sister?"

I nodded. Andrew paced angrily. His eyes reverted back to gold after a solid five minutes. He sighed in defeat.

"I won't tell anyone. If Bella were to find out, she would kill them. Literally."

"I know." I said. I stood up. "I need to get back home. Thanks for helping me."

We shook hands awkwardly, and I ran back, wondering what I would tell my family.


As I feared, everyone was on my case as soon as I got home.

"I hear bells tolling!" Emmett sang.

"What was that scream?" Rose asked with a smirk. "Did Bella tackle you in a fit of lust?"

Before I could speak, Alice jumped up and down.

"Ooh! Can I plan the wedding? We can invite Tanya and the other Denalis, and we can invite all the other covens, too! It'll be the wedding of the century! Even the Volturi will be there!"

"She doesn't love me."

Everyone's faces fell in a heartbeat.

"I'm sorry, Jasper..." Esme said, looking up at me. I shrugged, and told her I was over it. I could tell she didn't believe me. I didn't even believe myself.

"I just came back to tell you I'm leaving." I said. Esme looked absolutely crushed, while Carlisle looked hurt. I quickly fixed my sentence. "Not permanently. I'm just going to take some time away."

I didn't bother to tell them where I was going. They already knew.

"Alright." Carlisle said, looking relieved. "Just bring your phone so—"

"I'm not bringing anything. I'll use the house phones whenever I have to."

Emmett gave me a bear hug.

"I'm gonna miss wrestling with you. Ed's just no fun."

Rosalie lightly wrapped her arms around me and buried her face in my neck. I stroked her hair.

"We're supposed to be the Hale twins. Now what?" She asked, her voice sounding small.

"I won't be gone that long, Rose. We can just say I went to visit some distant relatives."

Rose pulled away and nodded.

Esme embraced me, having to stand on her tiptoes to wrap her arms around my neck.

"I'm going to miss you. Come back soon, okay?" She asked.

"I will..." I said. My voice was muffled into her shoulder. I almost didn't want to leave.

I gave Carlisle a hug.

"Don't forget to call, son." He said.

Now I wasn't sure what to do with Alice or Edward. Apparently, they weren't either. Edward settled for a handshake, while Alice gave me a quick embrace like the others and pulled away. To my surprise, I was okay with it. Although we all knew if this had happened a year ago I would have torn their heads off.

I walked out of the Cullen house with nothing but the clothes on my back and the shoes on my feet.

If I was lucky, Peter already knew I was coming. If he was, he was probably working with Charlotte to get my room ready. He probably also knew about Bella and would give me some advice on that sort of thing. 'An expert,' he liked to call himself. Charlotte said otherwise.

I ran South back to the place that had started this all:

Texas.


"There he is! The good old Major of the Confederate Vampires!" Pete said as soon as I got there.

"We're sorry about your friend, Jasper." Char said, glaring at Peter quickly.

"Oh yeah. What's her name... Becca... Bayla..." Peter said, scratching the back of his neck. This time, Peter got a smack upside the head from Charlotte.

"Ow!" He complained. "What was that for, sugar?"

"For being inconsiderate, you big lug."

I smiled fondly at my friends' exchange. Peter and Charlotte were a strange couple, but they fit together nonetheless. Whenever Peter did something stupid, Charlotte would correct him. Whenever Charlotte was being too stuffy, Peter would loosen her up with his trademark attitude.

"It's alright, Char. He's just being Peter."

Charlotte laughed and showed me to my room. Peter gave an indignant, "Hey!" and trailed after us. We rolled our eyes at him as he protested, saying he wasn't done harassing me just yet.

"...And of course, we still have your things from the last time you visited, so you can stay as long as you like." Charlotte finished up her little tour.

"Thanks Char," I said, giving her a pat on the head. "But I'm probably only gonna stay a week or so. I promised Esme I'd come back soon."

Charlotte shrugged.

"Whatever you say. Now come on, Peter. Give him some quiet time."

"He was getting quiet time!" Peter complained.

"No, he wasn't. And he won't, either, if you stay in the room yakking his ears off."

With that, Charlotte grabbed Peter's hair and dragged him out of the room.

"Ow! Hey, be careful, woman!"

Charlotte shut the door behind her with a sad smile thrown in my direction.

I turned around and surveyed the room once more. It was exactly the way I had left it a couple of years ago. However, it wasn't as dusty as it should have been thanks to multiple cleanings, courtesy of Charlotte. My hat was still in the corner, and my clothes were still hanging in the closet.

I grinned at the flannel button up shirts and the blue jeans. That was one of the upsides to breaking away from Alice: I could wear anything I wanted now.

The phone sitting on the nightstand made me a bit uneasy. Carlisle, Esme, and the rest of my family knew the number to Pete and Char's house, but the Asters didn't. What if Bella got in trouble? That girl was practically a danger magnet; one of the few traits she had kept from her human life. What if the secret somehow leaked, and I came home to find Edward and Alice's ashes? As much as I disliked them, I didn't want them dead, for Carlisle and Esme's sakes. Rosalie and Emmett wouldn't care less. In fact, they'd probably help Bella tear Edward and Alice apart.

I was starting to think I should have brought my cell phone. I was sure I could stick it out for a week, until I could figure out what to do about Bella.

I wasn't about to let her go. I had meant every word I had said down by the creek, even though they came out impulsively. I just needed time to think about what I could do to fill the hole Andrew had told me about.

Peter had been right.

I was the Major of the Confederate Army, and I wasn't going down without a fight.


Don't murder me. I know I haven't gotten to the fluffy stuff yet, but that's going to come next chapter, three chapters at the latest. This is more of a filler chapter.

I hope you all enjoyed! Sorry about the long update, by the way; Peter and Charlotte were hard to work with, but I was PMed by the uh... the producer(?) of this story, jasper29forever, saying she wanted me to incorporate Peter and Charlotte in there somewhere. They probably won't play a very big part, just so you all know.

~Kit~