What the Hell?

JPOV

I hung up the phone with Peter. All I could do on that front was wait. Peter was a good friend even if we didn't see eye to eye on everything. He wasn't a soldier and, therefore, didn't agree with the war. He was though a Hunter and didn't agree with the Kindred's way of life.

He believed as Rosalie did, that humans were lower than us and, therefore, were prey, food, our way of life. I wondered what Alice thought about my feeding habits. I wasn't too happy with hers but it was her right to chose. I tried to feed as little as I could so I would take as few lives as possible.

It wasn't completely because I didn't agree with the way things should be. It was partially because with my ability, I couldn't tone out the emotions and feelings of the humans I fed off. It was very inhuman sometimes. Their last thoughts were so primal and natural.

It could easily stir feelings within me that I hadn't felt since I was human. I knew that if I was in their position that I would be feeling the same things. There was a saying I had heard many years ago that seemed to fit the emotions humans had in their final moments. "Dying is not romantic."

I had thought about this over and over. Dying was savage and needful. These humans who had given their lives so I could be strong were gone. They weren't in a better place. No one would remember them. Some of them hadn't even been given a chance to reach a potential they may have had. Their death was for one thing. My survival. Nothing more.

I snapped out of my thoughts as I felt Rosalie's self-righteous emotions coming closer to the house. I had learned from experience with her that she was calmer and more easily controlled after she had fed. Maybe I could get more information. Alice had said that she had lived around here off and on over the years.

I still, even after almost a hundred years, didn't trust the couple so Alice's name wouldn't be mentioned. Something in my non-existent gut told me that it would be a bad idea. But if they could give me some information from when they lived around here maybe that could give me a start.

The one I was looking for was around here somewhere. I was sure about it. The problem was Alice and her Kindred were here too. Was it possible that one of them was the one I was searching for? I needed Peter.

"Jazz?"

"In the living room."

I watched as Emmett and Rosalie entered the room. Rose had a satisfied look on her face. She planted a kiss on her husband cheek and then looked at me with her red and almost ghoulish eyes.

"Can I clean up before the inquisition?" Rosalie sneered.

"Why do you have to be such a bitch all the time?" I countered.

"Why do you have to be so soldier-perfect all the time?"

"What?"

"I have a husband, Jasper. I would like to spend time with him outside the war."

"So hunting humans after curfew is couple-time for you?"

"Fuck you. Actually, no. I take that back. You're not my type. The human was very interesting."

"And that would be?"

"Oh no, superior officer. I want some recognition of a job well done since you're not giving us any details about why we're here."

"If I knew, I'd tell you."

"What does that mean?" Emmett asked curiously.

"Look, guys. Someone at HQ is unsure about me. They seem to think that I am a risk. Therefore, I am flying blind on a lot of information. I need to find shit out as much as you want it."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

Emmett stood and walked to the window before turning back to me. "Why times two. Why would they not trust you? Why would you be sharing with us now?"

"Okay answer to the first question is because of the Volturi. Marcus showed up at headquarters claiming that I couldn't be trusted. He senses there is something happening and it involves me."

"Wait a minute. Marcus' specialty is relationships. You're not involved with anyone so why would they worry?"

I thought about it for a moment. Alice. She was the worry they had. This started me on another assumption that I hoped I was wrong on. I straightened myself and looked Emmett straight in the eyes.

"There is someone." Rosalie stated. Her attitude had changed. She was concerned, worried.

"No. I came across some Kindreds tonight. I'm not sure about them. That's the answer to the second question. I know you use to live around here years ago. Tell me about your 'family'. I think the other members might be the reason we were sent here."

"Bella." Rosalie hissed.

"Rose, we don't know for sure."

"What?" I was confused.

"Bella is the human from the stories and history of the war." Rose answered.

"What do you mean?"

"She was the human that fell in love with a vampire but was loved by a shapeshifter. Because she refused Jacob, the Shifter, he helped expose the vampires."

"You mean Jacob, the leader of the Shifters?" I was shocked. Everything was too closely related. "Wait, Bella, the vampire she chose was Edward. That's your 'brother'."

"Edward is no longer my brother. I, no longer, have a family."

"Rose, hun, listen. He chose with his heart. He didn't force the choice on her. She gave herself willingly. You did the same thing with me. I was half dead when you found me. You could have finished me off then and there. You brought me back to Carl........"

"Don't speak his name. He and Esme would still be here if it wasn't for Bella."

I just stood there absorbing everything being spoken. So far, there was nothing that brought Alice into this past. There was nothing to suggest that they knew her. I wondered if Bella was who we were searching for. I voiced this question.

"Bella's human family was from around her. As a family, we stayed here off and on for nearly 100 years before the war. We had a treaty with the shapeshifters from the area. We had our section of land we could hunt but not humans. We moved on long before Bella so our appearance wouldn't be discovered and when we returned, well, that's where Bella comes in."

I knew I needed to clarify that Alice wasn't Bella. "What does Bella look like?"

"You don't think the Kindred you found tonight could be Bella and Edward?"

"I don't know."

"Bella is tiny. She was pale before being turned. That would make her slightly more pale than other vampires. She had this weird way about her. Quiet and thoughtful. Kind and protective." Emmett said a mysterious grin.

I suddenly felt sick as the saying goes. They were describing Alice. "Anything else?"

"Long brown hair. Ordinary." Rose added.

I felt my dead heart jump. It wasn't Alice. She wasn't the one I was looking for. I was sure of it. The Hunter leaders would be looking for Bella. They had to be. Why else would we be here at the same time as her?

I felt the wind being knocked out of me. Bella is here. She was the driver of the car. Alice was the passenger. Alice is involved. She's in danger and doesn't even know it. She's in danger from me.

"Jazz. You okay, man? You look like you just jumped into the fire."

"In a way, I think I did. I mean, think about it." I had to cover this up fast. I wouldn't, couldn't allow Alice to be involved. Something inside me wouldn't allow it. "You are family, sorry, ex-family of Edward. Edward's wife is Bella. She is the cause of the war, of the knowledge of vampires. Not only do the Hunters send us, that includes you two, here to Forks with little information but the Volturi are involved. The Volturi's main rule was 'no reveal'. They would have a score to settle. What better way than to have the Hunters find and capture their biggest problem."

"This just got personal. Didn't it?" Rose whispered.

"Rose?"

"Emmett, I may hate Edward for what he did but not enough to allow them to be persecuted and destroyed for it." Rose fell to her knees. "We have to do something. I want to see Bella burn but not Edward and Alice."

As the name struck me like a knife into a human's heart, there was another presence that entered within the range of my ability. I recognized it immediately. "Rose, you go clean up. We're going to have to figure out how to deal with all of this. Emmett go with her."

Emmett nodded. He walked over to his wife and picked her up from the floor. He carried her up the stairs as I walked to the front door and opened it. "Peter. Welcome."

"Jasper. What the hell is going on?"

"Come in. It's too dangerous to be seen outside."

"You're telling me. If it wasn't for the fact that we were such good friends, I wouldn't have come."

"Why? What's happened?"

"Jasper. Nothing has happened. But, shit, man, do you know where you are?"

"Yeah, Forks, Washington."

"Yeah, Shifter capital of the world. What the hell are you doing here?"

"On a mission to find a rogue vampire. Someone out there wants this girl bad."

"So why did you call?"

"I need you to go and see Maria."

"Why the hell would I want to do that?"

"Because she knows something about my mission and the dangerous situation I have currently found myself in. Its too dangerous for her to speak to me. I gathered that from my last conversation with her. I need complete answers. You would be able to walk in without anyone questioning it."

"Look Charlotte and I hadn't spoken in a long time. What makes you think that she'll see me?"

"Because she still loves you. You may not agree when it comes to the war but you two are matches for each other. No one can deny that. She may be a general but she still is completely devoted and in love with you. Remember, no one can hide their true feelings from me."

"You realize that this is payback for everything you have against me. I no longer owe you anything."

"Peter, if you come back with enough information and its important enough to me, not only do you no longer owe a debt to me but I will consider myself your slave for fifty years."

"Like you'd actually do it."

"Just go and get me that information. And tell Maria I said hi."

"I'll get your information but if I get to speak to Maria, I won't be bringing up your name. If this, whatever this is, is that bad, I think the less Maria knows the better for you."

"Thanks, old friend."

"Old. Bullshit, I'm younger than you by four months."

"Asshole." I replied after he had taken off from the house. I watched from behind the closed curtains as he made his way down the street before cutting a path straight into the woods. I headed for the back door and slipped out.

I needed time to think about how I was going to deal with Alice. How was I suppose to tell the woman I loved....loved. I loved her. Yes, I loved her. There was something in her that possessed me. I loved her and wanted, no, needed to tell her. I, also, needed to feed and wasn't proud of what I was going to have to do.