AN: SM owns Twilight.

I was being haunted by the Major. He really really wanted me to tell you his story, so here he is! He's had it rough and he seems to be confused as to how much his life has changed and what to do about it. Poor guy!

Chapter fourteen. Magic happens in the strangest places.

Major POV

Bella, Bella, Bella.

She was the only thing I ever thought about, day and night.

What the hell had happened to me?

There was a time before her, where I could think rationally, make sensible decisions and do as I pleased.

But now...now I was so deeply attached to this little girl, that my life was no longer my own.

My mind no longer reacted with clinical precision.

I was an emotional mess.

I ranged inside my head if she was out of my sight. I had to see her...be with her...and most of all protect her.

There has never been anyone who I'd felt this way about.

I mean, the guys were all like brothers to me and we were a very close unit.

There had been many, many women who'd come and gone in my life, and apart from that bitch Maria, none of them had even made a ripple in my existence.

I cared for none of them, just using them for a momentary physical release, nothing more...never did I wish for more with any of them.

They were all meaningless women...they were all as anonymous to me as strangers in a passing crowd. Of no consequence...and of no importance.

Until now.

Bella had changed me. Her gentle nature had rocked my world and split me apart.

Her sweet smile and light touch had shattered my armour.

Now I was a total wreck, full of strong emotions and anxieties, running riot in my brain.

I felt all of this emotion for someone who could never care for me, like I did for her.

And there was absolutely nothing in this world that I could ever do about it.

She wasn't mine.

She'd never be mine.

She was too good and precious for a cruel angry man like me.

I have to face facts!

She's fourteen... I'm twenty eight.

She's a sweet delightful, innocent... I'm a trained killer, a monster. My very first job was as an assassin and a sniper.

She's so smart and completely without any pretense. She's purely herself.

I'm a living lie. I'm so full of lies, that I actually don't know who the hell I am anymore.

She lives to read, cook and create... I live to make my enemy's lives a pure hell.

She has no real enemies... I have thousands.

She's my savoir, my graceful guardian angel... she's my unknowing opponent, the only one who I'll never be able to defeat, she'll always defeat me with her gentle self... I just live to serve, protect and worship her.

I'm a wholly changed man and I don't know what the hell to do!

I can't go back to my old ways.

Spying, tracking and killing. Having meaningless, mindless sex with tons of faceless women.

Drinking hard and playing hard...hardly ever sleeping.

.

.

.

Sleep...just sleep, a blissful restoring slumber.

That's all I want to do now, apart from be in Bella's presence. I'm so changed and at peace with her around, that I sleep... which I have to say is a huge change for me.

I sleep like a baby, without the horrendous nightmares that used to keep me from fully relaxing before.

Charlie would have a fit if he could see me now! He'd laugh his head off at me, and my confused ineptitude.

Me, the internationally feared Major; unable to function without contact with little Bella...like a fool in love, or a drug addict for my brother-in-arms, my mentor Charlie's one and only daughter.

Carlisle, my other mentor and senior officer, keeps smiling to himself, the bastard and just tells me to relax.

All he ever says now when he notices my deep distress at the power Bella has over me... is to relax and that all be fine in the end.

I can't believe that I'm so different, so changed, so tied to her. My life has become all about her.

To cater to her whims and wishes, is my only pleasure now.

I haven't even felt the need to go out and get drunk, find a nameless woman and pound the mattress all night long.

I've completely lost the old hunger, which used to drive me hard to get drunk and screw.

My world revolves around Bella and her happiness.

Maybe it's all the meditation? Maybe it's just her?

I know I'm not the only one who's changed.

Look at the obsessively crazy things that Edward did, in order to keep her within his sight.

I can't believe I let the little shit get away with this, alive!

I hope he's having the most miserable time of his life in Chad.

I hope he never comes back, the little prick.

I should have removed his gonads and shoved them down his throat when I had a chance! That would have taught him a lesson!

Hell, I still might remove them and put them somewhere where the sun doesn't shine.

I can't believe that he thought he was madly in love with MY BELLA!

He's crazy, as well as totally delusional.

She's mine, no one else will stand a chance...but she's never ever going to want a used up, shell of a man like me.

She will want a cute little boy, who's just started shaving; a virginal, studious, thoughtful, well spoken Yankee. Yeah, I bet anything the first guy she goes for is a damn Yankee yuppy, who's a neatly dressed, smooth talker and who gives her a mediocre boring ride through life.

I'm sure she'll be better suited to a man without a haunted past. Who can treat her like a princess, a well behaved boy, who's never shed blood, never killed, never sought revenge or tortured anyone.

Not some good ol boy from the backwoods... who only knows how to command and kill.

Well I can cook too.

She seemed to eat it alright, and smiled at me afterwards too.

She did come up to me quietly and thank me for cooking her a real southern breakfast, especially the chocolate gravy.

I can't believe I promised so much to Aunt Lucille, in order to get the recipe!

Yeah, that's the kind of crazy stuff I do now. Just to see one of her beautiful smiles and stay in her good graces.

I'm a total goner!

Heh! I was gone the first moment I held her steady by the shoulders, when her mother pushed her out the front door right into my arms on that freezing cold night; all of those months ago.

Or when she fell asleep on my shoulder in the back of the limo wearing that ridiculous tarty outfit.

Or when she fainted in the drive, and I picked her up and ran as fast as I could up to the house. I'd never been so panicked.

Bella surprises me every moment of everyday, just being her own sweet self.

I was a goner, when she disappeared that first time outside in the garden. I was shocked...no one had ever done that to me before. I could always put my energy field out, to find anyone up until then.

She was a complete natural at shielding herself using her energy force.

Also amazingly she was a natural tracker, when she reversed the shield and sought out her targets; rather than use it to hide herself.

She manipulated her energy to pull me along and communicate with me, and share information and images. We had a complete connection, so unique, so vital and incredible.

Far surpassing anything her dad could do with me, and that's really saying something! Charlie was amazing with his skills, but his daughter has managed to leave him in the dust. She is a true powerhouse of vital energy and skill.

Bella is a most precious and unique individual. She loved riling me up and joking with me, which is something most people wouldn't even try. Most people are either scared of me, or try to fight me.

Bella somehow accepts me and smiles at me like I'm her friend...or teacher...or something.

Training and managing her natural talent, has been a blast. Soon she'll overtake me and my skills. There is so much ahead of her and her gifts will only increase over time.

The one moment I was completely undone and overwhelmed, was when she showed me how to meditate.

In doing this generous and simple act, she's given me the wonderful gift of blessed peace and a pure shining love, for the very first time in my life.

That's the kind of girl she is, openly sharing that most special gift of meditation with me, and then opening it up to the rest of the guys.

I was enjoying our time alone meditating and was a little hurt when Carlisle came and ordered me to work on meditating with the men.

I really miss Bella and our time alone, sitting quietly.

I'm impressed at the reduction in my blood pressure and my new peace of mind.

Well except from that little shit Edward, throwing a spanner in the works and shattering my calm frame of mind.

I'm going to have to watch over Bella's sleep from a distance using my force, now that she's been hanging out in her tree-house to sleep for the last few nights. I'll be relived when the bedroom redecorations will be complete.

We are all keen to see what Emmett and Bella have been up to in her room. They've managed to remove nearly everything which was in there originally, and have been chatting, laughing and banging away in there, without showing the rest of us what they are up to, for a few days now. I can't wait to see what they have done. I'm kinda jealous of Bear.

We had a chat about letting Bella go shopping in the real world.

I got all worried about her being spotted.

I looked over all of the info we'd collected on that bitch Rene, and any of the Russian crew of drug dealers who she hung out with.

I had a feeling, that they'd been pulled back home by their mafia bosses to Europe's east, for another round of recruiting new sex workers, drug mules and to resupplying their designer drug stocks.

My contacts in the Ukraine and Belarus are finding a lot more activity going on there recently. A few images have come up on my secure address, showing someone similar to Rene, 'helping' them recruit young women and teenagers for the sex and drug trade in the US.

With Rene and her associates away from the US at the moment, it would seem like a great time for Bella to make an appearance into the outside world, even if is just to shop for decorating stuff.

I talked to everyone about keeping her safe. They all put up with my over-the-top anxiety and crazy worries which I have for her...my sweet Bella.

Simple changes in her clothing and behaviour; along with calling her 'Elle' every time someone speaks to her, may make the difference to staying unnoticed.

At least while we are in the shop.

If this small trip goes well and we no longer hear anything else from Rene, we might look into giving Bella some more freedom.

Well...I'll think about it.

None of us have tried to let Bella know just how much her father left her in his estate, or how much she is due to inherit once her Gran dies.

I know that my brother Pete and his best-girl Sue, would adopt her in a heartbeat. They love her so much.

I laughed when I found out that Bella had asked Carlisle to be her honorary uncle. He was so moved and I knew no one had ever had that effect upon him.

He was so chuffed and proud. He's always been compassionate and calm around Bella, while I am all swirling crazy emotions, changing fast like a bi-polar chameleon tripping on speed.

I wonder what status she'd ever give me...friend?...big brother?...teacher?...protector?

I can't ever ask for more, she deserves so much more than I can ever give her.

Bella's POV.

After Red had left for Africa, things in the house settled down into a nice peaceful routine.

I continued with my school stuff online, and was well on my way to finishing the school year early, due to my strange need to push through the curriculum in each subject.

I was happy that maths and I were friends now, and Doc had tutored me whenever I felt unsure. I was a lot more confident at tackling maths equations and problems now.

Alice and I occasionally sent messages, but she has moved on from our once close friendship. I was a bit sad, but I kind of understood. She has made some new friends now and I was no longer in the picture.

I still missed her heaps, but I was living in my own strange hermetically-sealed world of the mansion and the grounds with my new 'family', under an alias.

My life had changed irrevocably.

Doc, Major and Bear were happy to chill out and relax. It felt like that they were on some sort of extended holiday break. Pete was still overseas.

They guys liked to joke and watch movies. They all still meditated daily and I was joining in with them now, especially as I'd gotten to a point of accepting my distracted reactions around the Major, and just somehow became almost immune to them.

I stopped being flighty, embarrassed and confused about him and just got used to him and what he did to me when he was near me.

Bear was still cute and playful with me. He and I had come to an unspoken understanding, somewhere along the line. He accepted that I was occasionally going to go 'all girl' on him and want my space, especially when I had my period.

And I accepted that I could stand my ground, speak up for myself and even smack him, when I felt he wasn't listening to me.

I still loved to kick Bear's butt when we sparred.

Bear has never managed to pin me down yet!

I still get really muddy, rolling around in the wet grass as we wrestle and I teach him how difficult it is to catch me, especially when I use all of my weird ninja mojo skills on him.

Wresting and sparring with Bear, always ends up in us roaring in mad hysterical laughter.

Bear and I had started redecorating my bedroom. I wanted to completely change the whole feel of the room and make it mine, without cameras, bugs and without a creepy past.

Bear and I looked online for the various things we needed to buy, and where they were available. When Bear found a shop close by that stocked the curtains and other soft furnishings I asked if I could come along with him to pick and chose items... and be out in the outside world.

We were happy to find that the same shop, also stocked the type of floating floor and paint that we wanted as well.

Happily enough my Gran and the Major agreed to let me out and shop in person.

Mind you, the Major did a run through the shop, checking out exits and such, as well as doing a full background check on the shop's owners and employees. Just to make sure they had no known connections to my mother's mafia associates.

Mike drove us to the town centre in a smaller luxury car, rather than the limo. The Major followed us around the shop, looking like he was ready to spring into action any second. I smiled to myself; he was acting so protective and on-edge.

The Major showed me how to use my shield to avoid attention, as well as changing my appearance subtly with baggy masculine sweats, an old baseball cap and a long neat plait down my back. who knew that he had such good hair plaiting skills? Even Gran was impressed.

Gran and Sue gave me more freckles with some brown eyeliner and a lot of bubblegum to pop and chew noisily. They made me practice looking uninterested, bored and rolling my eyes a lot, something which I'd never done before in my life.

I laughed a lot; I wasn't used to acting like a bored brat.

I had realized that I'd managed to spend the last six months away from the outside world, without feeling too stressed about it at all.

It goes to show just how entertaining everyone at the house was, and how working hard on my school work, training on my energy field, sparring, baking bread and building tree-houses were all great ways to use up my time and attention.

It felt like I wasn't missing out on anything of importance.

I didn't miss Rene, that's for sure.

.

.

.

Bear and I pulled out all of the furniture, the carpet, curtains and light fittings and then repainted the walls a cool grey-blue colour and parchment white for the ceiling. The wall behind where the bed would go, was going to be an eye-catching feature wall.

I had found the most delicious wallpaper ever!

It was 3D charcoal grey, with fine silver and white dragonflies printed on it; some whose wings stuck out from the paper, providing an exciting and beautiful texture. I loved the other designs that the Porter's paint company made, but the dragonfly wallpaper was my all time favourite.

I picked out some soft, white, gauzy cotton curtains to give the room a summery feel, and we laid a pale bleached, floating timber floor, to add to the contrast of the charcoal wall paper and cool dark tone of the paint.

I refurbished the window seat by adding some new charcoal coloured cushions.

The light fittings I made up, with a fun idea I had imagined might look cool.

I got hold of some large, cheap, round, rice paper light-shades in white. I glued hundreds of tiny origami cranes randomly onto the shades, that I had folded using small squares of baking paper. These added a strange texture to the shades at a distance, and when seen up close, it was obvious they were cute little origami birds, rather than odd looking spikes.

Bear being the great technician that he was, wired in another three new pendant light fittings in the room, and we hung the bird-clad shades from the high ceiling; they floated there in the air, contrasting against the dark painted background, looking amazing.

...

It was fun working on my room and doing everything the way I liked. Gran happily approved all of my choices, especially the wallpaper, which she said she loved. It arrived in the post, and I was so excited as it was just about the last big thing which we had to complete in the room, before setting up the new bed frame, mattress and bedding.

Gran insisted on all new furniture pieces, to make it all fresh for me. I would have been happy with just sanding and painting the old bed frame, but she was determined, and I didn't mind about her getting new things.

I chose a white timber bed frame, with a simple head and foot end, which matched the light tones of the floating-timber floor and curtains. The bed had two bedside tables.

Bear and I built a long fitted bench, with a multiple of uses all the way, along one side of the room and shelves above it; in which to house all of my books and things I was collecting, like the dried and pressed plants which I framed in white wood frames.

It looks like Bear and I have finished everything, and we like the results.

I fussed over the cushions and bedding, I think it is fine. The long bench and shelving makes the room so much more useful now. I've got my extra power points and a phone socket for my computer and printer too.

Bear and I stood back and looked at all of our handiwork.

I think one of the highlights was when we went shopping that day... Mike driving, the Major scowling his arms folded, Gran smiling, Bear chatting and me attempting to be a distracted, inattentive, self-absorbed teen.

It was hilarious going into the shop and acting like a spoilt, bored teenager called 'Elle'.

I initially felt weird getting into a car and travelling somewhere, the countryside moved by so fast.

Seeing new faces was strange too, once I took a few deep breaths it was all good. I got over myself and enjoyed moving fast and seeing new things.

It was fun choosing stuff and I realized, that pink and purple weren't going to make it into the new room at all.

I wanted a calm classic look, something that would last. So I chose darker cooler colours and a creamy white as a contrast.

After I had decided the colour scheme, it was easy to keep on track. There were a lot of great items to choose in that fitted too. The variety of soft furnishing items, was extensive. This was where Bear, the big hairy scary gorilla guy, came into his own.

Bear was showing me his softer side, he had a real creative flair and feel for colours. He and I shopped happily together, while Mike sat in the car, Gran went off to look at all of the plants in the gardening section, and the Major stood by the entrance arms crossed, dark shades on, checking everyone entering the store, for 'dangerous tendencies'. He was being grumpy and ridiculous!

Bear made me laugh, as he put his 'camp interior decorator voice on', swishing and sashaying around the shop like he owned the joint. We picked up most of what we were after; I was excited that the room would look great. He kept up with his high-camp commentary and movements. For such a big guy, he totally had it down. He was so believable!

Then something clicked...Bear!...I just knew something BIG was about to happen...any minute!

I joked with Bear that he'd probably find his true love in a shop, just like this one, he just needed to keep his eyes open, and he'd find him soon.

Bear went quiet.

His eyes filled with tears and he looked like he was going to cry.

Bear must be really upset at what I'd just said, if he was starting to cry.

I pulled him into a hug, (I only reached up to his chest, but it was the thought that counted I guess)... to try and apologise for whatever it was that I'd said that had upset him.

"I so sorry Bear, forgive me, I didn't mean to make you cry!"

He huffed and looked up at the ceiling.

"There was a special someone once, but they died and I'll never go shopping with them again!

I'll never do anything with them again! I'll always be alone! No one will ever want to be with me!

I'm a huge failure at relationships." Bear wailed, looking like he was in the process of wanting to die, right there in middle of the shop.

"I don't believe that! I'm positive there's someone coming, I can almost feel it!" I shivered with goose-bumps all over my arms and the hairs on the back of my neck, standing up.

"No! There's never going to be "...Bear went silent and stopped dead in his tracks.

I was waiting for him to finish his sentence.

I looked over at whoever Bear was staring at ...with his huge unblinking, goo-goo eyes.

A hot looking guy, was checking out the paint charts, seemingly oblivious to Bear's intense staring.

I smiled, and nodded.

Bear had found his 'One'!

That's what I was feeling!

All we needed to do, was to introduce ourselves and get Bear acquainted with this new spunky piece of man flesh.

I kind of felt Bear was secretly attracted to guys. I had never confirmed it, until now.

Poor Bear stood as still as a statue, holding his breath and in shock, just staring at this hot guy.

I decided to approach the fella and start chatting.

"Oh that shade is too delicious isn't it?" I motioned to the paint colour he was holding in his hand.

"I think I like this one here, what do you think?" I showed him the dark blue-grey I loved.

"You look like you know what you know all about paints. Can you give me some idea, what will be a good contrasting shade for this one?" I smiled at him.

"Mmm, how about this soft creamy, parchment colour? It will look nice with that blue-grey you like. In fact it will go well with most choices you could throw at it."

Bear shuffled closer, still unable to take his eyes off of my hot new, colour chart friend.

"Hey, I'd love you to meet my friend Bear. He's been helping me do up my room. He's got heaps of great ideas, haven't you Bear?"

"Well hello there Bear! Aren't you a cute big teddy? I bet you could give me so much help with all of those projects which require heavy lifting, you are built so strong and tall." He eyed Bear like he was enchanted at his overly large manliness.

I rolled my eyes for real this time.

Bear went red and smiled at the sweet colour chart guy.

I kept up the chatty banter, I wanted Bear to be able to start talking on his own, instead of acting so shy.

"Oh he's such a great help, and he knows so much about rewiring and all of the technical stuff, don't you Bear?"

I grinned at him waggling my eyebrows. Bear stayed uncharacteristically quiet.

"Oh really? How extraordinary! I just moved to the area and I am in desperate need of a tech savvy guy to help me with my new apartment! I'm Ben, Ben Cheney. So do I get to call you Bear too? Or did your mother call you something else, other than Bear?"

That seemed to break Bear's staring statue stance, and propel him into speaking.

We both looked up at Bear and he blinked and back came to life.

"Ben! Hi, my name's Bear, just Bear, Elle is just making me sound better than I really am. It's nice to meet you. Where's your new apartment? Maybe I could come over some time and give you a hand."

And it was that easy to make the crazy magic of love happen for Bear and Ben, they were so cute!

Standing together overly close, and edging closer... Bear towering over the modestly toned and tanned body of Ben, in his tiny little shorts, work boots, tight tee and tool belt.

Neither of them could stop smiling and they swapped numbers and Bear made sure he got Ben's address correct.

As we left to find Gran and the Major, I bumped Bear and chuckled.

"I told you, love would find you soon! Ben's so cute."

''Keep your eyes off him! Find your own guy!" He grumbled grinning like a Cheshire cat.

If only!

Porters do actually make a wonderful range of paint and wallpaper, they have a great website. The 3D dragonfly wallpaper really exists. I've also made my own rice paper shades with origami cranes glued on them, they are quite a cute feature in my house.

please leave me some feedback.