Chapter Fourteen

Bella

I had no idea of what was going to happen except that I couldn't go back to college and graduate knowing Jay was in the hands of vampires even though it wasn't my fault, I still felt partly responsible. It had been good to see Alice again although I couldn't quite work out the relationship between her and Darius. They were more than friends but if I understood correctly, less than mates. I'd seen Rose and Emmett, Carlisle and Esme, even Jasper and Alice, and this wasn't the same although I was sure they had a relationship going.

I liked Darius, he was down to earth yet not so earthy as Peter who I really liked. I was however nervous of seeing Jasper again and wondered how I would feel especially since Alice's comment that she thought I'd been sweet on him which was patently ridiculous, I'd hardly even spoken to him. Edward refused to allow me to be alone with his brother, he didn't trust his self control, in fact we'd only exchanged about twenty words in all and most of those were in the hotel room in Phoenix when he was trying to calm me down.

What I couldn't explain was why I was so nervous if this were the case. He wasn't coming here for my sake, I wasn't even sure Peter had told him I was with them. He was coming because his descendant who admittedly looked eerily like him was in trouble. What would he say when he saw I was here? Would he insist I go back to college as Edward would in his place? When Peter told us looking at the clock the next day that "The Major" would be here in a couple of hours my mouth went dry and my heart beat sped up, I even had sweaty palms that I kept drying on the legs of my jeans. To keep my mind occupied I sat with Darius watching as he skipped from website to website.

"What are you doing?"

"Using trapdoors in programs to get extra computing power. I'm looking for any references to Jasper Whitlock, The Major, a kidnap, trackers, in combinations of two or more and there are a lot. Nearly all are useless and irrelevant but somewhere here, in among all the trash, will be a clue and the more computers I have working on the problem the quicker I'll get the solution."

"How did you learn all this? I was under the impression you've been a vampire for a long time, at least as long as Peter and Jasper."

He laughed and his face took on a glow but it didn't last. Looking at me he shook his head,

"They are mere children Bella. I was a captured warrior in Athens, a slave, when I was changed by a vampire you might have heard of, Felix Volturi."

"You were a slave? So how did you learn all this?"

"As the centuries passed I found myself drawn to technology, even the very earliest and when computers came along I saw an application for them, I also found I had an aptitude for programming and even building them. Did you know the word computer was first used in 1613 to describe someone who performed calculations or computations? Then in 1822 Charles Babbage was credited for developing the first automatic computing machine but he didn't do it alone, instead he had two colleagues, Ada Lovelace and me. Hard to believe I know, especially as neither Ada nor myself got any of the credit. I also worked with Konrad Zuse who created the Z1 the first modern computer and it went on from there. I even had a hand in creating the World Wide Web so you see I'm something of an authority."

I looked at the young man and found it hard to visualize him as a Greek slave, and I thought of all the things he must have seen during his long life.

Peter wandered over to see what luck Darius was having,

"Not much as yet, whoever bank rolled the kidnap has covered their tracks exceedingly well, its going to take time and before you ask Peter, no I can't speed it up. Maybe when The Major gets here he will have some theories of his own."

"Well somebody needs to before old Clone Head is dead or dissected or whatever the hell they intend doing to him. Shit, we don't even know who they are!"

I left the two of them squabbling and joined Alice who sat alone looking pensive,

"Hi Bella."

"Hi Alice, are you going to tell me what's going on yet?"

"I'm not really sure myself but I'll tell you what I can. I saw myself meeting Jazz in Philadelphia and us travelling until we met the Cullens. I saw us happy and we truly were. We had some wonderful years and then Edward met you and suddenly things were no longer so wonderful."

"You mean the tension in the family over Jasper being a danger to me and then attacking me ruined your happiness?"

She shook her head but she still looked grave,

"Not exactly. I didn't see Jasper try to attack you and I'm not sure he even did but I can't explain any better than that. Suddenly I think we both understood our happiness although wonderful wasn't the feeling mates feel. We decided that we didn't work any longer, we weren't a couple in the basic sense and that's why we broke up….. Do you believe in God Bella?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Do you believe that we are manipulated, that things happen for a reason?"

"I guess I never really thought about it but sure."

"I think our meeting and joining the Cullens was all a part of a master plan, we just can't see the rest of it yet but its there, all written down somewhere."

"Do you have any idea what it is? This master plan?"

She shook her head looking frustrated,

"No, I wish I did because it would all make sense then but for now I'm as confused as you are. I was sad when you and Edward parted, you seemed so perfect for each other but I was wrong, that wasn't a part of the master plan but I believe running into J.W is all a part of it, we just can't see the end yet. Still all will be revealed, I hear a car pulling into the parking lot and I think it's Jazz."

My mouth went dry again as I heard a car door slam and footsteps approach. Alice opened the door and I heard her cry of delight,

"Jazz, it's been too long but you're looking good."

"Alice, what the hell have you got involved in this time? I leave you alone and you find more ways to mess up."

They walked back in hand in hand as if still married and suddenly I felt uneasy, now where the hell had that come from and why?

"Major, long time no see."

Darius had turned in his seat and Jasper nodded in reply but his eyes had settled on me.

"Bella, I might have known you couldn't stay safely in the human world despite Edward's warnings to the contrary."

I shrugged smiling in embarrassment,

"I tried but the vampires seem drawn to me, or at least the area I'm in."

"Then I guess you'd better tell me all about it and about this stranger with my face. Peter told me the bare bones but I understand you know the full story so far."

He was different this Jasper, more commanding and self assured and I understood that when I'd known him before he stayed in the background and allowed Alice to make all the plays. Now I was seeing a glimpse of the real Major Jasper Whitlock and I think I preferred this version somehow, it was more real.

"OK, but I warn you I don't know very much."