Chapter Twenty Five

Jasper

I got Charlotte to take me back to the alley behind the store where I saw tire marks from a van presumably the one used to transport Peter but had it also been used for Bella? There was no way to be sure and I wasn't happy to go haring off to Mexico only to find Bella wasn't there. I knew Peter would have a hard time with Maria but she appreciated his skills far too much to destroy him besides, I thought he would be used to draw Charlotte and I to her but for now, I was forced to leave the big guy to his own devices. Charlotte saw that what I said was sensible but I knew it was killing her not knowing what was happening to him right now.

Carlisle still hadn't caught up with Alice so it seemed we'd have to make our own luck then Charlotte suggested going back into Bella's place just in case there was a clue she had overlooked and I accompanied her as far as the building but held back from going inside. The last thing we needed now was for both of us to fall into another trap.

Charlotte

The apartment was empty although I had expected nothing less, I had spoken to Kerri, Steve, and her boss at the hospital and told them all the same story. Bella was so upset about her friend's death that she had taken off for a couple of weeks. Of the three only Kerri looked at me with suspicion and I knew she didn't believe Bella would simply leave without a word knowing how upset she was about Chris' death but there was nothing else I could say that would help and finally, Kerri had stopped asking. She had been grateful for the loan of Bella's car as her own was now destroyed and I halted any more questions by telling her that Bella had flown home to her fathers and hadn't needed her car for a few weeks.

After a quick check of the rooms I was about to take my leave and then I saw it, on the table in the tiny hall where Bella usually kept her spare change and keys.

I picked it up to study it more closely and gasped, it was a photograph, a photograph of Bella tied up in what looked like the back of a van. On the reverse was scrawled a short message.

"Furlough is over Major. Back to duty. Maria X"

Oh god, Maria did have Bella and she was using her to lure The Major back. Perhaps his return was the price for Bella's life although I didn't rate her chances of survival high with Maria anyway. I just hoped she was with Peter, that would give her some comfort once she realized who he was or at least I hoped so although I had never told Bella about him so she might suspect he was lying.

I slipped the photo into my pocket and left the building but he saw the expression on my face and opened his hand to take the message that I pulled out and handed over. I heard him curse, saw the photograph crumpled in his fist, the fire in his eyes, and wondered if this time Maria had underestimated the situation and pushed him just a little too far.

Jasper

Now I knew the worst, Maria had Bella and the only way I could save her was by giving myself up. I didn't delude myself for one moment that Maria would set Bella free even when she had me in her hands but I hoped I could at least save Bella's life. Nothing else mattered to me, not my freedom not even my life

.Charlotte wanted to come with me but I didn't see the point in putting her in danger too, besides Peter would never have forgiven me. Maria would have two out of three, no need to give her the full house. I did ring Carlisle and ask for Emmett's cell number though. I knew my brother would be happy to help me, he never missed a chance at a fight, never minded the odds and I got the feeling he would do just about anything to make amends to Bella. Carlisle was reluctant to hand it over, he was only concerned in making sure Emmett wasn't arrested for the murder of Bella's friend but Esme overrode him, texting the number to me herself.

I arranged to meet him in San Antonio and he was only too glad to be getting out of the States with the police still hunting him as a person of interest in a murder. After picking him up and as we drove to the border I told Emmett all about Maria, Peter, and Bella. He just nodded at the news about my former leader and lieutenant but he was concerned about Bella.

"You think Maria will hurt Bella?"

"Not if she thinks holding her safe will bring me to her."

"Good, Bella doesn't deserve all this shit Jazz but can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Why you? I mean why are you so intent on keeping Bella safe? Why have you been watching over her all this time? From what I can remember you hardly said two words to each other when she was dating Edward."

I sighed, it wasn't easy to talk about, not even with Emmett but I owed him an answer.

"To be honest I didn't really understand myself Em, not at first. When we left after the party and Alice and I broke up I guess I felt guilty. I put her in danger and then it occurred to me that wasn't the only time. She sneaked out on my watch and almost got herself killed by James. She came so fucking close Emmett it made my blood run cold to think about it. That's when I realized she was still in danger even though we'd left her. James wasn't alone, he had two companions and from what I saw Victoria was the dangerous one. Why wouldn't she look for revenge when she found out what happened to James? It would have been the natural thing to do."

"Yeah, I know what you mean but she wasn't making it easy to make amends, I tried real hard."

"I never wanted her forgiveness Em, just her safety...at least that's what I told myself."

He eyed me closely and I saw a grin spread across his face.

"Way to go Jazz, you old dog, you fell for her didn't you? I always thought she was too good for Edward, he acted like a real ass hole around her."

"I'm guessing she doesn't know yet."

I shook my head,

"And she's not going to, she doesn't need to know why I'm helping her. I won't have her feeling that she owes me. OK, Emmett?"

There was silence and I glared at my brother,

"Right Emmett? Or should I kick your sorry ass out right now?"

He shrugged reluctantly,

"OK. If that's the way you want it but I can tell you that she already has the hots for you."

I looked at him in exasperation,

"What the fuck are you talking about Em? She hardly knows I exist."

He smiled and waggled his eyebrows,

"I saw the way she clung to your jacket when she woke up and the way she wanted to know where you were. She may not know it yet but she's fallen hard bro'"

I hadn't factored that into my plans, could it be true that Bella was falling for me just as I had fallen for her? Wasn't that the kind of thing that only happened between vampires?

"Em, you're imagining things. Just keep your mouth shut around Bella or I'll rip out your tongue and feed it to a grizzly."

He nodded but the grin was still there on his face and my hand itched to wipe it off as I squeezed the steering wheel a little too hard hearing the plastic crack under the pressure.

Emmett

My brother had fallen for Bella Swan. Hot news story, hold the front page! I never thought of Jasper as a passionate man or even a ladies man, he'd always seemed too cold and aloof even when he was with Alice. I mean I saw odd flashes of the real guy when we went hunting on our own but that was unusual. Alice had kept him on a pretty tight leash and in our ignorance we'd thought that was for his own good but I wasn't so sure now but Jazz and Bella?

He'd kept a good distance between himself and her most of the time like I said I couldn't remember him actually addressing her in all the time she was going out with Edward except to answer a direct question or when Alice included him in a discussion. Of course, there had been the little side trip to Phoenix that went so spectacularly wrong. Had he realized he wanted her then? Or had it really come as a bolt outta the blue more recently? I wondered.

We didn't talk much after that, each lost in our thoughts I guess. I was prayin' hard that we'd get there in time and that Jazz would find a way to save Bella and his friend then get the hell outta Dodge. To see him happy and settled with Bella would be good and maybe that way I would get a second, no wait, make that a third, chance, to make amends. I really missed having Bella as a friend.