I don't own Twilight, Stephanie Meyers does.
Chapter 25
"Damn!" Jasper swore as he felt Charlie's emotions turn from fear and determination to pain.
"Sam, Leah is hurt I need you and Emily to get here as soon as possible!" Bella was crying into the phone as she looked at the unconscious girl in Jasper's arms.
Jasper's mind was racing as he took stock of the situation with his senses. He could smell the rogue vampire on the both of them. Leah smelt of blood, he saw some blood on her lips but no open wounds. She could be bleeding internally. He set her on the bed in Charlie's bedroom gently and turned to Bella who fluttered behind him worriedly.
"Stay with her, I'm going to find out what's wrong with Charlie." Jasper told her.
Bella looked torn and he knew she wanted to be with her father. He spared her a small smile trying to comfort her. He felt her relief and trust in him and he prayed that what he feared hadn't happened.
He knelt at Charlie's side. He could already smell the foreign venom. He examined him carefully and found the wound on his wrist to be the only one. It wasn't a deep bite but the vampire had injected his venom. He probably meant to incapacitate Charlie. Jasper was amazed that Charlie had somehow managed to bring Leah here and elude the rogue.
At those thoughts Jasper looked around, allowing his senses to look for the vampire. He growled low in his throat as he sensed him. The vampire was definitely male, he was angry, panicked and on his way here.
Jasper picked up Charlie and tried to ignore his groan of pain. Charlie's emotions were all over the place. Pain, regret, loneliness, fear. Jasper closed his eyes and tried to send Charlie some peace. It was hard to send someone an emotion he didn't feel and Charlie had years of familiarity with him. His efforts were fruitless.
"It's going to be okay Charlie. Leah is alright and Bella is waiting for you." Jasper told him hoping his words would comfort him where his power hadn't.
Charlie's groaning stopped but his emotions still burned. Jasper set him down on his bed beside Leah. Charlie wasn't thrashing and he seemed to calm a bit more, as did Leah. He wanted them to be in the same place as he went to meet this vampire.
"Bella stay in here with your father. The vampire is on his way here and I need you safe while I deal with him." Jasper told her as he looked over at his woman. She was so afraid, he knew she had a hundred questions to ask him but he didn't have time to answer them right now.
He reached out and caressed her cheek. She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. He felt her trust and love. He prayed that it would be justified.
"Be safe." She whispered sending him her love.
He let it wash over him and turned from her. The vampire was almost here and he let his anger out, projecting it. He took off his jacket and his shirt. He wanted to show all his scars. This bastard had hurt people he cared about. People he protected, he put on his game face and walked out the door.
It didn't take long for the vampire to appear and Jasper growled loudly at the man. He felt a moment of reluctant admiration as the man stood his ground in spite of the sight of him and the amount of anger he was projecting. Jasper had never met another who had been able to withstand such an onslaught without running in terror.
It didn't matter though this vampire was a bastard and was going to die. Jasper charged forward and threw a punch at the stationary man. The vampire went flying into a nearby tree. He laid on the ground by the tree not moving. Jasper felt his fear and resolution.
The man didn't even try to defend himself. He didn't move to run as Jasper approached him again. Jasper was so angry he could hardly see straight but the man's actions and emotions were starting to reach him through his blur of rage and Jasper hesitated delivering the killing blow. Instead he settled for tearing the man's arms off.
"Speak!" Jasper demanded barely controlling the urge to rip the vampire apart.
The vampire looked at him through a haze of pain. Jasper watched him as he began to think through his options. He knew the moment that the man decided to tell him the truth and waited impatiently for him to begin. He needed to be in the house with Charlie and Bella not out here listening to the man responsible for their pain. Something about the man though made him pause and listen.
"I was changed during the revolutionary war. I've been around a long time and I have heard of you. Believe me when I say I didn't want to piss you off." The man began.
"I came here in search of answers. I ran into dead ends till this last contact, but the bastard tried to extort me for more money. We argued…and…well I won the argument but I lost the book he promised." The vampire tried to sit up a bit but it was difficult without arms.
"I knew you were in the area and I smelt you on chief Swan. So I tried to keep clear of him and his deputy. The deputy interrupted my search of the bastard's campsite. I had no choice but to leave and come back later. Unfortunately Charlie came back too. He found the diary. The last thing I wanted was for him to take it and put it in some evidence folder so I made my presence known. As I said I didn't want to cross you so I tried talking to him. We had actually settled our dispute. He was about to give me the diary and I was about to leave the area when a large gray wolf attacked me. I fought back, Chief Swan pulled a Taser on me. I didn't think the Taser would actually injure me but it could hurt me enough to let the wolf finish me off." The man paused.
"I didn't mean to turn him. I just wanted to incapacitate him. I bit his wrist and injected a bit of venom. I thought it was enough to keep him out of the fight. I planned on finishing the wolf and then sucking out the venom before it could change him. Believe me I didn't want you angry with me but Chief Swan is one tough son of a bitch. He somehow managed to fight through the pain, grabbed the Taser and shot me. I don't know what he did to that Taser but it took me a while to recover. I've never been shot with that much electricity before. It's very painful." The man said with a grimace.
Jasper couldn't help his grin of pride. Charlie was a strong man.
"I don't even know how he managed to get that wolf down here when he should have been suffering through the change." The man shook his head in admiration.
"I knew he was coming to you. I knew you would probably kill me but I had to come. Killing a man is one thing, but leaving him to change? No, I never have done that and I never will. I came here to help him through the change and help him deal with the effects." The man finished his story.
Jasper studied the man, he believed his story. The truth was he could use some help. He had no doubt Bella would want to change to be with her father. She had only been waiting to gain as much time with him as she could. He really didn't think finishing school was going to stop her desire to change.
He was going to have to take Charlie away. Whether deeper into the woods or into another state, he had to get him away from this area. Charlie would be very upset if he hurt someone from town.
Jasper's anger rose again at that thought, Charlie hadn't wanted to change. He was going to have trouble adjusting and if Bella changed too, Jasper would have trouble concentrating on anyone else but her. He had helped many new born vampires their first year but he had done it with threats of pain and death. He couldn't do that with Bella and Charlie.
Jasper turned to the man on the ground. "What's your name?" He demanded.
"Garrett." The man answered.
Jasper nodded then proceeded to tear off one of his legs. Garrett deserved some pain for all that he had caused. He picked up his limbs and put them on the porch. He stopped for a minute and tore off his right hand. He had bitten Charlie's right hand and Jasper would be keeping that hand for a while. Then he went over and picked up the man and brought him into the house. He dumped him on a chair and walked into the bedroom.
Charlie was groaning but he seemed a little calmer with Leah next to him. Every once in a while he would catch his murmurs. He mentioned Renee, Bella and Leah, though he called Leah, little Leah.
Bella walked into his arms and held him tight. He felt her love and trust.
"The vampire's name is Garrett. He was searching the area for a diary when he ran into your father. Your father put up more of a fight than he expected. He didn't mean to turn Charlie and he's come back to fix his error." Jasper told her.
Bella looked up in horror. "He was going to kill him?" She gasped.
"No he was going to help him through the change and his newborn year." Jasper explained.
He could almost see the wheels in her head turning.
"We could use his help, couldn't we?" She asked.
"Are you going to want to change?" Jasper asked.
"I don't want to leave dad for a year and I would have to wouldn't I? Who knows what Edward is up to so you can't leave me alone for a year and I can't be around newborn Charlie as a human. But it would hard for you to help us by yourself." She told him.
Jasper hadn't even thought about Edward. He could easily hunt him down and deal with him but he didn't think Bella would like that. He rubbed a hand on his face. He wished he knew if he could trust Garrett. He felt he could but it was such a big gamble.
"Is he trustworthy?" Bella asked. She was so open, so trusting. He knew she would trust Garrett in spite of his attack on her father, was it the right thing though?
"He came back in spite of knowing it meant death to him. He seems honorable, but I don't like taking chances with your lives." Jasper told her.
"I trust you." Bella told him.
Her words and emotions filled him. Jasper leaned down and kissed her. He didn't think he could love anyone more than he loved her. He heard some barks and growls in the background and let her go reluctantly.
"The pack is here." He said. Bella nodded her eyes slightly glassy.
He walked into the living room just as Sam was entering. Sam shifted at the sight of Garrett in the chair and Jasper jumped in front of him before he could attack.
"Leah is hurt and I need this man. He won't hurt anyone like he is and trust me it hurts having your limbs ripped off." Jasper told him quickly.
It wasn't his words that got through to Sam though it was the fact that he was still shirtless his scars plain to see. In the excitement he had forgotten to put his shirt back on. It hurt a bit that after all this time Sam was still afraid of him. It was understandable but still it stung.
Jasper grabbed his hoodie and put it on before the rest of the pack made it through the door. There were growls and Jasper had to stop Paul from attacking.
"Sam go to Leah. Charlie is changing and I need to get him far away from this place." Jasper bit out. He really didn't want to deal with the teenage shifters right now.
The other wolves started to back out the door but Jasper stopped Jacob.
"I could use your help." He told him. Jacob shifted and reached for his shorts. Jasper waited for him then beckoned him to follow him.
"Bella could you please pack a bag for you and your father?" Jasper asked her. She nodded and went immediately to complete her task.
"Sam I don't think Leah should be moved right now. I think she may have internal injuries. I'm taking Bella and her father away. I could use Jacob's help transporting Charlie and Garrett." Jasper said. He wasn't about to give Garrett his mobility till he was sure of him. Part of him was hoping the vampire would give him an excuse to burn him.
Sam looked stunned by all of it but he nodded numbly. Jasper threw a phone at him.
"Why don't you call Emily? She should be able to help." Jasper told him. He figured Sam could use Emily's presence right now.
Jasper walked over and picked up Charlie as gently as he could. Charlie groaned in pain and his emotions flew as he was separated from Leah. Jasper hesitated for a moment. He looked at Sam, studying him. There was no way Sam would let them take Leah.
He didn't even try to argue he just carried Charlie to the car. He returned and took Garrett out to, he carried him much rougher than he had Charlie. When he was done he saw Bella coming out to the porch with a bag and Jacob behind her carrying another. He was glad she hadn't packed too much. He loaded the trunk then ushered them into the car.
He felt regret from Bella as they drove off. He reached for her hand and pulled it on to his lap before bringing it to his lips and kissing her palm.
"We will come back darlin'." He told her.
Bella nodded then snuggled into his side. He prayed as he drove. Prayed that Garrett was trustworthy. Prayed that Charlie didn't wake up a totally changed man.
He had seen that happen many times though generally the individual did show signs of something off in their emotions before the change. Would Charlie's unwillingness to be a vampire make him an angry vampire? That could be dangerous. He should turn around and send Bella to live with the pack for his newborn year but the truth was he couldn't be away from her for that long and he couldn't leave his friend to face the change alone. No he was doing all he could and he was just going to have to pray that it would turn out alright.
Leah was lost in the pain. It was all her fault. Charlie was hurt because of her. She knew when he carried her. She could feel his cool skin, hear his harsh breathing and smell his woodsy scent.
She had never known his scent before the change. Now though…he smelled so good she had to be near him. Had to have his scent. Something was wrong though, there was a sweet scent coming from him. It was small at first but it was starting to overpower the woodsy scent she loved.
She felt when he laid her down, when the engine started. She was tossed in the back seat as the car raced to where she wasn't sure. Then the engine stopped and she was in his arms again. The sweet scent was getting stronger by the moment and she could now smell Jasper and Bella nearby.
She wished she could move when arms as cold as ice and as strong as steel held her. She wanted Charlie back but she couldn't move, couldn't voice her wants.
She felt her panic rise as they laid her on a bed alone. She calmed when she felt Charlie lay beside her. His smell was still changing but it didn't matter she needed him near her. She heard talking but ignored it. She listened to Charlie's breathing and muttering, she hated when he mentioned Renee. That woman never deserved him.
They took Charlie again and this time though she waited he didn't come back. Leah fought, she needed to get to him, and she needed her body to respond. How long she fought she was unsure but finally she was able to open her eyes. She saw Sam sitting in a chair by the bed dozing.
The sight of him no longer caused her pain. She didn't want him anymore. She had never wanted him as she much as she wanted Charlie. She had settled for him when it seemed Charlie was out of reach. Now there was no choice in the matter. There would be no settling. There was only Charlie for her and she needed him.
Painfully she sat up. She was careful to not make a sound and her desperation seemed to help her as she moved out of the room without disturbing Sam. She made it out of the house without Emily noticing. Only Sam and Emily seemed to be in the house. Leah guessed the pack was patrolling.
She quickly shifted and scented the air. She couldn't pick up a scent. They must have left by car. It didn't matter she knew which way they were headed. Her instincts guided her as she turned and began to run down the road. It was painful but she was determined. Her wounds would heal but her mate needed her and she would find him.