AN: In case you haven't read Independence Day, I just wanted to point out that my Charlotte is not the girl from the movie. I have a link on my bio, but I think Amanda Seyfriend is absolutely perfect for Char. Seriously, huge girl-crush here.

Disclaimer: All characters belong to their respective authors. Chris and Elsa are astonishingly real; Amber is all mine.

Hey Girl- Chapter 25

While Peter was busy taking charge, Bella hovered close to Elsa. The unfamiliar vampires were making her nervous, and she needed someone familiar to distract her. "So, what happened before we got here?" Bella asked quietly.

Elsa pulled her closer to Peter, and away from Diego's coven. She didn't really trust her neighbors to the west, but she knew better than to tell her newborn friend that. Bella's instincts would be on high alert already.

"Jasper got here about a minute after Diego showed up, dropping everybody with a huge wave of pain and fear. We heard his roar next—I really do think he was trying to warn us back—and he ran straight to Charlotte, growling and snarling like a rabid dog," Elsa spoke quietly, glancing at the pair.

Charlotte was sitting up on Jasper's lap now, leaning heavily against his chest. The numerous open wounds on her body were beginning to close, and Jasper leaned over to clean them periodically. Jace was sitting near her feet and it didn't look like she had seen him yet. The boy's eyes were shiny with venom tears as he stared at her face.

"Anyway," Elsa continued, "the Major grabbed Charlotte and carried her further away. We were afraid for a minute he would take her and run, but he stopped when Jace walked into his line of sight.

"He dropped down to his knees and began to check her over, tending her wounds." It was exactly what the Major was doing now. He knew the blood she'd consumed would speed her healing a bit, but his venom as her sire and mate would help even more.

Bella looked back at Elsa when the older vampire let out a quiet growl and clenched her fists hard enough that her nails dug into her marble skin. "Jace suddenly went flying into the trees and we didn't know what was wrong until Diego pulled us to the side and told us. She wasn't just dismembered and buried. She was buried for a reason.

"The assholes who attacked her … they … they hurt her." Elsa spoke cryptically, begging with her eyes for Bella to understand without her having to say it out loud. In a sudden flash of understanding, the pieces came together. Charlotte had been raped.

"We think they buried her instead of burning her because they planned to come back for her later." Elsa's eyes hardened to flint when she looked back to see Peter beginning to approach the group. "I'm glad they're ash. I would kill them myself for what they did to her."

Bella shivered at Elsa's dark tone, and at the thought of all Charlotte had been through. Seeing her there with Jasper made her jealousy fade a bit, and she began feel compassion for the woman she had been viewing as a rival.

Peter caught Jace's attention as he slowly approached his sire and former companion. He still had no idea how Charlotte was alive, but he was not going to question the gift.

He jerked his head to urge Jace to step back—he didn't want the boy caught in the potential crossfire. Char would tan both their hides once she figured out who he was. "Major?" he called softly, trying to keep his posture and voice as non-threatening as possible.

Bella let out a frightened squeak and took two steps toward her mate when Jasper answered with a decidedly feral roar. Elsa grabbed her, and Jace waved her back as well. "Stay there, Sugar." Peter spoke quietly but authoritatively as he continued his steady forward progress.

"Major, you really need to calm down. Look at Charlotte." Peter's smooth voice was compelling without threatening the Major's sense of control.

Jasper didn't take his eyes off the perceived threat as he hugged his mate tighter to his chest. "Mine!" It was more of a gravelly growl than a word, but it got his message across loud and clear.

Peter chuckled and risked a glance at Charlotte as he was now close enough to see her worried face. He gave her a reassuring smile and winked. "I know that, Major. But I'm not sure if she knows that yet."

Jasper's face turned down almost instantly and he sampled Charlotte's emotional signature, upset by the fear and pain he sensed. Her confusion overwhelmed her other feelings, apart from a small taste of relief and love. He wasn't sure who the love was directed toward.

The whole group heaved a sigh of relief as Jasper's shoulders dropped and his constant growling finally ceased. He startled Charlotte once more when he tucked his face against her neck and shuddered with the stress and relief of it all. "Oh, Char darlin'. I thought you were gone. I thought I'd lost you forever. I'm so sorry, baby girl. So very sorry."

Charlotte reached a shaky hand to rest on Jasper's head, secretly enjoying his closeness while trying to sort out what was going on. She'd fought as hard as she could against the strange vampires that pulled her from her underground prison. The leader—Diego—claimed that he knew Peter and Jasper, though he didn't win her confidence by referring to them by their military titles.

She'd imagined many horrors during the years she spent buried—she assumed that Maria was using her life as a bargaining chip to bring her boys back home to Texas. She had no idea that Peter was actually the one in charge nowadays.

They'd tried to explain things to her on the run to Austin, but her mind was muddled with thirst and pain, and then there was nothing but chaos once Jasper arrived. She'd surrendered to his tender care, worried about Peter since their sire was here instead. She tried to remember what she'd been told, but all the words and strange faces ran together.

Once she'd fed she realized just how intimately Jasper was cradling her. She shifted her body and realized he'd tended her wounds everywhere, and she worried how Peter might react to that knowledge.

She began to fear for Peter when she heard him arrive and witnessed Jasper's violent reaction. She didn't want either of her boys hurt, especially not over her. Something was different though. Peter wasn't acting jealous, and he wasn't trying to get Char away from Jasper. He also had someone with him. Sugar.

On some level she understood that they believed she was dead, but it still hurt a bit to think that Peter had moved on without her. She didn't get to think on that for long before Jasper dropped the possessive bomb and Peter agreed with him!

When Jasper finally came back to himself, Peter walked closer to kneel beside them. He tentatively put a light hand on Charlotte's head, triggering another, more feminine, growl from the group gathered nearby. "Hey, Char."

The two words conveyed so much emotion—an apology, a decade's worth of regret, a lifetime of affection, and a sense of goodbye. They'd always been the best of friends, and time hadn't diminished their ability to communicate without words. She knew that whatever had happened, she had lost her place in Peter's life.

"Jas," Peter called, bringing his brother's eyes to his face. "We have something to help Char get better, and then I think we have some introductions to make."

She didn't understand the look the two exchanged, or the burst of guilt that Jasper couldn't contain. He looked back over his shoulder at someone she couldn't see and sighed heavily. "Yeah, okay. Can we do the hard part first, while she's still weak enough that she can't kill me?"

Peter's laughter warmed her heart, even as Jasper's rough hands soothed her spirit. She'd loved the Major as long as she could remember, but he'd pushed her at Peter from the first day she woke to this life. She never dreamed she might get the chance to have Jasper for herself. It was almost too good to be true.

As if he read her mind, he drew back slightly, helping her to sit up on his lap. She felt hurt by the distance he put between them, even though he was still holding her, supporting her, and he looked down at her in question when he felt the emotional change.

Jasper couldn't stop himself from leaning down to press a tender kiss to her forehead. He wanted more—much more—but he knew they needed to talk things through first. Shaking his head, he looked back at his captain. "Pete? You want to go first?"

Peter scowled briefly as his sire dodged the issue and glanced back at his mate, debating whether or not to bring her over. Elsa nodded, indicating that she thought the newborn was relatively in control, and he waved Bella forward.

She flew into his arms, leaving no question who Peter belonged to, and turned to face the battered blonde. "Charlotte, this is Bella Whitlock, my wife and mate."

Jasper squeezed her tightly when he felt the pang of loss and jealousy, but she couldn't let Peter see that. The brunette in his arms, however, missed nothing. Her red eyes stared right at Charlotte and she lifted her chin in a subtle challenge.

Charlotte was suddenly more aware of Jasper's comforting touch, and she leaned back to rest her head on his shoulder. She offered Peter's newborn a gentle smile and nodded. "Hello, Bella. It's very nice to meet you. I'm glad that Peter found you. Y'all look real happy together."

Bella searched her eyes carefully, looking for any hint of deception or defiance, but all she saw was a beautiful—if broken—vampire. Jasper's mate. In all her jealousy she had forgotten that little fact. She glanced up at the former Cullen to see him staring down at the woman in his arms with something akin to awe on his face.

A movement off to her right reminded her that the introductions were far from over. She shook herself and returned Charlotte's smile. "It's nice to meet you too. I've heard so much about you—from both these boys." She glanced up at Peter and over Char's head to Jasper. "But there's someone else you need to meet too."

Charlotte felt a wave of panic. Was she wrong? Did Jasper have a mate as well? How much were they going to dump on her at once? As quickly as it came, her worry was replaced with calm and a feeling of love so deep and steady that it took her breath away. Jasper lowered his forehead to touch hers when she turned to look at him. She didn't understand a lot of things, but she knew she needed to talk to Jasper soon.

Jasper tensed as the new couple joined their little group, and Bella put her arm around Clary while Peter rested a hand on Jace's shoulder. Using the same quiet voice he'd used when he approached the Major, Peter caught Charlotte's eye and nodded toward the boy. "Char, do you remember Jace?"

She froze with that one word as long-buried memories worked their way forward. A blue-eyed baby boy with chubby cheeks and soft blond peach fuzz. A sturdy toddler following his father around their farm, with dirty little feet and those dirty blond curls she couldn't bear to cut. Her eyes drank in the familiar face—changed as it was by time and venom—with a look of wonder. "Jace?"

She moved faster than any of them thought possible—one second she was seated on Jasper's lap, and the next she was standing shakily looking up into the face of her long-lost son. Jace reached for her automatically when she stumbled a bit, and his voice was husky with emotion when he answered. "Momma?"

Peter moved around to hold Jasper back when Jace pulled his mother into his arms and they both began to cry. Years of pain, confusion, and bitterness fell away with that single touch. They still had a lot to discuss, but finally holding each other again after all that time was enough for the moment.

Diego led Sabrina over to catch Peter's attention. He was still wary of Jasper, but he could maintain his dignity if he only addressed the Captain. "Do you want Sabrina to heal her now? We have the supplies ready."

Peter looked at Jasper, knowing he needed to defer on this, since it was his brother's mate they were discussing. Jasper straightened his posture and turned his dark eyes on his replacement.

Diego knew of Jasper's gift but he'd never experienced it in person, so he was caught off guard by the fear and intimidation he felt in the Major's presence. He wanted to do whatever was necessary to please this man and spare his fury.

"Jas, cut it out. He's under my authority, same as you." Peter noticed the emotional shift, as he was the most familiar with his brother's gift. He'd spent years studying Jasper's power. "Now answer his question."

Jasper glared at his brother, not intimidating him at all, and turned back to the vampires in question. "Sorry, just had to check," he grunted, not looking the least bit sorry. "You're sure it won't hurt Char any?"

Diego frowned, still not thrilled with the Major's reception, but he knew this was a good opportunity to ingratiate himself with the brothers. "Yeah, it seems to be safe for the recipient. Sabrina will need to feed but your woman should be fine."

When they brought out the fresh bags of blood, Peter knew he had to get Bella out of the way. She could start a small war if her instincts made her try to interfere. He led her away as Charlotte sat down between Jasper and Jace, with Diego's coven facing them. Sabrina squeezed her mate's hand in reassurance and reached toward the injured female.

The rest of the group watched in awe as Charlotte began to twitch. Her wounds that had gone untended for more than ten years were itching slightly as the skin knit together with the help of Jasper's venom and Sabrina's gift. Jace's eyes were glued to a particularly raw wound on her upper thigh as it slowly closed, not even leaving a hint of a scar.

Charlotte was wearing nothing but Jasper's t-shirt and he reached down to lift the sleeve to check the progress of her limbs as they completed the process of reattachment. His eyes fell open in shock as the angry red line around the around the base of her neck filled in and smoothed out without leaving a mark.

Both men reached for their own necks, meeting eyes over her head as they thought back to their own times of punishment under the same evil woman. Neither begrudged Charlotte's perfect healing—they were grateful that they woman they loved would not have to bear those painful scars for the rest of her days. They turned back to thank the gifted vampire, shocked to see her suddenly deteriorated appearance.

Charlotte pulled her hands back, breaking the connection between them as she noticed how much her healing had cost the other vampire. Sabrina waved off their concerns as she reached for the bagged blood. "I'm fine. Just thirsty—that's all." Josh scooped her into his arms and carried her further away to feed.

With her injuries fully healed, Charlotte looked around with new eyes. She saw Jasper's adoring gaze, Jace's wonder and disbelief, and the cute little redhead that must be her daughter-in-law? Peter and his mate had disappeared, something she understood but hoped to address later. She wanted to befriend the girl who'd captured Peter's heart.

Jasper reached to twine his fingers with her and she rounded on him at once, fire in her eyes and her hands on her hips. "Jasper Whitlock, you have some explaining to do!"

AN: That last line is a tribute to a comment I received a few chapters back, but for the life of me I can't find it now! So if it was you, then thank you! Let me know and I'll give you a nod ;)

Oh, I know they didn't get much together time this chapter, but Pete and Bella will kick off the next chapter with a bang...