Rekindles Ashes

Chapter 26: No Rest for the Wicked

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, sadly, otherwise I would have a nice log cabin in the woods where I would be a complete recluse and write until my heart was content. Instead, I have a full time job! So, that being said, the characters all belong to Stephenie Meyer, but the story came from my twisted little mind. Rated M.

I'm gonna leave my body (Moving up to higher ground)
I'm gonna lose my mind (History keeps pulling me down)
Said I'm gonna leave my body (Moving up to higher ground)
I'm gonna lose my mind (History keeps pulling me, pulling me down)

Leave My Body by Florence + The Machine

Bella was reluctant to let go of the moment between her and Jasper. Tangled up in his arms on the bed was something she could never have tired of, but they didn't have the luxury of wasting time. Even with Edward and Angela off doing . . . Well, whatever it was they were doing, they still needed to talk to the family about utilizing the wolves. The only saving grace for Bella was the fact that Jasper seemed as reluctant as she was to leave their little cocoon.

It was a wonder that none of the girls had wandered into the room, but the moment they hit the bottom of the stairs it was obvious that they'd had the a little help. Emmett and Rosalie were in the backyard running around with the girls. Emmett was more involved in getting Fwend to join in. He'd been making some progress with the Labradoodle, but he was still cautious if the vampires became too rambunctious.

Bella joined Esme who stood at the kitchen looking out over the yard with a small smile gracing her lips. It was obvious to Bella that the vampire was content with the family's expansion. A full house seemed to be something that kept the mother figure happy.

"Hey," Bella grinned, knowing that Esme had heard her coming long before she arrived. There was no sneaking up on a vampire. Their hearing and sense of smell gave Bella away long before she got close enough to even attempt scaring them.

Esme offered Bella a smile and wrapped one arm around her waist, which Bella reciprocated as though they were mother and daughter. As much as Bella missed her parents, as much as she knew there would never be a substitute for her zany, hair-brained mom, Esme seemed to ease the void that sometimes threatened to make a black hole in Bella's chest.

"Has Alice seen anything?"

"Nothing more," Esme sighed. "It seems both groups are reluctant to make a decision. With any luck they'll stay as far away for as long as possible. Though from what Jasper's said in the past, it's not likely Maria will delay for too long."

Both women turned their heads to Jasper who sat at the kitchen table spinning the syrup bottle at dizzying speeds.

"She not known for her patience, but she's not going to run in without a plan either. I can't see her doing much until she has a big enough army, unless of course something triggers her to make the decision. If we start working on building defenses sooner rather than later, we may have a better chance at getting an advantage."

It made sense. From what Jasper had told Bella about Maria, she didn't seem the impulsive type when it came to risking her life. From what Bella could see and had heard, Maria had no qualms about risking others lives in her stead. If they could get everything in order, channel the attacking vampires into an area they could use to their advantage, then there was a chance they would be victorious.

"What did you do?" Alice shouted. She was a blur of speed as she rushed up from the basement. Her features were contorted in frustration, her eyes flickering between Bella and Jasper. "I'm blind. I can't see a damn thing. I thought only the girls were coming. Why the hell would you invite the mutts, you know I can't see past their weirdness?"

Bella looked to Jasper. Though it appeared he would be no help, his amusement was written clearly on his face. Alice not being able to see past the wolves was problematic, but it didn't hinder her from seeing decisions about the Volturi or Maria. As much as she hated repeating the news, she knew they needed an explanation.

"Sophie married Paul," Bella said with a sigh. She still wasn't exactly thrilled about the whole thing, but her epiphany had given her some insight. "He won't leave her side, and the pack won't leave him alone here. Jacob thinks there's safety in numbers."

"And he's not wrong," Jasper added, silencing both Esme and Alice's retorts on their surprise over the nuptials. "Bella had an idea that I want to discuss with you but I think it's best we wait for the girls to go to bed. We don't want to let them know there's something wrong. We need to keep things as normal as possible for them until the last moment."

Bella held his gaze for the longest time. She hadn't thought much on what to tell the girls or even when to let them know what could be coming. She realized she'd have to tell Sophie all of the details, but she wished the younger girls could be spared of this altogether. They'd all become so comfortable in their new home the thought of changing that broke her heart. Stacey was spending longer and longer in her own bed and the moment she realized there was danger, Bella knew she would revert to sleeping with her all night.

It wasn't that she didn't want Stacey with her; she'd grown accustomed to having the little girl curled into her side like an abandoned kitten. She just couldn't do it forever. No matter how much she wanted Stacey to keep her childhood.

Bella hadn't realized how much though Jasper had put into this; how much he'd attuned to her needs, which equated to the girls needs. It was all another sign of how good Bella knew him to be. She knew his past was shrouded in darkness, but the man she knew, the man that was considering not just her feelings but the girls as well, was a far cry from who he had been.

"It's probably best. You could have warned me though," Alice sighed, distracting Bella from Jasper. "For now though, we need to get out there and try to get some defenses up. We also need to start moving things from the basement. I think it's going to be the safest place for the humans when the shit hits the fan. There's no windows and we can defend the one entry."

Alice stared off out the window, and for a moment Bella thought she was watching the girls with Rosalie or formulating layouts and testing the outcome of her decisions. It wasn't until Jasper pushed his chair back and approached her that Bella realized Alice was seeing something. He moved to her slowly, his hands hovering over hers as her blank eyes stared at nothing. The moment she blinked, he gripped her hands in his.

"That's unfortunate timing," she sighed. "It seems we may have some new humans to protect. If we get there quickly we may be able to evacuate them before . . ."

Her voice trailed off into nothing, but the look that passed between her and Jasper said it all. Whatever it was, she wasn't sure whether she could say it in front of Bella, but Jasper didn't seem to have the same reservations.

"Maria?" Jasper asked, immediately understanding her frustration.

"We have twenty four hours. You think you could coax a couple of humans into talking some sense into them?" Alice asked Bella.

"I can do it."

"No," Jasper said gently, dropping Alice's hands and making his way to where Bella was still stood next to Esme. "Please. It's too risky with Maria being around. I don't want her knowing about you until she absolutely has to. I know you can handle yourself," he said, cutting off Bella's attempts to interject. "But you need to trust me with this. The less she knows about you, the longer we can put her off and get prepared."

He had her and Bella knew it. There was no way she was going to endanger the girls without any time to prepare. If Maria knew about her and headed north there was a chance they would get there at the same time. Bella couldn't knowingly put the girls at risk like that, especially with Maria having an army, and Jasper knew it. She knew he wasn't being malicious, but it didn't make her feel any better.

"At least the wolves will be here." Bella sighed with frustration. "And if you're going to take someone, Kelly's your best bet. I think she's the only one that can convince people that they'll be safe here."

Frustrated, Bella gave Esme a squeeze and slipped past Jasper before heading out into the yard where the rain had apparently stopped. She knew she couldn't blame Jasper, that he was trying to protect her from someone he'd know well a long time ago, but what frustrated her the most was knowing he would do everything in his power to protect her once Maria made the decision to attack. Nobility aside, he was going to get them both hurt because of it. If anything would tip Maria off it would be him creating a diversion.

Jasper caught up with her as she hit the bottom step, he kept pace with her but didn't say a word. After the morning she'd had with him, she really could have done without this. She just wanted to bask in their time together. She wanted to enjoy their moment without the constant threat of impending doom. After everything that had happened in the world, it seemed wrong that their lives were once again on the line; all because some hungry vampires wanted to replenish their strength to attack an aristocracy.

"I'm sorry," Jasper finally said, his voice full of remorse. It was yet another testament to how well he knew her.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," she answered. It may not have been how she felt but it was the truth. He was trying to protect them all, and she couldn't fault him for that.

"Other than frustrating you again," he replied, his arms winding around her waist and pulling her to him. It was the first display of affection they'd had out in the open like this. Bella could see some of the girls giggling as they stopped their trek to the tree house.

"That's for me to deal with, Jasper," Bella admitted, her hands resting lightly on his chest as she looked up at him. "You're protecting us, I'm the one that has to get used to not being that person anymore."

"If it was anyone other than Maria, you know I wouldn't stop you."

"I know, but you can't protect me forever. Not if she's going to end up here anyway. It's not like I want to meet her and listen to the shit she's inevitably going to use to goad me into a fight or lure me away."

"You've never met her, yet you know how she operates."

"It's a sign of a jealous woman. A vindictive, powerful and jealous woman."

"A dangerous combination. I would much prefer you to never have to face her, but she will look for you. She'll look for the one I am trying to protect. She already knows that there's someone in my life. She picked up on it last time."

"Then be careful."

"Only if you are."

Bella's eyes widened as he grinned at her. She was curious as to what he was referring to, whether he was warning her away from another capture of a freak human like Brandon or something else she wasn't sure. Even under his antagonistic smile, she could see the seriousness there, the real warning.

"Elaborate."

"Jacob's in love with you. I'd really hate to kill your friend if he pulled some wolf voodoo on you to make you reciprocate."

Surprised, Bella threw her head back and laughed. Her hands slid up his chest and around his neck until her fingers linked together. The shyness of her feelings for him were thrown out of the window now. She pushed up on her toes and gave him a chaste kiss, her lips barely brushing his, but it was enough for the girls to cheer her on.

"See, you have back up," she grinned. "And I like to think I'm not that easily swayed."

.o.O.o.

Jasper could feel the emotions she was sending to him as she spoke the words. The words and even the intonation didn't hold the innuendo; it was the emotion she put behind it that screamed at him. She wanted to finish what they started before he left, and though it would have made him happy to do so, he could hear the others getting ready inside the house.

"I wish we had more time," he mumbled, brushing his lips against hers sending another wave of catcalls and giggles from the girls. When he pulled back, Bella's eyes were still closed and a smile curled her lips. "I promise, when we get back, we'll spend more time together."

Bella nodded, her eyes fluttering open. Jasper could see her long eyelashes dancing along the skin and had to tear himself away. Almost as though she knew, Bella smiled and fluttered them a few times.

"Hurry back."

Jasper forced himself away from her side. One quick motion to Rosalie and Emmett and they followed him inside the house. Carlisle was already stood in the kitchen with Bella's radio in his hand.

"I asked the wolves to come now. If we take Rose and Angela, then we won't need their back up. Edward already elaborated on the plan you and Bella concocted. If Maria shows up and finds them with us again she'll realize the wolves are allies. We can't risk that."

As much as Jasper loathed the though of the wolves being there while they were gone, he trusted Bella to keep them in line. He'd seen her handling Jacob Black as though he were a pesky little brother. Jacob may have been in love with her, but he respected her, something Bella was clueless about.

There was only one stop on the way to the airport, and that was to pick up Kelly. Other than that the journey was quick. When they landed in the airport in New Mexico, Jasper suddenly realized that Maria's path was finally taking her north, in the direction of the Cullen's home. It made him uneasy, but with any luck they would get the humans out long before she arrived. Without the wolves hindering Alice's vision, it was easy for her to pinpoint Maria's location.

"She's near the border, heading fast and hard in this direction. She knows they need to feed if she's going to fight us."

Jasper rubbed the back of his neck as they headed in the direction of the human stronghold. They had no idea what was coming for them, but he hoped Kelly could do some fast talking to get them out of there before Maria got any closer.

"Will we get out before she gets here?"

"I won't know until the humans make a decision, Jasper. You should know that by now."

Garrett snorted from her other side, his hand encasing hers as they ran toward the small human colony. The closer they became, the more nervous Jasper was. The group had holed themselves up in a military base, which made them having weapons inevitable. It had been the same when they'd approached Bella and her friends, but the threat had been forgotten once he'd met Bella. It wasn't going to be that easy this time. Even though modern weaponry wasn't a threat to them, they had Kelly in their midst and protecting her would be paramount.

"Oh this is gonna be fun," Emmett laughed as we slowed by a guarded gate. There were two men with military standard rifles aimed at us. From the look they were giving us, we were unwelcome. Emmett had been trying to get to the closest base to Forks for a while. He'd wanted a tank to play with, but Rosalie, now they had children around, was never going to allow that.

"What do you want?" One of the men asked as the group slowed. It was easy to feel his nervous energy, it had assaulted Jasper the moment they'd come into view. They didn't like change. Jasper could only imagine how long they'd been alone. It wasn't like anyone chose to come to the desert.

"To help you," Kelly offered, taking the initiative. "We don't have long before you're going to be attacked. We have a community up north, we can protect you and supply you with food and homes."

"You've got to be kidding me," the second guard said, lowering his gun. His impetuousness was obviously brought on with his view of them. He apparently thought they'd lost their minds. Jasper could understand this sudden incredulousness, but the ease at which the man had let down his guard, only seemed to strengthen his resolve to get them to listen. Maria wouldn't play around, she would demand entrance, once refused she would kill them before they'd realize she'd moved.

"This isn't a joke. You're in danger. Believe me, sir, my group and I thought these guys were fucking around too and it almost got us killed. You don't have long to believe me, but we have a plane waiting to take you somewhere comfortable. Are you going to let us in and listen to what we have to say? Or do we have to force our way in and make you listen?"

"Force . . ." The man had been in the process of raising his gun at the threat, but before he could comfortably get it anywhere near being raised, Emmett had him in a headlock, his grin showing how easy it had been.

"Are you ready to listen?" Kelly asked smugly, cocking her hip as her wizened eyes took in the fear that was rolling from the man in waves. His friend hadn't moved, and was clearly in shock.

"What are you?"

"That's better to be discussed in front of the whole group. We're not here to hurt you, all we ask is that you listen."

"Then why the hell am I being manhandled?"

"To prove a valid point."

"Fine!"

The man was released from Emmett's hold, but rather than moving to let them past, he spun and directed the gun at Emmett's chest. Right where his heart was laid unbeating. In his defense, the guy had no idea what or who he was messing with. He was just lucky he had the most good-natured one of them confronting him. Jasper doubted the reception would have been quite so fun had a gun been turned on Garrett or himself. Thankfully, Emmett was the one in control. He stepped toward the gun with a glint in his eye and crushed the barrel of the gun as easily as a human could have squashed a cotton boll.

"You're wasting time," Kelly growled in a voice Jasper hadn't heard her use since she'd confronted Brandon.

"I don't buy the Terminator 'Come with me if you want to live,' bullshit."

"Get over yourself," Rosalie snapped, finally stepping forward. "The world has changed. It's not fair, blah, blah, blah, but we're not in some apocalyptic movie that you will come out on top. In fact, you should think more about . . . From Dusk Til Dawn or Buffy, if you want it in terms of pop culture."

The guy laughed almost maniacally. Had it not been for the other humans inside Jasper would have suggested they let them be vampire chow, but he couldn't let this asshole speak for the group. He was also worried about time.

"Alice?"

"We have plenty of time, but if we don't want to have a meet and greet, sooner would be better than later."

Kelly's eyes zeroed in on the man that was still laughing. "By force it is then."

The majority of the group moved in. It took all of two seconds to be stood on the other side of the gate with the two men restrained. Carlisle and Esme walked with Kelly and helped her over the barrier they'd created. The two men were silent now that they'd been overwhelmed in less time that it took to blink. The self-appointed speaker had long since sobered from his hysterics.

"Where's the rest of your group?" Carlisle asked politely, ever the diplomat.

The silence that followed was more than enough to know they were on their own. Jasper, instead, sent out his emotional feelers and felt the fear tingle against him from one of the barracks a couple of blocks down.

"There," he pointed, and Edward nodded his agreement, more than likely discerning their thoughts. He took Angela's hand and started forward, but stopped, obviously hearing a contemplation he wasn't entirely impressed with.

"You will treat our women with respect," he growled, his eyes narrowing into slits. "You will also hold off your idiotic theories. You're giving me a headache."

It was almost laughable considering vampires didn't get headaches, but it seemed to stun the guard into submission. Night was quickly closing in over the desert, and the sound of the nightlife began to fill the dry air as they headed toward the barracks. Jasper just hoped that this would be done and over with before the sun rose. A new day meant progress on Maria's movements, and he didn't want to be faced with her again. Not while she was slowly heading north.

Authors Note: Sadly, he and Bella had to separate for a while again, but there you have it. Some secrets are out in the open, and their future, though uncertain in terms of safety, will be together.

Thank you guys so much for reading, and adding to alerts and faves, and of course for reviewing. For the people signing in as guests... Thank you so much! Could I, I would thank you in an RR lol!

All of you are amazing and I have no words for how much I appreciate you guys letting me know what you think! I realize my RR's are slow in coming these days and I'm sorry for that, but I will make sure you always get them.

I just wanted to take a moment to recommend, a good story. I know I don't normally do this but we gotta stick together right ;) I was pointed to this story by one of my reviewers. Truelight by Cherry10403. It's a very well written futuristic Jasper and Bella. http (:)/(/)m*fanfiction*net/s/7544635/1/ (Just replace the * with . and remove spaces and ()'s .) Thank you lovelies :)

Hev99, and Sabi'sSookie... You girls are amazing and I love you both so much! I wish I had something bigger to say, but I wouldn't know where to begin! I love you both! Thank you for everything!

MWAH!