Chapter Thirty Six
Bella
Emmett and Rose soon joined us and I introduced them to Jasper, Peter and Charlotte, things were a little tense but they were accepted as friends after helping me. Walking behind them were Edward and Charlie and I could feel Jasper tensing up but I touched his cheek,
"Will you let me handle this, for now?"
He looked at me and nodded,
"For now Bella"
I slid out of the car and stood, my back to it, as Edward stepped forward,
"Letting you fight his battles now is he? Some warrior"
I raised an eyebrow,
"Edward do you never learn? You are an idiot, now shut up and listen carefully. Stay away from me and Jasper or the next time I shall remodel you, not the room."
His eyes narrowed but he didn't say anything,
"Wise move Cullen"
Edward spun at the sound of Peters voice behind him,
"Animal blood, it rots the brain, I always said it would, unnatural. You want me to pull the limbs off now Bella?"
I shook my head in contempt.
"He's not worth the effort Peter."
Peter smiled,
"OK, there will be a next time. There always is with ass holes like him."
He folded his arms and watched with a smile as Edward seethed . Charlie stepped forward then.
"Bella I want you to come home with me now. These are dangerous individuals, you shouldn't be mixing with them."
Garrett laughed at his words,
"We're dangerous? You're the one who nearly blew my face off Chief Swan."
"Yes and I'd do it again, just remember that. I'm not frightened of you, only concerned to get my daughter out of harms way."
"I'm not going dad."
"What?"
"I'm not going back to Forks. You can set the police on me if you like but I wont go back and if you try I'll just run away again. My place is here with Jasper. Go home, stay safe."
"Bella you aren't old enough to understand the ramifications of your decision. Until you reach 18 I am responsible for you and I don't want you associating with these...people."
I looked at my friends,
"These people as you so delicately put it, have looked after me and helped me. I'm not going back and you already saw you can't make me, I will be safe with Jasper and his friends."
Charlie looked over at Garrett, Peter, and Charlotte then bent down to look into the car at Jasper's still and silent form.
"Doesn't your boyfriend have anything to say? I have to tell you he doesn't look that menacing to me"
"Pray you never see him look menacing Chief because It'll be the last fucking thing you ever see."
Charlie looked at Peter,
"Is that a threat?"
"Nope, just a statement of fact but go ahead, be my guest. Stir up The Major, I haven't seen a good dismemberment for years."
Charlie stepped back and I looked back, Jasper had turned his head to look into Charlies face and even I saw death written there.
"I think you should go dad, before things get out of hand. I'll ring you, let you know I'm OK."
I could see he wanted to object more but he knew there was little he could do in reality. And with a final searching look he turned and walked away, Edward at his shoulder.
"I don't trust that little shit one inch."
I knew what Peter meant but there was little we could do unless we killed him and that was a little extreme even for Edward Cullen.
Peter
Something had happened in Denali to alter the balance of power, Bella had the upper hand and I wondered how but now wasn't the time to go into the details. We needed to find somewhere to call home until we knew what Bella and The Major decided to do.
"Get in Bella, I'll book us in a hotel for a few nights, I think maybe the Major needs a break."
She nodded and got in with him, pulling his head down on her shoulder and stroking his hair soothingly. It was a strange sight, I'd never seen anyone treat my friend in that way, but then I guess I'd only ever seen him as a warrior, not a man with a need for tenderness. Garrett slid in the front with us,
"You sticking around Garrett?"
He looked over where Charlie and Edward stood talking by the curb,
"I think I might, it looks like you may not have seen the last of Bella's dad yet."
"Yeah that's what I thought but I'd really like to know what happened, they're all wary of Bella and it's not her mean right hook frightening them."
Rose and Emmett went back with Carlisle and Charlie, promising to keep an eye on their movements but left the car for us.
When we got to the hotel Garrett and I booked the rooms while Charlotte and Bella walked through reception and up in the elevator with The Major. He looked less haunted than he had but I'd be wary about renting him a room and it was best the hotel staff didn't get too good a look at him. The rooms were adjoining with a door between the two and Garrett joined us while Bella and the Major had the other.
"You be OK Bella?"
She nodded and smiled at me,
"Thank you Peter. I think we'll be fine."
"Well if you need us just shout."
I watched as she took his hand and shut the door between the rooms with a finality that told me she had everything firmly under control.
Bella
It was good to know our friends were next door but we needed a little down time after everything that had happened, especially Jasper. He stood looking around the room wearily and I went to him, stroking his cheek,
"Hey Jasper, come on, sit with me"
I pulled his hand and he followed me to sit on the edge of the bed and as I sat beside him he lay his head on my shoulder and sighed,
"I really thought I may never find you again Bella. I shouldn't have left you, I can't do this alone, I'm so tired of fighting, struggling to find a reason to continue."
"You have me, that's reason enough isn't it?"
"Do I though? Are you really mine? I feel you, your compassion washing over me, but even though I tell myself that I'm fine, that you are real and you won't disappear I find it so hard to believe it all."
"Jasper, when we we're apart I felt as if I were being torn in two. Does that tell you anything? Because it tells me that I am yours, that I can't make it on my own either. Now come on"
I pulled him down to lay flat on the bed and put a pillow under his head, pulling off his boots and taking the belt from his pants. He closed his eyes but they sprang open as I undid the buttons on his shirt and slowly pulled it off. I smiled,
"Trust me"
He nodded and closed his eyes again as I went into the bathroom looking for the complimentary body lotion or anything I could use and finding one I smiled going back to find he hadn't moved. As I put the lotion on my hands and started to massage it into his tense shoulders he sighed and I felt the muscles slowly unknot then moved on to his arms and hands, I had no idea if my idea worked as well on vampires as humans but it had relaxed Renee when she got wound up about things which happened on a fairly regular basis!
"Roll over Jasper"
He did as I commanded and I continued the massage on his back, feeling all the scars that marred its perfection and imagined how much pain he had endured over the years. By the time I was finished I knew he was more relaxed and as he turned back over I saw a smile hovering, ghost like, on his lips.