Merry Christmas to all my readers, I hope you have a great day tomorrow, here's an early present, an extra chapter. Love Jules xx

Chapter Thirty Eight

Peter

As soon as The Major returned I knew he'd found Kat and I also gathered he wasn't very happy.

"I'll be taking Kat with me Mrs Phelps"

The woman turned surprised by The Majors tone and she stood up,

"I think you should leave before I ring the police"

"Now you really might want to reconsider that statement Maggie only The Major gets riled very easily by threats."

"Who are you? Got out of my house."

"Now you see, its not your house now is it? And the girl doesn't belong to you either. In fact if I'm not mistaken Bella actually refused to let you have anything to do with her daughter. Now why do you think that was?"

"She thought she was better than us, better than my son Matthew."

I looked around at the dishevelled room and then grabbed her arm pulling her sleeve up to reveal track marks,

"So, booze, dope by the smell of it, and hard drugs too. I'd say she had every reason to keep a child away from you Maggie"

"That kid is my sons child."

"Yes the son who drugged and raped her at his engagement party."

"What? That's a lie"

"What is? That she was drugged? That she was then raped? Or that Dwayne was the father not Matt?"

"All of it. That girl was a slut who tried to trick my son into marriage."

"Marriage? I don't think so and be very careful what you call Bella"

"Well it looks like she's got you pussy whipped. That kid is my flesh and blood and she's staying here. From what I understand her precious mother is flat on her back full of drugs, maybe that's her usual posture and Renee has given me custody of the kid so there's nothing you can do about it. Now get the hell out of my house before I have you arrested"

"Oh fuck, I'm sick of this. Get the kid Major"

Maggie flew at me all teeth and nails and I decided the world would be a much better place without her so I snapped her neck and threw her on the couch as The Major reappeared with the kid wrapped in a blanket. He looked at the woman,

"Is she dead?"

"Yep."

"Good"

"You get the kid back to the motel and I'll clean up here. Fucking criminal you know, smoking dope and falling asleep. Dangerous too, causes lots of fire"

The Major went out while I hunted round for her stash of drugs and what a haul, crack, grass, meth, she had it all in quantities enough to be a pusher so I'd be doing the world a favour there too. I went through to the bedroom and grabbed a blanket throwing it over the body then lit a joint and made sure the end was glowing nicely then dropped it on the blanket and waited. It went out without catching the first three times so I helped it along with a couple of matches. Once the blanket started to smoke I liked around and noticed the book under the dirty crockery. Checking there were no other clues that a kid had been here, I'd already taken the cot to pieces and thrown the wood into the fireplace lighting it up too, I left as the blanket started to flare up. As I left a car pulled into the driveway and I remembered the daughter in law, well may as well do the job properly. I snatched her from her car much too fast to be seen by anyone and snapped her neck too adding her to the tableau on the couch, let the law sort that little lot out!

Jasper

Kat didn't wake as I picked her up and carried her to the car and I could feel the heat radiating from her. Instead of the usual beautiful child scent all I could smell was stale tobacco and urine and I knew the first thing to do was to get her cleaned up and warm then drive her straight to Carlisle to treat the chest infection that was fast grabbing hold of her frail little body. I lay her carefully on the back seat firmly wrapped in the blanket and drove as fast as I could back to the motel where Rose who had been waiting came running out to take her inside. I could feel Rose's shock and anger which mirrored my own, how could Kat have gone down hill so quickly? Once inside I took Kat while Rose ran a bath and for the first time she opened her eyes and looked at me smiling as she did so,

"Jazz"

She recognised me but the effort of speaking made her cough so I held her close until it stopped then walked through to the bathroom where the scent of bubble bath was thick in the air. Between us we stripped off Kat's dirty things including the nappy which was soaked and popped her into the warm water. She smiled again then looked at the door,

"Mummy"

"Soon darlin' we'll see Mummy soon but first we'll get you nice and clean and in some new clothes."

She nodded and Rose spoke to her,

Look I bought you a fairy top"

Rose held up a sweater with a fairy on the front and Kat smiled her joy but then she started coughing again and it hurt me to see her tiny frame racked as she did so.

Rose quickly washed her then wrapped her in a soft fluffy towel and handed her to me. I know she would have liked to keep hold of Kat but the little girl wanted me and I couldn't help feel happy about that. While Rose dried her hair I sat with her on my lap telling her about the talking horses and she clapped her hands but again when she tried to talk she started coughing and this time it almost made her sick and I could tell her breathing was becoming more laboured.

"We need to get on the road Rose. Ring Carlisle and tell him were on our way. I'll dress Kat and then we leave."

"What about Mrs Phelps?"

I shook my head. I wasn't going to discuss that with Kat in the room and she seemed to understand. I heard her on the phone and the door open and close as Peter got back. In whispers he filled Rose in and I heard her curse. Then Peter popped his head round the door,

"You ready Major?"

I picked Kat up and we went through the room and out into the car sliding in the back seat with Rose while Emmett and Peter sat up front.

"Step on it Peter"

As we drove I held Kat on my lap and she snuggled up to me beaming as I handed her Simon to hold.

"Si si"

"Yes, he's missed you Kitty Kat so have I."

She closed her eyes and soon I could feel the turmoil of her emotions evening out. She had been scared and bewildered, lost and lonely, but I made a silent vow she would never feel that way again. I rested my face on her head and closed my eyes thankful we'd found her before it was too late although I knew she wasn't out of danger by any means, if this chest infection caught hold we could still lose her. As I thought this I saw Bella, but not the poor unconscious girl I'd left at the hospital, this Bella was smiling and her lips were moving although no sound came out and when I opened my eyes the vision disappeared but then I heard Kat whisper,

"Everything will be OK Jasper, and its all down to you"

I tensed, had I really heard Kat say those words? Surely not, she couldn't speak well enough for that yet I had heard them and it seemed no one else had. Was it Bella getting a message to me? All I could do was hope she was right, that everything would be OK.