Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all.
Rated M for a reason.
Chpt 43 Blind Sided
BPOV
The Cullens, along with Pete an' Char disappear off to their preferred hunting grounds while Jasper an' I debrief the humans.
Throughout this process Demetri an' his men follow us closely, watching Jasper like hawks. Honestly it's starting to creep me out an' I can tell it's making him uncomfortable too but since my shield is still around both of us an' I can't sense any fear from him I stay calm.
Demetri has already informed us that we are meeting the Guard at a Volturi safe house in Virginia but again, I can't work up any real stress as Jasper seems relaxed about it.
Finally the others return from their hunting an' we say goodbye to Evans, promising to meet him at his office later in the week. We need to agree the details of how we will fulfil our side of the bargain.
Demetri an' his men have rounded up a couple of The Volturi's massive SUVs, deftly they spilt Whitlocks from Cullens an' urge us inside. For once I am grateful for his attentiveness, I really don't want to face Carlisle just yet, I don't know how he'll react to the news about Edward but I doubt it will be good an' Jasper really doesn't need that right now.
We are all silent on the two hour drive to Harrisonburg, both constrained by the presence of Demetri an' two of his men and just plain old happy to be together again. Char an' I spend the trip curled into the laps of our mates and the car is filled with the low sound of satisfied purring.
"We're nearly there." The driver, Alfredo, announces.
I sigh. I've spent the last few hours in a blissful Jasper coma, wrapped in his arms, bathed in his scent, my lips pressed to the torture scar over his heart an' his nose buried in my hair. Now reality is going to intrude again an' already I have a vague sense of foreboding.
We climb out of the cars an' stretch unnecessarily, surveying the dark house.
As Demetri an' his men scout the area an' open up the house, flippin' on the lights, Carlisle and his family approach cautiously.
Oh yeah. Sense of foreboding.
Jasper takes my hand an' together we step forward to meet them.
"Carlisle." He says heavily. "Please come inside, there is something we need to tell you."
"Do you know where Edward is?" Esme asks hopefully. "We know about Alice, your brother told us. Please, Jasper, I can't bear to lose another child."
"Come an' sit down Esme." Jasper says kindly, nodding to Demetri who leads us inside to large comfortably furnished lounge.
Jasper settles himself into an overstuffed armchair an' I sit on the floor between his feet so he can play with my hair. Immediately I feel his fingers trailing through the strands.
The Cullens sit stiffly on the huge couch while Pete an' Char perch on an ornate loveseat. Poor Esme already looks utterly heartbroken, Carlisle is composed. Rosalie is still glowering at me an' Em is gently stroking her hair, not looking at anyone.
"How much do you know about how Edward came to be with The Volturi?" Jasper begins.
"Not much." Carlisle admits. "When they came for us at the house he didn't seem to be himself and he wouldn't talk to me, to us. Aro would not tell me anything, he said the time for explanations would be later. Peter told me that you believe Rutilio captured him and sold him on to The Volturi. Beyond that I know nothing, other than that he disappeared again with Hargreaves a few days ago."
I turn my head an' place a kiss on the inside of Jasper's knee, closing my eyes to try an' block out his next words an' my perfect memory of Edward's horrific fate.
Softly Jasper explains what happened to Edward an' what we learnt from Hargreaves. When he's done there is a long silence an' I crack open my eyes.
Pete an' Char look stricken, as much as they wouldn't have pissed on Edward if he was on fire they are both compassionate people an' wouldn't wish that fate on anyone.
Rosalie an' Em are frozen. As my eyes reach Esme her face collapses an' sobs wrack her body. Carlisle gathers her to side without taking his eyes from Jasper's.
Jasper shifts uncomfortably in the chair an' I drop my mental shield so he can feel my love, the emotions in the room must be killing him so I climb up into his lap an' hold him in a vice like grip. Gratefully he drops his head onto my shoulder, his ragged breathing tickling the hairs on my neck, his own arms coming around me tightly.
Composed again Jasper looks up to meet Carlisle's eyes.
"Why didn't you try to help him?" Carlisle asks quietly.
Jasper looks at Esme, Rosalie an' Em meaningfully. "I had my family to think of. I was not in a position to care for a mentally unstable vampire. I made a choice."
Carlisle opens his mouth an' then closes it again.
Beneath me Jasper stiffens. Immediately Pete, Char an' I are on our feet.
"I can feel your emotions Carlisle." Jasper says coolly. "An' I can understand them only too well but we both know that attackin' me will be the last thing you ever do."
"My Lord?" Demetri questions, appearing in the doorway.
Jasper ignores him an' continues to stare at his erstwhile father.
"I am sorry Carlisle." He says eventually. "I wish there could have been another way."
Slowly Carlisle relaxes, pulling Esme onto his lap. Tension drains out of the room.
Demetri steps further into the room. "Dr Cullen." He offers. "If it will help I can tell you about how Edward came to Volterra and his time there?"
"Please." Esme snuffles. "I need to understand what happened to my son."
Jasper stands, offering his chair to Demetri an' retreats to the far end of the room with Pete in tow. I join Char on the loveseat.
Demetri takes over, explaining to Carlisle an' Esme how Edward arrived in Volterra, his treatment an' gradual deterioration until he became a menace to all but Aro.
While they are talking I am torn between respectfully hearing out Edward's tale an' the intensely whispered conversation between Jasper an' Pete, of which I can only catch snippets.
" . . . . can't leave a vacuum. Rutilio . . . ."
" . . . . just settin' ourselves up to be a fuckin' target . . . ."
" . . . . only ones strong enough at the moment . . . ."
"She'll come around, she might even li . . . ."
" . . . . we love you . . . . support you whatever you choose . . . ."
"Just do it your way man . . . ."
"Wouldn't have to be forever . . . ."
"He's just waitin' for you to . . . ."
Unable to stand it any longer I get up an' move over to join them, Char trotting eagerly in my wake. Jasper gives me his best panty wetting smile an' foreboding startles me by unexpectedly making its presence known again.
"Bella." He takes my hand preparing to lead me outside. "I need to talk to you darlin' . . . ."
"My Lord." Demetri interrupts. "My men will show the Cullens to their rooms. Do you require anything else while we wait for the Guard to arrive?"
Jasper rolls his eyes an' Pete chuckles, obviously happy to have a rival in the 'let's keep Bella an' Jasper apart' stakes.
Regretfully Jasper pecks me on the cheek an' puts his arm around Demetri's shoulder, leading him away.
"I suppose you had better brief me on the situation in Volterra." He requests as they disappear into the dining room.
"Thank fuck he's gone." Pete declares. "I thought I'd never get my two favourite ladies alone."
He pulls us both into a hug causing another round of contented sighing. None of us is in a hurry to break it up so we stay huddled together with our arms around each other.
"Pete." I eventually mumble into his armpit. "What does Jasper keep tryin' to tell me?"
"You know J sweet thing." His chest rumbles as he speaks. "He's probably gonna go all mushy an' tell ya how much he loves ya, before he spoils it all by tellin' what he's gonna do to ya when he finds a vacant bed."
"If he can wait that long." Char laughs.
I swat her butt. "Stop dissin' my man."
"Oh sugar." She teases. "You know the only thing that interests J is gettin' inside your pants."
"She's right you know." Jasper interjects in a low sexy drawl. "I only study history an' philosophy to keep me occupied because my sister thinks stayin' in bed makin' out all day is a sin. Which is why she ain't comin' on our honeymoon."
Pete releases me with a chuckle so I can wrap myself around a still semi naked Jasper.
"What happens next?" I ask. "Are we going after Rutilio now?"
"No." Jaspers says firmly, setting his jaw.
Pete an' Char snicker.
I open my mouth, temper flaring, ready to argue. I am not putting up with anymore of his 'revenge is a season in hell' bullshit. That fuckin' Conquistador is going down.
"I said no." Jasper repeats, glaring down at me. "Wedding first. Recreational shredding afterwards."
"Oh. Okay." My ire vanishes immediately, this is a set of priorities I can get behind.
"Thank god for that." He says with evident relief. "I want to make you my wife before somethin' else goes wrong."
"God J." Char drawls. "You're such a fuckin' romantic."
"Speaking of which, what is it you keep tryin' to tell me?"
"Ah, well, th . . . ."
"My Lord." Demetri announces. "The rest of the Guard are here."
Jasper an' I stare into each other's eyes for a beat an' then laugh.
"We're comin' Demetri." He chuckles, adding to me in an' undertone. "But not with as much enthusiasm as we will be later."
Great, I'm gonna meet a load of strangers with wet panties and an inane grin on my face. Stupid dirty minded vampire.
Pete an' Char follow us outside where thirty or so cloaked figures are milling about on the overly manicured lawn, heads together, filling the air with the buzz of conversation. Unsure what is about to happen I stand proudly beside my mate, strangely glad that the first time they see him it will be as beautiful an' deadly, the ultimate warrior.
Demetri clears his throat an' as one they come to attention, eyes focussed on him.
"Aro, Princeps Volturi, is dead. Vanquished in battle by The Major of The Southern Wars." Demetri's voice is loud an' commanding. "I deem him worthy."
"Oh shit." Jasper groans.
"Master." Demetri an' the Guards pronounce in unison, sinking down with a uniform rustle of cloaks an' soft thump of bended knees, baring their throats to my mate.
"What the fuck?" I gasp.
"All actions have consequences little sister." Pete intones solemnly as he lowers himself to his knees an' exposes his own neck.
The End
