Chapter Fifty Six
Jasper
The first thing I did was to explain to them my theory about Bella's shield becoming a weapon.
"So you think the explosion kick started James venom into working and it's slowly turning Bella into a vampire?"
"Either that or sped it up Garrett."
"Well, I guess it's as good an explanation as any and being part vampire might explain the strength of it. I did wonder how a human could wield such a powerful weapon without it killing her. Do you think the shield will hold long term if she attacks? Only if she needs to sustain her weapon for any length of time then she could be in danger of being overtaken by it too."
Charlotte spoke up before I could continue.
"Not any longer, because it's easy to see our Major here has been busy since we left and we now have a weapon with a control, two halves of a whole. The Major and his mate."
She had just vocalized what everyone was wondering about and when Bella appeared looking a little self-conscious she was greeted by catcalls and whistles from both Peter and Garrett. She blushed but not as noticeably as it would have been even a day ago and joined me, taking my hand for support.
We took our next excursion up in the hills building another huge pile of rocks for her to practice with. She and I stood together and we waited, would she still need to be angry or afraid? It seemed so and I manufactured rage for her to feed on, feeling her mind entering mine and starting to siphon off of it, a very strange sensation, but I didn't have time to think about it much, she needed plenty to sustain the weapon. This time it seemed the chaos was more focused on the rocks, there was far less debris being hurled around as potential missiles. Bella was directing it, but a round of applause from Peter interrupted her concentration and we all hit the ground as the rock bombs began to fall.
After a short rest which I insisted on for Bella to eat and drink although she complained everything tasted odd, we tried again and this time Peter had orders to keep quiet! After two more hours of trying she was finally able to target her weapon although it still strayed off from time to time which wasn't exactly a threat to us but could be if she ramped it up into the pitch of violence, she had unleashed on Volterra.
We couldn't allow her to practice at anywhere near that level, it was just too dangerous, she wasn't in control enough but it was a big step forward and she became more confident as the days moved on until I shocked her by telling her we had to leave to meet up with Carlisle and then head for the old monastery. She hadn't noticed the time flying by and now began to panic again.
"I'm not ready Jasper. You saw what happened yesterday I nearly killed Peter."
"He was fine, it was only an arm and it soon healed, you just have to block everything else out. Concentrate exclusively on your target and everything will be fine."
She nodded but there was still something worrying her and that wasn't good. If she wasn't on the ball one hundred percent someone was going to get hurt and it might not be one of the Volturi so I took her for a short walk while Garrett picked up the car and gassed it up for our journey. We hadn't gone far when I pulled her to a halt pulling her into my arms,
"Right, give. What's worrying you? We know you can control your gift and I promise you I will help you should you need it. The Volturi have nothing that can touch you, Bella, they will be helpless once more."
"I know, it's not the Volturi or my gift that are worrying me."
"Then what is it?"
She looked slightly ashamed as she spoke his name,
"Edward. Last time I saw him I told him I didn't love him and now here I am with you. What if he thinks you are the reason I broke up with him?"
"Does it matter?"
"Yes, I don't want him blaming you, that's not fair. I'm not the first girl to do that to him, did you know? We have a strange historical connection."
Now I was mystified and as Bella explained about her ancestor Mary I understood her concern.
"But Edward doesn't know you are related to her?"
"No, I never said anything and, of course, he can't read my mind but I feel awful."
"Don't, you have no control over your emotions Bella, Edward will just have to accept that. He may not like you being with me, but that's not why you and he parted, at least not consciously."
"Do you think he'll be mad with me?"
"Is that what's worrying you?"
She shook her head and bit her lip hard enough for it to bleed but the liquid that escaped running down her chin was only pink, not red, and it proved my theory although I didn't bother to point it out to her right now, we had more important things to discuss.
"What is it then Bella?"
"I'm scared he will want us to try again. I'm scared he won't take no for an answer this time and I'm scared there will be a fight and he might get hurt."
"By you?"
She shook her head still worrying her lip which was already beginning to heal,
"No, by you. I know a little about the mating bond now, I asked Charlotte and Cathy. If Edward made a pass at me you'd flatten him."
"Yes, true but it's better than being flattened by you when you think about it, Bella."
She did for a second and a smile flitted across her face,
"Yes, I guess it is. I just hope he behaves and we can be friends, after all he's coming to help me."
"Yeah well, we'll see but I promise you I won't hurt him permanently, not before we free your parents anyway."
She sighed and wiped her chin with the back of her hand then looked at it and I could see her coming to the same conclusion as I had a few minutes ago.
"How much human do you think is still inside me?"
"Well, your lip healed and your blood is now a pale pink so I'd say there isn't much human left Bella. I guess we should be grateful I haven't got to change you and watch you suffer."
She made a face,
"True but I'd rather it had been you who transformed me than James. I hate the thought of any part of him inside me."
"Me too but we have to accept what we can't change. Now come on and stay close, I'll do my best to keep Edward at bay."
We rejoined the others for the drive into Greece and the meeting Bella was dreading more than the fight with the Volturi if her emotions were any indication. Although Garrett asked Bella a few times if she needed a break she only shook her head and continued to hold my hand and gaze out of the window at the fast moving countryside. We had agreed to meet up at a smaller abandoned church about fifty miles from the Volturi's new headquarters and they were there waiting. Garrett slowed before we got too close and looked round,
"Is it just me or is there suddenly an absence of noise from inside this car?"
We all listened, he was right, yet not one of us had noticed when Bella's human heart stopped beating and she joined us as a vampire. She sat very still, her chest no longer rising and falling, but a single tear had trickled down her cheek and hung there on her jaw, sparkling in the sunlight. I wiped it away and she turned her head to look at me then smiled a little fearfully,
"I expected I would feel something, a lurch, a pain, some indication that my human life was over, but there was nothing, suddenly my body was silent and I didn't even have chance to say goodbye to it."
I understood it had been a shock for her and held her tightly as Garrett drove on a little faster again but giving her a few moments to pull herself together for her reunion with Edward.
