Chapter Twenty

Jasper

Bella and Megan seemed to be getting along really well and it was good to see them together even though I knew the closer they became the more I should try to distance myself from the little one. I had tried to ready myself for the separation I knew must come one day but however hard I had attempted not to get too close to my charge it just happened and I was helpless to stop it.

At least Bella had agreed to stay here for a while so maybe I could fade into the background slowly. For today, however, I intended to immerse myself in the festive spirit and bathe in their joy.

Bella and I shared the last of the elk blood, I would have to go out and replenish my stores soon, while Megan enjoyed the meal I had prepared for her much to Bella's evident amusement. The trouble was that like everyone else who knew of my reputation she naturally assumed that I was a savage who knew only fighting and violence. Or maybe that was unfair on my part. Bella had always treated me the same way she treated everyone else, it was one of the things that endeared her to me.

As it was Christmas day I let Megan off her usual chores of clearing the table and putting away the silverware. Instead, while Bella made sure she was bundled up ready to go outside I collected some fresh logs from the store ready for the evening and made the fire. I then put some chocolate out ready for when we came back inside along with some cream and marshmallows. Megan would probably be high as a kite on a sugar rush after all this but what the hell! Christmas only came once a year and I was pretty strict about her diet most of the time.

The snow was falling more gently now and we dragged the sledge up to the top of the small hill at the edge of the property. Then Bella and I took turns in going down with Meg. She enjoyed it so much and so did we. Megan's cheeks were flushed with excitement and from the cold breeze while Bella's eyes gleamed with pleasure as she continued to forge a relationship with her long lost daughter.

When Megan finally got bored with sledging we made another snowdog as a friend for the original and this one actually looked like it might manage without veterinary care. I had seen Bella study my first creation with a grin.

"You know, I think I might have finally found something you aren't an expert at Jasper."

I shrugged, "Even geniuses have their weaknesses."

That earned me a snowball to the chest and soon there was an all-out fight going on. Megan was an equal opportunity fighter throwing snowballs at both her mom and me while we concentrated on each other until, finally, Meg lay on the ground laughing so hard she got the hiccups. A handful of snow down the back of her jacket soon took care of that, or it may have been the squeals of shock this engendered, and since she was already wet and covered in snow we made snow angels.

By the time we had finished we were all covered in snow and soaking wet and decided it was time to go back inside and get warmed up.

"Can we play a game then poppa? Do you like snakes and ladders mommy?"

"Yes but I haven't played for a long time."

"Don't worry, we'll show you, won't we poppa?"

I nodded and swung Megan up on my shoulders to carry her inside.

Bella went ahead to open the door when I felt Megan stiffen.

"Whats up darlin'? Are you cold?"

"No Poppa, someone's watching us. I can feel them."

Without showing any signs of knowing anything I swung her down and leaned down to speak to her quietly.

"Where?"

"I'm not sure poppa, but there's someone out there."

"Right, go inside with mommy and shut the door. Tell her what you just told me and get dried off. I'll be in shortly."

"Be careful. Poppa, I don't think it's someone nice out there."

I smiled at her reassuringly, "I will."

I ruffled her hair then gave her a small nudge in the direction of the house turning myself and heading for the woodshed.

Edward

It hadn't taken long to find Jasper's address, his was the only house for miles and looked like the kind of place a hick like him would find comfortable. The houses he had lived in when he and Alice were together must have come as a culture shock! This place didn't look like it even had running water or electricity!

I found a good vantage point where I could watch the house without being seen myself, even with vampire sight and after all, he would hardly be looking out for me. I bet he thought he was safe and secure here. Well, he hadn't banked on me coming after him. All I wanted was to know where my wife was. If he told me that, I would leave. And if he didn't? I would just read it for myself, in fact, if I could get close enough he need never know I had even been here. I would have to move in closer to read his thoughts but I would be careful, I didn't want to get into a fight with him.

Someone had though, from the state of his face in the CCTV film. It was difficult to see what had made the marks but when I got a better look I would know. I'd like to shake the hand of the man who had gotten the better of him.

There were three figures outside, two adults and a child and I stiffened as I recognized Bella. She was smiling as she played with the child, the same little girl I had seen in the security video. I frowned, what the hell was going on here? Bella certainly seemed to be very cosy and happy. I hadn't seen her smile like that since our honeymoon. What was it that made her suddenly snap out of her misery?

I wanted to march over and demand she explain her actions and come home with me right now but I held back. I needed more than I knew right now. This was a complete mystery to me and mysteries made me nervous.

There was no way that they could have seen or smelled my scent. I was very careful to stay downwind and out of sight. Yet, something told me that my dear brother was alert, that he had sensed something.

The little girl followed Bella inside but he went to the woodshed, a place I had seen him go earlier so he wasn't going for logs. Unless I was very much mistaken he aimed at circling around and check the perimeter. Well, that suited me, it meant I could hopefully get a shot at reading his thoughts.

I watched carefully. I could not see the back of the shed but I could see the snow-covered ground leading away from the door and window so if he sneaked out I would see his tracks in the snow which was very helpful.

A quarter of an hour passed and I saw nothing but I was sure he was out there somewhere and no longer in the shed. As he was hunting for me I thought I could risk moving in to see what I could hear from my wife and the kid. Bella, Bella, what are you doing here with the hillbilly and a snot-nosed human kid? Did you crave a child so badly that you asked Jasper to procure one for you? No, I couldn't see him snatching an innocent human child. Steal away and lunch on one maybe, but kidnapping? It just didn't seem to be his style.

I was very careful to leave as few tracks as possible, I was as fast as my brother so I was confident I could get away from him and back to where I'd left my car before he could catch me, but why take chances or make it easy for him?

Luckily the snow around the house was already churned up by their antics so I was able to move more quickly and found myself flat against the wall by the back window. Inside I could hear the kid chattering and concentrated on her thoughts because of course, I couldn't hear Bella's thoughts. It was the one thing that frustrated me most about her.

Children's thoughts were not ordered like adults, I knew that from experience at school, they skipped from one subject to another and making sense of them took some mental agility. However, I couldn't hear anything except static like an ill tuned radio which was very odd.

I could hear Bella chatting about a bath, a bubble bath and guessed the child was getting ready to have a bath to warm her up. Come on, say something helpful one of you.

Frustrated by my inability to hear anything useful I was aware that I was running out of time. Then suddenly I heard a word that made my ears prick up.

Mommy? The child had called Bella mommy. What the hell was going on? Was she playing happy families with the savage and an unknown and unclaimed brat?

I wanted to stay longer but it would have been far too dangerous so I turned and ran quickly away glad I had avoided being seen by Jasper. I needed time to work out what was going on here. If Bella had been so set on a kid I would have gotten her one. A strong and handsome young boy who could follow in my footsteps as a musician and one who could prove he was clever, I didn't want an idiot in the family carrying my name. I sighed if this was the case I would have to talk to Bella. Tell her how sorry I was to have ignored her cravings to be a mother and tell her that I already had plans in motion to provide her with one.

We could talk about it, a blond or a dark-haired child? Of course, being human would make for certain difficulties but I assumed once the novelty wore off we could find a couple willing to adopt it and take up our lives once more. I had never realized how complicated marrying Bella would be. Still, I would have it all worked out soon and then Carlisle, Esme, and the others would be eating their words.

Jasper

So, Edward had found us. It was far quicker than I anticipated but he was always going to turn up sooner or later so why prolong the agony? I allowed him to get closer to the house. He couldn't hear Bella's thoughts but he might be able to read Megan's. Unless of course, she had inherited Bella's gift or Bella protected her without even being aware of it.

I thought he would probably hear Megan call Bella mommy but if so would he understand the significance? That would depend on whether he could imagine that his child had survived. Personally, I thought not, his ego would never allow that. What would he do about the situation? He would not want Bella with me so what would he offer her to draw her back to him? Would he offer her a surrogate child? Would he assume that was what I had done? If so, what did he think my motive might be?

For now, all I cared about was my daughter and her mother. Oops, was that a Freudian slip? Megan was most certainly not mine, she never could be and neither was Bella.

Should I have stopped Edward? I didn't know what Bella would say when I told her what I had done but I stood by my decision. The longer Bella had put this off the worst it would have been when he finally found out and that meant more tension for her and her daughter.

Once I was sure he had left I joined the others in the house to find Bella washing Megan's hair in the bath. She turned and smiled at me,

"I know it's getting late but Meg's hair was full of tangles from the snowball fight and making angels. She told me there was someone hanging around. Who was it? Should I be worried?"

I shook my head, "No. No worries. I'll put the chocolate on so hurry up young lady."

It was the one thing that guaranteed Meg would get out of the tub.

We sat by the fire and played snakes and ladders while Meg drank her chocolate and then I took her through to clean her teeth before Bella read her a bedtime story.

"Who was it poppa?"

I handed her the toothbrush with the paste on it ready.

"No one you need to worry about darlin'. Just someone hanging around. Maybe a hunter."

She stared at me and I knew she was suspicious but it wasn't for me to tell her that her biological father had traced her. That was for Bella to decide when we had talked about it.

Only once Bella had read Megan a bedtime story and came back down to sit with me before the fire was there time to talk and she opened the conversation.

"It was Edward, wasn't it? He's found me."

"Yes. I thought you'd figure it out."

"Thank you for not saying anything in front of Megan. I haven't really had time to think about how to deal with him. I take it you two didn't meet?"

"No. I decided it wasn't the right time to confront him but I'm guessing he's one very confused guy right now."

She nodded, "He'll work it out soon enough won't he?"

"Yes. Whatever I think of Edward he isn't an idiot."

She sighed and sat down beside me laying her head on my shoulder.

"Oh God! I wish things had turned out differently. I don't want to fight with him, not about Megan but I know he's going to try and make things difficult. I'm glad you're here Jasper. I need someone to lean on. As a vampire I thought I would feel stronger, that nothing would ever be difficult again, except of course my thirst but I was ready for that, or as ready as anyone ever can be, but now I've found my baby alive and thriving I feel so happy but so helpless. I don't want Edward to ruin the mood, to spoil my joy, but I know he will."

Without thinking about it I wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Bella. You'll never be alone and I know you'll handle Edward. You stood up to him once before when everyone was against you and you were fighting for the same thing, your daughter. I'll be there at your side for as long as you need me, I promise."

She peered up at me and smiled,

"I know you will and I'm very grateful."

Then she dropped her head to my shoulder again and we sat together in silence watching the flickering flames from the log fire and thinking about the immediate future.