Chapter 22: Changes in Latitude

Richmond VA

[Jasper's POV]

It is Saturday night. Damon found a location far enough away from Mystic Falls for us to learn to feed his way. We have been living off of blood bags since we were changed. The bar has a small dance floor. Bella, Charlotte, Angela are all dancing together. Kol, Damon, Pete and I are watching the reactions of the rest of the bar patrons.

Kol and Damon have brought us here to teach us how to lure our prey, compel, feed, give a drop of blood and send them on their merry way. Well that's the theory. I know that Kol is eyeing the man trying to impress Angela. Pete is growling lowly at a young buck that has his eyes on Charlotte. Damon is still laid back. Even though Bella has several admirers; he is on alert if anything threatens her. I admire his attitude. He sees her as his equal. His vampire side allows his mate the space to make her own choices. Bottom line is he trusts her more than any other living creature. I also know that she has been drinking some of his blood on a daily basis, should something threaten her life. Kol has done the same for Angela.

I am basking in the emotional environment I am surrounded by here in Virginia. Even though the Mikaelson's and the Salvatore's have their own family issues, they are easier to live with than the Cullens. They are aware of the dangers of discovery. But they don't maintain a fake façade of humanity. They still have their humanity, but it is at an exponential level of awareness that the normal human never has. They still have their flaws which are heightened as a vampire. The flip side is their graces are enhanced also. Their love for each other is deeper.

Damon leans over to me and quietly points out a young woman dancing in the corner by herself: "Lunch at four o'clock." She is attracted to me. I can turn on the southern charm. I walk over to the bartender and ask for a virgin Piña colada. She hears my request and walks up to me.

"I saw you dancing and thought you might be thirsty." I bow slightly.

She smiles up at me. Since the bartender is the only person to touch the drink, she accepts. "Thank you. Are you from around here?"

"I am visiting friends in a nearby town. We are in Richmond for the evening."

"I'm Kathy and a Leo. What is your sign?"

I grin at her. "I'm Jasper and a Virgo."

She laughs. "Want to dance?"

"Sure pick out a table." I order a Jack and Coke from the bartender. She watches as I take our drinks to the table she indicated. I put a few drops of my blood into each of the glasses while she leads us to the table.

"Can I have a taste of your drink?" She asks. I shrug, "if you want. It's kind of an acquired taste." She takes a sip and wrinkles her nose. "I like the coconut flavor better." I laugh.

We start dancing to a slow song. She is happily tipsy from the vibes I'm giving off. I look into her eyes. "Kathy, you are an excellent dancer. You and I danced and had a good time. That's all you will remember." I pull her arm up to my shoulder. I nip into the vein near her elbow and pull a few mouthfuls of blood. I lick the wound sealing it. It heals instantly. No one in the bar noticed my feeding. It looked like part of the dance embrace she and I were sharing.

"Thank you Kathy for the dance. My friends and I will be leaving soon."

"Thanks Jasper, you have great moves." I smile at her and walk back to where Kol and Damon are standing at the bar.

Damon raises an eyebrow. "You were right this is an easier way to feed." He looks over to where the girls are dancing. Looks like we might have to leave soon, they have attracted a few admirers. He walks over to Bella and pulls her into his arms, matching her dance moves. Kol does the same thing with Angela.

Charlotte laughs and walks up to Pete at the bar and kisses him on the cheek. "Is it time for us to leave?" He nods.

He and I share a look. All three of us have learned how to feed without killing. I will always be grateful for whatever premonition made me send Damon to Forks because it brought Bella back into my life. Both Charlotte and Pete adore her. They too consider her to be family.

Mystic Falls

[Charlie's POV]

I found a peaceful spot to fish. The trees have bloomed out and the new green of spring has started to fade into the darker shades of summer. The humans that are aware of the supernatural in this town are annoying. They want me to become the police chief here. Liz Forbes is quite competent at her job as sheriff. I see no reason to accept the position. Mayor Lockwood is a werewolf that hasn't triggered his wolf side yet. He is obnoxious as a dog with a new bone. I have been polite in my refusal to take the job they want me to have. I know I'm probably more qualified than most candidates they are considering. I want to be with family. I don't want to be married to a job, at this point in my life. I just got Bella back and Freya returned. I'm not tying myself to one place. I want to be where they are.

I hear the snap of a twig. I look up to find Henrik sheepishly looking at me. "Mind if I join you?"

"Did you bring a fishing pole?" He nods and pulls out a folded rod from his backpack.

"Bella said you would be out here."

I nod acknowledging what he said and I hand him some of my bait. He puts it on his hook and casts his line into the water a few yards downstream from where I'm fishing as not to interfere with my casting radius. I see him catch a medium size large mouth bass. I point to the cooler as he unhooks it. He nods. Looks like I will have a helper to clean these and prep them for lunch. He smiles at me and moves back to his fishing spot. We continue fishing for another hour. "Henrik we need to get back to the house and clean the fish. I will pull out the grill. I think that these will do nicely for lunch."

"Does Bella like fish?"

"She does as long as she doesn't have to clean them." He laughs. "Bella has a good rub for them. We will use her recipe when I grill them. Thanks for joining me today. It's nice to have a fellow fisherman to enjoy a beautiful morning." Henrik smiles shyly at me.

"Charlie can I ask you a question about Bella?"

I nod.

"How did she get the sparkly scar on her arm?"

"She had a bad run in with a 'Cold One' vampire in Phoenix. She was dating a 'Cold One' and his family took her there to get away from the hunter but they weren't successful. They barely managed to save her life after he got hold of her.

"Would she mind if I healed it?"

"You will have to ask Bella. I'm sure she won't mind and she will appreciate your concern for her." He smiles thankfully back at me.

"Thanks Charlie, I'll talk to her about it when we get back to the house."