Chapter Thirty

Jasper

So, the decision had been made. Bella, Megan and I were headed to the ranch the following day, Peter and Charlotte having gone on ahead to prepare things. Much to my surprise, I discovered that Darius too would be joining us for the new year. He didn't explain why and I knew better than to ask although I was intrigued. Did he know something? Or maybe suspect that Edward was going to try something? Personally, I thought Edward would have to be crazy if he tried to kidnap Megan from the Whitlock ranch. It would be tantamount to sticking your head in a furnace and probably a lot more painful!

As we drove I was glad to have this time alone with Bella and Megan. We could have flown but it would be impossible to talk that way and as vampires never slept the 30+ hr drive didn't bother me. Megan was happy enough. This was yet another adventure for her and Bella had bought supplies so she could eat in transit although we would make rest stops for her to use the restrooms and get a hot meal or two. She had plenty of things to keep her occupied as we drove, her books and drawing pad, an mp3 player full of music that Bella had bought for her and a tablet so she could watch her favorite Disney movies. She also had her constant companions, Celeste the bear and Molly the incredible trick dog. If I hadn't known that Darius was an electronic whizz kid and had a part in her creation I would have sworn the damn thing was magic!

Bella and I kept the conversation general and light while Megan was awake, Bella sitting in the rear with her daughter and playing snap, snakes and ladders and then teaching Megan and me to play a game called 'The Rector's Cat'. You had to take turns in adding a new word to the sentence The Rector's cat is a… cat keeping to a certain letter which changed when someone couldn't think of a word beginning with this letter. Megan was surprisingly good at it for such a youngster but then she picked up knowledge like a sponge and I had been careful to broaden her knowledge constantly.

Her only frustration was that she seemed to have difficulty in reading the printed word. I wondered if it was perhaps a problem like some human children got, a form of dyslexia or even a form of autism because she could see something and draw or describe it in fantastic detail. Or it could just be associated with the fact she was a hybrid. I just prayed it was not a result of her birth which from what I could tell had not been particularly calm or gentle if such a thing could ever be either.

We stopped in Syracuse and Megan had pancakes with maple syrup and a hot chocolate, too much sugar I realized, but this was a treat, still Christmas, and it was going to be a long trip for a little one. When we got into the car she began to yawn, a full tummy had made her sleepy just as I had hoped.

Only when Megan began to nod off did Bella make her a nest on the back seat and climb through to sit with me when the little one finally drifted off to sleep.

"I'm glad we have this time together. I'd like to get to know you better, Jasper. For a warrior, you have a very gentle side."

I laughed, "I wasn't always a warrior, Bella. I was like you, born and brought up by parents who cared if a century or two earlier. I had three sisters Mary, Megan and Florence and a younger brother Thomas. My pa was a farmer, we had a small farm with a few cows and pigs, chickens, and we grew our own corn for flour. Life was hard but we knew no different and my parents did the best they could to give us a good start in life."

"What happened to your siblings? Do you know? I mean did you ever go back to check on them after you met Maria?"

I shook my head, "It wouldn't have been safe. She turned me into a ruthless killer. I knew my mom had died, she lost her life during a cholera outbreak and my sister Megan died when she was ten, she was never very strong and then she caught diphtheria. She was a beautiful child with thick dark hair and the bluest eyes. She was always smiling. I asked Darius to find out the fate of my remaining family and he discovered that my older sister Mary married a storekeeper after the war and moved to Dallas. She died childless aged 24 from pneumonia. Thomas became a farmer taking over for my pa when he got too old to run the place and had three girls. None lived to adulthood. I told you times were hard and many died during childhood. I guess I was lucky given that I volunteered for the Confederate army."

"Do you ever miss having a family?"

I shrugged, "I did at one time. Then Maria was my family for a while until I escaped from her bondage. After that, I had Peter and Charlotte. They're my family now, the Cullens took their place for a while, but I never really fit in as you must have noticed. Alice wanted me to be something I'm not and it's hard to keep up a pretence although love helped."

"I'm sorry I was the cause of your break with Alice. I feel guilty about that."

"Don't, it would have happened anyhow. Alice's view of the world, her wants and needs were different from mine. I was turning into something that I wasn't comfortable with. I never really knew the real me until.."

I hesitated and then went on, "Until I took Megan. That's when I felt most at peace with myself. I had a purpose, I had something precious to protect and nurture. I guess that must sound kinda stupid to you."

She shook her head looking deadly serious, "Not stupid, no. I think that's always been the role you excel at. You cared for me when I needed it most, protecting me in Phoenix, teaching the others to fight to protect me from Victoria's newborn army. You play to your strengths, you are a protector by nature. You don't care about your own safety so long as the person you are protecting is safe. I admire that."

Whoa, Bella was seeing too much in me.

"Don't try to turn me into a saint Bella. I lost my halo when I began to slaughter humans and other vampires. When I turned innocent humans into bloodthirsty vampires. I don't deserve a pedestal."

I felt her hand on mine as I gripped the steering wheel and turned to look at her.

"You're far too hard on yourself. You were at war when Maria turned you. She used that to mould you into her personal killing machine, she twisted that part of you and used her sexual allure to keep you off balance."

"Thank you for those kind words Bella but I was a killer. I still am, or would be if necessity dictated it was the only way. I would kill a thousand innocents if that's what it took to keep you and Megan safe. That's hardly the statement of a pacifist."

Her answer, when it came, was very quiet.

"No, that's the statement of a man protecting those he loves."

There it was, the elephant in the room that few dare to name as such. I opened my mouth to deny her statement then shut it again as I realized that to do so would be to lie to her and that would be wrong. I did love Megan, I would lay down my life for the little one… The next statement stuck in my throat as speaking it would commit me and I turned back to check on Megan who was still sleeping peacefully her arms tight around Celeste with Molly at her side.

We drove in silence after that for a while. I had planned on stopping every few hours for Megan to stretch her legs and we made our second stop after the longest leg while Meg slept in Toledo where she had breakfast and a run around in a playground for half an hour before we set off again.

Alert and refreshed after a good sleep Megan was happy to draw and play card games with Bella while I concentrated on the road. There were far too many assholes on the road for my liking and my cargo was extremely precious. We just missed a crash where the interstate had been narrowed to one lane and I was relieved to see Bella distract Megan from the signs of carnage as we passed. We were making good time and should arrive at the ranch by New Years Eve afternoon barring any unforeseen circumstances.

Edward

How had things gone so dreadfully wrong? I should have been able to hear enough in my 'companions' thoughts to warn me that he was not what he professed to be. Instead, all I got was a lot of legal nonsense. Somehow both he and Bella's legal adviser had managed to prevent me from reading their true intentions. It unnerved me as I had always relied on my gift to keep me one step ahead of the people around me.

I glanced at the crumpled ball which had been the letter which arrived by special delivery just a few minutes ago. I had been speaking to my lawyer who insisted she had sent Harrison although when I described him she assured me that was not the associate she knew as Harrison. So someone had intercepted her mail and sent one of their own and that could only mean that Bella had powerful friends. No, make that Jasper who had the powerful allies, Bella didn't know anyone in our world except the few I had introduced her to.

They had ambushed me, forcing me to sign that ridiculous document. Did they really think I was going to take it lying down? As soon as I returned to the house I had called the stupid bitch Carlisle had recommended and instructed her to lay a counter appeal. Little did I know at the time how quickly and thoroughly Bella's friends would work.

The letter which had arrived today bore all the seals and crap necessary to make it legal. Bella's divorce petition had been granted. She was officially free of me and the child had been proved to the judge's satisfaction not to be related in any way to me. Jasper had stolen both my wife and my child and expected me to just accept defeat?

The very fact that Bella had gone to such lengths to distance the kid from me led me to believe that she was the same child I had left outside to die just two years ago. I didn't know how it was possible but it seemed that my dear brother Jasper Hale had succeeded in keeping it alive and had now ruined everything for me. Well, I may have lost the battle but the war had yet to yield up a victor.

If I couldn't have Bella then I would have what she cared most about, the kid. All I needed was some help and I decided it would be worth asking Carlisle. He might just take pity on me when he discovered how distraught I was to lose my wife. His compassion was his weak point and I could use that to my advantage.

Esme answered his phone and I cursed under my breath, what was she doing with it? Her tone when she recognized my voice was cool and brisk.

"Edward."

"Esme. I would like to speak to Carlisle."

I made sure that voice appeared weak and trembled slightly, not bad if I say so myself.

"I'm sorry but he's not here. Is there something I can help you with?"

She hadn't taken the bait the cold-hearted bitch.

"I...I really need to talk to him, it's rather important."

"As I said, he's not here at the moment. Can I take a message?"

A message? Where the hell was he?

"No, it's very urgent. Can you tell me how I can reach him?"

"What's the matter, Edward? Carlisle did tell you that we were not going to become further embroiled with your problems."

I could feel my temper rising and struggled to remain calm under such provocation.

"I need his advice. I'm not asking for your involvement. Where is he?"

She sighed heavily and then dropped the bombshell.

"Edward, there is no easy way to say this so I'm going to be blunt. Carlisle and I have washed our hands of you where Bella is concerned. So, if this little charade is to garner sympathy, it's not going to work. We all treated Bella very badly and although there is no way of making that good we will not be a party to any more hurt for the girl. If you have a problem with Bella then there's no point in running to us for help because you will go away empty-handed."

I stared at my phone, unable to believe what I was hearing. She was to blame if Carlisle had turned his back on me, not him.

"Listen to me you scheming bitch. You may twist Carlisle around your little finger but he was mine first. He would never abandon me, not on your say so. Give me some way of contacting Carlisle, right now."

That would teach her to act so high handed.

There was a short pause and I waited for an apology and a number but I was shocked to hear Carlisle instead.

"Edward. You need to learn some manners. You do not speak to Esme like that, ever. Now, I would appreciate it if you refrained from calling me again. As Esme told you, neither of us is willing to become involved any further."

I couldn't believe it, he was abandoning me in my hour of need?

"She's divorced me. Bella. She's left me for Jasper."

"I know. Alice and Garrett told us that Jasper has been in contact with her although I doubt very much if he is the main reason Bella took such drastic action. There is more to it, but I doubt you are willing to furnish us with the truth, it seems to be alien to you these days."

How dare he speak to me like this? And I might have known Alice and her neanderthal boyfriend were at the bottom of this.

"Very well. Don't worry. I won't be in touch again. Why would I when my own father chooses to stab me in the back? You can go to hell Carlisle. You and your pathetic excuse for a wife and family. As far as I'm concerned you are all dead to me."

I cut him off, so angry now that the phone cracked and I threw it across the room where it hit the wall and fell to the floor in pieces and at that moment I wished it was Carlisle's body that lay broken at my feet.