A/N: A quick thank you to everyone who added this story in their alerts and/or added it to their favorite list. It truly means a lot to me.
Chapter 34-
Bella's POV-
"Why did you kill my parents?" I demanded to know, glaring at the subject of my disgust, hatred and anger visible on my face as I spat at the cold-hearted murderer standing in front of me. I had waited for this day since months- and now it was finally here- in front of me, close enough that I could feel it in my very bones, the hatred similar to the blood that flows through my veins, a part of me since forever now. My parents' killer was finally in front of my eyes, and now after all this while, I could finally bear to take a breath of relief.
This day was here…. after waiting for so very long.
I had been waiting for it since a while now…. desperately awaiting for this moment to arrive….and now it was finally here.
I could not control myself in this moment.
I could not stop myself from demanding the answers that I craved and desperately required.
I had waited a long while to get these answers from him.
He had killed my parents, laughing while they cried out in pain, begging him for mercy, their eyes wet from the tears they shed as they looked at their daughter hiding under the dining room table, naïve enough to consider this to be a game of hide and seek, wherein her hiding from the person counting would make her win this game. She had won; indeed, her life being exempted, but her parents weren't as lucky as her. They had paid the price for someone's leisure and laughter, their dreams and hopes vanishing within mere seconds. Their last thought had been the mercy of their daughter's life- and yes, she had been provided the opportunity to live, forced to remember their last memory throughout her life, as the pain and anger attempted to gulp her through.
I could never forget the moment of their dreaded death as they breathe their last, their eyes shutting never to open again.
I could never forget it, not even if I tried- and as soon as I had looked at 'him'- staring into his blood-red eyes, it had all come back to me- all those memories that I had once considered lost.
How naïve had I been to believe that my loss of memory was a punishment for being a bad human?
How ridiculous a thought that had been to even consider?
No, the real punishment was to remember all of this. The real punishment was to know and remember the pain that I had once felt, crying my heart out as I stared at a picture of my parents, laughing- completely unaware of what their future held. The real punishment was to remember of how my parents had died, crying through their last minutes in this world.
No one deserved such a pitiful death, especially not someone as good and caring as my parents had been.
They had suffered.
They had paid the price that was never even theirs to pay.
They had been stolen away from me…. all because one vampire wasn't satisfied enough with his mundane existence.
He had needed enjoyment, and so he had stolen my life away from me…. he had stolen my happiness away from me….he had stolen my future away from me.
And it was high time that he gave me the answer of why he did what he did.
He would have to answer me.
He would have to pay the price for his actions. He would have to bear the consequences of his deeds.
It was high time now.
His time to cry and beg had finally arrived, and none could be happier than me with this development.
My day had finally arrived.
The moment that I had been waiting for was here, after a long- long wait consisting of years.
I met Jasper's eyes, his grip on the killer tight and firm, waiting for me to make my move. This was my game- and I made the rules here.
It would be my decision to do what I wanted to do with the stealer of my parents' life.
Jasper would not interfere- I could see that in his eyes as he looked at me.
He would let me take my revenge. He would let me remove my frustration.
He would let me get my relief.
I was the one in complete control here, the one calling the shots.
This was my game.
And I was going to win this, come hell or high water.
With that, I took a step forward, a million questions and an ever-present need for answers visible on my face.
This awaited moment of my life was finally here, and I could not help but smile at that.
Justice is for everybody; you just need to wait for your turn to arrive.
And mine had just did….
.
.
.
A few hours earlier-
"So, what is Garrett like? I will finally be meeting him today after all this while of hearing stuff about him." Maggie questioned, running beside us, a look of interest on her childlike face.
I shrugged in response, mildly confused by her question. "You mean to say you haven't met Garrett before?"
The way that Jasper and Maggie spoke with one another, Jasper often teasing her with the mere mention of Garrett's, I had assumed that Maggie and Garrett knew of one another, if not being involved with one another at some point of time. They may not have been friends or anything, but knew one another, even if it were in passing. So, this was an almost surprise to me as well that she hadn't ever met him prior to today.
"No," Maggie commented with a chuckle. "The man keeps busy, from what I have heard of him. For a nomad, he has absolutely no time to socialize. God only knows of what he does with all that free time that he has! Actually," she paused briefly, "I don't leave Ireland much, and Garrett does not travel through places that are the known territory of another vampire. He stays away from confrontation as much as one can, even if the vampire he was going against were a friendly one. So, needless to mention, I have never met him before, but I have heard of him plenty. Apparently, Jasper here believes that we would be perfect for one another. I call bull at that."
Jasper rolled his eyes in response, smirking at her. "Don't believe me, but I have a feeling that things are about to change."
"You influenced by the seer now, huh?" Maggie commented instantly, raising an eyebrow with mirth evident on her face. "And here I thought that you found her annoying. Wait, does she know that you have taken her as an idol to worship? I am sure she will be bouncing up and down like the spring she tries so hard to mimic at the revelation of this news. I still have Carlisle's number. Do you want to talk to her? Are you desperate enough to confess your love to her?"
Jasper fake gasped in horror and shock. "Don't you dare! I will send the heavy urge to pee your way, not letting go until you fall to your knees and cry out in discomfort, begging for the release you cannot get. Don't try me; you know I am capable of doing so."
Maggie scoffed at that, looking completely at peace. "You may be capable of doing so, but I know that you wouldn't do so. You are too sweet to do that, now Jasper."
Jasper glared at her, his slight smirk giving away the fact that he was just kidding- and not actually angry at her.
It was almost like watching siblings' bicker with one another, not an ounce of jealously registering within me.
How could I even be jealous?
Especially of the sight in front of me?
Jasper treated Maggie like one would treat a younger sister, teasing her relentlessly while being protective over her in front of the outside world.
He cared about her, that was obvious, but I could see the familial love that he held for her as he teased her and fought with her on something that was of least importance.
She was his family.
He cared for her…. like one would care for family.
I had a feeling that he felt the same kind of love for Charlotte and her mate- Peter, too.
They were his family.
He loved them.
But I had a feeling that while Peter and Charlotte were like immediate family to him, Maggie was like that beloved cousin you saw once in a while- close indeed but the kind that kept busy in her own life, only meeting you on special occasions, your bond never hindered by this distance, though.
Anyhow, I liked Maggie. She was a good person- equally kind and welcoming towards everyone she came across.
I was glad that I had accepted her offer to help us out.
She was a good person to have around, trustworthy, as well.
"Damn you, good reputation!" Jasper cursed, bringing me out of my thoughts. "I had known that you would come back to bite me in the ass one day."
Maggie rolled her eyes at him, thoroughly amused by his words. "Sucks, I know!"
Jasper just sighed- melodramatically at that, continuing to run ahead, in the direction of our destination, giving up on the conversation with Maggie, almost as if he were aware that he could not win in front of her.
I turned to look at Maggie, almost in awe for her being sharp enough to render my mate speechless- not many could achieve this feat, noticing that her attention was elsewhere, her red hair tied in a high ponytail as her eyes gazed at the trees surrounding us, fascination visible in them. From what I had heard of her, she had never really traveled outside of Ireland- not even on an extended hunt. She preferred to stay around her isolated house, her life revolving around those four walls that she called home. She did not travel or even have the urge to see new places.
It was almost strange, if you ask me.
She had lived a long while now; how was it even possible that she had never felt the need to see anything outside her city- state or country?
I would go crazy; had I been confined to a surrounding for as long as she had.
She was certainly strange in this aspect, I had to admit, and this fact made me curious.
"How is it that you have never had the urge to wander?" I asked, raising an eyebrow in question.
She shrugged, turning to look at me. "Women did not travel much back when I was human- choosing to remain near family, and never without a male to escort them around. Now I know that I am immortal, and the times have changed and everything, but I guess some habits stick like glue to you. Siobhan and Liam have seen parts of the world. They travel every half century or so, for a few months at a time; they tried to convince me to join them a few times, but I refused. I was comfortable where I was and am in no hurry to travel like a damn hippie."
I could not resist the laugh that left my mouth at her scoff filled words. "Times have changed, Maggie. You will be surprised to know of how much it has changed. Women go on solo trips all the time now, with absolutely no need for this male escort bullshit. Heck, had I the money, I would have gone bag-packing across Europe long ago. The only reason why I haven't yet, is because I cannot afford it."
"Is that something you would like to do?" Jasper curiously questioned, turning to look at me.
I shrugged back at him. "I was just giving an example, but yeah, maybe, in the future. Never say never, you know?"
Of course, it wouldn't be the same. Bag-packing as a human as you survived in budgeted hotels and dealt with whatever rough hand the place offered you, and traveling like a vampire with no need for sleep or money required to buy food, could definitely not be compared. But at least I could get to see the place, and that was something.
"Heck, Maggie," I added, enthusiastically. "A group of women often have 'girl trips' with their other girlfriends and it is all cool. In fact, I don't remember very clearly, but I can almost claim to have gone on a trip with a few other girlfriends once back when I was human, though I really don't remember any faces to state of who exactly I had been with. Anyhow, the bonding of those trips is incomparable. It is a fun of different proportions as you gossip about people you know- even if the other doesn't, and talk about anything and everything, no topic being out of limits. I would say every girl should have at least one such 'only girls' trip in their lives."
Okay, so maybe I came across as a tad bit more enthusiastic in the matter, but it was the truth, wasn't it?
Maggie stared at me for a few long minutes, deep in thought. "Will you come with me?"
"Excuse me," I asked her, confused.
She smiled. "On this girls' trip. I have never had one before. We can ask Charlotte to join us- she is fun to talk to and living with Peter, I am sure she will have entertaining stories to share. With Siobhan and Liam it is different; I feel like a third wheel and so I generally avoid going out with them much, but if none of your mates are accompanying you, I guess I will not feel like a third wheel on the trip…" she trailed off in nervousness.
I smiled back at her, reassuring her with my eyes, ignoring the look of doubt as it crossed Jasper's face. He was almost about to say no; canceling the plan even before it was made.
Luckily for me and unluckily for him, this was hardly his decision to take.
"Sure," I grinned back, nodding my head in agreement. "You decide the place and the month; I am in."
She grinned back at me, the fact that I had made a good friend not lost upon me.
It felt good, though.
I would need people around me to not go insane in this terribly long eternity.
Eternity was a rather long time to be alone, if you ask me.
"We are almost there." Jasper changed the subject, his eyes informing that this discussion was not over yet. I sighed, shaking my head. While my mate belonged to the nineteenth century, I was a girl of the twenty first, and as such could take decisions for myself.
I could decide of where to go and whom to go with, without needing someone to guide me first over it.
Of course, I wouldn't put myself in danger, and it would be slightly complicated with the Volturi having spies in each and every place possible, but we could find some decent place to visit that was not that high a risk to constantly worry about?
It couldn't be that very tough a chore to simply avoid.
Secondly, I wanted to this for Maggie.
I could see that she was alone and in need of company. She had agreed to help us out so readily, the least I could do for her in return was give her some honest company- and like I have already mentioned, it wasn't that tough a thing to do.
Maggie was an easily likeable person.
"You know," Maggie began to speak. "You still haven't told me about Garrett. What should I expect? Should I expect a moody man who scowls at the sight of a new face, or someone who is heavily sarcastic and upfront over his thoughts? I don't have much of a good impression, either way, but now I feel that it is better to be prepared than jump in fire without knowing of how to save my life. So, what do you say? What should I….."
She never got to complete that thought though, not even waiting for an answer, as she began to rush through the woods, a destination that only she knew about in mind.
"What just happened?" I turned to look at Jasper, his wide eyes and equally clueless stare telling me all I needed to know.
He had absolutely no idea of why Maggie had suddenly disappeared in this manner, like someone had lit her on fire, leaving her with no choice but to sprint towards the closest source of water.
"I guess…we should follow her." I stated the obvious, gaining Jasper's nod as we followed Maggie's scent through the woods, a part of me curious, while another part of mine afraid of what we would find at the end of this treasure hunt.
I believed that I thought of all the available possibilities that could come our way, and yet nothing could have prepared me for the sight that we actually saw when we came across Maggie…wait…letting me correct that…a naked Maggie being bitten in the neck by some strange equally naked vampire with coppery hair and golden eyes.
"Mate," The strange vampire growled out the word, rendering me frozen in shock as he pushed into Maggie, not even bothering to give his two spectators a brief thought.
"Oh my God!" I whimpered, mentally scarred for life, readily accepting Jasper's grip on me as he pulled me far away from this horrifying visual.
"What the fuck was that?" I demanded from him, noticing at once that my mate was exceptionally quiet and deep in thought. I doubt he had even heard me speak.
"Jasper," I shook him mildly, confused by this behavior of his.
He sighed, taking a deep breath in. "Bella, that was Edward Cullen. He is Maggie's mate, apparently."
Say what now!