Chapter 30: Jupiter
(Bella's POV) "Pretend It's Home" by Beth Crowley
"Yeah, she's still here. She's been acting weird since she got here, but we haven't seen much of Becks these last few years. Now she's here and Dad's gone... She only knows a bit about the wolf stuff, bare minimum really, so we're all walking on eggshells out here 'cause we can't talk about all that's happening... Yeah, you could say tensions are high. Jillian's been my rock⏤no pun intended, but ha ha... Well, I'd better go. Becks may be acting strange, but her food smells amazing. With a pack this size, I'll be lucky to get a mouthful."
"Get in there, Jake."
"Later, Bella. Thanks."
Jillian was the only vampire allowed to attend Billy's funeral. The pack trusted me, but they needed a break. For all we knew, more wolves would join the massive pack if we lingered in their territory longer than necessary. I also got the feeling some of the wolves wanted to keep me and Jasper away for a little while. Again, they did trust is, and deep down they knew we did what we did to help them all, but we did kill Billy. I helped Jasper sedate him and Jasper bit him. We did what we had to do, but no one would forget that moment any time soon. According to Jake, the funeral had gone well, even if his reunion with his older sister was strained.
Our wounded allies had been reassembled; only Kachiri had been lost. Zafrina and Senna were still raging, but they intended to stay with us. Liam, Garrett, and Irina were back on their feet and ready for another fight. Siobhan and Liam were getting along well with Felix, as he'd saved Maggie back on that field. Mary and Randall seemed reluctant... Randall had only lost part of one arm, but their eyes judged me every time we crossed paths. I'd made several mistakes on that battlefield, and in doing so I'd lost their trust. Marcus and I hadn't spoken much; Alice and Irwin had come to collect us shortly after we met him in the old Cullen house. He spent most of his time in Carlisle's office, avoiding the crowd while he adjusted to his mental and emotional liberty. He and I would have a serious talk soon. I was the face of this rebellion after all, whether I liked it or not.
Though the Volturi Guards had been programmed to kill anyone freed, Carlisle still believed our first experiment with the weapons was a great success—nine vampires had been spared because my venom had restored their free will.
"Ugh.. you really need to warn humans not to eat beforehand," my dad groaned, appearing along with Irwin. He'd insisted upon paying his respects at the funeral, agreeing to join us as soon as it was over; Angela and Leah had arrived minutes before, but Leah had insisted on being taken directly to their private room.
"I'm sorry, Charlie," Irwin said. "I should have confirmed you were fit for travel. Miss Clearwater and Miss Webber experienced no ill effects, and Bella's mother was unconscious when I carried her here." Looking a little green, my dad eased himself into an armchair beside him. Irwin shot me an apologetic glance. I shook my head, walking over.
"My fault," I said. "Leah saw me when I was human, still adjusting⏤she must have remembered teleportation made me sick, and she clearly warned Angela. Sorry, Dad," I added, sitting on the arm of the chair and laying my hand on the back of his neck. "It made me sick when I was human too. I didn't think to warn you."
"Well, the ice pack helps," Charlie chuckled. "It's still weird how cold you are, but I can't complain now."
"Irwin," I stopped him short of running off. "Why are you referring to Angela and Leah so formally? Trust me, Ange is like me with that kind of thing. Just call her Angela."
"I'm deferring to her mate," Irwin said simply. "Miss Clearwater wants us to keep our distance whenever possible."
"I get it. Thanks, Irwin." With a soft smile and a nod, Irwin ran off to find Alice. My dad jumped slightly, blinking rapidly.
"Still getting used to that too," he laughed, apparently feeling better again.
"C'mon, Dad, it's not like I turn into a huge hairy wolf."
"Too bad," he laughed again, his chocolate brown eyes alight with true happiness and humor. "I haven't seen it yet, but Angela tells me riding wolf-back is the best thing ever."
Instant flashback. I remembered my first time in the Cullen house in Forks, the moment Edward picked me up and jumped out a window. "Dad, will you come with me for a few minutes? Mom's resting now. We can talk to her in a little while." I stood and held out my hand. After several seconds of hesitation, he took it. "This will be weird for both of us, I assure you, but worth it." My dad stood readily enough, but he looked at me warily. "It's my turn to give you a piggyback ride." Before he could respond, I turned my back to him and reached back to grab his legs, lifting him up. His arms automatically fell around me neck and shoulders. "Hold on tight," I laughed, feeling and smelling his blush. "You can't choke me." I took off running, not at my top speed, but fast enough to make my dad's heart stutter, sending a rush of adrenaline through his veins.
"I can go a lot faster," I spoke loudly as I left the house and set a course through the woods, "but I've been in your place. You can still see at this speed." There was a long pause, and I started to slow, concerned, but then my dad changed his grip.
"No more secrets, kiddo," he said, and I could hear the smile in his voice. "Let's see what you've got. Y'know, now that you're not tripping over air." He was terrified, but he was up for it. I shot off at my top speed, earning a whoop of excitement for it.
It took about ten minutes for me to reach Lake Mansfield, partway up the mountain. Seeing no humans when I entered the clearing, I leapt across it, latching onto a broad tree branch as I came back down. Mounting the branch, I gently pried my dad's arms from my shoulders and helped him sit on the branch beside me. He gave me a weak smile while he caught his breath. I grinned. "Wolves can't climb trees." My dad coughed, trying to laugh. After a brief coughing fit, he laughed long and loud.
"No, I can't imagine one of them up here," he said at last. "Bells, I still feel like I'm gonna wake up from this wild dream any moment now... but it's all real, isn't it? Billy and Phil are gone, Renee's back in that house with a baby on the way, Jake's a wolf, you're married to Jasper, you're a vampire, you just saved a vampire king, and there are two more kings out there trying to kill you..." Wow, that really was a lot. Still, I felt the need to add one more log to the fire.
"Edward's gone too. Aro killed him a while ago now... Do you remember when you first met Peter and Char? You thought I was with the Cullens in Alaska, and they stayed with you the night before you all came to meet us at the airport."
"Hard to forget. Jake came over too. I was unknowingly hosting a supernatural slumber party... and I just realized I'm the only one who slept." He could tell I was hurting. He was trying to make me laugh. I did.
"They were protecting you. Edward was executed that night, for a crime he didn't commit. Aro had been controlling him for months before we realized what was going on, and it was a complete accident when I was hurt and Edward got a taste of my blood. It freed him from Aro's control the same way my venom freed Felix and Marcus."
"That's why they're making weapons with your venom? Like those knives?" I nodded.
"I don't like it, but these vampires are breaking laws and risking a lot to help us. Knowing they can use my venom anywhere, anytime... it makes them feel safer, more empowered... Edward was Aro's weapon for a long time. He knew I loved Edward, that I cared for him even when I fell in love with Jasper, my true mate, so he used Edward to hurt me, to hurt all of us. It was all that kept me from breaking down, knowing Edward was free. He was an innocent victim, but I saw the look in his eyes when Aro's hold on him was broken... It was like all light and hope had been sucked out of him. He'd always feared becoming a true monster, and Aro had—" I couldn't say it. I couldn't think of it. "There was no undoing what had been done, no going back. He deserved to live, but I'm not sure he could've lived with himself. The next night, I swear, he came to me in my sleep. He showed me he was happy, that he was finally at peace..." My dad's comforting hand was warm on my shoulder, his grip reassuring.
"The hardest thing for me to accept isn't the presence of supernatural creatures in the world. I can't stand the thought of how much you've been through in secret. All I've heard these past few days⏤the van, that tracker, his mate, the death and destruction you had to keep from me... I get why you had to keep quiet, but I'm your dad, dammit! I wish I could've helped you."
"You can," I interjected. "You can remember me like I was. Just being here with me, you can remind me of who I was, who I really am, no matter what happens. Edward died right in front of me, tormented by thoughts of what he'd done."
"Wait, he was killed right in front of you?"
"Yes! Edward, Phil, Billy, they all died in front of me, but Edward's life was taken from him long before he was killed. Dad, please," I cried, frustrated as always when no tears fell. "I don't know exactly what's wrong, but my instincts are screaming at me! This is war, after all, and I can't shake the feeling that something terrible is coming, and... You know I'll never hurt you, right? You won't hesitate to say something if I start to lose myself? I'll talk to Jasper about this too, but you see things differently, and I just feel like it's important I get your input too. I feel like such a baby right now, not the warrior Saturno I'm supposed to be, but..." I sobbed.
"Can you take us back down to the ground?" Dad asked. I obliged almost reflexively, and I was wrapped in warmth as soon as our feet were on the ground, my dad hugging me as tightly as he could. "You're still my baby, Bells. I've got you."
When I returned to the house with my dad, Carlisle and Jasper were waiting for us. "Your mother would like to see you, Bella," Carlisle said gently. "She seems to be adjusting to the shock now. She spoke to me more freely when I checked on her this morning, and she's eating everything Esme makes for her. I'm sure your presence will be a comfort too, Charlie. It will help her to see she's not alone in this unusual and overwhelming situation."
"Thanks, Carlisle," Dad said casually. His comfort around Carlisle and Jasper gave me hope. He and Angela were taking things in stride. Mom had suffered a huge loss, but maybe we would be around to help her through.
"Bella," Mom breathed as soon as I entered her room. She set aside what remained of her lunch and sat up a little straighter in bed. "Charlie, you're here too? Are you okay?" Dad stared for a moment, seeing her for the first time since my funeral, laying there nine months pregnant.
"Yeah," he said, fidgeting distractedly. "Yeah, I'm all good, the uh⏤the bad guys got pretty close, but... yeah, I'm good."
"How are you feeling, Mom?" I asked, walking closer to her bed and reaching for her hand. Her eyes locked on my hand and she froze for a moment. Dad walked closer and squeezed her other hand.
"She's still our girl, Renee. It's okay."
Mom hesitated for a couple more seconds, then she finally lifted her hand slightly, allowing me to take it. She squeezed my hand experimentally, then she sighed. "After talking to Doctor Cullen… Everything happened so fast back in Jacksonville. I... I know you did everything you could to save both of us. I am happy to see you again, of course I am—"
"Mom, stop, stop, you did nothing wrong. You have nothing to apologize for. I appeared without warning, you were scared and confused, and you'd just lost Phil. Everything is such a mess. I just... I don't know what I would have done if you'd been hurt."
"I'm okay. I... I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do with all this. I love you so much, I do, but I'm so scared. What's going to happen when Mason is born?"
"Mason?" Dad echoed. "You're having a boy?" Mom blushed.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you. Sorry." She stroked her belly lovingly. "This is Mason Marcus Dwyer." If I were human, I would have choked. Dad did, just for a moment. He hadn't met Marcus, but he recognized the name of the rescued vampire king. I don't think either of my parents knew Mason was Edward's middle name. I kept that to myself.
"We'll protect you and Mason, and Dad, and my friend Angela until all this fighting is over, then we'll do what we can to get your life back to normal, or as close to it as you can get now that you're aware of the supernatural world. We'll figure it out. We just have to keep you healthy now, so don't hesitate to ask for anything you need. Being a vampire makes Carlisle a better doctor than any human in the world, Esme got tons of practice cooking for me, Jasper can help with any mood swings or anxiety, and Rose adores babies⏤if I'm not around, just say her name and she'll help you with anything."
I heard footsteps approaching, so when Dad took over the conversation, I gave my mom's hand a gentle squeeze and slipped away. Jasper and Marcus were waiting for me in the hall. Jasper smiled and I automatically walked into his embrace. Being around Marcus made me nervous. I knew he was free and on our side, but I couldn't shake the anxiety I felt around him. Most days I still felt like a relatively normal teenage girl, and here was this quiet and observant vampire king hanging around. It was awkward.
"The venom guns are ready," Jasper told me, sending waves of calm and confidence into me. "We're all going out behind the garage for testing." Great.
"Humans can harm us with their missiles and bombs, and now we have found ways to weaponize our venom," Marcus mused. "These are dangerous times indeed, and I have much to learn after a millennium half-asleep."
"How are we testing them?" I asked as we walked. "Are we just going to see if the bullets break correctly? We'd have to hurt someone before we could free them from a gift."
"I volunteered," Garrett said as we joined the group out back. "I've always been too curious for my own good."
"We just reassembled you! Whose gift are we using?"
"Mine, of course," Zafrina answered. "It's harmless. Kate is just giving her mate a little love-bite Peter can shoot."
Before I could object, it was already happening. Kate gave Garrett a small bite on his chest, moving aside while Zafrina stepped forward. I could tell by the change in their postures when both Garrett and Kate were swallowed by Zafrina's gift. Armed with an ordinary-looking paintball gun, Peter stepped forward and took aim. All was silent as every vampire in our alliance held their breath and watched. Peter pulled the trigger and bullet of webbed metal and woven plastic shot straight and true, striking Garrett's bite wound perfectly. The hard plastic within the metal shattered on impact and my venom splashed out, mixing with his. Garrett hissed, and only a second later I could see in his eyes that his vision had cleared. He turned to his unresponsive mate⏤Zafrina was still projecting and Kate was still blind to the world around her⏤and he started to grab her, clearly intending to carry her to safety.
"No, wait," Peter ordered, adjusting his aim. "Just a little sting," he said, then he shot Kate in the eye. She hissed and Garrett growled at Peter, but then Kate gripped his shoulder.
"I'm fine," she said. "Just a little sting. It's almost gone."
"And it worked," Char said proudly, having moved closer to Peter when Garrett growled at him. "The target doesn't have to be wounded if we can hit an eye or shoot a bullet into the mouth of our target."
Lysander stepped forward and took the gun, carefully removing a single bullet. He held out his hand and focused on the bullet for a moment. It floated above his hand, shot toward the trees, curved toward Garrett, hovered in the air, then it flew back into his hand. "How many bullets have you made?"
"Our first casings didn't work," Maria answered, moving to stand with Peter and Charlotte. "This is our third design. We have fifteen of them now." She turned to me. "We can make more if you like, but we will need more of your venom." I wasn't sure how I wanted to answer that. The guns worked great, but were we going too far? You could choose whether or not to approach someone armed with a knife. The guns, Lysander's telekinetic bullets—wielding my venom from a distance didn't feel right. Five seconds passed, and I hadn't answered Maria. Maggie and Alanna were watching me, so I couldn't lie.
"We'll keep that in mind," Jasper said, coming to my rescue. "Great work, everyone. Garrett, Kate, you two should go on a quick hunt to clear out that foreign venom." Bingo. With that little reminder, I found my voice again.
"Oh, I can't believe I forgot, even if I was human at the time. Felix," I waved the massive vampire over, then I turned to Marcus and choked again. I still wasn't sure how I should address him. Risking insult, I kept it simple, "Marcus. Back when I gave my blood to Irwin and Eleazar, they both said a hunt made them feel much better. I know it's been a while since you've really hunted, without Heidi, but maybe that's just what you need?"
Two hours later, Marcus and Felix had vibrant red eyes. They had watched in interest while Jasper and I took down and shared a moose. We washed off in the lake and sat in silence for a while. Full and much more relaxed, I just let my filter fall away.
"I don't want my venom used in those guns. I'll provide more venom for knives, but I'm just not comfortable with those bullets. It feels like we're crossing a line."
"I agree," Jasper said. I fell back on the grass in relief. "I could feel how nervous it made you, of course, but watching Lysander play with that bullet... I didn't care for that at all. A part of me appreciates the advantage it would give us, but we're comparing a bonfire to a wildfire. There are too many ways to abuse the guns and bullets. I don't believe anyone fighting with us would go so far, but we have to think of public perception."
"I am relieved to hear this," Marcus offered quietly. "Our campaign against Aro will not end when he burns, but when we reestablish order with the respect of those who look to us for direction."
"An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind," I said.
"Precisely."
"Um, Marcus," I said, sitting up again. "How would you prefer to be addressed now? I mean no disrespect, addressing you informally." I felt a soft wave of humor wash over me. Of course Jasper knew I felt awkward around Marcus, but he'd enjoyed my floundering a little.
"I do not recall exchanging more than a few passing words with you back in Volterra, where my title held no weight, where I did as my brothers wished and kept to myself when I was not needed. Informality is fine until I earn my place again. Felix, you should address me informally as well. However this ends, nothing will ever be as it was again. We have been given a fresh start. Why not embrace the opportunity to change?"
"Cheers to that," Felix chuckled.
"Okay," Jasper said, clapping his hands together once. "I'll tell Peter and Maria the guns are out."
"Thank you," I murmured, knowing he'd also felt how terrified I was to tell the crowd no. He gave me a warm smile and pulled me closer. I rested my head against his shoulder and he absently played with my hair.
"How did you come to possess one of Amelia's arms?" Marcus asked. "I came across it in Carlisle's office."
"Aro didn't tell you, did he?" I grumbled. "Just another taunt. He dropped it inside a cave Lysander lived in before we found him. Before I escaped, Aro told me about her: Tristan's mate, he scattered her pieces all over Italy to make Tristan fight—"
"Aro was bluffing," Marcus informed me. "Amelia has a remarkable gift of her own; Aro would not discard her. He only took that one arm to deceive Tristan. Amelia is otherwise intact, hidden away in a small corner of the castle. When Tristan was destroyed, Aro and Chelsea were able to take control of her."
"What can she do?" I asked.
"She can reverse the change."
Silence. Even Felix was staring in shock, as shaken by this revelation as Jasper and I were. Felix was the first to recover.
"All of our laws would be cast aside," he said, shaking his head. "Even if her gift didn't threaten our laws, I fail to see what use Aro would have for her. He covets power. Why would he return vampires to their weaker human form?"
"I believe he intends to practice breeding," Marcus said plainly, his mouth curved in distaste.
"Breeding?" I hissed. "Of course. I can see it now. Change gifted vampires into humans, surely creating a gifted child, bite the parents again, wait until the child passes the immortal child age, change them too and boom! Unstoppable army. Oh! Oh no..." Had I been human, I would've been sick in the bushes. "Does he think he can make Saturnos that way? That some children might adopt both of their parents gifts?"
"No, no. We've poured over Saturno genealogies. There is no record of a Saturno being born to parents with any recognizable gift. The conclusion you came to first was correct. He wants to grow his collection of gifted immortals by any means necessary." I exhaled in relief, but then I noticed Marcus staring at me calculatingly.
"Bella, there is no record of a Saturno with gifted parents, but in our library there can be found four family trees containing more than one Saturno." No. No, no, no, no, no...
"W-who... Who else knows this?"
"Only Aro, Caius, Sulpicia, and Athenadora, in addition to present company."
"This stays between us," Jasper ordered cooly, his eyes Major-black and his arm tight around me.
"Of course," Marcus said, nodding once. Felix nodded as well, locking eyes with me as he did so. "I speak only out of courtesy," Marcus continued. "He will only be your half-brother, and it may be that your gifts come from your father's side, but pay close attention when he is born. Your shield was quite possibly active since your birth. If your brother is born gifted, you will no doubt want to take extra care to ensure his safety."
"Thank you," I said softly, my head spinning and my emotions too wild for Jasper to easily contain.
"Will you excuse us, Marcus? Felix?" Jasper asked in the lower tones of his protective persona. "Tell everyone we'll return soon." Marcus and Felix stood and departed without a word.
Jasper swept me up and carried me a little deeper into the woods, where the trees formed walls and the foliage filtered out light and noise. It was a comforting swaddling, the gentle protection of nature. I could finally feel Jasper's gift seeping into me, calming my frayed nerves. "I have something to tell you," I said before I could become distracted. I told him about my morning with my dad, all we'd discussed, my fear of losing myself.
"Darlin' I'll never let that happen," he said, sitting next to me on the soft earth, running his hand up and down my back.
"I'm not developing an alter ego like you did, Jasper. I froze on that battlefield. If it weren't for Felix, we would've lost Maggie, and it would've been my fault, for not getting my shield up of all things. Then I stood there watching that gun test, hating it, but when they asked me for more venom I couldn't tell them no. I froze. Again."
"You're so much stronger than you know," Jasper said, easing me backward until he hovered over me, kissing me tenderly. "I know you're waiting for them to reject you, to say you aren't worthy, or that they won't listen to you, but they've all come to respect you in their own way. Even those who might not stay with us much longer."
"Mary and Randall?"
"Fickle nomads. If they do decide to run, please don't take it personally. It really is them, not you." I laughed. Jasper smiled at the sound, tracing his finger along my lips. I ran my fingers through his hair, tugging lightly when his smile widened. He sighed.
"Honestly, I think you're feeling this way because you already have lost yourself, just a bit. You've lost some of your confidence, but that happens to all of us from time to time. You're surrounded by vampires hundreds of years older than you and they're all looking to you. That's intimidating as hell, and it's the same with the pack. What happened with Billy the other day... Moments like that don't get easier. You've lost loved ones and killed enemies, you're bloodied now and there's no going back from that." Jasper stripped my sweater off and kissed some of my scars. "Even Marcus agreed: It's time for a change. Fresh starts all around. You just need to find the feisty girl who walked down that aisle toward me, each of these scars on display, and drag her back out." Jasper stood and quickly stripped bare. I shimmied out of the rest of my clothes.
"You are a little lost," he said, lowering himself onto me, "but I'm right here with you. I won't let you get too lost, and when you do find your way back, I'll be there too. Getting lost isn't so bad when you know you're not alone."
Jasper and I made love on the forest floor, time standing still in our little bubble, bodies entwined and cares forgotten. Then the bubble burst, and we plummeted back to the earth.
"Put your clothes on or come naked, but we need you now!" Irwin appeared beside us and we sprang apart, grabbing our clothes and dressing in such a rush I ripped my jeans in two. Satisfied that my sweater covered me well enough, I took Irwin's hand.
We teleported back to a chaotic scene. Leah was in the living room in wolf form, Angela cowering against a wall behind her, but the scratches on Angela's arm looked like they were made by Leah's claws. A chunk of flesh had been ripped out of Peter's arm, his venom oozing out over Leah's teeth marks. He seemed fairly calm, but he watched Leah closely. Char was hissing like angry cat, trying to get to Leah while Emmett, Rose, and Esme held her back. Kate and Garrett stood between Peter and Leah, keeping them apart. Carlisle stood near Angela, the only vampire allowed to pass. I could hear the other Denalis in my mom's room, keeping her and my dad inside, out of sight. Marcus and Felix stood off to the side, watching. Every other vampire was outside, watching through the windows, holding their breath against the temptation of freshly spilled human blood.
I amplified Jasper's gift and he sent out a wave of calm and lethargy strong enough to bring the nearest vampires to their knees. Leah sagged to the floor, but Jasper was careful to leave Angela and Carlisle out of the blast. "Is Jillian here yet?" I asked, leaping over Leah to help Carlisle clean and bandage Angela's wound. Leah howled, the sound full of agony and rage. I walked around to face her.
"I can't help you if you don't talk to me," I said. "You have to change back." Sedated as she was, Leah still lunged for me. Jasper growled lowly and took my hand, silently asking for more amplification. With my help, he poured peace and tranquillity into Leah until she was forced back into human form. He held her there, just conscious enough to speak clearly. She glared daggers at me.
"That mind-fucking leech got Rebecca," she spat. "He's been controlling her. She brought a bottle of venom to the wake and spiked the food." Carlisle gasped. Esme sobbed. Angela squirmed until Carlisle released her, running over to kneel on the floor between me and Leah.
"How? Was Rebecca caught?" I asked. Leah started shaking and Jasper gave her another shot of calm.
"Mom found her body outside with a note. She'd stabbed herself in the chest." This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be real. "'This is what happens when you don't keep venom where it belongs.' Signed Aro Volturi."
"How many?" I choked out, my vision darkening slightly in my rapidly mounting rage.
"Nine. Nine wolves dead, including two twelve-year-olds, you fucking bitch!" Leah slumped to the floor after that, completely unconscious under Jasper's influence. Angela was sobbing, actual tears streaming down her face.
"Take Leah and Angela back to La Push, Irwin," I said flatly. "Just to the border. Do not cross the line. Jillian will make sure they're safe. Angela," I said, taking her hand and helping her up. "Let Jillian heal you as soon as you find her. Call me if you need anything. We can bring you back here anytime, but Leah and the pack need you with them now." Angela nodded, hugging me briefly, then taking Irwin's offered hand. He took Leah's hand as well and teleported.
Talking. There was suddenly a lot of talking around me, but it was like I was deep underwater, deep down in Lysander's cave. I didn't process questions aimed at me, not consciously at least. I shook off hands that sought to comfort me. I made my way to the garage. Finally, I saw them—the knives, the guns, the bullets. Conveniently, there was also a blowtorch.
Hell is empty. All the devils are here.