It's been some time since I used FF so I'm just warning any readers who do not know my version of Peter that he has a very colorful way of expressing himself. Jules x

Chapter Thirty Two

Jasper

I had been away far longer than I had anticipated and just hoped that Bella hadn't become agitated as I knew my influence over her must be weakening. Having bought a selection of foods and a hot drink for her I decided that a change of outfit wouldn't go amiss. She only possessed the clothes she stood up in and they were looking decidedly tattered.

I'd also dumped the truck I had bought in what appeared to be the shadiest part of town hoping it wouldn't be long before it was stolen, although I doubted anyone tracking us would use it to pinpoint our position. As far as I knew the only person likely to use that kind of information was Darius and it appeared he was long gone.

As I turned the corner leading to our room I saw a figure force the door open and disappear inside. Groaning, I recognised who it was although I had no idea how he had found us or, more to the point, why he was here. What I did know was that whether Bella had recovered enough to use her gift or not, Peter was in trouble.

Having tossed my parcels, I ran and was just in time to save my friend from being engulfed in flames. Somehow Bella had manufactured a weapon that would be perfect to use against vampires.

I knocked Peter out of the way feeling the heat of the flaming torch as it missed my face by inches and rolled free calling Bella's name and hoping she hadn't decided that killing vampires was her life's goal after all and we two would be just fine to start with.

"What the fuck is going on, Major? Geez, I get a call outta the blue from some weirdo telling me to get my ass to some sleaze bag motel in the middle of nowhere and I find myself being attacked by some lunatic woman with a fucking homemade flame thrower."

"Technically Peter, it isn't a flamethrower. Just a homemade torch."

Peter glared at me, "Don't argue fucking semantics with me. That crazy bitch nearly barbecued me. Why can't you find yourself a nice girl? Preferably one who isn't a class A bitch and, how's this for novelty? One without homicidal tendencies."

I had taken the torch from Bella and thrown it through the open door into the snow where it would soon be extinguished, then shut the door as best I could considering Peter had wrenched the lock off when opening it.

"Peter, calm down and shut the hell up for just a minute."

He glared at me and returned his attention to Bella who was now staring at us both in incomprehension.

"You know this guy?"

I nodded, "For my sins, yes. Bella, this is Peter, an old friend who is going to tell us just why he's here, but first, let's take a look at your hand."

Bella looked down at her hand absently as if the angry burns made by what looked like melting plastic or nylon meant nothing to her.

I pointed at the bed, "Sit there, Peter, and stay. We won't be long."

Guiding Bella into the bathroom, I ran some cold water and put her hand in the flow hearing her hiss in pain.

"Ouch. That hurts."

"Yeah, it looks like it. I'll rip up a towel and you can wrap a strip soaked in cold water around your hand. Then I'll see if the ice machine is working in the office."

She pulled her hand free of my grip snapping, "I'll be fine, stop fussing. Besides, I don't want you leaving me with that crazy person."

"Hey, you were the one waving a naked flame around, not me."

She whirled around at the sound of Peter's retort and grabbed the strip of towel

I had just ripped off and soaked in the basin. Wrapping it around her hand, she marched back into the bedroom.

"You're lucky I can't use my gift or you'd be dead by now."

Peter smiled sarcastically, "Well then I guess I should be fucking celebrating. Do you always greet visitors with a weapon in your hand or is it just me?"

I cut in to stop the argument from escalating further.

"Peter, enough. Why are you here?"

He sighed heavily, putting on a hurt expression which was water off a duck's back to me.

"There's nothing like a warm welcome from an old friend. It makes my heart leap for joy."

"Peter." I raised my voice warningly.

"OK, OK. No need to piss your pants. I was getting there, Major. Of course, if you'd had a cell phone it would have avoided the need for me to fly halfway across the country to the butt end of the world like a fucking carrier pigeon."

I glared at him and he threw his hands up in despair, "Right. Why should I expect a warm welcome or a Hi there Cap, how's it hanging?"

Bella looked at me, "Has he always been this annoying?"

I nodded, "Yeah, his mom dropped him on his head as a baby. Give him a minute and something relevant might trickle out among the profanities and self-pity."

"Fuck you, Major. I shoulda told that Darius guy to go to hell."

Bella and I exchanged a glance, "Darius called you?"

"Yeah. That's what I just said. The guy rang up in the middle of the fucking night ordering me to get my ass to you here in Eskimo town and give you a message. If it hadn't sounded so urgent I woulda told him to go screw himself."

I waited, the silence urging him on.

"OK. this guy said you'd be here. Even gave me the fucking room number. I waited around to make sure no one else was watching you then knocked on the door and Crazy Mary here came at me with...Well, you saw her. She should be locked up."

"The message, Peter", I growled impatiently, attempting to cut in before Bella could speak.

She was scowling now and I could feel the rage and impatience warring within her.

"You want to be careful who you bad mouth, You should thank your lucky stars I don't have my strength right now or you'd be dead. Not whining like a little girl."

I had to stop myself from laughing out loud at Bella's words and their effect on my friend. He stared at her like she was a new species on the planet.

"Yeah? Well, you should be thanking your lucky stars that I didn't know what a bitch you were or I might have eaten you."

I'd had enough of their bickering, "Shut up, both of you."

They both stared at me but, seeing the expression on my face, fell silent throwing deathly glares at each other in place of words.

"The message, Peter?"

He turned his attention to me, "What? Oh, yeah. Well, the crazy guy said all you need to do is to unlatch the collar and it'll come off. Does that make sense?"

He turned back to Bella, "Personally I think a collar is the best thing for this bitch but it's not my call. Hey, is it one of those fancy shock collars they use on crazy dogs? If it is, can I have a go?"

"No, it isn't." Bella snarled as she reached up and undid the catch then threw the collar to the ground,

"So, he lied to us. There never were any explosives."

Peter's face lit up maliciously, "Damn, I woulda paid good money to see you blow your head off."

I raised my hand to cut them both off, "Enough, Peter. Did he say anything else?"

"Yeah. He said he'd intercepted a communication from the big boss, Aro Volturi. The big bad vampire called off the trackers looking for little Miss Personality here."

I frowned, "He did? Why?"

"How the fuck should I know? I'm just the messenger. He also said something about waiting here for a call."

"He's going to call us?"

"He didn't say who, but if he's spent any time with laughing girl I'd assume he'd want to get as far away as possible and try to forget the fucking experience."

Trying to keep Peter from winding Bella up further wasn't going to be easy, but I had to try or we were all going to be in trouble.

"Cut the attitude, Peter. Bella's a friend…" she choked on my words so I added hastily. "At least we have a truce, for now. And we're going to be stuck here together until we get the call. Unless you want to go back home now you've delivered the message."

A malicious grin lit up his face.

"And miss all the fun of the fair? No chance. I haven't enjoyed myself so much since Charlotte tried to cut my balls off when she found me talking to Amber at a Christmas party. Talking of which, or should I say witch, the green-faced ugly one with warts, have you heard anything from the bitch recently?"

I knew he was referring to Alice, not Amber and cut him short.

"No, and I don't expect to either. Does Charlotte know where you are?"

"Sure. I told her the Major is up to his fucking neck in trouble as usual and needed me to save his sorry ass. Anyhow, as we are going to be shut up here nice and cozy for a while, why don't you fill me in?"

I gave him the abbreviated version which was still enough to piss him off that he missed all the fun, but didn't go into details about Bella. If she wanted him to know she could tell him herself.

Peter studied her for a long time in silence which she found unnerving and I was sure that was exactly his intention. Then finally he spoke again.

"So, missy. If you don't mind me saying so you make some rotten fucking choices. First Eddy the idiot and then you go making friends with monster hunters and upset the Volturi. You got a death wish or something?"

"And if I do mind?" Bella snapped.

Peter grinned, "Too fucking bad."

I rolled my eyes. When Peter was in this kind of mood there was nothing to do but let him get it out of his system.

I wondered how long we were going to be stuck here and if my nerves could withstand the strain when Bella announced she was going to have something to eat and go for a walk.

"Not a good idea, Bella."

She turned to me, "I don't care whether you think it is or not. Thank you for bringing me something to eat but you are not my parent so I'll do as I please. Besides, if I stay in here I might just kill your friend for the fun of it."

Peter grinned, satisfied he had gotten under her skin, "Don't sweat it girlie, I'll grow on you. Give it a century or two."

Bella flung herself at him and as he wasn't expecting the attack, she knocked him clean off the bed and landed on his chest, her eyes blazing with anger.

"Don't call me girlie you neanderthal."

I could see he felt the pressure of her gift although it was nowhere near full power and he held his hands up although he could easily have tossed her off.

"So, the girl has spirit. See, Bella, I told you I'd grow on you, but take a beat, remember I'm a happily married man."

With a cry of frustration she jumped up and grabbed the burger and coke heading outside.

Rolling my eyes I followed her calling back over my shoulder, "Stay put, and if the phone rings try not to annoy Darius, I want to hear what he has to say."

Peter leapt onto the bed, grabbing the TV remote and looked at me innocently, "Sure, Major. Enjoy your walk with the crazy lady."

Bella was silent for a while as she ate and drank and I was content to walk at her side, relieved that she was calming down once out of Peter's presence.

Finally, she shot me a wary look.

"What do you think Darius wants?"

I shook my head, "I don't know and it's useless to speculate. Better to wait until he tells us. Sorry about Peter, he acts like a fool but he's a good friend to have in a tight corner."

She stared at me sceptically, "Really? Left up to me he'd be ashes by now."

"Like me?"

She opened her mouth to reply, but then closed it again before abruptly changing the subject.

"I didn't realize how cold it was. I guess your 'friend' distracted me."

"Here." I took off the jacket I was still wearing and draped it across her shoulders.

I expected her to demure or even throw it back at me, but instead, she pulled it close around her and nodded her thanks.

We walked on, stopping only for Bella to throw her empty food wrapper into a bin.

"Thank you for the food. I didn't realize how hungry I was. I can't remember the last time I ate."

She stopped suddenly and I knew she had remembered and I guessed that the last meal she ate was around the campfire with her hunter friends. Friends who were now dead.

"How did you get involved with those hunters, Bella? I'm guessing they didn't just turn up out of the blue."

Her voice when she answered was cold, "No, they didn't. I was introduced to them by someone who hates vampires and was happy to help me out. Unfortunately, he didn't hate the other monsters who inhabit our world as I do, but it gave me a start."

"You mean the guardians? Does that include Jake? He was ready to help me keep you safe."

"Guilt because of what Paul did, that was why, trust me, and yes that includes Jake...Or at least it did. Right now I feel like all the energy and fire has been drained out of me. I can't even hate your idiot friend the way I should, but then you'd know all about that seeing as you're responsible. Do you think you can keep up your mental cudgel forever? One day you're going to let your guard down and I'll be waiting, ready to pounce."

"So, you are still bent on killing me? That's a shame. I thought you and I had an understanding."

Although her lip curled in contempt, I was sure it wasn't as vehement as she would have liked it to be.

"An understanding? Just because I leaned on you in a moment of weakness? Don't mistake that for affection, Jasper. I lost all that I loved because I got involved with your family and that's something I'm not going to forget."

I winced at the bitterness in her voice. Her scars were not only physical but mental too and I wondered if she would ever heal and revert to the girl she once had been.

"We should head back, the sooner we speak to Darius the sooner this will all be over."

She nodded and turned to head back but slipped on a patch of ice and almost fell. I caught her and for a second we were face to face, our lips only inches apart and I felt her warm breath on my cheek. I didn't notice the scars, only the beauty of her eyes and the warmth of her body and felt lost when she pulled away with a brusque thanks, her cheeks flushed a brilliant red.