Chapter 25

I hummed out as I felt the hot water around me. My back was against the chest of my lover. His arms were wrapped around me, holding me close.

"Happy?" Jasper asked softly.

"You would know." I replied back and turned to look at him.

He was smirking at me and placed a kiss on my nose. "Now, on to the questions. Ask away."

I bit my bottom lip. "So, you and Maria were a couple?" I felt my heart beat quickly, not knowing if bringing her up is a bad choice.

"We were. At one point I thought I loved her and she loved me. It was all a lie though. That feeling I had for her wasn't love. It was…admiration. The type of feeling you have, for an example, for a leader. I was her puppet. She pulled the strings and I did what she wanted." Jasper answered me with more than what I asked for, but glad he told me.

"Did she ever hurt you?" I asked in a quiet voice.

"Hurt me? As in punish me?" I nodded and he answered. "Yes. If I did something wrong, she would make sure I wouldn't get fed or I would be hit. Now that I look back on it, I was a fool."

"You were only doing what you thought was the only way to live, Jasper." I corrected him.

"I knew there had to of been something else, but I was wrapped around her finger. Until it all became too much for me. Peter took me away from that place. I guess you can say, Peter saved my life. I owe him immensely." Jasper sighed and laid his head back on the bathtub wall. "If it wasn't for him, Cher, and Alice…I'd be lost and I wouldn't have met you."

I turned in the tub, sloshing water on accident. He moves so I could wrap my legs around him so we were face to face and I was sitting on his lap.

"You're my soulmate. Eventually we would have found each other." I shrugged. "I believe that anyways."

Jasper smiled his crooked smile, making my heart melt. "If you say so, Ma'am." His smile faded away slowly. "Tell me why you think I'd ever leave you. I made the mistake of doing it once, but that was a foolish decision. Like I said…I didn't fully leave you. I could never do that."

"Jasper, everyone I love has left me in the past some way shape or form." I frowned for a second and then bounced a little. "So, want to know what I remember?"

Jasper tilted his head for a moment in confusion until he understood. "Okay, let me hear it."

"It's weird how I don't remember the cuddly and cute times, but I remember some – if not all- the times you made love to me or pleasured me." I kissed his cheek. "Those I remember very well. They seemed like dreams. Like one of them you woke me up by playing with me and kissing me down there." Blush crept to my cheeks when I remembered.

"Ah, yes. That was my favorite night. Your step dad had to work overnight. Your mother was out with friends and your brother was staying the night at a friend's house. I had you all to myself." He gave me an impish grin. "It was too good to be true. You had nowhere to go, no one to call for, and you were all mine."

"Like I'd leave or call for help." I rolled my eyes.

"Did you just roll your eyes at me?" He asked.

I bit my bottom lip after responding to him. "If I did, what are you going to do about it?"

A moment later I felt something nudging my crotch. I looked down, seeing that the bubbles were popping away. I saw his erection prodding at me.

"I'm going to roll my eyes more then." I added and looked up at Jasper.

Jasper lifted me up slightly and eased himself into me. The warm water helped my body relax around him. He wasn't cold, due to the water. I don't mind him being cold. You think that I would, but it made it all the more exciting.

A few days went by. I was sitting on the couch with Jasper and Carlisle. When Bella walked in the room, Carlisle turn off the news about the Seattle murders and missing people.

"Something isn't right." I muttered. "It can't be just a few vampires that are doing this. The numbers they are speaking about…"

"It's newborns." Edward replied to me.

"What?" Bella asked. "Like new vampires?"

"The first few months are the change." Her boyfriend held her hand tightly.

"That's when we are at our most uncontrollable, vicious, and insane with thirst." Jasper added.

"Something to look forward to." Emmett spoke out to Bella and me.

I looked over at Emmett. "I can't wait to be stronger than you. You'll be eating dirt." I smirked at him.

"You wish!" Emmett said with a playful roll of his eyes.

"No one has trained these newborns, but this isn't random." Jasper added, going back to the Seattle subject.

"Someone's creating an army." Carlisle said.

"Now we are definitely going to Seattle." Emmett stood up like he was ready to go now.

I clung to Jasper's shirt, not wanting him to leave without me. He took my hand and smoothly rubbed at it.

"Don't worry." He whispered to me. "Wherever you go, I go."

"An army of vampires…?" Bella asked. "In Seattle?"

"Just like in Texas? I thought they were mostly down in the south." I looked over at Jasper.

"Most of them." He answered.

"Regardless of why they were made, if we don't put a stop to them the Volturi will." Carlisle stood up from the couch. "I can't believe that let this go on this long."

"Maybe they're behind it. In Italy I read Aro's mind, he wants me and Alice to join him. He knows we'll never choose him as long as our family is still alive." Edward said allowed.

"An army could solve that for him." Jasper added.

"But why?" Carlisle asked, irritation set in his voice. "It makes no sense. No laws have been broken."

"Carlisle, he really wants us." Edward said with certainty in his tone.

"Carlisle is right. The Volturi wouldn't do this. It's too…reckless." Jasper muttered.

"I know that none of you think it is her, but I say so. It has to be Victoria. I don't have proof, because you would be able to see her decide." I said to Alice. "But I have this feeling it is her."

"You're not the only one." Bella said softly. "I believe it's her too. There's no evidence that it is, but I know it's her."

We had to go back to La Push so that the Cullens could feed. We were walking along the beach. I was by myself, giving Bella and Jake time to talk.

I poked at a stick with my foot. I then glanced up to find Jacob was kissing Bella.

What the hell? I walked swiftly over to the two of them. She shoved him off and glared up at him.

"Why did you do that?" She yelled out at Jacob.

I went up to him and punched him right in the jaw, wanting him to back off Bella. When I punched him, I heard a cracking noise from my hand.

I walked around in pain, holding my hand. Cursing at the pain, I held my hand to my chest.

"Oh my god! Are you okay?" Bella asked and went to look at me hand.

"I think it's broken…" I muttered.

Jake stood there, not moving a muscle. He looked pissed and confused. Good, he should be. That was not cool.

After we got to Bella's house, Edward and Jake argued a bit. Once they were done, Edward took me to see Carlisle so he could look at my hand.

"Don't tell Jasper who did this…" I said softly. "He'll kill Jake and, even though I'm not a fan of him right now, I'd hate to see him die."

"You can't lie to him, Lori." Edward said as he drove.

"I know. I'll just say 'I punched a werewolf' and that's it."

"He'll ask why and who."

"Then I won't tell him." I crossed my arms. "I guess he does have a way to make me tell the truth."

"Just calm him down after you tell him. Okay?" Edward sighed out.

Once we got there, Jasper blurred out of the house and to the door. He opened it and grabbed my arm. His face was full of worry.

"Let me see." He said with slight anger in his voice. "How did you hurt yourself?"

I showed him my hand and a growl came from his throat.

"Jasper, I'll tell you what happened after Carlisle looks at it. Okay?" I promised him.

Jasper was eyeing my hand while Carlisle was looking at my wrist. My hand was fine, but I sprained my wrist.

"What the hell did you do, Squirt?" Emmett asked when he walked into the room. "Did you fall down the stairs or something?"

Thinking of a witty comment, I decided to come out and say it. "No, I punched a werewolf in the face."

"Badass!" Emmett commented with slight amusement.

"You what?" I heard Jasper ask.

I turned my head to find Jasper right next to me. "I punched a werewolf in the face. He overstepped a line that I thought wasn't cool, so I punched him."

Jasper's face turned into rage. "Who?"

Carlisle put a hand on Jasper's shoulder. "Calm down, Son. She's fine."

"You should be happy that I fought a werewolf for my best friend. At least you know that they don't scare me." I looked down at my wrist. "Long story short. Jake kissed Bella. Bella pushed him away. I walked up to him and punched him in the face." I brought my wrist up, showing him my limp fist. "Battle wound. It's nothing I can't handle."

Jasper seemed to have calmed down. His eyes were closed and he breathed out. "I guess I'm proud that you stood up to him, but I don't like that you're hurt."

"I'll heal." I waved him off with my unhurt hand. "Really, I'm fine Jasper. If you want, I'll try to allow a glare towards him from you."

I saw a small smirk come across his face but it went away quickly. "Next time, don't punch a werewolf. Unless you're a vampire."

"Nah, I'll be too busy beating this guy up." I said and smacked Emmett's arm.

Emmett pretended to be hurt. "Ouch! You already got a nice wimpy smack going on."

"I'll show you wimpy." I warned.

The four of us laughed and I could tell Jasper has calmed down slightly. At least he won't go kill Jake now. Problem solved.

A/N: I'm excited for the next chapter. I can't wait to show you all it! :D Here's a hint…it's very fluffy and romantic and just AHHHH! :)