SHOCK HORROR THIS IS ON TIME! I did tell you I was ahead of the game last chapter! I have the entire Jasper arc so meticulously planned that hopefully it'll be much easier to write. This is so on time it feels early!

BTW, I will be subscribing to the IDreamofEddy model of Peter just knowing shit. I've always found it incredible that our community can create things that become so widespread they're practically canon. Even full characters. It's amazing.

Fair warning, the story is about to get quite a bit darker. I'll be putting trigger warnings at the beginning of chapters so you can avoid things if you want to. I don't plan on getting too graphic though. At least not yet ;)

Thanks to the bf for literally going through this entire thing with me and adding a whole page's worth of input. He's the best, seriously.

Maria hadn't yet noticed Jasper running over the horizon, so Bella savoured the second to gather her thoughts. She didn't know how to feel about seeing him. The Jasper she knew was so tortured from the events here. He hated himself and he hated who he used to be. His lack of control around humans knocked his ego and his confidence more than he wanted people to know, but Bella had noticed how his behaviour changed when she was turned. How when she had been a human he had almost shrunk away from her for fear of hurting her, but when she was reborn he showed who he really was. He would straighten his spine, laugh and joke in front of her, it was only then that she truly got to know him. He wasn't weak, he was a leader.

She knew she was about to be introduced to a Jasper who did not regret his actions, who did not think twice about the murder of innocents, who would be disgusted by the kindness and gentleness his future self had. And that scared her.

"Major!" Maria called, spotting him as he crossed the threshold into the camp. "Come here! I have someone I want you to meet!"

Bella had seen a lot of Jasper over the years. She had seen a lot of emotions cross his face; love, fear, pride, joy. But never before had she seen this, a look so startling that she was blind to everything about him. Pure and utter fury.

Jasper didn't stop as he entered the tent. He continued to stalk forward and grab Bella by the throat, hoist her into the air and snarl into her face.

Maria giggled. "My Major, what an angry boy. What are you doing?"

"I caught her scent on the way here," He growled. "She came from Johan's camp. She's a spy."

Instinct told Bella to struggle, that she could be ripped limb from limb at any second. But she knew that would do nothing, Jasper would always be stronger than her and she would lose her cover. The restraint took a lot of effort, she was overwhelmed with the fact that he had actually attacked her on sight. Despite the countless warnings, she hadn't been truly expecting it.

"Oh she's no spy, my sweet!" Maria came up behind him and started running her fingers through his matted blonde hair. "I interrogated her myself. She is our new friend, and the key to defeating Johan."

Jasper glared into Bella's eyes. "Her eyes," He said. "What's wrong with them?"

"She drinks from animals!" Maria lifted herself to her tiptoes and nuzzled the crook of his neck. "Isn't that intriguing? Devious too, she says it makes human blood all the sweeter. But you should talk to her yourself!" She reached around his back and cupped his jaw in her hand. "Put her down. My love."

Jasper hesitated, then dropped Bella unceremoniously to the ground. "Who is she?"

Maria waved him off. "First, tell me what you found on your travels. You returned earlier than expected."

Jasper's eyes snapped from Bella back to his Mistress and his expression morphed from anger to adoration instantly. "I didn't want to leave you too long, considering the circumstances." He sighed. "I am glad you're still unharmed."

He didn't look glad. In fact he looked like his soul had been sucked from him. Bella took the opportunity to get a good look as she scrambled up from the ground. The most obvious difference in him was his bright ruby red eyes, the next was his clothes and hair. He was filthy, his face was streaked with mud, his hair matted with knots. She thought back to the Jasper she had left, primped and clean to within an inch of his life, he never wore the same clothes twice. Thanks to Alice.

Mid-sentence, Jasper's gaze shot to her. His eyebrows pulled into the centre of his forehead and his eyes widened, he looked bewildered. Startled, Bella could only stare at his face. Despite the layer of dirt, she could see an area above his right eyebrow; once marred with a shining scar, it was now smooth and unblemished. She couldn't help but hope that she had saved him from that bite.

Jasper's expression intensified, he took a quick step toward her.

"Major!" Maria interrupted. "You were telling me about the new location?"

He turned back to her, his previous confusion faded back into the adoration he showed before. "Yes, my apologies Ma'am. Since we need to lay low and replenish our numbers, I scouted a place near Austin. We can pick people off without much suspicion, not as conspicuous as wiping out full villages."

Maria pouted, "You wish to starve me?"

"No!" Jasper shot forward and took her hands in his. "I would never wish any ill on you. But if we are so easily found, Johan will come back and wipe us out. I only wish for your safety."

"But still," Maria's lip wobbled in an excellent show of feigned despair. "No running out the villages? How will I entertain myself?"

Jasper smirked. "I'm sure we can find something to get your urges out."

Bella resisted her urge to retch.

Maria smiled and sagged in his arms. "You are sure this is the only way?"

"In the long term," Jasper brought her knuckle to his lips and kissed it slowly. "Imagine the power you'll gain when you take Johan's territory, and the pleasure when you rip his head from his shoulders."

Maria finally giggled again. "That does sound delicious." She purred. "But I must insist on one last raid. I will miss it so. Besides, the children haven't fed in such a long time, we don't want them to go rabid in the big city - do we?"

"No, we don't." Jasper's lips upturned, transfixed on the warlord's words.

"Excellent!" She pulled away from him and turned to Jasper's blonde companion. Bella had been so distracted by Jasper and his strange relationship with Maria that she didn't even notice Peter standing off to the side of her. Like Jasper he was absolutely filthy, and had less scars than she last saw him with. She had never gotten to know him much, only seeing him on two occasions before. She had a feeling that would change.

Maria snapped her fingers in Peter's direction. "Go rally the troops, boy. We leave in a few minutes."

He bowed and left the tent. It was strange to see him so compliant.

Maria gave one last laugh and swept away from Jasper and turned to the entrance of the tent, Anton followed at her heels.

"Wait," Jasper said. "Maria, you said this girl would help us?"

"Oh yes!" Maria ran back to Bella and stroked her tiny fingers over her cheeks. "Belle here is a shield! She can protect others from mental powers, and has offered to help us against Johan's little weapon! Isn't that excellent?"

Jasper frowned. "A shield? You're sure?"

Anton cut in. "I tested her. Are you doubting my abilities?"

"Not currently, but-"

"Now, who will guard the camp while the rest of us are gone?" Maria interrupted.

"Peter and I will," Jasper said. "We fed on the way here."

"Perfect," Maria turned back to Bella. "Will you come with us, Belle?"

"Thank you, but no." She replied, a smile stretched on her lips. "I fed earlier today."

Bella desperately searched Maria's expression, hoping she wouldn't question it and let her stay away from the reckless murder of an entire village. She wanted to stop it happening more than anything, but what could she do?

"Oh!" Maria patted her cheek. "Denying yourself for your next human meal? How devious. I can't wait to see the look on your face the next time you taste human blood!"

Bella tried not to grimace, it would also be the first time she tasted human blood. Just thinking about it was making her throat flare into flames, she held her breath. Jasper raised an eyebrow in her direction.

"How excellent," Maria swept to the exit once again. "You three can guard the camp and Jasper can get to know you Belle." She simpered, "I hope you grow to be great friends!"

Bella made to follow, but stopped as she felt a sharp jabbing sensation against her shield. Someone was trying to break in. She looked around herself and found Anton staring at her, a hungry look haunting his eyes.

He must have been trying to track her. Bella walked away like she hadn't noticed anything, hoping he wasn't more powerful than he appeared.

Maria and Anton zipped to the crowd of newborns milling around the middle of the camp. "Come!" Maria called. "I will not tolerate stragglers!"

The army trickled from the camp, leaving Jasper and Bella standing in front of the head tent and Peter near the pit below. Jasper stared at her.

"They say you're a shield?" He demanded. His accent was thicker, she realised, than the one she remembered. It made sense, he hadn't lived in the south for several decades when she knew him.

"Yes," She responded. "Against mental gifts."

"Then why," He stepped close, towering over her, intimidating her. "Are you not blocking me?"

"No clue," Bella realised nobody had actually told her what Jasper's was. She tried to project confidence, even though she was panicking inside. "What's your gift?"

"I can feel your emotions," He grumbled as she danced back a little. "And manipulate them."

"Well, are you sure that's mental?" She asked.

"What?" He sneered. "What else could it be?"

"Well your emotions aren't all in your head, are they?" She was improvising, which was dangerous. "You don't just feel them in your mind, you feel them in your body too."

He just stared at her, she continued. "Like maybe when you make people feel fear, you don't make the brain think it's afraid, you trigger an adrenaline rush that feels like your reaction to fear."

"Adrenaline?" That damn eyebrow crept up. "The hell is that?"

Oops. Bella realised the additional problem with the situation she was in. She was completely out of practice with censoring herself, having lived with people who both knew and enjoyed the fact that she was from over 100 years in the future. This was the first time she would have to make someone actually believe she was from this time.

"Chemical that just got discovered." She bluffed. "It's what your body releases when you're afraid. Don't you get newspapers down here?" She grinned, desperately trying to project that she was teasing and hide her fear.

Jasper grunted, "Don't deflect me."

"Well think of it this way." Bella met his eye and tried to appear as genuine as possible. "You don't feel fear in your head. In fact, when you're scared you can barely think. You feel a clenching in your stomach, a tingle in your spine. You can't stop your eyes going wide. If we were human we would feel our hearts race and our pulse in our ears. That's all physical."

Jasper smirked and invaded her space again. "I see. Just like anger."

"Anger?" Bella tried to ignore the strength of his scent surrounding her, the familiar spice almost smothered by dirt and blood.

"Mmhm," He nodded. "Your muscles tense, fists clench."

She smothered a gasp as her arms locked up, her nails dug into her palms.

He leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Your chest pushes out, you can't release your breath."

Bella gulped, smothered by his scent.

"You can't think of anything but what you're focusing on."

She couldn't see anything but him.

"Your ears ring, your face burns."

Bella could barely think. She couldn't escape this unbearable fury descending on her. She hated him, she needed to sink her teeth into his neck and rip his head from his shoulders-

Then as quickly as it started it stopped.

Bella shook her head to clear it and realised the position she and Jasper were in. They stood chest to chest, their faces inches apart. His fingers lightly rested on her forearms.

She took a step back and reclaimed her space. "Don't... do that."

Jasper snorted and turned away. "Maybe you're right. It is physical."

Peter finally made his way to them at human pace. "You hazin' the new kid, Major? Didn't think it was ya style."

"Funny." He deadpanned and set off down the camp.

Peter offered a smile to Bella, "Name's Peter by the way. I prefer it over 'boy'."

She grinned, "Bella."

"Really?" He asked, "Maria was callin' ya Belle."

"Yeah… well…" She really wasn't very sure what she was allowed to say about Maria. Jasper seemed so attached to her, almost fanatical.

"She's not easy to correct, eh?" Peter smirked and winked a blood red eye. "I get it. Nice to meet ya, Bella."

"Nice to meet you too, Peter."

He gave her a funny look. "Say, what's a well to do Northerner doin' all the way down here?"

She glanced at Jasper, who had turned to look at her some distance away.

Remember, I can sense when you lie. You can twist the truth, it's pretty rare someone doesn't in some way. But if you flat out lie, I will know.

"I'm looking for someone," She carefully replied. "Figured the best way to find him was integrate myself into the local 'culture'."

"Well I guess that's one way to do it," he smirked and gestured to a plume of smoke in the distance. "Looks like they're nearly done. Newborns don't like to take their time."

They really didn't, it had barely been twenty minutes.

Peter trotted down to another part of the camp, leaving Bella alone to her thoughts. Could she really live like this? She had thought that this time in general was so alien to her, but this was a whole different world. She understood what Jasper had told her, that this wasn't a place she belonged in. But she couldn't find him and know him, then turn her back on him. Not now. If she didn't belong here, she would have to adapt until she did.

Several minutes later the newborns rushed back into the camp and immediately began taking the tents down on Jasper's orders. She stared as the moonlight bounced off him. Where his skin once cast rainbows through the overlapping ridges, he only glimmered from the occasional bite.

Newborns ran behind her and started dismantling the large tent there. She wasn't ashamed of the fact that they scared her. They wore what could only be described as rags, either stolen from their victims or perhaps kept from when they were humans themselves. They had overindulged on human life, so their eyes shone red in the darkness. They were rabid and stank of blood, maybe driven insane by their own smell. One snapped a pole by accident, strong, unpredictable.

His mistake did not go unpunished long. Out of nowhere, Jasper had ripped the man's arm clean off his torso. He landed screaming in the mud.

"Sloppy work," Jasper growled. "No care taken."

The man started sobbing. Bella could feel the waves of fear and remorse Jasper was pumping out from where she stood metres away.

"Please!" He cried. "I'm sorry!"

"Are you?" Jasper asked and popped a digit off the man's severed arm. He howled in pain.

"Yes! I am! I'll be more careful!" He was so distraught, gasping in air as if he needed it.

"Good." Jasper threw the newborn's arm at him, but held up the finger he took. He stared at it keenly like a new trophy. "I will keep this until you prove that."

The newborn laid still for a moment, snivelling on the ground. Then Jasper shot him a look and he dragged himself up, scrambling after the others. He cradled his disfigured arm against his chest, still not attached to his body.

Bella felt numb, there was nothing else to describe it. What she had just seen was brutal, maybe even evil. She had to remind herself, Jasper came back from this before, he could - no, he would - do it again.

"You coming?" Peter tapped her on the arm. Startled, she turned back to the rest of the camp only to find a muddy field and a large pit. Jasper stood at the head of the gaggle of newborns, they were moving out.

"Yeah." She whispered, and followed him to join the rest of the army.

Thanks so much for reading, and for all the ratings, reviews and follows. You guys rock xx