It was almost a month before I heard anything. A month of noting the growth and shrinking of the moon as I waited for the two vampires that I tried so hard to deny I cared for. When I finally heard something, it wasn't what I had been expecting. I'd expected to hear the sound of two, possibly three bodies moving through the wilderness. Instead there was not three bodies moving through the trees and undergrowth, but merely one body and feather light footsteps.
I turned toward the sound of the approaching vampire and barely registered their appearance before it was flinging itself at me and wrapping their arms around my middle. Instinct reared its head as I reacted, trying to jump away and throw the body away from me before I could completely comprehend the identity of the body coming toward me. It took a moment to realize that the body was Charlotte as she clutched herself to me like her life depended on it. The grip wasn't an attack, but a desperate hug as the upset woman sought comfort. I hesitated, uncertain in what I was supposed to be doing to comfort her. As she sobbed I decided to wrap my own arms around her, hoping that was what she was looking for. Charlotte sobbed at the contact and pressed herself tighter against me.
My heart clenched at the display, I could only think of one thing that would make Charlotte react like this. The worst-case scenario was running through my mind as I tightened my hold on Charlotte in a weak attempt to comfort her. Charlotte and I stood like that, holding each other for a long time before Charlotte managed to speak.
"It was awful, I wish we had never gone back there." Charlotte said and I gently ran my hand over Charlotte's head and rubbed her back like I'd seen mother's do for their children when I was human, Charlotte's iron grip never lessened as she hid her face in my blouse.
"You never have to go back." I promised and Charlotte nodded as a whimper left her lips.
"Peter wanted to send me back, but I couldn't let him go alone." Charlotte said and I hummed.
"I wish we could have blown it all up, wiped it off the map. I knew it was impossible before Peter even said it but I never want to see that hellish place again. All the suffering we did, I never want to think about that place again." Charlotte mumbled and I shifted to look down at Charlotte's head. Her words slowly starting to sink in and I started to doubt my earlier conclusions about what exactly had happened to cause Charlotte's behavior.
"Charlotte, what's got you so upset?" I asked, trying to hold back the irritation I was feeling.
"We snuck into the encampment, we'd seen Maria leave and took the opportunity to approach Jasper. I didn't remember till we heard the sound of newborns being ripped apart what Maria leaving means. When we got closer, we found Jasper dispatching a newborn, the sound, the screech of him pulling that newborn's head off, the smell as he threw the body into the fire." Charlotte's sobs started again as a shudder wracked her body at the memory, but this time I couldn't bring herself to comfort her.
"So Peter's fine?" I asked pointedly and Charlotte pulled back far enough to look up at me with confusion.
"He and Jasper fought, but yeah he's alright." Charlotte revealed. I felt a moment of relief before the anger set in.
"Did Jasper not come with you?" I asked tersely and Charlotte fully pulled away, taking a step back.
"Jasper's with Peter. They stayed behind at the last city to hunt, they sent me ahead to let you know we had made it back." I let out a heavy breath, reminding myself that Charlotte was still rather young before nodding.
"I'm sure Peter's thrilled to have his friend back." I said and was going to leave it at that, but a burdened expression crossed Charlotte's face and gave me pause.
"What is it Charlotte?"
"Jasper isn't like I remember. Jasper always scared me, none of us ever stood a chance against him when he was training us for Maria, he was quick and merciless. When we went to the encampment, Jasper jumped Peter, Peter was expecting it and was ready but Jasper didn't put up the fight that we were expecting, it was over almost before it began with Peter's teeth to Jasper's neck. Peter had never been able to get close to over taking Jasper in the years that Peter worked beside him, the look in Jasper's eyes. I think he had given up, I think he expected Peter to kill him and he wasn't even going to fight him." Charlotte all but whispered at the end, her eyes looked like she was haunted by what she had seen.
"Peter mentioned that Jasper has been in a dark place for a long time. Negative emotions tend to wear on a person's will to live." I stated and Charlotte looked to me with questions in her eyes. Questions she knew I would refuse to answer like I had for years now. Charlotte slowly nodded before fumbling with the bag she had carried. From the bag she pulled out a smaller cloth sack and held it out to me.
"Peter and I found these on our way to get Jasper. We thought you may like them." I cautiously took the sack from Charlotte and peeked inside. Inside were paint brushes and small jars full of color, I looked to Charlotte confused to her knowledge that this was something I would use.
"Peter and I found the rock paintings. They're beautiful. We thought brushes and real paint would make them last a little longer." She explained and I mentally shook myself, of course they had found the paintings. Peter and Charlotte had been running around the area for years, knew it nearly as well as I did. I shouldn't have been so surprised that they found the paintings, it wasn't like they were hidden.
"Thank you." I said softly as I took a brush from the bag, running my thumb over the soft hair on the end. I hadn't seen a paint brush since before my change and certainly had never used one before, this would be a new experience for me and for once I didn't think I was going to mind it. I set the brush back inside the bag and cinched the top. I was going to head toward the rock face, but stopped and looked up as I heard two more bodies coming through the trees, this time at a much more relaxed pace. Charlotte stepped closer to me as the duo got closer, though I wasn't sure why. Peter stepped out of the trees alone. For a moment as he slowed to a walk as he stepped into the clearing, his companion hesitating just out of sight.
"Howdy, Abi." Peter greeted and I raised a brow. Peter smirked and before I could dodge lunged to pull me into an embrace, spinning me in a circle before setting me back on the ground with an obnoxious kiss to the cheek. I huffed and shoved the chuckling man away from me and toward his giggling mate, though I couldn't stop the small smile that had come to my face.
"Hello, Peter." I grumbled as he slid up next to Charlotte and laid his arm around her shoulders to pull her closer. I took the opportunity then to set my gaze on the new comer who had taken the opportunity presented by my momentary distraction to join us in the clearing. He was tall and lean with shaggy blond hair framing a stern face with a dimpled chin. What stood out the most as I took him in was that he was covered in the same bite marks as I had seen on Peter's skin, my mind registering the danger the same as it had with Peter. He stood tensed on the other side of the clearing, a hat clutched in his hands, his eyes flickering between myself, Charlotte and Peter. His behavior reminiscent of Peter that first encounter.
"Abi, this is Jasper. Jasper, this is Abilene." Peter made introductions and I gave the man a stiff nod. He took a cautious step closer, giving his own nod.
"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance ma'am." Jasper spoke with a heavy accent, his voice deeper than Peter's.
"Peter says you are to thank for his and Charlotte's transition to peaceful life. I beg your forgiveness for my part in interrupting that peace." He said formally. My eyes flickered from Jasper's sincere face to Peter's amused one and back.
"There hasn't been much peace since Peter and Charlotte showed up. What's one more?" I snarked and Peter chuckled while the first flicker of real emotion passed across Jasper's face. A moment of surprise followed quickly by amusement.
"Come on, admit it, Abi. You love us and our 'human distractions'." Peter prodded. I scuffed despite the brief pang in my chest at the word 'love', but otherwise ignored them.
"I'm sure you'll make yourself to home." I said to Jasper before heading off with my new sack of supplies to the rock face that served as my canvas. That was all I saw of Jasper his first day in the wilderness. The following weeks Jasper mostly kept his distance; talking or hunting with Peter and Charlotte when they sought him out but other than that he kept to himself as he spent most of his time near one of the ponds in the northern part of the forest. Peter and Charlotte didn't seem to understand that sometimes one just wants to be alone, whether to think or to enjoy the silence.
There were times when I could feel Jasper watching. I always knew it was Jasper because he would watch silently and eventually leave without saying a word, something Charlotte seemed unable to do and Peter was never far from her. Jasper had been around for a couple months before he decided to approach me.
I was painting on my rock canvas, listening to the birds and the nearby stream. I'd heard Jasper's approach, but as usual didn't acknowledge his presence, letting him be if to watch was all he wanted. I had used up the paints that Peter and Charlotte had brought me, the jars now filled with the paint I made myself. My paints didn't stand up to the environment as well as the paint that Peter and Charlotte had brought but it served its purpose.
Jasper stood by watching quietly for a while before he broke pattern and walked closer. I tried not to react, but his steps stopped when I felt myself tense. I continued painting and Jasper remained silent as I worked. I decided to be the first to speak, Jasper didn't leave the impression that he was a talkative man but he must have needed something if he had broke from his pattern and hadn't gone to Peter or Charlotte for their company.
"Is there something I can help you with Jasper?" My eyes never left my work, allowing him the time he needed to say what he wanted.
"How long have you been here?" He asked softly and I sighed in resignation while trying to reign in the aggravation the question brought, these were the questions I was expecting.
"You didn't ask Peter and Charlotte?" I inquired. I had expected that the two would have filled him on on the few bits of information I had made them privy to. I hadn't expected there to be secrets between them. Well, at least not secrets about me anyway.
"Peter tries to remain a gentleman. He mentioned that you were evasive about your past, said you didn't give many details. He understands the level of trust you showed with what you've told he and Charlotte and didn't want to disrespect it by telling me." He said softly and I hummed as I took a moment to finish the bird I was working on. A new appreciation for Peter swelled in my chest. I appreciated that he left it to me to discern how much Jasper knew about me.
"Truth is, I am unaware of exactly how long I've been here and as I confided in Peter and Charlotte, I don't really care." I explained, again my eyes not leaving my work as I let Jasper digest the information. It was silent for a long moment before Jasper spoke.
"What made you stay out here? There're no humans to feed from, there weren't other vampires to call friend, family or sire. What made you come out here and stay?" Jasper asked and for some reason it sounded like he needed to know my answer, it wasn't just a curious mind asking these questions, he seemed to be searching for something, for something with a bigger meaning. I sighed and gave up on my painting for the time being, rinsing out the brush and laying it down to dry. When I turned, Jasper was sitting on a nearby outcropping of rocks watching me carefully. I made my way over to a neighboring outcropping and indulged the human action of taking a seat facing him.
"I despise humans." I stated and Jasper seemed surprised by such a blunt answer.
"These woods were the first place I came to that didn't have a trace of human scent, that's why I stopped running and stayed. There was no one here and that's exactly what I wanted. I was only about a day old to this new life when I came here, I didn't know anything about this vampirism. It was weeks before the first of the wagon trains came through on the northern end of forest. They served me well, sated the hunger and left me to my solitude." I said simply and Jasper studied me.
"You weren't lonely?" He asked and I took a moment to think about it.
"No, when I ran I wanted to get away from everyone and everything and I wasn't looking to find anything somewhere else. Peter and Charlotte are the first people I've cared the slightest about since I was human. And even then, it took time to have any actual concern for their well being." Jasper looked anyway from me, staring back toward the stream, his face thoughtful. I gave him a moment with his thoughts before speaking again.
"Were you lonely, Jasper?" I asked and he looked back at me, something flickered in his eyes.
"I was always surrounded by people or vampires, it's hard to be lonely when you're never alone." He said and I could see he had tried deluding himself to believe it, but his eyes spoke differently and from experience I knew differently.
"I think you were lonely, Jasper. You don't have to be alone to feel like you're alone. It was something I felt often when I was human. It's easy to feel like you're not being seen or understood, even when you are in a room full of people." Jasper's eyes seemed to be piercing through me and then a small smile flickered across his lips.
"I think I'm seeing why Peter and Charlotte decided to stay." Jasper said and I chuckled.
"Despite my many attempts to sway them against the decision." Jasper chuckled.
"Peter has been known to be persistent, that's why I fought to keep him alive. He was an asset even after his first year."
"I guess that worked out rather well for you." I mused and Jasper nodded.
"A lot better than I was expecting."