Chapter Twenty Three
Jasper
Bella wasn't quite sure how she felt when I explained what Maggie had been doing.
"She should have felt she could tell us, Jasper. To think the poor little girl had to steal out in the middle of the night to fend for herself. How did we miss it? I feel so awful."
"I think she felt embarrassed about her craving for blood and she was frightened to upset you, Bella. Maggie is fully aware of how dangerous this pregnancy could be and is desperate for both you and the baby to stay safe. If anyone is at fault it's me for not realizing that she had a problem.
I've explained that I will make sure she gets whatever she needs. That what she did wasn't wrong or bad. She's a lot stronger than you think and very intelligent. She worked out what her body craved and found a way to satisfy that craving.
The thing that worries her most now is everyone else finding out. We've kept our diet more or less from her up to now. I mean, she knows that vampires drink blood but the mechanism was a mystery. Thank God she watched Count Duckula and not Nosferatu!"
It was meant as a joke, a very weak one I admit, but Bella merely scowled at me.
"Sorry, just trying to lighten the atmosphere. Bella, Maggie is OK. You just worry about yourself for now. Deal?"
"How can I, when I neglected my daughter?"
"You didn't neglect her."
"Well, it feels that way. I'll try to spend more time with her."
There was no point in attempting to change Bella's mind, I knew that of old, so I just agreed but I would be watching out for both of my girls more closely from now on.
Maggie was subdued the next morning, I think she was worried about how her mom might react to her nocturnal adventure but by the time the others returned Bella had put her mind at rest.
I had caught and drained a small deer and put the blood into a soda bottle in the fridge for her.
"You might want to warm it up before you drink it and throw away anything you leave, it won't keep."
She smiled at me shyly, "I will Pappa. Thank you."
I tousled her hair, "No problem kiddo. Once Mommy has the baby we can go hunting together if you like. I'll teach you how to do it properly."
She smiled, "Really? That would be great. So when I need to drink I don't have to ask you."
I had spoken to Rose and Emmett and explained the situation. As I suspected, Emmett wasn't surprised but they both promised to keep it a secret unless Maggie brought the subject up.
"Once the baby is born maybe we could go on a family hunt. It won't be so weird for Maggie if she sees us all hunting together. At the moment it's all so shocking for her."
"Thanks, Rose. That would be great. She just needs a little time to adjust first."
Before I could arrange anything to keep our blood supply fresh and topped up Maggie got a call from Edward.
"Pappa. Daddy wants to talk to you. He wanted Mommy but I told him that she's asleep."
It seemed that Edward now had a girlfriend and wanted Maggie to meet her.
"I don't want to bring her with me for a long visit. It might be too much for her, meeting Maggie and her mom all at once so I thought perhaps it would be OK if Angie and I were to take Maggie out for the day."
"I'll have to run it by Bella but I don't think she'll mind. She will want to meet Angie first though. Where were you thinking of taking her?"
"We thought maybe to a movie followed by dinner. Does she still like burgers?"
"Yeah, and they're a treat so she'd love that."
"Good, well let me know when you speak to Bella. How is she by the way? I guess the baby must be due soon."
"A couple more weeks, we think. She's doing well."
"Good. I'll tell Angie she's going to meet my daughter. She was so excited when I told her about Maggie."
I thought that highly unlikely. How could any woman, especially a vampire woman, expect to be excited to hear that their partner had a child? Unless she was something very special that is. Maybe I was unjust for being uncharitable.
Bella was reluctant at first but we had spoken about the possibility that Edward would want to spend some time with his daughter away from the farm and he'd been fine whenever he visited. He seemed to understand his place in Maggie's life and accept it.
"Sooner or later Maggie is going to want to spend time away from here with her father. At least he's being upfront about it. And I think it's a good thing that this Angie wants to meet Maggie."
After giving it some thought Bella agreed. I understood her reluctance to let Maggie out of her sight, especially with Edward but we both knew that he loved his daughter and would never do anything to put their relationship in danger.
Maggie was so excited at the idea of an outing with her father that she talked about it constantly, wondering where they would go and what they would do. Listening to her you would have been forgiven for thinking that she'd never left the farm before!
Bella insisted on speaking to Edward and laying down the law. She asked to meet Angie before Maggie went anywhere and that she be back before bedtime. She made it very clear that if Maggie came home showered with expensive gifts and hyper from a sugar rush it would be the last time he ever took her out.
I knew that he tended to spoil his daughter but that was understandable considering that he only saw her once every few weeks but she did tend to become hyperactive when she had too much junk food and we would be the ones having to bring her back down to earth so I left Bella to it.
We all knew Bella was very tired and that the baby was due soon and I for one was pleased that she would have a day without Maggie to rest without feeling guilty. Last time Bella had no one to worry about other than herself which had made things easier and she had slept a lot. With Maggie around that wasn't so easy and I was concerned at how worn out Bella looked these days.
Carlisle and Esme were due to arrive next week and would stay until the baby was born, sharing the cabin with Rose and Emmett. I hoped that having Maggie's grandparents close by would make Bella feel that she could concentrate on herself.
When Edward arrived with his girlfriend, Angie, he was most solicitous of Bella, remarking that she looked tired while Angie introduced herself to Maggie.
I watched in silence as our daughter weighed up the newcomer and then smiled. Angie certainly seemed happy to see Edward's little girl and was genuinely pleased when Maggie took her hand and led her upstairs to see her bedroom.
Edward watched them go nodding in satisfaction then turned to me.
"I have my orders. I'll have Maggie back just after tea. We plan on taking her to see the latest Disney movie then grabbing some dinner and roller-skating if she'd like. Make sure Bella gets some rest, she's looking weary."
I nodded, "I'll try but you know what she's like."
He smiled wryly, "I certainly do. I think Angie and Maggie are going to get along. I was a bit worried when I suggested it but any woman in my life has to accept Maggie. She's very important to me, Jasper."
He stared at me and then turned as they came back downstairs talking about the book that Maggie was reading now and their favorite characters from Beauty and the Beast. It was a story I knew well. I had told it to Maggie many times and now she was reading it for herself. She also had the DVD and some of the characters.
Maggie hugged her mom tightly and kissed me before leaving hand in hand with her father and I wondered if the sight made Bella think of how things might have been had Edward not acted like a complete dick.
She seemed to know what I was thinking because as soon as we were alone she came over and took my arm, "Hey, cowboy. How about you help me to sleep for a while? I love that Edward and Maggie have a good relationship but I'm so glad that I have you. I can't think of any decisions I made that make me as happy as keeping Maggie and marrying you. Edward and I would have been a disaster."
I spent the afternoon on the bed holding Bella while she slept and immersing myself in the emotions of our little Bug who was getting very restive. I doubted Bella had two more days let alone two weeks. If Carlisle didn't get here quick it would be all over. Still, we managed before and I knew we could do it again. I was as impatient to greet the little one as Bug was to meet us.
Edward
I was nervous when we arrived at the farm but Bella and Jasper made it so easy. I wasn't sure that I would have been as gracious as he had been if our places had been reversed.
Maggie was her usual wonderful sweet self and soon captured Angie's heart as she had mine. Sometimes when I was alone I still found it hard to believe that I had helped to create such a creature. I knew she was her mother's child when I discovered that I couldn't read her mind either, not unless she wished me to. When that happened I felt blessed because I discovered that although she would never regard me as her Papa she did love me.
We drove into town and spent some time browsing in the bookstore. Maggie was an avid reader like both Bella and me and I couldn't resist buying her a couple that she liked. Bella could tell me off all she liked, it would be worth it.
The cinema was a new experience for Maggie and she sat wide-eyed with wonder when the movie started. I hadn't expected to enjoy it, Disney was a little childish for me but seeing it through her eyes I found myself captivated. The way she smiled and then frowned when the bad guys appeared to be winning made me react in much the same way and Angie was solicitous, offering Maggie a drink and some popcorn both of which disappeared within minutes. How could such a little person eat so much?
Bella had explained Maggie's need for blood and although I found it a little disconcerting I was grateful for the way Jasper had handled the situation. It shouldn't have surprised me I guess. He'd handled everything with consummate ease. My feelings about him had changed recently, I had been biased and egotistical about him, feeling superior when I doubt I would have handled such matters anywhere near as well.
After the movie, I took Maggie for a burger while Angie did some shopping. I think it was just an excuse to give us some time alone.
"Aren't you having anything daddy?"
I shook my head, "No. but you go ahead."
She stared into my face, "Papa orders too and then I get to eat his. He pulled a face when I made him eat some. It was really funny."
Of course, Jasper would do anything necessary to make her feel 'normal', even weird things and I wasn't going to be shown up by my brother.
"OK, what should I order then?"
I ended up faced with a strawberry milkshake, a burger, fries, and a salad, all of which Maggie devoured after her kid's meal. Thank God she had a fast metabolism or she'd be the size of a barge by the time she was a teenager!
"Where are we going next, daddy?"
"Have you ever been roller-skating?"
She shook her head, "What's that?"
I explained as she devoured the last of the burger and slurped the end of her drink and she smiled.
"Yeah!"
I wiped her mouth with a napkin to remove the traces of strawberry milk, and we went out to meet Angie, who was waiting patiently by the car.
Maggie was a natural with skates, she had an innate grace and wonderful balance. Those she must have inherited from me because Bella could trip over a shadow. I remembered that with a smile.
When it started to get late I told Maggie we had to go.
"Can I have an ice cream daddy? I'm hot now after skating."
"OK, but then we have to go. Come on."
As she took my hand I heard it and my head whipped around. Someone close by had been thinking about Maggie. It was fleeting but enough to put me on my guard.
Turning to Angie I whispered, "Take Maggie to the car. Drive straight back to the farm. I'll meet you there."
"But Edward…"
Thrusting Maggie's hand into Angie's I gave her a little shove, "Go. Now."
Angie caught the concern in my voice and hurried Maggie, protesting loudly, away.
Looking around I listened and heard it again. Someone had noticed Maggie leave and was following although I couldn't tell why. I followed keeping to the shadows until I saw a figure ahead fixed on Maggie and Angie who had almost reached the car.
With a lunge, I rushed forward and grabbed him by the arm, spinning him around only to see another figure in the shadows beyond the car.
"Angie" I shouted, "Pick her up and run."
I punched my prisoner hard and when he staggered I threw him aside and made for the other figure grabbing this one too and pulling him to the ground.
The first figure joined us kicking and punching me as I rolled around the ground with the second. These were vampires but they were at a distinct disadvantage. I had learned much from my brother when Bella had been in danger from Victoria's newborn army. I held my own for long enough that Angie got a good head start but eventually they overcame me and I found myself dragged into the trees that formed the boundary of the parking lot.
"Fucking asshole! We lost the kid."
"I'll follow."
"Good. If you get the kid don't worry about the bitch. Kill her."
The second figure took off after Maggie and Angie, leaving me fighting the first. This was better, one on one I was his master. At least until I heard a rasp and saw a flame jump up from a lighter in his hand.
"They aren't interested in you, Cullen. Burn."
The flame caught my sleeve and ran up to my shoulder, the heat burning my flesh and I knew I was in serious trouble but at least I'd given Maggie and Angie time to hopefully get to the farm and safety.
