28: Part Two, Chapter Seven

Word Count: 2551; First Published 9 April, Australian time

And as always, thanks to Ms Meyer for permission to play with her characters and mess up her sand pit.

Unbeta'd


Chapter Seven – Devastation

The intense burning around his neck was the first thing Jasper felt as awareness returned, followed by the stinging of alien venom in various other parts of his body.

It was only the second time in his immortal life that he'd had a loss of consciousness, or felt that kind of pain, but his perfect recall immediately informed him of what must have happened. Someone had ripped his head off and dismembered him. He was extremely lucky he hadn't been burned.

As full awareness returned, suddenly, so did all his more recent memories.

"Bella!" he gasped, leaping into a standing position, a growl emanating from his chest.

Carlisle took a quick step back, hands up in a placating gesture.

"It's alright, Jasper," he said. "The fight's over, we're at home." But Jasper could instantly tell that everything wasn't alright from the emotions surrounding him: guilt, sorrow, worry, and almost paralysing sadness, the last of which he recognised as coming from Alice.

"Bella," he said again. "Where is she?"

"Jasper." He felt Carlisle's worry and sadness roll over him—but worry for him, or for Bella? "I'm so sorry," he began. "Victoria—"

"No!" Jasper broke in. "No! She not dead! I won't believe it. I would know—"

"No," Carlisle agreed, "Alice says she's still alive, for now. But Victoria took her. We lost her trail at the ocean—the others are still out there, looking, but..."

"I think they're still in the ocean," Alice said, coming into the room, "or maybe on a boat? There's definitely still water around them." He watched as her eyes glazed over again, her vision turning inward. At the same time, he was making and discarding various plans.

"Where are they looking?" he asked Carlisle. "Has someone organised a helicopter?"

"Emmett and Rose have been running the ocean edge, hoping to find her as she makes land fall," Carlisle said, "or at least pick up a trail."

"Esme and Edward?"

"Stayed behind to deal with all the newborn pieces at the Swan house—they've burned the house down. Now they're heading to Seattle, following the trail back, in case she doubles back there, or has left any clues as to her plans."

"Oh, why is Bella so hard to see?" Alice moaned suddenly. "It's even worse than usual, she keeps flicking in and out, more out than in, the more time passes."

"But they're still in the ocean?"

"There's water all around. She's blurry as always, but she's with Victoria and there's still water. I hope they're in a boat, I don't know how long Bella will survive in the water, even changing—she is changing right? Please tell me you bit her, Seth thought you had—" he nodded, as she continued, "and it's been hours."

"What? Hours? How long?"

"It took us time to subdue all the newborns, and then find all the pieces of you," Carlisle said. "And you know how long it takes to reassemble a completely torn up vampire...it's been more than a day since Victoria took her, Jasper."

"A day? But you said hours," he said, turning back to Alice.

"Hours since they hit the water," she replied. "They're not in the Pacific," she added. "They're in the Atlantic."

"My god!" He exclaimed. "We need a plane then," Jasper said decisively.

"You need to hunt, Jasper," Carlisle said, "you won't heal fully without blood."

"Later," Jasper growled.

"Now!" Carlisle said. "What if you have to fight Victoria? You won't be any good to Bella half healed.

"I won't be any good to her at all if we don't find her!"

"We'll find her, Jasper," Carlisle soothed. "I'll organise a private jet, you hunt."

"Call Jenks, he can—"

"Oh!" Alice cried. "No no no! What are they doing here? Why now?"

"Alice!" Jasper was in front of her, gripping her arms in a second. "What's happening? Is it Bella?"

"No," she said, coming out of her vision. "At least, I don't think so. It's—the Volturi, coming here. I think...I think Victoria is thinking of going to them. The vision keeps flickering, as if she hasn't decided what to do."

"The Volturi? What are they here for?"

"It's just flashes," she said. "Aro, reaching for Carlisle's hand, he mentioned Victoria—I think she reported us to them. Caius growling about the wolves. I think—I think they're going after the wolves."

"That's all?" Jasper asked.

"Oh! Oh my god!" Her eyes were glazed again, but now he could feel more panic flowing from her.

"What?" He demanded. "Alice, what do you see?"

"Maria," she whispered, "She was never with Victoria, she can't have been. But she is bringing an army to Washington. It's clear suddenly. Maria is coming to kill you."

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Jasper hunted as quickly as he could. Deer tasted awful but that was irrelevant right now. They were close by and he could quickly drain several of them. Carlisle was organising a plane and keeping in touch with the others as they continued to search.

Alice was caught in ever changing visions. They had become even worse, in Jasper's view, as she'd honed in more closely on Victoria, trying to watch her decisions, rather than watching Bella. She seemed determined to go to the Volturi, but in some visions she killed Bella before she got there. It seemed it was that choice that started the series of visions, as with Bella dead, everything became clear, and it was then that all hell broke loose, the Volturi and Maria both ending up in Forks. In other visions Bella was still alive—evidenced by the lack of clarity in those visions—and when those were foremost, there were no visions of disasters closer to home.

How Maria was connected to everything else, Jasper couldn't fathom. Unless she was working for the Volturi, but that seemed out of character, and besides, why would they come themselves if they could send her?

The visions of Bella alive were more reassuring. Not only because she was alive—though of course that was the most important thing in Jasper's mind—but also because Maria was completely absent from those visions. They didn't reach as far into the future as the more disturbing visions though. Whether that was solely because of Bella's blurry presence or also because there were too many variables in that future, Alice couldn't be sure, but Jasper suspected it was the latter. Victoria seemed determined to take her to Volterra—whether alive or dead—but what would happen there Alice couldn't yet see. Their best hope, they all new, was to intercept her before she made it to Italy.

It took Carlisle time to organise a private jet and have a flight plan filed, but it would be waiting for them in New York when they got there. He'd booked them tickets to fly on a commercial flight from Seattle, which was quicker than filing the paperwork for a new flight. Rosalie and Emmett would meet them at the airport in New York.

The plane trip to New York was easily the longest few hours of Jasper's life.

Alice sat with her eyes closed, Edward and Esme, who had arrived home with no further information while Jasper was hunting, sitting on either side of her, trying to keep her calm. For Jasper's sake, Edward kept up a running commentary, just loud enough for the vampires seated near him to hear, of anything new in Alice's visions.

Victoria had made landfall just before their plane touched down in New York, sparking a new wave of visions as she made decisions about the best way to get to Volterra. What was not immediately clear was whether she had come out of the ocean in Portugal or Spain, or perhaps even France, or whether she had made her way through the Strait of Gibraltar and only come out of the water at Italy.

As they waited for their private jet to take off, it became obvious that the it was the latter route she had taken, as Alice's visions in Volterra started to solidify.

"We're not going to make it in time," Alice moaned, quietly. "They're almost there, these visions are so close to now, we're going to have to go all the way to Volterra to get her back!"

"So we go to Volterra," Carlisle said. "Does that decision change anything? I presume it will at least prevent them going to Forks and wiping out the wolves."

"I don't know," Alice answered, allowing her eyes to focus on real world for the first time in hours. "I can't see those visions anymore at all. Victoria has obviously decided to keep Bella alive, which is great, but it means I can't see very far into the future at all. Her presence seems to cloud everything."

Her eyes glazed over again as she returned to watching the future, but she continued speaking aloud. "I can see that we're not going to get to Volterra before Victoria though. She must be almost there. Aro will touch her hand to read her memories, and then he'll read Bella's…" She trailed off, and Edward told them she was just watching, waiting for more to come.

Everyone waited tensely. The plane had not yet jettied out to the runway, a delay with some other flights keeping them grounded. A tiny part of Jasper's brain was aware that any humans on board would have been incredibly uncomfortable, watching his family all sitting or standing around, as still as statues, waiting for something to happen.

The plane had two rows of lounge seats facing each other, and behind them, a separate room with beds, not that they would have any need of those. All the Cullens were arrayed between the two sets of lounges, but only Alice was seated, with Edward next to her, turned to half face her, and holding her hand.

Luckily, the only humans on the plane were in the cockpit, as they had opted to fly without any other staff, so there was no-one to see their altogether very unhuman behaviour.

"Aro's sending Victoria away," Alice said suddenly. "But keeping Bella there. He doesn't seem to be angry, more—intrigued."

"They're there now?" Carlisle asked. "

"Yes, I think I am only seeing this moments before it happens," Alice replied.

"And Bella's still alive? She's okay?" Jasper asked, for perhaps the hundredth time, coming to sit opposite Alice.

"She's–not dead," Alice replied. "I can't tell—I suppose she's changing, but she seems like she's unconscious. Victoria just dropped her on the floor, and she's not moving at all, let alone thrashing about and screaming, as you'd expect."

Jasper realised suddenly that he was crushing the arm of the couch in his fist. He loosened his grip and leaned forward, placing his head in his hands. Please let her be alright, he prayed. He'd seen hundreds of vampire transitions, and never encountered one like this.

"Oh, she just made a noise," Alice added. "They're talking about her memories, Aro couldn't see much, just images. And Marcus can't see her bonds properly, he says they flicker on and off. Oh! They think you're dead Jasper. Victoria must have seen you be decapitated."

"Yes," Jasper said, "I was looking right at her, as she ran off with Bella, as it happened. She definitely saw."

"Oh, no! Oh, no, no, no!" Alice was whimpering suddenly, and the pain coming off her left Jasper reeling.

"What?"

"She's—She's gone! I can't—she's just gone!"

Jasper could feel the devastation coming off Alice, grief and fear and dread combined. "What do you mean?" he shouted, leaping towards her, intent on shaking the information out of her if necessary.

Suddenly though Edward was in front of Alice and growling at him. "Back off, Jasper!" he said. "Don't take out your frustration on Alice!"

Alice was oblivious to their exchange, still frozen, her eyes glazed over, searching the future. Suddenly she snapped out of it and stared at him, standing from her seat. "I—Marcus bit her. I think...I think he drained her. One second, I was watching it play out, almost in real time. Blurry, like it always is with Bella, but happening. The next, she's gone. Bella's future—I can't find anything. I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry, Jasper."

"I'll kill him!" he roared. "I'll kill them all!"

One part of his brain was registering Alice's grief. He knew she would be crying if she could. As it was, her tearless sobs were muffled by Edward's chest as he held her. But most of his brain was focussed on his rage, replaying the words over and over: "Marcus bit her."

He started to run, he would get off this plane and swim to Italy, but he was going now. He had to get to her, even if it was far, far too late.

But Edward dived for him. "No!" he yelled, "Jasper stop! Remember what you promised Bella."

Jasper was beyond rational thought, he threw Edward off like smacking away a gnat, snarling at him, but then Alice was dancing in front of him. Not attacking him, but not letting him pass. "She'll come back, Jasper!" she said. "She'll come back and you have to be here for her. You promised! She told me you did."

Jasper just growled at her, but now Carlisle and Esme were there too, and Edward was back, trying to pull Alice behind him.

"Get out of my way," he growled. Nothing was going to come between him and the Volturi now. He would kill them, starting with Marcus. He would find Bella and bring her back.

Now Emmett was behind him. Did he think he could take him? Jasper sneered, his fury overcoming all other emotions.

"Don't touch me Emmett, unless you want to leave a hole in the wall."

"Jasper," Carlisle's voice was calm and even, as always. "Think about what Bella would want. She'll be born again, looking for you. What will happen to her, if you get yourself killed attacking the Volturi? Or perhaps worse, captured, and held prisoner? Will she be born over and over again, unable to find you?"

Carlisle's voice was mesmerising, almost as though he were the one with empath abilities.

"Jazz," Alice all but whispered, from behind Edward, "she will come back. She will be born again. And you promised you would wait for her. Please don't go to the Volturi now. Please. Think of Bella."

He was thinking of Bella. Who did she think he was thinking of? He had to get to her.

Now Edward spoke, responding to his thoughts. "You can't get to her until she's reborn, Jasper. She's gone from Volterra now. Even her body's probably been burned, and if it hasn't yet, it will be by the time you could get there."

Jasper growled again, but he couldn't fail to see the truth in their words. She was gone. He had failed to protect her, despite her faith in him. How many times would she come back, only to die? He sat down on the couch where Alice had been sitting, and leaned forward, his head in his hands. How could he have failed her so completely?

.

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End of Part Two

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A/N

Ducking for cover, again...

Trust me. You're going to like Part 3 better than Part 2. Chapter 1 will hopefully be up next week. It's school holidays though... Not sure if that will be a help or a hindrance!

There are a few short chapters at the beginning of Part 3, but I will try to get them up in a timely manner.

Reviews are love. (and they get sneak peaks)

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Recs

If you go read them, please leave them a review and tell them I sent you! :)

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I'm thinking some upbeat Bella/Jasper time is in order after that...

So, to help "feel you better", as my youngest used to say, here's a sweet little Bella/Jasper one shot:

Welcome Home, Mrs Whitlock by SweetSouthernGal

Isabella Swan married Jasper Whitlock on a crisp cool day in the fall of 1860. Several months later, he went off to join the Confederate Army. He's believed dead, and after a while, he expects her to be dead as well. But things aren't always how they seem, and they may yet be reacquainted.

s/4802390/1/Welcome-Home-Mrs-Whitlock

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And another:

A Kiss by GeezerWench

"He left you, but I stayed. He told you he didn't want you, but I do." A drabble of 478 words. Jasper/Bella

Short, but lovely. /s/10284751/1/A-Kiss

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And here's a Jasper/Emmett one shot too, that I absolutely loved.

Opening His Heart by SereneCalamity

Jasper had just never allowed himself to accept that maybe himself and Emmett had the possibility of a future. Emmett/Jasper. Oneshot.

s/13208822/1/Opening-His-Heart

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Now for a bit more reading time, here's a WIP, a Bella/Leah imprint story.

Twin Flames by likexcrazy

When Jacob brings Bella to First Beach to hear the tribe's stories, Leah is blindsided when she imprints on her. Now the two girls must reconcile this new reality while the shock waves of the aftermath threaten to burn down everything they know and love. F/F

s/13225379/1/Twin-Flames

(January 2020 - as I type it's been months since I updated, but if you are reading this now, just so you know, I am still working on it, and plan to start publishing again when I have the rest all completed. It's not abandoned.)