A/N: As always, I own nothing but Jas and Lottie.

Anything written in Bold/italic is The Major talking to Jasper. When Jasper replies, it'll be italic.

Thank you for all your reviews, favs, and follows. You guys are truly awesome!

Here's chapter four! Enjoy. xx

– Jasper's POV –

I've been in love with Isabella Swan since the moment our eyes met in the cafeteria at Forks High.

Back then, I was too stupid to see what was right in front of my face. Too gullible. Too trusting of those I considered my family.

I'm the fuckin' Major! The God of War. How could I be so damn blind?

The whole Coven insisted she was Edward's mate, even Rosalie and Emmett were buyin' the shit those two mind fuckers were spewin'!

Turns out, it was all just another lie.

She wasn't his.

Never has been.

Never will be.

I wish I had known back then, what I know now. I could've saved my mate a lot of pain and heartbreak. We wouldn't have lost seventeen fuckin' years! I could've been there for the birth of Lottie and Jas. Watched as they grew into beautiful little ladies.

Back when we were in Forks, I was never allowed near Belle. It was safe for the others. They had perfect control. They would never slip and take an innocent life.

Bastards.

The only time I was allowed near Belle was those few days in Phoenix. Even then, Alice refused to leave us alone in case I slipped and killed Eddie's mate.

Fuckin' bitch just didn't want me to see the goddamn truth!

But why? Why keep us separated? Why break our laws only to leave Belle alone and devastated in the end?

Was that it, to play with a human out of boredom? To keep a pet? Sadly, until the Volturi revealed our existence to the world, that wasn't unusual. Though, it's never been somethin' the Cullens have done. I can't see Carlisle standin' for it. Not with his mantra of 'all human lives matter'.

But, if that was the case, why would they keep a True Mate pair separated? They had to have known, right?

Or did they?

Maybe Alice didn't see . . . no, I don't believe that fer a second. That manipulative bitch knew. She had to. I'm sure she sees more than any of us realize.

But why keep us apart? Why not tell me Belle is my mate? If this was about keeping a pet . . .

No.

Not a pet.

I've seen human pets. It ain't a pretty sight. Belle was treated like one of the family.

Like . . . a daughter. A sister. A future wi . . . Edward's future wife. But Edward never had any intention of turning Belle. It was right there in his emotions!

Damnit! Why didn't I look deeper?

Bella wasn't his girlfriend.

She wasn't his love.

Her feelings for him were a thousand times stronger than his for her.

Except for one. His lust.

Not sexual lust. There was none of that. I don't think I've ever felt sexual lust from Edward. Not once in all the years I've known him.

But hunger, bloodlust, desire, jealousy, greed, and possessiveness; these things I have felt from him. All aimed at the little human on his arm.

For fuck sake!

Bella is Edward's singer!

Of course, now it made sense.

She ain't a pet. She's a fuckin' singer!

Why the fuck didn't I see this sooner?

This wasn't about keeping a pet. It was about Belle bein' Edward's singer! Her blood calls to him more than anyone else. And that spoiled brat isn't about to let such a prize go without a fuckin' fight.

And Alice—fuckin' little bitch—would do anything for her brother! Shit, so would Carlisle and Esme. And to a certain extent, Rosalie and Emmett.

Although . . . would Carlisle bend his morals to allow Edward to play with a human this way? After all 'all human lives matter' right? Bella is human. Why is her life not held in the same regard as Joe Bloggs wandering into the hospital needin' to see a doctor?

Esme, yeah, I can see her doin' this. As motherly and loving as she is, Edward is her favourite and it wouldn't take much for him to sway her.

Rosalie and Emmett, though . . . I don't know. Now the children are involved, yes, I can see Rosalie . . .

No.

No.

I know her. I've known her for decades. She may be desperate for a child of her own, and she may have regrets, but I can't see that she would ever try to steal another woman's child.

And if I'm wrong about her, why Lottie and Jas? Why not walk into a hospital, take a baby out of the nursery and walk back out again?

As despicable, and appalling as that is, it wouldn't be difficult for us. We move so fast, who's going to see us comin' and going?"

Fuck, Carlisle works at the hospital! If he's not the man I've always thought, he shouldn't have much trouble getting Rose what she wants most, should he?

And yet, Emmett had been with Carlisle and Edward tonight . . .

Why?

Why would any of them do this?

Why go after my children?

And why wait until now?

Lottie and Jas are three. They've bonded with Belle and their grandparents. They have ties to the Swan family. Take them away now and they're going to put up one hell of a fuss.

Maybe human children would be easy to deal with, but Lottie and Jas are not average, regular, human children. They're baby hybrids. Half-vampire. For fuck sake, they're the offspring of The God of War. That alone should have anyone who hears their name cowerin' in fear.

As my anger grew, and the endless questions rolled around in my head, somewhere deep inside of me, I felt the darkest part of me beginning to stir. A part that I had thought long dead.

I ain't dead, Fucker. Just buried.

Major.

Finally listenin', huh? If it were at all possible, he sounded tired. And far away. I could barely hear his voice in the recesses of my mind.

I was so sure he was gone. There's been no sign of my former self for . . . seventy years . . .

Not gone, Fucker. Not dead. Just buried. He repeated. That fuckin' midget did a number on us. It's time we were whole again. Belle and our girls need us.

I knew he was right; I just didn't know how to connect with myself again.

Focus. The mind reader wants our mate's blood. That's obvious. Alice is helping him. Also obvious.

But why? What does she get out of it? And if Edward wants Belle's blood so desperately, why leave her? Why not keep her close and ensure her blood stays pure? Or better yet, just drain her and get it over with. Why wait? Why risk us findin' one another?

Control.

Could be. Edward's always wanted control. It's the reason he's constantly meddling with the Coven and convincing Carlisle to make decisions that only benefit him or Alice.

But abandoning Belle is the opposite of control. She could've died. He wouldn't have been close enough to save her . . .

Says who?

What do you mean?

You haven't been with the Coven in seventeen years. Who's to say Edward hasn't been keepin' an eye on his precious singer? Would The Chief or Vicky know if the Mind Reader was close? The Chief didn't know any of their scents; you told him who'd broken into our girl's room. I doubt Vicky knows or remembers. And our Belle is still human. So how would they know if the Mind Reader was close? Plus, he reads minds. He knows how to keep his distance and hide. He wouldn't need to be close, just close enough to ensure his singer's blood was safe.

Fuck me.

How the hell would he have pulled it off, though? Carlisle would wonder where his precious son has gone off to for seventeen years. There's no way Esme would allow such a rift in her perfect family. Edward would be obligated to return and leave his singer unprotected.

Not if they were in on it.

A low growl reverberated through my chest.

None of them could allow you to mate with Belle, because doin' so would mean their Golden Boy—the center of their universe—would lose his blood singer.

And in siding with Edward and keepin' my mate from me—provided we're right about all this—they've all just guaranteed their deaths.

It does pose the question, though . . . The Major sighed. Where do the twins come into all of this? Why impregnate our mate? Why our offspring? As you said, it would be easy to procure a child, if they were that desperate. And now, these days, why can't they have their own? I'm sure Carlisle and Emmett would happily give their mates children. So why come after ours?

Yes. Those were very good questions. When I've torn their bodies apart, turned them all to ash, and have their severed heads danglin' over an open flame, I'll be sure to ask.

I was done with this shit.

I wanted it over.

And I wanted them all dead.

They've attacked once. They'll do it again. Next time we might not be so lucky. I will not risk my girls again. Never again.

A hand came down on my shoulder. "Breath, son." The Chief said. "They're safe. Right now, that's all that matters."

I took a long, slow deep breath and turned back to my mate and our children. My four girls were all that mattered to me now. They were my life. And there's no way in hell I'd ever let anyone take them from me.

"We need help," I stated. "Pete will have seen what's happened and will be on his way here with his mate, Charlotte."

As I felt Belle's fear spike, The Major let out a loud snarl and began rattlin' in his cage, furious that our mate and children were in danger.

Let me out. I'll kill the lot of 'em tonight!

Soon, Major. Soon.

"It's all right, Darlin'," I wrapped my arm around her waist. "You'll like Pete and Char. They ain't anythin' like the Cullen's."

She smiled and leaned into me.

"I can call Eleazar." Vicky offered. "Tanya should be informed anyway, but they might be willing to help if it comes down to it."

"Eleazar?" I questioned. "Of the Denali Coven?"

The Chief nodded. "We've all been friends for years, ever since Bells agreed to carry Irina and Laurent's twins. Our boys consider Louie and Eli their cousins, they're with them now for a sleepover."

It was an option, but could we trust them? Eleazar and Carlisle have been friends for centuries.

A soft, small hand touched my arm, bringing my attention back to my mate. "After hearing my story, the Denali Coven renounced their loyalties to the Cullens," my Belle explained. "Tanya even told Carlisle they aren't welcome back in her territory."

I guess that's why they've been tryin' to sell the Alaska home. They haven't had much luck, though. It's so far from civilization, and far too expensive, nobody's interested. Well, until Belle.

Unless it was all a rouse to get close to her again . . .

I wouldn't put it past them.

The realtor and I found it odd that Carlisle and Esme insisted on meetin' the potential buyer. Did they know then that it would be Belle?

Alice probably saw it. Or, somehow managed to manipulate things in their favour to get Belle into that house.

If this is about Belle's blood, they'll stop at nothin' to get her for Edward.

But that only led me back to the same questions: why attack the girls and why impregnate Belle with my children?

What the hell is their agenda?

Surely one of them knew I'd figure it out! For fuck sake, Carlisle is a doctor! Didn't he realize I'd smell my offspring? As soon as Belle stepped into that house, I could smell my scent inside of her. The twin's scent is a mixture of me and Belle; it'll remain that way until their natural scents begin to strengthen and they're able to protect themselves. Until that time, any children we have will smell like us. It's a natural defense mechanism to ward off danger.

Right now, our unborn child smells more like me than her mother. It'll remain that way until she's born. Then her scent will be just the same as her sisters. As Belle's still human, it's my scent that'll ward off predators and keep our unborn child safe.

Did they think they had me so beaten and manipulated that I wouldn't recognize my scent inside of Belle?

Did they think I wouldn't put it all together?

Or that my mate wouldn't question why I supposably rejected her and our children?

What did they think she'd do when she saw me again?

Did they think she'd be so angry and upset with me, the moment she saw Edward she'd fall helplessly into his arms?

That seemed more likely.

The poncy bastard is so full of himself he probably thinks Belle's been pinin' for him all these years. None of them seem to realize she's no longer the naïve seventeen-year-old girl they cruelly abandoned.

She's a grown woman. A mother. They're dealing with an entirely different being than the one they left all those years ago. Are they that self-centered they can't see anythin' beyond themselves?

"Eleazar even reported it to the Volturi," Victoria stated. "They know all about Belle and how the Cullen Coven treated her."

I looked back at the redhead. I certainly hadn't expected to see her again. She looks a helluva lot better than she did back then, too. Her hair's a few shades lighter, she's clean, well dressed, and looks happy. I can feel the unyielding love she has for her mate and his daughter. She and Belle don't share a sisterly bond. Their bond is fierce; that of mother and daughter. Not only could I feel it, but I could also see it in the way Victoria protected Belle and the girls. They were her family. Her daughter and granddaughters.

My eyes shifted to Belle. "You've met the Volturi?"

She nodded. "A few times, actually."

I'd have to ask her more about that later.

"Take the girls to bed, son," Charlie said, lookin' at his granddaughters who were tryin' to keep their eyes open but failing. "Vic and I will run the perimeter and make sure nobody crosses onto our territory tonight."

"We've got their scents now," Vicky growled, "they won't get past us."

"I should—"

"Come to bed with us." Belle smiled, gently tuggin' on my hand. "That's a wonderful idea."

I nodded and gently lifted the twins in my arms. "Call if you need anythin', Chief Swan."

"Will do." Taking her hand, Charlie led Vicky back down the stairs and out of the house.

"I like him," Vicky said softly. "He'll be good for Bells. And the twins."

Chief Swan huffed. He wouldn't say it yet—maybe he never would, after all his daughter has been through because of the Cullens and me—but I could feel his acceptance and happiness flowing off him in serene waves. For me, that was enough.

Belle's bedroom was right across the hall from the twins. It was small, barely big enough for her Queen sized bed, but tidy and . . . totally Belle. There were books everywhere, a laptop sat on a small coffee table beside an armchair, and papers were strewn across her dresser. The girls had a stack of books beside the bed. It was obvious they spent most nights in here with Belle rather than in their beds. There were dozens of pillows, blankets, and teddy bears.

"They've been having some separation anxiety lately." She whispered, pullin' back the covers so I could set them down. "Especially Jas. Lottie's more independent. But Jas is a homebody, she prefers to stay close. Lottie will wonder if I'm not watching her constantly."

I tucked them in and kissed their little heads.

It was uncanny how much they reminded me of Pete and myself.

"You mentioned somethin' about gifts?" I knew she was reluctant to tell me earlier, I could feel her hesitation. Hopefully, in time, she'll see she can trust me.

I sat down in the armchair and, surprising me, Belle sat in my lap, curling her small body closer to me. My hand automatically went to her bloated belly and I felt a little nudge against my palm from deep inside of her.

"Hello, little one," I murmured as I began gently rubbing her belly. Another little nudge pressed against my hand and I felt, from deep inside Belle, a wave of happiness and love.

I looked back at Belle. "I—I felt her." I breathed, amazed.

Her face lit up in a smile. "What do you feel?" She asked, her hand joining mine on her belly.

"Happiness and love. So much love." I looked back at Belle. "She loves us . . . s-she loves me . . ."

"Of course, she does." Belle smiled. "You're her daddy."

I leaned into my mate, pressing my forehead against hers.

I've missed so much.

Her life.

Her pregnancy with the twins.

Their birth.

All their firsts. Steps. Words.

This pregnancy.

And yeah, I'll admit, I was pissed we didn't get to conceive them the natural way.

It had all been taken away from us. By a midget and her band of merry idiots.

"Shhh." Belle pressed a soft kiss to my forehead. "You're here now. That's what matters."

"But I missed so much . . . we'll never get those memories back."

"Most of them are well documented." She smiled. "But I know what you mean." She sighed. "It was hard; being pregnant, then giving birth and raising them without you. There were times one of them would do something and I'd look up to tell you and you wouldn't be there . . . I knew, deep down, this is something I should've been sharing with you . . . and then I'd remember," she sighed, "you didn't want to be here . . ."

My arms tightened.

"I know now that's not the truth. For, whatever reason, we were kept apart and manipulated." She sighed. "But, back then, that was the truth for me. And it sucked that, as far as I knew, you didn't want us. I couldn't wrap my head around it. It didn't make sense to me."

"Maybe," I said gently, "there was part of you that knew it wasn't the truth."

"I think so." She whispered. "But I couldn't accept it. From my perspective, the Cullens were the perfect family. It didn't matter what Eleazar said or the stories I heard from the guards in Volterra. In my eyes, the Cullens were perfect, flawless. They'd never do something so awful."

"But they did . . ."

She nodded and sighed. "They did." She agreed. "I just wish I knew why. I have this feeling there's so much going on that we don't know . . ."

"We'll figure it out," I promised her and then told her my theory on Edward remaining close to keep his singer safe.

"Marcus told me about singers. Aro suspected that I was Edwards singer." She told me. "They were all shocked he'd been able to leave me alive, which is likely why Caius wasn't as convinced. He believed Edward just found my scent appealing and that's why he was able to leave me alive."

I nodded.

"I haven't seen him since he dumped me after my birthday." She went on. "Nor have I felt like I was being watched, though I probably wouldn't know if I was, would I?" She sighed.

"Probably not."

"It honestly wouldn't surprise me, though. He used to do something similar when I first moved to Forks."

I frowned. "He did?"

"Mm." She nodded. "He'd sneak into my bedroom and watch me sleep. He said he was desensitizing himself to my scent."

"Oh, yeah. Alice told me he'd sneak into your bedroom to spend the evenings with you without Charlie knowing."

"No." She shook her head. "This was long before we even started dating. Back then,' she sighed, "I was so smitten with him, I thought it was romantic. I know better now."

What the fuck? Who the hell sneaks into a woman's bedroom while she's asleep?

Edward Cullen, that's who!

Damn creepy fucker.

"Anyway," she sighed, "about your question . . ."

She'd been avoiding it again. I knew it. She knew it. But I'd let her come to me this time. If she didn't want to tell me, that was fine. I'd earn her trust eventually. We have plenty of time.

"According to Eleazar," she began, "shields are genetic. My dad's shield is both mental and physical. His mental shield isn't as strong as his physical shield, though. He can only partially block his mind from mental intrusion. His physical shield is very strong, strong enough that he can block the UV rays and keep himself and Vicky from sparkling in the sunlight."

Damn. That's one hell of a gift!

"My shield is both mental and physical, too." She told me. "Eleazar predicts it'll become stronger than even dad's when I become a vampire. Lottie has a mental shield, that's already as strong as mine. And Jas has a physical shield. In time, Eleazar says it'll likely become as strong as mine. But right now, her shield only manifests when she's scared and she can only protect herself and Lottie."

I nodded.

"But they also have other gifts." She went on. "Lottie can sense things. I'm not sure if she's psychic, clairvoyant, or if she just somehow knows. Sometimes, she'll come out with something that she couldn't possibly know. Like," she smiled, "I'm going to give birth to this one," she rubbed her belly, "earlier than expected. Sometime before Christmas. But she either can't or won't be more specific."

Holy shit.

"Her gift is just like Peters."

"What's his gift?" Belle asked.

"He just knows shit." I laughed softly. "He refuses to see it as a gift; just says it's his Yoda senses kickin' in."

"That's pretty much how it is for Lottie. She just tells me things and that's how they happen. I don't think she has visions like Alice. She just . . ."

"Knows." I smiled.

"Yeah." She smiled. "Jas is different. She's exactly like her daddy."

"She's empathic?" I questioned.

Empathy is an extremely rare gift. Some vampires have an aspect of my gift, like the ability to project happiness wherever they go or love, fear, and even pain. But it's unheard of for someone to have access to the entire spectrum of emotions like I do. I've never, in all my years, met another empath.

"Yeah." Belle nodded. "She has very limited control, though. When she's feeling something strongly, she automatically projects her own emotions. Last week, she had the whole house giggling when Dad was tickling her. On the flip side, when she's upset, we're all upset."

"It was like that for me when I first woke up to this life," I told her. "Hopefully, as she gets older, she'll learn to control her emotions better. But I can help her if she needs it."

She smiled and snuggled into me. Her little hand pressed against the side of my throat and slid to the back of my neck and into my hair. I've wanted her to run her fingers through my hair for so long. I held her closer to me, enjoyin' the feel of her fingers. With her gentle touch, I could feel myself relaxin' into her as I began to purr for my mate.

There was somethin' we needed to do before we went any further. I didn't want to, but she needed to know what she was gettin' herself into with me.

"I need to tell ya my story, Darlin'," I whispered. "But it ain't pretty. I'm not like the Cullens. My beginning was very different . . ."

"Why don't you start with your name." She said softly. "Edward told me you use the last name Hale but he'd never tell me anything more than that."

Fucker.

"My name is Jasper Henry Whitlock."

"Mm. I like that. Jasper Henry Whitlock." She repeated and the sound of my name on her lips sent a thrill through me. "It's so much better than Cullen or Hale. When we're ready to make things official, I'll have the girls' names changed, too. I'm thinking Swan-Whitlock. I'd like to keep my last name and hyphenate, what do you think?" She asked. "Charlotte Victoria Swan-Whitlock and Jasmine Beatrice Swan-Whitlock."

"I think it's perfect," I whispered, brushing my lips across her temple. "I'm partial to Isabella Marie Swan-Whitlock, too."

A soft blush covered her cheeks as she cuddled into me and I found myself wishin' I knew how far down it went on her delicate little body. Would she let me see her while she's pregnant? I didn't want to push her. She's already been through so much.

"Tell me your story, Whitlock." She whispered. "There'll be plenty of time for us to get naked later."

I chuckled. I didn't realize I'd been projecting.

We spent the better part of the night rehashing my past. I left nothin' out. I told her everythin'. From the little I could remember about my human life, to meetin' Maria and her sisters, to the moment I walked into that diner and found Alice.

She knew every atrocity.

Every battle.

Every kill.

Every scar on my body.

Every time I'd seduced a willing partner into my bed and had my wicked way with them.

I told her things I'd never told anyone, including the Cullens. Hell, I told her things I've never even told Pete!

I wanted her to know me.

To know everythin'.

To know every part of me.

So that she could decide for herself. If she truly wants me. Or if she'd prefer I left her to raise our girls and didn't interfere in their lives.

I didn't want there to be any misunderstanding. I ain't like the Cullen's. I ain't a whiny ass pacifist. I ain't devoted to the animal blood diet. And there's no way in hell I'll be attendin' high school every four fuckin' years. I want a life. I want a wife and a mate who'll stand beside me on my good days, and let me lean on her when I have a bad day.

She needed to know the damage that had been inflicted upon me. I ain't broken, but I ain't completely whole, either.

I needed her to understand, there are days I need her to be the strong one. They're few and far between, but they happen.

If we're gonna be mated, if she's gonna accept me, she needs to know I come with a helluva lot of baggage.

I ain't a Cullen.

I'm a broken, worn-out soldier.

A/N: Poor Jasper thinks he's broken. Don't worry, he'll be fine. Bella will take care of him.

For anyone who doesn't know, Joe Bloggs is a hypothetical average man. It's British. My mum used to say it all the time and it stuck with me.