C h a p t e r T W O
"When you live for the fight, for the blood, the relationships you form are tenuous and easily broken. I walked away without a backward glance."
- Jasper - Chapter 13 - Eclipse
Texas, early 1900s
My thoughts went on an endless track as I ran into the thick foliage. I was leaving, running away, away from the South, away from the horror of a life I could no longer live.
Running away from her.
The girl I would never forget, who somehow knew so much, practically everything, about me, about who I am.
Running away from her.
The domineering psychopath hell-bent on controlling everything and everyone, including me.
I ran to the only people I could think of, indeed, the only people I could run to. I knew they'd take me in as family.
As I first saw the small, ramshackle wood cabin come into view I felt the emotions inside shift to territorial wariness at the sound of my approach. Two figures emerged from inside and crouched near the door. I knew any visitor besides myself would warrant an ugly introduction.
Their emotions shifted to hesitant and confused joy as I neared.
"Jasper?"
I smiled tentatively. "Mind if I camp out with ya'll for a little while?"
Peter hooted and hollered as he came and picked me up in a hug. "Major, you can stay as long as you like."
I winced at the epithet as I accepted a less enthusiastic but just as meaningful hug from Charlotte.
"You'll always be welcome, Jasper. We owe you our lives," she whispered.
xxx
Peace settled around us, my influence not even necessary. Pete and Char settled on the one small couch while I sat near the fireplace. I was enjoying the warmth of the crackling fire near my icy skin when Peter suddenly jumped up. I glanced over at him curiously, his excitement mixing jarringly with the peace still hovering in the room.
"I have an idea," he announced proudly, hands on his hips. I laughed at him. With those boots and cowboy hat, he looked like a traditional Texas ranger. A little ridiculous for the new era we were settling into. Flashy and bright, men wore feminine clothes and woman wore men's clothes. It was a lot different from the more reserved styles of the period we all came from.
"An idea? Well, shit. Char, I dunno how I feel about this. You remember the last time he had an idea…" I trailed off, a look of faux worry on my face.
Mirth floated over to me from her direction, in spite of her serious expression. This was one of the many times we got our jollies at Peter's expense. He acts offended but we know he loves the attention.
"You're right, Jas. We might have to restrain him," she added, her face scrunched up in thought. Peter scoffed as he scooped her up and tossed her over his shoulder as she shrieked.
"We all know how much you'd like to tie me up and have your way with me, but seriously," he said as he put her down and kissed her with a loud smacking noise. I chuckled at their antics. It was a never-ending source of amusement.
"There's one of those new disco things not too far from here. I say we have ourselves a night out on the town. Maybe cause a little panic," he finished, mischief and thirst in his eyes and emotions.
I rubbed the back of my neck, a leftover habit from my human life. Unease and anxiety ballooned inside my useless stomach. I had come to dread feeding. Living the emotions of those who's last moments were at my hands - and teeth - was off-putting, to say the least. The depression that came from my early years of my vampire life was always stronger when I fed. It grew with each life I took, no matter how unwilling I was to take it. It waned with the time I spent with Char and Pete, but it was always there, underneath everything else. Even trying to hunt less was useless, since I'd just snap on the first unsuspecting human I came across. I squeezed my eyes shut, allowing the faces of my victims to come into focus. Even when I 'glamoured' them into feeling peace before I finished them, I was still just a nightmare who was no better than Maria.
I jerked my eyes open and stared stone-faced into the fire. I could feel Peter and Charlotte's eyes as well as their concern.
"Ya'll go on without me. I'll go out a little later, I promise," I lied, watching the flames dance. I still didn't look away as I listened to them leave without me.
xxx
Forks, Washington, Present Day
I drifted away from my musings as I heard someone approaching. I tensed from my position on a fallen tree and reached out for the newcomers emotions. Exasperation, frustration, and superiority.
Must be Edward, I thought, smiling to myself.
He emerged from the trees, looking more than a little disgruntled at my mental depiction of him. I laughed softly. He was almost too easy to mess with since he takes everything so seriously.
"No, I do not. Now stop trying to distract me; I came here to talk with you about something," he said seriously, taking a seat beside me. I reclined, leaning on my elbows, still smiling.
'Bout what? You're not still going on about the girl, are you? I thought, glancing at him. After seeing the gypsy girl again, Edward had immediately gleaned everything about the encounter from my mind the minute he realized something was wrong. Which I was not pleased about. None of us enjoyed Edward being privy to out innermost thoughts, but I'm a more of a private man by nature, and having him be informed of something I'd much rather keep private is irksome to me. That's the main reason that we've never gotten on very well. Edward, Alice, and I have always stood out, but even our gifts don't bring us together. Both of us get on better with everyone else.
He frowned. "Yes, it is about her. There's just…something about her. I can't quite explain it. She's compelling, but not just because her thoughts aren't open to me." He went silent, seemingly lost for words, which was not customary for him. I smiled grimly.
I know exactly what you mean, although I wish I didn't. Her reappearance is more of a nuisance than anything. Her knowledge could be dangerous, not to mention her apparent supernatural abilities.
He nodded, contemplative. "And you're positive that you didn't imagine her strength and speed to be greater than it was?"
I scoffed at him, insulted enough to not dignify him with an answer. He chortled.
"Yes, you're right. I'm sorry, I just can't imagine how a girl could seemingly be so human yet have so many features of our kind."
I chuckled darkly. "'She confounds us all,'" I said, quoting what Carlisle said of her when we told him what happened years ago and again of what happened earlier today.
Art Room, Earlier
I stared at her, stupefied and silent. She smirked and settled into the empty stool next to mine. I continued staring at her, taking in her appearance the same way she was taking in mine. The same long, chestnut hair curled down her back, a scarf separating her bangs from the rest. She wore a peasant blouse that was jarringly similar to the one she wore when I first met her but instead of the long skirt she had more modern jeans on, tucked into a pair of Indian-looking boots. The same tinkling jewellery adorned her ears and wrists. Her beauty and grace was startlingly similar to what one acquires when becoming a vampire. Her hummingbird heart beat was all I could hear and her abnormally hot skin temperature radiated out to warm me pleasantly.
Our staring game continued uninterrupted as I took in her surprisingly vague emotions. My brow furrowed as I concentrated harder than I should have to.
Surprise, wariness, and mischievous amusement fluttered as her more mercurial surface emotions. Sensing deeper emotions underneath, I dug a little deeper. A deep sense of sadness and guilt that would have been crippling had her emotions not been so hazy.
I came to attention as she pulled my sketchbook towards her. She pulled in a sharp breath as she took in my half-formed outline of Maria.
"So are you still attached to this despicable creature? She was the ruin of Texas," she commented distastefully as she scanned the drawing. She glance up at me stonily, one eyebrow arched judgementally.
I glared and arched an eyebrow defensively back at her. "No. I haven't seen Maria in almost a cent-" I hesitated. I almost said century. Why am I even saying this to her?
She grinned, showing off perfect, razor sharp teeth. I narrowed my eyes.
"What are you?" I asked quietly, staring her down. Apparently my intimidation tactics have gotten rusty since she laughed instead of cringing, which was the usual response. I growled lowly. I've had vampires and humans alike cowering at my feet; this little girl clearly did not know her place.
"Ah, little mullo, manners. Rest assured, you're rude question has not offended me. In fact, let me introduce myself. I am Isabella Marie Swan. But please, call me Bella," she said, sticking out her dainty hand. As I resignedly took it in my own scarred one, I noticed something. Before I could say something, however, she pulled my hand towards her and held it between her own. She traced the scars with her long, pale fingers.
"So much unnecessary pain she inflicted upon you," she whispered in her lilting and exotic accent. I watched, mesmerized, as she lifted my hand to her lips and kissed the most prominent of my scars, watching me all the while. There was…something about her. Something about her that I, with my vast knowledge, couldn't put my finger on.
I snapped out of my daze when the bell rang, signalling the end of the school day. She smiled softly once more before releasing my hand. I watched her silently as she quickly gathered her books and left.
And that's where Edward found me almost an hour later, sitting and looking at my hand, trying to see what she saw.
Surprise, surprise, I finally updated! I hope none of you gave up on me. I'm kind of slow when it comes to writing; I totally ride the short bus when it comes to updating.
Anyways, I wanted to make this longer to make up for the ridiculously long wait but...it just seemed right to end it here. I hate to say this...but I'm still not entirely sure of where this is going. I have several ideas in mind.
Also, to answer several questions:
The pairings in this story are, currently, Carlisle&Esme and Rosalie&Emmett. Everyone else is single...for now.
Mullo is a Gypsy word for vampire. In the prologue I also had additional foreign names for vampire. If anyone is curious, I got them from this website:
www hellhorror com/vampires/vampire_names/
Thank you to everyone who reviews! Even if I don't reply, I still appreciate every one. It encourages me to write faster than the usual snail's pace.