Hello guys, I'm glad that you showed interest in the first chapter. Yesterday, I managed to plot out the whole story with help from my great friend Greg, so this story will be better than it would have been if I had stuck with my own ideas.

Also, I'm not sure how many of you have read 'midnight sun' but if you haven't it was twilight in Edward's POV (from Stephenie Meyer). Maria was mentioned in the story about finding the Cullen's so that's why in this chapter; she already seems to know them.

Disclaimer: I do not own twilight.

Carlisle's POV

We began travelling South after a hunt to keep our strength up just in case the worst happens. The nearer we got, the more wary I became; uncertain about the safety of my family. I didn't know every detail of the newborns of the South but what I did know was that they would kill on sight if we appeared as a threat but hopefully, they will appear outnumbered.

If Jasper left Maria's army, then surely she would have decreased the amount of newborns she kept which will be an advantage for us. They wouldn't fight if their numbers didn't look good. I was just hoping to talk with Maria and despite the fact that southern vampires weren't the talking kind, neither is the Volturi but we still managed to do so with them.

Edward remained alert at all times, paying attention to every voice that he heard. The second he hears an unfamiliar voice in his head, he will inform me. Alice was trying to use her visions to show any clue to where her mate was but she had been trying that ever since he went missing which is why she had been stressed out for the past year; she was annoyed that she was no help to find Jasper.

Edward stopped dead in his tracks in front of us and then the others did the same. I slowly walked closer to my son.

"What is it?" I asked, quietly.

"We've been spotted. He's watching us now" he whispered as his eyes scanned through the trees.

I tried to search for him also. "Is he planning to attack?" I asked again.

"He's debating it" he answered with a wince. "He thinks he can take us all out on his own. His mind is almost identical to Jas…."

Edward stopped at his last comment. Ever since Jasper went missing, we were all finding it harder and harder to say his name out loud. I'm not surprised that Jasper and the hiding vampire's minds were identical considering that they have both come from or still living in the South. This is the place that had changed the way that he thought about things; it made him wary and calculative. Although I was never keen on Jasper's strange behavior, I really do miss it.

"We're not a threat. Please come out. We need to speak with Maria" I spoke clearly.

As soon as the vampire became aware that we knew that they were near, he jumped from the trees and crouched in front of us; teeth baring and growling. He was taking glances of all of us, sizing us up; another thing that my missing son did a lot.

"Please, it's important" I begged.

His growling stopped but he still watched us warily.

"Maria does not speak to strangers, she kills them" he said, venomously.

I noticed his eyes were mainly watching Emmett but that had something to do with his heavily muscled body; another thing Jasper used to be wary of when he and Alice had first joined us.

"It's about somebody who was important to her" I tried again.

I knew that Maria had put Jasper through hell when he was with her but there was one time in her life where she really did care for him. I wasn't sure if Maria played a part of the disappearance of Jasper but she knew something. I could feel it. Even if she didn't know it herself; if she didn't have anything to do with Jasper's disappearance then maybe, just maybe, she would do something to help. I hated that I was relying on somebody that had destroyed my son but if it meant getting him back, I would do anything. The newborn took one last look at Emmett before his eyes returned to mine.

"Stay here. If you move any closer, you'll be in our territory and that's when we'll start killing. I'll see if she is willing to speak to you" he said

"Tell her it's about Jasper" I added.

I doubt that Maria would want to talk if all she hears is that it's about somebody she created because most of them were no use to her. Jasper, on the other hand, was the only one she had chosen to keep alive. The reason why I believe that she would help us is because she still wants Jasper back in her army but if he is missing or even worse, dead, then that wouldn't happen. For that reason, Maria could also be the person who took him. The newborn ran off to fetch Maria so we were left standing around. Edward was sill hearing out for voices in case we get spotted by another vampire or if he comes back.

"Did anything come across the newborn's mind when I mentioned Jasper?" I asked Edward.

If it had, it would be a clue that he really was here. Edward shook his head meaning that the newborn probably hadn't even heard of him. If he had done, it would have brought us closer to finding Jasper even if it meant finding him in the evil hands of Maria. But then again, I am glad; Maria was the one that made Jasper cautious, afraid and self-conscious. She was the one that gave him his scars mentally and physically. If she was the one who had taken him, she could have destroyed him again and he was only just adjusting to us. We had spent many years making him understand that we were a family and if Maria was the one that had him, all of that would have been destroyed and it would take us many more years to get him back to normal again. But if Maria didn't have him, then who did? I just hope that if…when…we find him, he would be stable enough to remember us because I had a bad feeling about this. There was a voice inside my head that keeps telling me that I won't find Jasper; I will find his body and only his body.

"She's here" Edward muttered.

Alice took a step forward but I made sure she stayed behind me. She hated Maria so much and I couldn't blame her. She's the reason Alice needed to treat her mate with such delicacy. If Maria makes any nasty comments about Jasper, Alice would no doubt lunge at her and I didn't want to risk that. Jasper had always protected Alice with his life; if he wasn't here to do it, then I would. It's what he would want.

Maria stepped into view with two newborns by her side, one was the one we had been talking to before but the other looked much stronger; he was roughly Emmett's size. She must have brought them because we were viewed as a threat. I didn't expect them to trust us.

"You're that pathetic coven my Major joined, aren't you?" she mocked as she eyed each and everyone one of us.

Rosalie and Alice glared at her and I even heard a low growl coming from Emmett which was a noise he very rarely made; it was mostly Jasper who did so. The two newborns slipped into a defensive crouch at the sound of Emmett's growl but I raised a hand to him to let him know that he should stop. We couldn't appear as a threat. Maria's eyes landed on Alice.

"And you're her" Maria said darkly.

Maria didn't know very much about us but she did know that we were vegetarian, Alice was Jasper's mate and now he was part of the family. It was obvious that she despised us and how we had 'softened' him up. She even had the nerve to criticize us and tell us that it was impossible to 'tame the beast'. He may have been dangerous when we first welcomed him into the family and I was even a little unsure about my decision but once I got to know him, I realized that he wasn't dangerous; just vulnerable.

"What brings you here?" Maria asked, innocently.

Alice moved forward again but I had to push her back to stop her from doing anything stupid.

"Where is he?" Alice demanded for an answer.

"Jasper?" Maria questioned.

Edward took hold of Alice, not wanting to risk Alice lunging at Maria.

"Jasper has been missing for a long time, we need to find him but we have no idea how. We have looked everywhere but we haven't found a single clue as to where he might be or what has happened to him. We came here because we thought…"

"…that I was involved in his disappearance" Maria interrupted.

"That you at least know something" I corrected.

"Well maybe I do and maybe I don't" she replied with a smirk.

At that, Alice tried to get out of Edward's grip but thankfully he was stronger. Emmett stepped forward and growled again.

"Just how many newborns do you have with you, Maria? Because I'm sure that you are outnumbered, especially ever since Jasper left you" he threatened.

It was Maria's turn to growl at him. Jasper abandoning Maria was a sensitive subject but she deserved it. He was right. If she knew something and she was outnumbered, I wouldn't hesitate for this to lead to a fight if it meant getting at least a clue to finding my son.

"Are these your only newborns?" I questioned.

If there were only three of them, then Maria would be a fool to even consider getting into a fight. But then again, she must have kept this territory somehow. Maria thought through her answer carefully; probably debating whether it would be worth fighting.

"I don't know where he is" she replied plainly.

"But you know something" Rosalie pointed out.

"Maria, please. If you have any idea as to Jasper's whereabouts or even what happened to him. We would be very grateful if you gave us any information you had on him. He may be in danger"

"Serves him right. If he had stayed with me, I would have kept him safe but he decided to wonder off into some unnatural coven of weak vampires. I'm surprised no other vampire had come along and killed you all already. I had actually thought it was Jasper's intention but perhaps you softened him up before he got the chance to do so" Maria replied.

She was wrong and both she and I knew it. If Jasper stayed with Maria, he wouldn't be alive. He may have been a great fighter but Jasper was troubled. Either she would have killed him or he would have done so himself. I also knew that Jasper never had the idea of killing us intentionally. He always did his best to fit in for Alice's sake.

"Where the hell is my brother?" Emmett demanded as he took another step forward.

Rosalie stepped forward with him this time and then I did too. If Maria was smart, she would tell us what she knew otherwise things could get ugly. Maria thought for another moment before looking away in defeat.

"I don't know. About 16 months ago, another vampire came here stating that they just wanted to talk. He asked for Jasper but I told him he wasn't here anymore. He then asked if I knew where he was" she stopped.

"What did you say?" I asked.

"I told him where I last saw you and the details of your coven. He must have tracked you down" Maria answered.

"Why would you do that?" Alice yelled at her.

I was surprised that she even gave another vampire information. If there was just one of them, why hadn't she killed him? Was he gifted?

"Because he was one of my own" Maria answered.

REVIEW!