Chapter 4

Jasper met us in the forest, without Maria. I hoped he had changed his mind about bringing her to meet his mate, but when Edward spoke, I knew that was not the case.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"She won't leave until she satisfies her curiosity," Jasper said. He looked at me. "She wants to meet the whole family. She's waiting by the lake. I told her I would talk to you, and then give her my answer."

"The rest of the family was just in the parking lot," I explained. "No one had any objections to meeting Maria."

"Emmett thinks the house will be destroyed when she and Alice start fighting, though," Edward said.

Jasper shook his head. "She won't fight Alice. I told her about her premonition gift. I said she can beat me in a fight, and Maria knows I wouldn't exaggerate about that."

I nodded. "All right. Why don't you go and call Maria, and then we can return home together."

Jasper nodded, and disappeared into the trees. I ran my hands through my hair, feeling uneasy. If I was reading Jasper correctly, he didn't really want to introduce Maria to Alice, but he considered that a preferable scenario to having Maria remain in the area or return at a later date because she had been left unsatisfied. He obviously felt unable to tell her to leave and never come back. Perhaps he wasn't sure that was what he really wanted.

"That's an accurate assessment of the situation," Edward said, fingering an overhanging branch.

"Poor Jasper," I murmured. His relationship with Maria had been unequal, unsatisfying, and based on exploitation. Of course he didn't want to see her again. Yet, she was still his creator. It made me think that perhaps it was a very good thing that I had never known the vampire who created me.

"I was thinking she makes me realize how lucky I am to have been raised in this life by you," Edward mumbled.

My still heart warmed at the words. Edward normally left such expression of emotions to me and Esme.

"Thank you, Son."

I wanted to say more, about how lucky I was to have Edward, and Jasper, for that matter, but we could hear our expected company was nearby. They appeared on the path soon after.

Jasper appeared far more relaxed in Maria's presence than he had been earlier. By the lake, he hadn't let his eyes leave Maria. Now he stood casually behind her, giving off an air of relaxed familiarity.

I hoped he wasn't offended by my distrust of Maria, which hadn't dampened in the slightest. She wasn't looking at me. Her gaze was focused on Edward. I had the urge to step in front of him.

"This is Edward," Jasper said, moving up to stand beside Maria. "The others are back at the house."

"Hello, Maria," Edward said with an air of boredom. Then he turned and started back.

I glanced at him, wondering what had brought on such rudeness, and then gestured for Maria and Jasper to follow.

No one said anything until we reached the parking lot. Maria stopped and scented the air, looking around.

"They were here, weren't they?" she said, looking at Jasper. "The rest of them."

He gave off some discomfort at the question, and his eyes shifted to me.

Maria followed his gaze. "A few more vampires, Carlisle, and you'll have your own little army. Should I be flattered that you thought you'd need them all for me?"

"They weren't here for you. They were worried about Jasper and came here to check that he was all right."

Maria looked up at Jasper. "Oh, they were worried about you," she said in a mockingly sweet tone, folding her hands over her heart.

Jasper looked away, and I felt his mild embarrassment. Maria laughed at this reaction.

I sighed, and opened the passenger door for Maria. Edward was already in the back, staring out the window in the other direction, arms folded.

"How long have you been living here?" Maria asked, when we were speeding along the highway.

I glanced in the rear view mirror. Neither of my sons appeared in the mood for small talk.

"Two and a half years," I said.

"When will you move on?"

"Perhaps in about five years. Earlier if the humans become suspicious."

"I've lived around Monterrey for centuries. When they get suspicious, I get thirsty." She smiled.

"I hope suspicion is a rare emotion in Monterrey, then."

We lapsed into silence, probably for the best.

When we pulled up outside the garage, Jasper moved to open Maria's door, but she was already climbing out under her own volition. She stopped on the path and turned around in a circle, analyzing the garden.

"Don't tell me you eat vegetables," she said, pointing at Esme's vegetable garden.

"My wife Esme grew up on a farm," I explained. "She enjoys tending a vegetable patch. We donate the food."

"I suppose we all have to fill the time somehow."

She raised an eyebrow at Jasper with a small smirk on her face, and I again felt mild embarrassment from my son.

"It's just a vegetable garden," Edward said, annoyance edging into his voice. "It's nothing to be ashamed of."

"It is when you're one of the best tactical fighters the South has ever seen," Maria countered. She shook her head at Jasper. "You're wasted here. I can already see what this is. An old folks home for vampires who like to play games, pretending they're human."

"Well, we do like to do crosswords and talk about how good things were in the 1920s," I joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Edward didn't oblige.

"You think Jasper is wasted because he isn't doing your dirty work? That is a bigger waste of a life than growing weeds."

"Dirty work? He loved a good fight more than anyone."

"Sure he did. He loved killing your newborns, too. That's why he was so depressed you were going to kill him just so you didn't have to feel it anymore."

Jasper gave me a look of exasperation as he reached out to touch Edward, forcing his brother to calm down. Edward and Maria were standing facing each other, both tense with their fists clenched by their sides. It would only take a little more for Edward to completely lose his temper.

I looked past them and saw Alice was sitting on the front steps. Jasper followed my gaze and instantly brightened at the sight of his mate.

"Alice!"

Combined with Jasper's calming presence, it was enough to break the stand off. Maria shifted away from Edward, so she could see Alice without having to turn her back on him.

Jasper moved instantly to Alice's side, and she stood up to accept his offered hug.

"Alice, this is Maria," he said, keeping a protective arm around her back.

Edward moved around to stand by Alice, allowing Maria to feel safe enough to come closer. She looked Alice up and down, taking her in.

"So you're the reason why he hasn't come home," Maria said lightly.

"This is his home," Alice said, matching her tone. "And he'd never have gone back, even if he hadn't met me."

I rubbed my forehead. I didn't need to be Alice to see where this conversation was going. To hell in a hand basket.

"Let's go on inside," I said, gesturing for the others to move on. After a few tense stares from Alice and Edward, they obliged. Maria stopped to finger the intricate carving on the wooden stair rail.

"Esme built this deck herself," I said, walking ahead of Maria up the wooden stairs. "Her current project is a greenhouse around the back. It's truly a work of art. Architecture is one of her many talents."

Esme appeared in the doorway, and came over to grasp my hand.

"You must want something, with such flattery," she said, bringing my hand to her lips and kissing it. She gave Maria a surprisingly warm smile.

"Welcome to our home, Maria. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Maria was less confident with Esme than she had been with the rest of us. She seemed put slightly off-kilter, unsure how to act around someone who didn't appear in the least bit cautious or antagonistic in her company.

She merely nodded in the end, and then her gaze shifted to the door.

"Please, come in," Esme said.

Alice and Edward disappeared inside, and I gestured for Maria to go in ahead of me, but she declined the offer. I knew from Jasper's early habits that she probably didn't feel comfortable with a strange vampire behind her. So I went in first, taking a moment to smile at a nervous Jasper waiting by the door.

Inside the lounge, Rosalie sat in Emmett's lap on the couch, doing a magazine crossword and giving off the air of utter indifference that she had perfected over the years.

Emmett jumped up when he saw Maria, casting Rosalie unceremoniously aside.

"I'm Emmett," he said, coming closer. "So are you as good at fighting as Jasper?"

Maria was quiet at first, taking in Emmett's size before replying. "I'm not sure. We never put it to the test." She gave Jasper an odd smile.

"So how come you don't have as many scars as him?"

"Because she had newborns to do her fighting for her," Edward said, taking a place on the couch beside Rose.

"But you must have been in fights sometimes," Emmett pressed.

Maria nodded. "Fighting is like feeding in the South. Fight or die." She paused. "Do you think you'd survive?"

Emmett glanced at Jasper and laughed. "If he can, I can."

Jasper was too on edge to respond to Emmett's ribbing. He didn't take his eyes off Maria. I had shifted to the side, standing hand in hand with Esme. Alice was perched on an armchair, hugging her knees.

"Maybe you should come stay with me for a while so you can prove it," Maria suggested. "I can arrange some good fights."

I found myself glaring at Maria, feeling my anger rise. It wasn't often I became angry, and it was enough to cause Jasper to quickly send out calming waves, targeting me this time. Maria met my gaze.

"Fair's fair, Carlisle. You've got one of mine. So I should take one of yours, no?"

My second son actually looked tempted. So strong, yet so naive. How quickly would Emmett lose that innocence in Maria's world?

"Before you agree, you should know I won't be coming with you, Em," Rosalie said. "If she must take someone, she can take Edward."

Edward pulled the couch cushion out from under Rose, sending her tumbling to the floor, her hair spilling into her eyes. Edward shifted away just as Rose tried to retaliate by emptying a vase over his lap. The water ended up running over the couch cushions.

Esme sighed. "Please, we have company!"

"She raised newborns. I'm sure she's seen worse," Emmett said, wrapping his arms around Rosalie, to prevent her from pursuing a pointless attack on Edward.

Maria's attention had been drawn to Edward now. I wondered if she'd noticed how fast he moved to dodge Rosalie.

"Hey, babe, if you really want to fight, why don't we go out to the clearing and have a best of three sparring match?" Emmett said, turning Rose around to face him.

"I just finished painting my nails."

"I'll fight with you," Maria said. "This sounds like fun. Play fighting." She winked at Jasper. "You always did enjoy that."

"He did? It took me ages to get him to relax and ..."

"Emmett," Edward said, his tone one of warning.

I glanced at Jasper. He was radiating embarrassment. Alice jumped up and held his hand.

When Jasper was new to this family, he hadn't been forthcoming about his past. It was understandable that he didn't want to relive the environment that had caused him so much pain. Emmett was hoping Jasper would teach him all he knew about fighting, but Jasper had needed some space. I later realized he was terrified of hurting Emmett, believing that such a mistake would jeopardize his place here.

But Emmett's persistence had won out in the end, and the boys enjoyed many hours of fun. Out of Esme's sight, of course.

"You up for this, Jazz?" Emmett asked, becoming aware of Jasper's feelings.

I would have known he was uneasy even without his gift. But he brushed it off. "All right. But I'm not going to fight, just watch. Are you coming, Alice?"

She nodded once. I half considered coming along to keep an eye on things, but then I wanted to talk with Edward about anything further he may have picked up from Maria's thoughts. And I had to assume that Edward would have said something if he saw anything amiss in Alice's visions.

"No biting," Esme said, patting Emmett on the arm.

"Yeah, Alice," Emmett said, pointing at his sister. "No biting!"

"I'll just be watching too," Alice said.

"Oh, come on," Emmett groaned. "Edward?"

"I might join you later," Edward said, glancing at me.

Emmett nodded. "You know where to find us." He kissed Rose before he left, and waved goodbye to me and Esme.

On her way out, Maria stopped and looked up at the wall beside the door. My father's cross hung there, watching over those who came and went. She frowned, and quickly moved on. Perhaps there was some basis to the myth about vampires and crosses.

We sat in silence for five minutes, before Edward gave the all clear to indicate they were out of range. Rosalie had the first word.

"She's creepy. I don't like her. Can't you tell Jasper to ask her to go away?"

"Well, like it or not, she's Jasper's creator," Esme said. "I suppose this is a bit like having in-laws."

Edward chuckled. "If she's an in-law, then she's a rich Beverly Hills in-law who sees us as crazy hillbilly cousins. She can't believe the way we live. She thinks we're all brainwashed."

Rosalie was offended. "She's the one who lives like a savage!"

"Was her invitation to Emmett serious?" I asked, unable to hide my concern.

Edward nodded. "She wouldn't say no, if he wanted to come. She thinks he'd be good in a fight." He paused, looking at Esme. "Don't worry. Emmett would never consider leaving his family, even for the chance of a good fight." He frowned. "Besides, she doesn't really want him. The more time she spends with Jasper, the more she wants him back."

I ran a hand through my hair, considering this. "What does she think of Alice?"

Edward frowned. "She could tell from the moment she saw him with her that they were mates. She thinks Alice must complement Jasper in some way, as she's used to seeing that in mated pairs. Her guess is that Jasper enjoys feeling her emotions, as he was always friendly with the newborns who were good-natured."

"Does she feel jealous over the fact that he is mated?"

Edward shook his head. "She feels … sad. Not on her behalf, but his. I couldn't get everything, because she didn't dwell on it, but I think Maria was mated at one point, and her mate was killed. She seems to think it's inevitable that Jasper will experience the same thing."

Esme rubbed my hand, looking away. "I can see why she'd think that way. It would be a dangerous thing, to be a mated pair in the South. There would be a high chance of one of you being killed."

"I believe revenge is what motivated many battles," I agreed.

"There is some part of her that does genuinely care about him," Edward admitted. "I never expected that."

"She has a funny way of showing it," Rosalie said, flipping a page in her magazine.

I smiled at this. Rose herself, at times, had a funny way of showing how much she cared about her family.

"Are you going to join them?" Esme asked Edward.

Edward shook his head. "Jasper doesn't want me to. He didn't think it on purpose, but … he's dealing with a lot right now, and he wants some privacy."

I sighed, knowing that if there was a way, I'd save Jasper all this emotional turmoil he was suffering. Esme wrapped her arm around me, and then gestured with her head towards the back of the house.

"While we're waiting, would you like to see the new greenhouse roof?"

"Always," I said, letting her guide me away from the lounge.

An hour later, I heard the sound of approaching vampires, and returned to the entrance hall. Esme went upstairs to wash her hands, as she'd been checking on the state of the flowers she'd planted last week.

I expected four vampires through the front door, but only Emmett and Alice arrived. Emmett appeared as if Maria had used him to mop the forest floor, but he was still smiling. Alice, didn't have a hair or thread out of place, but her face was an angry glower.

"Where are Jasper and Maria?" I asked.

"She's leaving. He's gone to see her off," Emmett said. "He was going to run with her to the edge of Calgary."

"Have you seen a complication?" I asked Alice.

She shook her head. "I see her leaving." She was silent for a second, and then shouted, "Good riddance!"

Emmett covered his ears. "You are so loud for someone so small."

I held Alice gently by the shoulders. "This hasn't been easy for you."

She leaned into my chest, and I wrapped my arms around her. "I hope we never see her again," she mumbled.

"You're brave," Rosalie said. She had come over to greet Emmett, but had shied back when she saw how dirty he was. "Leaving your mate alone with that harpy."

Alice shifted back from me, looking at Rose.

"She's not going to attack him. I'd have seen it."

"I wasn't thinking about attacking. It's obvious from the way she looks at him what she really came here for. You should be out there keeping an eye on him."

"I trust Jasper!"

"Sure. But do you trust her?"

Alice looked away, and I could see her face crumple with pain.

"You should go and follow him. He doesn't need to know you're there," Rose suggested. "Take Edward with you. He'll know what's going on from a distance."

Edward had joined us while Rose was talking. He frowned at the mention of his involvement. "This doesn't sound like a good idea. Jasper already has trust issues. How would he feel if he thought Alice didn't trust him not to betray her?"

"But Maria knows how to manipulate him," Rose argued. "She kept him doing her whim for eighty years. Let's face it ... men are easily tempted by feminine wiles. Jasper doesn't have the best self-control."

"Would you do this to Emmett?" Alice asked, sounding utterly miserable.

"Sure."

Alice looked at Emmett. "Wouldn't you feel like she didn't trust you?"

Emmett shrugged. "Trust would be the least of my concerns. I'd be worried she'd gone crazy if she actually thought any other woman could possibly tempt me when I've got her. I'd want Carlisle to examine her head."

Rosalie smiled and rolled her eyes.

Esme was just coming downstairs.

Emmett looked up. "Question for you, Esme. Let's say one of Carlisle's old flames showed up for a visit."

"There is, and has always been, only one flame in my life," I said, linking my arm through Esme's.

"Oh sure, same for me," Emmett insisted.

Edward made a scoffing noise.

"But let's just say. Would you let them be in the forest alone together, or would you go and spy?"

Esme burst out laughing.

"Should I be offended?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Of course I'd go," Esme said, nudging me in the ribs. "I'd love to see a woman try and seduce him ... and fail miserably."

Alice hung her head. It didn't go unnoticed by Esme.

"Oh, honey, is this about Jasper? Don't you trust him?"

"I do, but ... Rose thinks I should go anyway. Maria has some kind of power over him. I don't understand it."

"What does your heart say?"

"I want to ... but I don't want to hurt him. Edward's right, he is insecure about trust." She looked at me. "What do you think, Carlisle?"

Everyone looked at me, and I could see they were genuinely interested in my opinion. I hoped, by providing it, I wasn't setting her up for heartbreak.

"Has Jasper given you any indication that he would be tempted by whatever Maria might offer him?"

She shook her head.

"Then I think you should stay here. There is a risk of betrayal ... but there is also the opportunity of giving Jasper a gift that will strengthen the love between you. The gift of knowing that you trust him, at great risk to yourself. If you go, you may or may not prevent a betrayal ... but you will almost certainly show him that your trust has limits."

She nodded. "You're right."

"Besides, we all know how much Jasper loves you. Whatever his relationship with Maria might be, it is not based on love."

"So why isn't he back yet?" Rose said. She looked at the hall clock. It was just after four am. "He's taking his time."

Edward glared at her. "Could you be any less sensitive?"

Between Alice's pain, Rosalie's annoyance and Edward's mind reading gift, I could sense a pending family argument.

"Perhaps we could all help distract Alice while she waits for Jasper to return," I said. "Anyone have any suggestions?"

Emmett rubbed his hands. "Monopoly! You are all going to bow before the power of my hotels. Wait right here … I need to wash my hands."

"Wash the rest of you, too!" Rose called after him.

"Monopoly it is, then," I said, when no other suggestions were forthcoming.