A/N thanks for all of your kind and encouraging words. It means a lot to me, that so many people like this story. I'm sorry that I didn't answer a lot of your questions, but there isn't any fun in revealing things to early, right? Don't worry all your questions will be answered, but all in due time.

Like I'd announced last time, this chapter is all about Charlotte. Sorry guys, still no mystery-girl-talking … we're not quite there yet. Maybe next time …

Enjoy!

Chapter 7

Charlotte POV

As usual I didn't question my mate's orders, just doing what I've been told. I wasn't his loyal puppy, far from it, but I trusted him and his judgment … completely.

Only once I'd questioned the wisdom behind his decisions. I could clearly remember the day Peter had shared his plan to go back to Texas to try and retrieve our sire. It had been the first and only time we'd had a serious fight …

It has been five years … five wonderful, peaceful years … since we'd escaped that hell hole I'd once called my home … well not the place Maria had kept us, but Texas in general.

Peter and I both agreed in the very beginning to never set foot on the bitch's terrain ever again. Now that I'd tasted the sweetness of freedom again, I would do anything to preserve it. Which was why I was more than willing to postpone my plans for revenge, maybe even forget about them all together. Revenge wasn't worth much, if we would end up dead in the process. And the odds were certainly not in our favor. In fact in my opinion there was nothing worth jeopardizing what we had. We both didn't want to fight any longer, or to be forced to live our lives in fear. All we wanted was peace and quiet.

And I knew for as long as I was with my mate … free and happy … nothing else mattered. Peter was everything … my savior, my reason for being, my one true love. And I knew he felt the same about me, and nothing would ever change that.

A couple of month ago we'd purchased a small house near Vancouver. It was isolated, no human neighbors for the next twenty miles or so. We could have just taken the house, since it had been vacated for the last two years, but Peter had insisted on buying it, to keep up appearances and avoid any trouble with the human authorities. Like they could have done anything about us, but in the end I did see reason behind his words. Keeping our existence secret was the one and only law in our world we simply had to abide by, which meant playing by the human rules was necessary at times.

There was only one problem. Money. With eternity stretching out in front of us, we would need at least some of it. Stealing things wasn't something I was completely comfortable with, a character trait left behind from my human days, but I understood that it was a necessary evil, to get us started.

Thanks to Peter's foresight, we didn't have to do this any longer. He'd opened up an account for us, one that provided us with a little extra profit, thanks to some nice interest. But most of the cash we'd stashed around the house, Peter's idea, not mine.

1929 we still had been in Maria's boot camp, but of course we had heard about the financial crisis in the human world. The economy was still on its recovery course, but according to my mate it was safe again to invest some money. Since it wasn't my thing, I handed all the financial stuff gladly over to Peter. I didn't ask for much to begin with, but having some sort of financial cushion gave us the chance to move freely in a world that had been once ours, but wasn't any longer … at least not for the most part.

It was autumn, and most of the leaves had already turned brown. I loved this season. I spent a lot of my time on my own, sitting at the lake, watching nature change, reading or simply enjoying the peace and quiet, while Peter was taking care of things at the house or working on his car.

This place was beautiful, our own little piece of heaven on earth. In short time we had turned the house into a nice home.

We spent every day together, never leaving each other's side for more than an hour. We simply couldn't bear a longer separation than that. The only time we had to separate was during our hunting sessions. Vampires could become very territorial during hunting and feeding.

Some of the nights we spent wrapped around each other, cuddling for hours, simply enjoying each other's presence, without exchanging a word … or actually having sex. It wasn't necessary to express our undying devotion twenty-for-seven, in words or in deeds. Feeling the other one's presence was usually enough, to make us happy. Although there were other times when we would stay in the bedroom for days …

But over the last two days I'd felt that something had changed. Not changed in a bad way, but something was clearly off. Peter had been very quiet, even more than usual. Sure, he wasn't a chatty fellow to begin with, but this was just weird. And on top of that he somehow acted agitated. A vampire who fidgeted and was constantly dropping things was certainly something out of the ordinary. Under different circumstances I probably would have made fun of him, but I could feel that something serious was bothering him. Since I wasn't worried that something was wrong with us, I voluntary kept my distance, thinking that giving him some space and time would be enough. I strongly believed that he would come to me, whenever he'd feel ready to talk.

But after forty-eight hours of silent treatment and weird vibes, he still hadn't said anything. I finally couldn't take this any longer. He was miserable and I didn't like seeing him this way, not to mention that I was dying of curiosity, figuratively speaking of course. So I cornered him in our living room, forcing him to admit what was going on in the pretty head of his.

At first I thought I hadn't heard him correctly, but with being a vampire, I knew that was just wishful thinking.

"Why? Give me one good reason … just one." I demanded, shaking with anger. Merely on impulse I took a step back, distancing myself from my mate and his stupid idea.

"I owe him … we owe him." He corrected, reaching for my hand. For the first time ever, I pulled away, denying him to touch me. In that moment I didn't even care that I hurt him with my action. I was too angry. Or maybe, unconsciously I was hoping to change his mind this way. Whatever …

"That's bullshit. We owe him nothing." I spat.

"I know you don't mean that." He replied calmly. He wasn't really rebuking me, but he sounded sad and a little disappointed. I didn't like that … at all.

"Yes, I do." I shot back, plopping down on the couch. God, I was acting like a sulking child, but I couldn't help it. His plan was just plain crazy. Peter took a seat across from me in one of the armchairs.

"Jasper has been the closest thing to a friend I'd had back then. I have to try, that's the least I can do." He explained. I lifted my head and looked at him, which turned out to be a mistake.

I could feel my anger evaporating into thin air. Damn him and his stupid puppy-dog eyes. They always got to me. Normally I found this face cute, but right now I hated him for doing that, using it against me.

Rationally I knew he was right. Of course we did owe Jasper … our lives, our freedom, our future … but that didn't mean that my mate had to go risk his life, by doing something as stupid as walking back into the lion's den. And he'd said I, not we. Apparently he wasn't planning on taking me with him. Going alone on this 'rescue mission' was foolish, if not suicidal. Who knew what was waiting for him there?

Peter broke through my inner musing, further trying to defend his decision. "I know you have your reservations … and I understand. I really do. But honey, I need to do this … you've seen him. He is as lost as we were. He needs our help …"

"But why now? After five years?" I interjected. "And why alone? What if something happens to you? You know I couldn't live without you. You have to take me with you, please. I can help." I implored, more or less wholeheartedly. I was torn. I didn't want to go back there, but I had to. I finally realized that there was nothing I could say or do to change his mind, which was why I'd made my offer to go with him. In case something should go wrong I wanted to be there.

I had to be with Peter … until the very end.

My mind was quick conjuring up various pictures of my mate being tortured for his disobedience. My body started to tremble with sobs of despair. I was scared. Peter wasted no time and rushed to my side, pulling me into his arms, making shushing sounds. "Nothing will happen. I promise I'll be careful. I won't take any unnecessary risks. Not for him." He assured me.

"And I'm coming with you." I stated with poise, leaving no room for discussion. I dared him with a challenging look to try and fight me on this. He knew it was pointless.

"Fine," Peter huffed. "We will take the truck, and you will wait for my return at the outskirts of city. I will go in alone. This isn't negotiable. Take it or leave it."

"Okay then, Captain." I growled, fake-saluting at him. But I knew this was the best offer I would get, and I had to take it. It was better than leaving me behind, waiting here, thousands of miles away.

We spent the next two hours going over the plan, discussing every detail. Peter was truly in his element, planning attacks had been his job back then, and he was a genius. The only difference now was that we were planning a rescue mission instead of an attack.

I was a little surprised how well informed Peter was, but it certainly made things easier. Apparently the vampire he had run into a couple of weeks ago had provided him with a lot of information we needed … about Maria's whereabouts and the state of things in her camp. According to that guy she was lying low, biding her time, scheming. The Volturi had paid Texas a visit, again, so for now it was relatively quiet there. That was good news, if he was telling the truth. But Peter trusted him. I only hoped that trust wasn't misplaced. But then again, Peter was very cautious and not easily fooled.

Getting in wasn't the part I was worried about, getting out unscathed and not being followed … well that was the true challenge.

But as it turned out his trust hadn't been misplaced … neither was mine … even under those unlikely circumstances. Against all odds, he'd managed the impossible. It took him only a few hours to get in, find Jasper and convince him to come with us … everything without getting caught. Like I'd said … Peter was a genius.

The first few weeks after we had returned to Vancouver had been hard, another kind of challenge for all of us. It had taken me longer than Peter to trust Jasper's intentions. In the beginning I hadn't been completely convinced that he'd truly felt gratitude towards us. Call it overly cautious, all this 'once bitten, twice shy crap', but with everything I'd gone through, I had a hard time to trust him. But neither Peter nor Jasper blamed me for feeling this way.

Over time, years actually, Jasper and I had managed to form some sort of loose friendship, but nothing more than that. With him dropping in every few years and staying only for a week or two, it was sheer impossible to tighten our bond further. If truth be told, I wasn't sure either one of us wanted to get closer … not really … but for different reasons.

Peter's and Jasper's bond was a different story. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that they had known each other for over two decades before my time, or maybe it was just a guy thing, who knew.

I walked past my mate and my brother, and pulled the sleeping girl from the car into my waiting arms. She was two or three inches taller than me, but that didn't matter. Hell, she could have been the size of a basketball player, and I still wouldn't have any trouble carrying her around … for hours if need be. I shot Jasper one last questioning look, before I made my way into the house.

To tell the truth, I hadn't expected him to say something. The weird look on his face didn't tell me much, but I got the distinct feeling that Jasper must have done something pretty bad to piss of my mate, because this wasn't like Peter. Even though he had tried his best to remain civil, I knew my mate was mad as hell. I didn't need Jasper's gift. As his mate I could sense these kinds of things … and let's face it, Peter has never been able to fool me, others yes, but never me. I guess it was a mate-thing, or something.

Whatever … the thing was, I knew that they kept something from me. I had no idea what was wrong … not yet anyway … but whatever it was, it must have something to do with the girl and me, of that I was sure. I could hear them retreating, making their way into the woods. Whatever Peter was planning to say to his brother, he didn't want me to listen in on their conversation. For now I didn't mind, having the human girl to care of.

I carried her upstairs into one of the guest bedrooms, the one right across from our very own bedroom. We barely had any use for all the rooms in the house, but I always kept them nice and clean. Just in case … And today, I was more than happy to be prepared.

On more than one occasion Jasper had made fun of our lifestyle, once saying that all this luxury was ludicrous.

In a way he was right, it was more than we actually needed, but it was our home or homes, and nobody forced him to stay with us. But of course I hadn't told him that.

Instead I'd said, "Well what can I say? It certainly beats living in a dark, damp cell for six months, wouldn't you agree?" That answer shut him right up, and he hadn't dared to voice his opinion on this particular matter ever again, at least not out loud or in front of me.

Jasper surely wasn't the easiest person to be around … not back then, and not even now, after decades enjoying freedom. There was still a lot of darkness in him. I had no clue if he would ever make as much progress as my mate and I. Forgetting was impossible, but learning to deal was still within our grasp … as long as we tried hard enough.

I shook my head. Now was definitely not the time to ponder over Jasper. I had more important things to do.

I easily managed to pull back the comforter with the girl still in my arms. All it took was a little shifting of the weight. Being a vampire certainly had its perks, now and then. I laid her on the white sheets, taking a step back to take a first good look at her. She was young, younger than any of us … physically speaking. She was in deep sleep. And from the looks of it still in her pajamas. How odd. Did he take her from her home? Like a kidnapper? I couldn't imagine that was the case. He loathed the company of humans even more than the company of vampires … and we were his kin, so to speak. So what did he want with her?

From the smell of it, she hadn't had a shower in at least the last twenty-four hours. Don't get me wrong, she didn't stink, but my vampiric sense of smell was far more sensitive than that of a human. I could still detect the faint scent of cheap soap, like the ones you'd find in motels, but mostly I could smell her. She smelled nice, really nice. But strangely, the scent of her blood did nothing to me.

With a lot of practice and time I'd managed to control my bloodlust, allowing me to be around humans if need be, but there was always the tingle of the burning in my throat. But here and now with this girl I felt nothing … no burning in my throat, no hunger at all … nothing. This was certainly a first for me.

She looked so peaceful, lying there in the middle of the king-sized bed, like an angel, her long brown, wavy hair billowing around her face, covering her neck. I didn't want to wake her up, though I was tempted, but I wanted to do something. The clothes she had on were in good shape, but they were old and worn. I quickly flitted into the other room, pulling a pair of sweatpants and brand new t-shirt from my closet.

Then I returned back to the girl's side, starting to carefully undress her. When I pulled off her shirt, I froze in shock. The motion had shifted her hair, revealing a single but easy recognizable bite mark on her pale neck.

"Oh Jasper what have you done now?" I gasped, a tearless sob escaping my mouth. "You poor girl … don't worry I won't allow him to continue this, I promise."

There was no doubt in my mind. The son of a bitch had bit her. What has he been thinking? Why not finish the job and kill her? Or dump her somewhere? But bringing the girl here, knowing it would upset not only me, but Peter as well … he must be out of his mind or truly asking for trouble.

Now finally everything made sense to me … starting with Jasper's unannounced visit … Peter's less than normal behavior … him asking me to take care of the human while he went for a walk to have a talk with his brother … alone … and then Jasper's weird facial expression when I'd carried the girl past him … everything finally clicked into place. Peter had seen the neck wound, and had drawn the same conclusion.

Oh, I sure hope my mate is giving the bastard what he deserves …

Instead of going after them like I wanted to, I stayed right where I was and finished my task of changing the girl into fresh clothes. At the same time I took the chance to examine each inch of her body. I knew from personal experience that there were other arteries vampires like to sink their teeth into. Especially the male vampires loved to feed of the femoral artery.

Good news was that I didn't find any other bite marks on her, but there was a lot of scarred tissue. The wounds seemed to be old, and most of them were barely visible to human eyes. Maybe she was prune to accidents …

I was relieved that I hadn't found any other bite marks on her, glad for the human, not for Jasper. So he had bitten her just once, but that didn't change anything … not really. Because it didn't answer the question, why he'd brought her here. Did he want to feed of her again? Did he want to share her with us? Who knew what his plans were?

For now all I could do was sit and wait, for the human to finally wake up, or for Peter and Jasper to return … whichever would come first. But I wanted answers.

Just then I could hear and sense the boys coming back to the house. They were talking, but I couldn't make out the words. Before I could voice my opinion about their mystery mongering, I could hear a car leaving the premises. The next thing I heard was the front door opening and then closing quietly. I knew right away that it was Peter. Did he make Jasper leave?

Only one way to find out … I mused, leaving the girl's side to meet my mate in the hallway. But I left the door to the room partly open.

Peter came up the stair with a small bag in his hands. He stopped right in front of me, dropping the bag on the floor by the door. "How is she doing?" He sounded concerned, but not really mad. Interesting …

"Still asleep. But my guess is that she will wake up soon." I said. "Did you kick his ass and make him leave?"

Peter chuckled darkly. "Yes on the first part, and no on the second. I've sent him on an errand." He said, adding, "To get food and medicine."

"Good thinking." I mumbled. "I know what he has done to her. I've seen the wound on her neck. I also checked the rest of her body. I found no other bite marks on her … but let me tell you she has a lot of other scars." The look on my mate's face told me that he didn't know that.

"He didn't do anything," Peter said, quickly amending, "Other than biting her once. He'd met her two days ago … she knew what he was, and didn't put a fight. He said she'd wanted to die. But somehow he couldn't do it."

"Well good for him … and her, I guess." I mused, glancing back over my shoulder through half closed door. She didn't seem like the suicidal type to me. There were no wounds on her wrists indicating that she'd tried to off herself before. Maybe she was running from our kind.

"I hope Jasper will be back before she wakes up. We might need his gift."

Peter shook his head. "He said it doesn't work on her … not really anyway."

"Well, that's unfortunate, but even though, he should be here … just in case." I said. "And of course I'm still planning on beating the crap out of him, for acting so thoughtless. He could have given us a warning instead of just showing up."

"I know he's an idiot. I will hold him down for you." Peter offered with a smirk, before pulling me into a tight, comforting hug.

"That won't be necessary." I growled into his chest, making him laugh.

A/N So what do think? Anyone interested in Jasper's shopping trip? Could get funny!