A/N I was quite overwhelmed by all the reviews. I'm glad you like my different approach. But I have to say I'm a little surprised that only one of the reviewers mentioned the absence of James' bite mark … mmmh …

Anyhow, since you all seemed to like the idea of Jasper going shopping for the human, here it is … the next installment.

Enjoy!

Chapter 8

Jasper POV

I couldn't get out of there fast enough. Of course it didn't escape my notice that Peter was highly amused by my behavior. He probably took it as a sign of cowardice. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. I didn't really care.

And to tell the truth, given the circumstances I was more than willing to endure any kind of Peter's teasing rather than facing his mate's wrath. As long as Char was under the false impression that I'd planned on treating the girl like Maria had treated her, my ass wasn't safe anywhere near her. At this point my only hope was that in the meantime it would take me get some food supplies for the human and return back to the house Peter would have filled her in, and made her see reason. He had believed me that I didn't mean the human girl any (more) harm. With some luck Char would do the same.

But you promised … My beast growled in anger at my train of thought of leaving the human be.

Urgh, just shut up … I'm not putting my ass and my friendship with Peter and Charlotte on the line for just another taste of her blood … it's not worth it … I countered.

Oh, but it is … remember the unique sweetness and richness of her blood … how warm it was sliding down our throat … He tried to cajole me, and I hated to admit that he wasn't completely unsuccessful.

Enough … I groaned, trying my best to banish the image from my mind … the one of me, back at that motel's bathroom, sinking my teeth into her neck and ingesting the delicious blood of hers. But of course the attempt was futile. I would never be able to forget that or the taste of her blood.

I was torn. Part of me desired to have another sip, very much so, and my demon knew that.

We'll see how long you can withstand the temptation … He stated, before he retreated back into the depth of my mind, into his made-up cage. But I could still feel his confidence. He was sure I would fail.

And I was afraid that he was right with his assessment.

I might have found a way to put my demon on the leash, so to speak … only with Peter's assistance of course … but I knew, try as I might I would never be in complete control over him. He still had a whole lot of influence over me, over my decisions, as well as my reactions, and that was something I was sure would never change. There would always be a 'me' and 'him', not an 'us'. And to tell the truth, I didn't really know if I wanted it any other way. In times of great stress I still gladly handed the reigns over to him, have him take the lead. After all, he was the reason I had survived for so long. Fortunately, a reason for unleashing him arose rather rarely these days.

But even though … I was pretty certain that Peter and Char would be alarmed if they knew the truth, considering that they had managed to integrate that particular part fully into their personality, leaving them fully in charge of their demonic side at all times and not the other way around. Of course, they didn't have the same problem as me. And they had each other to lean on. I didn't have that kind of support system.

Stop whining. We are a package deal … end of story … My demon pointed out. He was clearly annoyed by my nonstop musing. I'd done barely anything else over the past two days. This wasn't me.

I know … I conceded, and he seemed to be appeased by my acknowledgement, retreating once more. I let out a sigh of relief. Right now I needed him contained, considering I was about to enter the human world, literally. Having him on edge would only end in unnecessary bloodshed, and that was clearly something I shouldn't risk.

I turned on the radio, searching for a station that played some jazz or classical music. I was in luck. Listening to some tunes usually helped me unwind some, and it didn't fail to serve its purpose now. I might not watch a lot of TV, but I was practically addicted to music. Many of the technical devices that were currently on the market didn't hold any interest for me, but I did own an iPod and of course a cell phone. The latter I only bought because it made getting in touch with Peter and Char a lot easier.

While I drove down the road through the woods to the nearest town, I contemplated my options … again. This was starting to get old … and fast …

This time, for a change, it was Peter's voice I could hear in my head, instead of the other one. That's part of life, my dear friend … the constant process of choosing right from wrong …

I huffed in annoyance. Peter was such a know-it-all sometimes. I was convinced that he was taking great pleasure in trying my patience. What other reason would there be? Time and time again he pushed me right to the edge, but always careful not to cross the line completely … not like that pixie chick back in the fifties. Remembering that day never led somewhere, except making me mad, so I quickly changed the direction my thoughts were taking.

Back to the matter at hand …making a choice …

Running and leaving the girl behind was an idea, but certainly a bad one. I was sure after pulling a stunt like that I wouldn't be able to show my face at their doorstep for at least a decade … or maybe never again. Peter and Char would be more than disappointed with me. And considering they were the only friends I had, and I wasn't willing to take the risk to lose them over something this trivial.

But more importantly I was no coward. I was Major Jasper Whitlock, for fuck's sake. My name still used to arouse fear in other's of my kind, and for good reason.

It's time to act like a pussy and face the consequences of my actions …come what may …

Since leaving wasn't an option, staying was the only other alternative. And I wanted to stay, if only to get some answers. Hopefully, I would be strong enough to restrain myself, and not succumb to my deepest desire. Fortunately, the girl's scent did nothing to me. That was certainly a plus. And I was sure I wouldn't be able to get near her, not without Charlotte's permission. I was sure she would guard the girl with her life.

Weird … all this trouble over a mere human …

I finally drove by the welcoming sign of a town, without paying any attention to its name … again. All I cared about was finding one of those well-stocked supermarkets, and get this errand over with as fast as possible. On the bright side, the sun was already down, so it was safe for me to walk around without causing any trouble.

I didn't have to cruise around too long, finding what I was looking for right at the edge of the city. It was one of those Wal-Mart supermarkets. Not that I'd been in one of them before, but of course I've heard of them. I pulled into a free parking spot. I was a little surprised. One look at the clock on the dashboard told me that it was almost ten pm, but almost a third of the parking lot was occupied by a wide variety of vehicles.

Thanks to my vampire vision I could read the sign with the opening hours from where I still sat behind the wheel. We are open twenty four hours, seven days a week. I had to give it to the humans; they knew how to provide service.

If only for their kind … I added in my mind. A funny thought entered my mind just then, the image of various humans lined up in a row, to provide only one purpose … free choice of sustenance for my kind.

I blamed Peter for that one. More than once he had made me watch those ridiculous, but apparently very popular TV shows about vampires. Insistent little fucker that he was, he wouldn't take no for an answer. Even after countless hours of watching tape after tape, I couldn't see the appeal. But Peter was quite the fan, excited whenever there was a new show coming up.

The only one I could endure watching without having to fight the constant urge to gouge my eyes out or hurl was the one called True Blood. It was fairly new. Aside from the fact that they as well stuck to the basic myths … like our alleged allergy to sun light, sleeping during the day or the misapprehension that a simple blood exchange would create a new vampire … it certainly had its highlights. Though I would never admit it to Peter or anyone else, I'd grown quite fond of that Eric character.

He was a fierce, strong-minded fighter just like me … well sort of. I liked his wit, and his determination. When he saw something he wanted, he just went out and got it, or at least he tried everything in order to get it. But more importantly, he was smart enough to recognize the benefits that came with the revelation of their existence to the humans and take advantage of them, if only to serve his own selfish needs. But what made him truly sympathetic to me was the fact that he was more than reluctant to deny his true nature. He didn't even think twice to change his natural diet. In this we saw eye to eye. The thought of drinking animal blood was bad enough, but just imagining drinking some sort of synthetic substance made my stomach turn.

I chuckled. My timing really sucked lately. Here I was, just about to go into a building full of humans and all I could think about was my feeding preferences. Bad timing indeed … But luckily I wasn't hungry or rather thirsty at the moment.

I leaned over, reaching into my glove compartment. I pulled out a thick envelope, containing my stash of cash money. I took out some bills, stowing them away in the back pocket of my jeans. I just wanted to be prepared in case I wouldn't be able to pay with my credit card. I put the envelope back, making sure the glove compartment was closed, before I finally got out of the car.

For a few seconds I just stood there by my car, taking in the scenery and watching the humans. All of them were pushing a cart, empty ones when they were entering and stuffed ones when they were leaving the market.

Well I guess, I'm going to need one of them … I mused, walking over to the entrance to acquire an empty one. I felt a little weird pushing the cart, carefully minding my strength and speed of walking. It was hard to pretend I was one of them, but did my best to blend in because it was crucial.

When I walked through the sliding doors, I froze on the spot. My mouth fell open, as I took in the interior of the market. I almost faded from shock and had to stifle a groan that threatened to escape my throat.

This place was huge.

Sure, I shouldn't be surprised. I had seen the exterior of the building, indicating its size, but still it was one thing to picture what things would look like and another to actually see them with your very own eyes.

And I hated to admit but what I saw now kinda scared the non-living crap out of me. I am in hell … how am I supposed to find my way around in this labyrinth?

There seemed to be countless aisles, stretching endlessly and stocked up high with all kind of things I had absolutely no use for … a vast selection of cheap clothes, which were both ugly and smelled weird, tools for home improvement, office material like pencils, paper, … and lots and lots of human food. Who the hell did need such a variety of choice?

Isn't gluttony supposed to be a sin?

The artificial light in this place was too bright, and too cold, making my sensitive eyes burn … only a little, but still. I've always preferred the darkness. Maybe because we were supposed to be creatures of the night … mmmh … there's a thought … and it would certainly explain why we are able to see just as good in total darkness as in broad daylight …

A snippy voice pulled me out of my reverie. "Excuse me." A tiny, plump woman pushed past me, in a very rude way, I might add, muttering profanities under her breath, cursing me for blocking the entrance with my shopping cart. Of course, she wasn't aware that I heard her … loud and clear.

Sure, usually I wouldn't give a damn to what she or any human for that matter thought about me. As far as I was concerned they all were just potential meals on to two legs, nothing more.

I knew I should just ignore her and her comments, but right here and now, I was already wound up tight and easy to sway. I could feel the familiar tug, the impulse to put her in place, to show her my superiority. But the fear of exposure held me back from taking action.

As hard as it was, fighting my instincts, I stayed put.

But despite my best efforts, I still couldn't hold back a warning growl, I was way too tense. And unfortunately my reaction didn't go unnoticed by her. She glanced back at me over her shoulder, staring at me. Her demeanor quickly changed from being irritated to something else entirely … something oddly familiar. Her eyes widened, and then I could smell her fear.

Shit … So much for keeping up appearances … and being on stealth mode …

I had to do something … and quickly … anything to defuse the situation before it would escalate. I conjured up my best apologetic smile, sending her some calming waves along with it just for good measure. Sometimes my gift did come in handy.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am." I drawled, bowing my head.

Before she could reply something, I pushed my cart past her, hurrying to get away from her as fast as I could without drawing any more attention to myself than I'd already done so far.

I could still sense her confusion from my position, two aisles down. Well confusion I surely could handle … but panic … not so much right now.

One problem solved, onto the next … the reason why I came here … shopping for the human … I groaned.

So where should I start?

I felt like a creature from outer space … or like a nun in a sex shop. I really had no idea what most of the stuff was. Yes reading the labels would tell me what it was called, but it didn't tell me if it was considered necessary … or tasty.

Back in my time, when I had been still human we didn't have shops like these. Hell, I grew up on a farm, which provided us with all the things we needed … food and shelter.

I could probably ask someone to help me out, but I decided against it. I didn't want any more interaction with the humans than absolutely necessary. And considering what just happened, it would be for the best … for both sides … if I stayed away from them. I clearly wasn't a people's person. I was just glad that my demon hadn't reared its ugly head. The outcome would have been completely different. But he probably hadn't deemed it necessary to show himself … dealing with a low life and all that. It was beneath him.

But anyhow, staying under the radar was easier said than done. Due to my nature, I'd started drawing attraction to myself the second I'd entered this establishment, without intentionally seeking it out. No real surprise there, I was used to that kind of reaction. I could feel the eyes of many women on me. Waves of awe, mixed in with the usual dosage of attraction and lust hit me, as I strolled down the aisle. I tried my best to ignore it, keeping my head down, avoiding eye contact, but at the same time sending out clear signals of warning.

It was probably a good thing that it was already this late; I would have a harder time to maintain control during daytime, when this place was truly busy.

In any case, it was in the human's best interest not to approach me. Even though I wasn't here to find my next meal I wasn't known to turn down an opportunity to satisfy my needs … either one of them … especially not when offered freely.

But I had a mission to complete, and no time … or even the slightest interest to get sidetracked.

And I didn't need anyone's help to accomplish this task. How hard could it be, right? Every aisle was labeled, which would make finding my way around in this maze certainly easier for me. And not to mention that my nose could guide me.

I vaguely remembered a commercial about a cereal brand called Kellogg's, but that was years ago. Maybe I should have watched more TV. All those commercials about food and stuff during the breaks might have given me some idea what to get. What do humans eat nowadays? Or more precisely what did she like to eat?

Since I had no idea what the human girl's preferences were, I decided to stick to the basics … so bread, butter, milk, definitely water, perhaps juice, and of course a small selection of vegetables and fruits would have to do.

When I reached the aisle storing the first item on my list, I was once again overwhelmed by the vast variety of choice. But since my patience was running thin, I grabbed the first one that caught my eye, not actually caring what I'd picked out. I also grabbed a box of cereal, settling on the classics, plain cornflakes.

Soon my cart was overflowing with all kind of goods. I might have overdone it a bit with the beverages, but then again I was just heeding Peter's advice. But more importantly I had no desire to make this kind of trip every day. But then again how much could a tiny human like her need, to satisfy her hunger? I estimated that the supplies I got should last for a week, at the very least. Maybe next time Char or Peter would take over this hideous chore. But knowing Char, she would insist that I should continue taking care of the human in this way, as part of my punishment for hurting her in the first place.

My final stop before checkout led me to the area, where all the cooled and frozen goods were stored. Taking in the size of the area, I immediately realized its significance. And a thought popped into my head.

I pulled out my cell and dialed Peter's number.

He answered on the second ring. "Don't tell me? You need some advice on what to get."

"No," I replied gruffly, "I just called to ask if you guys have a fridge, since I hadn't had a chance yet to see for myself. It seems like most of the human food requires cold storage these days."

"Yeah, I know, it's weird. But anyhow to answer your question, yes we do have a fridge, even in working order." Peter chuckled, and I could hear Char doing the same in the background. I wasn't sure if they were laughing at me, or at some private joke. "And before you ask, we also have a fully stocked kitchen … plates, glasses, silverware, pots and pans; the whole nine yards … we even own a microwave."

"Why in God's name do you have all those things? Ah, never mind. I'm just glad I don't have to hunt down any of these items too. It's bad enough as it is." I grumbled.

"Oh, poor Major, my dead heart goes out to you. Well, try to have fun anyways … and don't forget to pick up some of the good stuff for us grown-ups." He reminded me, like I wasn't planning on getting a couple bottles of single malt anyway. Right now, I really wished vampires could get drunk.

"Yeah, yeah I'm on it. See you later." I said, hanging up on him, cutting of his laughter. "Stupid motherfucker." I muttered under my breath, turning my attention back to my task, eager to check of the last items on my shopping list.

Sheer out of curiosity I picked up one of the prepared dishes and read the label. Did humans actually enjoy eating this junk? Taking into account the amount of synthetic ingredients, any of those dishes were a rather poor excuse for a healthy meal, but I picked up a couple of them anyway. They were easily fixed, by the use of that microwave thingy, something even a vampire without any cooking skill would be able to manage.

Finally I was ready to leave this awful place. The line at the checkout counter was short, and it took me only a few minutes to check out. I swallowed back a comment when the cashier told me the total sum, just handing her a couple of bills.

"Keep the change." I told her, already pushing my cart towards the exit. Thanks to the extra service provided by a short boy, I didn't have to bag the stuff myself. As soon as I left the building I took in a deep, though unnecessary breath of relief.

Thank god I'm done …

I hurried to put all the purchases into the trunk of my car, and then I practically jumped behind the wheel, and drove off. After making a short pit stop at the nearby pharmacy to get some light pain medication, and of course a short visit to a liquor store to get some much needed alcohol and even some smokes, I was finally ready to return home … err, I mean back to Peter's and Char's current residence. For a moment I wondered if the girl would already be awake by the time I made it back there.

A/N So what do think? Believable reactions on Jasper's part? Next time the human will speak …