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Chapter 14 – Kiss Me Deadly

Bella's body slept peacefully on the sofa, as Anne and Rosa examined her. After her rather dramatic arrival, the poor girl had been exhausted and simply collapsed on the seat. Through all the crying, the holding, and the soothing, they still had no clue as to what had led the girl to their doorstep.

"Rosa, what do ya think led to the poor child comin' here? Look at her cheek, who would do such a thang to a pretty girl like her?" Anne whispered.

"I don't know, Señora, but I have my suspicions."

"Me too, Rosa me too. I just hope I'm wrong," wariness seeped through her voice.

~*~

The smell of food assaulted Bella's senses as she slowly woke up. She took in her surroundings and realized she was in the sitting room of the Whitlock mansion. Memories of the previous day assaulted her; the fainting, and the doctor announcing her pregnancy. Her hand lifted to feel her face and she was surprised to find the small gash had been bandaged.

Tears threatened to spill from her eyes, so instead she closed them and tried to steady her breathing. How was she going to take care of a child alone? Obviously Anne Whitlock wouldn't allow her more than one night here. This was just pity for the crying, bleeding girl that knocked on her door in the middle of the night.

"Bella, darlin', you all right there?"

Startled, she turned her head in the direction of the voice. There, standing in a pretty cream dress, was the woman in question. Her heart shattered more as she heard the nickname Jasper always affectionately called her. Bella was glad to see the woman out of her mourning clothes and in brighter, lighter colors. It meant she was moving on and healing.

She nodded, the lump in her throat restricting any language or sound that wasn't crying from exiting her mouth.

"Come now, none of those tears here. You're safe; there is no reason for them eyes to be all watery. Are you hungry dear?"

Again she nodded and to add insult to injury, her stomach made a loud protesting sound for being neglected.

"Well, come on then, breakfast is on the table, and I had them make a spread just for you and me." She held out her hand, which Bella reluctantly took.

"After we get you fed, and cleaned up a bit, maybe we could sit down and talk. You could tell me what made that nasty line on your face? Don't worry, Rosa took care of it, rubbed some of her ancient gran's cure for everything. You won't even have a scar left over after it heals." She kept chatting and Bella was thankful that just the reaffirmations of the slight movement of her head were enough for answers.

To be quite frank, Bella liked the prattling woman, her kind voice and the things she said calmed some of her nerves. Unlike Renee, whose constant chatter consisted of horrid gossip on her supposed friends and their unladylike daughters.

The food, was in Bella's opinion, the best that had ever graced her palate. She hummed as the warm food assaulted her taste buds and slid down her throat warming her rather cold body. The numb feeling had dissipated slightly, taking with it the chill of her midnight walk.

Once fed, she was led upstairs where a warm bath awaited her.

~*~

The bath had finished the job the food had started, and when she stepped out of the tub her body was fully warmed. Entering the washrooms adjoining bedroom, there, lying on the bed, was a rather soft looking green dress. Seeing that the corset was laced in the front she quickly dressed herself with no need for assistance.

She looked at herself in the large oval mirror, and her eyes drifted to her even stomach. A smile graced her face as she thought of what her child would be like. Golden blonde hair like Jasper's with her father's curls on a little girls head with rosy cheeks. Maybe she would have a boy with her dark tresses and Jasper's sky blue eyes.

Her thoughts were interrupted by soft knock coming from the door.

"Bella, may I come in?" Anne voice said.

Bella's stomach dropped, she knew eventually she had to talk to the woman. She couldn't keep nodding or shaking her head to every question, but was she ready? Could she really tell her the whole story of how she ended here?

Yes.

"Of course," she managed to say.

A smiling Anne entered the room.

"Oh, I knew you'd look beautiful in that dress. Why don't we try to tame that hair a little, shall we?" she gestured to the seat belonging to the vanity.

Bella sat in the little round chair that was placed directly in front of an oval mirrored vanity. A beautiful, and what looked like a hand crafted, silver hairbrush set lay on top. She had never seen such brushes in her life, the comb looked as if it were made for a queen. Her hand instinctively rose and lightly fingered the instrument; she turned the comb to see the back and was surprised to find the letter W in a familiar script.

"They are antiques, handed down from generations of Whitlocks. John's mother gave them to me when I married him," her voice wavered slightly at the mention of her late husband.

Instantly recognizing the lettering she grabbed at her necklace but found it missing. How could she not have noticed it gone? She never remembered taking it off, even when the doctor came, she still had it near her heart.

Her mind cleared from the panic, and she stood from the tiny chair. Looking around, her luggage was nowhere to be found.

"My luggage, where is my luggage?" Bella frantically asked.

She was aware her attitude should have warranted worried looks, but that necklace was too important. Other than her ring, it was the only other thing Jasper had given her. It was his first gift to her, and that made it even more valuable.

"Calm down, dear heart, your bag is in one of the guest rooms. It's alright, I'll take you there now."

Bella calmed some and followed Anne towards said room. Upon spotting her suitcases, she ran to them. Inside, atop her strewn clothes, were two jewelry boxes. She took the larger of the two and breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of her precious pendant.

"My that's a beautiful pendant, may I see it?" Anne was careful with her words, it was obvious Bella was not comfortable in her presence.

Bella warily handed the box to Anne. Once the box was in her hands, Anne took the pendant out of its confines to examine it. Much like Bella had done to the hair comb, she traced the smooth surface of the silver oval locket.

When she turned it over she gave a surprised gasp. There in the familiar script she had seen used on many Whitlock artifacts were her son's and the broken girl's initials intertwined. Her eyes rose to question the meaning, only to find the girl in question with a rigid posture. Bella's eyes were closed, ready to flinch at the moment Anne lashed out like her mother had.

"You love him."

Bella's head swiveled to meet the matriarch's eyes.

"What?" she said surprised at her calm tone.

"You love Jasper. I'm not dense Bella, and apparently I have a smarter husband than I expected," Anne mused to herself. "but, before I tell you that, why don't you explain this to me?"

Anne motioned to the locket that was now displayed open to the picture of her beloved son. Reluctantly, Bella nodded.

"Well then, lets tame that hair of yours while you tell me a story," she smiled trying to make the extremely nervous girl calm.

Sitting back in front of the vanity, Bella spun her tale. From the beginning at the ball to it's fateful end the night before. She showed Anne the ring, the letters, and cried through her retelling the events of the previous day. By the end even Anne's eyes shimmered with tears.

This was the perfect example of why she despised arranged marriages. A young girl forced to ignore her own feelings for that of her mother's whim and in the end the daughter holds so much animosity for her own mother that relationships are permanently severed.

"I am so sorry, so sorry," Bella cried into her hands.

"Dear, you have nothin' to be sorry for, I know what it's like to be in love, and I don't think this is just a one person job," she said placing a hand on Bella's stomach.

"This doesn't happen on it's own, I'll put some of that blame on my boy. I should've known he was to damn happy for it to be just this farm workin' its magic. Though I am disappointed in him. He knows better, I raised a better son than this."

Noticing Bella's hurt face she quickly recovered her comment.

"Darlin' what I meant is, he should have been more responsible than this. You two are too young for this to be happenin' to, and I expect you, young lady, to start being the example this child needs, you hear me. Now, no more of these tears, a little perfume and then we'll go have tea. How's that sound?"

She gave Bella a smile that radiated true happiness; she never seemed to have a false emotion on her face. When she was angry, depressed, happy or simply annoyed those would be the emotions she displaced.

Then it happened: one puff from the perfume bottle made her stomach churn, Anne barely had time to grab the chamber pot before Bella's stomach decided to empty itself of its contents.

"And so it has begun," Anne said lightly.

"Why?" Bella asked suddenly.

"What do you mean, dear?"

"Why are you not lashing out at me, screaming that I ruined your son, or simply put, why are you so placid?"

"Because, like it or not, that's my grand baby, a precious little child that never asked to be put in an unpleasant situation such as this. You're not alone Bella, and not everyone will turn you away for one little mistake you made to show your love for someone." With that she took Bella into her arms with a gentle hug that spoke volumes to her words.

~*~

Tea was wonderful, with conversations filled with banter and joy. It made Bella relax immensely to know that she wasn't being interrogated anymore.

"You know John once told me Jasper was in love with you, dear, and I just couldn't or wouldn't believe him. He was a man what would he know, guess he proved me wrong and all the way from the grave," sadness took over her eyes and it was easy to tell she still missed him terribly.

"Gosh, he was the perfect man, I don't think I'll ever meet anyone like him again."

"How are you coping, Anne? I can't imagine what it would be like to lose Jasper, permanently."

"Some days are better than others. I miss him everyday, just like I miss my boys," and with that conversation dwindled to an uncertain silence.

~*~

A week passed, and while Bella and Anne had agreed Bella should not leave the house, she was allowed to walk the grounds. There was no need to arouse suspicion as to where she was. After explaining everything that she had been through, Anne came to the conclusion that James would not be as easily dismissed as her mother had been.

The day was slightly overcast, the wind chilly, and thunderclouds could be seen rolling over in the distance. Bella had a sense of dread that came with storms. Even in Port Townsend she had never quite liked when thunder accompanied the rain.

As she walked towards the house, her mind wandered to Jasper. It had been a week since she had been given the news of her pregnancy and she had yet to try and inform him. She knew it was inevitable, but there was still a part of her that was scared. She wondered how he would react? Would he be angry with her, or would he beat himself for his absence.

They were irrational fears but nonetheless they plagued her mind to the point where words could not be translated to paper. Anne had encouraged her to inform Jasper of his impending fatherhood but she could not bring herself to do it.

Bella saw Anne pulling weeds. She looked up once she heard Bella's footfalls close behind her.

"Looks as if a storm is coming," Bella said as she eyed the sky warily.

"Yes, it does, we best be makin' our way inside."

Anne dropped the weeds she had plucked in a basket near the porch. Her arm came around Bella's shoulders and smiled at the somewhat somber girl.

"What's the matter, hun? Watcha doin' out on such a dark day?" she talked as they made their way through the door.

"I felt the need to leave the confines of the house, and clear my head a bit."

"And how'd you reckon that worked?"

Anne knew what was worrying the girl. It is never easy to be without the one you love, but now this girl had to go through the process of having a child on her own.

"I know I have to tell him, and I truly do want to, but what is troubling me is the how. How do I tell him in a piece of paper that he will be a father?" Bella finished with a slightly panicked tone.

"It will come to you, don't worry," the doting mother said while gently smoothing her hair.

~*~

That night, rain poured from the skies and lighting struck close by every so often. Bella lay on the soft leather sofa, poised in the library for reading, pen in hand and a blank paper waiting for words to be written.

She looked out the window to the dark scene the storm portrayed, racking her brain for words. Her thoughts ran away from where she was to what Anne had said earlier. 'It will come to you.' With pen to paper she let her mind go and allowed the words to flow from her heart.

~*~

Renee paced around her sitting room franticly. She chewed her nails to the point were she was chewing skin. Fear gripped her insides as the unwanted knock resounded throughout the house. The new housemaid she had bought went to open the door. After Bella's departure, her previous one Nelsa or something of that matter disappeared, well good riddance she was lazy anyway.

As she suspected, none other than James Hunts had entered through the door. His face turned serious as if he knew something was not right.

"I see you have gotten rid of your glaring slave," he said casually. Inside he was glad the witch was gone, less chance for her to ruin his plans.

"Yes, she was inefficient I had to sell her," she lied.

"And where is Isabella?"

"…"

"Answer me Renee. Where is Isabella?"

"Well… It seems she has disappeared. I have no knowledge of where she has gone. I was upstairs sleeping she must have run away under the cover of night," Renee said, she swallowed hard as chills ran through her veins.

"You mean to tell me, that you let my future wife walk out those doors, and you have no idea when or where she left to," his voice deadly calm, yet his stance turned predator like, with each step slowly bringing him closer.

"I… She… Oh my lord!"

Her eyes widened as his lost the lustrous greens swirls that captivated her, being replaced with dark red irises. She tried to back away, but in the blink of an eye he was right in front of her gripping her arms with inhuman force.

Thunder struck outside, almost as if it were creating even more of an atmosphere for what was about to take place.

"The Lord won't save you now. One last time, where is she, Renee?"

"I t-th-threw her o-out, I-I don't know wh-where she we-went!" she managed to stutter out, her heart pounding as adrenaline shot throughout her body.

James inhaled deeply, the smell of the adrenaline making her smell even more delicious, but still that did not even compare to the aroma Bella held. He shoved her to the floor and hovered over her, while he bared his glistening sharp teeth.

"Do you have any idea what you have done? How much you have delayed my plans? My game is now ruined!" he yelled for the first time.

"See that!' he pointed to the rain pelting the glass. "Because of your stupidity, her scent has probably washed away! Making it more difficult for me to find her, you filthy wench!"

Unexpected relief flooded her body; Bella would be safe, wherever she had escaped to. He fisted her hair and yanked her head back exposing her jugular vein.

"You will pay with your life, I was going to let you live after I married her. I'll make sure she knows what you did for her, when I find her, and I swear I will find her."

"No!"

Without hesitation he lunged, his teeth tearing into the flesh of her neck. A scream escaped her, with her futile attempts to push him off. He pulled and swallowed the warm liquid of life that was her blood. When there was nothing left, he let her body fall with a thud to the floor. Her eyes wide open in shock, yet empty of all life. James straightened his stance and turned to leave; standing in the doorway with a horrified expression was the new slave. He stepped in front of her, took her head in his hand and with a flick of his wrist broke her neck, as he nonchalantly walked out to plan the demise of his most difficult catch yet, Isabella Marie Swan.

~*~

It had been a little over a month and a half since Jasper had left his home in search of justice. Now standing in front of a small group of 14 men he had been assigned to bunk with, his reasons were becoming foreign to even him. The change he had undergone from the night he left his home to where he currently stood was similar to the difference between air and earth. While both too different to compare, both were needed to survive.

Jasper had always been certain that the military life was not what he would have chosen for himself. Or at least that had been the case since meeting Bella. Through the trainings and small battles his platoon had been to, it was her that kept him alive. She was the drive he felt to stay alive, to avoid all attacks directed to him, it was the memory of her, the knowledge that she waited for him that drove him to keep a calm head. That drive had lead to him discovering that there was more to Jasper Whitlock than his name, young, old, new to the militia, or veterans to the war, they all came to him for guidance in times where the pressure was too much.

They had all asked him more than once what his secret to being so calm and focused was, and his simple answer was Bella.

"Hey Whitlock, you got a letter, looks like it's from your gal!" one of his bunkmates yelled while waving the precious envelope around.

He tried to avoid Jasper while still holding the letter up high. The man, Silas, was bigger than Jasper, in height and weight but he was not as skillful as him. Silas made the mistake of turning around, and in one swift move Jasper grabbed hold of the arms that held the letter twisting it behind his back. Jasper kicked his knees to the ground, where he released his grip on the paper.

Taking the letter Jasper jokingly said, "You shouldn't have turned your back on me, Silas. You may have had a chance at beatin' me."

"Yeah, yeah," the gruff man whined while muttering profanities under his breath.

"Go read your God damn letter!"

He laughed at the childish antics of his mates, all the while feeling a little wariness rise at the thought of what this letter may contain. Bella had him worried about James, the way she was describing his behavior was almost animalistic in its territorialism. Yet he somewhat hoped the situation had improved.

Opening the letter, he couldn't help but smile at the familiar script of his love's hand.

My dearest Jasper,

Much has passed since our last exchange. My mother now knows of our relationship, she was quite unhappy about the revelation and sadly I am no longer living in her midst. This saddens me quite some, for she will now never be part of my life again, and I had always desired a healthier relationship with her. But I have come to realize that never was possible.

You will be glad to know, my love that my engagement to James has been demolished, and I am now residing at your family's home. Your mother and I have become quite attached, and she has helped me immensely through my current hardships.

Lastly, my dearest love, the day my mother and I had our falling out, I received some interesting news. We seem to have created new life. Yes, I am currently carrying our child in my womb. I expect this must be quite a shock, and it was not something I ever intended to have to write to you about, but it is the truth.

I truly wish you were here by my side, not in some bunker awaiting your next call to battle, but these are the circumstances we have been dealt. Don't fret much my love. I am in capable hands here, and though I miss you terribly, I understand that this is something you must do, I await your response. I love you.

Your darling Bella and child

His eyes were wide as saucers, as he reread the letter, again. A child, they were having a child. Oh, how he wished he could abandon his duties, it seemed so petty and childish as he thought back to why he was here, but the truth of the matter was that he was here. His responsibility was not just with Bella and their now unborn child, and as much as he wished to just pack his things and return home he knew that he was the reason most of these men were still alive. Jasper Andrew Whitlock would not be known as a deserter, this was his own doing and now he had to reap the consequences of his actions by staying true to his word, and to his men.

A/N: DING DONG THE WITCH IS DEAD THE WICKED WITCH IS DEAD!!! Yes and with that I kill my small killing spree, we won't see much of James for now! He has to regroup ya know! I hope the big reveal on teasers didn't kill the buzz for ya'll! Moment of silence for Renee .000000000000001sec later ok moment gone! Now show me some love and review, chapter 15 is not written yet, but If ya'll want since I think I'm gonna spent more time writing that one, you let me know and when I have something good I'll send you a teaser! Tell me what you thought of this chapter, I know some of you were surprised by Anne and I explained the reasons. I don't feel wow about how Jasper found out but since the J-ass wanted to play soldier that's what he gets cameos for the next couple of chapter LOL! Naaa leave the love cause you guys were awesome with chapter 14, you broke my review records ask the girls on twitter I was f-in giddy!!! Love u all so much and thanks for the support couldn't do it without you!!Muax Nani