OH GOD! I know Such a long time I won't even put a lot so please, excuse the long wait and I know it's not the longest or richest chapter yet, but it was necessary.
Thank you's to Renamac and Jasper's Sex Kitten without you both this chapter would still sitting on my computer
Disclaimer: All Twilight characters belong to SM, I just like to borrow them like toys to play with...
Chapter 16 – Haunted
Another cry split the silent night; Bella turned over on her bed and slipped out. Her window was open, allowing the cool fall night air to circulate in her room. She quietly crept into the hall and to the room in front of her own. There in his dark wood crib was her darling boy, Andrew Charles Whitlock. Anne had insisted he take his father's name.
She bent forwards and lifted the tiny wailing body, cradling him close to her chest. His newly turned light blue eyes were clenched tightly in his quest for attention.
"My sweet boy, what has you so upset?" she cooed as she examined his diaper, clean.
"Well you are not uncomfortable and I know your hungry cry, and that is not what is bothering you…"
She was interrupted when one of the housemaids came into the room, looking quite flustered, meaning she had run at the sound of the child's crying.
"Oh Miss Swan, I am so sorry, you should return to your rest, I will take care of the child," the maid said, trying to take Andrew from her arms.
Bella only held him closer, she hated when they tried to separate her from her own child.
"He is not the child, his name is Andrew, and I will take care of my own son when he calls for me. You may leave, there is no need for your assistance, return to your chambers and rest," Bella said, with a harsh tone.
Ever since Andrew's birth, her attitude had changed, her once sweet, mostly carefree demeanor had become protective. Andrew came first in her mind and she would barely let anyone other than herself, Anne or Rosa take care of him. She clung to him as though if he were not in her arms she would break.
"Yes Miss, my apologies," the maid said, her voice slightly trembling.
After her apology she took her leave, allowing Bella to relax as she took Andrew to the wooden rocking chair in the corner of the room. His cries quieted to small whimpers as she rocked him.
"There, there my sweet boy. I'm here, shh everything is alright," she cooed, softly stroking his back and kissing his forehead.
Her head turned to the window, looking at the clear star filled night, wondering if Jasper was looking at the same sky. He had been informed of the birth of his son three weeks ago, and still no response had come. This worried her, he had always managed to tell her when he would be unreachable, or when his camp would be moved, but nothing had come. Not even a man in a uniform giving them the horrifying news of his demise.
With Andrew softly snoring on her bosom, Bella found herself nodding off as well to the gentle rocking. Her eyelids fluttered and she left this world to the one of her dreams where images of Jasper's mangled deserted body, and Jasper here with them happy and healthy, waged a war in her subconscious.
A Scream pierced the air jolting Bella awake; the first thing she noticed was that Andrew was not in her arms, nor his crib. The second was that scream had come from downstairs and it was instantly followed by the small cries of her child. Fearing the worst, Bella instantly left the chair and ran towards the entrance of the house in only her thin chemise.
When she reached the foyer, she froze, her breathing stopped, her heart raced, standing in front of her was a sobbing Anne in the arms of non other than Jasper Andrew Whitlock.
She could see Anne peppering him with kisses and inspecting him for any signs of injury. Seeming satisfied with her inspection, she did the most surprising thing; she slapped him upside the head.
"Don't you ever do that to me again Jasper Andrew Whitlock, ya hear? I don't care if ya have to leave again, you'll tell me to my face, not leave a letter tellin' me where ya goin'!" she yelled.
Bella bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing; the terrified look on Jasper's face was enough to send her into a laughing fit.
She was brought out of her humor induced trance when Andrew's cries grew more insistent, his chubby little face was scrunched up in anger demanding someone's attention. Bella quickly flitted to her son and took him from Rosa's arms. Silence fell over the room as she cooed and calmed the baby. The cries although not gone were quieted as Andrew felt his mothers arms around him.
"Bella?" Jasper said. His normally strong reassured voice was meager and insecure.
Their eyes locked and for a moment Bella didn't know whether to be angry and scream at him like Anne had, or throw her body at him and kiss him senseless.
Jasper's eyes were careful, almost afraid as they saw the sadness and hardening in hers. Feeling her arms stop rocking him Andrew gave another scream in protest, drawing everyone's attention to the tiny little bundle in her arms.
Both their eyes softened at the sight of their child. Jasper's still held an amount of apprehension but awe was now among them.
"Hello Jasper," Bella whispered.
Just as he began to walk towards her, the images around started to burn as if made of paper. She looked everywhere, her body shaking to the sides trying to hold on to some shred of the world that was bringing her so much joy mere minutes before.
Her eyes jolted open, only to meet the face responsible for her shaking form; curious blue eyes met her filled with wonder. She smiled as she always did when he would wake her up this way.
"Well, hello there," Bella said.
"Mornin' Momma!" the boy said in excited glee.
Bella marveled at how thick his accent had come out when he uttered his first words, she acquiesced it to the amount of time he spent hovering next to his grandmother. His blonde locks had grown past his ears; making him look so much like Jasper the last time they saw him.
Bella's mind was instantly brought back to the dream; it was one of her most frequent. Only months after the birth of their child, Jasper had appeared at their doorstep, bringing both joy and sorrow. His visit was far too short; he had been allowed a three-day leave to visit his family before returning to start his new rank as a captain.
It disturbed her how fast they were pulling him through the ranks. He however, dismissed it as simply the loss of so many soldiers demanding more skilled soldiers in commanding positions. Something that displeased her even more so, knowing that they were most likely increasing his chances at being injured or worse. He left with two new photos safely stored in his new journal and a golden band in his left hand.
Bella looked down at her hand seeing a smaller gold band on her finger, she sighed, the thought of being wedded bringing forth muddled feelings.
As on all the other days before, she got up robotically, taking the excited little Andrew's hand in her own and assisting him in dressing for the day. All the while, thinking of the small ceremony with the few workers and friends from the plantation that took place but a mere three years before.
So simple, with only those important in their lives and a priest who ordained the union, an odd event compared to what was traditional. There were no invitations sent, no lavish bands and no seating arrangements - just a ceremony and a meal with everyone who stayed at the plantation. Bella smiled at the memory of the long table filled with laughter and joy, no jealousy or need to compare to other weddings in the season.
After tying Andrew's shoes, she shooed him off to the breakfast table and dressed herself.
"Good morning," she smiled at Anne as she helped her grandson maintain his food out of his clothes.
"Good mornin' dear," the older woman looked at Bella quizzically. "How was your rest?"
"It was… as usual," Bella said flippantly.
Anne was aware of Bella's constant struggle through the nights. Jasper's letters had become fewer and farther apart through the years, and the toll it took was clearly seen. Her boy, her youngest son was now a Major in the confederate army, ever the passionate soldier. The pain in Bella's eyes every time a letter would come was evident. The fighting, the gore, this war had brought, so many had died, there was a grieving family member in every corner of the country.
Bella sat down next to her son at the breakfast table, seeing his tiny legs kicking up in excitement for the day.
"And what might have you so fidgety today?" she looked at her son smiling. The only smiles that almost reached her eyes these days were those directed to her son.
"Me an' Mama are goin' to the market. Can you believe that momma? I'm goin' to the market!" he exclaimed, his tiny fist pumping up and down in the air.
Bella's facial features darkened, she looked up at and glaring, "You are taking him outside?"
"Dear, he needs to see more than just this farm, it's only a quick trip, Rosa needs a few things at the market," Anne was quick to explain.
"With things the way they are you want to take him out of the house?" Bella's voice rose.
"Calm down Bella, please?"
"No! He isn't leaving, I can't go out there Anne and neither can he, it's not safe," Bella said, fuming.
Anne's fork clattered on her plate. "Isabella it's been years, with a war dying down I want to take my grand baby out of this house, he needs to see more than this!"
"No! He is my son, I say he stays in his home."
Out of nowhere a small voice interrupted the hostile exchange between the two women.
"Bu…but momma, I wanna go."
Bella's head whipped around to meet her son's blue eyes, her eyes softening as she saw the fear and sadness in them.
"Baby," she said kneeling down next to his chair. "It's not safe for you to leave the house. Don't you remember what your father is doing."
She smoothed his hair back as he nodded slightly, "Then you know very bad men are out there…"
"But momma, I can protect Mama and Rosie and Me! Please!" he whined a plea to his mother.
"Andrew Charles, you know whining is not the way to get things," Bella sighed closing her eyes.
"Alright, he can go, I'll stay here and help around, just…" she looked at Anne. "Keep him close at all times, don't let him wander."
Anne nodded, "I've had children before dear, two boys to be exact, I know how to take care of him."
Bella kissed Andrew's forehead and hugged him close, her body aching to cry. "Listen to Mama and don't scurry off on your own, alright?"
The little boy nodded and was lifted into a seat inside the carriage, Anne touched Bella's shoulder in a comforting matter.
"It will be alright, just breathe, we will see you in the afternoon," she kissed her cheek and boarded the carriage behind her grandson and left.
Bella sighed and turned back towards the house, deciding today would be a good day to write a letter to Jasper and do the wash for her son's soiled clothes.
It was 2 in the afternoon; the sun was beating down on the fields around Bella as she hung the now wet, clean clothes on the laundry line. Two housemaids were accompanying her, they chatted and joked about the daily antics of the people she now considered family.
"That poor rabbit, Andrew was so attached, it took him days to stop crying," Bella shook her head.
"Well it was Jeremiah's fault, he didn't think about the child only about his stomach. Though if I do say so myself it was a very good stew," the Henrietta said.
"Etta!" Bella chastised smiling.
"Bella admit it, you wanted another helping of it when you first tasted it," Etta laughed.
Bella hid her face laughing. "Alright, yes! It was absolutely delicious, but wrong to kill such an adorable creature."
The sound of a carriage approaching broke them of their conversation.
"Sounds like they're home Madame, you should go, we will finish here," Etta said.
"No, it's fine, let's finish here together, he will come outside in a bit," she continued hanging garments on the line, awaiting the pitter patter of her son's little feet running towards her.
They never came; instead, it was the call from Carla, Rosa's daughter and one of the cooks.
"Senora Bella, there is an officer here to see you," her expression blank but her eyes conveying nothing but fear.
Bella dropped everything, picked up the hem of her dress and ran up to the house. Stopping at the sitting room she saw a man clad in uniform his back turn towards her.
She cleared her throat making him turn around, "Hello."
He bowed curtly and said in a very emotionless voice, "Are you Mrs. Whitlock? Major Jasper Whitlock's wife?"
Her stomach dropped, she tried to breathe, but air didn't seem to reach her lungs.
She managed whisper, "Yes I am."
"Ma'am, there is no easy way to say this… husband … in action… found … horse… blood…"
The world slowly disappeared from around Bella, her breathing became labored as she fell to her knees. Sobs taking over her body, only picking up selected words of what the man in uniform was telling her. She felt when Henrietta and Carla came in and helped her off the floor, but she never responded.
Her shaking body being too much, the only words coming out of her mouth were "No, not him."
A/N: OK how much do you hate me right now for the long wait? School was the biggest bitch in the world, and I just couldn't get time to think for myself to write this. It's done it's summer so back to writing for me *grins*. I'd like to thank you all so much for reviewing, the story passed the 100th review mark, I'm so deliriously happy! Just let me know what you think, and thank you again for being so patient! Lots of Love! Reviews are like peanut butter to my Oreos YUM! *muah*