Disclaimer – I don't own Twilight or True Blood. All rights go to their creators – Stephenie Meyer and Charlaine Harris. No copyright infringement is non-cannon and rated for mature audiences only. ************************************************************

Chapter 7

-Peter-

My mate and I were enjoying some post hunt activities. Hunting with Char was always a thrill and something we both needed at that point. It had been a long few days with Angel. Her nightmares had returned and she rarely let Char and I out of her sight. "You think she'll be ok Peter?" Char was extremely worried about our Angel. "I'm sure she'll be fine. We just need to keep reminding her how much we love her and want her with us."

She just nodded and curled further into my arms. Suddenly I received a flash of Angel standing at the bottom of the stairs terrified. "Shit. We gotta go sugar. Angel needs us." It was times like this I hated my gift. At least the pixie bitch got a full picture. Me? No I get flashes. Hell I didn't know if it was Victoria or Jasper or something else that caused that fear on her face. "We gotta get home now babe." Char and I were racing toward the house with little regard to our surroundings.

I smelled him by the time the house was in sight. "Fucker. He could have called at least." I ground out through my teeth. We burst through the front door expecting to find a frightened Angel, but instead found her and Garrett sitting comfortably in the living room. What the hell? "Oh hey Pete, Char. Garrett here was just entertaining me with some more colorful stories of you two." She smirked at me. At least she wasn't terrified of the male vampire who invaded her home.

"Was he now Angel? Don't believe a word he says. He's full of shit most of the time." Garrett burst out laughing. "Not as much as you Peter. So care to tell me why you're housing a snack?" He winked at Angel who crossed her arms indignantly. "Snack huh? I don't even make up a whole meal?" She was playing with him. I'd never seen her so comfortable with anyone but Char and myself. Granted I had never seen her around anyone outside of the shifters. "Nope, you're nothing but skin and bones Little One."

"Alright you two stop it. We've got shit to discuss. First," Char reached for Garrett and hugged him tightly. "Welcome to our home Gar. It's always nice to see you. Second, sit down and update us on things." I was still slightly irritated that he just showed up out of nowhere. Not that I minded his company, he was one of the few I would welcome anytime. The problem was Angel. She was already in a bad state, add another human drinking vampire and who knew how'd she react.

"Not that I'm not happy to see ya Garrett man, but what are you doing here?" Garrett was a nomad by nature and rarely graced us with his presence. Typically he'd show up only when something was amiss. He had a gift much like mine but even more unrefined. It was more of an overdeveloped sense of intuition. Garrett rubbed the back of his neck in an overly human fashion. "I don't know to tell you the truth. I had this feeling you two would need my help with something. It took me forever to track ya down. I started in Texas last month and hit every property on the way here. You two hide better than almost anyone I know."

I glanced at Angel who remained perfectly comfortable with Garrett. "Yeah, we've been layin' low for awhile now. Angel here has a nice vamp-bitch after her." Garrett was appalled. True enough, he was a human drinker, but he chose his prey much like Char and I. "Why!" Angel looked puzzled. "Not that I'm arguing with you… but why do you care? I've only just met you Garrett. Not to mention I'm just another human."

The way she looked down on herself caused all three of us to growl. Interesting. Garrett's already protective of our Angel. I pushed that thought aside for later. "Angel, what have we told you about that?" I scolded her. Char and I had been working to boost her self esteem but it didn't seem to work. Between the fucking Cullen's and that damned shape shifter, she had very little concept of her amazing qualities. "Yeah yeah, whatever Pete. You keep harping on me about it, but seriously, why would he care? Even if I were 'something special', I'm still just another human."

Garrett placed himself directly in front of Angel and pulled her face between his hands. He was looking at her directly in the eye. "I don't know who has managed to convince you that you aren't worth it, but you are Angel." She rolled her eyes at him, obviously not convinced. "I may have an eternity to live, but I promise you I don't waste my time on anything or anyone. I want to be here because I know there is something special about you. Obviously you've captivated these two heathens here…" Since Major met Alice, Garrett had adopted her term for us. This of course caused Angel to burst out laughing.

Releasing her face he pulled her hands into his. "I promise ya Angel, if I ever feel like I'm wasting my time I'll leave. I don't see that happening though so get used to me." He leaned down to kiss her hand and must have just then noticed the scar. He hissed loudly. "Who the fuck did this to you?"

-Char-

It was so strange to see Garrett react so passionately to Angel. As a nomad he distanced himself from pretty much everyone. It was rare that he found another vampire to befriend, let alone a human. It was like he already had a bond with our Angel. She was as startled by his outburst as Peter and I. Peter moved to stand between Angel and Garrett but she just shook her head at him. "Umm… well that's a long story really. But no worries, the bastard is dead. Ripped apart and burnt to a crisp."

"Well it's good to hear Peter and Char did their jobs properly. No better vampires to have on your side in times of battle." We'd stood shoulder to shoulder with Garrett in several battles during the Southern wars. Bella laughed. "I'm sure they are, but in this case it wasn't Petey here who came to my rescue." Of course Garrett looked beyond puzzled. I wasn't sure how much Angel wanted him to know but I had a feeling he'd be asking a ton of questions.

"Alright Little One, care to enlighten me?" The memories of her relaying the story to us all those months ago flashed through my mind. She was so broken and detached when she told us about James and the Cullen's. I wasn't sure how she'd react having to tell the story yet again. "Ya know…these two can bring you up to date. I don't wanna get into that shit right now. It's been a long night. I'm just going to head up to bed for the night"

I could tell she was stressing over something so I followed her to the stairs. "You ok sugar?" She sighed and shook her head. I wrapped my arms around her, fully aware the two men were staring at us. "What happened Angel?" She held me tight to her body. I could feel the tension in her muscles. "I heard from Jacob today." That good for nothing dog! "Oh sugar, what did he say this time?"

"Nothing really, I just never wanted to hear from him again. He hurt me so bad and I think it just pissed me off more hearing from him." I could understand her point of view. He was an asshole to her and after all that didn't deserve her attention in the least bit. "Well just ignore the ass. I'm just glad it wasn't Garrett showing up that freaked ya out."

She let out a cross between a snort and a laugh. "Yeah well had you been here ten minutes earlier you'd have seen me about to piss my pants when he showed up. Scared the shit out of me. I thought it was Victoria at the door. I mean, no one comes here and you guys use the back door. When he just let himself in without knocking, well it freaked me out. But after we made our introductions I was fine. He's a nice guy."

It was my turn to laugh. "I'm not sure I'd call him 'nice' but he's a good one to have on your side. He's like family to Peter and I. Now off to bed for ya Angel. We'll let you rest for awhile. I'll come up after I deal with these two idiots." I winked at her as I sent her up the stairs. Poor girl had been through so much. I hoped she'd get some much needed sleep.

-Peter-

I watched as Char talked with Angel. Hearing the shifter had contacted her incensed me. The fucker had no right, not after he broke Angel. Once Char was situated in my lap we relayed Angel's story to Garrett. It was interesting to watch his face as he heard about James, the Cullen's and the day we found her. He went back and forth between anger and sorrow throughout the story. Finally when we were finished he settled on angry.

"You mean to tell me that the all compassionate Dr. Carlisle Cullen just up and left her? To the wolves no less? What the hell was he thinking? He lived with the Volturi for years! He knows the law. He had to have known what he was doing when he left!" The old man had lost it. He was so protective of Angel and really didn't know her that well at all. "I can't believe it. Stupid fucking veggie vamps. Good for nothing mind reading stalker." Garrett ranted for a good twenty minutes before calming enough to finish our conversation.

"Trust us we know Gar. That's why we had to bring her with us. From the moment we met her we knew we just had to help. We love her and have added her to our family." To prove her point Char pulled her crest out to show Garrett. His face paled more than its natural color. "You added her without consulting Major Whitlock? Are you two insane?" Usually I'd agree with the guy, but in this case Jasper could kiss my ass. "No. He lost the right to control this family when he chose to just write us off all those years ago. If he has a problem with it, we'll leave and form our own coven. We love her like a sister and won't let any harm come to her, emotional or physical. If he can't understand that then he's far more fucked than I thought."

My wife just nodded her head emphatically. Garrett sat and let everything I said sink into his head. It was a lot, and even with the higher brain capacity of vampires we still needed time to process things. "I understand Peter. I dunno what it is, or why, but I feel extremely protective of that girl up there. I can't explain it. From the second I looked into her eyes I knew she was family. I knew she was something who needed my help and protection"

I was relieved that he felt so protective of her. We didn't have many friends, but few of them would welcome a human into their home or extended family. It was just not something vampires did. It was never a good idea to befriend your dinner. What bothered me is that he 'knew' he had to be here for some reason. He knew something was coming and that could never be good. "Gar, do you have any idea why you had to be here? My gift is giving me nothing and I want to be as prepared as possible if shit hits the fan."

He just shook his head sadly. "No idea Peter, but I promise whatever it is will have to get through me before getting to that Angel upstairs." That was something we could all agree to, we'd never let something hurt Angel.

-Jasper-

I was about an hour away from the ranch. Peter was hesitant in letting me visit. I knew it was because of his Angel, but it still hurt. Peter and Char had always trusted me and my judgment in the past. Somewhere along the way I managed to lose all that trust. I couldn't blame them really. I did choose Alice and the Cullen's over them. At the time I didn't think twice, it was simply a choice between my mate and my coven. In the end I had made the wrong choice and would have to live with the consequences of my actions.

I spent months coming to terms with what happened between Alice and I. I couldn't believe how much I changed for her, how much I allowed her to manipulate me. The God of War Major of the South was manipulated by a fucking vegetarian vampire. Fuck that, she never had me fooled Jasper. That was all you. Don't blame me for that fucked up shit. I had grown accustomed to Major yelling at me in my head. It was strange to think I had suppressed that part of myself so much we were two separate personalities.

After speaking with Peter all those months ago, I took some time to think. He brought up my diet and how he thought it was the cause of my control issues. Since that night I had taken up their hunting habits. I had to agree, I was in more control after feeding from one human that I could ever be off any amount of animal blood. Feeding on the scum of society didn't bother me like I had anticipated. Not that I was ever worried about feeling guilty over taking their life, but I always worried about their emotions during their death. In truth, the more scared they were the more satisfying the experience was for me. I felt like I was dealing some form of justice for their past and would be victims. In some small way I was redeeming myself for my past.

I finally felt in control enough to return to Peter and Char. It was time I start making amends for wronging them. He was hesitant in letting me visit, but after confirming with his Angel that she felt comfortable with my presence, he agreed. Of course my visit was conditional. If I upset Angel in the least bit he wouldn't hesitate in kicking me out on my ass. It was rather funny to think that my beta was threatening me. Granted, I couldn't have been considered Alpha of the Whitlock coven for some time. Hell until a few months prior I had not even used the Whitlock surname. Rather pathetic don't you think Jasper? I had to agree with Major. I left my identity behind when I dropped my last name. All for her. All for the manipulative bitch of an ex-wife.

Before long I found myself heading down the private road leading to the ranch. It had been more than 60 years since I last visited this property. It brought back some great memories of Peter and Char after they rescued me from Maria. As I exited the truck I could smell not two but three different vampire scents. It took a moment but I was able to recognize all three. Garrett seemed to be visiting too. Mixed in with the vampire scents was a distinctly human scent. It was familiar and had I not known Bella to be dead, I would have sworn it was her scent. Wishful thinking there Jasper. It was just not possible. Bella killed herself because of me and that fucked up coven.

Somewhat nervous, I walked up to the door and knocked. A split second later I was greeted by one pissed of Charlotte. I could feel the rage boiling beneath the surface. "Hello Jasper. So very nice of you to finally grace us with your presence." I really couldn't blame her for her bitterness. It was my own doing. "Hey Char. Sorry it's taken me so long. I've been a total shit brother." She appraised me for a moment. "Well don't just stand out there. Get your ass in here. Peter's in the living room."

The house was in pristine condition, not that I expected any less of Char. The great thing about Peter and Char's houses was that they were livable. They had money but they didn't treat their homes like a museum. I missed that about my family. "Hey Pete, look who showed up." Char pointed to me standing next to her. Peter shared her boiling rage, again I couldn't really blame him. "Nice to see Jasper." He nodded to me and then turned back to the television.

Not really sure what to do with myself I moved and sat in the chair opposite Peter. The human scent was highly concentrated on the chair. "So where's this human you've been going on about?" The room filled with unbound fury as my siblings hissed. "She's not just a human Jasper. She's family and you'd do well to remember that." Peter spoke through gritted teeth. I put my hands up in submission. "I didn't mean anything by it, I apologize."

"Just tread carefully Jasper. This girl means the world to both Peter and I. You offend her and you'll get a one way ticket back to the veggie vamps." I simply nodded. I couldn't formulate a decent response. They were so very protective of this girl. It was a good five minutes before Peter spoke again. "She's off shopping in town with Garrett." With their overprotective nature regarding the girl I was rather amazed they allowed another human drinking vampire to take her out unsupervised. "She loves Garrett and he adores her, we trust him with her."

It stung that they would trust Garrett of all vampires with her alone when they wouldn't even allow me to visit without going through the Spanish Inquisition first. "Don't get your panties in a bunch Jasper. We have good reason to feel reservations toward you. Besides, he showed up out of nowhere with one of his feelings." I knew I shouldn't feel put out, but them trusting Garrett over me still hurt, more than I'd admit.

Rather than focus on just how much I damaged my relationship with my family, I turned to the TV. Peter was watching some show about vampires. It was utterly inaccurate. "What the fuck are you watching Pete?" I'd never known the man to watch television, let alone something about vampires. "True Blood. I missed the last episode because of your ex so I need to catch up." I must have had a seriously puzzled expression because the next thing I knew Char tossed me a box of DVD's. "Here, if you're stayin' with us you need to catch up too. I'll show you to your room."

-Peter-

I couldn't bring myself to really look at my brother. The fact that he so easily abandoned us for that bitch hurt more than he'd ever know. Early on during the wars I learned how to hide my feelings from him. I'd be damned if I let him see my weakness. I was relieved when Char led him to his room. I needed time to think. I thought I'd worked it all out before he showed up, but I was terribly mistaken.

The sound of Angel's ringtone pulled me from my darker thoughts. "Hi Angel." While I was ok with her being off with Garrett, I was glad she called. Hearing her voice helped calm my mind. "Hey Petey. We're on our way back. I wanted to see if you guys needed anything before we headed home." She remained the only person who could get away with calling me Petey. "I think we're all good here Angel. I do need to warn you…" She cut me off before I could finish. "He's there now isn't he?"

"Yeah baby he showed up just about an hour ago." I knew she was struggling with Jasper's visit. I just wasn't sure what had her so worried. It was almost like we were marching her to her doom. "Ok. We'll be home soon." She sounded so defeated. I wanted nothing more than to fix whatever was bothering her. Until she told me exactly what had gotten to her, I couldn't fix it. "Alright Angel. I'll see you soon."

Char descended the stairs. "She's on her way then?" I could hear the worry in her voice. "Yeah. They'll be here within the hour I think. Gar won't drive too fast with her in the car. He's so worried about something happening to her." My mate sat in my lap and wrapped her arms around my neck. "I hope it all goes ok. She was getting a lot better until just recently. I don't know what about his visit set her off, but she can't even sleep without us now." She was right. It was almost like Angel reverted back to where she was when we found her.

-Bella-

"He's there." I felt numb. I was so stressed over his arrival. He could turn me out and nothing Peter or Char did could change that. I had grown to love them dearly, but I refused to come between them and their brother. They finally had the chance to have him back; I wouldn't take that from them. Garrett could sense my hesitation. He wrapped his strong arm around me and squeezed. "It'll be fine Little One. We won't let him hurt you. No need to worry." They all knew something was amiss. I had slowly been pulling away and holding tightly to them at the same time.

I was sure they all thought I was worried because he'd attacked me back in Forks. I needed to clear up that misconception. "I'm not worried about him attacking me Gar. It's just…" I sighed. I needed to confide in someone and I knew Peter and Char weren't an option. "It's his coven Gar. He's the Alpha. If he decides he doesn't want me around I lose another family. I don't know what I'll do. He left me once before, I know he won't want me around." Something sparked in his crimson eyes.

"You listen here Little One. I will not allow him to hurt you. If he turns you away I promise you we will leave together. I'll take care of ya. I don't give a damn that he's Major Whitlock. He turned his back on ya once. He only gets one more chance." At this point I had tears streaming down my face. Over the short amount of time I'd know Garrett, we'd become close. I wasn't sure exactly what I felt for him, but he was my confidant. I knew that he was being totally honest. He'd be there for me no matter what. "Thanks Gar. That means a lot. I just don't think I could do it again on my own. Anyway, best head back. They'll be expecting us."

-Jasper-

Char led me to my room at the top of the stairs. The human's scent was even more concentrated on the second floor. It was so close to Bella's scent. If I could have, I would have bottled the bouquet and kept it for eternity. Something deep within me stirred. I didn't understand it but whatever it was seemed to cause Major to rattle his cage. It was strange, but he seemed more restless whenever we thought about Bella and her tragic end. Something to think on later.

The room was spacious and of course had its own private bathroom. She left me to my own devices shortly after showing me around the top floor. I paced a few times before settling in to watch the damned True Blood DVD's. It wasn't long before I was completely drawn into the drama. It was such a strange and totally inaccurate account of vampires, but I couldn't seem to look away. I watched all of episode one and promptly switched to episode two. The credits were rolling when the delicious scent of human blood hit me.

Major stirred, rattling his cage yet again. It was so confusing. Neither of us wanted to devour the blood we could smell, but we both wanted to rush after it. I'd never felt a pull to human blood this intense, even when I was a vegetarian. It took everything in me not to rush down and greet the human at the door. Her smell invoked something in me. I wanted her. I wanted to protect her. I didn't want Peter or Garrett anywhere near her. What the fuck?

They were in the garage by the time I had myself under control. I could hear her heart beating at a rapid pace. Her emotions were all over the place. Anticipation, regret, longing, excitement and self loathing. She flipped through her emotions as quickly as Emmett flipped channels on the TV. It sounded like Garrett wrapped his arms around her. "Remember what I said. I promise he won't do anything to hurt you." She must have acknowledged his words silently. "B'sides Little One… you know you'll always have me. I'll love ya forever baby." For some reason his damned words tore down some of my control. I released a growl that could only be heard by the other vampires. Of course Char wouldn't let this pass. "You shut your mouth Jasper Whitlock. If you scare the poor girl you're going to have to deal with me."

"She's not the only one he'll have to deal with Char. I have a feelin' he'd be fighting all three of us." Garrett's voice was filled with disgust. "You three quit fucking talking at vamp speed. You guys know how much I hate that." Her voice was muffled but reminded me of someone. I just couldn't place it. "Sorry sugar. Gar and Peter were just having another one of their pissin' matches. Come on in and sit down. I've got your dinner almost finished Angel."

Again at 'vamp speed' I was addressed by Char. "You can come down and say hello Jasper, but I'm warning you, be nice." The woman was scary when she was pissed. Not that I had any intention of being a total ass to the girl, but I would be extra careful after Char's threat. I turned off the movie and headed toward the kitchen.

"… and the look on his face was priceless Char! I mean it's funny when I fuck with Petey over here, but Gar was just fucking hilarious!" The girl was sitting at the breakfast table with her back to me. She was laughing at something that happened while in town with Garrett. He was seated right next to her with his hand on her back. For some reason Major growled. He shouldn't be touching her! I shook my head. His strange behavior was beginning to wear on me.

The conversation stopped when I entered the room. "Angel, I think someone here has come to introduce himself." Her emotions went crazy again. I couldn't get a straight read on her. She turned to look at me and I swear it was like she was moving in slow motion. Suddenly everything made sense. The familiar scent, the voice and her ease around vampires. There sitting right in front of my eyes was none other than Isabella Swan. What the hell!

-Bella-

He was staring at me like he'd seen a ghost. It was starting to make me uncomfortable. I was fidgeting with the hem of my shirt. He seemed to snap out of his daze. "What the hell! Why are you here?" While I was expecting the rejection, actually hearing the words hurt. I inhaled sharply. "You're right. I don't know." Peter was angry; anyone could see that by looking at him. I turned to Garrett. "Garrett, please." It was all I could get out before everything went black.

-Peter-

It hit me like a ton of bricks. The flashes from my gift flooded my mind. Angel running with Garrett. Jasper sulking alone in his room. Seasons passed. Garrett and Angel in Paris during the winter. Angel walking down the aisle in a long white gown. Jasper waiting for her at the altar. The pictures were on repeat. I needed to get a grip before shit hit the fan. Angel was planning on running off with Garrett. Jasper was completely surprised by Angel, he couldn't even formulate a decent greeting. What he didn't realize was that his words cut Angel deeply. He also had no idea that she was his mate. No one had any clue she was his mate.

"Garrett, please." Angel cried before fainting into his arms. Garrett glared at Jasper. "You fuckwit. I can't believe you've managed to rip her apart again. That was your last chance. You won't hurt again." He turned to us. "Sorry you two. I made a promise to the Little One. I won't stand by while he turns her out." Before I had a chance to intervene he was out the door with her in his arms. Garrett was one fast fucker, none of us had a chance in hell to catch up to them.

My mate cried out for them to stop but received no response. They were likely already out of the state. I wrapped Char in my arms in an attempt to comfort her. Even though I knew we'd see Angel again in time, my soul cried out for her. My brother managed to force my sister away. He broke her down yet again. She'd already been through so much. My gift told me she'd eventually be fine, but this event led her down a much rougher path. If only he could have kept his damned mouth shut.

AN: *runs and hides* I know I know… not what you wanted… I can only promise I'll update again soon. I'm half way through the next chapter.