Yay! Another update! Not as long as you might like, but what can I say? I intend to write the next ch. soon, so don't worry. ;) Whew! I need to wrap this thing up.

Just a note: If there aren't any Fig Newtons in Ireland, there should be. There are in this imaginary world. Who would have thought vampires were in Ireland, either?

Oh, and for those of you who are interested in the inspiration for this story, I posted the url's to the two songs that got this ball rolling. I believe it was my lovely reviewer MissAsian who asked for the songs. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Well, now that I'm on that subject...THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU Thank you on into eternity!!!!!!!! For all the reviews. I hope to see more in the coming chapters. You guys are the driving force that keeps me writing. :)

One more thing, then I'll let you go. Here is a small list of songs you might also enjoy while reading:

.com/watch?v=9pXVvfL3AX8 London by Brandon Heath

.com/watch?v=6_jMpzaHRec There for You by Flyleaf

The Resistance -- by Anberlin .com/watch?v=mLMg1MiM1B0 (this one is especially poignant-- Adelaide's plot against the Volturi, anyone? Jasper's plot against Adelaide? 0_o)

And Bella and Jasper's adrenaline-pumped song: Bravery by Jonah33. Sorry there wasn't a Youtube vid for this one. Enjoy!

28. Hunting Party

"Here." Jasper handed me a stack of Fig Newtons and a bottle of carbonated water. "It's not much, I know, but it was all I could scrounge up."

"It's great," I smiled, tearing into one of the Fig Newtons. I was hungry, and that was unusual for me in a situation like this. "Thanks, Jasper. You really didn't have to go to all that trouble."

"It wasn't any trouble. I had to go into town anyway, I thought I might as well accomodate you, too. Carbonated water does taste all right with those, doesn't it?"

I had never appreciated Fig Newtons until that moment, when I hadn't eaten in over half a day. True, I had been pulling my hair out with anxiety, and had freaked out when Jasper insisted on letting me ride in his arms after I got tired. But the stress must have burned the calories straight out of me-- I was ravenous. "Mmmm, this is the best thing I've eaten in my life," I said around a bite.

Jasper grinned at me from across the length of the alley. He had set me down just inside the town limits, then sped off to run his mysterious errands. I wondered now if his ability was relaxing me so I could eat with an appetite. It didn't take me long to throw my mind back to the day Alice, Jasper, and I had spent in a hotel room together. Jasper's ability aside, I had practically force-fed myself that day. I knew I wasn't as traumatized today, and the reason why took me on a small guilt-trip. The reason I had an appetite was that Edward wasn't in danger, not unless he pursued Carlisle and Rosalie, which was a slim chance, since he thought they were dead. Gulping, I had to admit to myself that I wouldn't be as grief-stricken if Jasper and I were too late than if it had been Edward we were chasing.

"Don't feel guilty," Jasper said, in the same rushed way he'd been saying everything; he had to talk on one breath of air at a time. "Edward is the world to you, Bella. Carlisle and Rosalie are comets compared to him, in your little universe."

"But that's so awful." I blushed, then struggled to dissipate the blood in my cheeks. Jasper was already pushing it. "I should be as worried about them as Edward, shouldn't I? I should be as worried for anybody that's in trouble."

"Ideally, but it doesn't always work that way."

"Yeah, I guess not," I muttered. No matter how Herculean my effort was, I couldn't feel the same level of fear for anyone but Edward. Jasper let out a loud laugh. Jerking, I glanced up at him. "You startled me!"

Calming down, he pulled out another easy grin. "I'm sorry. It's just this: here you are, worried that you're not worried enough, when you're apprehension levels are skyrocketing."

"They are?" Well, that was good-- sort of.

Jasper shook his head, something he'd been doing a lot of lately. "Now you feel somewhat mollified because you're sufficiently worried. Your emotions are so complex, Bella. Edward must have trouble keeping up."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" I hadn't felt this comfortable around Jasper before, and I chalked that up to his feel-good gift. "So, what's in the potato sack?" I asked, nodding at the burlap lump next to the blond vampire's feet.

"I was wondering when you would notice. Here we go." Jasper straightened and suddenly he was a brisk military man, all traces of frivolity gone. "I told you when we left the cave that I had a plan forming on how to help Carlisle and Rosalie."

"And it involves me, somewhow," I supplied, taking another chunk out of the Fig Newton.

"It involves you intrinsically. Without you this plan is void, actually."

Now I was nervous. "Um, okay, so what is the plan?"

Looking me over studiously, Jasper put one hand to his chin. "How do you feel about being bait, Bella?"

The Fig Newton was thick in my throat as I swallowed, dragging itself scratchily down. "Bait?"

"No fear," noted Jasper in awe. "You're amazing."

"It hasn't had time to sink in," I gasped.

"Let's not give it time to, all right? Let's move on to the nuts and bolts of the plan."

"Okay," I agreed, futilely pushing the word bait out if my head. "The plan sounds great."

"You haven't heard it yet."

"Don't worry, I think I heard enough."

Snickering, Jasper went to the sack. "I bought just the right amount of everything we need, so I'm going to need you to be as graceful as possible. In other words, please don't touch anything."

"Thanks." If Jasper didn't have confidence in my ability not to break stuff, why was he resting his entire plan on me?

"Your insecurity is wearing on me," he complained, reaching into the bag. "I have to be sure of this plan for it to work, Bella."

"I'm sorry, I've just never been the focal point of somebody's rescue mission before."

By the time his hand left the bag Jasper was forging on to the battle plan. "Do you see these?" He waved a bundle of short, copper-colored tubes at me. "These are our fear factor."

Eyeing the tubes duiously, I guessed,"Signal flares?"

"Correct. We're going to have to employ scare tactics for most of our plan, and these flares will do the trick. Now," he rummaged around in the sack, "these will also help us stir up our opponents, whoever they are."

Jasper spread out the objects in his hands: a packet of firecrackers, a starter pistol, a small can of gasoline, and a handkerchief. The handkerchief had me stumped, but I could almost envision the uses of the other objects. A violent thought occurred to me, but I voiced it anyway. "Jasper, I know this sounds strange, but...none of these things can really hurt someone."

"You have a practical mind," he said appreciatively. "For the most part, I'm not going to try to hurt anybody. Even if I did, there's no way I could fight against more than five or six of my own kind. From the tracks I saw several miles back, I would estimaye there are eight vampires with Carlisle and Rosalie."

"What if they're a guard from...the Volturi?" I had to choke out the last few words.

"If they are, nothing we do is going to save Carlisle and Rose, or us." Jasper looked noble as he said this, and I saw the true man lying beneath his outward image-- Jasper was courageous, uncommonly brave. He was willing to put his own life on the line for two people that weren't technically related to him, and he was putting it on the line with a vengeance. I forgot for a moment that he was risking my life, too.

"But, you don't think they're Volturi, do you, Jasper?" I had to ask.

"No, they would have covered this whole up much more smoothly if they were Volturi. And they would have done it in the open, with some excuse. Still, if it comes to a fight, I won't be able to take on more than six vampires, even if they aren't Volturi."

"And I'd be no help there," I said glumly.

"I wouldn't let you fight, Bella. Edward would skin me alive. It could be that I'll have Siobhan's coven to back me up, although I shouldn't ask them to fight for us. But I'll outline your part in the plan now." A removed look entered Jasper's eyes as he fished the final object out of his sack; it was a long knife, the thin kind hunters carried to skin or bone animals. "This looks more gruesome than it is," he told me reassuringly. "And it was the only type they had, otherwise I would have just gotten a pocket kinfe. Please, please don't seriously injure yourself when you use this."

I stared, impressed by the wicked ridge running along one of the blade's edges. "Wow, Jasper."

"You won't need it but for five minutes, but you should get accustomed to holding it." The knife hilt was pushed toward me, its dull black leather shining in the sun. "This knife is extremely sharp, so one light touch to your skin will be enough."

"Uh, you--want me to hold it? Now?"

The knife dipped up and down in Jasper's palm. "Yes, for a couple minutes."

"Um, I don't know if--"

"If you can't hold it now, how are you going to wield it in a desperate situation?"

Jasper obviously didn't know my propensity for nearly killing myself, and everyone around me, as well as the rest of the Cullens did. Or maybe he didn't care, which was the more realistic probability. I meekly accepted the knife, sticking it out two feet from my body, holding it at an awkward angle. "Do you feel its weight?" asked Jasper, ignoring my ineptness.

"Yeah, I feel it." I grimaced at the knife, imagining its shiny new blade gouged into my skin. "So I'm going to cut myself with this? That's part of the distractions?"

"No, that's the dissention. When the vampires holding Carlisle and Rosalie smell your blood, they won't be able to resist coming after you. I'm going off the assumption that these vampires are a group of nomads, not used to working with one another. If that's the case, everyone will want you to himself, and all thoughts of ganging up on me while I free Carlisle and Rose will disappear."

Finally, I saw the brilliance of Jasper's plan.

With the utmost gravity and sincerity, Jasper placed one hand on my shoulder. "I am not asking you to sacrifice yourself, Bella," he said solemnly. "If I tell you to abort the operation, you must do so immediately. I'll let you know if I think it's too risky to go through with your part. The way I have it organized, you should be in minimal danger. Under no circumstances are you to disobey me in this scenario; you'll have to do exactly as I say. Understood?"

"Ummm," I hedged. I didn't want to lie to Jasper, but I also didn't want to make a promise I couldn't keep.

It was clear to me now that this one time, I would be as powerful as a vampire. My blood was as powerful as vampire strength, speed, and appeal. Because no matter how sophisticated they were, vampires couldn't nullify the draw my blood had on them. How could I give up this advantage, this chance to rescue my family members?

Vividly, I pictured Carlisle, so good, so pure. My father. How could I ever forgive myself if I turned coward and let something unforgivable happen to him?

I had something no one esle in my family could give-- something human. Jasper needed me for his plan, and without my human self, the plan was worthless.

"Bella, do I have your word?" Jasper was probing my face with his gaze. Wonder of wonders, he misread the expression there, couldn't get a reading on my emotions. "Are you scared, Bella?"

I was relieved to feel nothing but nervous tension. "I'm excellent in the self-mauling department," I offered, sheathing the knife and shrugging, as blasé as I could be. "Your plan sounds watertight."

Standing, Jasper replaced the items in the sack and gave me a hand up. "Time to get a move on. We've got to find them before Edward finds us."

Picturing Edward's reaction if he discovered our plan raised the hair on my arms. "You're right," I said, my mouth twisting. "Let's roll."