A/N: Now the danger is over it's time to learn more about Carlie and Micah and all that they can expect. I will be doing this a little differently. I'm sure you have all been able to tell that I feel Jake and Renesmee would have been able to have children. It never made any sense to me that they wouldn't because of the reason for the imprinting to begin with. I mean, why would the true pack alpha imprint with a half vampire, half human hybrid and not be able to pass on his genes as alpha? Makes no sense to me. So let's go to South America!
I want to thwart any confusion.
In a previous chapter- 22- I said that the tribe that gave Demetri the journal and described Huilen's sister Pire (seriously if you didn't already figure out that that's where I was going here... Well why? Lol) and her seduction by the vampire Joham was in Argentina.
If you look on the wiki Huilen's tribe (which I describe some here in the story just to make things interesting because I felt Jasper would do that since Bella would find it fascinating since in my story she's never been outside the US) are called the Mapuche.
I looked this tribe up. Research can be fun sometimes. ;) and they lived in, both, parts of southwestern Argentina and south central Chile. The place I chose as the setting for this chapter is somewhat near the border between Argentina and Chile and so it could stand to reason that Huilen, while born in Argentina, moved to the outskirts of say- a sister tribe that may never have heard of them and their plight and may have helped at least Huilen (I say just her because I don't think anyone would have helped an unwed pregnant girl given the times)- when Pire became pregnant and they ran. So that is why the setting here is Chile when I mentioned Argentina.
Also, I know there are time differences but for the purpose of the story- they get to Chile on the 12th of January.
Chapter Thirty
January 12, 2006
Bella
Looking at my mate as we sit on the plane heading to El Tepual Airport in Chile four days after defeating our enemies, I couldn't contain my excitement. "So where are we going exactly?"
"When Felix called Aster, he told us the tribe and pack we're to meet is outside of Quellón, which is actually in Chile- not Argentina. They're expecting us. Then that vision Alice had on the ninth, as you know, showed a blind spot there and somewhere in the Parque Tantauco on the Chiloé Archipelago, just a few miles from the tribal lands the pack resides on- at its very southern end. Since we know the one spot is absolutely the pack- which she can't see since she hasn't met them- then we can only assume that means that the other spot is the hybrids we are looking for."
"I hope so Jasper. I don't want to have to take forever to find them. I'm so excited that this may finally be the break we've been looking for! I just wish the others had come." Alice, Rose, Esme and the Denali coven- Bree and Diego included- all stayed behind, Athena joining them before we left. They didn't feel much like stomping their way through the jungle. And, with the exception of Alice, Bree and Diego, everyone else has already been to South America.
Charlotte went to her and Peter's home to check on their animals, they have a caretaker they use if they're gone too long but it was time for her to relieve him. Garrett and Kate opted to go off somewhere to have the alone time they haven't had yet. Felix was needed for an assignment that cropped up before we left and Emmett decided to stay behind to start looking into the possible hybrid in Ohio in case this trip is a bust. So it's just me, Jasper, the twins, Carlisle, Jake, Peter and Caius.
Listening to the way the names of these places roll off Jasper's tongue makes me wet. He even has a slight accent and I can only assume it comes from being around one for seventy five years when he was with Maria. I would suggest joining the mile high club if it weren't for our kids sitting in the seats in front of us and our family around us. We had to take a commercial flight this time and so there is no sitting further away from those we love like there would on a private jet. So they would see us sneak away.
Of course, Peter had to gripe the whole way through the airport about it. Jasper ended up punching him in the arm and telling him to shut it.
So I settle for learning more about this place we're going. "Tell me more."
"Well, with the indigenous tribe being the Mapuche for a very long time I will assume that these hybrids are a part of that tribe. Dependent on how old they are. Their native tongue is either Spanish or Mapudungun and they were and are majorly farmers. The village we are going to first, to speak with the guardians, are fishermen themselves. There are actually three types of Mapuche: the Picunche to the north, the Huilliche to the south and the Moluche or otherwise known as the Nguluche from Araucanía.
"The Parque itself was recently turned into a public park, sort of like our state parks. It boasts Cypress and Olivillo trees, both a type of conifer, and Southern River Otters and a critically endangered canine species known as Chilote Fox- or more commonly Darwin's Fox although it's related to the wolf and isn't an actual fox. It looks like them though. So make sure you don't eat any." He chuckles at that and I have to laugh a bit too.
"It sounds to me like this isn't a rainforest."
"It's not. Which is why they are probably so isolated at the very southern end of the Parque were the trees are denser and provide a better hiding space. It's also over a thousand miles from the Amazon so we may not see the Amazonian coven this go round unless we visit afterwards."
I hope we do visit. After telling me some about them I really want to meet them, but we can make that decision after we learn more about what to possibly expect with our children. Maybe we can make that part the celebration for Jake's birthday, as it is only two days away. "Anything else I should know?"
"Yes. We will have to sneak in. There's only two ways to get there, by land through the northern part of the park, or by water to the southern end. Since we can swim underwater but Carlie and Micah can't, we will have to go through the north and there will more than likely be one of those places you register that you're there since there are two campgrounds and multiple observation areas. It'll be best to go in at night. It's not that the humans can't know we're there, but with the way we'll have to move fast and the fact we are there to see people that are living there- more than likely unknown to the park owners- we don't want to draw attention to them. So we have to go in quietly and out quietly."
"That makes sense I guess. What will the weather be like?"
He grimaces then. "From what I could tell it's rainy. The climate is considered rainy cold temperate maritime. Just fancy wording for warm but rainy. Cooler than most places at 80.6 degrees Fahrenheit, most places in January are around 90 degrees. It's summer. The summer rains come early and often, so prepare to be perpetually wet."
"That does sound unpleasant. Do we have what we need to keep us from being too wet and miserable then? Especially for the kids? I know they don't feel the cold and heat like humans, but not to the extent that we don't."
I don't need them getting ill, though in the months since their birth they've never gotten sick so I'm wondering if it's even possible for them to do so at all- maybe that will be one question we can ask these hybrids. Either way they don't need to be wet and miserable, so I'm hoping we brought the things we need for the climate we're heading to. Jasper did all the packing after all. He's the one who researched all of this stuff with Emmett. I trust my mate to have our best interests at heart to begin with, so letting him make the plans was nothing.
"Yeah, I got everything we need. Don't worry. Hopefully it won't rain too much and we can have some fun while we're there. Maybe go whale watching. Blue whales frequent that coastline too. And I'm sure Jake would like to spend some off time during this trip since it's falling on his birthday."
I smile at him. "Sounds lovely and I know you're right about Jake. I hope we can have some fun for his sake."
We lapse into silence then, Carlie and Micah have fallen asleep in front of us and we have maybe another hour of flight time before we reach our destination. Then it's a three hour drive to the Guardian village. There was an airport closer to the village, but it wasn't an international one like the one we're going to. I just hope we don't find ourselves in danger or something from them. Aster may have spread the word about us and the twins, but everyone's reactions will probably be different.
When the plane finally touches down in Chile we disembark and go to find a hotel. We'll head out first thing in the morning after the kids eat. We fed before we left so we shouldn't need to feed for another week or so.
Jasper
The next morning finds us all nervous. This is it. We will hopefully find out what to expect for our children. After they eat a hearty breakfast, Chilean style, we rent a couple cars and head down the Panamerican Highway to Quellón. Once we reach the village we're directed to another village on the outskirts and drive another five miles until we pass the tribe's boundaries. Numerous people come out to watch us pass, a couple get our attention and point us towards a home that we can only assume is the pack alpha's.
When we get out of the cars he's already standing there. A man as big as Jake, but with slightly darker russet skin. His hair is short and he has a tribal tattoo on his arm like Jake and the pack do, only his is the symbol of his tribe where Jake's is a symbol of the Quileutes . Beside him is a beautiful olive skinned, petite woman with flowing black hair and warm brown eyes with her arm wrapped around his hip. Thankfully they're smiling.
He steps out of her embrace and moves forward, hand out. "Hola, my name is Juan Vega. I am the pack alpha here. This is my wife and imprint Valentina. Aster told us you would be coming and why. Please, come inside. It is not everyday we get to meet vampires who do not kill humans. You are somewhat of a novelty. That's why so many came out to greet you."
"Yes, we are somewhat of a novelty to our own kind too," Carlisle tells him as he shakes his hand. I relax a bit, now that we've seen that we won't be greeted with hostility.
They lead us inside their home and motion us towards seats in their living room. It's not a large house and so many people inside it make it even smaller. But they don't seem to mind. They offer Carlie and Micah refreshments and we get down to business.
"I understand you believe there is a group of hybrids nearby? I must tell you that we have never seen them. Although there is a boy that comes here from time to time, looking for work. He has a strange smell about him, similar to your young ones there. His heart beats the same as well. But if he is part vampire, he certainly doesn't look it. Although seeing your children I think I see why. It is the perfect camouflage is it not? But he is the only one we've ever seen."
"So Alice was right, they are here. When do you think we can move out to see them?"
Carlisle sounds so eager, but like myself- Juan suggests we move out at night. "This way we can be in wolf form, our senses are much more heightened then and with the ability to communicate through thought at great distances we will be able to separate and cover more ground. I'm sorry it couldn't be sooner, but perhaps you'd like to go sightseeing until then. You cannot visit Chile and not take in all its glories after all."
After agreeing to a time to meet back here, around one am when the moon won't be so bright, we head back to the hotel. I look up a few places to go see with Carlie and Micah on my phone and we head out, luckily today is a nice cloudy one- the promise of a storm on the horizon, but it isn't raining yet.
They get to experience lunch from the street vendors and all the brightness that is the culture of Chile. We all have great fun, thankful for the clouds that allow us out during the day time. We probably won't get so lucky again, but the night life is just as exciting. As the sun sinks below the western horizon we head back to the hotel and settle the twins in for a quick nap.
We wake them about an hour later and drive back to the village. Juan and his pack are already waiting and we separate into four groups and head out. We get through all obstacles I mentioned to Bella on the plane easily and find ourselves in a secluded area at the very southern end of the Parque that is, as I told her, full of trees. We haven't encountered a soul so far and I'm beginning to get discouraged when suddenly a voice rings out, loud and clear. Distinctly vampire, female, speaking Spanish. Good, that means I can understand her.
She's upwind from us, so I can't smell her. I can't see her either, as she's hidden somewhere in the trees above and ahead of us.
Juan tilts his head and I can only assume he's letting the others know that we've found something and to head our way. Jake shifts next to me and I can feel he's a little nervous. After all, she can and probably is a threat to us at this moment. Bella and I shift the twins so they're protected by Carlisle and Caius who are behind us. They're in their normal mode of transport when we have to run, on our backs. She shouts again, still in Spanish.
"Who are you? Why are you here? Leave!"
"Answer her Jasper," Carlisle whispers beside me. So I do so, asking her to speak in English if she knows it since there are those in our party that don't know Spanish.
Bella
The female vampire is speaking in Spanish and when Jasper answers her, at Carlisle's bequest, she shifts to English so we know what she's saying. It's highly accented but we can still understand her. "Who are you and why do you come here? Especially with a Guardian pack? Leave! You are trespassing!"
Jasper steps forward further so he's more visible in the bright moonlight that is blocked in most places by the trees, Caius remaining at his back to protect Micah. "My name is Jasper Hale. This is my family. The Guardian pack are merely helping us cover more ground so we can find someone. I think that may be you. We are looking for the hybrids, part vampire, part human. We need to speak to them as they have information that can help us. You see, the woman to my right," he points to me. "She is my mate, she's newly a vampire, but before she became such she gave birth to my children. We need to know more about them. Please, will you help us?"
Suddenly there's movement ahead of us and a woman jumps down from one of the trees and steps out so we can see her. She can't be more than seventeen. She has pale olive skin, long black hair tied back in a braid and her face is softly rounded with high cheekbones and lush full lips. Her eyes are scarlet, indicating she hunts humans. She clearly doesn't trust us though and I have to wonder why.
"Show me the children. I do not trust you and will not until you can prove that you have them and they are what you say. Vampires do no good. They are liars. Prove to me you are not liars."
I move Carlie from my back as Jasper does the same with Micah and we move them further into the light, though we don't let go of them, and her red eyes move to them. She takes them in, sight, smell and hearing. Then she looks back at Jasper and shrugs. "So you are not liars, yet. Two of you may come with the children. The rest must stay here. Follow me."
She disappears into he trees and Jasper and I follow, Carlie back on my back, Micah back on Jasper's- they cling tightly and we fly through the trees. They love getting around like this. It's what we do when they get tired during our hunts. We catch her up ten feet into the trees and follow her for about five minutes until we come upon a small hut.
We hear the hybrid before we see it. When we get closer a man comes out of the hut. He is only slightly taller than the woman. His skin is browner, but he has black hair and teak eyes. His face is squarer, his jaw soft, chin rounded and he has high cheekbones and a prominent brow bone. His nose is short and wide at the base while the woman's is longer and thinner.
He looks at her in confusion. Then he asks her something in Spanish and she replies. When he speaks again it's in English. "My aunt says you are here to seek answers about the children with you. How is it you came to have them? Is my father giving us away now?" Before either of us can answer his aunt speaks again.
"These vampires are mates, Nephew. They sought us out to learn more about the children. They are theirs not Joham's. They are of no relation to you. That is why I brought them. We have never seen anyone like you that isn't created by your sire. I figured I would leave it up to you if you wished to help them."
He looks at us closer then, especially at the twins. Even more so at Carlie than Micah. I don't like that, but I won't ruin our chances of getting answers so I keep my mouth shut for now. As he continues studying us for another minute at least, seemingly making a decision, I begin to fret. Please don't let him turn us away, I have to have answers to my questions. I can't live anymore without knowing how long I will have my children. It feels like an eternity before he nods and gestures towards the hut. "Please come inside. I will answer your questions."
We follow him inside. The hut is sparsely furnished, he needs to sleep but his 'aunt' does not. There are few modern comforts, but there are books and a few battery powered items like a radio. Now that we are in the light I study them more. He is tall and lean, wearing animal skins like her. He also looks to be seventeen and I wonder how old he really is. He indicates to a table with two chairs and I take a seat while Jasper stands behind me and Carlie and Micah sit on my lap.
"Introductions first. That is the way of things, yes? I am Nahuel. The woman you met first is my biological aunt, Huilen. And you are?"
Jasper speaks for us and I defer to him, no need for us both to speak since we both know the questions we wish to ask. "My name is Jasper Hale and this is my mate Bella and our twins Micah and Carlie."
Both Nahuel and Huilen look surprised for a moment and it leads me to believe twins aren't something that has happened before. "Twins you say? But they do not look alike. I know nothing about how things like that work. We don't get out of the Parque that much. I learn whatever I can and my sisters bring me books and such and teach me some about the outside world. But I prefer to remain here for the most part, only going into a village to find work to make a little money for some special things- like my radio. I grow my own human food and hunt for my meat. I admit I am surprised their mother survived to be changed. Especially after what happened to my mother and to my sister's mothers."
I see Huilen's facial expression darken a moment before it returns to impassive. Clearly whatever happened to her sister angers her and she blames her nephew, but she obviously cared for him after his birth. And how did she become a vampire?
"I can see you are questioning how my aunt is a vampire. Perhaps you can tell me your story and then I will tell you mine."
Jasper
As Bella has deferred to me I tell him about how Bella and I met, the trials we have been through and discovering her pregnancy and the end results. They listen quietly and when I finish he looks at his aunt with guilt. "I wish we knew that my birth didn't have to be so violent, maybe then she would be alive. I don't think I can ever forgive Joham for what he did."
At first she looks angry, but then she lays a hand on his shoulder. "Nor I. He has much to answer for. But what happened is in the past. Perhaps we can give this couple more information and they can prevent what happened to my sister from happening again. They say they are friends of the Volturi. That there is a tracker that came here looking for us, that would probably be the male vampire we hid from. Perhaps he can find your sire and end his little experiments."
"Perhaps Aunt. I think it should be you to tell our story. You know more than I do, having seen it all first hand."
"Yes, perhaps I should." She takes a seat on the bed and sighs deeply, whatever story she has to tell us must be a hard one. When she's finally prepared, she tells us about what happened to her sister.
"Pire and I were born into the Mapuche tribe in Argentina almost 170 years ago, I was the older by a year. She was known for being incredibly beautiful which unfortunately meant she attracted the attention of the vampire named Joham. He was around his forties, black haired and extremely obsessive- a most curious person, with an ever curious, scientific mind. We have come to know that he has a deep interest of the vampire world and what it might accomplish. This curiousity was what motivated him to father half-human half-vampires. He courted her as a man would a woman and my sister fell in love with him. He seduced my sister and impregnated her with their son.
"I learned later that he thinks of humans as nothing more than food and of no value while thinking himself and his kind gods, much like the way you described these Romanians you fought. Despite that, he is still careful with his actions, probably why he hasn't been caught yet. He is also an avid liar, which is why I think all vampires are liars- although you have proved me wrong about yourselves at least. He has never failed in his goals, that is until he sent Serena- Nahuel's eldest sister- to collect Nahuel and I kept her from him. That was his first failure, Nahuel's reaction to his origin and Joham's connection to Pire and her death.
"He believes he is creating a super-race, and wanted to use Pire to have another child- Serena was his first but then he had another daughter before Nahuel named Maysun and then there's the youngest, Jennifer, but he wanted a son most. Just like all of their mothers, he abandoned my sister right after she told him she was pregnant. He only stayed long enough to ensure she conceived. But she didn't know that, at first. She came to me and we fled our village because we knew our people, even our own parents, would kill her and her unborn child. We came here and built a different hut not far from the eventual home of this one, close to a sister tribe. We had hoped for their help, and they did help us at first- but they got word of what happened and shunned us as well. She searched for Joham, but eventually gave up- it broke her heart. I hate him for that.
"I hunted for her, we learned fairly quickly the child needed blood to survive. Despite the pain and harm he was putting her through, Pire never stopped loving her son. She named him Nahuel, after the jungle cat, because he was so strong. We lived in that hastily fashioned hut, until the day he ripped himself from her womb and she died. We didn't know that we could potentially cut her open, but then you said that your father had to bite through the sac surrounding your twins so that knowledge still wouldn't have helped. Pire, in her last moments, begged me to raise him. I agreed to do so, though reluctantly I will admit. I hated Nahuel, blamed him for her death. I loved my sister very much."
At that point Nahuel rises and goes to his aunt, wrapping his arms around her. Clearly her hate has lessened and she loves him. She hugs him back and then returns to her story. "When I went to pick the squalling infant up, Nahuel bit me and turned me into a vampire. I crawled deep into the forest and waited painfully for death, but it didn't come. For the three days it took me to turn, Nahuel slept beside me. Later on we built this hut and we've lived here since. I never desired his blood, I don't know why. Perhaps you can tell me? Anyway, I have raised him, as I promised my sister. I taught him to respect and value humans, unlike his sire.
"Nahuel blames himself for his mother's death, he sees himself as an evil creation. But perhaps seeing you and hearing your story he can now lay that ideal to rest. I ceased hating him a long time ago. I no longer blame him for Pire, I blame Joham. It is his fault. Promise me you will speak to the leaders of this world and get them to hunt him down. It may hurt Nahuel's sisters, as they love him. They don't see the wrong in what he has done because Serena was raised by him- so he could see how she developed- and she in turn raised them. I am sure had she raised Nahuel he would see nothing wrong in what Joham is doing either, but thankfully I saved him from the man that claims him as son. But no matter have badly it may hurt them, Joham must be stopped. He must!"
Walking over to where they sit I take her hands in mine and squat down to look her in the eyes so she can see my sincerity. "I promise. He will not get away with what he has done. He is breaking the law now. The brothers put in place a new law addressing hybrids and what Joham has done, impregnating human women indiscriminately, is now against that law. They have decided that any woman willing to be surrogate for a vampire couple or any human like my mate that becomes pregnant may do so, but it must be their choice and it must be a woman who wishes to become a vampire. I just feel you should know this. Since it may mean more hybrids in our world one day.
"Perhaps Nahuel could even find someone to love? As well as you. You have both been so alone here it seems. I know what it's like to live that way. To have love, but not have the type of love you find with a mate. Finding my Bella has been the greatest gift in my life. So in return for my promise, promise me that you will leave this place every once in a while. Ok?"
"I don't know how well I could keep that promise, but you have helped me see that not all vampires are bad. That they do not all lie, so perhaps I may one day find one meant for me. Thank you for coming here and showing us these things. Now, I am sure you have questions. Please ask them and we will answer as well as we can."
I return to my place behind Bella and begin to ask the questions we agreed on. "You said Nahuel bit you, so that means he's venomous. Are his sisters?"
Nahuel speaks this time. "It is probably best I answer that, my aunt doesn't have much contact with my sisters. No they are not. Only I am. So your son will probably be the only one as well."
"Ok. How old are you and when did you reach that age. You're obviously immortal since you are as old as I am almost."
"That is easy. It took me seven years to reach my maturity of the age of seventeen. That is when I stopped aging, and yes I am immortal."
"Do you eat blood and human food like our two?"
"Yes. But I consume human blood. We did not know there was another way to survive."
I nod and continue. "Can your sisters or you have children?"
"I truly can't answer that. Joham tried to mate my sisters with vampires but those vampires seemed to have trouble controlling their thirst around my sisters, which is strange as they seemed to be the only ones with that issue. Perhaps it means that my sisters biology prevents all but those meant for them to breed with them? I have never tried. I didn't want to put another through what my mother went through and of course I would not know if hybrids can have children together because the only other hybrids are my sisters, until now that is."
The way he's eyeing Carlie forces me to reveal why I asked if they could have children. "I ask that because our daughter is the imprint of the true pack alpha of Washington State's Quileute tribe. We figured the only way his genes would allow him to choose her to strengthen his is if she can indeed have children. Perhaps one day we will be able to answer that question for you."
He looks a little disappointed but quickly recovers. It would have done no good for him to have hopes that he may be allowed to pursue my daughter one day. "Yes, perhaps you could. Or if I learn before you I can tell you. I must admit that I would like to keep in touch with you all."
"We would like that. For now we live in Forks, Washington. But in another year or two we will probably move on. We will always let you know where though if you wish."
"I'd greatly appreciate that, I have a cellular phone, though I don't use it really. I have it to speak with my sisters from time to time. I can give you the number before you leave. Was that all you wished to know?"
"I have one more question. Did your growth slow as you got older? Or after a specific amount of time?"
"I grew rather fast in the very beginning. Aging, as your twins did, years in mere months. About halfway through the first year though my growth rate had slowed significantly, so much so that by the time the first year of my life was over I looked only twelve, then I grew about a year and a half during years two and three and then my growth rate slowed even further so that I grew only a half a year in the final three until reaching the age of seventeen at seven years, as I previously stated."
I nod, satisfied to know that my children will be with us forever. I got to thank them for their time when Bella speaks up. "Do you ever get sick?"
"I have never been sick a day in my 150 years. I do get injured, but it heals quickly unless it is a bad injury. Then I have to drink blood to help it heal faster. I am sure I can be killed easier than my aunt, but it takes a lot to hurt me too badly. I can wrestle the jungle cats I am named for and feel their teeth and claws in my flesh, but it does not hurt me badly enough to kill me."
She nods and stands with our twins and we say our goodbyes. "Thank you Nahuel, Huilen. We appreciate your willingness to help us very much. If you ever need anything, let us know. You are even welcome to join our family someday if you wish. We must go now though. It's time for these two to be in bed. We hope to see you again one day." Bella shakes their hands, as do I and we walk out the door.
As we run back to our family we can't help but feel immensely relieved to know the answers to those questions we deemed most important for the most part. It still leaves some questions unanswered, those that can only be answered through our children, and it also raised a concern. Keepibg Micah from biting any humans not his potential mate, but at least now our true worries are over. I for one can bask in the knowledge that, for now, we can live our lives in peace. After all, there's always the teenage years to come. If they're anything like I had been, those years will be rough.