Chapter Twenty Five

Jasper

Everything had fallen into place for us, the extended Whitlock family as Peter liked to call it. We found a rambling old ranch with five bedrooms and a huge amount of land which we used to raise horses, or at least Peter and I did. Emmett had tried his hand at shoeing horses when the guy came out and had decided he liked it so had trained to become a bona fide farrier and now travelled to other nearby ranches when needed. Of course the fact he was almost as big and far stronger than any of the horses he came across helped tremendously. Charlotte and Rose had started their own business in vintage clothing and replica clothing for parties, the stage, and even some costumes for a film company. Bella and I still spent a good deal of our time together, we had a lot of catching up to do and I knew Charlie played on her mind a lot. She helped the girls with the packing and posting off of the clothes they made or sourced but hadn't found anything she wanted to become involved with yet. I explained it would take time, she had spent her whole time as a vampire working in Italy for the Volturi and she needed to find her own way in the human world.

I should have realized that things were going a little too smoothly for us and sure enough the first signs of trouble came a few days after we decided on a road trip, all of us, to Colorado. Bella had never been there and the hunting opportunities were great in the Rocky Mountain National Park. Peter and Emmett were psyching themselves up for bear while the girls were interested in visiting some of the towns nearby on shopping expeditions for their business. When the phone rang Peter answered it being closest and I saw his frown as he turned to me,

"It's the twisted pixie, she wants to talk to Bella. I can tell her to screw herself if you like."

I shook my head and held up my hand for the phone which he launched across the room with an oath.

"I always feel like something slimy has been crawling across me when I've spoken to your ex Major."

I ignored his hostility to Alice, it was old hat by now, and answered,

"Alice?"

"Jazz? I wasn't sure whether to ring or not. I saw Bella's father, he's sick although I'm not clear what's wrong.. Do you think she'd want to know?"

"I'll tell her, thanks. How long do we have?"

"I'm not sure. About three, four, days but Jazz..."

"Go on"

"They don't find him for a few days, you know he's more or less a recluse. If Bella doesn't go he'll die alone.

"I understand. Thanks Alice"

I put the phone down and turned to Peter who still looked uneasy,

"You think she's telling the truth?"

"Why would she lie about something like that?"

"Who knows with her, it could be a set up"

"For what Peter?"

"Who the fuck knows? A trap for Aro, the Volturi snatch squad, Edward the ass hole..."

"Or Charlie getting sick and being alone. You and the others go on ahead, I'll speak to Bella and we'll meet up with you later. I'm sure she's going to want to help Charlie if she can."

Bella

I knew there was something up when Peter patted my shoulder as he passed me in the hallway and Jazz looked very serious.

"Is there a problem Jazz?"

"Alice rang"

"Oh why?"

I felt my jealousy rise immediately, she may be Jaspers ex but I still hated to hear her name and the thought of her talking to him really got to me. He came over and pulled me into an embrace burying his face in my hair and breathing deeply before answering me.

"Darlin' nobody matters except you. She rang to speak to you anyway."

"Me? What makes her think I'd want to speak to her?"

"She was ringing to tell you she'd seen Charlie, he's ill and likely to be alone. She just thought you should know, what you decide to do is down to you but I've told Peter we'll catch up with the others just in case you wanted to visit Forks. It will have to be a covert visit but its your choice."

Suddenly I felt very guilty for ignoring Charlie since Jazz and I got together, I'd been so wrapped up in our new life together. Charlie was alone and hurting, still grieving and feeling guilty for my death and now he was sick.

"I have to go Jazz."

He stroked my cheek and kissed me very gently.

"I'll get the car, we'll leave straight away."

"Is it that urgent?"

"Alice thought we had two or three days but I guessed you'd want to get there before he was taken ill. It could be difficult if he goes into hospital."

I nodded understanding what he meant, I couldn't be seen in Forks or Port Angeles by anyone who had known me years ago.

Jasper

Peter and the others offered to accompany us but in the end we decided that Bella and I would go and let the others know what was happening but they would carry on to Colorado as planned. Everyone stood on the porch to see us off and wish Bella all the best although we all knew she was going to say goodbye to her father, he was coming to the end of his human life. As we drove Bella was very quite but I could feel her anxiety increase the closer we got to Forks. I reached over and squeezed her hand pulling her closer to me,

"We'll soon be there now. Do you want to go straight to the house?"

"I think we'd better park up a distance away and move in on foot, at least its dark so we wont have to wait. Jazz I'm terrified. What do I say to him? How do I explain why I've left him to his guilt all these years?"

"Bella, you were in Volterra for most of those years, you couldn't contact him."

She turned, her face a mask of misery to me,

"I could have if I really wanted to, I could have found a way but I didn't."

"Bella you have to stop torturing yourself over this. There's nothing you can do about the past but you're here now and that's the important thing. Focus on that, nothing else. I'm sure your dad will be happy that he's been wrong all these years, that you're alive."

Bella

I wish I could be as positive as Jazz but I dreaded my fathers expression of shock and horror when he saw me alive and his bitter words as he berated me for letting him suffer all these years. I had no answer for him and a part of me wanted to run now before seeing him but he was still my dad and I loved him, if I didn't go to see him now, then it would be too late and he might never know his daughter had survived. Jazz pulled up a few streets away in a parking lot at the back of a small store that was open 24/7. Getting out he came round and took my hand again.

"I'll be right by your side Bella. Come on"

I nodded, my mouth dry, and bit my lip as we moved towards my old home and my dad who was living on borrowed time although he didn't know it yet.