Chapter Twenty-five
Mynxi is an amazing beta and an even better friend.
A huge thank you to Team Malcolm! NewTownGirl "translated" Malcolm's dialog into a Scottish accent for me, and Pyejammies and chedoo28 were kind enough to pre-read and further advise me on making him sound natural. Unfortunately, mynxi pointed out that a lot of my fellow Americans would have a tough time with the heavy Scottish accent, so I softened things a little. Any resulting inaccuracies are all my own, and have no reflection on Team Malcolm!
Twilight is the property of Stephanie Meyer.
JPOV
I ran quickly down the steep mountainside into the clearing ahead, Peter on my heels. I was done hunting, but after being cooped up taking care of Bella for three days, I was really enjoying the time outside. Peter and I spent awhile wrestling, blowing off the frustration we had experienced during Bella's illness by tackling each other.
I stopped suddenly, grinning as Peter had to stop short to avoid colliding with me. "Watch yourself," I teased. Before he could reply, his cell phone rang. He shook his head negatively at my questioning glance, indicating he didn't recognize the number.
His face broke into a smile as he answered, greeting the caller. Blatantly listening to the conversation, I was thrilled to find out that Peter was speaking to an old acquaintance named Graham, who had recently come across the vampire whisperer in person. Peter's friend told the mysterious vampire we were looking for him and passed along Peter's contact information. Peter thanked Graham before hanging up and clapping me on the shoulder.
"Told you I had a good feeling," he said enthusiastically. "Now we just have to wait for Malcolm to call, and convince him to help us."
"I hope it will really be that simple," I said calmly. Inside, I was thrilled with the progress on the Alice situation. I wanted nothing more than to move forward with Bella, but it was difficult to do that with thoughts of Alice's suffering hanging over us. I knew it wasn't my fault or responsibility, but I would rest easier after I knew I had done everything possible to help the woman I spent so many years loving.
"You worry too much," he answered, rolling his eyes and tossing a small rock at me. Automatically, I reached up to catch it, but it disintegrated upon impact. Before I could return the attack, I was struck by a powerful sense of dread.
"I feel it too," Peter hissed at me, both of us turning toward home. Our feet flew as we ran toward the house, the sickening feeling growing heavier with every step. The scent hit me full blast when I reached the edge of our property.
"Edward," I spat out to Peter, before the sound of Bella's pleading distracted me. We crossed the yard in a flash, reaching the back door in time to see Edward try to pull Bella away from Charlotte. Char's warning came too late, and I watched in horror as Bella refused to release her grasp on Char's arm. My fear for her transformed into rage when I saw Edward gave a quick yank, dislocating Bella's shoulder with a sickening 'pop'.
Running toward Bella, I quickly shoved a huge wave of her pain and fear at Edward. He groaned, released Bella's arm, and dropped to the floor, immobilized by the emotions. 'This is what you are causing her to feel,' I thought to him, before focusing all of my attention on Bella. She staggered in pain, and I reached her just in time to catch her.
"I'm so sorry, Jasper," Charlotte whispered. "I didn't think he would be so careless with her, and I couldn't warn her to let go in time."
"It's not your fault, Char. He knows how easy it is to hurt her. He never should have laid a hand on her while he was so upset," I answered firmly, running my hands over Bella to check for more injuries. Her eyes were glassy and vacant, although she was looking frantically around the room.
"I'm so sorry, Bella," Edward moaned from his position on the floor. "I didn't mean to hurt you." Bella stiffened at the sound of his voice, clenching my shirt tightly in her good hand.
The sound of his voice enraged me, but I forced myself to focus on taking care of Bella. 'Shut up,' I warned him. 'If you speak again, I'm going to let Peter remove your head for hurting his wife.' I shot another wave of fear and lethargy at him, hoping it would be enough to keep him out of our heads while I tended to Bella's injuries.
"Bella, look at me," I pleaded, turning her face gently toward me. She stared through me, her little heart beating as rapid as a humming bird's. I repeated her name several times before she finally snapped out of it and reached up to touch my face. I could feel her fear increasing, and I saw the tears begin to escape her brown eyes as she tried to tell me what happened.
Breaking into sobs, she collapsed into my arms, so I carefully carried her over to the couch. I sat her next to Charlotte, hoping she would feel better once she realized that her friend wasn't seriously injured. Edward growled as I passed him, but I ignored the sound, keeping my focus on Bella's well-being rather than my desire to make him pay for hurting her.
Peter was vibrating in rage because of the injuries his mate and the woman he loved as a sister had sustained, but he was doing a great job keeping it together. Char tried to reassure Bella that she would be fine, but I could still feel Bella's panic growing worse.
I began to push some calm toward her, but I immediately stiffened when I heard the sound of footsteps approaching the front of the house. Peter tensed beside me. "Vampire, not a scent I recognize," he said, his words clipped with tension. "Give me a break," I muttered, as we listened to the footsteps slow down as they neared the remnants of the front door.
I felt the wave of intense curiosity from the newcomer even as he spoke. "Well now, it appears that I might've come at a bad time." His voice was deceptively lighthearted, but I could feel his discomfort and confusion at what he was seeing. "I'm Malcolm, and I hear tell you've been lookin' fer me."
He stepped into the house over the wrecked door, and I took in his appearance, mentally sizing him up in case he was a threat. He was shorter than Peter and I, but he looked as if he had been solid muscle before he was changed into a vampire. Even without the accent, I could visualize him as a human man, leading a bunch of kilted warriors onto the battlefield, his broadsword raised defiantly at whoever opposed him.
His hair was dark and unruly, falling in waves below his ears. It set off the most startling feature about him, his amber eyes. I had no expectation that he would be an animal drinker, and I wondered at the circumstances that had led him to this lifestyle.
"Want me to handle this while you keep an eye on your brother there?" Peter asked calmly. I simply nodded at him, focusing on keeping Edward immobilized and easing Bella's fears. She was staring at Malcolm in amazement, as if she just couldn't process his actual presence.
Peter walked slowly toward the front door, keeping his posture non-confrontational and leaving Malcolm with plenty of space to move around. He clearly shared my assessment of Malcolm as a warrior, and was doing everything possible to diffuse the tense situation.
"Greetings, Malcolm. I'm Peter Whitlock," he said quietly, oozing Southern charm with each word. "This is my wife Charlotte, my brother Jasper, and my sister Bella," he explained, indicating each of us in turn. "You're correct. We have been searching for you, hopin' you can help a friend of ours. We apologize for the chaos you walked in on. As you can see, we have an uninvited guest, and I was wonderin' if you might give us a few minutes to get situated before we get down to business."
I felt Malcolm's flash of humor at Peter's description of our situation. "Far be it frae me to stick ma nose in yer family troubles," he answered with a small smile. "Dinnae fash yerself, I'll jus' sit yonder till ye get this settled."
"It's much appreciated," Peter said politely, walking back towards us. Malcolm followed Peter's movements, his amber eyes finally resting on Bella. He stared at her intently, but I felt no malevolence toward her. Instead, he regarded her with a detached sense of curiosity.
Peter sat down beside us, causing Bella to wince in pain. "We need to get you to a hospital," I said softly, desperately wishing I had returned in time to prevent her injury.
"I can wait," she answered hoarsely. "I don't want to delay your conversation with Malcolm. If he gets tired of waiting, we might miss our only chance to help Alice."
"Peter can handle it," I insisted. "You're in pain; I'm not going to make you wait to get medical attention and feel better." She began to shake her head before the pain stopped her movement short.
"If yer lass be willing, I ken how tae set her shoulder and save ye the trip." Malcolm's clear voice rang across the room. Peter and I shot a glance at each other before I spoke up.
"That's a kind offer," I began, quickly grasping for words that wouldn't offend him. Eventually, I decided to go with a direct and honest approach. "Do you have any experience relocating a human's shoulder?"
Thankfully, he met my question with a broad smile. "Och aye. Was a common ill in battle back when I were human, an' I set many a shoulder right afore my change. Wain't be hard tae pop such a wee airm back in tae place."
He was perfectly confident in his ability, but I was concerned that he wouldn't be able to moderate his strength to allow for Bella's fragile human body. Peter chirped in before I could properly phrase my worry.
"You realize she's breakable, right?" he asked bluntly. "It was a tiny little tug from this asshole here that got her in this situation. Wouldn't want her to get hurt any worse," he stated unapologetically.
"I willnae hurt yer lass," Malcolm assured me quietly before meeting Bella's gaze. "And I willnae be offended if ye say no, but yer pain will be much less when it's back warr it belongs."
Bella looked back at him for a long minute before nodding her head affirmatively. "Let's do it," she said firmly.
Malcolm crossed the room to join us, but before he reached us, Edward pulled himself out of the emotional stupor I had put him in to protest. "You can't seriously be considering allowing this stranger to touch her!" he shouted, trying in vain to sit up. "He could tear her arm off! And," he continued, outrage pouring off him in waves, "Why does Alice need help?"
I struggled valiantly to keep my temper in check. There was simply too much going on at the moment for me to give in to my desire to punish him for hurting Bella. Closing my eyes, I quickly counted to a million in hopes of distracting myself from my anger. Peter's hand on my shoulder caused me to open them in a flash.
"If ya don't mind, I'd like to handle this too, Jasper," Peter said conversationally. His tone was at odds with his predominant emotion, which was barely contained rage. Nodding my head at him, I simply ordered, "We're short on time. Don't make a mess."
"No worries. I'm just gonna give him a little warning, that's all. Ya mind lettin' your little mind-meld go for a minute? I want him to feel this."
Shrugging my shoulders, I ceased the emotional onslaught that was holding Edward immobilized. In a flash, Peter was on him, his fist flying into Edward's face faster than even I could see. The impact shattered all of Edward's cheek and dislocated his jaw.
"I thought with the mind reading, ya would have figured out who you're fuckin' with here," Peter said cordially to Edward, leaning over him as he attempted to retreat. "But clearly, you need a little reminder." Peter's arm whipped out, grabbing Edward's left hand and yanking viciously. Edward screamed as his shoulder joint gave way, leaving him with a mirror image of Bella and Charlotte's injuries.
Edward was writhing in agony, his emotions a mixture of shock and agony. Peter stood over him, placing a booted foot on his chest. "Now you're free to walk out that door you saw fit to tear down, and honestly, no one here will miss ya. But if you stay," Peter warned, his tone low and deadly, "Ya better keep your mouth shut and stay the fuck away from the ladies. If you so much as look like you're gonna speak to them or approach them in any way, I'll end you here and now. Now shake your head like a good boy if you understand me," he commanded, his red eyes nearly glowing with his desire to avenge his mate's injury.
Edward nodded frantically, scooting backward to lean against the wall farthest away from Peter. 'You're getting off easy, Fucker,' I thought at him, before I hit him with another dose of lethargy to keep him out of our heads for the time being.
Turning to Bella, I looked in her eyes. "Is this what you want to do?"
"Yes," she answered firmly. "Let's get it over with so we can talk to him about helping us." I nodded briefly at Malcolm, reassured by the quiet confidence he was feeling, despite the violence that had just occurred.
"Will be easier on ye if ye lie doon, lass," he told Bella quietly. I quickly picked her up, laying her down on the couch so that her injured side was facing outward. Char stood up to make room for me next to Bella, and I sent her a shot of gratitude. I sat beside Bella's head, holding her good hand in mine and looking down into her eyes.
"It's nae like on the telly, where they jus' snap it back in real quick like," Malcolm said gently to her. "I'll hav' tae move it back in tae the joint slowly, and it'll bloody hurt while I do it. But wanse it's back in, ye'll feel much better."
"I know," Bella answered calmly. "It's happened before." I shot her a sharp glance, and she gave me an apologetic look. "I had a couple of accidents when I lived in Vegas," she explained evasively.
"Well than, yer the big man," Malcolm said cheerfully. "Hold tight to yer laddie's hand now."
Bella's warm little hand clung to mine, and she closed her eyes as Malcolm reached out for her injured arm. I watched the pain etch itself into her face, as he slowly and smoothly moved her arm across her body and back out. She began to whimper and tears oozed out of her tightly closed eyes before I finally heard the tiny 'pop' of her shoulder returning to its proper position in the socket.
"All done, Lass," Malcolm said soothingly. "Ye did well, I've had big, brawny lads weep like bairns when I set their sword arm."
Bella nodded stiffly, brushing tears away with her good hand, as I gently helped her into a sitting position. He glanced at me, and I felt his sharpened curiosity about Bella. "That's wan interesting wee human there. She's a mighty powerful shield an' she'll make a bonnie vampire."
Edward snarled from his position on the floor, and Peter shot him a warning glance.
"Peter, would you go in our bathroom and grab the bottle of prescription painkillers in the cabinet?" I asked, wanting to talk to Malcolm quickly and get Bella into bed so she could rest.
"Sure thing," he answered quickly.
"Grab that Ace bandage in there, too," Char ordered. "She should have a sling, but that'll have to wait until the pharmacy opens."
He nodded and returned quickly. We dosed Bella with leftover pain medication from her K2 attack, and I gently wrapped the elastic bandage around her arm. Once she was as comfortable as we could make her, I turned back to Malcolm, who was waiting patiently for us to finish.
"Thank you for your help and for your patience," I began. "We've been looking for you because Peter here saw you in action once, and he thought you might be able to help someone we know." I briefly filled him in on Alice's condition and my understanding of how she came to be that way, as well as what had been tried to help her. "She was completely beyond the reach of my ability," I explained. "Peter described how you handled a wild newborn he ran into once, and we thought you might have some insight on her situation."
I felt Malcolm's sharpened curiosity at my explanation as well as Edward's shock and despair at the news of his favorite sister's condition. 'What?' I sneered at him in my head. 'Don't tell me Carlisle and Esme never told you she was in bad shape. They've been struggling with her for months now. They could have used your help.'
"I never knew," he whispered pathetically. "I stopped listening to the messages they left. I would just text them periodically from a pay-as-you-go cell phone to let them know I still existed."
Noticing that Malcolm was watching Edward and me intently, I returned my attention to him. "Will you try to help her?" I asked, desperately hoping he would agree.
He met my gaze and I waited for his answer. "I cannae promise that I'll be able tae dae her any good," he began. "I havenae come across anything like what ye've described before, and I dinnae know that my abilities will be any more effective than yers were. But it's nae problem to meet the lass and try. Is she still in New York then?"
"Yes," I answered, feeling profound relief. "We'd be glad to charter a jet for you."
He smiled but shook his head negatively. "I'll be glad ter ride in yer jet," he answered cheerfully, "But I'll need ye to join me. I'm nae willing ter go through all this vex fer a stranger if it's nae worth it tae you to help in whatever ever way ye can."
Feeling Bella tense beside me, I quickly answered, "I'm not going anywhere without Bella, and I don't think it's safe for her to be around Alice."
He regarded me placidly, his silence making it clear that he wasn't budging on this issue.
"Jasper, I'll come with you," Bella said drowsily. "I'll stay in a hotel while you guys fix Alice. I'll be fine."
"I don't like it, Sweetheart," I answered honestly. "The thought of leaving you alone doesn't feel right."
"Well then, I guess Char and I will just come along to keep Bella company, while you guys straighten out the pixie," Peter said amiably.
"See, no problem," Bella said happily. The pain medication was clearly making her warm and fuzzy. I was happy that she was relaxed and comfortable after the trauma she had experienced today.
Peter's offer provided me with some relief, but I still had an uncomfortable feeling about bringing Bella along. "I still don't like it, but if you're going to insist on me coming with you…" I paused, looking at Malcolm, who just nodded in reply, "Then I have no choice but to live with it."
"Aye, alright, when can we leave?" he asked.
Looking down at the drowsy woman in my lap, I sighed. "I'm not willing to go any sooner than tomorrow morning. She needs rest after all she's been through."
"Fair enough," the mysterious vampire answered. "I'll see ye in the morn then."
Peter filled him in on the location of our usual charter company and we bid him good night.
"What about me?" Edward asked waspishly, struggling against the lethargy I was still sending him.
"What about you?" I replied shortly. "I'm quite certain Carlisle's black card will get you on the next flight to Syracuse. I suggest you use it."
"I don't know, J," Peter said hesitantly. "I feel like we need to keep a close eye on him. Might be better if he travels with us instead."
Feeling my temper beginning to shred at yet another obstacle, I barked out my answer. "Fine, you can fly with us. But," I warned, my voice breaking into a growl, "If you make trouble, I will throw you out of the plane, consequences be damned."
I felt the frustration and anger pouring off of him in waves before he answered. "I have no intention of causing trouble, Jasper. I came here because I thought the girl I love was in danger."
"How did you find us out here anyway?" Peter interjected, his relaxed drawl masking his intense desire to know how we had left ourselves vulnerable.
"I couldn't take being away from her anymore," Edward answered, his voice full of the despair he was feeling. "I couldn't force myself to stay away, so I went back to Forks. I told myself I was just going to check on her, that if she was okay, I would leave without her even knowing I was there."
I allowed myself to feel pity for the pain he was experiencing. This was all a direct consequence of his choices, but I knew first-hand how it felt to lose the love of your life.
"When I got there, her house was full of strangers," he continued, his voice hollow and detached. "So I went to the library to check the newspapers. I read about Charlie's death and Bella's disappearance, but I couldn't really believe it. I went to the cemetery to check for myself, but as soon as I got there, Bella's scent hit me like a ton of bricks. I could smell other vampires, but I couldn't pin down if they were familiar or not because of the awful scent of those Quileute dogs."
Bella tensed beside me at the mention of the shape-shifters. I gently took her hand in mine, allowing our peace to flow over us. Edward's eyes narrowed at us, and I could almost feel him trying to get inside my head to find out what was going on between Bella and me.
"So how'd you make the connection between Forks and here?" Peter prompted, causing Edward to reluctantly pull his attention away from us.
"I went to our house to regroup, and you can imagine my surprise when I smelled all of your scents there," Edward answered drily. "I figured out that she was with the three of you, but I could smell her blood everywhere. Frantic with worry, I followed her faint scent to your hotel. From there, it was just a matter of reading the thoughts of the humans that waited on you to connect the dots and trace you to the charter company. I charmed the secretary there into giving me your address, and here I am."
His eyes returned to mine, and I could feel the combination of anger and despair that he was experiencing. "So, Jasper," he said in a taunting tone, "You have the story of how I got here. I feel like you owe me some sort of any explanation now. I'm pretty certain that I clearly ordered everyone to leave Bella alone before we left Forks. Yet here we all sit, and I just can't imagine how this happened if you left her alone."
His voice was a snarl by the time he finished speaking, and he was leaning forward, tension pouring off of him in waves. Rolling my eyes, I pushed more lethargy at him until he finally relaxed against the wall again.
Turning to Bella, I raised my eyebrow in unspoken question. Personally, I agreed that we owed Edward an explanation, but in the end, Bella was driving this bus. There was no way I was going to go against her wishes in dealing with Edward.
"Go ahead," she whispered. "Let him see what his choice was." Her emotions were muted, probably due to a combination of shock, pain medication, and her natural shield. However, I could feel traces of anger, pain, and pity from her every once in awhile. She pulled our joined hands up to her lips and turned my hand palm up before placing a kiss on it.
At the touch of her mouth, I felt her push the love that she was feeling toward me. Grateful for the reassurance that seeing Edward face to face hadn't changed her feelings, I repeated the motion on her hand, pushing my own adoration to her.
Edward continued to radiate outrage, so I decided to just get it over with. I pulled back enough of the lethargy I was dosing him with to allow him into my mind. Taking an unnecessary breath, I forced myself to stop all the distracting thoughts I used to maintain my privacy around Edward. Raising my eyes to meet his, I did as Bella instructed and let him see.
I remembered in detail my first sighting of Bella, and the reason I made myself known to her. Sparing him no detail of her pain, I relived the story of her struggle since we abandoned her. Edward gasped in shock and dismay, practically writhing on the floor in misery.
I smiled unabashedly as I began to remember the gradual development of our friendship and the progression into something more that led us to this moment. Avoiding visualizing any details, I made it clear to him that Bella and I were enjoying a sexual relationship, shooting him a smirk when he snarled at me. Finally, I thought about the plans she and I were making for her change and the eternal life we would lead together after it took place.
"I'm so sorry, Bella," he said, his voice a rough imitation of his usual velvet tone. I began to feel a glimmer of hope that he was going to handle all of this information better than any of us had anticipated. For Bella's sake, I hoped that he would be able to make a smooth transition from her ex love to friendly acquaintance. An apology was certainly a good place to start.
Bella stared at him in silence, and he spoke again. "I'm so sorry," he repeated. "None of this was supposed to happen. You were supposed to be safe, live your natural life. Fall in love, get married, raise a family," he went on.
My initial optimism sank with every word. Peter began to chuckle quietly, muttering "Wrong answer, fucker," under his breath. Still Edward kept talking, his outraged disbelief growing exponentially every second.
"I never could have imagined that instead you would end up working with strippers," he continued. "Wearing cheap clothes, having sex, with him!" he shouted, pointing at me. "You have no idea what he is, what he's capable of, Bella!"
"Careful there, Son," Peter said causally, standing up and stalking across the room toward Edward. "You don't wanna lose control of your temper around her. It won't end pretty for you, if ya' do."
Feeling Edward's desperate rage increasing, I quickly pushed enough lethargy at him to immobilize him and keep him out of our heads.
"How dare you?" The room was silent for a moment before Bella's voice rang out loud and clear. "How dare you come here and judge me?"
"Now you're in for it, Eddie boy," Peter's dry voice interjected. Silently agreeing with him, I kept my mouth shut and got ready for Bella to speak her piece.
AN-
I hope I found the right balance with the Scottish! For those who aren't familiar with Scottish slang, here's a few translations!
Dinna fash yerself= Don't worry
ken= know
Thanks again to Team Malcolm- you lasses were great! Thank you for helping me bring Malcolm to life on paper the way he was in my head!
My Dearest MM, thank you for helping me figure out what I really meant to say. I would be a mess without you!
My rec of the day is Not All Who Wander Are Lost by stitchcat. Her Bella writes an awesome blog! (I love blogs!) Anyway, the story would be worth reading just to follow the blog, but there's also a chivalrous Jasper with a mysterious past! Yum, right?
Thanks for reading- love you all!
-heavy