Chapter Twenty-seven
Mynxi is my beta. She deserves a raise.
Thank you team Malcolm for the help with the Scottish. NewTownGirl translated and Pyejammies (and her husband!) and chedoo28 pre-read. Again, I softened things a bit, so any inaccuracies are my own. For those of you who struggle with Malcolm's accent, there is a glossary at the end.
Twilight is the property of Stephanie Meyer. My ass is proud to be the property of mynxi.
JPOV
I rushed down the steps, forcing myself to keep moving away from Bella, even though all I wanted to do was run back to her. Clenching my jaw, I climbed into the waiting limo and took the empty seat next to Emmett.
"Jesus, Jasper, relax," Emmett said, taking in my obvious tension. "We're only going to be a few miles away."
I rolled my eyes at his inability to understand the fear that came with loving a fragile human. "It's incredibly difficult for me to walk away from her, Emmett," I answered tightly. "She's been through so much, and she's just now getting over her fear of abandonment.
I felt Edward's outrage at my intentional dig, and smiled as I mentally continued. "That's right, I'm talking about the fear of abandonment you gave her, Asshole." He growled quietly, but I just kept smiling.
Returning my attention to Emmett, I forced myself to relax a little. The sooner we got this over with, the sooner I could be back at Bella's side, and I was guessing that I would need a good attitude to be useful to Malcolm.
"I worry about her constantly," I admitted to Emmett. "She's so breakable; the silliest accident could take her away from me."
"I wonder why ye dinnae jist change th' lass awready," Malcolm said, leaning forward with interest. "She's clearly agreeable, sae why th' delay?"
"Plans are in the works," I answered tersely, fighting aggravation at the delay this trip was causing. "She has a few more things she wants to experience as a human, but once we get past this little interruption, we can take care of those and make her less breakable."
Edward growled at me again, the sound matching the combination of anger and despair my words were causing him. "Still worryin' about the state of her soul?" I snarked at him in my head. "Don't worry, she's a big girl, Edward. She and I will face eternity, Heaven, or Hell together."
Clearly aware of the mental torment I was inflicting on Edward, Emmett flashed me a quick grin. "Peter and Charlotte won't let anything happen to her while you're away, Jasper," he said soothingly. "She's in good hands. They'll take care of her while we take care of Alice, and you'll be back together before you know it."
"Yeah, I know," I muttered. Although I realized that Emmett was in all likelihood correct, I still felt an unusual amount of anxiety about leaving Bella. Walking away from her was always difficult, but today I felt as if I was fighting against a magnetic pull, even as the distance between us increased.
As our driver pulled the car around a tight corner, I caught the slightest scent of an unknown vampire. "Have him stop the car," I hissed, already opening the door.
Emmett restrained me gently while he used the intercom to relay the request to the driver. I cursed the slow human response time as I waited for the car to stop before exiting. As soon as I stepped out, I caught four additional vampire scents. They were clear, but faint, and I estimated them to be about a month old.
Emmett stepped out of the car to join me, confusion written all over his face. "Jasper, what the Hell? We're only five minutes from home."
I kept my mouth shut while I waited for him to pick up the scents. His nose finally caught up with mine, and he smiled his comprehension at me. "Relax," he repeated. "Those are from a group of nomads that came through here about a month ago."
"Five nomads together?" I asked in surprise. Nomads tended to travel alone or in small groups, and five was a large number.
"Yeah," Emmett replied easily. "We smelled 'em while we were out hunting and tracked them down nearby the house. They were all young, and really nervous around us. They wouldn't say much, even to Carlisle, and you know how he is. They left immediately after we spoke, and haven't been back since. They were just passing through," he assured me. "Can we please get a move on? Everyone's waiting on us."
Reluctantly, I allowed Emmett to lead me back to the car. The scents were all old and faint, but I just couldn't shake an ominous feeling about this group of young nomads. Remotely, I felt Edward's emotional turmoil and Malcolm's direct curiosity.
"Still a vigilant warrior?" the Scottish vampire asked.
"Old habits die hard, especially now that I have something precious to protect," I answered quietly. I felt an intense sadness from him in response to my words, but I chose not to press him about it in the car. "You seem to think like a fighter yourself," I suggested, recalling his attitude when he first approached us in Montana.
"Ah spent most ay mah human life fighting," he admitted. "However, mah talents hae kept me oot of conflict fur th' mos' part as a vampire."
"That's very impressive, since I can tell you've led this existence for a long time," I commented, wondering if he would satisfy my idle curiosity about his age.
He smiled, clearly aware that I was digging for more of his history. "Ah was changed in th' year 1140," he eventually admitted, his eyes staring far away in memory.
I gasped unnecessarily, unable to hide my shock at the vampire's age. For eight hundred and seventy years, the man across from me had walked the world as a vampire. It was no wonder that he seemed distant from us; with the possible exception of Carlisle, we must seem infantile to the ancient Scot.
I was distracted from our conversation by Edward's rapid glance out the car window. His emotions shifted from desperation to hope and triumph. "What's got you so cheerful?" I thought at him, aware that whatever pleased him was likely to be a problem for me. He didn't respond, but the smugness he was projecting increased as stared at me with an innocent expression. "You have no chance at getting at Bella through Peter and Charlotte," I warned him, "especially now that they know you're around. Whatever plan you're dreaming up, you should just give it up now before you get yourself in a situation you don't like."
He just rolled his eyes and continued ignoring me while Emmett and Malcolm watched our silent exchange intently. With relief, I noticed that the limo was pulling up to the Cullen home. I wished Alice nothing but good things, but this whole situation was making me extremely uneasy. The sooner I could be reunited with Bella, the happier I would be.
We all exited the car and walked toward the porch, where Rosalie, Esme, and Carlisle stood waiting. They were all radiating hope and excitement, and I truly hoped that Malcolm would fulfill their expectations.
Emmett flew up the steps to his beautiful wife, spinning her around until she smacked him on the head. I opened my mouth to introduce Malcolm to the others, but Esme's clear voice interrupted me.
"Edward!" she called out, rushing over to embrace him. He wrapped his arms around her, but his emotions were detached, as if he was thinking about something other than this reunion. "Don't ever stay out of touch like that again," Esme ordered, stepping back to look into his eyes. "We were worried sick about you. So much has happened…" she trailed off, stepping back as Edward gave her a hard look.
Edward was spared the necessity of a reply by Carlisle's approach. He embraced his son fondly, but I felt his disappointment at Edward's behavior. "Welcome home, Edward," Carlisle said softly. "We're glad you're back."
From the porch, Rosalie gave an indignant snort, glaring at Edward menacingly before stalking into the house.
"She'll come around," Esme said quietly, turning back to Edward. "How are you, Dear?"
"I'm trying to come to terms with everything," he said sadly. I snorted mentally at his play acting. He was experiencing a myriad of emotions right now, but acceptance was not one of them.
"Cut the drama, Edward," I thought at him. "Not everyone is buying the golden boy act anymore. They all know you injured Bella, and I bet they're not gonna blindly follow your lead anymore." He ignored me, but I felt a spike in the level of deception around him.
Malcolm stood beside me, watching all of this unfold with unashamed interest. "Forgive me," Esme, said, finally remembering the new vampire's presence. "We're being terribly rude in our excitement to see our son. I'm Esme Cullen," she continued, extending her hand to Malcolm as she approached us.
"Ma pleasure," Malcolm answered cheerfully, squeezing her hand gently before releasing it. His emotional reaction to her was one of polite, yet distant admiration. Carlisle quickly joined us and offered his own hand to the Scottish vampire.
"I'm Carlisle Cullen. Thank you for trying to help our Alice." Malcolm returned the handshake, regarding Carlisle intently as he did so. His emotions ran quickly from disbelief to reluctant admiration as he sized up the head of the Cullen coven.
"Malcolm Stewart," he replied easily, his calm voice at odds with his emotional assessment of Carlisle. "Ah'll dae ma best, but I cannae make ony promises." Carlisle smiled politely and turned to introduce Rosalie, who was still standing on the porch with Emmett.
"This is Rosalie Hale, Emmett's wife," Carlisle said, nodding toward Rose's silent figure. She stared hard at the dark haired vampire beside me, and he returned her gaze evenly before flashing a wide smile.
"That's a bonnie lass ye have thar," Malcolm said to Emmett, his voice reflecting the respect he was feeling for Rose. "Yer lucky tae have each other."
Emmett grinned easily back, and I felt his normal adoration for the woman that had given him this life. I was surprised, however, to hear Rose answer quietly, "I'm the lucky one." I felt the shock of the others echoing my own. Whatever had gone down between the girls back in Montana was evidently still influencing Rosalie's outlook on life.
"Shall we take you to meet Alice?" Carlisle asked quietly, taking the focus off of Rose and Emmett. Malcolm nodded his agreement, and we all followed Carlisle into the house, where Alice was sitting in the same oversized chair I had last seen her in.
Alice's riot of emotions hit me almost immediately, forcing me to brace myself against their violence. She was still experiencing a chaotic mix of anger, despair, desperation, and grief.
"Oh Alice," Edward whispered from behind me, clearly experiencing her thoughts directly. He took a half step toward her tiny body, before freezing again. "It's like she's not even in there," he whispered brokenly, looking desperately at Carlisle and Esme before returning his stare to his favorite sister. His head whipped around again as he pointed at me. "What did you do to her, to make her like this?" he snarled, his need to blame somebody written all over his face.
"I did nothing, Edward," I said, forcing myself to remain calm, despite his baiting. "She wouldn't tell me what was upsetting her. She closed herself completely off from me, leaving me no choice but to leave. I wasn't anywhere near when she started becoming unstable. I know you want to be angry with me right now, but I didn't to this."
Unwilling to justify myself to the perpetual angry teenager, I simply shook my head negatively and turned to Malcolm. He hadn't yet approached Alice to touch her, but he was already staring fixedly at her, his eyes locked on hers. I was shocked at the flood of emotions I was picking up from him. His reactions to us were usually clinical and detached, yet in front of Alice he was feeling an intense compassion.
He walked slowly toward her chair, kneeling in front of her as he reached up with one hand to gently touch her cheek. Watching him close his eyes, I was struck again by the force of his emotional reaction to her. He was experiencing sorrow and intense regret, but above all, I was picking up a vital hope from him.
"Ah, Lass, what have ye done tae yersel?" he whispered sadly, opening his eyes again. We all watched in amazement as Alice slowly turned her head to the sound of his voice and looked directly into his eyes. They both froze for a moment until he eventually brought his free hand up to gently cup her face.
"Rest now, Lass," he ordered gently. I felt everyone's shock as we watched Alice close her eyes and sag back against the chair. "Is there a bed ur sofa?" Malcolm asked, looking around the room expectantly. For a long minute, we all just stared at him.
"Is she sleeping?" Emmett finally demanded, his confusion evident in his voice.
"No, tae ma knowledge, we're no' capable of true sleep. If ye'll give me a chance tae make her mair comfortable, I'll explain what ah can," he said impatiently, clearly waiting on directions to a bed.
"Her room is this way," Esme said quickly, heading toward the stairs. Malcolm swept Alice's tiny body up in his arms, and I was struck at how normal it was for me to see my ex-wife being cared for by someone else. I guessed it was probably because my own arms were now so used to being wrapped around Bella.
We all followed Esme up to Alice's room, waiting near the doorway as Malcolm carefully lay her down on the bed. He climbed in beside her and arranged the pillows to allow him to sit beside her, keeping one hand against her face as he moved.
He looked up and smirked at Emmett, who was giving him a death glare and radiating protectiveness over Alice. "I mean nae disrespect tae her," Malcolm said dryly. "I'm using ma gift ter give her mind a chance tae rest, but I have tae touch her tae do it."
I could feel that the others were unsure about this development, so I turned to face my former family. "He's being honest," I said simply. Glancing up at Edward, I raised my eyebrow at him. "Tell them, Asshole. They're worrying unnecessarily."
"Jasper's right," Edward responded softly, not meeting my gaze. "Malcolm's only motivation is helping Alice."
I felt the Cullens' relief at Edward's words, and turned back to Malcolm. "Can you explain what's happening to her now?"
He stared down at Alice's relaxed face for a long minute before answering. "Her mind has become trapped in a brannigan of possible futures," he began, his voice sad. "Oor minds are made tae handle many thoughts at wance, but her's has become overwhelmed." He paused for a moment, looking for the words to explain to us. "She's obsessed wi' attemptin' tae alter a future she's seen, constantly lookin' fur decisions that can be changed. She's barely awaur ay onythin' goan on aroond her reit now; her only focus is on th' future she wants tae prevent."
He looked at me evenly, and I asked the question, although I already knew the answer. "She's obsessed about our future apart, isn't she?" He nodded affirmatively, and I felt crushed with guilt. "I didn't choose this though," I whispered, desperately wishing for Bella's peaceful influence. "Alice shut me out. I never would have left her otherwise. She forced me. I don't understand why she would do that if she was desperate to change it."
"We know you didn't choose this, Jasper," Emmett reassured me, clasping my shoulder gently. "We all saw how hard you tried to get her to open up, and Rose and I have seen how hard it was for you to get over losing her." I shot Emmett a burst of gratitude for saying the words I needed to hear.
Forcing myself to let go of guilt for something I couldn't change, I met Malcolm's eyes again. "Can you help her?" I demanded. "Other than allowing her mind to rest while you touch her, is there anything else you can do for her?"
He looked down at her again, and I felt a wave of surprised affection for Alice from him. "Ah think ah can help her," he finally admitted. "It'll take time, an' it'll take yer mate's shield."
I felt the relieved hope of the others wash over me while I processed his words. I still didn't like the idea of exposing Bella to Alice under these circumstances. As if he were reading my mind, Malcolm shook his head at me.
"Atween both uir talents, there's nae harm that could come tae yon Bella," he assured me. "I'll be calmin' Alice wi' mah touch an' yoo'll be ready tae whisk bella awa' at the first inklin' of danger." His words were flippant, but I could feel the sincere faith behind them.
"I'll ask her," was my only response. Everyone in the room, myself included knew that she would agree, but I wasn't about to start putting words into her mouth.
"I'll go get Bella's room ready," Esme enthused, rushing from the room. I smiled at the joy she was radiating at the news that there was hope for Alice. The others filed slowly out of the room, each experiencing their own happiness at the news. I remained in the doorway, watching Malcolm stare tenderly down at Alice.
"Your emotions are quite different toward her," I said neutrally. Internally, I was quite suspicious that Malcolm and Alice were already a mated pair, but I was curious to hear his thoughts on the matter.
He looked up at me, projecting surprise at my words. He closed his eyes for a moment, clearly looking for words. When he spoke, his voice was low and full of the intense grief he was experiencing. "Ah hae experienced this entire existence alone, Young Warrior," he began, staring past me as if I wasn't there. "The wan who changed me killed mah wife an' son. When Ah woke frae the burnin' an' saw whit he hud done, Ah killed him."
I felt a wrenching pity for his loss. I would never know the love of my own child, but I picked it up constantly from the humans around me, and I couldn't imagine the difficulty of facing an eternity bearing that pain. Unwilling to interrupt the ancient vampire, I made a mental note to ask Esme to speak to him about her own experience, in the hopes that they might bring each other comfort.
"Frae that day, Ah hae wandered this earth, learnin' aboot what Ah was as Ah did sae. Mah talent made feedin' aff ay humans unbearable, sae Ah taught myself tae feed aff animals sometime in th' first decade ay mah vampire existence. Ye ken th' isolation thes causes amang oor kind," he said, giving me a knowing look.
I nodded my agreement, clearly remembering the disbelief I encountered from Peter and Charlotte when I explained my change in diet to them. Peter was my brother in every way possible, but to this day, he was unable to understand why I lived the way I did. My respect for Malcolm increased as I imagined making the decision to live off of animals without the support of a "family" around him.
"I've hud many encoonters wi' other wanderers over the years, but I've nae experienced an emotional connection tae anither vampire I've mit. Ah thoucht mah ability tae care was extinguished wi' th' li'es ay mah precious family."
He paused for a second, and I felt both the weight of his grief and the exhilaration of his feelings for Alice. "Until Ah walked intae this hoose an' touched her. Ah cannae tell ye how, coz I've ne'er even heard 'er speak, an' her thoughts are nae her true self, but Ah ken 'at Ah will spend the rest o' ma existence carin' fur this woman."
Yep, definitely mates, I thought to myself. Reluctant to cheapen the profound admission he had made with platitudes, I gave him a respectful nod before I left the room, sending him a brief shot of my respect and gratitude as I walked away. Allowing myself a smile, I began imagining Alice's first response upon "waking" in the arms of her newly acquired knight in shining armor. I hoped it would be a smooth transition for both of them, although I knew her strong nature would probably cause quite a few bumps in the road while they got to know each other.
Wanting to say a quick goodbye before I ran back to Bella, I followed Emmett's scent through the house. Thankfully, he and Rosalie hadn't begun their "reunion", and were sitting quietly with each other waiting for me.
"I'm outta here," I began, before an intense feeling of dread knocked the breath out of me. "Bella," I whispered, my body frozen by intense fear.
"What is it?" Rosalie demanded, emitting panic as she stood and moved toward me.
Her movement broke my momentarily paralysis, and I began running out of the house, followed closely by Emmett and Rose. "Where are we going?" Emmett demanded, projecting his complete willingness to do whatever I needed him to do.
"The cabin," I barked out. "Something is very wrong with Bella." I vaguely heard Carlisle and Esme promising to join us there as soon as they finished trying to reach Edward.
"What do they mean about trying to reach Edward?" I asked sharply.
"Jasper, he disappeared while your vampire whisperer was working his mojo all over Alice," Rosalie said slowly.
Her answer caused my cold heart to clench. I couldn't believe that I had been so focused on Alice and Malcolm that I hadn't noticed Edward leaving. "Exactly when?" I demanded, dreading the answer.
"Well, no one really noticed it happen, we were all so excited about Alice," Emmett answered slowly. "Carlisle just thought Edward needed some time to himself to work through all the difficult changes in his life."
"Damn it," I growled, certain that he was somehow involved in whatever was wrong with Bella.
Emmett's eyes hardened as he finally caught up with my fears. "You think he's foolish enough to go over there and make trouble for Bella, don't you?"
My feet flying over the rough terrain, I answered honestly. "I think he's desperate, Emmett. So desperate that he hurt her unintentionally the other night, and so desperate that he's willing to do anything to get her alone."
Emmett began muttering threats under his breath, and I decided to try calling Peter. I whipped my phone out of my pocket, unsurprised when Peter didn't answer.
Please, let her be okay, I pleaded silently to any higher power that might be listening. I didn't spend much time thinking about God; the way I spent the first part of my vampire life makes faith uncomfortable for me. However, for Bella, I would pray, knowing she deserved any assistance I could send her until I had her safe in my arms again.
As we approached the little cabin, I was hit with the scents of more than twenty unfamiliar vampires.
"Jesus," Rose muttered. "How many?"
"At least twenty," I answered shortly. "But there won't be that many now." I was still sick with dread for Bella's safety in the middle of a vampire attack, but I knew that Peter and Char had faced small armies before.
Our approach brought us to the back yard of the little house, and the destruction was immediately apparent. All of the first floor windows were broken and the back door hung by one hinge. I scanned the yard, searching in vain for the sound of Bella's heart.
Dismembered vampire bodies littered the yard, and I jumped to the side as Char launched a head through the air near me. Peter grinned evilly as he faced the two remaining vampires. He waited patiently for them to attack, but when they did so he moved like lightning, beheading the first attacker before rapidly spinning to grab the second by the neck.
"Keep him alive," I growled, pushing a wave of fear and lethargy at the struggling vampire. "Where is she, Peter?" I demanded frantically.
I felt the anger, fear, and intense regret he was experiencing before he even opened his mouth. "Edward," he answered grimly. I didn't waste time pestering Peter with other questions. Turning to the whimpering vampire he was still restraining, I raised one eyebrow.
"Who sent you here?" I growled, pouring all of my anger and intimidation into the male newborn.
"Don't know the boss's name," he moaned weakly. "All the orders came through Riley over there," he said, nodding toward a decapitated body nearby. "But no one ever saw the boss."
"Why are you here?" I demanded, noticing Carlisle and Esme approaching the house. Their worry about Bella's safety amplified my own, and I snarled at the quivering vampire.
"Get the girl and bring her to the boss," the boy answered reluctantly. "That's all I know, man. They didn't tell us anything."
"Good to know," I said conversationally. Turning away, I allowed him a second of false hope before I whipped back around to sever the head from his body. Tossing both pieces into the pile that Char had already started, I turned to face the others.
Emmett and Rose were clearly shocked at my actions, but Carlisle and Esme were radiating horror at the violence they had just witnessed.
"Let's get this clear," I said coldly. "They came here and attacked my family. They allowed Edward to take my mate away from me. There is nothing I will not do to get her back and make sure these fuckers never come near her again."
Giving Carlisle a hard stare, I continued. "Edward has Bella against her will. I am going to go and get her back. You are welcome to come and help, but you need to understand that after she is safe, he will pay for taking her. Bella doesn't have the ability to teach him that lesson herself yet, so I'm gonna do that for her. I won't kill him, but he'll wish he was dead by the time I'm done. I understand if you can't help, but don't even think about standing in my way."
The Cullens all regarded me sadly, but each of them nodded their agreement. Looking up, I realized that Peter and Char had already set the remains on fire. "Let's find Bella," I said quietly, taking off at a run along the clear trail of Bella and Edwards scents.
AN-
Hope I was fast enough to make up for the cliffy! Remember, if you kill me, I can't finish the story
Check out the teaser for the Hot Tub Outtake I have contributed to the Fandom for Preemies compilation at http:/fandomforpreemies (dot) blogspot (dot) com/2010/10/compilation-teaser-hot-tub-outtake-from (dot) html. Donate five dollars or more to the March of Dimes during the month of November, and you'll receive the ENTIRE compilation, with stories from over 95 writers!
MM- thank you for nursing me through yet another cold. I love you even more under the influence of cold medicine!
Here's the Scottish glossary for those who need it! I couldn't include every single word, I just tried to make sure the main ideas got through.
Dinnae- don't Ah- I Ma- my
Oot-out Nae- no Tae- to
Brannigan- riot Wance- once Awaur= aware
Reit- right Atween-between Uir- our
Frae- from thoucht-thought Hud- had
Dain- done Ken- know Hoose-house
Hoo-how Are nae- aren't