This is it everyone! This is the chapter that'll make or break our favorite couple. I'm warning you now that with Jasper and Bella's soul searching will come a ton of angst. It won't all be tear inducing though, hopefully there will be bits in this chapter that'll make you laugh too. I have to thank you for all of your reviews, messages, faves, and alerts. Some of you were so passionate in your opinions about what had happened to J and B. I truly enjoyed reading your thoughts and I appreciate all the support you've given me throughout this story. You are all cordially invited to a party hosted by Riley and Mike.

Warning: This chapter is long, very long. You might want to use the potty before you start reading it or, better yet, bring your laptop along with you to the potty.

This story is AU/OOC.

All characters belong to Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement intended.

Mature readers 18+ only.

Jasper's POV

Dear Family,

By the time you receive this note, I'll be long gone. Hopefully all of you, especially Jasper, have enough respect not to follow me. I'm sorry it's come to this, but Amber was the last straw. Clearly, Jasper and I have a lot of issues that we have to deal with individually. I'm sorry to disappoint you all, but I'm taking a year off from Harvard. I need time to think without anyone influencing me. I only wish to find internal peace before all of this turmoil drives me over the edge. I won't go anywhere near Texas or Mexico. Rose expressed her concerns to me about that area earlier. I don't want to cause anyone any unnecessary worry. I'll also check my email messages once a day so if any of you need to contact me, you know how to get in touch with me.

With Love,

Isabella Marie Swan

The letter arrived two days after she left. She signed it using her maiden name. It was addressed to the Cullen Family and arrived in Amherst. It was sent from the airport in Boston so we couldn't trace her. Bella had covered her tracks well. Before she left, she had taken cash out of our bedroom safe so she didn't have to use any credit cards. She only took twenty thousand dollars with her. I was deeply concerned for her safety. The other issue freaking me out was that she left with her backpack and hiking boots. What if she's living as a nomad all by herself? All I know is that I'm dying on the inside. I can't live without my mate.

Two years later...

Bella's POV

"I'd like a pint of bitter please." The man from across the counter asked. I pulled him a pint and he put his money down. I was working, under the table, at a pub in London. I didn't want to risk going to Jenks for documents. I didn't want my family to find me. The time away from them was doing me a world of good—I think.

The elderly pub owner and his wife liked me. They lived above the pub and I lived in a tiny room at the back of the pub. In exchange for keeping the pub spotless, the owner let me live rent free. He generously allowed me to eat anything in the pub, but being a vampire, I didn't need any of his food. I was also able to take a shower daily, upstairs in the owner's house. I did my best to get in and out of there really quick. I didn't want to disrupt their home life.

I wasn't too concerned about money. After buying my coach class plane ticket and replacing a few pieces of my wardrobe as they wore out here and there, I still had close to nineteen thousand dollars left. I lived mostly off of my wages and tips from the pub. I was actually able to save most of that, too.

I was enjoying the independence of being on my own. For the first time ever, I was able to make decisions knowing that, whether it was right or wrong, it was my decision. I heard from the family everyday through emails so I knew what was going on with them. Apparently, Vicky and Riley and Peter and Char had renewed their wedding vows in two separate ceremonies. They sent me tons of photos from both ceremonies. Edward and Amanda were still in love and still having sex all over the house. I chuckled at that thought. Mike and Alice had gotten engaged. Amber showing up had made Alice realize how horribly fucked up her marriage to Jasper really was. She actually emailed me and said that she and Jasper had done a lot of talking and realized how they were both very much at fault for the toxicity level in their marriage. Alice also apologized for not valuing my life when I was human. She said that she couldn't imagine life without me to email everyday. Apparently, my leaving was therapeutic to her because she was finally communicating honestly with someone on a weekly basis. Emmett and Rose were the same as always. Out of everyone, I missed Rose the most. She'd write to me everyday—sometimes happy, other times sad, still, at other times she was pissed off at me for abandoning her with our fucked up family. Riley and Pete were the other two family members that I missed. Riley was about to begin his third and final year of medical school. I was so proud of him. Pete was getting to know his great-grandson, but he completely missed his great-granddaughter who he said was also his best friend. I missed Pete too—tremendously. I'm glad that I was able to find that information for him. I think it gave him a lot of closure.

I still remember freaking out completely when I discovered that Grandma Helen was Pete's daughter. I photocopied all of information as fast as I could then hightailed it to the airport so I could give Pete the information. I, then, went home in order to give Peter time to look through the paperwork himself.

Laurent checked in with me weekly. He had an ingenious way of keeping tabs on me. I had to email him a weekly exercise log outlining what I did to keep physically active for the week. I thought it was pretty smart of him, this way he knew I was safe without really prying into my personal life.

Vicky, knowing how much I enjoy reading, sent an eBook attatched to her email once a week. I couldn't help, but think about how much I missed her. Although she could be a bit overbearing, Vicky was there for me through thick and thin. She cared for me after every heartbreak in my life and she would simply hold me if that's what I needed. I wished so much that I could crawl into her loving arms and let her take care of me right now.

Irina, Katie, and Garrett were due to begin their final year of college. Edward, Amanda, and Tanya were about to start their junior year of high school. Edward was working at a supermarket bagging groceries. He was having a blast in high school this time around. Amanda and Tanya were both cheerleaders and Edward was the star of the basketball team.

Char decided not to go back to school. She surmised that she hated school when she was human so why the heck would that fact change now that she was a vampire. She was working as a salesgirl and instructor at Exotic Erotics. She loved the job because every time a new sex toy came on the market, all of the employees got to take one home and test it out. I thought it suited her perfectly.

Rex was working as a history and gym teacher at the same high school Vicky was teaching at. Vicky said that all the girls swooned over him and declared him hotter than the guy who played Eric on True Blood.

Eleazar and Carmen had gone back to Denali for a year. They had just recently returned to Amherst. Esme and Carlisle were doing well at work. They were, of course, incredibly worried about me. Esme asked me to come home daily while Carlisle tried his best to appear composed by sending words of encouragement.

When my shift ended, I decided to grab my laptop and go to an internet cafe to check my emails. I turned my laptop on and opened up my emails. As I was about to shut down the laptop and leave, I received an email from my estranged husband who I had heard from, but had never written back to in two years.

Dear Bella,

It's been over two years since we parted ways and I still miss you everyday. I hope to God that you've found the peace that you're looking for. I, for one, can only find peace with you by my side.

I'm sorry, Bella. I'm sorry about everything—from our fucked up wedding to my boorish, overprotective ways, but especially for not being completely honest with you. I've apologized to Alice and I've dealt with all of my "friends with benefits." I know I betrayed your trust and I'm begging you for another chance.

I've written this hundreds of times in the past couple of years, but I really wish you'd come home. I love you, Bella. I love, love, love everything about you—from the way you care about everyone's well being to the way you're a complete lush when you let the whiskey get to you. I hope that wherever you are, you're surrounded by lots of good whiskey, baby.

Well, darlin', it's time for me to sign off. Happy birthday, Bella. I wish I were with you to celebrate.

Eternally yours,

Jasper

I missed him like crazy. I really did. The pull in my chest was crushing, but it was nothing compared to how I felt when he protected Amber. Even though he wrote to me, I never, ever wrote back to him. I was afraid that if I did, I'd go running back to him. What was the harm in that, though? The truth was that I loved him and I was dying to be back in his arms. I needed Jasper like I needed blood to survive.

I found that out the hard way. When I first arrived here, I was living as a nomad. I roamed up and down Britain, day in and day out. Five weeks had passed and I found myself in Manchester, England. I was searching for the Manchester Art Gallery and got lost. I was in a really bad neighborhood called Moss Side and the sun started blaring. I ducked into a crowded pub with really seedy types and I was immediately overcome with bloodlust. I realized that I hadn't hunted since I arrived in England. As soon as it was twilight, I bailed from the pub. Some creep had followed me out and tried to drag me into an alley. He couldn't of course, but by then it was too late. I lost control and ended up dragging him into the alley and draining him. I had slipped.

I knew my eyes were blood red so I ran north into Scotland and hid out in the woods. I made sure I hunted daily until my eyes were back to the familiar gold that I was accustomed to. It took a few weeks, but they got there. It was a cathartic experience. Even though the guy was a bastard intent on raping me, I still took a human life. The guilt was incredible. The shame was even worse. I would never be able to return to my family now. I was a murderer. I spent my weeks in Scotland contemplating what I had done. I was completely irresponsible in not feeding and I realized that I had grown completely dependent on Jasper to remind me to feed. After that, I took Riley's advice that he gave me when I was first changed, to pencil in my hunts and I did—twice weekly, just to make sure. Bloodlust was something I never wanted to feel again. I needed Jasper so badly, then. I just wanted him to hold me and tell me that everything would be okay. I just wanted to feel safe and secure in his arms.

The question is, can I trust him. He says that he's tied up all of his loose ends, but has he really? When he moved to protect Amber, I felt as if I was being stabbed in the heart. I would rather be broken up with by Edward in the woods, repeatedly, than experience that again. Every ounce of trust that we had built up between us was ripped away by that one move. Does he love her more than me? Is Amber someone that he can never give up? He did tell her that he was divorcing Alice so he could be with her. What other lies has he told? Maybe Amber's not as screwed up as I am and Jasper can relax when he's with her. Still, he is my mate and I do love him. I needed to give us another chance—that much I knew.

Maybe it was the fact that it was my birthday, maybe it was me thinking back on that horrific incident, or perhaps it was the fact that I felt so alone—I don't know what it was, but I found myself writing to Jasper.

Hello Jasper,

I miss you. I miss you more than you will ever know. If you'd like, come see me at The King's Arms pub in Baron's Court in London.

Isabella

I hit send before I could reread it and erase the email. I hope to God that I did the right thing.

Jasper's POV

Death is preferable to life without Bella. I might as well be dead. It's been two years since my wife, my mate, my world left me. I've heard from her indirectly, she sends an occasional email to the others, but never a word to me. At this point, the only thing keeping me alive is the fact that I know she still exists somewhere in this world. I still feel the pull—it's excruciating for me so it has to be just as intense for her.

I tied up all of my loose ends as soon as Bella left. Riley and I talked too. Well, we talked after he beat the shit out of me. We reached the conclusion that most of my possessiveness and trust issues stemmed from my own infidelity to Alice. Another issue was Charlotte. We needed to let go of each other. Sure we didn't sleep together anymore, but we had a seventy history together where she was always there to provide a sexual release, emotional support, everything that Alice was unable to provide for me. Riley concluded that Charlotte was actually more like a wife to me than Alice was. We ended up having group counseling—Peter, Charlotte, Alice and I had weekly powwows with Riley guiding us. Everyone expressed their issues.

Alice declared that at one point she had loved me, but fell out of love with me when she realized that we had nothing in common. She didn't want to lose me, though, because she was afraid of being alone. Char was upset that she no longer had me as a friend and that I didn't need her for support anymore. We both were terrified that Bella and Peter's friendship would turn into something more, something sexual. Of course, now that we knew that Peter was Bella's great-grandfather, those concerns were unfounded. Peter, on the other hand, was afraid of losing Char so he sucked it all in and allowed her and me to continue on with our relationship even though the thought of it killed him.

That's how fucked up we all were and that's what Bella walked into. For the most part, Bella was a victim in all of this. She finally gave her heart and soul over to me and allowed herself to love and trust again after the shit Edward pulled. It turned out that I wasn't ready for her. We all hurt her—well not Peter, but Char, Alice, and I did and we lost her because of it.

The irony was that I fucked her over the most. Why I moved to protect Amber from Bella, I had no idea. Maybe it was over fifty years of being with Amber, I don't know. The fact is that I never really loved Amber. I used her for my own sexual release, but Amber was there as a listening ear for me when I was with Alice—just like Char was. Part of the reason I protected Amber was because I had never seen Bella look so feral. I didn't want anyone to get hurt on my account and I didn't want Bella to have a murder on her hands because of my stupidity. I should have just asked Amber to leave or told her who Bella was to me as soon as she invaded our home. Instead I protected her because we had a history together. That one act of betrayal was worse than the way Edward had dumped Bella in the woods. I basically took all of the trust she had in me and threw it all away. Protecting Amber signified to Bella that Amber was more important to me than she was. She wasn't important to me at all, though. Bella is. Bella is my life and I had to go and fuck it all up. I needed to earn her trust back.

Riley even took responsibility in some way. He said that he and Vicky were extremely protective of her. Bella had wanted to move into an apartment with her friends in her junior year, but they didn't allow her to, fearing for her safety. Irina and Laurent apparently urged them to let her try it, but they just couldn't let go. As a result, she was never allowed any sort of independence so she could grow and think freely. Riley felt that the lack of independence was part of the reason why Bella ran this time and runs whenever she has a problem. She probably felt that talking about anything was fruitless since she wasn't allowed any personal freedom anyway.

I was done with thinking for the day so I decided to check my emails. I didn't really have anything in my inbox so I decided to write something quick to Bella. It was her 26th birthday today and I wanted to at least wish her a happy day. I hit send, then surfed the internet a little. Less than three minutes later, there was a ping notifying me that I had mail. I went back to my email and checked to see who was writing to me—it was Bella.

Twenty-four hours later...

Bella's POV

The pub was insanely crowded. It was Friday night. I was pulling pint after pint and mixing drink after drink for thirsty patrons reveling in the fact that they had the next two days to do nothing, but enjoy the weekend and forget about real life. Lucky. I remember having been in their shoes not too many years ago.

A group of pub crawlers had finally moved on so I wiped the counter down in front of me when I was hit with the most comforting scent in the world—that of my mate.

"What do you recommend?" He asked, looking pointedly at me.

"Eighteen year old single malt Scotch by Highland Park. It's rich, complex, and slightly smoky. Would you like some?" I offered.

"Please." He answered, placing his hand on top of mine. I felt the electricity instantly.

I grabbed a glass and filled it to the top. I wanted to sit and chat with him, but I couldn't. The pub was too crowded and I was filling drink orders for two waitresses, as well as, tending to the customers at the bar. Colin, the owner, was working on the other side doing the same thing.

Jasper sat at the bar observing me while I worked. I stopped by, every now and then, to refill his glass without saying a word. The night finally ended and we shooed everyone out of the pub. Unfortunately, I had to send Jasper out too. The owner of the pub tallied up the night's totals while I mopped the floors and wiped down all of the tables.

"You go on with your husband, love." The owner suggested. "I can finish up in here."

"How did you know he was my husband?" I asked.

"By the way your lonely eyes lit up when he entered the pub and by the way he couldn't take his eyes off of you the whole time you were working. It's the first time since you started working for here that I've seen light in your eyes. He made the darkness disappear. Now, off you go. Enjoy yourself for once. You take tomorrow night off. God knows, you deserve it. You work much too hard for one so young."

"Thank you, Colin." I said, gratefully and left the pub.

As soon as I walked through the doors of the pub, I found myself encased in Jasper's arms. He took in my scent, then my hand, and, surprisingly, entered the tube station at Baron's Court. We took the Piccadilly Line just three stops over to the South Kensington tube station. We walked a few blocks over to a majestic looking building and took the elevator up to the penthouse. Jasper opened the front door with his key.

I was afraid to walk inside, for some reason, so I peered my head in and scanned the inside. There was an ugly sofa sitting in the middle of the living room, otherwise the room was bare, but it was modern, beautiful, and fully renovated. Jasper picked me up, kicked the door closed, and sat on the sofa with me on his lap. I snuggled into his chest, Jasper had his arms wrapped tightly around me. We stayed in that position until the sun came up.

I looked up into his beautiful golden eyes and I decided to open up to him. I had been carrying around the guilt of the murder I committed two years ago.

"I slipped, Jasper." I sobbed.

"Shh...tell me what happened, babe?" He had an intense look of concern on his face.

I told him everything. I told him how I was so ashamed at myself that I couldn't go home. I told him how I had spent five weeks living in the woods in Scotland because I had to wait for my eyes to turn gold again.

"You must think I'm a horrible person." I said. "I'm nothing, but a cold-blooded killer, Jasper."

"You're not, Bella. Everyone slips up and I've slipped up the most. Riley and Carlisle are the only ones that haven't slipped up yet."

"What about Mike and Rose?" I asked.

"Mike slipped up about a year after you left. He and Edward were on a business trip in Minnesota. Do you remember the supplier that he was having so much trouble with?"

"Yes, I do." I said.

"Well, Edward and Mike paid him a visit. Edward went as his lawyer. As soon as Mike smelled him, he jumped on him and drained him. Fortunately, there was no one else in the office since they went so early in the morning. The cover-up effort afterwards was massive. Edward immediately disabled the security camera and erased the video on it, then he torched the office. Mike couldn't go back to the hotel because his eyes were blood red so Edward had to grab their bags and ship them home. They ran all the way home to Amherst from Minnesota."

"Mother of God! Poor Mike." I gasped. "How is he doing now?"

"Better, he had tons of counseling with Riley. It turns out that the guy was his singer. You know, you're lucky that Edward was able to resist you when you guys were dating. Mike's reaction is generally what happens when you meet your singer." Jasper explained. "Edward once told me that he was contemplating snapping the necks of everyone in your biology class just so he could taste your blood."

"You said that Rose slipped up."

"Well, as far as draining a human, no she hasn't slipped up in that sense. Rose, however, is the only true murderer of the bunch. When she took revenge on the men that gang raped her, she set out with the intent to kill and she did it with her own hands. If that ain't murder, I don't know what is." Jasper stated.

"I never thought of it that way. I still love Rose and Mike. I won't ever look at them any differently because of what they did." I said.

"Then why can't you do the same for yourself? Bella, you said that the man followed you out of the pub, intent on raping you. If you were human, wouldn't you do whatever it took to save yourself from him, even if it meant murdering him? Would you have let him rape you to save him from getting killed?"

"Never. I would have fought and clawed and killed to save myself."

"Well, that's exactly what you did, Bella. Believe me, had I been there, I would have been the one draining him. I would kill for you, my mate." Jasper was projecting anger—a huge amount of it.

"You're projecting, Jasper." I whispered.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I'm pissed off that I wasn't there to save you from this. You carried this secret on your shoulders for two years and I wasn't there to take the burden from you. I had no idea where the fuck you were! I was scared, Bella! I was worried, too! I swear to fucking God, next time you pull this shit I'm gonna build a pyre and walk into it myself. Two years! Two whole fucking years that I didn't know where you were, who you were with, what you were doing!"

I bolted off of his lap and ran straight to the door. "I'm sorry!" I yelled as I turned the knob.

Jasper was too quick for me. My speed had slowed down considerably since I was no longer a newborn. He wrapped his arms around my body and immobilized me. He carried me straight into the bedroom and plopped onto the floor with me still within his hold.

"You are going to stay here and face me now, Isabella! You're the one that invited me to London so I'm assuming that you wanted to see me. I am so done with you constantly running from our problems! You and I will tackle our issues head on together because that's what married people do! Do you hear me, wife?"

I balled myself up into the fetal position and started sobbing. After a few minutes, I straightened myself out, took a few deep calming breaths, and faced Jasper.

Jasper's POV

I didn't mean to lose it with Bella, but I did. She tried to run from me again after only a few hours together and I was overcome with rage. I wasn't about to let her out of my sight again. I wanted to know why it took her two years to contact me.

I watched her work in the pub and I didn't like it one bit She worked herself to the bone. I overheard the owner telling her that he hadn't seen any light in her eyes since she started working there. He practically had to force her to leave stating that she worked way too hard for one so young.

We were going to deal with this fucking issue right the fuck now! I wanted to know how she survived for two years on only twenty thousand dollars. I also wanted to know where she was living and how many hours a week she worked in the pub.

"I want to know how you've been surviving for the last two years, Bella?"

"I've been working under the table at the pub." She said.

"How much have you been getting paid?"

"About a hundred and fifty pounds per week plus tips. I also get my room for free in exchange for cleaning the pub during the day." She stated.

"Where exactly is this room of yours?" I asked.

"At the back of the pub, the owner and his wife live upstairs."

Oh, hell no! Tell me my wife hasn't been living in a fucking pub? I was seething with anger. She's a goddamn billionaire for fuck's sake!

"Isabella, what happened to the twenty thousand dollars that you took with you?"

"Oh, I have most of it with me still. I think I have almost nineteen thousand dollars left. I used some of it for the plane ticket over here and I needed to replace a pair of jeans and a couple of shirts as they became worn. I've been living off of my wages so I can give you the money tomorrow if you'd like?"

"Bella, I don't want the money back. I told you that what's mine is yours. I'm just wondering why you didn't take more with you." I said. I took a good look at my mate. She was still beautiful, but she looked tired and worn out, even for a vampire. Her boss was right, there was absolutely no life in her beautiful eyes—the twinkle was all, but gone. Her clothes were shabby and tattered and her boots were worn to the soles. Is that duct tape holding together her left boot?

"What else have you been doing, Bella?"

"Well, I have Sundays and Mondays off so I've been traveling and hunting on those days. I've checked out almost all of Great Britain. Last weekend, I got chased by a herd of sheep in Wales. All I was doing was hiking and trying to find the youth hostel when, out of the blue, about eighty sheep came barreling down a hill in a big pack. I ran like hell—I was so terrified."

Only Bella would be terrified by sheep. It made me think of the time when we were strolling around Cambridge and one of our neighbors happened by with his chihuahua. As soon as it barked, Bella freaked out and, literally, jumped up into my arms. She was the only vampire I knew that was intimidated by a little chihuahua, but completely unafraid of lions and tigers and bears.

"So, you've been staying in youth hostels?" I asked.

"Well, in Switzerland, there was no room at the hostel so I had to splurge and stay at an inn. I'm telling you, that country is terribly expensive."

"Bella, most of our money is stored in Switzerland. We have a huge house in Zurich. You could have stayed there for free." I pointed out.

"Oh, I forgot." Bella said. "Where else do you own properties?"

"Aside from Zurich? Well, you're sitting in one of them and Tokyo and New York you've been to. We also own homes in Edinburgh, Dallas, and Houston."

"This is your place?" Bella asked. I nodded to her. "It's very nice, Jasper."

"Isabella, not mine alone, ours." I pointed out. "How much longer do you plan on staying here?"

"Oh, I don't know. I haven't thought about that yet. I really don't want to go home. I like it in London." She said.

"Fine. We can stay for as long as you like, but you're putting in a one week notice at the pub. You're also moving into our flat with me. I'm not compromising on this one, Isabella."

"Oh, yes, you will compromise, Jasper. You can't show up here all of a sudden and start laying down the law. I admit that I need to stop running from our problems, but you can't come in and declare that you're my lord and master and that I have to submit to your every demand. I'll stay on at the pub until Colin can find a replacement for me. He and his wife have been extremely kind. They offered me shelter, a shower, a job, and even hot meals. I, kindly, declined the meals stating that I preferred to eat out. Although, on a couple of days, I actually had to suck it up and eat because there was a massive snowstorm and London was at a complete standstill. I had to fake it or it would have looked suspicious." She said.

"Fine. You can stay on until they find a replacement for you." I compromised. Regardless of how I felt, I was grateful to the man and his wife for giving Bella a safe haven. Baron's Court was a fairly safe neighborhood and the patrons at the pub seemed to be very pleasant. "I'll be there during the entirety of your shift, though, I'm not negotiating on that."

"Fine." Bella sighed. She looked at me. "Tell me, Jasper, you said in your emails that you tied up all of your loose ends. How?"

I knew this was coming so I was prepared. It didn't make it any easier, though. "Peter, Char, Alice, and I had group counseling with Riley—lots of it. We hashed out a lot of our issues. After that, I started with an apology to Alice. I told her that she didn't deserve to get cheated on irregardless of her actions. We took a vow before God and I should have respected those. She, in turn, apologized again for how she kept us apart and how she tried to get you killed. In hindsight, she said that she probably should have just let me go as soon as you were born considering I was such a cheating, man whore. As far as everyone else was concerned, I called and explained that I was mated and married so I wouldn't be able to see them anymore. Some were mated and understood completely and others were actually happy for me. No one gave me any trouble, not even Amber. She, of course, never wanted to hear from me again. Vicky and Char made sure of that. Hmm...I wonder if Vicky mailed the last of her fingers back to her? Amber didn't have a pleasant evening that night she showed up at our house. Apparently, Vicky had dealt with her on multiple occasions over the past thirty years. James had a wandering eye that Vicky didn't appreciate so she just took it upon herself to inflict the master's bite on every girl that she found out about. I discovered that when I called two girls other than Amber who I had been going to for my release. They had been warned that Victoria now lived with me so they also didn't want a thing to do with me."

"Exactly how many women were there, Jasper?" Bella scowled. She had her arms crossed tightly over her chest and she didn't look happy at all. "I was under the impression that there were only two."

"Thirteen." I said, shamefully. "Spread throughout the world."

"Thirteen? Jasper, I told you about the two men I had been with. I was also straight up with you and told you that I hadn't exactly ended things with Tommy. As soon as I ran into him, I told him about the changes in my life, though. Why couldn't you do the same when you saw Amber?"

"I was ashamed of my actions and afraid of your reaction." I admitted. "Bella, I've changed. All I can do is apologize for my actions and hope that you'll give us another chance. I want to earn back your trust, Bella. I know that I've betrayed you in the worst possible way, but I swear to you that from this moment on I will spend the rest of eternity earning back your trust."

Bella looked out of the large bay window. "I admit that I'm terrified about giving my heart over to you again. When you moved to protect Amber, I wanted to die. How can I trust that you won't crush me again? How can I be sure that you won't lie to me like you did with Alice?"

"All I can do is beg for your trust. I swear that I'll never take your heart for granted again." I said. It was the only thing left for me to say. If she didn't want to give me the opportunity to prove myself then I was prepared to die.

"I can try, Jasper. If you can be honest with me about everything from this moment on, then I promise to give us a fair chance and also to face our problems rationally, like adults. The question is, can you forgive me for running from you so many times instead of facing our problems head on?"

"As long as you promise to take me with you next time, babe." I couldn't resist anymore. I pulled my wife into my arms and kissed her. I kissed her with all the anger, sorrow, happiness, love, and passion that I felt for her.

Two years without her had been, without a doubt, the worst time of my entire existence. I needed Bella like humans needed air to breathe. She was such an integral part of me. After I ended all of my past relationships, I spent the rest of the time hibernating in our house in Cambridge. Everyone stopped by to try to jog me out of my depression—even Alice. Twice a week, someone would show up to force me to hunt. They had to get creative. Amanda showed up with Tanya one day and the two of them recited High School Musical in it's entirety until I went hunting with them.

Bella pulled away from me and looked at my watch. "It's 10 am, let's go talk to Colin and Edith now. I want to grab my things and get moved in. I think it's better to get things like this over with as soon as possible."

I wanted to make love to her is what I wanted to do. I haven't had any sort of release in two years. I was so depressed that I couldn't even jerk off. I reluctantly got up off of the floor and willed my dick to go limp. Cruel as it may be, I had to think of fucking Alice to do that. It worked like a charm each and every time.

When we got to the pub, Colin was outside sweeping the grounds. "Ah, Isabella. You've brought your husband. I suppose you're here to tell me that you'll no longer be with us."

Bella and my jaw dropped. How the heck did he know?

"Now don't look so surprised. I knew when I took you in that you were lost and needed a safe place to sort through your feelings. I just wanted to give that to you. I just didn't expect it to take two whole years. Now that you're all sorted, Edith and I can finally shut the pub down and move to Gran Canaria."

"Y...y...you kept the pub open for me?" Bella asked.

"Of course we did. We were set to close in a week when you walked in. As soon as we saw you though, Edith and I knew that we had to take you in so we kept the pub going. We kept you busy to keep your mind clear. You actually helped us tremendously, too. The pub's profits in the last two years were more than we made in the five before that. The men kept coming back because you were easy on their eyes. You grew our nest egg so we can retire comfortably now."

"Thank you, Colin." Bella said, gratefully.

"Now, come inside and I'll give you your final wages." Colin said.

"You keep her wages, Colin. Add it to your nest egg." I suggested.

"Nonsense, your wife worked hard for those wages. It would be unfair of me to keep what's rightfully hers."

I noticed that Colin had started to box things up. "Aren't you opening tonight, Colin?" Bella asked.

"No, Isabella. Now that you're all squared away, we want to close the pub and move to Gran Canaria as soon as possible. My son and his wife are taking over the business. They're opening a coffee house here. Disgusting thought, isn't it?"

"Well, can we help you pack, Colin?" I offered.

"That's very generous of you, young man. In exchange, I can offer you all the liquor that we have except for the ales. Those, I'm taking with me to Gran Canaria."

"You don't have to..."

Bella nudged me in the side and graciously said, "Thank you, Colin. We'd like that very much."

As soon as Colin went upstairs to help his wife. Bella and I worked at vampire speed to pack everything up. When Colin came downstairs an hour later, he nearly toppled over in shock when he discovered that we were all done. He paid Bella her wages and we thanked him and his wife. We hailed three taxis to help us transport all of the liquor to our penthouse. He gave us, not only what was on the bar shelf, but everything in his store room too. He even gave us a case of unopened whiskey glasses.

The walls in the living room were lined with boxes. "Bella, why didn't you just decline all of the liquor? Our living room looks like a fucking liquor distribution center."

"Colin is someone that likes to pay his own way plus I didn't want all of the whiskey to go to waste. He would have just thrown everything out. You do realize that over half of these boxes are various brands of whiskey, don't you? He got a huge shipment of just whiskey in on Thursday." Bella winked.

"Okay, then, that I didn't know. We'll just have to do some taste testing together." I suggested. "Um, Bella. I know you hate shopping, but we really have to go. When I got your email, I just grabbed my passport, threw my shoes on, and ran to the airport-literally. I don't have anything to wear here and, frankly, you look like you could do with some new clothes too."

"Yeah, I know. This is my nicest outfit. I've been rotating between two pairs of jeans and five shirts for the past two years. My jeans are all holey and shirts are all faded and we won't even mention my shoes. Running from the sheep in Wales this past weekend finally did them in. I could use a haircut, too."

"Why did you choose to live so frugally?" I asked, curiously.

"It's not that I was living frugally, it's just that I don't give a shit about things like clothes so I couldn't be bothered to shop. Most of the money I earned at the pub went to travel expenses. I hunted on my two days off, which were Sundays and Mondays, so I either flew or took the train to where there was good wildlife and did a little sightseeing in the surrounding cities as well. Why the fuck couldn't we be wizards like in Harry Potter instead of fucking vampires? Then, we could just apparate to wherever we wanted to instead of having to fly or take the train everywhere."

"You're right, baby, we got the short end of the stick in the supernatural world." I chuckled, as I locked up our apartment.

"Come on, it's not too far of a walk to Knightsbridge from here. It's nice and overcast out." I suggested.

I put my arm around my wife's shoulders and held her close to me as we walked. Occasionally, we'd stop to kiss and I relished in the familiar tingles that I felt whenever we made skin to skin contact. We got to Harrod's and immediately started shopping. For once, Bella didn't complain at all.

"Wow. This place is huge. I've never been in here." Bella scanned the monstrous department store, wide eyed in complete awe. Suddenly, she gasped and put her arm over her breasts. "Oops."

I could feel tons of embarrassment emanating from Bella. "What is it?" I asked, concerned.

"My bra chose now to kick the bucket." She wiggled out of her bra and pulled it out from underneath her t-shirt—her very white t-shirt . The one that was skin tight and made her nipples stand at attention and stare at me straight in the face. In an instant, every single male eye was focused on Bella's breasts. God, I missed those tits. I took my oxford off, threw it on my wife, and buttoned it up—all the way up to the very top. Those babies belong to me and me only.

"Lingerie department first, babe." I ordered.

After re-stocking our wardrobe, we went for essentials. Thank God, I had my woman with me. I forgot that we needed things like laundry detergent, soap, shampoo, towels, cleaning supplies, a vacuum cleaner. "Your penthouse needs a thorough dusting, Jasper." She said.

"Our penthouse, Bella. Our penthouse." I reiterated.

We went back to our penthouse and decided to call it a day. Together, we evaluated what we needed to set-up the apartment and started a list. All I had was a sofa and that was left over from the previous owners and it was a butt-ugly red and white polka dot. The London penthouse was my most recent purchase. I bought it about three years after Alice and my divorce so it was fully renovated with modern fixtures.

I was jogged out of my musings with a feeling of intense lust. I looked up to see my mate staring at me with coal black eyes. My instincts took over and I ripped both of our clothes off in a matter of seconds. Bella responded with equal fervor. She took my cock in her mouth and sucked me off before we even made it to the bedroom. A bed, that's what we need. A huge, sturdy giant bed where we can make up for two years of a sexual hiatus.

From her position on her knees, I pushed Bella down so that her elbows were on the hardwood floor and her ass was in my face. I buried my face into her pussy from behind and started tonguing her folds. I missed her sweet nectar and I couldn't get enough of it. Bella was squirming and writhing, but I kept a firm hold on her long beautiful hair so she couldn't get away from me. Just as she was about to cum, I plunged my cock straight into her dripping, wet sex then pounded my way home. God, it felt wonderful to be inside of her again. I wrapped her locks around my hand to tether myself. I coated one of my fingers with my venom and slowly invaded her puckered hole while still fucking her pussy with my cock. Bella gasped at the intrusion. I wanted her to feel me everywhere. I wanted her to feel full knowing that I was her completion. I needed her to know that she was mine and only mine.

I thrust into her relentlessly. Bella was screaming in pleasure—the sound was music to my ears. Every cry brought me closer to ecstasy. I was making her feel this way and I was the only one that ever could. I couldn't handle it anymore, I needed my release. One more solid thrust and I liberated two years worth of pent-up cum deep inside her pussy. Bella's walls clenched around my cock and my finger as she pulsated to the peak of passion. I pulled her by the hair so that her neck met my mouth and sunk my teeth directly into that familiar spot that belonged only to me.

Three minutes later, I was still balls deep inside my mate with my teeth still latched on to her neck. I heard Bella whimper—that propelled me straight back into reality. I instantly removed my teeth from her neck and inspected her wound. It was bad—venom was leaking out from it. I needed to seal it quickly. "Baby, I'm sorry. This is gonna hurt." I said.

I gathered up as much of my venom that I could and literally coated the bite mark with it. Bella winced in pain and tried to escape me, but her wound needed care so I wrapped my arms tight around her body so she couldn't run. I knew why I marked her so deeply. It was all the anger, sorrow, and pain that I felt from two years without my mate that caused me to latch on so deeply to her. It was vampire instinct at it's purest. I needed Bella to know that she was my mate and that running from me would be fruitless.

"Mine, Bella, do you hear me? You're mine—only mine." I whispered into her ear.

"Yours, Jasper. Only yours." She breathed back to me.

I still had a firm hold on her as I rolled her onto her back. This time I made sweet love to her. Nurtured her, cared for her, so she knew that I was hers too. We stayed like that all night and into the next day and night until we knew for sure that we would never let go of each other. Finally, Bella detached herself from me.

"Jasper, it's Monday morning." She stated.

"Yeah, I know." I said. I took her on a tour of the penthouse.

"Bath first, then furniture shopping. I don't give a fuck what we do today, but I want a bed in this room by tonight. This hardwood floor just doesn't cut it. That sofa has to go too. It's the fugliest thing I've ever seen in my life. We also need a washer and dryer. You have the hook-up—I think."

"That's fine, I want a TV and we need the electricity turned on and cable and internet as well." I said. "Oh, and, um, I need to scent you."

Bella chuckled. "Okay, let's get started on our day."

Ten months later...

We were finally flying back to Cambridge. Bella and I decided to re-enroll in Harvard to finish the second half of our master's degrees. Bella was welcomed back with open arms and, after a little financial coaxing, so was I. We kept our trip home quiet. No one knew we were arriving today. We didn't want a huge welcoming committee like the last time.

Ten months in London did us a world of good. The twinkle had returned to my mate's eyes and Bella was able to relax for the first time in her life with no school deadlines or work looming in front of her. I was finally able to teach her everything about our assets, too—albeit, reluctantly on her part. I took her to our homes in Edinburgh and Zurich. We hired an architect to redesign and rebuild the Edinburgh house. I had let it sit empty for too long and the house had rotted from the frame. Zurich was in great shape, but then again, I've been going back and forth there every few years for banking business so it was the most well-maintained out of all my properties.

Another change in Bella was that she let me spoil her now. Whereas, before she left, she would complain when I spent money on her, now, she graciously accepted anything I gave her and she even went shopping occasionally and spoiled herself—never to the extent of Alice or any of the other women really. She would, however, come home with a new t-shirt or a little trinket for the house or even a little something for me. Her favorite place to shop was Camden Market—she loved eclectic and unusual things rather than ordinary items found in stores.

It took a few months for us to learn to trust each other again. I had to learn to let her have a little freedom. I didn't have to be with her every second of the day. If she wanted to run to the bookstore, or go sit in a quiet park to read, or simply think whilst sitting in a nearby pub—there was no reason why she shouldn't be able to do it alone. It took a few tries, but I finally realized that she wasn't going to run from me anymore. For me, it was a bit easier, all I had to do was use my gift to feel the sincerity in her words.

Bella, on the other hand, had to learn to trust that I was being completely honest with her. During the first month after our reunion, even when I would simply declare how much I loved her, I could feel her lack of trust in me. I couldn't use my power to make her feel the honesty in my words because that would make it worse. It took months for her to finally realize that I loved her, even now, I can feel her anxiety sometimes when I tell her that I love her. Bella's confidence in herself and in my love for her took a massive beating when I moved to protect Amber from her—this was something that could not be so easily rectified, but we were well on our way.

When we got home to Cambridge, we made a mad dash for our bedroom and made love. Our lovemaking had become much more intense ever since our reunion in London. We made the joint decision to reaffirm our marriage vows in Paris on Valentine's Day and we did so with the family watching via webcam. This time, it meant much more to us. We were both sober and we were both ready.

"Hey, Jasper, what happened to my clothes?" Bella asked as she peered into her empty drawers and closet.

"Oh, that." I said. "Amanda came over and said that it was a daughter's prerogative to raid her mother's wardrobe and grabbed whatever she wanted."

"That's okay, I suppose. She left the dress I married you in and my prom dress and she didn't touch my t-shirt collection." Bella said. "I'll have to go shopping again, though. She took all of my denim shorts and it's the middle of summer."

"Oh, yeah and trust me, baby—I need you wearing shorts so I can spank that fine ass of yours." I said.

Bella wagged her eyes at me, got down on her knees, and let me fuck her pretty little mouth. Yep, I love my dirty little girl.

At around nine pm, we made our way over to the Amherst house laden with gifts for everyone. It was Saturday so we were pretty sure everyone was there. The house was rockin'! There was music blaring from the speakers and we could hear everyone laughing and joking.

As we approached the front porch, Bella and I were suddenly impaled by water balloons. "Oops! Sorry guys, I thought it was Mike." Edward said, jumping down off of the roof and twirling Bella around in his arms. "When the hell did you guys get back?"

"Last night. Are you guys having a party?" I asked, noticing the toga he was wearing.

"Yep, the parental units, both sets, are out of town until tomorrow so we decided to throw a party. By the way, there are humans inside so make sure you're both fed and no vampire talk."

"Humans?" I asked.

"Yeah, Riley invited some of his friends from med school and Tanya, Irina, and Garrett called some of their college friends." Edward said. "They're having a joint graduation party.

"Edward!" We heard Amanda call from inside the house. "I need you in the bedroom!"

"Coming Ma Belle Amanda." He responded as he ran into see his wife.

"That 'Ma Belle Amanda' shit is just so fucked up. I don't even have words to describe how I feel about it." Bella commented.

We walked inside the house and it was complete chaos inside. There were bras and thong panties hanging from the ceiling and people making out all over the place. Bella ran me upstairs before anyone noticed we were there and told me to strip down to my boxers. She grabbed two white sheets from the linen closet and wrapped me up in one of them.

Bella stripped down to her bra and panties and was about to wrap herself up in the other sheet. "No, no, no, Bella. I need to scent you first." I said. "Did you see how many strange men there were in there?"

I was in the middle of scenting her when a drunk Rose staggered in with an equally smashed Emmett. "You're back! We thought we heard you!" She hugged Bella while I was scenting her legs.

"Uh, Rose! Do you mind? I'm scenting my mate here!" I said from between gritted teeth.

"Uh, bro, you missed a spot behind her knees." Emmett slurred out.

"I did not miss a spot! I'm fucking thorough when it comes to scenting."

Emmett lifted Bella's right leg up and sniffed behind her knees. "Right here, bro. You've got to hit her with your scent, right here."

I leaned down and sniffed. It was all Bella. "Thanks, Em." I said and made sure I got the spot.

Rose chatted with Bella while Em eyed my scenting with scrutiny. "Dude, don't miss one spot on her, there are some whacked out human men down there who keep lusting after our women. One of them tried to grab Rose's ass."

"Don't you guys find this weird and intrusive at all? I mean, I'm laying here in my bra and panties and you're all watching my mate scent me." Bella commented. "I feel like a fucking science experiment."

"Bella, a second pair of eyes can never hurt. Done!" I said and wrapped Bella up in the sheet. The four of us made our way downstairs.

As soon as they caught sight of us, our family came bounding to us. We were both engulfed in hug after hug. Some human fucker hugged Bella and gave her a kiss on the lips. Riley and Peter had to hold me back from kicking the living shit out of him.

"Hey, my name is Trina. What's yours?"

"Jasper." I responded.

"Do you want to dance, Jasper? I need a partner." She cooed.

"Uh, meet my wife, Bella." I pulled my mate to my side.

"Oh, hi." She said, dejectedly. She walked away muttering under her breath, "It figures. I meet the perfect man and he already has the perfect woman for a wife."

Riley was more unhinged than I'd ever seen him. He, Mike, Rex and a couple of human guys were sliding down the banisters. "Hey, let's get a game of pong going." Rex suggested.

"Hell, yeah!" The rest of them yelled.

They pulled out Esme's solid teak dining table, drew a solid black line across the center using a sharpie, and started bouncing ping pong balls into tequila filled cups.

"I am not sticking around when Esme discovers what those fuckers did to her table." Peter shook his head chuckling. "Hey, how's my baby girl?"

"She's fine. I think we've turned a new leaf. I have a feeling we'll be okay this time." I said.

"Yeah, well, I'm just worried about how she dealt with her slip up." Peter whispered in my ear so only I could hear.

"You fucking knew, didn't you?" I asked. "How come you didn't tell me? I could have helped her through this."

"She needed this, Jasper. She had to deal with it on her own. I would have told you if I sensed she was in any danger." He said. "Besides, if I had told you about it, you would have gone after her without dealing with your own issues. That would have eventually led to the ultimate demise of your relationship."

"I've got an idea!" Riley suddenly yelled. "Let's play roof pong!"

"Fuck, yeah! Riley and Mike lifted the massive table over their shoulders and started walking up the stairs. Rex, Edward, and the human guys followed. Somehow, they managed to get the dining table up there. They all started playing beer pong. Rex and Edward soon came back downstairs and left with a couple of sofas with drunk humans still sitting on them.

I ran outside with Peter and looked up on the roof. Yep, Esme's definitely gonna throw a massive shit fit and I sure as hell am not gonna be around for this.

I walked back into the living room and Bella was standing on the coffee table pouring a bottle of Patron through a long funnel into Alice's mouth. She soon followed with a second and a third bottle.

"Hey, bro, do you think we should tell Bella that Alice has never actually been drunk before?" Emmett asked.

"I'm gonna defer to you on this one, Em." I said.

"Lieutenant Biers, reporting for duty sir!" Vicky suddenly ran up and saluted me.

"Vicky, we're not at war. You can just call me Jasper." I said.

I don't know if she didn't hear me or if it was just because she was shitfaced, but the next thing out of her mouth was, "Major, sir. I was scouting the territory and detected some humans in the southeast corridor of this house. Shall I feed them to the newborns, sir?"

"Captain!" I called.

"Problem, Major?" Peter wagged his eyebrows at me.

"Lieutenant, report your findings to the Captain." I had no idea how to handle a drunk Lethal Victoria so I decided to pass the buck to my second in command. It was his great-granddaughter-in-law anyway.

"Sir, I detected some humans in the southeast corridor of this house. Shall I feed them to the newborns?" The Lieutenant waited for her orders from the Captain who had currently turned his body so he could regain his composure and wipe the fucking grin off of his face.

"Bring me the newborns, Lieutenant." Peter ordered with a completely serious look on his face. Victoria went away to find the newborns. Pete and I went back to laughing.

Meanwhile, Alice was doing the hustle in her bra and panties in the middle of the living room floor. Char and Tanya were being good sports and had joined her. Nope, they weren't being good sports—they were just exhibitionists who sorely missed the age of disco.

Victoria suddenly appeared in front of Peter. This time she was dragging Garrett by his hair. "I've located one newborn, sir. It appears the others have escaped. Shall I decapitate him? He seems to be getting too old to handle battle."

Peter and I were rolling, as was Emmett who was standing next to us with a bottle of tequila in one hand and a jug of whiskey in the other. "Lieutenant, Garrett's the only newborn we have left. What kind of army would we be without him?" I said.

"Well, sir, not to overstep my boundaries, but clearly he's an inefficient fighter. Victoria replied. "Might I suggest we create new newborns using the humans in the southeast corridor?"

"Who the hell are you calling inefficient?" Garrett asked.

Smack! Vicky landed a solid slap across Garrett's cheek. "Silence! You will speak only when spoken to! Is that understood?"

"What the fu..." Garrett was unable to finish his thought as Vicky impaled him with two more slaps.

Smack! Smack! "Maybe a little lesson in respect is what our lone newborn needs." Vicky's voice became sickly sweet, the telltale sign that she was about to unleash her brand of treachery on Garrett.

Peter and I were about to step in when the lights flickered on and off. A thoroughly inebriated Laurent was standing by the fireplace in the living room, which was now devoid of furniture, and announced, "Welcome to Zumba. In this class I will be teaching you some Latin dance steps which are designed to burn maximum calories, build up your muscle tone, and provide the ultimate in fitness and cardiovascular stimulation. The most important thing is to have fun so if you have any questions, please stop and ask me. Class, we're going to start with a little warm up." Everyone that was in the room lined up in rows and some uplifting music started playing from the speakers and our resident fitness guru started warming us up.

"Major, Captain, who the hell is this bonehead?" Vicky asked.

"Don't you remember, Lieutenant? He's our new drill sergeant. You, yourself, recommended him for the job." I said, then pumped some trust into her so she believed me.

Vicky looked sceptically at me, but decided to believe me in the end. I thought it would be best to join the group in order to keep my female second in command from harming the humans. I knew one thing, I was going to rip a few fingers off of the idiots who thought it would be a good idea to invite humans to this crazy party.

Eight minutes after our warm up, Latin music started blaring out from the speakers. "I'm gonna start with teaching you some basic salsa, merengue, rhumba, and cumbia moves. From there, we're gonna combine our moves so we can start our workout."

I felt like a fucking flamer. I'm dancing in a goddamn Zumba class full of drunk vampires and humans and I'm being forced to follow along so I could keep my Lieutenant in control. I can't believe Laurent teaches this shit day in and day out.

"Shake that ass for me again, Jasper. You're turning me on." Bella whispered in my ear from behind me.

Oh, yeah? If it makes my wife horny, I guess I can handle a little Zumba. Pete, Em, Garrett, Vicky, and I were in the front row following along to Laurent's commands. We were about halfway through with the class when Laurent muttered under his breath. "This has got to be the laziest class I've ever taught. With the exception of the first row, the entire class just tuckered out. Fucking humans."

I looked back and the women were all sitting on the floor ogling us. The lust and desire they emitted was palpable.

"Take it off, big boy!" Some human girl hollered.

There were similar yells encouraging us to strip coming from other women. Rose and Bella were sitting and snickering while sucking on some Jack Daniels straight from the bottle. I'm gonna kill them both. No, you know what I'm going to do, I'm gonna give them a taste of their own medicine.

I concentrated on Rose and Bella and sent them a fuckton of lust. Huh? It's not working. Bella! She has her fucking shield locked around her and Rose. They both had the nerve to smirk at me. I can penetrate her shield. I kept sending them waves of lust, increasing the dosage after each try. The lust kept bouncing off of her shield and eventually the other women started making out.

"You aren't going to win, Jasper." Bella said, smugly.

"Maybe not at this moment, my mate, but there will be retribution later." I warned her.

"I can't wait." She winked.

Laurent gave up on the class and pounded back a bottle of rum. Pfft! Some fitness guru he is, the little drunk fuck.

Alice suddenly stood up and started singing. "I feel pretty, oh so pretty, I feel pretty, so witty and bright!" She kept going on with the tune from West Side Story, then eventually moved on to singing other show tunes and dancing along to them—all in her bra, panties, and heels. Her toga had long since been discarded.

She was in the middle of crooning all of the songs from Grease when the fuckers from the roof came sliding down the staircase on what looked like the top of the coffee table and streaked naked through the living room—Mike and Riley leading the pack. The women screeched, then started giggling at the sight of them.

Bella approached me and whispered, "We need to get the humans home, this is spiraling out of control really fast."

I agreed. I discussed it with her and we called a limo company to send two stretch SUV limos. I offered to pay them triple in cash for each and they willingly obliged and were at our house forty-five minutes later.

With the humans all gone, the party took on a new life. Amanda and Tanya started cheerleading. Everyone started dancing. I held onto Bella for dear life. Half of the male vampires were emitting a ton of lust and it was all directed at my wife. Riley pulled out the funnel and everyone started taking turns downing bottles of liquor. Bella and I ran upstairs to change out of our togas. Neither of us felt like getting out of control like these repressed fuckers.

We had just walked downstairs when we heard an ear piercing scream, "What the hell is going on?"

Esme, Carlisle, Carmen, and Eleazar walked inside the house. Holy kookaburras! The parents are home early. This shit just became a maelstrom.

The music was abruptly shut off, then Victoria struck. She grabbed Esme and Carlisle both in a chokehold, approached me, and said, "Major, I've located the escaped newborns. Shall I cull them?"

I looked to my wife who had an amused expression on her face. "Newborn? Kitten, what are you talking about?" Carlisle asked, shocked.

"Silence!" Smack! Vicky slapped Carlisle across the face.

A stunned Esme then said, "Victoria Ann Biers, what in God's name is going on?"

Vicky's eyes turned pitch black, grabbed Esme and sunk her teeth right where her shoulder and neck met. Esme cried out in pain at the impact of the master's bite.

"Oh fuck." Pete muttered.

"This is what happens to those who speak out of line! You, my pet, will follow my commands and my commands only. Where did you es..." I didn't allow Vicky to finish her thought, I knocked her out, harnessing all of the lethargy I could muster. Unfortunately, it knocked the rest of the drunk fuckers out leaving just me, Pete, Bella and the two sets of parents standing. Bella must have shielded us.

Esme was whimpering in pain as Carlisle bathed her accidental wound with his tongue. "Explain." Eleazar commanded, angrily.

Bella took center stage, "First of all, I'd like to say that Jasper and I knew nothing of this party. We just arrived home with gifts for everyone when we saw that there was a Roman Toga Party going on."

Eleazar, then, looked to Peter and asked. "Whose idea was this?"

"Um, well, uh...it was all of our ideas." He said, sheepishly. I knew Peter was lying to save Riley's ass.

"I doubt that. Don't you dare lie to me Peter Piper Whitlock!" Esme said, having recovered from her brand new master's bite. "This kind of thing smacks suspiciously of Mike and Riley. No one else would have the...what happened to my furniture?"

Bella and I went outside and looked up on the roof. The others followed. The dining table, sofas, chairs, and even some lamps were all laid out nicely. In fact, on the other side of the roof sat Carlisle's car with a gigantic red bow on top. How the fuck did they get that up there? I looked around and noticed that the trees surrounding the grounds had also been toilet papered.

The scream emitted from Esme blew out a few windows. I told my mate to release her shield from Esme and knocked my vampire mother out before she went into shock. Carlisle carried her inside and the rest of us followed. He brought Esme up to their room then called us all into his office.

"So, my child, you're back!" Carlisle pulled Bella into a hug and kissed her atop her head. He didn't seem too upset. He hugged me afterwards and patted me on the back. Eleazar and Carmen greeted us too.

"Aren't you upset about the party, dad?" Bella asked.

"A little, but I'm not surprised it happened. Those kids needed to act out like normal children and let loose. Being a vampire in a human world can be a bit stifling. Your mother will be upset, of course, but I can handle her. I'll just tell her that she can renovate the house to her heart's content."

Okay. That was surprising.

"Uh, dad, what about the master's bite that Victoria just inflicted?" Peter asked.

"I think it actually worked out well. Esme can be a bit, uh...domineering. This way, Vicky can keep a bit of a hold on her. I'll just have her slyly instruct Esme not to be so overbearing and to loosen up a little. Kitten's a daddy's girl through and through. She'll do as I ask." Carlisle said. His mind seemed to be churning in all different directions as to how he can best utilize the master's bite.

We all stared at him in shock, then Carmen, of all people started chuckling. "Oh, Carlisle, you're right. This may actually tone down Esme's overbearing ways."

Uh, right. Thank fuck my mate and I live apart from these weirdos. Next year, Bella and I are definitely moving far away from them. These fuckers are whacked. I put my arm around Bella and pulled her close to my side. Peter closed in on her other side. I bet he had the same thought running through his brain too. Even Eleazar stepped in front of Bella.

"So, should we start cleaning up?" Bella offered.

"Absolutely not." Carmen said. "Those responsible for holding this party should clean the mess up. You, Jasper, and Peter will go home after you wake the borrachos up from their nap in a few hours. No puedo creer el libertinaje que ocurrio esta noche. Esos idiotas!"

"I'm sorry, Carmen, my high school Spanish was pretty basic. I have no idea what you just said." Bella looked completely confused.

"She called them drunks and then said that she couldn't believe the debauchery that occurred tonight. Then she called them idiots." I translated for her.

"Ah, si." Bella agreed with Carmen in Spanish. Carmen patted Bella on the head.

Everyone asked to hear about our stay abroad. We told them all about it, leaving out the fact that Bella had slipped during her first few weeks there. That kind of information, I felt was too personal to share.

A few hours later, Bella, Pete, and I left the house. I slowly released the lethargy and sent the sleeping vampires feelings of calm and energy as I drove away. "Why didn't you stay with Char?" I asked Peter.

"It wouldn't be fair if she escaped punishment just because she's my mate. She was just as drunk as everyone else." He stated.

"So, why didn't you get drunk, Pete?" Bella questioned.

"Are you kidding? At a party like that, it's always more fun to be an observer than a participant—then you don't miss a thing." He replied. "Drop me off at the shop. I need to finish rebuilding a transmission. I don't think Rose is going to make it in to help today."

I dropped Pete off and headed home with Bella. Later, I held her tight as we soaked in our jacuzzi. I took a good look at my wife. She looked completely at ease and content in my arms. It was a long time coming, but I think she was finally at peace with herself. I kissed my mate on her lips and simply basked in all of the happy feelings she was radiating. I hope we can stay this way forever.

Maria's POV

"You fucking idiot! Manuel, I told you to train the newborns not cull them! Now, we have to go and search for more humans to turn!"

"I'm sorry, mistress. I didn't mean to kill them. They were just so annoying."

It's been over seventy years since the Major ran from me and I still hadn't found anyone effective enough to raise a proper army. Well, that's not exactly true, I did find someone a few years after he left. That James was pretty good, a great fuck too. James was good, but not as efficient as the Major and the Captain. That duo was who I needed.

I need to start over again. Manuel and Rodrigo were nowhere close to any of my past second and third in commands. They were more like Beevis and Butthead or Dumb and Dumber. They were both stunningly handsome and excellent in the sack, though. Latin men always knew how to treat their women. They weren't neanderthals like the Major, the Captain, and that James. All those three assholes did was fuck me until they came without ever thinking about my needs. Selfish motherfuckers!

You know what I need is a fucking vacation. I haven't had one since I've been changed into a vampire. I need a goddamn break. I'm taking Manuel and Rodrigo with me because, damn it, I need them for my release. After a few years, I think I'll regroup and figure out what to do.

"Manuel, Rodrigo!" I called.

"Yes, mistress." They both said.

"We are not creating any more newborns for the time being. We're going on vacation and you two are coming with me. Oh and I want to start with Disneyworld. I've always wanted to go there. I also want to go to that new Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios while we're there. I like Voldemort's way of thinking. After that, I was thinking we can swim to Cuba from the Florida Keys—maybe I'll get lucky and meet Fidel Castro."

"I think Castro is dead." Rodrigo said.

"No, no that was just a rumor spread by various news stations when he fell ill. He's still alive." Manuel responded.

"Whatever! We go to Disneyworld, Universal Studios, and Cuba. After that we tour South and Central America. I prefer being able to speak Spanish when I travel." I said. "We'll come back and start fresh in a few years."

"Why can't we go to Spain?" Rodrigo asked. "I've always wanted to go there."

"We can't go to Spain because it's too close to Italy. We don't need the fucking Volturi breathing down our throats." I informed them.

"Who are the Volturi, again?" Manuel asked.

"They're the pricks who think that they're the rulers of the vampire world. Sheesh! How many times do I have to tell you fuckers that?" I swear these two are dense!

"I thought you said that you were the ruler of the vampire world, mistress?" Rodrigo questioned.

"I am. Those Volturi fuckers are delusional, unlike me. Now, let's lock up and get the fuck out of here. I want to start my vacation now."

I finally feel like I'm doing something right. I need to clear my mind and start fresh. A few years should be enough time to allow me to figure out how to get the Major, the Captain, and James back—with those three by my side and Manuel and Rodrigo fucking me, I should be invincible. I don't want James' pet, Victoria, or the Major's pet, Charlotte, with us again, though. Those women were nuts even by my standards.

"Mistress, may we make love to your beautiful body, once more, before we leave for our vacation?" Rodrigo asked.

My panties became soaked at the thought of the two of them making love to me. Like I said, they knew how to pleasure a woman. Ahh...life is sweet. Even for an old warlord like me.

So, what did you think? I know that tons happened in this chapter and I'd love to hear your thoughts on everything. I promise to write back! XOXO