A/N - Thank you all for waiting. As a reward for your patience, you get a super-sized chapter. It's about 3x as long as usual. I thought about breaking it up into smaller chapters but I just wanted to get it all out at once. Here comes Evil James, Edward the Monster, and a bit of Jasper/Rose bonding time. Thanks for the reviews. Love you all!
Disclaimer – I own nothing. S.M. does. If I did, Rose, Bella and Char would have a night out on the town. As I have no beta, all mistakes are mine.
Chapter 5
-BPOV-
I hop out of the cab and a strong sense of fear and dread comes over me. Just as quickly the feelings disappear. Interesting. If I don't die in the next 10 minutes I should probably give this some thought. I take a deep breath to steady myself and as I look towards the front door of the ballet studio, a shudder escapes. No time like the present Bells, it's time to go inside and meet your fate. With one final deep breath I enter the building. I walk into the waiting room and look around and it's just like I remember it. Horrible pink wall paper and poorly done recreations of Degas masterworks. I search for James and find myself alone. Walking into the main studio I head to the ballet barre where I spent so many hours of my childhood. I remember trying to tell my mother how useless these classes were but she would have none of it. 'It'll make you more graceful, Bella.' If I had a dime for every time she said that shit I would be a rich fucking woman.
I wander around for a bit longer when I feel someone watching me. I spin around quickly. Apparently too quickly as I trip over my own feet and land squarely on my ass. A roar of laughter bounces off the walls and I look up to see a pair of dark red, almost black eyes.
Fuck me, he hasn't fed. Probably waiting for his 'Bella entrée'.
His voice replaces the laughter and it's dripping with venom, "Oh, my pet. You really are making this too easy for me. Here I am expecting you to put up a bit of a fight and all I find is you waiting for me on the floor." He laughs again and starts to move towards me.
"Where are your protectors, Pet? I know I told you to meet me here alone but I didn't think you would be stupid enough to actually do it."
A huge wave of courage washes over me, "Where's my mother, asshole?" My voice comes out more confident then I would have thought possible and I feel a bit proud as I stand up and look him in the eyes. His lips turn into a slight frown.
"Such language is very unbecoming, my dear." Well, shit. Now he sounds like Edward. "And here I thought you were a lady. In my time a lady would have never used such vulgarity." He shakes his head at me as if I was a naughty toddler.
"In your time you probably dragged your woman back to the cave by her hair." Damnit Bella. Better turn on your brain-to-mouth filter if you want to save Renee. "Now, where the fuck is my mother?" He frowns again at my language but doesn't comment.
"Well, Pet, the last time I spoke on the phone with your lovely mother she was safe and sound in Florida with her new beau." He's speaking so sweetly, if I didn't know any better I would swear he isn't here to kill me.
"You lied to me? You let me believe my mom was in danger just so you could get to me? Why? Why do you want me so badly?" I screamed at him, my already diminished sense of self-preservation completely disappearing.
"I'm a vampire, Pet. Someone had something that I wanted and I did what I had to do to get it." The shock must have covered my face because he chuckled before continuing. He's enjoying this shit. Sadistic bastard.
"Renee really is a remarkable woman and she loves you very much. Just a few simple questions on my part and she opened up like a book, telling me all about your childhood and your lives here in Phoenix."
The anger inside of me makes my blood boil and I can see that this is exactly the response James wants. His nostrils flair as he takes in my scent.
"You really do smell delicious, my dear. No wonder your Edward wants to keep you all to himself. Tell me, Pet. Do you share your sweet nectar with him willingly or does he keep you around so he can drain you dry when he sees fit?" He grabs my wrist and sniffs all the way up my arm. I cringe at his touch and try to pull away. For the first time he raises his voice. "We'll have none of that. Don't forget, Isabella, you came to me."
He grabs my other wrist and spins me around so my arms are crossed over my chest and my back is pressed against him. He buries his nose in my hair inhaling deeply while his erection presses into my lower back. I fight back the urge to vomit as he continues speaking.
"I really do enjoy your mother. Perhaps when I've finished with you I'll go to Florida and get to know her more...intimately."
As he says these words he spins me around again and places his hands on my cheeks, his eyes turning pitch black. He pulls me forward and whispers softly into my ear, "My Victoria has always wanted a girlfriend both in and out of the bedroom. Maybe I'll turn Renee and make her ours for eternity."
I'm unable to form words at this point, my anger having reached new heights. I rip my face from his hands and do the one thing that apparently pisses him off more than anything else. I spit in his face.
Smooth, Bella. Way to turn a hungry vampire into a furious, hungry vampire. Awesome.
"Do whatever you want with me but stay away from my mother, you vicious prick. She's done nothing wrong." I scream at him as I finally find my words.
I guess James doesn't like being called names. He grabs my upper arms and flings me across the room directly into row of mirrors. A bloodcurdling scream escapes from me. Thankfully the broken glass didn't cut me but I can feel that my left arm is broken. Not willing to go down without a fight, I cradle my arm, stand up, and look directly at James.
He starts towards me with a small smile plastered on his face.
"My, my…aren't we a feisty little thing. I can see why Edward keeps you around. I thought he just wanted to drain you at his leisure, but now I see he likes to play with his food. Maybe we're not so different after all."
"Edward is nothing like you. He is gentle and caring and puts my safety above all else. He would never play these sick, twisted games with me. He loves me." I am shocked to hear my own voice. I am speaking calmly and evenly and with no trace of pain.
Apparently James is unhappy with my response. Well fuck him. He obviously doesn't realize how many bones I've broken in my life. This shit is just a minor inconvenience.
"Love? He doesn't love you. You are nothing more than a blood bag to him. The only reason his coven protected you from us was to save you for themselves. Vampires are very territorial creatures and we don't like people taking what's ours."
It seems that if James can't get a reaction out of breaking my bones, he'll try breaking my spirit.
He walks over and stands directly in front of me. He grabs my broken arm and I wince in pain, but make no sound.
He leans over and begins to speak, his lips an inch from mine. "It is impossible for one of my kind to feel love for a human. We will lure you in and make you trust us. We will tell you whatever lies you want to hear. We will make you think that you are the only person on the planet. And after you are willing to do anything we ask, we will fuck you, break you, and drain you. The one thing we will never do, my pet, is love you."
With those final words he kisses me softly on the cheek before pulling back his arm and punching me across the jaw. I land flat on my ass for the third time today and glare up at him.
Well now he's just trying to piss me off.
By some happy accident, or maybe because James chose not to use all his strength, my jaw didn't break.
"You're wrong, asshole. The Cullen's do love me. I am part of their family and they would do anything for me."
Hearing those words come out of my mouth for the very first time makes something click in my brain. It's true. All of it. Everything Jasper said to me was true. I am worth it. I am loved. They don't pity me and they don't think less of me just because I'm human. They really would do anything for me, and they are going to save me from James.
I speak again, my voice strong, "You wouldn't know what real love is if it sat on your face. That red-headed cunt doesn't love you; she's just using you for your tiny little cock. I've been told that being alone for eternity isn't easy and she probably figures that being with you is better than being by herself." I see venom start to pool in his mouth and run down his chin. If I thought he was pissed off before, I was dead wrong. The vampire in front of me is seething in anger and my fear begins to spike.
Where are you Jasper?
But being the smart girl I am, I let my mouth run a little bit longer. "If I had a choice between you and nothing, I'd choose nothing. And if you really were my mate, I would light my own pyre and happily jump in while humming a little tune."
His eyes are pitch and the venom is freely flowing. I must have struck a huge nerve. Oops.
"Do you want to know what I do to little girls like you? Do you want to see how I use my 'tiny cock'? I'll show you exactly what you're good for, Pet. The only thing you're good for." At those words my self-preservation finally kicks in and I start to scream. I take my good arm and attempt to hit him in the face. Instead he grabs my wrist and looks me square in the eye as he bites down.
"I can smell the fear coming off you, Isabella. Delicious." The burn in my wrist is unlike anything I've ever felt and I begin to writhe in pain. I'm trying to hold in my screams so I don't give him anymore pleasure, but they manage to escape.
"I think I might let you lay there in pain for a bit before I drain you. You look ravishing lying beneath me." Two things happen so quickly that I barely noticed them. James rips off my jeans and Edward flies through the window. Thank God, Thank God, Thank God. I know what James was about to do and that scares me more than the venom coursing through my veins.
"Bella love, I'm here." As soon as I hear Edwards's familiar voice I succumb to the pain.
Unable to rip my eyes off of him, I watch as he fights with James. Edward has him pinned against the wall and James is trying to snap at his neck. James manages to kick Edward off and he sails through the air landing in the pile of glass from earlier. Edward flips back on his feet and darts towards James. I scream out again and James whips his head in my direction. He has a small smirk on his face but it's all the distraction Edward needs to jump on his back and bite through his neck, decapitating him. The sound of tearing metal is matched only by James' keening. Edward drop kicks the head across the room before dismembering the rest of the body. As soon as James is taken care, of Edward takes off his jacket and runs to me. Laying his jacket over my bare legs he begins to sob. He wraps me lightly in his arms, taking notice of my broken arm.
"I'm sorry Bella, I'm so sorry. God, why couldn't I get here earlier? And when I heard what he was thinking…He was going to violate you Bella. He was going to watch you burn as he took your virtue." I let out another scream of anguish. He finally noticed the crescent shaped mark on my wrist and let out a low growl.
"He bit you? My God, I thought I got here before he had the chance. What do I do? I can't let you change. I don't want this life for you. I want you to have children and grow old…"
Seriously? I'm laying here in the worst pain imaginable and he's talking about what he wants? Suck it up, Edward, and be a fucking man for once.
It takes what little strength I have left to whisper to him, "Do it Edward. Change me. Alice already saw it and we all know it's gonna happen. Fucking do it!"
He winces at my language but doesn't say anything. He seems to be thinking something over and I am losing my patience and possibly my mind. I've never seen him this distressed before. He looks every bit the confused teenager.
He finally seems to decide on a course of action and I thank my not-so-lucky stars. He's gonna change me, he has no choice. The venom is already in my blood so he has to change me, right?
I shouldn't have been surprised at the next words out of his mouth, but I was.
"I am going to suck the venom out of your system." What? "I'm only going to drink enough to ensure no traces remain." This kid is fucking delusional. I. Am. His. Singer. There is no way he'll be able to stop drinking. He can't even kiss me properly for fear of draining me.
I try to explain this to him but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, "no…singer…drain." He looks at me with a mixture of love and condescension.
"No Isabella. I know what's best for you. I will not allow you to live this soul-less existence. I have amazing control and I will absolutely be able to stop."
Yup, and there it is. The one sentence that tells me how controlling and self-possessed he really is. Any trace of romantic love that I may have felt evaporated with those words. Unfortunately I am unable to tell him any of this as I'm burning in the fiery pits of hell.
He lowers his mouth to my wrist and kisses my palm once before attaching his mouth to my wrist. I can feel him sucking and it doesn't hurt like I thought it would. I kind of feel like a bendy straw. He's just slurping along, but I'm not too nervous because his eyes are still gold. He's treating this like its surgery. Controlled and precise. Just as the burning begins to subside, he takes his mouth off my wrist and speaks.
"Just a bit more, love. You're almost pure." Uggh…Pure? Seriously? If I weren't so weak right now I would give him a piece of my mind.
Before I can tell what's happening I feel my wrist break. I yell out in pain. I look up at Edward and see that his eyes have turned pitch black. He glances down at me and all traces of the old Edward have vanished. He's become the monster he always claimed to be. He bites down and begins to drink in earnest and I feel my life-force slipping away.
My eyes stop focusing on Edward and finally close altogether.
I'm going to die. I'm going to die here and not by James' hand. I am being sucked dry by the only man who ever told me he loved me.
Just another day in the life of Bella Swan.
Just as I'm about to completely black out, I feel my wrist drop to the ground and my body being cradled in cold marble arms. Someone is gently touching me all over but the cold hands make me shiver. I manage to whisper one word before I fall into the void.
"Jasper."
-Major's POV-
I push past Emmett and take in the scene before me. I see pieces of vampire strewn about and I am glad that I have one less problem to deal with. My Isabella is laying in the middle of the room with the mind-reader over her. At first I think Edward is checking her for injuries, but as soon as I feel the raging bloodlust emanating from him I know exactly what's going on. Thankfully she is still alive but her heartbeat is growing weaker by the moment. I need to get this sick fuck away from her.
Carlisle, Rose and Alice enter through the back door at that moment and stop dead in their tracks.
"Emmett." I look at him and he nods his head in understanding. We rush towards Bella and in one swift movement Emmett has Edward in a headlock. I grab his mouth, prying his venomous teeth away from Bella's skin. His jaw breaks in the process and a part of me rejoices in his pain. Bella's wrist falls to the ground. I can feel her confusion through her fear.
"Carlisle!" The doctor rushes towards Bella and he gives me a look. "Put Bella on the sofa in the next room and check her for injuries." I'm not sure how much blood Edward was able to drink before we got there, but I don't want to risk her seeing what I'm about to do.
As soon as she is safely out of the room I turn back to where Emmett is holding a furious Edward. He is radiating possessiveness and anger at his meal being taken from him. The frenzy is still evident in his black eyes and he is fighting against Emmett's hold. I look at Rosalie and she immediately helps Emmett, punching Edward across the face before grabbing his free arm.
"Alice, start a fire and dispose of the other vampire." She does what I ask and I am pleased. I really do need to reward her when this is all over.
I stalk back towards Edward with a deadly gleam in my eye. This man dared to hurt my mate. He dared to drink her blood and cause her pain. I will be as gentle with him as he was with Isabella.
"Major," My head whipped around to look at Alice. "I don't know why yet, but you can't kill him. You can punish him but he must live."
No! That monster is going to pay for his actions. I look back at Edward when Peter's words replay in my mind.
"Listen to the pixie. She will be right…about everything."
Shit. I've never gone against Peter's advice and I'm not gonna start now.
"Alice, go check on Isabella." She nods at me and hurries off. Edward is her favorite brother and, as angry as she might be right now, she wouldn't want to see him torn to pieces.
"Rosalie, Emmett. Would you be so kind as to relieve Edward of his arms?" They look at me for a moment. They may not like hurting him, but they realize he needs to be punished. I take in their emotions. I understand the anger and disgust, but what I can't understand is their confusion. Only then does it occur to me that they have no idea that Isabella is my mate. Alice and I neglected to tell the rest of the family that bit of information so they must be confused as to why I'm here and not Jasper. But now is not the time for this and, at any rate, everyone will know soon enough.
Hesitating for just a second, Rosalie and Emmett follow my orders.
Edward's arms fall to the ground and without a way of restraining him, he lunges towards the other room where the doctor and Alice are caring for Bella. Jumping in front of him, I push my arms out and fling him into the back wall. I rush over to where he lands and bend down over him. His black eyes stare up at me in fury but he says nothing. I realize that he can smell Bella from the other room and his bloodlust is still raging.
"Tell me Edward, how did it feel to drink Isabella's blood?" I rip off his left leg at the knee. "How did it taste? Was it as good as you imagined?" His right leg gets the same treatment. I throw the pieces across the room to join his arms.
"How did it feel to watch her writhe in pain under you? Did she look up at you in fear?" I tear the rest of his left leg completely off. "Did you watch as tears fell down her cheeks?" His right leg joins his left and the pieces join the growing pile.
I lean down and whisper in his ear, "Did it make you hard to hear her screams?" With those words I grab his hair and rip his head off. I throw his torso into the corner but keep ahold of his head. His black eyes finally disappear only to be replaced by a shocking crimson. I wonder if he has any idea of what he's done.
It is at that moment that I hear the one thing that snaps me back to reality. My sweet Isabella's voice. It is barely a whisper but I can hear her as clear as day.
"Jasper."
-JPOV-
"Carlisle, no." I hear Alice's voice cry out from the other room. Not realizing I still have Edward's head clutched in my hand, I race to see what's going on. Rose and Em are right behind me as we enter the room.
"You can't change her, Carlisle. It's not what she would want.
"Alice, if I don't change her now she won't make it. She's lost too much blood and it's too late for a transfusion." Carlisle looks down at his newest daughter with venom pooling in his eyes.
"Why don't you want Bella to join the family, Alice?" Emmett finally chimes in looking sad and, if possible, tired. "I thought you loved her. I thought you wanted her to be your sister."
We're all shocked into silence when Rose speaks for the first time. "Alice, please don't take my new sister away from me before I even get the chance to know her." She begins to sob before speaking again. "I never told her I loved her, never told her I was glad to have a new sister. I never thanked her for making Emmett so happy. I know she would want to be changed. Please Alice." I've never heard Rose plea for anything.
Alice finally speaks as she looks at the family. "You have it all wrong. Of course Bella will be changed. I had a vision of here being like us the first day we met her and she was always meant to be a part of the family. I only stopped Carlisle because it's not him who is going to change Bella." She looks me dead in the eye. "It's Jasper."
All eyes look to me with shock and surprise. Rose walks over to me, grabs Edward's head out of my hand and places it on the side table. She pulls my hands into hers and squeezes them before asking Alice, "Why Jasper? Carlisle changed me, Emmett and Esme. Why shouldn't he be the one to change Bella?"
Alice gives me a soft nod and replies, "Tell them, Jasper."
I take an unneeded breath and sigh before answering. "I have to be the one to change Bella because she is my mate."
Carlisle, Rose and Em look back and forth between me and Bella for a moment. A look of understanding crosses Rose's face.
"That's why The Major was here. To protect his mate." I nod at her and send her a wave of gratitude and love. Carlisle and Emmett respond with wide smiles. They both seem fine with this turn of events
I drop to my knees in front of Bella and kiss her softly on the forehead. "I'll see you in three days, darlin'. I'll be right next to you every minute and I'll try to take some of the pain away. Try to think back on your life. Your memories of Renee and Charlie. Your friends and family. Anything you want to remember in your new life. Be strong for me and please know that we all love you." With those last words I bite down right above her heart and inject as much venom as I can. I do the same on her neck, her left wrist and both ankles.
Bella's eyes open for just a moment and she stares directly at me, a small smile playing on her lips. I take her hands in mine. She nods once and squeezes my hands before closing her eyes and succumbing to the pain.
Carlisle checks Bella over once before speaking. "Alice, I assume you have a plan?" She nods at him. "Excuse me for a moment. I'm going to call your mother and then we can discuss what comes next."
I look up at Alice and see her eyes glaze over. Realizing that she's having a vision I make my way over to her. Rose takes my place at Bella's side and grabs her hand.
"I'm sorry Bella. I'm sorry that I never accepted you into the family. I never told you I loved you. Anyone who can make my Emmett's eyes light up like that must be an incredible person. I'm sorry I never took the time to get to know you but I'm glad I have eternity to make it up to you, my sister." At these words Emmett's eyes fill with venom. He's never seen Rose look so vulnerable in front of anyone but him. I can feel waves of pride and love coming off him.
I turn back to Alice and Carlisle enters the room with the rest of Edward.
I put my hands on Alice's shoulders. "Ali, what did you see?" Her eyes return to normal and she stares at me for a moment before answering me.
"A farm. Lots of sunlight and heat. Bella in white sundress hunting. You ride horses together. Swimming in a river under a waterfall. Do you know where this farm is Jasper?"
There is only one place that I know of where a vampire can ride a horse without the animal being scared off.
"Yes, Alice. It looks like I am taking Bella to Peter and Charlotte's ranch in Texas." A wide grin covers my face. I haven't seen my brother in over ten years and I can't think of a better place to spend Bella's newborn year. Just then my phone rings and I know who it is without looking at the caller ID.
"Hey fucker. You knew we were coming to Texas." I phrase it as a statement and not a question.
"Hello to you too, asshole. And yes, of course I knew. I can't tell you how excited Char is to finally meet her new sister. She has so many plans that Bella will be busy for the next decade." I hear her squeal in the background. "Quiet, woman. The men-folk are talking." Oh, shit. I would hate to be Peter right now.
"Do you remember what happened last time you called me 'woman'?" I can hear the anger in Char's voice but Peter doesn't answer.
"Peter Whitlock, you answer me this instant. Do you remember?"
"Yes Ma'am." Yup, Peter's scared shitless and I'm loving it.
"What did I tell you I would do if you ever called me that again?"
"You said you would rip my balls off and keep them in your purse for a week." I hear my family snicker behind me.
My brother and his wife have been playing this little game for over a century. He makes some sort of asinine comment he knows will piss Char off and she threatens to remove a certain part of his anatomy. Then she makes him do some hard labor on the farm at human speed before they fuck like bunnies for the next two days. Peter complains endlessly about the hard work, but I know he loves their little game as much as she does.
"Would you like to go ball-less for a week, Peter?"
"No ma'am."
"Then talk to your brother and tell him the plan because I am sick of waiting. I want to meet my fucking sister and if I left it up to you two dipshits, it might never fucking happen. Oh, and Peter? You will be making up for your earlier comment for the rest of the night." I hear her walk away muttering something about 'assholes'.
I smile at hearing Charlotte's voice even if she is angry. She has never had female companionship and I think Bella will be the perfect friend for her.
"You're a lucky man, Peter!" I laugh into the phone.
"Yeah, yuck it up now dickweed, cause in two days you'll be living under her roof and she'll have your balls in a vice right next to mine." I stop laughing because he is absolutely right. Shit.
"What's the plan, Peter?"
"The doctor, Alice and Emmett are to go back to Forks and fake Bella's death. Rosalie will drive with you to Texas so she can keep an eye on Bella. For some reason Emmett's going to Alaska, but he will meet us here in a week. Tell the pixie I'm sorry, but she has to stay in Forks with Carlisle and Esme for a while. We don't want to raise any suspicion and Bella's father will need help getting through the death of his daughter. Rosalie and Bella deserve some bonding time and I think those two and Char are going to have an amazing relationship." Alice's face falls at this news. She wants to come and play with the girls.
"What about Edward?" I want to throw a zippo at his face but I know I can't.
"The fuck do I care what you do with him. Pack him in a box and FedEx him somewhere. Maybe Alaska. I'm sure the Succubus sisters will love putting him back together. The pixie can tell you the rest of the plan."
I look at Alice and start saying good-bye to Peter. Before I get a chance to hang up I hear him speak one last time.
"Don't worry, Alice. You'll meet him soon. He's waiting for you." And with that, he hangs up. I have never heard Peter call Alice by her given name and I'm stunned. What is he talking about? Alice's face lights up in joy and she throws herself into my arms.
"We're all gonna be so happy, Jazz. I can see it." Just then Bella screams and my focus is back on the task at hand. Getting the fuck out of Phoenix.
I smell smoke coming from the other room and realize we need to act quickly.
"Alice…the plan."
She looks at Bella than begins to speak. "Peter's right. Rose, there's a black SUV two blocks from here. Steal it and change the plates. And please get Bella a change of clothes. I doubt she would want to wake up in her new life pant-less. Emmett, get some boxes from the office and pack up Edward. You're taking him on a one way trip to Alaska. Carlisle and Jasper, grab Bella and take her outside. Try to keep her as quiet as possible. We wouldn't want to wake up the neighbors. I'm gonna burn this fucking building down." She looks a bit too happy with her role. With that we all jump into action. I lift Bella into my arms and run out the front door with Carlisle behind me.
We lay Bella in a small patch of grass. She whimpers a bit but is otherwise doing amazingly well. I send her some calm and love and she settles down. Loads of anxiety is rolling off of Carlisle and I ask him what the problem is.
"It's Edward. I can't stomach the idea of him being packed up and shipped like some sort of antique." I snicker at his choice of words and he gives me a hard glare.
Alice appears before us, a huge fire spreading throughout the ballet studio. She looks at our father with a soft gaze before speaking.
"I know this isn't ideal Carlisle, but it's for the best. Call Elezar and tell him that Emmett is on his way with Edward. Explain to him exactly what happened. He can unpack Edward's head but the rest of him must stay in the boxes. This isn't for punishment as much as it's for his own safety; Edward won't remember what he did and Elezar must be the one with the unfortunate task of filling in the blanks. He will feel horrible about what he's done, and if he is allowed to put himself back together he will run to Italy and have the Volturi dispose of him."
At those words Carlisle stiffens and whispers, "Poor Esme."
If it were up to me I would charter a plane and take Edward to Italy myself. I would drop his head in Aro's lap and walk away without a care. But I know how much it would hurt Esme and I would never put my mother through that pain. She almost lost one child today and she couldn't bear to lose another.
I cradle Bella in my arms and begin to gently rock her. The action seems to calm her down a bit and I'm thankful I can help her in some small way.
Emmett approaches us with five Edward-filled boxes in his arms. I can't help the small smile that crosses my face. Carlisle glares at me again but keeps quiet. He knows that Edward is getting far better treatment than he deserves.
Bella's pain level spikes a bit and I send her some more calm. I also send a dose of pride. Not many mature vampires would live through an attack like this yet my Isabella managed to survive two in one day. She took on two blood-thirsty vampires and lived to tell the tale. Well…more accurately, she died to tell the tale.
That woman is so strong and amazing; how could I not have known she was mine. Looking back I realize how many times I actually thought about her. How many times I worried about her well-being, her feelings. Edward told me to stay away from her the first day he met her and I didn't think twice about it. Why would I want to hang around my brother's human girlfriend? But lo and behold, the girl started to grow on me. Each time she sat with us at lunch or came over to the house I found myself gravitate towards her, soaking in all her pure emotions. I guess it wasn't until the drive down here that I finally admitted to myself how much I truly enjoy her company.
I let out a small sigh and am pulled from my reverie when Rose approaches in the recently liberated SUV. She gets out of the truck and, walking directly to me, she lifts Bella out of my arms and places her in the backseat. I stand behind her and notice that she made our girl a bed of blankets and pillows.
Rose really does love her.
I follow her to the open trunk. Jesus Christ…did she rob an entire department store? The amount of clothing bags and shoe boxes in front of me would put one of Alice's shopping trips to shame. And I know better than anyone how much Alice can buy. I pay her enormous, fucking credit card bill every month. I see Rosalie pull out some new yoga pants and a tank top and turn away while she changes Bella's clothes.
I send Rose a wave of gratitude and she smiles at me before running into Emmett's waiting arms. It is difficult for mates to be apart for any length of time, but for these two a week might as well be a lifetime. He pulls her into a warm embrace and she softens in his arms. I can feel Rose's joy at getting to spend some quality time with her new sister but she is going to miss Emmett terribly.
Note to self: when Emmett joins us in Texas, leave the house for a week. Peter and Char had better be prepared to replace vast amounts of furniture.
Em finally breaks the silence and whispers in Rose's ear, "I'm so proud of you Rosie. Bells is lucky to have a sister as caring and loyal as you. Make sure you talk to her as she goes through the change. Tell her how much I love her and that I can't wait to see what a kick-ass vamp she's gonna be." He kisses her hard and the amount of love and lust rolling off of them is almost enough to bring me to my knees. As they deepen the kiss, the rest of us turn away to give them some semblance of privacy. I walk over to where Carlisle is loading Edward into the trunk of another car. When did we acquire a second vehicle? I raise an eyebrow at Alice and she just shrugs her shoulders.
"What? It's called being prepared. I would think a military man like you would understand the concept." I laugh at her and pull her into a hug. She returns the hug and looks up at me.
"Thank you Alice. Thank you for saving my Bella. I am so proud of you and so is The Major. Maybe we'll make you a lieutenant or something." She smiles up at my praise. "If you hadn't saved me all those years ago I don't know what would have happened. I sure as hell wouldn't have met my true mate. And I heard what Peter said to you. I may not be all-knowing like you and my asshole brother, but I saw you light up at his words. You deserve to find your mate and be happy. But pass along a message to him from me. If he hurts my Alice in any way, the God of War will come looking for him." I kiss her on the forehead and she pulls away.
"You two are going to be so happy together. She is going to be amazing and fierce. The perfect mate for the Major. I love you so much Jazz. I couldn't have asked for a better companion and friend. We may belong to other people, but you will be my best friend for as long as I live. I'll get to Texas as soon as I can. Tell Bella I love her and I'll see her soon. Oh…and Jazz?" I look down at her in confusion. "Thank The Major for the yellow Lamborghini. I'm gonna love it." With that she turns and gives Rose a quick hug before crawling into the back seat of the car.
I give Emmett a (very manly) hug and he gets into the front seat. Carlisle turns to me and Rose. He is feeling a little worried but mostly proud.
"Bella is in the best possible hands. With your love, Jasper, and Rose's loyalty and strength, she will have everything she needs to make a smooth transition. I love you both and I'm so proud of you. We'll get to Texas for a visit as soon as possible, and please tell my daughter how much her mother and I love her. And not to pull the dad-card, but please call your mother. She worries." He gives us both a hug and gets in to the car where Alice and Emmett are waiting. I walk to the driver's side and he rolls down the window.
"Don't worry about Edward, Carlisle, he's fine. I can feel that he's not hurting or angry, just a bit confused. Tell Elezar to be gentle when telling him what happened. He won't take it well. I'm not exactly happy with him right now, but after being in control for so long, the monster inside of him completely took over. Just do me one favor. Tell him to stay the fuck out of Texas. I will not be held responsible for The Major's actions. Or Bella's for that matter. I'm sure she'll want to rip him a new one and I want her newborn year to be as easy as possible. Thank you for taking such good care of her, she means everything to me." As soon as I say those last words I feel a strange pull in my chest. I look back to the truck where Bella is laying and it immediately stops. Huh. I turn back to Carlisle. "Please tell Esme I love her and try to visit soon." He nods at me, and Alice and Emmett wave at us as they pull away.
Rose and I get into the SUV and I look at Bella for a moment before starting the engine. It's amazing that she's going through the change. She is so quiet and her emotions are emitting a bit of pain, but nothing overwhelming. I've seen some newborns scream and writhe the entire time and Bella just looks like she's taking an afternoon nap. Rose is sitting in the backseat with Bella's head in her lap. She is stroking her hair and whispering to her, I assume passing on Emmett's message. I have a feeling that my mate and my sister are gonna have one awesome relationship.
I tune Rose out and we drive in a comfortable silence for a few hundred miles before Rose speaks.
"Jasper, do you mind if I hunt. I don't know about you but I haven't hunted since before the baseball game. If we're gonna be dealing with a newborn Bella, I think we should be as prepared as possible."
She has a point so I pull over somewhere in New Mexico. Rose hops out of the car and runs into a forest. I take her place at Bella's side and run my fingers through her hair. It's so soft. She moans a bit and I do a check of her emotions. Lust? The woman is going through the most painful experience of her life and all I feel is lust? She truly is amazing. I can't believe I have all the time in the world to get to know her. I know we're mates but we hardly know each other. Maybe it doesn't matter; I'm already in love with her.
I'm in love with Bella Swan!
As soon as that thought crosses my mind, I feel the pull in my chest grow stronger and love begins pouring off of Bella.
Rose returns at that moment and I can barely contain myself.
"Rose, I love her!"
"I know."
"How do you know? I just figured it out for myself."
"She's your mate, Jasper. Tell me…do you feel a tugging in your chest? Is something pulling you to her?"
"Yeah. What is it?"
"It's the mating pull. I feel it every time I'm away from Emmett. You're lucky though. I didn't feel it until Em was completely changed, probably because I wasn't the one to change him. Bella has your venom in her veins, Jasper. You guys are more like Carlisle and Esme than me and Emmett. You're not just mates, you're bonded. She isn't even a full vampire yet and you can already feel her."
"What does being bonded mean? Does it make us different?"
"No, it just makes you stronger. How much pain is she feeling right now? She is keeping fairly quiet."
"Not much at all. She seems to be having normal emotions. I felt lust and love when I touched her hair."
"I spoke to Esme once about her change and she told me that she felt little to no pain. Carlisle thinks it happens when a person's true mate is the one to change them. Bella should feel very lucky that you were the one to do it. Carlisle said he felt the mating pull as soon as he bit Esme. You guys are special." I feel a twinge of jealousy from Rose but it is immediately replaced with her love for Emmett.
We drive for a while longer before I decide to hunt. I leave Bella with Rose and dart into the forest. I hunt quickly, eager to get to Peter's house. We drive straight through the night in a companionable silence. Every so often a wave of curiosity rolls off of Rose. The longer we drive the stronger the curiosity gets. Eventually I can't stand it anymore and turn to my sister.
"Spit it out for fucks sake. You're giving me emotional whiplash here."
"I was just wondering about how you and The Major work. He is so different from you and I wondered if you were in there at all. Did you know what was happening? Were you there?"
I think about it for a minute. When did I realize that Bella was my mate? I suppose it happened as soon as The Major took over.
"I was there the whole time Rose. It's like I was in the passenger seat while he was driving. I heard every thought and agreed with every action. Sometimes he completely takes over and I remember very little, but this time…it's like he needed me to know why we were doing what we were doing. If I hadn't known Bella was mine, I may not have been able to take the necessary steps to assure her safety."
She looks at me for a moment before speaking again. "Can you still feel him? Is he still there?"
"Yeah. Now that he found his mate I think he'll be sticking around. To be honest, though, I like knowing he's there. For so long I felt like a domesticated animal. I knew the feral side was there, but I kept him locked up. I like knowing a part of me is able to protect my mate." Rose and I drive in silence for a bit longer when my cell phone rings.
"Pick up the pace Major. It looks like our little Bella is gonna wake up sooner than expected." What? It's only been 36 hours. "No more dinner breaks. You better be here in 12 hours cause she's gonna wake up in 13. Tell Rose that Char can't wait to meet her and that she has a shopping trip planned. Apparently we're gonna need to stock up on some new furniture and Char wants Rose's input." If Rose could've blushed, she would have.
"Anything else I should know Peter?"
"No, asshole. Just stop driving like a little old lady and hurry the fuck up!" I'm gonna kick his ass when I get there.
"Yeah…good luck with that, fucker." With those words the Yoda-wannabe hangs up and I start driving like a bat out of hell.
We make it in just over 12 hours. I pull into the driveway and exhale a breath. Peter's farm has always been a sanctuary for me. Whenever I slipped or just needed to get away I would come here. He has 550 acres of forest and farmland. The property boasts its own river and a waterfall that feeds it. How Peter and Char, with the help of their farmhand JP, run a working farm is beyond me. I guess not having the need to sleep helps.
We pull up to the huge three story house and I see Peter and Charlotte waiting out front. I jump out of the truck and punch Peter in the face before wrapping my arms around Char. I missed this woman. She was my first sister and the mate of my brother. Anyone who can make him happy is okay in my book.
"Ooww…what was that for fucker?"
"That's for being a cryptic dick. And this," I punch him again, "is for not visiting in 10 years." A wide smile crosses his face and he picks me up in a bear hug. Peter has always been affectionate, but I'll never get used to those hugs.
I look behind me and see Charlotte helping Rose remove Bella from the back seat. The love rolling off of Char is palpable and she's only seen Bella for 30 seconds. Yup, this is gonna work out fine. Peter and I grab the bags from the trunk and follow the women-folk upstairs. When Bella wakes up I'm gonna take her and Rose on a tour. This shit is truly amazing and Peter built it with his own hands.
We end up in the room I use when I'm here but it's been turned into a bedroom instead of the study it used to be. Rose lays Bella on the bed and I lay down next to her. Rose shocks me by walking to Char and giving her a hug.
"It's nice to meet you, sister."
"You too Rose. I must be the luckiest girl in the world. I get two new sisters and my big brother comes back. Best day ever." Char jumps up and down and squeals. Only in these moments am I reminded that I changed Char when she was just 17 years old. She may have the ability to make The Major quake in fear, but at heart she's just a young woman.
"Can we please save the pleasantries for later? We're about to meet Bella 2.0."
I hear Bella's heartbeat begin to race and I know the change is almost complete. Peter moves Char behind him and puts his hands up in a submissive pose. Newborns are generally scared of us because of our scars, and he is ensuring his mates safety. Rose stands in the corner with her head down. Since she's a female, Bella should be fine with her presence. I stand up next to the bed and listen as her heart slows down. With one final thud the change is complete and I have never seen anyone more beautiful in my life. Her chestnut hair is longer, thicker and with traces of red. She's grown a few inches and filled out in all the right places. Her face is chiseled like a Greek goddess and I can't believe she's mine.
Her eyes open and she takes in the scene before her. Recognition flashes when she looks at Rose and her head cocks in confusion. She's probably wondering why Rose is there and not Alice. Char squeals in delight from the corner, her face peeking from behind Peter. I take in Bella's emotions as she looks at Peter. Not a trace of fear. There seems to be a lot of love and I wonder if Peter and Bella share some sort of familial bond. Peter looks at her and nods once before turning to me.
Bella follows his gaze and looks at me for the first time. Her crimson eyes pierce my soul and I wither under her gaze. I feel love, lust, amazement and possessiveness radiating from her. God I love this woman!
My wits finally return to me. "Hey darlin'. Welcome back." As soon as she hears my voice she leaps off the bed and into my arms, wrapping her legs around my waist. I could get used to this shit. She leans back, with me holding her weight, and rips my shirt off. She looks me dead in the eye and finally speaks.
"Mine." With that she bites down on my chest right above my unbeating heart. I feel The Major roar in pleasure.
She marked me. My mate fucking marked me. And fuck me if it wasn't the sexiest, most erotic experience of my life.
If you're not careful, Whitlock, this woman just might be the death of you.
A/N – I know, I know…you all wanted to hear from Edward, but for some reason it's difficult for me to get inside his brain-hole. *shakes head in shame* I'm gonna try to get an EPOV eventually but I make no promises. This story isn't really about him. Up next newborn BPOV. Did we love or hate?