Chapter Forty Three

Peter

I thought it might be easier for Bella to sort things out if I was out of the way,

"Major I'm going to pick up some transport for us, we'll need wheels with Bella along. I assume you are taking her back to our place?"

He nodded and I went out shutting the door as quietly as I could. I didn't think it would take much to startle our little deer.

Bella

I heard another voice that I recognised, why would I be imagining Peters voice too? And why would I fabricate a situation when we'd need wheels? Something was wrong with this picture and my heart hammered so fast I thought it would force its way through my rib cage, was he really here? Was I still alive after all? I heard his voice once more,

"Bella please open your eyes you're scaring the crap out of me, your heart is thumping much too fast."

I opened my eyes and he was there, looking down on me with those eyes that were still so wrong. I touched his face again and this time I felt it, the shock making my fingertips tingle.

"It is you. Not a dream or heaven, you are really here."

He smiled and it was even more dazzling than I remembered.

"Yes and not a moment too soon by the look of you. What were you thinking Bella? Don't you know I couldn't live without you."

I smiled hearing that,

"That's what I was thinking, it's why I did it. Alice told me I could never see you again and it just got too hard, too painful. I couldn't live without you and I couldn't go on knowing you were still here just out of sight and touch."

As he bent his head and kissed me again so gently with those cool lips the tears started again.

Jasper

The words she spoke to me melted the ice in my heart and I swore for just a second I heard it beat once again.

"Please don't cry Bella, I'm here now and I'll never leave you, just promise me you wont ever leave me again, I don't think I could live through that again. This last year has been the most painful of my entire existence"

She opened those eyes again and touched my face.

"If you felt anything like me then I understand. I didn't want to go. I only did it because Alice told me if I didn't I'd lose you and Charlie. Oh God my Dad! How is he? Does he know I'm alive after all?"

I shook my head,

"The only people who know are the three of us and Alice and Jacob Black. I didn't think it right to tell anyone until I spoke to you. Do you want to tell everyone? Its going to be difficult to explain without causing just the danger you went away to avoid."

Bella closed her eyes and I could see she was exhausted.

"Hey, it doesn't matter for now. You need to sleep".

She looked at me in panic,

"I don't want to close my eyes in case you aren't here when I wake up."

I smiled and held her closer,

"I'll be here."

"I want to believe you".

"Tell you what, I'll lay down and you can wrap your arms around me, that way if I move you'll know".

She moved so I could lay down then wrapped her arms and legs around me so tightly in desperation. Then she lay her head on my chest and I felt the tears soaking into the denim as she sobbed herself to sleep.

Peter

When I got back Bella was wound tightly round the Majors body like a fishing net.

"I'd say get a room if you didn't already have one. Looks to me like the girl is trying to crawl under your skin."

He smiled and stroked her back,

"She's already there Peter."

I had to smile,

"You never said a truer thing. It's good to see you two together again. Just try to hold on to her this time, only I don't think I could cope with you the way you've been the past months."

He never answered me, just closed his eyes and lay as still as only he could.

"Any idea what we're going to do next or when?" I whispered.

"She needs feeding up and I reckon on a few days before she's up to the drive Peter. She's so tired and so weak".

"You want me to go foraging? I haven't the faintest idea what she eats but I reckon I could get a few supplies."

He nodded,

"Yeah, get some energy drinks and fruit, anything easy to manage here for a day. I'm hoping she might be up to eating out soon, it looks like she hasn't eaten properly for a long time."

I couldn't help a grunt,

"You should try looking in a mirror Major, you ain't exactly looking so hot yourself."

I knew he hadn't hunted more than enough to keep him upright for a long time. "If you're going to look after her and be so close you need to hunt."

"I promised her I'd be here when she woke up. I'll hunt soon Peter, she's more important than feeding." "Not if you get so thirsty you take a snap at her."

"Enough" he snapped, "I'm OK for now."

I shrugged, "OK You know how bad your thirst is. I'll go see what I can rustle up for the human."

Jasper

I knew Peter was right. If I didn't hunt soon I might become a danger to Bella myself, the thirst was scorching my throat as I breathed in the scent of her blood but I'd made a promise and I fully intended to keep it. I hated to think what might happen if she woke up and I was gone, I couldn't do that to her. Peter hadn't been gone long when she started to get restless, gripping my shirt as if scared I might try to slip out of it to get away. I calmed her enough that she became quiet again but there was still a frown on her face and I wondered what she'd gone through all these months, knowing that Charlie and I thought she was dead while going on with her life. I was sure she'd felt bad for Charlie and there must have been times when she was tempted to tell him. I wondered if she'd thought about me in the same way. From what she said it appeared she had but was that true or just something she said to make me feel better now I was here. Could she possibly have felt the same pain I did?