Just to let you know I'm on the road for the next two weeks but i'll post whenever I get the chance. Jules. Please review it keeps me going.

Chapter Eighty One

Jasper

Bella watched as Charlie disappeared in a cloud of smoke then walked away before breaking into a run as she hit the tree line. Peter looked after her,

"Wow. I didn't expect that".

I wriggled my fingers to get them working then turned to him,

"You'd better go find Charlotte. I'm going after Bella."

He nodded,

"We'll be here whenever you need us".

As he left I walked slowly in the direction Bella had taken, giving her time to settle down. She'd run a long way and it was getting dark when I spied her sitting cross-legged on a rock staring at the sun slowly disappearing behind the hills. When she heard me she turned slightly,

"I'm sorry Jazz"

I joined her crouching down behind her and putting my arms around her shoulders,

"For what darlin'?"

Her shoulders were tense but she leaned into me,

"For letting Charlie hurt you".

I laid my cheek against her hair,

"It doesn't matter. I'm fine"

She shook her head,

"No I should have stopped him before. I knew he was going to do something. He just couldn't cope with this life".

"Not everyone can. I'm sorry it had to be you."

"I'm not. It was my job to put him out of his misery. Charlie died when Alice bit him. What was left was a shadow."

Bella

I turned into Jaspers embrace,

"I love you and I wont let anyone else ever hurt you."

He nodded,

"I know Bella. This life isn't easy but having you makes all the suffering I went through worthwhile".

I kissed him gently.

"Take me home Jazz."

He nodded and picked me up,

"I can walk"

"I know. I just like the feel of you in my arms".

He walked slowly as I ran my finger along the fading scar from the knife wound in his throat. If Charlie had hurt or killed Jasper I would have made him suffer before I killed him. The thought of a life without him was a nightmare. He was my life and I'd never let anyone get between us. As we walked I suddenly remembered something Edward had written a long while ago.

"Jazz, Edward mentioned something once that he said I should ask you about"

"Really, can't have been anything good then. What was it?"

I wasn't sure if I even wanted to know now I'd brought the subject up, after all it was in the past and made no difference to us. He noted my hesitation,

"I have no secrets from you Bella. What did he say?"

"He told me to ask you about something."

"OK What?"

"It doesn't matter if you don't want to talk about it"

"Now you're making me nervous."

I took a deep breath, "Los Paulo"

He stiffened,

"So he thought he could frighten you off did he?"

"I guess so."

"OK I'll tell you once we get back. It's not a nice bedtime story I'm afraid"

I kissed his throat, "I don't care. I love you whatever you did in the past".

Jasper

I wondered what Edward knew about that place and how he'd found anything about it at all. I'd never mentioned it and the only other person who really knew the whole story was Peter, it was even before Charlotte's time! When we got home, Peter and Charlotte were sitting on the porch waiting and I was happy to see him. We all went in the house to sit down, Peter looking at me questioningly over Bella's head. I nodded and he smiled and winked. I sat in the chair and Bella curled up at my feet, her head resting on my thigh. Peter and Charlotte mirrored us and I put a hand in Bella's hair.

"Peter I think we have a story to tell"

He looked at me quizzically,

"Oh yeah? A good one I hope."

"Edward told Bella to ask me about Los Paulo"

His face lost its smile.

"Did he now? And how did Edward Cullen hear about that I wonder?"

I shook my head

"No idea, you want to tell it or shall I?"

He shrugged,

"I'll start if you like, you can come in if I miss anything important, Char hasn't heard this one either"

He touched her shoulder and she snuggled closer in.

Peter

So Edward the ass hole had tried to scare Bella off, he obviously didn't know her very well.

"Well kiddies, this all happened a long while ago. I was a newborn and Jasper hadn't been with Maria long. I think he still believed she loved him at that point"

He glared at me and I raised my eyebrows questioningly,

"Well you did".

Bella sniggered,

"Its your own fault for letting him loose on a story, now shut up so we can listen".

I grinned and put my tongue out at him.

"So as I said we were mere innocents at this point and dear Maria heard about a town just over the border that was being run by Benito her greatest rival, so being the sick and twisted little angel that she was she decided she wanted it. We were put to work creating a large newborn army especially for this campaign. When she decided we had enough and the Major there had trained them to an acceptable standard"

"I always trained to an acceptable standard Peter"

"Hey its my story so shut the fuck up. As I was saying, once we were ready she unleashed us on the town. It didn't take long, we just out fought them and the town became hers but...some of his best soldiers got away and holed up in a small Mexican village called Los Paulo. When Maria found out we'd missed some she went fucking crazy. Half the newborns were killed outright and the Major there had a rough time of it as I recall."

Jasper

I knew it was a mistake to let Peter tell the tale but I really couldn't be bothered. I was more interested in Bella's hand caressing my thigh and the smell of her drifting up and sending me slowly crazy.

"I'm sure my rap on the knuckles doesn't need to be an integral part of the story"

As soon as I said it I knew it would only make him go on about it and I sat back, closing my eyes and concentrated on the hard on Bella was giving me.

"Rap on the knuckles? She threw you off a fucking cliff as I recall. Took three days to heal all the breaks." Bella tensed and squeezed my thigh, the sensation went straight to my crotch and I moved to get more comfortable, hoping eagle eye Peter hadn't noticed and for once he hadn't!

"So anyway as I was saying. Maria was really pissed off and she sent us to the village with instructions to make an example of it. Everything breathing had to be destroyed in the worst possible way.