Chapter Thirty

Rose

When Bella woke up Jazz took Jamie to say hello to his mother then I took him back downstairs for another feed, he was very hungry for such a tiny mite. Then Emmett and I needed to hunt so I left Jamie with Carlisle and Esme. She took him from me eagerly and I could see the pain of remembrance in her eyes, the memory of the baby she had lost. Calling up to Jazz to tell him where we were going we left them, not wanting to be away from the newest member of the family for too long.

Carlisle

Esme was smitten, mesmerized by the infant in her arms, and I watched as she changed his nappy and settled him in her arms to sleep.

"I'm just popping up to see how Bella is doing"

She looked up and nodded before turning her attention back to Jamie and smiling I went up the stairs to my patient. She was still laying down, the pregnancy had taken a lot out of her, and Jazz was hugging her, whispering to her about their son and how enraptured we all were by him. She'd wanted to hold him for longer but she was too weak and sleepy to do so for long and she really needed her rest, Jazz helped her relax and they knew Jamie was in good hands. After asking permission I checked on Bella's stitches, they would heal but leave a noticeable scar and she was self-conscious but Jazz smiled and leaned over her kissing each one of them while she stroked his hair. I noticed he was sealing them with his venom as he did so and she was too sleepy to feel the sting as the venom burned her skin in healing.

We heard Rose and Emmett return, Bella asleep in Jasper's arms, and waited for Rose to come see Bella. She'd popped her head in every half hour or so since the birth. She came in bright-eyed followed by Emmett then stopped looking at us,

"Where's Jamie?"

"He's down stairs with Esme. She'd just finished feeding him when I came up but I thought she'd be up here by now"

Jasper cocked his head to one side

"I can't hear him."

None of us could and we rushed downstairs to look, he was gone, and so was Esme!

Rose

Esme had taken Jamie and gone. We had no idea where or why but they were both missing and Jasper was frantic, Bella was going to be beside herself when she woke up again. Carlisle had given her another shot when we realized there was something wrong. The last thing she needed right now was to be upset.

"Where is she?"

Jasper's voice was barely audible through his rage,

"I don't know Jasper. I had no idea she would do something like this. Perhaps she just took him for a walk in the fresh air."

We split up but none of us believed that, Jasper least of all. Within minutes we knew they had vanished, following Esmes scent to the river where we lost it in the water. Emmett and I checked the bank headed South while Carlisle and Jazz went North. She had to get out of the water somewhere and she couldn't keep Jamie outside once the temperature started to drop, he was too vulnerable to the cold.

Carlisle

I hoped Rose and Emmett would track Esme down because I knew if we found her Jasper would attack once his son was safe, he was beyond rage already, it was pouring off him in torrents almost knocking me to the ground.

"Son you need to calm down, clear your head."

He turned black eyes to me, burning into my brain and I saw death waiting there. We went on for an hour but there was no sign of her on either bank and the light was fading, the temperature dropping rapidly

"I'm sure she wont let any harm come to Jamie, Jasper"

"You had better hope not Carlisle. You better hope my son is somewhere safe"

It wasn't an idle threat, I knew that.

Rose

Emmett finally picked up Esme's scent about an hour downriver. She had emerged close to a highway and there were the tracks of a car close to the spot with river mud prints leading to it. Esme and Jamie were gone and we had no way of tracking them in a car. The carriageway was headed South so we knew that at least they had started going South but if they took the next exit they could go any direction. I hate the thought of Jasper's reaction when we told him she was gone but we had no choice. Esme had planned this and either had a car parked up ready or a confederate waiting for her, but if it was an accomplice who? Who would help her steal a baby? Especially Jasper's baby? It was like ramming your fist down a sleeping tigers throat and shouting Boo! Emmett decided to run on and see if he could trace the direction the car had taken while I ran back to break the news to the others.

Bella

The atmosphere in the house had changed when I woke up and I realized I was alone. Sitting up gingerly I felt my stomach, the stitches had gone and the incision was healing rapidly although it was still very tender to the touch. Feeling brave and concerned I got up slowly and pulled on one of Jasper's shirts laying on the chair before going to the top of the stairs and calling down. No one answered and I wondered if they'd gone to take some photographs of Jamie outside but looking through the window I saw the light was fading. I shouted down again worried this time and when there was still no reply I took the stairs one at a time hanging on the banisters feeling weak again. I could hear no voices and no one moving around and suddenly I was scared, I felt lonely and abandoned.

What would I do if they had all gone again and taken my son with them? What if I never saw him or them again? They were rich enough to hide from me forever and I had no birth certificate for Jamie, he'd been born off the Radar for obvious reasons. He was different, he couldn't be tested as normal babies were without causing problems. Sitting on the bottom step I dropped my head into my hands and started to cry, bitter and unhappy tears for the loss of everything I valued in my life, Jasper and our son. The sobs started a pain in my stomach where the stitches had been and that made me feel even worse. I just wanted to die and be out of my misery, what would I do?

I know, a lot of you saw this coming but who knows what happens next? Please review. Jules x