Chapter Fifty Nine

Rose

Carlisle having agreed I decided to put it to Jazz and Bella. When I got back Jamie was awake and he did indeed look much brighter. He'd just had a shower and Bella was taking him for some breakfast accompanied by Emmett who had come looking for the little Cowboy. I smiled encouragingly as I passed them and went into the bedroom where Jasper stood leaning against the wall staring out of the window. He looked dreadful, as if he hadn't hunted for weeks,

"You OK Jazz?"

He straightened up with a wan smile,

"Sure, Jamie seems better this morning"

I went over to him and studied his face,

"I think Jamie's improvement and your weariness are connected Jasper"

"I'm just worried about him. Do you have any ideas?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact we do. Carlisle and I discussed it and while we can't stop Jamie's body from producing venom, or that venom attacking his human tissues, we can give it something else to fight with instead."

"Like what?"

"Your venom. Bella's is too similar to his own and it isn't recognized as a foreign body by his but yours is seen as foreign. I experimented and discovered his venom attacked yours rather like a transplant patients body will try to reject something it sees as alien, a threat. It will only give us time to work on something more permanent, it's not a cure."

"Anything Rose, but how do you administer it to him? I don't think I could keep biting my Jamie."

"No Jasper, you supply the venom and we can inject it into his blood stream, it's not going to be pleasant. I quite expect the injection site to become inflamed, Jamie's human tissues will probably react most violently."

"How long Rose?"

"Before we find a cure? I have to be honest with you Jasper, we may never find one but if we can slow things down it gives us a fighting chance."

We were interrupted at this point by Carlisle's arrival.

"Rose tells me Jamie is better when he sleeps in your arms"

"Yeah, Bella said the same thing"

Carlisle

He rubbed his face with his hand and as his cuff rode back I noticed one of the bite scars on it. It seemed to be standing out more prominently. I took his arm and rolled the cuff further back. All the scars on his arm showed up starkly and his arm seemed thinner.

"When did you hunt last?"

"I don't remember Carlisle but I won't leave Jamie"

"You'll be no use if you don't keep up your strength now while he's awake and eating. Go hunt please, we need you strong for him and I'm going to need some venom soon."

He looked out of the window and nodded,

"OK but I won't stay away long"

"Just go."

He jumped out of the window and I heard a curse as he stumbled on landing.

"Rose go with him, I'm worried and I need to speak to Bella."

She followed, landing cat-like, and running after him as I turned shaking my head, if this was going to work we had to find a way of keeping Jasper fed.

Bella

Carlisle came in and watched indulgently as Emmett coaxed Jamie into eating his cereal by trying it himself, between giggles Jamie managed half a bowl before pushing it away. He looked up,

"Is Daddy with you Grandpa?"

"No Jamie, he just went for breakfast like you"

"I want to go with him next time. Can I?"

"We'll see, but first you have to eat your own or you won't be strong enough to ride your quad bike"

He didn't look very enthusiastic until Emmett told him he and Peter had set up an obstacle course for him to try. Then with a whoop he was swung up in Emmett's arms and they went out.

Carlisle

I turned to Bella,

"How are you?"

"Worried Carlisle"

"Yes I can see that. We may have a way to slow this down"

Really, how?"

"Please don't get too excited, it's not a cure but by using Jasper's venom we can possibly slow it down"

"Carlisle what's happening when Jamie is asleep in Jasper's arms? He always looks better when he wakes up. Is it the sleep or something to do with Jasper?"

"Like you I don't know but I think Jasper is unconsciously giving Jamie some of his own strength, helping him fight"

"That's good isn't it?"

"Good for Jamie, not so good for Jasper, he's beginning to suffer physically."

"What are you saying Carlisle? That I might lose both of them? No, not acceptable Carlisle"

Jasper

I found hunting hard, I couldn't keep focused and my body felt full of lead, everything was an effort, but after I'd quenched the scorching thirst in my throat I felt better. I couldn't stay away from Volterra long, Jamie called to me stronger and stronger the further I got, so I turned back as soon as I could meeting up with Rose who had come to make sure I hunted!. Entering the Great Chamber I found him sitting on Charlotte's lap listening to a story, heavy-eyed, but as soon as he saw me he smiled and held his arms out for me to pick him up,

"He's been asking for you"

I nodded, remembering the pull I felt while away from the town and pulled him up close to my chest, his head going to its usual position on my shoulder and his body relaxing against mine.

"Where's Bella?"

"She's only been gone a few minutes, Carlisle asked to speak to her so I took over reading the story."

As Charlotte opened the door Bella and Carlisle came in looking strained but she managed a smile for me and Rose. I checked Jamie's emotions, he was asleep,

"What's going on folks? Any good news?"

"Yes and no really. We think we can slow down the destruction of Jamie's human tissue and possibly give him long enough for his own body to either sort the problem out for itself or possibly work out a way to keep it under control but it depends on two things."

"OK what? If its possible we'll do it"

Bella took my hand in hers, Jamie hadn't put his shield up yet thank goodness, and I felt her anxiety.

"It depends on you Jasper. We think Jamie is channeling your energy to help him fight the venom in his body, that's the good news, its working to a degree. The bad news is that it's affecting your own health and I'm not sure how long you can keep it up"

"AS long as it takes Carlisle. I'll cope. What else?"

"Rose tried your venom in his blood and it retards the damage to his human tissue from his own venom. His recognizes yours as a foreign body and attacks that first."

"So you need some of my venom for him, again no problem"

"It will become a problem if you become too weak Jasper. If that happens Jamie loses your energy and your venom so we have come up with a possible solution but you won't like it"

"It doesn't matter, anything."

"Human blood. It gives you more energy than animal blood which means more for Jamie and you produce more and stronger venom as a result"

I nodded,

"So what are we waiting for? If it means Jamie's life I'm prepared to do anything."

Carlisle

Bella and I both knew he would decide this way but it was going to be especially hard for him after so many years of drinking only animal blood.

"Right, I have ordered a supply of blood from a blood bank in Pisa and it will be here in a few hours, until then your last hunt should sustain you but as soon as Jamie wakes up and goes with Bella or the others you rest, you drink and you rest. Do you understand?"

"Yes. Drink and rest I'm not an imbecile"

"Jazz have you looked at yourself lately?"

He shook his head and rubbed his face,

"Then I suggest you do so. Bella"

She dragged him over to the mirror hanging in its ornate golden frame and he looked,

"God I look terrible"

Bella pulled his shirt away from his neck and gestured for him to see the bite scars which stood out starkly against his pale skin. He put a hand up to feel them then slipped his hand inside his shirt to feel the ones on his chest,

"I see what you mean, not good is it"

"No, it's not."

As Bella went to take his hand again she met resistance, Jamie had put the shield up isolating father and son once more and her fingers hovered inches from his. Seeing her distress he smiled,

"I love you Bella."

"I love you too Jazz. Look after Jamie for me and yourself. I couldn't bear to lose you or him"

"Not going to happen"

He moved to the bed and lay down, Jamie sprawled across his chest and closed his eyes.