Chapter Twenty One

Jasper

Shaun was a wasted talent, he'd started drinking hard and was only a few bottles away from killing himself so we didn't need to worry about him any longer. I'd stay until the end because it was largely our fault he'd hit the bottle, he wasn't a strong person to begin with and the pressure was just too much for him. He missed Charlotte who had been with him from the very start and resented the fact I'd pulled her off to a new task. I tried to make it easy for him, once I'd told him I was his new protector I stayed out of sight as much as possible. Until that is, I smelled the Volturi around. They'd finally located him and I wondered what they'd do now. It was obvious to anyone that he would be useless to Aro but they might try to take him anyway and I couldn't allow that to happen so I was forced to act. I turned up at his house with a litre bottle of Scotch and sat talking to him as he drank his way steadily through it. By the end of the evening he was paralytic, laying on the couch. It was easy to finish the job the Scotch was already doing and when I left he was beyond Aro's clutches. It wasn't a job I'd relished but it was the only way. Now I was free to return to Forks if I wanted to and I did but I wasn't sure it was the right thing to do. There was something in Forks that unsettled me, Bella Swan, she confused me and I didn't like the feeling one bit. I might do better to watch from a distance, especially now she'd eased up and allowed Charlotte into her life. My texts and voice messages went unanswered so she was either still unhappy with me or she'd forgotten about me altogether which was the best thing she could do.

Charlotte

I contacted The Major after leaving Bella and he was relieved that we'd been able to come to an arrangement. "She's very curious about you"

"I think she's curious about all of us which is understandable under the circumstances."

"If you say so. Hows Shaun?"

"We don't need to worry about him any more, but the Volturi were very close. Demitri must be working overtime. I think Aro knows he's almost at the end of his search and he's sending his best out now"

"Good job we're better then."

"Don't get complacent Charlotte, we're now left with the most important two."

"So are you coming back?"

He hesitated,

"I don't think that would be a good idea Charlotte."

"Oh why?"

"I seem to be getting distracted. If you and Peter can manage I think I might try to trace where the Volturi go from here. If they head in your direction I'll contact you. Otherwise just stay vigilant. Alice won't be a problem but Bella might need watching, she's quite headstrong."

"Really? I hadn't noticed! You sure you're not coming back yet?"

"I can't, not yet."

After he rang off I couldn't help a smile, so The Major was confused, distracted and he didn't have the faintest idea why. If he'd asked I could have told him. Finally she'd surfaced and it wouldn't be long before he found himself back in Forks whether he thought so or not.

Bella

I felt better about Charlotte although she'd raised as many questions as she'd answered. I knew why Alice and I were so highly prized and why our Guardian Angels were watching over us but who was the mysterious Major? The bogey man she tried to frighten me with and what position did Jasper hold in their small organisation? I'd always taken it for granted that he was the leader but that wasn't true if there was a Major too, I wondered if I'd ever meet him. The crazy thing was that I still missed Jasper, the few days we had spent playing a couple seemed branded on my heart and in my brain. How was it possible for someone I'd known for such a short time to make such an impression? The longer he was gone the more I missed him and that wasn't right. I decided to go with Jake to the bonfire party, anything to take my mind off Him. I rang and accepted his invitation before going to bed, knowing once I fell asleep He would be there in my dreams, just out of reach but never out of my mind. As previous nights I read his texts and listened to the short voice messages, each one burning another small hole through me. I wrote him a text message and my finger hovered over send before hitting delete. Whatever had happened to me would only be made worse by restarting a dialogue, I just had to get over him.

Charlotte

I wasn't happy when Bella told me what she had planned for the weekend but there was no way of stopping her that wouldn't involve problems with the wolf pack. I insisted on seeing her to the treaty boundary that the Cullens had set up with the Quileutes and I'd wait as long as it took until she came back again. I still needed to OK the plan with The Major but I made the mistake of saying this to Bella.

"I don't have to OK my movements with anyone and I'll be perfectly safe with Jake and the others."

"Bella you'll never be safe as long as the Volturi are still looking for you and I can't take a chance with your safety."

"Charlotte, you do what you have to but I'm going and that's all there is to it, you can tell The Major that from me."

I smiled inwardly thinking that he'd probably be in contact with her himself when he heard of her plans.

Jasper

I didn't know what to do about the weekend barbecue with the wolves, it reminded me of the disastrous barbecue she and I had attended, I still didn't know what had gone wrong there! It was true she would be safe from the Volturi at the Reservation but the wolves were volatile and unpredictable and I hated the thought of her with Jake for the evening. Bella Swan was driving me crazy. I sent her a text which I hoped she'd read although I knew with more or less certainty that she wouldn't reply. She wouldn't speak to me or text me, yet she was asking Charlotte all about me, what did it all mean?

Bella

The next morning I had a new message from Jasper,

"Bella please ring. J"

I think he knew I'd ignore that plea because I got a text as I drove to school,

"Bella. You are being reckless. We are trying to keep you safe, listen to Charlotte please."

I had to smile at that, "WE are trying to keep you safe?" I didn't think so, he'd high tailed it out of there as quickly as he could once he'd passed me over to Charlotte. I ignored them and the increased ache in my chest after hearing his voice again. What was it about the man that had such an effect on me?