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Special thanks to Gredelina1, Augustmoon and Mary-Alice-Brandon-Cullen for pre-reading this. This was beta'd by Maxipoo1024 from Sparkly Red Pen.

Chapter Twenty-Two — Rescue

Jasper POV

After the excitement of Volterra, and then the encounter with the wolf, returning to high school was harder than ever. The mindless tedium tormented me. After spending a tedious morning attending classes, I wondered how I managed this life for five decades.

My day was exceptionally dull until the lunch period. I met my siblings in the cafeteria, as was usual, only to find I had a surprise waiting for me. As I gazed out of the window, attempting to ignore the concentrated scent of human blood pulsing through the student population's veins, and the foul reek of the food they were shoveling down, I spotted something in the parking lot that made my heart leap. A familiar shiny black motorcycle straddled by a very familiar figure. She pulled off her helmet and shook out her waves of mahogany hair. Isabella.

She smiled widely as she saw me and beckoned me over with a wave of her hand.

"Jasper, what are you looking… oh!" Alice said, catching sight of Isabella. "What is she doing here?"

"Rescuing me from tedium," I said, pushing away my tray and getting to my feet.

"You can't just leave," Rosalie hissed. "We still have classes."

Isabella snorted delicately. "Come with me now or lose me forever," she said loudly.

"Sorry, Rose," I said, no hint of regret in my tone. "It is the pull of mating. It cannot be denied."

Emmett laughed loudly, drawing the eyes of the students in the seats closest to us. "Go get your girl, Jasper. We'll say you were sick and had to leave early."

I clapped a hand on his shoulder. "You are the very best brother I could ask for."

Edward frowned, but I made no effort to amend my words. We were still not on good terms.

Isabella's smile became dazzling as I approached her. "I was worried you wouldn't come. I know how dedicated you are to your human act," she teased.

"The charade means nothing when there is a beautiful woman waiting for me," I said smoothly.

"Does this happen a lot then? Beautiful women coming to rescue you."

I smiled. I liked that she was showing me a lighter side of her personality. "Once a week or so."

She laughed and the sound warmed my heart.

I climbed onto the bike behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist. Touching her sent a thrill of anticipation through my veins. It was as if our bodies were rejoicing at the reunion.

She gunned the engine, waved to my siblings through the window of the cafeteria, and pulled out of the parking lot.

"So where are we going?" My voice was muffled slightly by the helmet I was forced to wear, but naturally she heard it clearly anyway.

"I noticed we are close to the coast," she replied. "Are there any jump worthy cliffs here?"

"Take the next right and keep going."

We rode for twenty minutes before reaching the cliffs I directed her to. The best cliffs here were located within the La Push territory, but there were still some outside of their borders for us to enjoy. The road gave way to a rough trail and she slowed and pulled to a stop.

We climbed from the bike, and I pulled her into my arms. Our height difference meant that her head barely reached my chin. She nuzzled into my neck, and I pressed a kiss to her sweet smelling hair. She squeezed me a little tighter and then released me.

She leaned forward to press a chaste kiss to my cheek. "Hello, Jasper."

"Hello, Isabella."

Our hands linked, we walked at a steady human pace to the cliffs. Her breath caught as she looked out over the Pacific; it was a beautiful sight.

"Shall we dive?"

"Actually, I think I would rather talk," she said.

As much as I enjoyed cliff diving with Isabella, I would rather talk, too. We had been apart too long for my liking, and I wanted to catch up on all she had been doing.

I sank to the ground and sat with my legs crossed. She sat opposite me without comment. I expected at least one pointed remark about human behavior, but there were none.

"Have you been doing anything interesting other than suffering through the tedium of high school?" she asked.

"I had an encounter with a werewolf," I said.

"You did?" she said, excitement coming from her in waves. "A genuine child of the moon?"

"Unfortunately not. It was one of the shape-shifters that live on a nearby reservation." I said a little sadly. A fight with a child of the moon would have been far more of a challenge.

"Oh well, we can't have it all in life I suppose," she said commiseratingly. "Tell me all about it."

I explained how Alice and I had been set upon by the idiotic wolf and how our treaty — and Edward's interference — had stopped me from fighting it.

She shook her head. "What a waste. Would you like me to kill it for you?"

I laughed. She offered it in the same way a human would a bouquet. To her, annihilating a werewolf was a show of affection.

"No, thank you. Carlisle would be very upset if you did. Besides, it isn't alone. There is at least one other wolf in their pack."

"Two wolves?" She scoffed. "I think we could manage that."

"I'm sure we could, but again, Carlisle would be very upset. We have a treaty with them, and he is dedicated to maintaining it. They are almost human after all."

She rolled her eyes, her distaste for humans coming to the fore again. I sometimes forgot the differences in our outlook on humanity. It didn't bother me that she held them in so little regard. It was understandable given her experiences of the human psyche.

"What have you been doing?" I asked. "Have you been to Romania yet?"

I hoped she had. It would mean she could stay here with me longer, and I could stop worrying about her safety fighting the newborns.

"Unfortunately not. Demetri has returned, though, so we are going to be leaving in a few days. I must admit I am looking forward to the fight, especially the opportunity to meet your sire in person."

There was more to that statement than she was saying. It made me a little uneasy.

"Isabella, are you planning to kill Maria?"

"Of course." She said it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "She has broken the rules."

Technically she hadn't. The rule against newborn armies was limited to keeping the secret. From what I understood the Romanians had kept their army under control. I had been following the news from the area to ensure it.

"Do you have to?" I asked. "Don't misunderstand me. I hold no affection for Maria, but she was once a friend. I wouldn't like to see her dead."

She was silent for an exceptionally long time as she considered my words. "Very well. I shall not kill her unless it is necessary, but if another among the guard judges her to be a threat, I shall not stop them killing her for me."

It was the closest I was going to get to ensuring Maria's safety. I did not fully understand why it concerned me. It was true I held no affection for her. Before I left her coven she had been planning to kill me—that alone should have severed any tie between us—but I felt a certain debt to her. She had changed me and therefore led me to Isabella.

xXx

We stayed out at the cliff top until the sky was alight with stars. I was unsurprised to find that Isabella was knowledgeable about the constellations. To live a millennia must have given her endless time to learn. I was content to lie back on the ground and listen to her as she told me the stories of the stars. Just the sound of her voice was enough to keep me enthralled.

When the sun began to creep into the sky I voiced the question that had been teasing my mind all night.

"How long are you here for, Isabella?"

"Unfortunately, not as long as I would wish. I shall have to fly back to Volterra today. We will be leaving for Romania soon, and there are preparations to be made. The secondary guard should be gathered by now, and we will need to dedicate some time to working with them?"

"The secondary guard?" I had only ever heard of the twelve guards that I had met when in the city. The news that there were more was a shock.

"Yes, we have another twenty vampires that we can call upon for situations such as these. The guard you met are what we call the Elite. They reside in the city at all times and work as a permanent bodyguard. The other guards live as nomads most of the year and only come to us to assist when required."

"And how do you become a part of this secondary guard?" I asked, a plan forming in my mind.

"Usually by being pardoned a crime of association. They are people we have dealt with before and in repayment of their debt they offer their services to us."

"A crime of association?"

"The nomad I destroyed is a prime example. She was guilty by association of her mate's crimes, but she was not present when Demetri brought him to us. Her gift for self preservation worked to overpower their bond. Had she not been foolish enough to create those newborns she would have been invited to join us."

"So do you have to be pardoned to offer your services?" I asked. "Or can I make an offer now?"

It seemed the perfect solution. I would be able to live among my family yet I could also have a part of Isabella's life in Volterra.

"You may offer, but I will refuse," she said, a smile dancing at the corners of her mouth. "You forget that we cannot fight together."

"We would not need to," I said. "I can fight and you can reside in the castle as a leader should."

She scoffed. "You expect me to allow you all the fun? I don't think so."

I was more disappointed than I should have been by her refusal. I had never relished the fight of the wars and was glad to join the peaceful life of the Cullens when Alice and I found them. Yet now I was thirsting for action, and according to Carlisle, it was because of her.

"Besides," she continued, "I don't think I shall need to sit in the castle much longer."

"You won't?"

I didn't think her ascension to leader could be so easily refused. It didn't seem that way when we had spoken of it in Volterra.

"I spoke to Aro and we discussed my next step; he believes I shall have more freedom now than ever before."

"What does that mean for us?" I asked.

"Well I was hoping there would be room for another in your coven. Close your mouth, dear."

I was gaping at her. I never thought this was an option for her. My quiet life could never hope to satisfy her.

"You see, I spoke to Eleazar and he simplified things for me. I was thinking I could stay with you while you finish your time in high school and then we could travel together for a while. What do you think?"

"I think you are the most marvelous woman I have ever met, but I also think I cannot allow you to do this."

A small frown creased her brow. "Do you not want me?" she asked, definite hurt in her tone.

"I want you more that you can ever know, but I don't think my life is going to make you happy."

She was quiet for an exceptionally long time, then she shook her head as if casting away an upsetting thought.

"It is not the right life for me, but I will manage it for a while. I shall have you and that will make it bearable. It will only be—"

Her words cut off as I pulled her to me and crashed my lips against hers in a fierce kiss. I was overwhelmed with love for her. This was a huge sacrifice on her part, and the fact she would make it for me was a demonstration of her love, so great I could never hope to return it.

"I love you, Isabella. I love you so very much."

She smiled and pressed a kiss to my lips. "You are very special to me."

I was beginning to understand that while she could not say the three words I yearned for, this was her own way of saying them.

"Though I will not be attending high school with you," she said firmly.

Thanks for reading. If you would like a teaser of the next chapter let me know in a review or a PM.

Simaril x