Chapter Six
Peter
We knew The Major was on his way back, we'd heard some rumors he was travelling with Garrett and an unknown female but he was on his own again now and headed south once more. I had a bad feeling about the female although I couldn't say why, just that she was bad news for him but then women seemed to be bad news for The Major end of story. What he really needed was a mate but most females in our world knew of his reputation and fear wasn't a good basis for a relationship of any kind! Charlotte made an extra effort to welcome him, setting up his room, getting his clothes and belongings out of the store-room, and insisting I went and gave Shadow, his favorite stallion an extra groom. Anyone would think he was royalty but when I saw him come down the track I knew it wasn't going to be anywhere near enough. He looked beaten down and tired, not needing to chill for a while tired but the kind that made existing just too much like hard fucking work. I sauntered out to meet him trying not to look shocked at his appearance, his clothes were dirty and wrinkled, his boots muddy and his hair wild and unruly.
"Major you look like shit. What do you mean visiting in that state?"
He looked up at me and I saw a wounded animal looking through his eyes.
"Peter"
"Shit Major. Come on in."
I grabbed his arm and we walked into the house where he collapsed onto the couch with a sigh.
"I didn't know if you'd be here"
"And if we hadn't been?"
"I'd have kept on walking"
"Oh yeah? Straight to Mexico?"
He looked up at me again.
"Probably."
"Well its nice to know we're keeping you from that particular path. You gonna tell me why you look like you're ready to self destruct?"
"It's not important Peter and I'm too tired to talk for now. If you'd rather I left..."
"Hey fuck you Major. Don't start that shit. You're welcome here, its home and you know it, now get your filthy carcass upstairs and under the shower before Char goes ballistic about the mud on her floor"
He looked down at the muddy marks his boots had left on the polished wooden floor and groaned,
"Sorry Peter. Give me a while to pull my shit together."
"You got it. As long as you need Major"
I patted his shoulder and watched as he got up and pulling off his muddy boots threw them outside before climbing the stairs slowly like an old man.
Charlotte
I was shocked to see the state he was in when he got here, I'd never seen him this low before and it scared me. Peter came out and kissed me on the cheek.
"He's gonna need treating with kid gloves for a while"
I nodded and he went out to pick up his boots and wipe the mud off them before putting them on the porch to dry. I grabbed some extra towels and ran upstairs with them meeting him coming out of the bathroom a towel wrapped around his waist, his shoulders bowed as if under a great weight. I offered him the fresh towels and followed him into the bedroom where he threw himself on the bed closing his eyes.
"Thanks Charlotte. Sorry about your floor."
I sat down beside him and took his hand in mine, something I rarely did, he wasn't a physical kind of person.
"Major, what's wrong? It frightens me seeing you like this."
"I'm tired Char. I heard about a family up north who live on animal blood, I really thought it might be the answer for me"
"So what happened?"
"I ran into Garrett and then we met a female called Alice. She's the one who told us about the Cullens but there's something very strange about her. I questioned her and she went crazy, told Garrett who'd become very close with her that I tried to attack her, so I had to leave. They were going on so I came back south."
"Did you say Alice? What does she look like?"
He opened his eyes and sat up,
"Petite, black spiky hair, pretty. Why, do you know her?"
"Not personally but I've heard of her. You're best out of it Major, she's a screw ball. She always said her past is a mystery to her"
"Yeah that's her. She sees the future too."
"So she says, but her past isn't quite a mystery, she just doesn't like admitting to it."
"Why? What was she? A call girl?"
"No, Alice Brandon was able to see the future when she was human, but at the time early 1900's that was frowned upon."
"Yeah, still is"
"Well, Alice's father had her committed to an asylum but told everyone she was dead. I think it all turned her mind, she's one crazy vampire."
"A life in an asylum will do that to you I guess. Her emotions were all over the place, I could never get a fix on her."
"You could still go to the Cullens."
"Not if she's there with Garrett. I don't want a fight with him"
"No, you don't need any more fights, not at the moment. Now get some clothes on. Peter's desperate to show you his latest acquisitions."
I left him to get dressed thinking about Alice Brandon as I went back downstairs. Why was she going to the Cullens? Admittedly she had a reputation for being strange so drinking animal blood might seem a good idea to her. I wondered what exactly she'd said to him but more questions now were not a good idea. He came downstairs and put an arm around me,
"Thank you Char, for everything."
"Hey you're family."
He went out to find Peter and they spent a couple of hours talking about the new stallions. When they came back The Major looked more relaxed although his eyes were still stressed. We all sat in the lounge where Peter had lit a log fire earlier and I started cautiously,
"Can I ask what Alice told you Major?"
"About what?"
"Your future."
"You're going to have a very interesting future Jasper but it wont be easy. There's a lot of darkness there, I don't think you should go to Forks...not yet. She was OK until I questioned her about Garrett and her feelings and her past then she turned on me but you answered that particular question."
Peter
"So Major what are your plans now?"
"I don't know Peter but I don't feel settled"
Charlotte's head snapped up at that,
"What do you feel Major?"
"Sorry? Just unsettled"
"Do you feel any place would make you feel better?"
"If you're asking if I'm unhappy here then no. I think without you and Peter I might have tried to kill myself going back to Mexico"
"So you want to go on a road trip? Could be fun, I have a guy who comes to look after the horses for us when we travel."
"You'd come with me?"
"Sure, what are friends for? Where do you fancy going? Louisiana Florida? Montana? Boston? Or would you like to go abroad, somewhere exotic?"
Charlotte
"Peter shut up a minute and let him speak."
Peter rolled his eyes but did go quiet.
"Major which direction would you like to head?"
"East"
He said it without even thinking and I had to smile,
"OK, we'll leave tomorrow. Peter get hold of Art for the horses."
The next morning we set off east unsure where we were going but I noticed The Major was less tense now we were moving, he relaxed into his seat and even cracked a few jokes with Peter while I sat in the back designing a new dresser I wanted Peter to make for our bedroom, I wanted to re jig the room, move the furniture, replace some of it, and redecorate. He'd hate the upheaval but love the end result as always. We stopped at night to hunt, meeting up hours later back at the car. Jasper looked so much better now, more the man he'd been after he escaped from Maria. He told us about his great-niece and I felt sorry for him. Neither Peter nor I had any family still living, not that we knew of, but to have some and not be able to contact them must be really hard. We traveled for several weeks going slowly east. Peter had wanted to put his foot down but I had a quiet word when we were alone.
"Peter take it easy. I need you to go slowly for a while, stop to see the sights, anything."
"What the fuck for? I have no idea what we're doing."
"I know, neither does he"
"And you aren't going to tell us?"
"No, not yet but I wouldn't be surprised if we change direction a few times"
"Is this going to be a long trip? If so I'll have to send money to Art and ask him to exercise them and get the stables ready for winter"
"Better do it then"
"Really? Is it some kind of treasure hunt?"
"You could say that yes."
We traveled for weeks but every time we seemed to be getting close to somewhere he would change direction and in the end Peter and I had to go back. I still thought he was looking for his mate but there was something wrong.
"Come with us Major"
He shook his head slowly and I could see the depression settling back like a black cloud, crushing the life out of him.
"Well promise me you wont go down to Mexico please"
He hesitated then nodded,
"Only because you'd follow me and I won't put you two in danger."
"Or Italy" I added hastily.
"Again there was the look but he nodded.
"OK. I'll find something, somewhere, Char don't worry about me."
"I can't help worrying about you Major."
I turned back to watch him as we drove away, a solitary figure standing at the side of the road.
"I wish we didn't have to leave him Peter"
"Char, we've been driving round the country for weeks now getting precisely nowhere and I can't expect Art to look after the horses for ever. He'll be back, you wait and see. He wont do anything stupid, not now he's promised you."
"I hope not, it isn't fair Peter, he's a good man under all the scars and he deserves some happiness."
"He'll find it, we all do in the end"
"I just hope it's not too late."