Happy Thanksgiving to all my readers in the U S A. Jules x
Chapter Twenty
Bella
Peter sat down on the chair and I went to sit beside Jasper who was now sitting up and took my hand.
"There's trouble brewing Major and Alice is going to need your help to prevent it escalating"
"Alice needs my help? Why didn't she ring me then?"
"Would you have listened to her?"
"Yes"
"Would you have cared about what she said?"
"Probably not"
"I rest my case. Anyway, you and Bella are together I take it?"
"Define together Peter"
He looked at me,
"My friend is a little slow sometimes but I understand the wait is worth it. Not that I have any personal experience you understand"
I shook my head smiling already.
"Now as I was saying Alice rang. Apparently there is trouble in Volterra. Marcus and Alice want out but they can't go because of dear Chelsea. Besides which Aro wants both their gifts."
"I don't see what this has to do with me Peter"
"You will if you shut the fuck up and listen. Please excuse my language Bella but its all he'll listen to. Right now, Aro has his sights set on a new gift, a shield apparently, which would make him just about invincible, Superman, Batman and Captain America all rolled into one. Well a big one I guess with a red and black cape and strange coloured tights with stars and stripes on but anyway...where was I?"
"Close to being de-constructed."
"Is there such a word?"
Jasper moved forward and Peter jumped back in his chair, waggling his finger,
"No, now play nicely Major. Oh yes, the Super vamp, well, if Aro gets control of Super vamp he's got it made, no one can stand against him and the megalomaniac rules OK."
"I take it I'm not this Superhero?"
"No, but you are her sidekick."
Jasper sat forward still holding my hand while I was still trying to make sense of Peters words,
"Bella?"
Peter nodded,
"Complete with cape and tights, mind they'd probably look better on her than Batman, and the cute little shorts..."
"Peter"
Jaspers voice held a hint of a warning
"Right yes, keep on track. According to Alice your pretty little friend here is a shield and not only a shield but an ass kicking, nuclear bomb type of shield. That's why Alice tried to push you two together. Bella will need protection as long as she remains human and Alice thought you could do with some help on the protection detail until you two get around to doing the deed and then changing her."
"Doing the deed?"
My voice was a squeak.
"Well you know what I mean Bella. Once Mr Bird and Mrs Bee share a hive or nest or whatever the fuck they do, you'll want him to change you and then you'll be ready to kick ass and ask questions later."
"Alice has seen all this?"
"I guess so. Kinda weird someone seeing you do it before you even thought about it, or maybe you have...anyway that's beside the point. The thing is that Aro wants Bella and we have to stop him. A bit like Mario and the Princess Peach. Bowser tries to capture her and the Mario Brothers have to kick ass and get her back."
"Mario? Peter I seriously worry about how you spend your leisure time!"
"It's not my leisure time we should be worrying about but yours Major. So as I said we, Luigi and Mario, have to keep the evil Bowser, Aro, from capturing Princess Peach, Bella, get the idea?"
"How does he know Bella is a shield?"
"Just a minute, what did she say?... Oh yeah, apparently Aro already suspected it after meeting her in Volterra before. Well done by the way Bella, one of only about...one, human ever to get out of there alive. You must tell me how you did it one day. Where was I? Aro, yes. He called Eleazor in and put a hypothesis to him, good word eh? And it seems that a human who can guard her mind against a vampire mind reader, make that two, has a 99.99999% chance of being a shield and an extremely powerful one once changed. So Aro is wringing his hands desperate to get them on Bella and cursing the day he let her walk. Bella was on the list for extermination as a human who knows the secret but now she's gone from that list to the top of Demetri's instead."
"Demetri?"
"He's a tracker like James, but better" Jasper explained.
"The best Major, so it won't be long before he's at the door with his pack of hunting guards calling for Bella to accompany him to Italy."
"Can we run from him?
"The short answer to that is yes."
"Why don't I feel secure hearing that Peter?"
"Because my little Princess Peach the long answer is yes you can run from him but you won't get far. He's too good, it's what he does, how he earns his crust, or human I should say I guess."
"Did Alice tell you how to avoid him?"
"Yeah and here's where it gets really good. You have to change Bella and keep her safe until she wakes up."
"It's that simple?"
"Hey turning a human is never simple and don't forget when she wakes up she's as likely to bite us as him. That's what I hate about newborns, they're so fucking unpredictable."
"What if I don't change her or she doesn't want me too?"
"No idea, Alice didn't think that was an issue I guess and looking at you two I see where she was coming from. Mates if ever I saw a pair."
I looked at Jasper, I had wanted Edward to change me and he refused although he insisted he loved me. Would Jasper do the same?
"Peter, Bella and I only just realized how we feel about each other. I can't expect her to give up her life just like that."
"You are offering her an alternative one that's all. Bella do you want to spend the rest of eternity with The Major? Yes or No?"
I hesitated, but only because I was afraid of Jasper's reaction, I wanted him more than I ever had Edward.
"Yes" my voice was quiet but firm.
"Major, do you want to have this ravishing female in your bed for eternity. Yes or no?"
I waited apprehensively,
"Yes"
My heart beat so fast I could hardly breathe,
"Then I don't see the problem, you want her, she wants you. You both know what the other is so get on with it."
"Peter you have the finesse of a bull elephant"
The woman's voice came from the doorway and I turned to see a young woman much like Alice standing there hands on hips.
"Charlotte my darling we don't have time for finesse, we're working to a deadline. The romance shit can come later."
She shook her head and walked over to us,
"Hi Major, long time no see"
She leaned over and kissed him and I felt my hackles rising. He shot me a look and I knew he'd felt my jealousy. Then she held out a hand to me,
"When you stop feeling like you'd prefer to rip my face off we can shake hands. I'm Charlotte, Peter's mate for my sins."
I shook hands with her, still wary.
"What's the deadline?"
"Alice thought a few weeks no more."
"Then Bella gets as long as she needs. I'm not rushing her"
"She's the one Major"
Charlotte sounded very sure of herself.
"Even so. Now I think Bella and I would like some time alone. If you don't mind Peter.
"No problem. I can take my messenger suit off now and become Super Captain, off to hunt."
I watched as the two of them linked hands and ran out without another word. Looking at Jasper I asked,
"Is he always that manic?"
"For Peter that was tame."
"Oh right. What do you think of Alice's warning?"
"I've yet to see her get a prediction like this wrong. She must have been watching the Volturi for some time."