I am going away for a few weeks from tomorrow so posting will be a little erratic but I promise to do all I can to keep the stories coming. Thanks to all who have sent best wishes for John, we are hoping this vacation may help. Thanks also to all who read and review, it is appreciated. Love Jules xx

Chapter Fifty Three

Jasper

There were wolves watching the roads into Forks and I wondered why? Had the family got themselves into some kind of trouble while I had been away? Perhaps they were being accused of causing Bella's disappearance although they should have known we wouldn't hurt her. As I pulled into the driveway I saw two more and as I passed they moved to sit in the centre watching me, so they were giving me a warning, I could enter but maybe I couldn't get out again and as I saw Charlie's cruiser parked outside the house I understood. He must have found out the truth about us and called in the Quileutes to help him, did he think we were responsible for Bella's disappearance? Did he think I had snatched her and killed her? Surely not, he had seen how much Bella meant to me but things were looking bleak now and I had no idea what to tell Charlie or how much he already knew. I parked up and glanced back along the driveway, it was empty again now, the wolves had gone but I could feel they weren't far away, their eyes were still on me. As I walked up to the door it was opened and a haggard looking Charlie stood waiting for me.

"Come in Jasper, I have a few questions for you.."

I followed him into the lounge where Esme and Alice sat nervously glancing at me,

"I don't suppose you expected to see me here did you?"

"No, but I guess I'm not really surprised and I take it from the wildlife that the Quileutes are helping you. Did you feel you needed protection from us?"

"I didn't know what to expect from you or your family, not once I heard what you really were. Where is my daughter?"

I sat down hoping to appear less threatening that way,

"She's safe, at least for now."

"Really? What happened to her? Did you know my deputy has been framed for her murder?"

"Not exactly but I assumed it would be something like that."

"Why isn't she with you?"

"Because she isn't free to leave Italy."

"Italy? That means the Volturi."

I glanced at Esme who nodded, so he knew everything!

"Yes it does."

"So why are you here? If you love her so much why aren't you there with her? How could you leave her there alone among a load of vampires who exist on human blood?"

"I had no choice."

I explained what had been threatened and the decision that had been forced on me and as I spoke I saw his shoulders start to droop. Putting a hand in my pocket I passed him a folded note. Bella had written it and slipped it to me hoping I could hand it to her father personally. It just told him not to worry about her, that she was fine and he was to believe whatever I told him.

When he finished reading he folded the paper again and slipped it in his pocket.

"So what do we do?"

"We?"

"Yes Jasper we, Bella is my daughter and if you think I'm leaving her in that place and not try to save her then you don't know me at all."

"Chief for you to go to Volterra would be suicide. Its impossible to get you in and out safely and it's impossible to help her escape, you have no idea what the Volturi are capable of. I will go back so long as you don't make waves and I will keep her safe but the chances are Aro and his brothers will insist on her becoming one of us. She has something they value too highly to allow her to leave."

"What? Bella doesn't have anything a vampire could want except her blood."

"Actually she has a gift, your daughter is a shield although I have no idea how strong that shield is."

"What the hell is a shield?"

"Well she can stop Edward reading her thoughts, Aro too, and that takes power. As a vampire she could be incredibly powerful, our gifts are magnified as vampires."

"So we just stay here and let these Volturi change my daughter into a vampire?"

"If there were anything we could do to stop that we would Chief Swan but I'm afraid it's too late , its a simple choice, become a vampire or die. She knows about our world."

"And who's fault is that Jasper? I hold you responsible."

"So do I Chief, so do I. I wouldn't have done anything to hurt Bella. I tried to protect her."

"Esme told me, but you failed and now its down to me to get her back. I'll ask the Quileutes to help me if you won't."

I shook my head wearily,

"They may help you now but they won't go to Italy to save Bella. Their task is to keep the tribe safe, they cannot travel so far from the reservation, besides which their leader would veto the idea."

"Their leader? The werewolves have a leader too?"

"Of course, they are accountable for their actions and their leader's word is law. I'm afraid Chief Swan that you have no one to call on."

"And what are you going to do? Sit around and wait until Bella becomes one of you?"

"No, I came back to save your life remember, and I have to stay until its obvious that you have accepted the story of Bella's murder. If I go back then the Volturi will kill you too. After all if you keep digging it means you have suspicions which in turn will make them think you know something of our world and that as you know is a crime punishable by death. Our hands are tied Chief.

I could see he accepted I was telling the truth as he sank into a chair looking defeated,

"I just got her back and now I lose her to a horror story. I can't just sit around pretending she's dead

"She is Chief Swan, as far as you are concerned. You will never see her again."

"Why? I see you and you are vampires."

"Yes but it took us years to get to a position where we could interact safely with humans."

"Years? How old are you exactly? Harry said that the treaty was signed by Carlisle years ago."

"Once we become vampires we stop ageing Chief and I was turned in 1863."

"1863? I see. And how long did it take you to interact with humans safely?"

"I'm not a very good example for that question Chief, you should ask Esme here or Alice."

"I'm asking you."

"Decades and even then I wasn't truly safe. I'm a bad example because I was turned to become a fighter and train other fighters and I did that exceptionally well but it made me a very dangerous vampire. I was very good at my job Chief Swan and before you ask I have killed a lot of humans and other vampires, more than I can count. You asked the question but I don't think you are happy with the answer are you?"

"Do you blame me? I find out I've had a mass murderer in my house dating my daughter. Not the kind of man I would have chosen."

"True but I would never harm Bella, you see I love her and she loves me. In my world we are considered mates which I know is a strange word to use but it means soul partners. This is also important to the Volturi when considering what to do with Bella. Another of our laws prohibits parting mates so Bella stands a good chance of staying alive as my mate."

"So I should be grateful to you?"

"No not grateful I'm just stating a fact Chief Swan."

"The facts are that my daughter got mixed up with you and as a result she's been kidnapped, taken to Italy and is now going to be turned into a vampire and I am supposed to accept I will never see her again. Now how would you react if you heard that?"

"I would want to do something to save my daughter."

"Got it in one Mister. Now I'm going to Italy to try and find my daughter."

"All you will do is get yourself killed."

"Then that's what happens, it's better than staying here wondering what happened to her."

"Bella wouldn't want you to do this Chief, I came back to keep you safe."

"Don't tell me what my daughter would want, you have no idea."

"Yes I do actually, I have a very good idea and she wouldn't want me to let you kill yourself in a vain attempt to save her."