Chapter Fifty Four

Jasper

The conversation could have gone on and become more heated but just then there was the sound of a car on the driveway, we had visitors but who? Esme looked out the front window then turned to us,

"Its Eleazer and Carmen. I forgot they said they might visit to see how Edward was coping with Bella. What do we do?"

"What can we do, tell them the truth."

Esme nodded unhappily and went to answer the door while Charlie looked at me thoughtfully,

"More secrets? What has Edward got to do with my daughter?"

Knowing that the only thing to do was to tell him the truth I laid out the whole story and I could see him becoming more and more concerned and angry with our family as I did so.

"So not only were you putting her in danger by courting her but your brother wanted to drink her blood! Is there anything else you failed to mention? Or is this all of it?"

Before I could answer Carmen and Eleazar came in, followed by the three sisters as usual, they acknowledged me and Esme introduced them as our close friends from Denali. Although Charlie shook hands briefly with Carmen, he still couldn't bring himself to be rude to a lady, even a vampire lady, he looked coldly at Eleazer and that was unfair because Eleazer had made it safe for Bella to be close to Edward.

There was something strange in the atmosphere and I noticed not only Tanya but Eleazer too studying Charlie intently.

"Your daughter Bella, does she take after you Chief Swan?"

"What do you mean?"

"Does she favor you? I tend to think she probably does which is a little ironic really."

"Oh, how so?"

"I spent some time teaching Edward to control his urge to kill your daughter because her blood sang to him, or called to him if you prefer, but I think having met you that there was never any danger of Edward harming Bella. He couldn't read her thoughts and that has me wondering,"

"Neither could Aro."

"Really Jasper? Then I am sure of my theory, your daughter is a shield as Aro suspects but she is not the only one. I think she inherited her shield from you Chief Swan, you are the one with the real power. No one, not even the Volturi, could harm you or anyone you chose to protect and along with your daughter. As vampires of course, you would be invincible."

As Eleazer finished speaking leaving Charlie none the wiser I noticed Tanya had moved closer, to stand beside Bella's father with a strange faraway look in her usually sparkling and predatory eyes. Charlie feeling a little uncomfortable at her proximity tried to move away but Tanya followed him like a shadow. She held out her hand smiling,

"Hello Charlie, I'm Tanya and I think you and I have a lot in common."

His glance told me that hadn't the faintest idea what she meant by this but her message came through loud and clear to the rest of us and Esme gasped holding a hand to her mouth while I stepped forward to try diffusing the situation.

"Tanya I think perhaps might be wrong, besides we have enough trouble at present without you adding to it. Why don't you try to resist your urges just this once."

She looked at me straight in the face and smiled,

"I'm not wrong and nor is this my usual desire, I scent my mate here."

Alice nodded at me, so she'd already seen this? Why didn't she warn us before they arrived? Then I could have got Charlie out of the house.

I turned back to Charlie only to find him watching her just as intently although whether that was a result of her gift or true emotions it was almost impossible to tell.

"Chief Swan, perhaps we should continue this conversation outside, away from other ears."

What I'd wanted to say was away from temptation but I didn't want to upset Tanya or her sisters. As I motioned for him to precede me out of the door Tanya acted, she grabbed Charlie's arm and attempted to drag him back but Tanya had forgotten her own strength and we all heard the bones in his arm crack. Charlie cried out in pain and Eleazer attempted to intervene but Tanya assumed he was trying to wrestle her away from what was clearly her mate and she turned on him snarling, her teeth showing pearly white. Charlie staggered by seeing Tanya was about to attack stepped in the way and instead of latch onto Eleazers arm with her teeth they sank instead into Charlie's shoulder and the damage was done. He cried out and sank to his knees before us as her venom hit his system. I sank to my knees looking at the wound, just simple puncture marks that wouldn't have hurt Eleazer in any case but they were fatal to Bella's father. The only thing I could do was to attempt to suck the venom out of his system but as I went to do so Alice laid a hand on my shoulder,

"Don't Jazz, this is how it was meant to be. Charlie and Tanya are mates so he will become a vampire and this way his gift will be strong enough to defeat the Volturi and bring Bella back."

"You saw all this and you let Charlie walk into it?"

"I had to, its the best way to get Bella out, as a human Charlie was strong but as a vampire he will be unbeatable just as Eleazer said."

"And Bella? What did you see in her future?"

Alice glanced down at the floor sadly,

"Bella has no choice Jazz. She and Charlie were both destined to be vampires, there's no fighting fate but Aro will keep his word, he won't change Bella until you return so you can change her yourself and Charlie here….."

We both looked at Tanya who knelt by Charlie's now prostrate body holding him and apologizing over and over,

"Well he's destined to stay with Tanya and he can't do that as a human, this will work Jazz trust me."

The others crowded around Charlie hesitant to reach for him for fear Tanya would lash out again.

"Please understand I saw this and I can tell you Charlie won't suffer at all. His shield will keep him safe from the usual pain of the change and he will recover quickly. We need to get to Italy and rescue Bella now."

"You just said she would be safe until I got back to Volterra."

"No, I said Aro would keep his word about not changing her but that's not to say he won't try to persuade her and she is still human and therefore fragile. Her shield will protect her mind but I'm not sure it can do the same for her body."

"Right we're leaving now. Tanya get Charlie up, he's coming with us."

I turned to open the door and found Carlisle and Edward standing there about to enter. Carlisle looked past me to Tanya coming down the stairs with Charlie in her arms and I tried to explain as quickly as I could relieved to find that Darius, Emmett, and Rose were already en route.

"You have a problem though Jasper. How do you intend getting Charlie past the wolf sentries?"

I looked over his shoulder to see two of the wolves sitting in the middle of the drive way and knew we were going to have to fight our way out but then I noticed they sat silent and motionless as if listening to something. Was Sam Uley sending them orders to stop us at all costs?

"Kill them if necessary Carlisle, I won't let them stop me from rescuing Bella from the Volturi so either join me or step aside."