Chapter Sixty Three

Jasper

A few hours later, after I lifted my influence on her, Bella woke and she looked much better as a result of her sleep. When she opened her eyes and saw me there she smiled and I could tell she was genuinely pleased to see me.

"I thought it was all a dream Jasper. Is dad really here too?"

"Yes, he's learning to control his temper for now."

"But he will be OK?"

"I think so yes. He's got Tanya with him so he should be."

"What about us? Aro?"

"Aro is dead, Marcus Volturi is now in charge and as far as I know we are free to go."

"Go where though? Dad's here and he can't go back to Forks can he? Not now the wolves know he's a vampire."

"It wouldn't be wise no, nor for you to return."

She sat up suddenly looking strained,

"I can't go back to my mother, I'd rather stay here."

"You don't have to go anywhere you don't want Bella. Take your time to decide and I'll wait with you."

She clung to me like a drowning man might grab a log floating by.

"I need to be with you, I have to stay with you Jasper, it hurts too much to be apart. You won't leave me will you?"

"Bella, it hurts me just as much. I love you, of course I'm not going to leave you. I'm here for as long as you want me."

I felt a sigh of relief and she relaxed a little,

"Then you'll always be here because I shall always need you."

"Good, but for now lets see if we can put your mind at rest with regard to your father, if Tanya has managed to calm him down that is.

Charlie

I felt I'd been in the grip of some kind of madness, controlled by something outside of myself and only slowly did I manage to fight my way back to sanity. I found myself in a huge chamber I hardly recognised. This place looked as if a bomb had hit it, the walls and floors were pitted and strewn with debris although it was very quiet. The only person in here beside myself was Tanya, the girl I had recognised as meaning so much to me. She sat on the floor beside me looking worried but more than that, thirsty. There were dark shadows under her eyes and they were almost black. I could feel a terrible burning in my own throat and wondered exactly how long I had been in the grip of my demons.

Tanya smiled up at me,

"Hi Charlie, are you feeling better now?"

I nodded hesitantly,

"I'm thirsty. What happened here?"

"You lost control, it happens with newborns but your anger was quite something to see."

"Did I hurt anyone?"

I was terrified she was going to tell me that I'd harmed my daughter but she smiled shaking her head,

"No one who matters."

"So who?"

"Aro and his brother Caius, you killed them but they had it coming anyway."

I'd killed two of the rulers of the vampire world? I felt sick at the thought I'd taken any lives but at least I hadn't hurt Bella.

"Where's my daughter? Am I in trouble for the murders?"

"Like I said they had it coming Charlie. Marcus the remaining brother wants to talk to you but I don't think anyone will grieving over Aro or Caius except their mates."

I closed my eyes disgusted with myself, I'd not only killed two beings but left their mates to live alone and Tanya herself had told me how terrible it was to lose a mate.

"What about the law? Surely I must be tried for my crimes?"

Tanya got up and pulled me up beside her,

"If you feel OK we can go talk to Marcus now, maybe he can put your mind at rest."

"I need to see Bella first, is she still here? God, she's got nowhere to go now. I can't go back and she won't go back to her mother so what will she do? Even the Quileutes will be against us now."

"Bella has Jasper remember, he loves her."

"She's too young to tie herself down to anyone, least of all a vampire."

"Really? Isn't that a little strange coming from you? Besides they are mates, they have no choice."

"No, Bella has a choice, she can get out of all this craziness even if I can't."

Tanya looked hurt and I understood how my words must have sounded to her so I took her in my arms.

"I'm sorry Tanya, I didn't mean it like that. I love you and I understand our feelings for each other but Bella doesn't even know what love feels like, she's only a child."

"No Charlie, that's how you'd like to see her but Bella knows how she feels and what she wants."

The door to the chamber opened slowly and a tall guy appeared, one I didn't recognise and I tensed ready to attack but Tanya shook my arm,

"This is Marcus Charlie, the leader of the Volturi."

"Yes thanks to you Chief Swan, I owe you a debt of gratitude for ridding me of my brother in law after so many years in his servitude."

"Aro was your brother in law? I understand I left two widows, surely I have to pay for those crimes."

"I think under the circumstances we can forgive your actions. You were pushed into them after all. I have a proposition to put to you if we could find somewhere a little more comfortable to continue this discussion."

He gestured and we followed him out and along a corridor before entering a sunlit courtyard where I was mesmerised by the sparkle of sunlight off my skin.

"That's one of the drawbacks of being as vampire Chief, we cannot go out in the sun where there are humans around."

"Right because the humans mustn't know about our existence."

"You remembered that much Chief, good. I'm sure you have heard something of the Volturi and as you have made two places vacant on the ruling council I wondered if you might be interested in taking one of them. A man with your talent could be very useful to us, to the Volturi. It pays to have the biggest stick in our world."

"You want me to join you? Why? So you can threaten and scare people with my gift?"

"Certainly not, so the Volturi can show it has the means to act decisively if needs be. Often a threat is all it takes, besides which as a police officer you have a strong sense of what is right and wrong. I assume you carried that over with you to this new life."

"What if I refuse? What about Bella and Tanya here? Would we be free to leave Volterra?"

"Bella and Tanya have done nothing wrong and as a mate of a vampire I am sure Bella will be joining us soon. Then she and Tanya would be free to leave. As for yourself that is a little more difficult to answer. You see until I know you are safe to live among the humans it would be reckless of me to allow you to leave the citadel. Once you have proved you have control then of course you may choose where to live. I think that's only fair don't you Chief Swan?"

He was right of course, there was nothing left to argue about. I would stay and I knew Tanya would stay with me, she'd already said as much. As for Bella, I was still uneasy and I wanted to discuss the whole situation with her.

"I'd like to speak to my daughter before making any decisions regarding her future."

Marcus surveyed me before answering,

"Your daughter is an adult now Chief Swan. She can make her own decisions but certainly speak to her by all means. I understand she is anxious about you so you can put her mind at rest on that score at least. I understand she is awake now so please, Tanya would you take the Chief to see his daughter, they are on the third floor, after seeing to it that he quenches his thirst. After all we don't want him too thirsty to think straight now do we?"