Stephanie Meyer owns twilight.

CHAPTER 12

BPOV

We had arrived at a hotel just off the interstate. Pete and Char had taken off somewhere; they needed an hour to themselves to grieve. J booked us two rooms and helped me get dad settled. Dad was now curled up in bed. I took a seat next to the bed in an old armchair. J sat in the chair next to mine, he kept his eyes closed and his body still, focusing his gift on dad.

A while later Peter came in carrying our suitcases. "I'll take care of him" he said and ushered us out of the room. J led Char and I to the other room he'd booked. Char patted my hand "I'm sorry Oona passed, Charlie told us a bit about her, you must miss her terribly." I nodded and sat down. "I'll be okay." I assured her.

J and Char sat next to me on the couch. "Will you tell us about her?" J asked. It was difficult trying to describe Oona. "She was amazing...nothing like you'd expect. There was a power in her that silently screamed, but when someone talked she listened, she really cared. She'd stand up for anyone and saw the worth in everything. She sure as hell knew how to keep the other Elders inline." I smiled and I felt tears run down my cheeks. "I didn't spend as much time with her as dad did, but I could feel her intensity everywhere I went. She was respected, it was easy to understand why; if there was something to she could do to help someone she did it, if she couldn't help she was by your side, lending you her strength." I trailed off.

We were all stuck in thought; Char broke me from my memories "can you tell me what was going on with Sue?"
"You mean when you guys arrived?" I asked J nodded. "She became my sounding board" I looked at J, feeling guilty. "I told Quileutes everything about you guys. There was a bonfire where the stories were being shared. I'd been brought in to the tribe that night and they'd told me so much about their history. When they told me there were nomads close by I told them about the Cullens, vampire gifts, even the Volturi. I'm sorry-"
"You did nothing wrong, Bella." J's voice was so strong, I could hear something behind his words, but couldn't make it out.

I looked to him in confusion, he explained. "The tribe needs to know that information, Bella. It helped save your life and the lives of others. They're protectors and have a right to know exactly what they're up against." I nodded, the guilt still lingered. "Talk to us Bella" he begged me. I felt like shit and admitted "I was angry at the Cullens when I told them."
"You have every right to be angry" J said as he tilted my face up to meet his "you went through a lot with us, we're lucky you had the intelligence to talk to the people who would use that information for good."

"So, about Sue?" Char prodded. I got back on topic. "We became close, she was interested to hear more about the Cullens, genuinely interested. I started talking with her and everything came out; the anger, sympathy, hate and hurt. I'd been thinking about them since Peter's email, but saying the words aloud was an emotional release." I looked to J "she became your champion." He cringed, "I noticed. She's rather ...fond?" He said awkwardly.

"When your letters arrived I needed her support. Reading about that one memory you shared... it was intense. After what I'd told her about you and the Cullens I wouldn't be surprised if she'd find a way to turn them to ash." Char caught my eye, there was an understanding there that I shared. We'd help Sue if given the chance.

"They didn't treat you any better, Bella." J said in a small voice. He had a point. "True, but you were with them for decades, J! Look at you now; you're not only away from them, you're hanging out with me, you don't even look like your struggling." He shrugged "I've thought about that a lot since Alice kicked me out. I don't understand how I could snap at you during your birthday party, yet you don't trigger my thirst at all now."
"You're strong, J. We've also got the chance to know each other. I think you saw yourself as weak because they said you were." Char nodded, agreeing with me. J became lost in thought.

"What does it feel like?" I asked him, I clarified when I saw his look of confusion "how does it feel being both the Major and Jasper at the same time?"
"It's a bit strange. There's an echo, it feels the same as it did just before the fracture, only there isn't anything trying to kill me and I'm not surrounded by death."
"I'm glad you're healing, J."
"Me too."

Sometime later I felt my body start to slump in the chair. I could smell J's scent as his arms scooped me up and tuck me into bed. I fell into a deep sleep.

PPOV

Charlie had fallen asleep a while ago. I'd told him about Oona's destiny, it was a small comfort; knowing she still existed, but in a different form. Being near him like this was strange. I could feel my descendants watching over him, the room felt crowded with static.

My gift nudged me, stronger than it had ever. A thought popped into my head 'he amplifies your connection to us.' This was different. A whisper brushed against my ear 'listen.' I closed my eyes and focused my hearing. Behind the static of the room and the surrounding human noise I heard a voice. It was so soft, but I could just make out what it said; 'Peter, remember Oona's power. You must pass some of it to Charlie, you must also pass him some of your strength'. The feminine voice brought back memories of a bonfire and smell of cornbread. 'Mom?' I struggled to match her frequency, the voiced commanded me; 'do it now, we'll help you tap into the powers and guide them to him.' I nodded.

My focus tuned into the core of my being, I felt a pull. It didn't hurt, but it was uncomfortable. I kept my eyes closed, worried that regaining my sight would distract me from my task. I pushed myself towards the pull, feeling something drain from me, the feeling didn't last long. 'Thank you' the same whisper said to me. I asked the question that my human self would have screamed 'will I be able to speak to you again?' I felt the brush of something against my shoulder 'you won't, but you'll feel my presence when you're near Charlie.'
'Don't leave me' I started to panic. 'I'm not gone, Peter, I'm part of this destiny. We fight together for the paths of fate.' I smiled.

My gift nudged me again and a thought joined it "incoming!" I was knocked back as a burst of energy hit my chest. I grunted, my gift popped up again "Oona's spirit is on her journey, she's stronger in this form. In thanks she passed some power from the ancestors to you." I teeth my gritted. "Thanks" I murmured.

I watched Charlie as he slept. I know it was creepy, but his presence calmed me. The power that had passed from me to him seemed to move across his skin, jumping like little solar flares. I wondered whether the others would be able to see this. I heard their voices in the room next door and smiled, Bella was perfect for J, she'd hold him together until Charlie could finish healing the fracture.

I distracted myself by looking at the paths before me; Charlie's fate would branch off and intersect with ours from time to time. J and Bella's paths had begun to entwine. The colors of their souls danced around each other. They weren't mates yet, but it was destiny and I could see how their paths would weave together into a tightly bound chord. I looked at my own path and saw Char's tightly bound to it. My bond with Char sat closely next to J and Bella's, there were circles of light clamping us together. Was this the fate's power? Or was this a result of the familial bond between us?

Charlie's path was changing; the ribbons of his soul were bright, glowing as a streak of red moved in and out. It grew until it disappeared into the future. He was going to be immortal. I sighed in relief, I didn't want to lose him and now Bella would never be without a father.

I decided to look at the bonds of others; Charlie's amplification had made the paths so clear. Maria's path was crumbling, she wouldn't live much longer. The paths of the Cullens were broken, aside from Rosalie and Emmett's bond- that branched towards our own. I examined each path closely. Charlie's bond intercepted so many others. I took a mental step back and saw the spider's web of Charlie's path lying over so many. I exhaled heavily, no wonder he's been given the power he has.

The sun began to rise and Charlie's snores grew louder, his sleep had lightened. I put on the kettle and made him a coffee. The click of the kettle turning off had awoken him. "Morning" I smiled, handing him the cup "thanks, where are the others?" His voice was still groggy. I listened in to the other room, Bella was sleeping and J and Char were talking quietly. "They're next door, Bella's still asleep." He nodded and sipped his coffee. I ordered some breakfast for him and Bella and asked for a couple of newspapers to be brought up.

J and Char pulled a half asleep Bella into the room, she looked more disheveled than Charlie. She grinned and practically pounced when the room service was delivered. The two humans dug in, Charlie and I read the paper and Bella ate quickly, heading to the bathroom to shower.

J, Char and I started packing up and loading the car as the humans got ready for the day. We were on the road in no time; J, Bella and Char were in the sedan while Charlie and I took the truck. We talked a little, he was good company, but I could tell he was thinking hard about something.

"What's up Charlie?" I asked him. He broke away from his thoughts and spoke bluntly, "is J still split down the middle?"
"Kind of, but Jasper and the Major are closer than they've ever been to rejoining."
"What do you mean?"
"I heard him say his thoughts are like an echo, the personalities are in sync. It was actually Bella that got him to that point."
"He's important to her." He observed. I agreed with him, "he is, they're destined to be together."
"I don't know how I feel about that Pete." Charlie cringed. I turned to him, "there's nothing for you to feel, its fate. All you can do is accept it." He was quiet for a while.

"What's he like? I mean really like." I knew he was talking about J. I thought back over the years and tried to do my brother justice. "Strong. Loyal to those he cares for. He's a good man, but his past held him back."

"Was he meant to be with Alice?" I shook my head and explained; "not long term. She was a means to an end and she took advantage of him as much as she could."
"I thought Alice was a good friend of Bella's. I don't know what to think now, I'm disappointed in her." He said, I nodded. Alice had disappointed many. "She has too much power and it corrupted her." I told him.
"What'll happen to her and the others?" He asked. I shrugged, "I don't actually know, she's messed with fate and dragged others into it. The consequences won't be pretty."
"Will they affect us?" He was worried. I shook my head. "No, we're safe. I protect fate and managed to keep J on the right path. Although, Alice did one good thing; she released him when she was meant to. Whether she did that because it was the right thing to do or if fate forced her hand I don't know."

By lunchtime we were driving along the coast of California. We stopped before the boarder of Arizona at a little diner. J, Char and I stayed in the cars while the humans ate and went to the bathroom. We'd debated with them and in the end persuaded them to eat inside. Neither me nor Char were wanting to put up with the smell of freshly cooked human food and we couldn't risk sparkling in the sun.

Charlie remained my passenger in the truck for the rest of the day. Char and Bella were getting along well, it warmed my heart to see her interact with my mate. All too soon the sun began to set. We'd offered to stop for the night at a motel, but both Charlie and Bella were keen to keep driving and sleep in the car.

They slept lightly, we stopped at rest stops a couple of times for their human moments. When they awoke we were most of the way through New Mexico. After another stop for food and amenities we discussed the route we'd take into Texas. Their excitement amped up when they heard we were about ten hours from our destination. They grabbed a couple of sandwiches from a convenience store determined to keep going.

BPOV

My back started to ache a little. I'd been sitting too long. J took the next exit, frowning at me "you should have told us to stop for a rest."
"I just want to get the trip over and done with."
"Doesn't matter, you're still human and you have to listen to your body. It hurts for a reason."
"Fine, we'll stop for a bit." J shook his head "we're going to call it a day, we're not in a rush and we've made really good time."
"Another night in a hotel?" I whined. J grinned "yep. I need to hunt." My irritation disappeared, I slapped my forehead "I forgot you're a vampire." He laughed "I'll take that as a compliment." His eyes held a spark of humor. He looked younger, he was kind of pretty.

I was enjoying my time with J and Char, she was like a sister, but my feelings for J were different. I was connected with him on a deep emotional level, a deep friendship had formed in the last couple of days. I needed him.

Pete and dad parked next to us, dad was rubbing his back trying to ease the stiffness. Our vampires headed out to hunt while dad and I arranged the rooms. I could already tell that Peter would be sitting in dad's room while Char and J stayed with me. Dad looked a little lost without Pete nearby. "You okay dad?"
"Sure, I just feel a little weird."
"About Pete?" I guessed. "No, not just that. There's something changing in me. When Pete's nearby I feel stronger, clearer."

Char joined us a few minutes later. "I didn't need to feed much so I headed back after Pete and I shared a snack." It was odd to hear her talk about her diet so casually, but I was glad she felt comfortable enough to do so. I turned to her, "Char, do you know what's going on between Pete and Dad?" She nodded. "From what I understand you both have tribal protection running through your blood. At the moment you're pretty powerful Bells, it's because of your interaction with the Cullens. Having us around, of course, is a bonus. Charlie didn't have much interaction with vampires before now so he's kind of catching up. Because of Pete's familial bond they're augmenting each other. Charlie is bringing Pete closer to his spirit guides and Pete is triggering the tribal magic due to his species. The familial bond increases his power quickly."
"Are there any side effects?" Dad asked. Char nodded, "with you there are; you'll find yourself needing less sleep, but you'll need to eat more. It effects Pete in a similar way, he needs to feed more regularly." She responded.

I thought of another question "how will it change when we hand dad over to the Res?" She shrugged "Pete will probably return to normal, but his gift will be enhanced and Charlie will remain the same." She turned to him as she spoke. "The Spirit Walkers will only train you, you already have the power inside you, Charlie, you just need to channel it and hone your skills."

When Pete and J returned we headed out for an evening of site seeing. Walking around on a warm dusk evening was much better when vampires accompanied you, the mosquitos and bugs stayed away from us. We grabbed a pizza and ate in the park. We lazily walked back to the hotel and had an early night.

The next day was cloudy, our vampires seemed relieved. They let us sleep in until 10 am and ordered room service. All too soon we were back in the cars. We passed the Texas boarder within 20 minutes of setting out. Our vampires seemed to relax in their home state. The further in we went the more familiar the land became to them. Occasionally they would point out a land mark which they remembered either from the wars or their human years.

We stopped at a bakery for a late lunch, Pete showed us the route dad would take to the reservation. The plan was simple enough; the vampires and I would take the sedan and Charlie would drive into the Res in the truck. "Take the truck. It's yours-" Pete was persistent. Dad tried to argue with Peter, but was cut off by our uncle "listen to me Charlie, you are my descendant, think of this as a delayed inheritance. We have more money than we could ever use. This money was cultivated using the guidance of our ancestors, that means it belongs to all of us and the Res. Take the truck and don't argue, you need these resources to fulfill your destiny." Dad nodded.

Dad's phone beeped. "Sue sent me a text, Oona's funeral is the day after tomorrow."
"Will we be able to go, dad?" Char answered for him. "We already have airline tickets, we're invited as well." I smiled at her "I'm glad you can join us."
"We'll all have to fly back straight after the funeral, but we'll be able to say goodbye."

We headed out. Charlie was in the truck as planned and the rest of us were behind him in the sedan. J and I were in the back, with Pete and Char up front. J took my hand "are you okay?" I smiled at him "I'm fine, dad's only half an hour away. I'll miss him though."
"You can visit any time Bella, we'll be seeing him soon." He said. We fell into silence.

The road became bumpy as we got further into the forest. We jolted along the rough terrain and, once we passed a thicket of trees and thick scrub, a house came into view. It was a large log cabin that blended into the surrounding woods. There was a wooden car port with a black jeep and two empty car spaces.

Pete and Char led me into the house, J disappeared with my luggage. The inside had been rendered and painted white with dark stained wood paneling. It was comfortable looking. A column of bricks lead to the roof, there was a gap at the bottom, it was a fire place.

I looked around taking in the details; there was a mezzanine level that looked over the living area. We headed to the right, leading under the mezzanine. There was a short corridor, to the left was an opening showing a gleaming kitchen, next to it was a dark stain door. We passed the doorway to the kitchen and Char opened the door next to it.

It was heaven; green leather upholstered arm chairs sat in front of a window, facing us. On the other side of the room stood a soft green couch facing the windows. The walls were lined with bookshelves, dark stained wood matching the rest of the house. There were a few small tables dotted around, a desk in the corner with a computer and a variety of lamps. The carpet was a deep red color that seemed to fit with the green leather of the seats and the dark stain of the wood. I could see myself spending a lot of time here. On one of the tables I noticed a book lying open face down. The cover was familiar "who's reading Discworld?"
"J just started reading them" Peter's voice surprised me, he'd snuck up behind me.

We headed back to the corridor, there was a door at the end. Char lead me through to a huge room. There were large windows looking out over the property, the land sloped giving us a view of the mountain ranges. I looked around the room, one corner held a large TV surrounded by various types of gaming consoles. The wall running alongside it was packed full of DVDs. A couch divided the room. On the other side of the couch was a pool table, behind it was a stereo nestled into shelves containing vinyl records, CDs and cassettes. The floor was black slate covered in red rugs.

We headed back out and walked into the kitchen, hidden away beside the fridge was a staircase. I looked at it suspiciously wondering how soon before I tripped down it. Peter left us there and joined J somewhere in the house. I moved up the stairs with Char, taking in the pictures. There were color photos of Pete and Char in different locations, the photos became black and white further up the staircase.

One picture showed a haunted looking Jasper near Pete and Char. They were in some kind of bar "that was taken in Philadelphia during the late 1940s." Char said. It was interesting seeing the vampires try to fit in with 1950's humans. Char's long blond hair curled past her shoulders, she wore a knee length flower print dress with short sleeves and cinched waist. Pete was wearing a dark cotton suit with white shirt. His sunglasses hid his eyes and his long white hair was slicked back, it fell to his shoulders and looked very out of place. Jasper was standing alone in the background, hunched in a coat and looking away from the camera.

"That was a few weeks before he met Alice." Char shook her head, looking displeased with the photo. "Sometimes I wish he never met her, but he's better off for it now." She sighed. The next few photos were similar. At the top was a sepia picture of Jasper, he looked different; his face rounder, his eyes brighter despite his ridged pose and serious countenance. "This was taken before he went off to war as a human." I studied the picture closer, my breath steaming up the glass a little. He looked very young, about 16. Char saw my curiosity "he lied about his age so he could join."

We reached a wide hall that overlooked the lounge room below. Char opened the first door on the left, it was a room full of cushions, silk lined the walls in blues and greens and yellows. "This is our meditation room, you should join us sometime, Bella. J makes it interesting" she smirked.

Next to it, in a corner, was a white door. It stood out from the rest of the house. She led us inside, the smell of bleach and fresh paint was strong in here. I walked over to the desk in front of the window, two notepads lay untouched, the familiar letterheads breaking through the stark white of the room; from the desk of Jasper Whitlock on one and The Major written on the other. Jasper joined us "this is where I started to heal" his voice was quiet. I hugged him "you okay?" he nodded. "This room holds a lot of memories, even though I didn't spend much time in it."

We went back to the hall and started investigating the doors on the right. The first room was clearly J's. The walls were painted a dark blue, it fit with the dark stain of the floors and decor. A day bed lay along one wall a large dresser beside it. There were a few shelves which held knick knacks. Pictures and paintings lined some of the walls making the room look lived in. There was another door on the other side of the day bed, it led to an ensuite. There was a deep, white claw foot bath with brass fittings on one side and a shower next to the vanity unit on the other. The floor appeared to be black granite that sparkled in the light. The wall we stood against was surrounded by an arch of shelves varnished in a light beech color. It held dark blue and white towels, toiletries and cleaning products.

We headed back out, the room next to it was a surprise. There was a double bed in the centre of it with rich brown bed spread and pale green sheets. My suitcase sat on the bed "this is your room." Char explained. The walls were a deep green color, the floor mirrored the dark stained floor boards in J's room. There was a wardrobe, stained the same dark shade as the rest of the wood in the house. Next to it was a dresser with an oval mirror sitting on top.

There were a couple of scenic paintings on either side of the door. I turned to the door next to the bed, the ensuite was similar to J's; dark grey granite floors with facets that glittered in the light, the bath was identical but had silver fittings. A matching lightly stained arch of shelves held green and white towels, toiletries and supplies. I was glad to see there was a toilet that sat just out of view beside the shower. I turned to Char and J "I love it, thank you."

We headed to the last room; like mine and J's room it had the same dark stained floor. This room was a deep purple color. It was Pete and Char's room. There were shelves along one wall with pictures, books and souvenirs from their travels. I walked closer looking at some very old looking arrow heads, Char explained "Pete salvaged them after the wars, there was very little left of his people."

Char continued the tour of their room. There was a double bed in the same position that my bed was, the covers were red and purple. There were two doors, one either side. She pointed to the door to the right "that's the closet, we don't have many clothes so we mostly use it for storage." We followed her to the other door, she lead us into the bathroom. The floor was white granite, it matches the walls. Another claw foot tub sat in the room, this one had copper fittings. It was the same set up as the other ensuites, but the towels were purple and white.

Char led the way to the kitchen, there was a sandwich and glass of milk waiting for me. I ate quickly and went back to my room to shower. It'd been a long day.