Chapter Twenty Two

Jasper

Although I had fun with Em and Garrett time seemed to pass much too slowly on the island so I was relieved when it was time for our trip to the Amazon and especially so as Garrett had agreed to join us. Rose had dropped out in favor of a fashion show with Alice and Esme in Rio which left us guys to go it alone. I wondered if next year Bella might join the girls while I went hunting with the guys.

Somehow I didn't think I could bear to be without her for so long again so soon but she was safe and having fun so I could relax and have fun too. I might even be able to tell Bella what I'd been up to soon. Once she got back and we had said our hello's which could take some time I would sit her down and explain my history to her, tell her what I really was and hope that wouldn't frighten her off although I knew her love for me was strong enough to accept the horrific truth and still go on.

Carlisle chartered a private jet for us, more so he could rest easy that we got to our destination without causing havoc. For us this was a time we could really let go of all inhibitions and simply be the vampires we really were, no veneer of civilization to hide behind.

Once we were off the jet and in the jungle we allowed ourselves full rein, running at top speed, racing each other for the clearing by the river that we usually called home for the duration of our stay. It was far in the thickest part of the jungle, far removed from all likelihood of humans appearing although once we had run into a small nomadic tribe. There was a tense stand off before they simply turned and melted back into the jungle and despite Edwards insistence that we should track them down and kill them in case they passed on their knowledge to others he was over ruled. The natives had seen many strange things in the jungle and we were no more or less incredible and terrible than any other. The tribes around here were happy to live and let live and we liked the area so we too were happy to turn a blind eye to our neighbors.

Garrett soon got into the swing of things as we broke into two teams, Emmett and I versus Edward, Carlisle and Garrett. The first challenge was to find the largest prey and bring it back alive for our feast. Those who presented the smaller of the two were obliged to provide the menu for our final night instead. Emmett and I knew where to find large predators in this jungle and caught ourselves two jaguars after quite a fight which of course made things far more enjoyable and entertaining. We also grabbed a large anaconda, as Emmett said,

"For dessert." When we got back first we had time to collar and leash our find and tie the large snake to a sapling before sitting down to wait for the others to return. When they did they carried between them a huge alligator and two wild boar but of course it didn't beat us. The alligator was allowed to live, none of us were keen on reptile blood, it was too cold and thin but the jaguars were another matter entirely and it was the only time in the year we shared our kill. Usually the only person you shared with was your mate unless a friend was sick but during our trip we cast off such things and joined in the feast together.

After this there were swimming competitions, alligator wrestling which of course Emmett won although Garrett and I came a close combined second. Carlisle had introduced a game from his native England, British Bulldog which entailed one person being the trapper while the others had to elude capture within a set area and only moving from one safe area to another. It could be brutal and when Emmett was the captor is certainly was but again it was a game we enjoyed although it caused a certain amount of damage to the surroundings, trees split or uprooted, deep gouges in the ground to name but some.

After playing individually we split into two teams again but this time Em and I were opponents and of course he being a captor targeted me as I suspected he would. Our fight went on for most of one day neither of us gaining any foothold but eventually he got me moving and he was almost impossible to stop but he'd forgotten my team mates Edward and Garrett who ambushed him enabling me to slip through his grasp and reach safety. A few broken fingers and a couple more gouges on my wrist were little enough payment for my escape.

Sitting round a camp fire one night, we just liked the ambiance of the flickering flames as the wood spat and burned in the ring of stones, Garrett suggested we tell a story each and offered to begin himself. His story involved a werewolf who tracked the men who had killed his mate and literally scared them to death.

Carlisle told the tale of how he became a vampire, one I had heard before but was fascinated to hear again. Then Emmett told of the time he fought the grizzly and almost died until Rosalie came along and saved him, his guardian Angel he called her. Edward hesitated, he'd never been comfortable with story telling, I guess because he knew too many secrets and had to ensure he didn't reveal any as he spoke but eventually he came up with one, how the Cullens had met the Quileute wolves and come to and agreement that created the pact that kept the peace in Forks.

I had to wonder if Chief Swan had any idea of the dangers that had lived in Forks before he was born. That his best friends were actually shape shifters or had at least at one time been. Now it was my turn and I decided to use this as an opportunity to go through my story, the story I was going to tell Bella when she returned.

Although the family had heard some of my story I had held off on the most terrible and even now I couldn't bring myself to admit to some of the atrocities I had committed. I did however tell them more about my training at Maria's hands and how I went on to train others for her and of some of the wars we had fought. Of course this led to the idea of a game and Garrett explained about the war games he had played some years back using miniature soldiers and weapons.

"We fought the war of Independence battle by battle according to the numbers of men, site of the battle and weapons they had access to on the day and this time believe it or not the Brits won much to my disgust. It took about three months to replay all the major battles but it was fun."

At that point Emmett suggested we pick a major battle from the Civil War and replay the fight but in miniature. Deciding on a battle was easy enough, we picked one I had all the knowledge we needed to play. It was a battle the North had won but I had high hopes the outcome might be different this time around. While Carlisle and Edward carved rudimentary figures, Garrett fashioned models of the cannon available at the time while Em and I set up the terrain using twigs, stones and mud to fashion defences, the fort and the surrounding countryside and then the battle commenced. We had drawn lots for sides and Garrett and I ended up as the North much to my chagrin while Edward, Emmett and Carlisle as the least experienced had the South. Unfortunately once again the North won but I didn't have it in me to celebrate even though we were the victorious team.

It always fascinated me when Carlisle got among the guys without Esme and the girls around. He sloughed off the persona of the dedicated doctor and responsible foster father and allowed himself to be one of the guys, after all he was in reality our contemporary by age. We often forgot he was as energetic and full of fun as we were but by the end of the week he was just one of the gang, thinking up tricks to catch us out such as hiding Em's favorite tee shirt in a nest of hornets.

He could also cuss with the best of us, in fact I think he could hold his own with Peter although the latter would never believe me. He thought Carlisle was prim and prissy, like a "fucking old woman the way he looks down his nose at the rest of the world."

If only the two of them got together without the women around he might get one hell of a shock.