Part VII: The Redneck Rumble

Two days later, and thankfully, everything had settled down after the incident. Carlisle and Esme had expressed sincere apologies upon learning of Rosalie's meltdown. By the time Demetri and I had returned to the house, Emmett had already spirited Rosalie away in the hope it would settle her down. By now, they should be in Rochester, all set to ring in the New Year in the town where Rosalie had been born. Emmett hoped her change in surroundings would be just what she needed. He had sent a lengthy text, further apologizing and expressing his hope that the incident would not hinder our friendship. I wrote back not to worry, and he and I were cool, but he should really put more effort into his relationship, as clearly there was an issue somewhere. I thought Rosalie was just insane, but hopefully, there was something he could do to help her.

Meanwhile, Edward and Kiyoko had embarked on a journey to New Orleans to celebrate New Year's in the Big Easy. Post-festivities, Kiyoko had expressed a desire to explore all the different delicacies that the Gulf of Mexico had to offer. Edward had confided in me that, although he didn't particularly enjoy the taste of blood from sea creatures, he found hunting some of the larger prey quite intriguing.

In the early hours of New Year's Day, Alice and I found ourselves in her office/studio on the second floor of the Cullen house, immersing ourselves in the design of her latest creations for her clothing line. Acting as Alice's living mannequin, I stood motionless, allowing her to make adjustments on the fly. As I observed, I couldn't help but marvel at how the drawings she had shown me just hours ago were coming to life in front of my very eyes. The inner workings of her mind were fascinating, particularly for someone like me who never possessed a flair for fashion. I could discern what looked good on me and on others, but the art of crafting something from scratch was an entirely different skill set.

"So, New Year's is tonight. Will you and Demetri be happy celebrating a more low-key affair here than the parties in the big city?" Alice inquired, her hands skillfully working, sticking pins into the shoulder section of the blouse I was wearing. I found it intriguing as the sharp pins scraped against my skin, a sensation that, despite what my brain was still telling me, couldn't actually hurt me.

"No worries. Every year doesn't have to be a grand affair. We'll have plenty more chances in the future." Reflecting on the spectacular fireworks display Demetri and I had witnessed last year when we celebrated in Rome, an idea sparked. "Hey, how close are your nearest neighbors? Perhaps I could create my own little fireworks display for everyone with some explosions at midnight. I've been experimenting with varying my explosive power into other forms. Projecting them high in the night sky could be intriguing." As thoughts of recent experiments filled my mind, I realized I had never utilized my explosions as fireworks. It struck me as a potentially fun and novel concept.

"That sounds cool. The backyard extends quite a ways, which I'm sure will give you more than enough room for you to have your fun and avoid any… unfortunate accidents." Alice smirked knowingly, and I was certain she was recalling that first kaboom and how it almost took out their home in Forks.

I playfully stuck my tongue out at Alice, who responded with a little giggle before spinning me around to start working on the back of the blouse. I found myself now facing one of the full-length mirrors Alice had set up around the room. As I admired myself in the mirror, I found the outfit really quite stylish—a perfect blend of everyday chic with just the right touch of flair. I thought any young woman would be happy to wear something like this, whether just casually lounging around at home or wearing it to school. I could easily envision myself happily wearing a blouse like this.

Breaking into my thoughts, Alice chimed in, "You know, I'm putting together a photo catalog of all my outfits soon to send to distributors, and I was wondering if you would be my model?" She gazed at me hopefully, giving me her big puppy-dog sad eyes look, a tactic she often used when she wanted something.

"Sure, that sounds like fun. I've never tried my hand at modeling before. But wouldn't you prefer Rosalie? She's the one who truly embodies the supermodel vibe. Or are you thinking of using both of us?" I grinned. "If you ever plan a fashion show with a catwalk for your distributors, having us both strutting down it simultaneously might not be the best idea. Rosalie might get a bit grabby again, and I doubt that's the kind of show you want for your potential clientele." I chuckled, knowing I'd be cracking jokes about that topless catfight for a good long while.

Alice smiled. "No, I won't be asking Rosalie this time. Let's give her a couple of years to simmer down. Honestly, Bella, I think she just felt overwhelmed and intimidated by you when she saw you again as a vampire."

Her words caught me off guard. "Wait, if she was afraid of me, why on earth would she pick a fight? That sounds like the complete opposite of what she would want to do."

Alice chuckled. "No, no, I meant she was intimidated by your beauty. She was already jealous of the relationship you had with Emmett when you were human. Now, you come back into our lives looking as you do, and I think it really got to Rosalie. She places a great deal of her self-worth on her appearance, and here you are, a clear rival in terms of beauty, coupled with the good relationship you already had with her husband, and I believe it caused her to snap."

I shook my head. Sure, our vampire beauty had its perks, but it wasn't the be-all and end-all. If that's how Rosalie truly perceived herself, her actions took on a different light. I thought she might benefit from talking to a psychiatrist to sort out her issues, but the whole vampire secrecy thing would make that a tricky path to navigate.

Alice continued, "In any case, the clothing line I want to promote is more for the everyday girl. While Rosalie looks amazing in anything she wears, she doesn't project well. No matter what she does, she always looks stuck up. You, on the other hand, have that girl-next-door vibe that I think would align perfectly with the way I want to promote my line."

I smiled, pleased with how Alice thought of me. I never wanted to feel superior to others which was a common issue I observed in vampires, particularly in relation to humans, given that the abilities and perks vampires possessed could easily get to one's head. "I'd be happy to, Alice. We can work out the time and place when you're ready."

A bit later, Alice and I walked down to the first floor to see what everyone else was up to. The soft tapping of Esme typing in her room reached my ears, and I figured Carlisle, who worked the night shift at a hospital in Denver, would be home soon with the early morning sun casting its glow outside the first-floor windows. A smile played on my lips as I noticed Demetri and Jasper seated at the dining room table, absorbed in a game of chess. I was happy to see that their relationship had improved from its initially frosty state. We went over to watch the match unfold, the scattered pieces on the board revealing it had been in progress for quite some time, with both sides losing some key pieces.

Demetri had introduced me to chess back in college. We didn't play that often since my free time was usually claimed by other interests. In the games we did play, I never came close to beating him, but I did get better over time. I just needed to refine my long-term strategy and have a clearer plan of attack. During one of our games, Demetri provided a detailed explanation on each of his moves and the reasons behind them. It was then that I realized he was thinking so many moves ahead of the current state of the game that I immediately understood I was out of my league.

Jasper had just taken Demetri's knight when the faint buzz of a phone sounded from Jasper's pants pocket. My attention shifted as he pulled out his phone, glancing at the number. A subtle smile crossed his lips upon recognizing the caller, and he promptly answered.

"Charlotte," Jasper said. It must be the Charlotte that helped Jasper escape from his old life. He had shared bits of his story with me over the years, and his previous life sounded truly dreadful.

We could all hear the voice on the other end of the phone clearly. "Jasper, I'm sorry to be calling you on New Year's, but I think Peter has gotten himself into some trouble. I was hoping you were nearby and might be able to lend a hand."

I saw Jasper sit up straighter, his expression growing more serious as he took the call. "What's happened? I'm close enough to you; we're near Denver right now."

Charlotte spoke urgently, "Since Christmas, Peter has been in an argument with Gomer, who's now living in Texas near Dallas. The situation has been escalating, and it's reached a point where they're going to fight tonight. While I have no doubt in Peter's skills to defeat him, I don't trust Gomer not to bring backup to take Peter out permanently. We both know what kind of vampire he is."

"Of course, Charlotte. I can leave for Texas immediately. What's Gomer's story? The last I heard, he was still with Maria?" Jasper glanced unhappily at Alice. It was clear their New Year's plans had just gone up in smoke.

"No, he gained his freedom sometime in the '80s. We don't know the details. We've seen him around occasionally over the years, but our social circles don't exactly overlap, as you can imagine. Thank you, Jasper. I didn't tell Peter I was calling you. You know how he is if he thinks I doubt his abilities to handle the situation."

"Yeah. I'll leave right away." Jasper checked his watch. "Assuming a smooth trip, I can probably be there around 6:00 this evening. Will that work?"

I could hear the relief in Charlotte's voice. "Yes, that would be perfect. Their confrontation is set for midnight. We'll have time to fill you in on what's caused the ruckus between them when you arrive. Thank you so much, Jasper."

"No need to thank me. I'll see you guys soon." Jasper ended the call, casting a somewhat guilty glance at Alice. Turning over his king, he conceded the match and stood up. "I'm sorry, Alice, but I need to go help them."

Worry creased Alice's brow, but she took a steadying breath. "I understand. I'll come too."

Jasper shook his head. "No, Alice. I want you to stay here. You know you're not a fighter. I trained Gomer since he was a newborn, and I know exactly what kind of man he is. Charlotte is right; I wouldn't trust a word that comes out of his mouth."

I noticed Esme appear in the living room, listening in to the unfolding conversation. Alice seemed ready to protest, but Jasper stopped her. "No, Alice. I won't bring you into a situation that might be dangerous. You know Peter, Charlotte, and I are excellent fighters. We will be fine."

Alice's expression grew increasingly frantic. With me present, I knew her visions didn't work, leaving her in the dark about what might unfold. Jasper didn't have time for me to attempt to adjust my shield to maybe grant Alice a vision, but I could do one better.

"Relax, Alice. Demetri and I will go with Jasper. We'll be happy to help if it's required." Demetri looked at me with surprise but didn't say anything, simply standing up and positioning himself behind me in support.

Jasper also looked at us with surprise. "That's really not necessary, Bella. You don't even know Peter and Charlotte."

"That doesn't matter. They are friends of yours, and I'm your friend, Jasper. Besides, Demetri is one of the best fighters there is, and I'm no slouch either. More than likely, we won't have to do anything, and it will just be a nice chance to meet your friends. But if we are needed, trust me, you'll be grateful to have us on your side."

Jasper took a moment to consider everything, then nodded. "Okay, thank you, Bella, and you too, Demetri. Let's get going. It's a good eight-hour run to Houston."

I smiled at Demetri, leaning into him, and whispered, even though everyone could hear us, "Sorry to volunteer you without talking it over with you first, but I couldn't let my friend go into a potentially dangerous situation when I knew I had the ability to help."

Demetri wrapped his arms around me. "I understand. I love you for always thinking of others. I've actually met Peter once before. Let's just say he was lucky the Volturi didn't take him out when we culled Maria's operation over a century ago. As I recall, Jasper spoke quite passionately for us to spare him. That was a pretty dark time for all of them. It's been good to see how Jasper turned his life around. Hopefully, Peter and this Charlotte have done the same."

I smiled at him, then turned to see Jasper exchanging some quiet words with Alice. After a tender kiss, they parted. Walking over to Alice, I reassured her, "Don't worry. Nothing will happen to Jasper while I'm around. Trust me."

Alice looked up at me and smiled; she knew what I meant and what I could do if the situation demanded it. "I know. Thank you, Bella."

Luckily, we were all set and didn't need to do anything before we left. After a quick goodbye to Esme, we assured them we'd be back in a day or two and would give them a call when we had news. With that, we took off running towards Texas at a fast clip. I found it a bit odd that vampires would choose to live year-round in one of the sunniest places on Earth, but to each their own. If that's where you've always considered home and don't mind going out only at night, I can easily see how one would like it there. I didn't have much ground to stand on, in any case, to cast aspersions considering the Volturi call Italy their home, and its climate isn't vampire-friendly either.

As we raced towards Texas, Demetri inquired, "How are you doing hunger-wise? Are you good, or should we pick off someone on the way for you?"

I thought it over. Truth be told, I was starting to feel the gnawing of hunger, considering it had been close to a week since I last ate. However, being the early morning, hunting down a criminal now would prove extremely difficult. Given the time crunch we were under, it just didn't feel like the right moment. The situation certainly wasn't dire enough for me to ever consider taking out an innocent. Shaking my head, I replied, "No, I'm good for now. Maybe on our way back to Denver, we can grab a bite."

I glanced at Jasper as we raced along. I knew he was always conflicted regarding his diet. Despite hating the taste of animals, he just no longer wanted to kill people. I thought he might be okay with the diet we had, but it wasn't my place to try and tempt him.

Navigating around towns proved a bit challenging as we raced towards Texas, but, fortunately, vampires don't tire, so we maintained our speed. Just a little after 6:00, we reached our apparent destination. Jasper brought us to a halt at the beginning of a long dirt driveway in a quite remote area of the desert, far outside of Houston.

As darkness had already fallen, we started walking towards a rather large, one-story ranch house up in the distance. Jasper spoke quickly, "Let me handle the introductions. Please don't be offended if our reception is not as welcome as you would expect from Peter. He's a very proud man and does not like to ask for help, and no offense, Demetri, but he has never liked the Volturi. He can be set off rather easily, so it would probably be best to stay mostly silent until he has had time to adjust to your presence. He's a good man; he's just a bit of a hothead at times."

Demetri nodded, understanding, and gave me a smile. Meeting this Peter sounded like it was going to be interesting.

As we approached, the sound of yelling emanated from inside the house. It seemed like Charlotte had either just informed Peter or he had heard or sensed our arrival, as he could be heard yelling that he didn't need any help.

Once we drew closer to the house, I took in the surroundings. A large barn stood off to the side, indicating that this property was likely once used as a farm. I noticed a relatively new truck, and nearby, the charred remnants of what looked to be a vintage vehicle. To the side of the house, the edges of a pool came into view. I couldn't help but smile, thinking about how nice having a pool outside would be, where one could relax in the water under the hot Texan sun. I would have loved to have a pool when my mom and I lived in Phoenix.

As we approached the house, the front door swung open, revealing a beautiful blonde vampire. She stood a few inches shorter than me, with long, curly hair. I hadn't known what to expect from Charlotte, but she had a kind face that put me at ease. She eyed Demetri and me for a moment as we all walked up the stairs of the wide porch, which appeared to wrap around the house, but then she quickly focused on Jasper, smiling, coming up to him and giving him a hug.

"Thank you so much for coming, Jasper. Peter's inside, as you probably heard. Ah, who are your friends?" Charlotte stepped back as Jasper introduced us. "This is Bella, a good friend of the family, and her husband Demetri. They were visiting when you called and offered to come and help in case it was needed."

Charlotte smiled at us. "Well, thank you both for coming. Come on in, and I'll let Peter explain how this all started."

She led us into her house. It had that well-lived-in look, and I figured they'd been here for many decades. I really liked the house; it felt more authentic when compared to Esme's pristine homes, where not a thing was ever out of place. We walked into the living room, and I saw a man lounging carelessly on an Easyboy, watching Judge Judy. It was pretty obvious he was purposefully ignoring his guests.

Charlotte shook her head, walking up to the man. She snatched the remote from him and switched off the TV. "Don't be like that, Peter. I called Jasper not because I doubt your abilities, but because I don't trust Gomer, and you shouldn't either. Now, come say hi to your friend, and he also brought along some others just in case."

Peter huffed, but, realizing that what was done was done, he stood up to greet us. He appeared to be in his mid to late 20s when he had been turned. He stood about 6 feet tall with unruly light brown hair and had about a day or two of beard stubble which gave him a bit of an unkempt appearance. He directed his gaze to Jasper, saying, "Good to see you, Major." Then, he looked at me and smiled, but when his gaze fell on Demetri, he stiffened.

"What the fuck, Major? You brought the goddamn Volturi?" Charlotte reacted just as Peter had upon hearing this; clearly, she had not met Demetri before and had been unaware of who he was. Peter looked behind Demetri, probably wondering if he had come alone. Unfortunately, this response was pretty typical of many vampires I'd met when we were out on official business. For some reason, they just didn't trust us.

"Relax, Peter," Jasper urged, extending his hands, but Peter cut him off.

"Don't use your calming voodoo on me, Major," Peter snapped. "What's he doing here? I can't believe you'd join up with those Italian fuckers." He scrutinized Jasper closely. "Hmm, your eyes are still fucked up, so it looks like you're still part of the PETA brigade."

I couldn't help but let out a little laugh. Despite his crass demeanor, Peter seemed to have some wit behind his bluster. Hearing my unintended outburst, Peter turned and looked at me more closely. "What's your story, little lady?"

"Oh, I, uh... was in high school with the Cullens a few years ago, and we all became friends." It wasn't the full story, but we were pressed on time.

My words though seemed to set Peter off again. "Oh, you're another one of those crazy vamps who likes to play human, are you?" He turned to Jasper. "I still say you joined a cult, Major."

I interrupted him before he could start spouting off more vitriol. "Shit, no! I told the Cullens at the time they were all crazy, repeating high school over and over again. I was human at the time, so I had a good excuse for being there."

"Human? How long have you been a vampire?" Peter eyed me warily.

"About five years. After college, I turned and joined the Volturi. That's why my husband Demetri is here." I didn't want Peter to start shit talking Demetri. I myself have a pretty thick skin, but I don't take kindly to anyone insulting my man.

"Shit, Major, you brought a newborn? Great, now we'll have to hold her hand as well? At least Demetri here knows how to fight," Peter said, clearly having an issue with me.

I spoke right up, "Don't worry about me. I'm not some shrinking violet. Now, we came all this way... on New Year's, I might add, so why don't you tell us why." I wanted to move this along, as Peter appeared to be the type who likes to insult people just for the enjoyment of pissing others off. I'd be happy to go back and forth with him, but it would probably be best to wait until we understood the situation better. Peter seemed to agree with me, gesturing for us all to take seats on the sofas. As he eased back into his Easyboy, Demetri wrapped his arm around my shoulders, and we settled in to hear Peter's tale.

"Well, it all started on Christmas Eve. Charlotte and I wanted to celebrate with a feast. For special occasions and holidays, we like to take out more significant operations. During our research, we uncovered a human smuggling ring using illegal migrants from down south. They fed them the story about bringing them to America for a new life, but in reality, they were just selling the men into forced labor and trafficking the women for the sex trade.

Well, our research paid off, and we hit the operation right when they were bringing in a big shipment of migrants, so the place was packed. We cut the power, and while Charlotte let all the prisoners run away to hopefully start their new lives, I killed everyone working there. Let's just say we dined well, and we couldn't even drain everyone, so a lot of good blood went to waste that night. Anyway, after we were done celebrating, we set fire to everyone, then rigged the building to blow. Satisfied, we left and didn't think much more of it."

Jasper interjected, "I assume that wasn't the end of the story. I think I know what happened next, but let's hear the full account." I found myself intrigued by Peter and Charlotte's activities. While I was content taking out lone drug dealers, the idea of dismantling a criminal enterprise interested me greatly. That could actually do some real good in the world. I would have to ask them more about it, hopefully after we resolved the current situation.

Peter nodded, "You're right, Major. The next day, we had an unwelcome visit from a quite irate Gomer. Turns out, he was the silent owner of the smuggling operation. He just never visited in person, and that's why we didn't detect any vampire scents during our initial reconnaissance. He demanded recompense for his lost business."

"Well, I told him to fuck off, of course. But I used a lot more colorful language that I wouldn't want to repeat in front of a lady." He grinned and tipped his imaginary hat toward me. "Anyway, I told that pig fucker to get off my land, and I wasn't going to pay him shit for taking out a criminal enterprise run strictly by humans."

Peter looked incensed just thinking about this vampire. "Well, Gomer left upset, but fuck him. He was a punk-ass when he worked under us for Maria, and he hasn't changed one bit. I still don't know how that asshole got away from her clutches. I'll give him that he was a half-decent fighter, but he was always lacking in the intelligence department."

"Now, being the kind and lovable guy that I am, I was all set to let bygones be and put any animosity with Gomer behind me. But that night, when Charlotte and I returned from a date night, I discovered my pride and joy, my '65 Mustang, engulfed in flames. I loved that car and had owned it since it was brand new." Peter looked longingly out the window, and now I understood why that burned-out car was outside.

I think Peter would have wiped away a tear if it was possible, but he refocused on us. "Well, I wasn't going to be intimidated by fucking Gomer. Now I knew where he lived, which was a house out in the desert near Dallas. So, I checked it out the next day, and finding him absent, I released four giant hogs which I had liberated from a local farm inside his bedroom and then dumped 200 pounds of cow shit into his pool."

"Fuck, Peter," Jasper muttered, shaking his head. Yet, I couldn't help but smile. This sounded like some twisted, vampire redneck version of the Hatfields vs. McCoys.

"Yeah, he didn't take kindly to that, and he showed up yesterday, mad as hell. He challenged me to a fight, and I gladly accepted. I'm going to rip that fucker's head clean off. It should've happened a century ago; he was a rotten seed back then, and he's only gotten worse. We agreed to fight one on one tonight at midnight on neutral ground. We both liked the idea of the other not seeing the year 2035."

Charlotte cut in, "Now you see why I called you, Jasper. Gomer may be dumb, but he ain't blind to the fact that he can't beat Peter. It's gotta be a trap, and he's going to bring backup."

"I agree with Char, Peter. You should have called me yourself. Your pride is not worth your life," Jasper said, disapprovingly.

"Maybe," Peter muttered with some reluctance. "In any event, I don't want any help in the actual fight. It's me against Gomer. If he ends up bringing some backup, you guys deal with them if they try to intercede, but leave Gomer to me. With the Major and Demetri as backup, along with Char, I can't see how we'll have any issues."

It seems Peter didn't consider me worth a lick in a fight. I guess that's understandable, given he didn't know a thing about me. Truthfully, that was fine by me. It's always more fun to surprise others if shit starts to go down and I have to do my thing.

We had a couple of hours before we had to head out, considering the showdown spot was about two hours away if we ran. Charlotte rose from her seat, addressing her guests, "Anyone up for some bagged blood? I can heat some up if you're thirsty."

Bagged blood wasn't as good as fresh from the tap, but it always did the trick for a nice pick-me-up. So, I grinned and said, "I'll take a couple. I haven't had anything to drink since we left Italy last week."

As I got up from the sofa to head to the kitchen with Charlotte, Peter cracked, "You mean the Cullens didn't offer to take you hunting so you could munch on Bambi? Where are your manners, Major?"

Almost out of the room, I shouted back, "Oh no. They tried to recruit me into their little cult back when I was human, but I had to let them down gently, telling them I'm a vegetarian."

Peter laughed, and as Charlotte and I entered the kitchen, I heard him ask Demetri how he finally managed to escape Italy and the clutches of the great and powerful Aro.

In the kitchen, which had a charming country vibe, I settled onto one of the stools around a central food prep area. Charlotte pulled out two bags from their fridge and popped them into the microwave.

Charlotte took a seat beside me and said, "Thank you for offering to help, Bella. Peter might not show it well, but he's grateful too."

"It's no problem. Alice is one of my best friends, so when I saw Jasper heading into potential danger, I knew I had to help. Besides, it's giving me the opportunity to see Texas. You know, I grew up in Phoenix, but I never got the chance to visit The Lone Star State. Now I can cross it off my list."

The microwave dinged, and Charlotte got up to grab the bags and a big glass. I watched with increasing interest as she poured the bags into the glass, which was more like a pitcher, and handed it over to me. Taking a sip, it felt so good; with each swallow, I could feel the blood coating my throat. I would have been fine holding out until tomorrow or the next day, but I'm not some idiot who would pass up an easy meal. After finishing, I licked my lips with satisfaction. "Thanks, that really hit the spot."

"It was my pleasure. You know, I couldn't help but notice some details in your story that didn't quite make sense. You mentioned knowing the Cullens were vampires in high school, but also said you went to college, and you're obviously older than 18. I'm just trying to piece together the timing," Charlotte said, looking at me with interest.

I couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, I can see how you'd be confused. While what I told you was true, I did leave out a hell of a lot. How about I tell you a much more interesting story when we get back from Peter's little redneck rumble? Plus, I'd really like to hear more about how you and Peter go about finding and taking out criminal organizations like he mentioned. That sounds like something I'd like to do."

Charlotte nodded. "That sounds good. When we get back to the house, it will be 2035, the perfect time to get to know new friends." I grinned, and we spent the rest of the time chatting about our interests. Charlotte was pretty impressed when she learned I was a scientist.

Soon, though, it was time for us to head out, and we all raced through the night with Peter leading the way towards his showdown. Racing through the desert felt invigorating. Our destination was basically the middle of nowhere, halfway between Houston and Dallas. As the final hours ticked away, 2034 was nearly at its end, and I thought it fitting that we were concluding it with a bang.

I'm currently editing the second half of the chapter, which I've titled 'La Diabla,' and hopefully will post it next week. I hope everyone has enjoyed reading the Holiday Special. If you have, I would appreciate it if you could leave a short comment. The story is very close to 500 reviews, and it would be cool if it could reach it as the story is coming to an end. I have already started writing an outline for a new story whose plot I think is pretty original for a Twilight story and is pretty exciting.