Bella watched as the two male vampires ran out of the house through the back door in a blink of an eye and turned to her female counterpart that was sitting on the couch with her still. "Are you sure you want to spend the day with me? I know it's probably been a long time since you got to see Jasper and hang out with him without Alice around. I will be safe here; I won't go anywhere I promise." Bella said as Charlotte took her warm hands into her cold ones.
"Nonsense Sweetie! I can catch up with the Major later. I wanna get to know you! Plus, it's been foreva since I got to hang out with another girl. That damn pixie was never too keen to be alone with someone with red eyes. Acted like we were beneath her." Charlotte rolled her eyes at the mention of Alice and released Bella's hands. Bella got up and walked into the kitchen and started the coffee machine.
"I can't believe she would act like that, but I guess I never really knew her…" Bella mumbled and shook her head to refocus on Charlotte in the living room. "So, you mentioned wanting to binge something on Netflix, did you have something in mind?" Bella asked.
"Nope, do you have any suggestions?" Charlotte asked. Charlotte got comfortable on the couch and set up a section next to her for Bella with a blanket between them to shelter her from Charlotte's cold skin.
"Well…" Bella started as the coffee finished brewing and quickly made herself a cup. "This is going to sound dumb, but I did just start a series you may be interested in." Bella said, chewing on her bottom lip. She grabbed her coffee with one hand and grabbed a granola bar, taking it into the living room with her and set them down on the coffee table.
"Whatcha start Sweetie?" Charlotte asked, throwing a cover over Bella's lap as she sat down and handed her the remote that was wedged in the cushions between them.
"It's a show about vampires called Vampire Diaries. I'm only a few episodes in but it seems really good." Bella explained nervously as she took a sip of the coffee, sighing as the caffeine started coursing through her system.
"Nah! That sounds amazing! I think I've heard of that one before about two brothers fightin' over the same human girl that looks like an ex-lover? Right?" Charlotte asked, sinking further into the couch.
"That's the one! Alice and Edward never wanted to watch it with me, so I was only able to start it last week." Bella smiled widely as she turned on the tv and watched Netflix start to load up and looked over at Charlotte anxiously. "Are you sure? We don't have to watch it, I promise." Charlotte may not have a gift like Jasper, but she has been around long enough to know when someone has been controlled in everything they do and is always made to second guess themselves.
"Listen here Suga," Charlotte started and turned her full attention to Bella and gently took her hands in hers once again. "I don't know what that pixie and mind reader put ya through to make ya feel like we can't do something ya want to do but don't worry about it with me or the boys. No need to put us first or put up a front with us, just be you. If ya ever want to talk about what ya went through with them, I'm an open ear. Okay?" Charlotte finished staring in Bella's eyes as tears started to pool. "I know we just met and all but I'm serious. I can handle whatever it is. I want to be your friend Bella."
"Thank you so much Char." Bella croaked out as she threw her arms around Charlotte's neck, hugging her as a few tears fell from her eyes at the sincerity that reflected in Charlotte's words and features. Charlotte wrapped her arms around the girl's waist and held her gently as a few sobs escaped from her.
"Anytime Suga, do you want to talk about it?" Charlotte asked and Bella sat back in her spot on the couch and shook her head, wiping the last of the tears.
"Maybe another time, let's start the show." Bella smiled weakly at her and quickly found it and hit play.
"So, who are we voting for to get with the main girl?" Charlotte asked as she hunkered down so that her and Bella's shoulders were pressed against each other and they both were under the large blanket.
"Everyone seems to like Stefan and that seems how the show is going, but I don't know. There is something about Damon that just screams that's who she should be with. So he's my pick, plus he's way cuter than Stefan." Bella explained in a whisper to her with her eyes trained on the TV as the intro echoed around the room.
"Damon is the dark headed one and kinda bad-boyish?" Charlotte asked in the same whisper of a voice. Bella simply nodded and the two watched the show in silence with the occasional comment about a character here and there.
Around noon Bella's stomach decided to growl and alert them to her human needs. Bella stood up and stretched, popping her back in the process and letting out a small moan at the feeling. She walked into the kitchen and started rummaging around the fridge to see what leftovers were still good and groaned when nothing was there.
"Want me to order ya a pizza?" Charlotte called from the living room with the number for the local pizza place already dialed in.
"Yeah, that's fine. Just a mushroom pizza please. I'm going to run upstairs for a second to take care of some human things." Bella said as she headed towards the stairwell. Bella heard Charlotte already talking to the pizza place and placing the delivery when she walked into the bathroom. Bella turned on the sink, feeling self-conscious about the vampire downstairs hearing her use the bathroom. Once she was finished and washed up, she stayed in the bathroom for a few minutes looking at herself in the mirror. She splashed herself with some cool water and sighed thinking about what Charlotte had said earlier.
She didn't know Peter and Charlotte at all, but she got the feeling they were nothing like Edward and Alice. She barely knew Jasper since Edward and Alice refused to let her get to know him. Her heart sank at the thought of Alice and Edward and tears sprang to her eyes. "I never loved you." The words echoing in her head as if he actually said it to her and the tears spilled over her cheeks as she sunk to the floor of her bathroom. She rested her forehead against the cabinet of the sink and let the tears flow for several minutes. "I want to be your friend Bella." Charlotte's soft voice wrapped around her as she sat back on her heels and wiped at her face. Bella bit her lip as she shakenly stood up from the floor and looked at her reflection again. Her eyes were bloodshot and her cheeks blotchy from her crying spell. She silently thanked Charlotte for letting her have the time to herself, knowing the girl downstairs could hear her and probably smell her tears. Bella looked back at the door over her shoulder and the thought of becoming friends with Charlotte entered her mind. She wanted to open herself up to Charlotte but the thought of getting close to another girl after Alice scared her off slightly.
She knew she needed to talk about what happened between herself and Edward eventually or the nightmares would destroy her from the inside out. Bella started regretting not talking about it to Rose when she asked about it before everything happened. The ache of missing the rest of the family made itself present and she gasped for a quick breath as the ache racked through her. Her hands shook as she grabbed a clean washcloth and ran the cold water as she pointlessly washed her face to try to hide the breakdown she had. Bella heard a faint knock at the front door. She quickly dried her face and hands and stumbled out of the bathroom and down the stairs as Charlotte was closing the door.
"How much do I owe you?" Bella croaked, walking over to her purse and shuffling through it to find any cash.
"Nothin' Sweetie. I got it taken care of." Charlotte said softly as she set the pizza box down on the coffee table, along with a bottle of Dr. Pepper. "I hope Dr. Pepper is okay, I wasn't sure what you liked." Charlotte smiled nervously with a small shrug of her shoulders.
"Dr. Pepper is perfect. Thank you." Bella said as she walked back into the living room and sat down on the couch in her previous spot and smiled at Charlotte weakly. Charlotte smiled back and settled back into the couch next to Bella as she ate a couple slices of pizza.
"Ready for some more binging?" Charlotte asked and Bella nodded with a mouth full of food. Charlotte laughed and grabbed the remote and hit continue and the marathon continued.
Bella ate another slice of pizza and drank about half the bottle when she settled back into the couch like Charlotte was and back under the covers. They continued to make small comments about the pairings and certain characters and what would make their lives easier if they were real. Charlotte continued to talk as she felt a small pressure on her shoulder and looked down to see Bella had fallen asleep with her arms crossed over her chest and her head resting on Charlotte's shoulder. Charlotte smiled at Bella's sleeping form and pulled the blanket up further on the two of them as she let her rest knowing her breakdown and everything was finally hitting her and had worn her out. She continued to watch the show quietly and waited for the boys to come home.
Jasper and Peter took off out the back door and were pushing and shoving at each other with smiles on their faces like schoolboys roughhousing around. Once they were on the outskirts of the town, they started making a perimeter that they would easily be able to maintain and run as well as keeping any ill-willed visitors from trespassing.
"So. Major. Do you wanna start or do I gotta start askin' questions?" Peter asked as they slowly made their way through the woods, in order to get guy time and let the girls bond.
"What do you want to know, Cap?" Jasper sighed at the use of old nicknames.
"Let's start with something easy. What's this about a vampire after the little one?" Peter asked, approaching the safest and most urgent subject first.
"Her name's Victoria, she's a redhead and we killed her mate, James. He was tryin' to kill Isabella 'cause she seen how important she was to Edward, well her blood anyways." Jasper said, rolling his eyes at the end.
"How does he even know Edward?" Peter asked as they rounded the forest to include the, hopefully, now abandoned Cullen residence.
"We were playin' baseball, they overheard us, and Alice said it was too late to get Isabella out of there and they got a whiff of her. James saw it as a challenge to get to her before Edward got a chance to taste her basically. James was a gifted tracker, so Alice and I ran her to Phoenix to hide her while the rest made a diversion in the opposite direction and tried to kill him; but I swear that girl, she ain't got one bone in her body for self-preservation." Jasper chuckled and shook his head. They walked around the abandoned house, marking it as their territory now. Jasper looked around the empty house and felt an echo of pain radiate through him at the family and lover that abandoned him. Peter rested a hand on his shoulder and gave him a squeeze. The two finished at the house and quickly left and started a walk towards town.
"We ran hid in a hotel while in Phoenix," Jasper continued. "Alice had a vision, so we were about to leave when Isabella ran off from us to this dance studio she used to attend when she was a kid. James had convinced her that he had her mom. So, she took off to trade places to save her or somethin' but either way she took off alone. Well, James didn't have her mom, shocker, and we got there right after James got to her and roughed her up and then he bit her. She was turning right then, but Edward just couldn't let it happen, couldn't lose her precious blood, but disguised it as worryin' about her soul or some shit. So, he sucked the venom out… But he almost didn't stop. He almost killed her…" Jasper explained, staring off in front of them as they continued to walk along the edge of the woods towards the town to include the police station.
"Damn, that girl has been through it." Peter whistled.
"Tell me about it." Jasper chuckled without any humor behind it. "First, she moves to a town with not one or two, but six vampires, almost gets killed the first day at school, then a couple weeks later almost gets killed by a van, twice, and then James happens. All the while she's been best friends with the werewolves. Now Edward leaves her destroyed and defenseless against Victoria, who's after her for retribution for James' death. Oh, and she wrecked last night on her way home avoidin' a deer in the road." Jasper recalled all of Bella's dangers in her life.
"Damn. She really is a beacon for disaster." Peter laughed and shook his head.
"Yeah, she needs to be wrapped in some damn bubble wrap or somethin'."
"So, whatcha gonna do?" Peter asked as they headed back towards Bella's house through the forestry to finish making the perimeter and for Jasper to have a few deer.
"Protect her. Obviously." Jasper said, definitively. "She can't be left defenseless with Victoria still out there."
"But why you?" Peter asked. "you said she's best friends with werewolves, why can't they protect her? They are certainly capable."
"First, she won't let them protect her if there is any risk of one of them getting hurt. Hell, she probably doesn't even want me protectin' her." Jasper breathlessly chuckled. He looked up and looked over at Peter with a fire in his honey gold eyes that Peter hasn't seen in centuries. "And 'cause she deserves to know that she's worth it and not everyone is going to abandon her. She deserves to have people in her life that are goin' to stick by her, like Char and ya did for me." Peter nodded at him at the memories of their time together as a coven.
"So, what happened between her and Edward?" Peter asked as he looked down at the forest floor.
"What do ya mean? He left her. He told her in a note that he never loved her, only wanted her blood and to make Alice jealous." Jasper answered with a questioning look on his face as he looked at his brother.
"No. Somethin' else happened. Didn't ya hear what she said to blondie and the boulder?" Peter asked, looking up and making eye contact with Jasper and raised an eyebrow at him.
Jasper thought back to the argument and remembered Bella mentioning something about not being safe with Edward. "Do ya think that was just in reference to bein' his singer?" Jasper asked as they ventured off the invisible path to track a few deer.
"I don't think so. Or I feel like she would've worded it differently and woulda put some distance between them from the beginnin'. It's like its somethin' only her and blondie know 'bout. Well, the pixie probably knows but doubt she would say anythin'." Peter answered as he watched Jasper take off after a deer and quickly take it down and drain it. He leaned against the tree as he thought about what Bella could've been referring to and continued to watch Jasper track and take down a couple more deer before coming back to him with bright golden eyes.
"Ya may have a point… Somethin' has been off between Edward and Isabella for a few months now actually. Rosalie never let them be alone, even would miss huntin' if she knew Isabella was going to be alone with Edward. Isabella's emotions 'round him have been conflictin' too." Jasper stated as he wiped the stray animal blood from his mouth.
"Ya may wanna find out, so we don't accidentally say or do somethin' to hurt her or throw her into a panic attack or somethin'." Peter said as they headed back towards Bella's house as the rain started to drizzle down.
"Okay. I'll try. She tends to keep her emotions bottled up, even hard for me to pull them from her." Jasper glanced down at his watch and back up at Peter. "Let's head back. It's almost two and she probably wonderin' where we are." Jasper said and Peter nodded. They both ran as fast as they could back to the house, making it there in less than five minutes. They got to the edge of the woods and stopped running when they heard an even heartbeat and breathing. They quickly and quietly made it into the house through the back door and walked into the living room.
"Now this is just adorable." Peter whispered quietly as to not disturb Bella as he sat in the chair Jasper previously was in, staring at Charlotte and Bella in front of him.
"Can't argue with ya there honey." Charlotte whispered back as she looked over at Bella still curled up under the blanket and sleeping on her. "I figured I would be too uncomfortable for her, but she's been snoozin' for at least an hour."
Jasper let a soft smile grace his features as he walked over and squatted down in front of the sleeping Bella and took her in. He noticed the dark circles under her eyes from her lack of sleep and nightmares that he knew she suffered from time to time after the James incident. He only knew that because Alice complained about her complexion several times when she tried to cover them when they hung out in the city. He watched her eyes starting to shift rapidly under her eyelids and her heart rate accelerate. Her breath started to come out as pants and her unconscious body started to fidget. Charlotte reached her free arm over and gently ran her fingers through her hair and softly shushing her.
"She's done this a few times. Nightmares or flashbacks I'm assumin'." Charlotte whispered to Jasper's concerned and questioning look. His eyes flashed to her and back to Bella as she started to calm down again. "Should we wake her? Ain't her daddy goin' to be comin' home soon?" Charlotte asked and Jasper nodded.
"Isabella… Wake up. Charlie will be home soon." Jasper said softly as he gently shook her arm. Bella's eyes started to flutter open, and a small yawn escaped her. She reached up and rubbed her eyes as she looked into golden eyes and froze momentarily. Jasper felt a flash of fear radiate from her as blinked up at him and shook her head as she registered her surroundings. "Isabella, you're home and safe." Jasper whispered gently, squeezing her hand. She looked around at the three vampires surrounding her and she quickly sat up as embarrassment quickly took over her and the fear was gone.
"I'm so sorry Char! I didn't mean to fall asleep on you!" Bella quickly apologized, covering her face as a blush overtook her.
"No need to apologize suga'! You were tired and I don't mind bein' a pillow one bit! I'm just happy that you felt safe enough to fall asleep around me." Charlotte said, beaming a smile at her.
"Of course, I feel safe around you. Jasper trusts you, so I know I can too." Bella declared with a small, innocent tilt to her head. Jasper felt waves of appreciation, disbelief, happiness, and love emitting strongly from Charlotte. Charlotte quickly wrapped her in a soft hug and buried her face in Bella's hair.
"Thank you so much for that Suga'. I love ya already!" Charlotte exclaimed, causing Bella to giggle and hug her back.
"I love you too Char. I hope I wasn't any issues. I know I tend to talk and move in my sleep. I've been told it's pretty annoying." Bella said as Charlotte pulled back and sat back in her own corner of the couch.
"Nope, no issues. I could tell that sometimes ya were getting restless but ya settled down after a few seconds. Was it nightmares?" Charlotte asked softly, briefly making eye contact with Jasper and Peter before looking back at Bella.
"Something like that..." Bella whispered, looking down at her lap and shook her head. She looked up at everyone and smiled at Jasper, who was still squatting in front of her. "I see you went hunting, did you both have fun with your guy time?" Bella asked, quickly to change the subject.
"Yeah, I seen the ol' Major over here chase after Bambi and their momma and got to see this lovely little town in the process." Peter chuckled, earning a giggle from Bella.
"Well, I'm glad you had fun. Did you Jasper?" Bella asked, looking back over at him.
"Yeah, it was good catchin' up." Jasper smiled as he stood up and walked over to the other chair and sat down. "Your dad will be home soon. How do you want to play this? I don't want ya here alone until Victoria is taken care of."
"Well, I got to tell my dad about the break-up and the rest of them leaving. I also don't want you to have to sneak in and out of my room like he used to." Bella shuddered at the thought. "I can talk to him about maybe letting you stay on the couch or something. Come up with a story about them kicking you out or something. I just don't know about Peter and Charlotte though…" Bella answered, chewing on her bottom lip nervously.
"Don't worry 'bout us Little Lady. Tonight, we will be runnin' the perimeter and making a trip to Seattle for dinner." Peter explained to ease her worry.
"Can I ask you a question?" Bella asked and looked towards Peter.
"Sure thing! Whatcha wanna know? All about the Major back in his youthful days? Old war stories? Travel stories?" Peter asked, leaning forward with a wide grin on his face. Jasper stiffened and watched as Bella rolled her eyes with a small smile.
"Nothing like that. It is personal though. I know Jasper's… diet… is animals. I'm not blind and can see you both have red eyes. So, I assume you are human drinkers. Edward told me that some vampires have preferences from who they drink from. He drank only from bad people. But he said some have preferences like only drinking from a specific age range. I was just curious about you both." Bella inquired with a small tilt to her head.
"Oh, I got this one honey. We drink from the worst of the worst. Criminals that the law hasn't taken care of or won't. Predators, abusers, drug dealers, human traffickers, you name it we will drink it. We don't drink from innocent people or the victims if something happens and we get there too late. It's kinda like our own morals, you could say." Charlotte explained.
"I totally get it. When I get to turn, I wouldn't see any issues with a diet like that. It's like you're the human world's own guardian angels to a degree." Bella said as she stood up. "I gotta get stuff started for dinner. I'll be right in the kitchen." Bella said as she walked around the couch and into the kitchen, unknowing that she left three stunned vampires behind her.
"I love her." Charlotte said, looking over to Peter and Jasper with venom pooling in her eyes.
"Definitely. No one, not even our own kind, has ever said anything that sweet and kind to us before." Peter whispered, moving over to sit with Charlotte and wrapped an arm around her.
"I know what you mean." Jasper whispered with his eyes trained on the back of Bella as he watched her move around the kitchen. Jasper felt Charlotte and Peter's eyes staring at him, but he refused to look at them and continued to watch Bella move about as if she was in her own little world.
"I got a feeling that there is something that she is hiding." Peter said, lowering his voice, as to not attract the attention of the girl herself.
"Yeah, it doesn't take a gift or a genius to figure that one out. Did you see how she changed the subject? Char, did she say anything or act a certain way once we left?" Jasper asked, turning toward Charlotte who nodded at him.
"Yeah, right after ya'll left she got a little nervous and I thought it was bein' 'round a vamp she didn't know. But she was insecure and kept sayin' we didn't have to watch this show even though I asked her what she wanted to watch. Like as soon as she suggested it she tried to get me to decide if that's what we were goin' to watch. I don't know what that pixie or mind reader did to her, but they really fucked with her head." Charlotte explained quietly. "When I said she could talk to me 'bout whatever they put her through she instantly started tearin' up. When it was 'round noon I ordered her a pizza, and she went upstairs to the bathroom and I could hear her cryin'." Charlotte said softly.
"Did ya go and check on her or did ya let her have her privacy?" Jasper asked quickly.
"No, I was lettin' her have her time. I figured she needed her moment to breakdown alone. Somethin' seriously bad happened or almost happened with them and her." Charlotte shook her head.
"That's what I was tellin' Jasper on our perimeter run." Peter said, continuing in a hushed voice.
"We need to figure out what happened. Cause until she talks 'bout it and can get it out, it's gonna keep tearin' her up inside and keep makin' her second guess herself at every turn, regardless of what we say or do." Charlotte said, glancing back at Bella, completely unaware she was the topic of discussion. "I know I just met her, but I will kill anyone who even thinks about hurtin' her."
"I think we are all in accordance with that." Jasper said as Peter nodded in agreement. "Alright, why don't you two do a quick perimeter check and start heading to Seattle so you can get there just as the peak of the nightlife is active. Peter, show Char the whole perimeter so we can all take shifts running it solo if need be." Jasper ordered.
"Alrighty Major. See you later." Peter said as the three of them stood up. Char and Peter gave Jasper a quick hug before they all walked into the kitchen.
"Hey Suga, we are goin' to go ahead and do a quick run and head towards Seattle to grab some dinner alright? We'll see ya in the mornin' if that's okay with ya?" Charlotte asked as she got Bella's attention.
"Of course! I can't wait to see you then." Bella said and pulled Charlotte into a hug. "The perimeter doesn't go near the res, does it?" Bella asked and Jasper shook his head no.
"Don't worry Little Lady, we got the perimeter mapped out perfectly so we shouldn't be anywhere near their territory. We will see you in the morning. Sleep well." Peter said as Bella turned and hugged him as well, surprising the man who quickly hugged her back.
"See ya Major. I'll let you know when we head back." Charlotte said as she took Peter's hand, and they ran out the back door straight into the forest.
Bella smiled after them, long after not being able to see them and shook her head as she turned to Jasper. "I really like them…" Bella said softly as fondness radiated off her.
"Good. They really like you too." Jasper said with a small smile as he saw her eyes get large and bright with excitement. "Now, your dad is on his way home now. What is our story?" Jasper asked.
"Well, I figured by now he heard about the rest of the family, I bet the whole town's talking about it. I was thinking maybe something along the lines of you and the family got into a fight about something and they kicked you out and left without you and you need a place to crash? Like they already sold your house or something so that's why you can't go back there? When he gets here do you mind waiting in my room so I can talk to him?" Bella offered hesitantly.
"Yeah, that works for me." He said and sat up a little straighter. "Showtime." He said as he blurred up the stairs to her room as the front door opened. Jasper sat on the edge of her bed as he focused on the conversation happening downstairs.
"Hey Bells." Charlie's gruff voice greeted his daughter.
"Hey Dad." Bella greeted back. "I take it you heard already?" Bella asked as relief and worry floated up the stairs at him.
"Yeah, the whole town's talking about it. How are you doing? I know you really loved them. Are you and the Cullen boy going to do long distance?" Charlie asked and Jasper could hear him hanging up his jacket and the heavy footsteps hit the linoleum of the kitchen floor.
"Uh… No. We broke up actually." Bella said with a shaky voice.
"Are you okay?" Charlie asked.
"Yeah, I will be." Bella dismissed. "There is a favor that I want to ask of you." Bella anxiously asked.
"Yeah? What is it Bells?" The sound of chair legs scratching against the floor let him know they moved to sitting at the table.
"Do you remember Jasper? His brother?" Bella asked. There was a moment of silence and she continued. "Well, he got into a huge fight with his family, and they basically kicked him out before they up and left. So, I was hoping it would be okay if he stayed here for a few days… Just until he gets back on his feet." Bella rushed out. There was a long silence and Jasper felt Bella's anxiety spike as the minutes stretched on. Jasper sent calming emotions down to her as a sigh left her father.
"Bells." Charlie's tired voice echoed through the quiet kitchen. "Why can't he stay at another friend's house? Or let alone his own house? I know they left but surely, he's got a key he can use."
"They already sold it and changed the locks. He doesn't really have any other friends around here." Bella said softly. "Besides, he's kinda already here. I told him to go wait upstairs while I talked to you. He said he's perfectly fine sleeping on the couch or floor." Jasper was slightly impressed on how much she was putting up a case for him and was sounding believable.
"He's already here? What about Alice? Aren't they together? Why isn't she here then?" Charlie asked skeptically.
"Alice left him. She actually left him for Edward… And Edward took off with her…" Bella answered in a teary voice. Jasper could smell the salt of her tears and couldn't tell if she was fully crying or not but sent comforting waves to her.
"Oh Bells…" Charlie cooed and sighed. "Alright. Just for a few days. Besides, he was the only one of Carlisle's kids that I actually liked. Not overly polite to where it seemed like he was being insincere. Go ahead and get him down here. I wanna have a talk with him." Charlie said and the sound of a chair creaking let him know Bella got up.
Bella's footsteps ran up the stairs and into her room and a soft smile with the unshed tears in her eyes adorn her face. "I take it you heard all that?" Bella blinked and a stray tear ran down her cheek.
"Yeah. I did." Jasper answered as he walked towards her and gently wiped away the stray tear with the pad of his thumb. Bella reached up and gripped his wrist and pulled him towards the stairs and into the kitchen.
"Chief Swan. Thank ya so much for lettin' me stay here for a few days. I promise I will stay out of your way." Jasper said as he entered the room and nodded to the man himself.
"No problem. I do want to talk to you. Go ahead and sit down." Charlie ordered and Jasper eased himself into the chair across from Bella as she sat down as well. "So, I know you both lost people you love but I want to state the obvious. No funny business will be happening in this house. Do you understand?" Charlie asked, staring over to Jasper.
"Yes, sir." Jasper nodded sincerely.
"Alright. As long as you respect that, my daughter, and myself I have no issue with you staying a few days. Now I'm going to go take a shower and change. What's for dinner tonight, Bells?" Charlie said as he stood up and headed towards the stairs.
"Chicken enchiladas, is that okay?" Bella asked and received a grunt of approval back. Charlie disappeared upstairs and Jasper stayed quiet until he heard the shower turn on.
"You're a better liar than I thought ya would be." Jasper said, looking over to Bella as she got up and started pulling ingredients from the fridge.
"Yeah, I don't know where all that came from. I normally am a horrible liar." Bella chuckled and turned back towards the counter.
Jasper sighed as he leaned back in the kitchen chair. "Do you need help cooking?" Jasper asked as he nodded to the thawing chicken.
"Sure, if you want to!" Bella beamed as Jasper got up and walked over to her and looked at the counter with all the ingredients.
"Where should I start?" Jasper asked.
"Here, let's start with the chicken first. We gotta cut them into small pieces." Bella said and pointed towards the package of chicken breasts. "Do you want to do that?"
"Sure." Jasper shrugged as he pulled the cutting board and knife towards him and opened the package of chicken. He started cutting the chicken under Bella's instructions and after the first one he looked over at Bella for approval. "This small enough?"
"Smaller like this." Bella said and wrapped her hand around his and cut a few pieces in half the size they were until they were bite-size cubes. "That should be a good size. When you finish, put them in this bowl." Bella said as she pulled a bowl closer to the cutting board and turned towards the other ingredients.
Jasper stared at his hand in wonder as he felt tingles against his skin. He shook his head as he turned back to the task in front of him and quickly, at a human's pace, cubed the rest of the chicken breasts and put the pieces in the bowl. "Alright, all done, now what?" Jasper asked, turning towards Bella.
"Hand me the bowl, I'll start cooking them." Bella said and reached her hand towards him, waiting for the bowl without looking back at him. He watched as she took the bowl from him and dropped the pieces in a pan that was coated in some type of oil. Jasper walked closer behind her and watched her cook over her shoulder.
The two of them stayed like that for several minutes as the chicken cooked in the pan as Bella occasionally stirred the chicken so they didn't burn. "Can you grab the pan from the cupboard and open the enchilada sauce can for me?" Bella asked as she looked over her shoulder at him, for him to realize how close they were to one another, causing her breath to catch. Jasper nodded and stepped back and did as she asked.
"Yes ma'am. What do you want me to do now?" Jasper asked.
"Come stir these for me, they are almost done." Bella said as Jasper traded spots with her. Jasper stirred the chicken and watched as Bella poured a little of the red sauce into the bottom of the pan and smeared it around with a spoon before grabbing the cream cheese, beans, salsa, and chiles and dumped them into a separate saucepan and moved to stand next to Jasper at the stove. He watched her start to stir the heating mixture and she checked the chicken at the same time. "Okay they are done. I can handle the rest, thank you Major." Bella said, smiling with a glint of mischief in her eyes. Jasper smiled back and playfully rolled his eyes at her.
"Oh, stop that." Jasper laughed as Bella bumped her hip with him, in an attempt to push him from in front of the stove. Jasper was so caught up with cooking with Bella he wasn't listening to Charlie finishing his shower and changing until he heard the man clear his throat causing Bella to jump and Jasper's back to stiffen.
"Dinner almost done?" Charlie asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, just gotta put the dish together and then in the oven for thirty minutes. Oh shit! The oven!" Bella cursed as she quickly started preheating the oven, causing Charlie to laugh at his daughter's exasperation.
"Every time Bells, every time." Charlie laughed as he sat down at the kitchen table and looked over to Jasper, who was standing ramrod straight against the farthest wall. "I think we need to have a family meeting once that dish is in the oven." Charlie said, gesturing to the chair next to him. Jasper quickly moved back to the chair he was previously in as he felt anxiety rolling off Bella.
"Dad, didn't we just have one of those? Is everything okay, did you change your mind?" Bella asked cautiously as she quickly assembled the tortilla shells and the rest of the dish. The two men watched her slide the dish into the oven and sat down on the other side of Charlie.
"No, that was a father talk, also I didn't change my mind, I just wanted to get everything out in the open." Charlie said as he looked between Jasper and Bella.
"What is it, Dad? Just tell us." Bella said with a small waver to her voice.
"I know what you are Jasper." Charlie revealed, causing Bella and Jasper to both suck in a quick breath of air. "I know you're a vampire."
