Chapter 5: Newborns
Jasper couldn't help the laugh that escaped his throat as he slowed his motorcycle to a stop at the designated meeting spot on either side of the treaty line. Bella punched his ribs. "I'm sorry," he chuckled, "but you see him, right?"
She did. Jacob was shirtless, leaning against his red Volkswagen Rabbit, arms crossed over his chest as he watched them approach. "It's a wolf thing. He runs hot just like you run cold," she tried to defend, even though the lack of clothing was starting to feel a bit ridiculous. A shirt at least, like, c'mon. Maybe she'd buy him a ten pack of t-shirts for his birthday.
"Wolf thing," Jasper nodded, helping her off the bike. "Got it."
"Hey," she said, pulling him closer and resting her hands on his arms. "No rush today, okay? You need to hunt, especially after yesterday. I'll be fine."
Jasper sighed, tucking her dark hair behind her ear and stroking her cheek. "I know. I just hate being away from you."
"I'm not a big fan either, but we've been through worse."
Jasper smirked. "Understatement of the year."
"I love you," she said softly. His eyes fell shut as she brushed the shadows lingering beneath them. He was nearly knocked back as the strength of the statement, the care behind it, swept through him.
He kissed her, returning the feeling and leaving her breathless and a little dizzy. "I'll see you soon."
"Yeah," she nodded, "okay."
With that, she crossed the treaty line to where Jacob was waiting. "Hey beautiful," he grinned, wrapping her in a hug.
Jasper watched with a strange feeling lingering in his chest that he couldn't quite put his finger on. He didn't like it. But, at least he knew she'd be relatively safe with Jacob and his pack today. He started up the motorcycle again and turned back down the road the way he came.
Bella watched him go before climbing in the Volkswagen. "What'd you wanna do today?" Jacob asked from the driver's seat. "Bike, hike, hang? Your call, but tonight we're going to a very chill party."
Chill was a pretty accurate way to describe hotdogs and burgers, a bonfire, and guests that included not only a few members of the pack, but Billy, Quil's grandfather, and Sue Clearwater. Still, she felt out of place. "You sure they're okay with this? I feel like I'm crashing the party."
Jacob noticed her trying to hang back and grabbed hold of her hand to pull her forward. "Technically, you're a Council Meeting crasher."
"Council Meeting?" she choked. "Are you serious?"
"No," Jacob burst out laughing, "but you should've seen your face!"
"I hate you," she grumbled, trudging toward the bonfire as he continued to laugh.
"Aw, Bella, c'mon," he grinned.
She flipped him off.
"Jake!" A teenager younger than either of them came bounding up to them, beaming at Jacob. "'Bout time you showed up! I managed to save you some burgers before Paul devoured them all."
"Thanks, bro. Bella, this is Seth Clearwater, Leah's brother. Newest member of the pack."
"Newest, bestest, brightest," Seth grinned.
"Slowest," Jacob teased, grabbing Seth in a headlock and wrestling him to the ground. Seth laughed and fought back as much as he could before they heard Billy calling them.
Seth jumped up and hauled Jacob up with him. "Let's go, I don't wanna miss anything!"
Bella frowned. "Miss what?"
"There's a story, a legend, from our tribe that my dad wanted to tell you. Leah, Seth, and Quil haven't heard it yet either, so we thought we'd kind of make a night of it."
Bella crossed her arms over her chest. "Yep. Still feels like I shouldn't be here."
"Shut up, it's fine. We used to tell stories around the fire all the time when we were kids."
"Yeah. Stories. When we were kids. Not when you're Teenage Mutant Ninja Wolf and I'm dating the enemy!"
"I wish I was a ninja," Jacob muttered as they sat by Seth near the fire as Billy began. He gave Bella a warm smile, and she smiled back, her frazzled nerves calming somewhat. She'd always liked Billy, and truthfully, had been a little afraid that he was disappointed in her for dating Jasper. Which, okay, maybe he was, but at least he didn't hate her.
"The Quileutes have been a small tribe from the beginning, but we have always had magic in our blood," he began, and Bella swore it felt like all of Washington stopped to listen. "We were great spirit warriors, shapeshifters who could transform into a powerful wolf. This enabled us to scare off our enemies and protect our tribe. One day, our warriors came across a creature. It looked like a man, but it was hard like stone, and cold as ice. Our warriors' sharp teeth finally tore it apart, but only fire would completely destroy it."
Jacob glanced at Bella, who was hanging on every word. Knowing the Cullens as she did, she'd never been able to fully understand things from the pack's point of view. Now after her scattered run-in's with other vampires, she knew the Cullens were most definitely the exception and not the rule.
"They lived in fear that the Cold Man was not alone," Billy continued. "They were right. The Cold Man's mate took vengeance on the village. Our elder chief, Taha Aki, was the only spirit warrior left to save the tribe after his son was killed by the Cold Woman. He transformed to fight the Cold Woman, but he was not as strong as he once was. Taha Aki's third wife could see he would lose. The Third Wife was no magical being, with no special powers but one: courage." He paused and looked at Bella, his dark eyes meeting hers, striking her speechless. This was important, not just for the pack. This was important for her. He gave her a soft smile and a nod before he continued. "She held her knife high and charged at the Cold Woman, but instead of attacking, she plunged the knife into her own heart. The Third Wife's sacrifice distracted the Cold Woman long enough for Taha Aki to destroy her. She saved the tribe. Overtime, our enemies have disappeared. Only one remains. The Cold Ones. Our magic awakens only when they are near. And we sense it now, feel the threat in our blood. Something terrible is coming, and we must be ready. All of us."
It was a strange kind of relief to walk back into the Cullen mansion the next day. After spending the previous evening hearing about the monstrous Cold Ones, it was a comforting reminder that not all vampires were that way.
"Look who survived the dog park. Need something for those flea bites?" Emmett grinned when she and Jasper entered the living room.
She rolled her eyes. "I'm good, thanks."
Carlisle looked to Jasper, whose attention was focused on the news story on the TV about the killings and disappearances in Seattle. "It's getting worse," he acknowledged, seeing Jasper's tightly clenched jaw and balled fists held behind his back. He had moved to stand at a tense parade rest, something Carlisle noticed he did whenever he was struggling to keep his emotions in check so as not to lose control of his power. "We're going to have to do something."
Jasper gave him a nod.
"Alice still hasn't had any visions about who's behind it," Edward said.
"So we track him down and kick his bloodthirsty ass! Let's go now. I'm bored as hell!" Emmett said, jumping to his feet. Carlisle gave him a look and he sat back down.
Edward suddenly glanced at Jasper, who had remained outwardly silent even while his mind raced, and nodded. "I hadn't thought of that."
"Jasper?" Carlisle asked.
Jasper worked his jaw. The idea had been in the back of his mind for a while. The only person he'd told about it was Bella. And now, he didn't want to give life to what he was thinking by saying it out loud. Because if it was true…
Bella's warm hand uncurled his fingers and slipped into his, holding it tight. A steady reassurance floated through him, and he gave her a small, appreciative smile before turning back to his family. "It takes more than one of our kind to cause the damage they're reportin'. A lot more. They're undisciplined, conspicuous…"
"Newborns," Carlisle grimaced, glancing again at the TV and the destruction whoever was behind this was leaving in their wake.
"Only a few months old, I'd imagine. This," Jasper said, indicating to the news report, "this ain't random. They're untrained, only following instinct. They're being controlled but just barely."
"You think they're really creating an army, like Maria?" Bella realized.
He forced the word out of his mouth. "Yes."
"Who could they possibly be preparing to fight against?" Edward wondered aloud. "We're the only clan even close to Seattle."
Jasper's frown deepened. "Exactly."
"Regardless, if we don't put a stop to it, the Volturi will," Carlisle sighed. "I'm surprised they've let it go on this long."
An image of Caius flashed in Jasper's mind. "Ain't too surprising if they're the ones behind it."
"We shouldn't jump to conclusions," his father cautioned.
"No, I think he's right," Edward said, leaning forward with a frown. "When we were in Houston, I read Aro's mind. He didn't want me to see it, but… he wants me, Alice, and Jasper to join him."
"Like hell!" Emmett roared.
"Our gifts would shore up his power, but he knows we'd never choose him as long as our family is alive."
"An army would certainly solve that for him," Jasper remarked dryly.
"We can't wait for graduation," Bella shook her head, panic swirling in her chest. Her fingers dug into Jasper's arm as she pleaded with him, "You have to change me now."
Jasper closed his eyes for a moment, quelling her panic clawing its way up his throat. "You'd be a liability as a newborn," he said. "Unable to control your instincts. Too easy to target."
"Easier than if I were human?" she snapped.
Her gave her a hard stare. "Yes."
Carlisle cut the tension by putting a gentle hand on Bella's shoulder. "Consider your father, Bella. And your mother. How terrible would it be for them if you suddenly disappeared?"
Bella couldn't argue that.
"Speakin' of, we oughta get you home, darlin'. I just started gettin' on the Chief's good side again an' that's where I'd like to stay."
Jasper looped his arm around her shoulders and they headed out to his motorcycle after saying goodbye. Just as the front door closed behind them, Bella heard Emmett say, "Okay, but… we are gonna kick someone's ass, right?"
Jasper walked her to the door of her house and gave her a gentle kiss. "So," she said, playing with the buttons on his dark blue shirt, "since you went hunting all day yesterday…"
He smirked. "I'll meet you upstairs whenever you're ready."
"Great," she grinned, kissing his lips again before ducking in the house. She tossed her bag and coat by the door and called out to her dad, but didn't get a response. "Dad?"
She found him in the kitchen, leaning on the counter and staring at a flyer. "Hey Dad. Did you have dinner yet?"
"Um, no. No, not yet."
She went to stand beside him, leaning in to see what he was looking at. A picture of a kid about her age with the words Have You Seen Me? across the bottom. "Oh," she whispered. Her heart sank. She could guess what happened to him.
"Riley Biers," her dad said. "His parents are papering Seattle with these. Fifth time they've tried."
"Do you, um… do you think they should give up?"
Charlie finally tore his gaze from the flier and his dark brown eyes looked into her own. "I wouldn't, if it was you. Not ever."
Oh, God. How could she ever do this to him? She wanted to be with Jasper forever, but did choosing him have to mean so much pain for the other people she loved?
Her dad suddenly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his chest. She buried her face in his shoulder. They stayed that way for a minute or two before Charlie said, "So what're you thinking? One large, extra cheese?"
Bella nodded. "Sounds good."
As promised, Jasper was waiting for her when she got to her room, her favorite smirk on his lips. "Fancy meetin' you here."
She smiled. Already in her pajamas, she crawled under the blankets and cuddled into his side.
He kissed her head and wrapped his arms around her. "We'll figure somethin' out. I promise."
"I thought Edward was the mind reader?" she teased.
"Yet we all have supernatural hearing," he reminded her. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop but I couldn't exactly turn on music to drown the two of you out."
"Yeah, it's okay. I just… I hate what it's going to do to him. And to my mom."
"There's no rush," he reminded her. "I ain't goin' anywhere."
"I know. But even without the Volutri or whoever is making this new army, eventually, people would get suspicious that you haven't aged. And I don't want to be physically decades older than you for all eternity."
Jasper chuckled. "Yeah, you're a real cougar."
She smacked his chest. "You know what I mean."
"I do. We'll figure it out okay?"
She nodded, tracing her fingers along the Cullen crest on the cuff he wore around his wrist. They lay together, each wrapped in their own thoughts until he pressed a kiss to her hair. "Vampire or human, I'll always love you, you know that, right?"
She could feel his love, swirling deep within her, wrapping around her like a warm blanket. "Yeah," she said, tilting her head back to look up at him with a soft smile, "I do."
A/N: Hello again! Well, I tried an update schedule and we all saw how well that worked out. *insert eye roll here* My life is just a little too chaotic to promise any predictable updates, HOWEVER, it will be updated and it will be completed. Thank you to all who keep coming back for new chapters! Cheers!
