Chapter Nine

Jacob had barely gotten it out when the door open and in slide a tall and slender women. Her mahogany hair was in thick wave over her shoulders and her features put even Rosalie's beauty to shame. I knew what she was because of Jacob's warning and just from looking at her but what surprised me the most were the color of her eyes. A deep violet color that stood out bright from her pale skin.

“Heidi!” Jasper exclaimed.

Jacob growled louder than before. “What are you doing here leech? I can see passed your contacts and you better not have feed in this area.” He spat.

The goddess shook her head slightly. “I would never hunt in this area out of respect for Carlisle and his family. I know they are no longer vampires themselves but that doesn't mean I will go breaking his rules now.” Her voice was like pure silk. It was soft and perfect and sounded as if butter would just melt on her tongue. “I am here for Aro. He has sent me and Demetri to find you and your family. You are all in danger and we are terribly sorry that they have gotten away from us.”

“How could you change them back?!” Jasper demanded. “You all knew, especially Aro, how unstable that psychopath Edward was and you still changed him! I saw you all carry their lifeless bodies out of his room that night. It was a sight that I will never forget. Both were covered in each others blood and the wounds on their wrists were still open but nothing was flowing from them. I know they were dead.”

“I am sorry Jasper but they weren't. Casius made the guards stop before they were completely drained. You have to understand, you know have deviant and volatile Casius is. He demanded that we not destroy such strong powers that could possible help the brothers out. Somehow Edward convinced them to let him help bring in the next group for feeding when Felix called saying they had lost Edward. When I was sent to see if Alice knew where he was she was gone as well but at least she had the decency to leave a note.” Heidi chuckled humorously handing a small piece of paper over to Jasper.

“I am going to take back what is mine and no one can stop me from doing so. I made the mistake of going to Edward and let that little human take my Jasper from me. I will find her and I will destroy her and her entire family if she doesn't return to me what is mine. Heidi, please give this note to Aro after you finish reading this.

Alice.

P.S. Sorry that I could not say goodbye to you myself, Aro, but I have a feeling you will be coming to find me soon enough. You will be too late by then.”

She actually called me 'that little human'; what the hell happened to her being my best friend once upon a time ago. And she wants to destroy me? Me?! The innocent little human girl that got the short end of the stick in the whole fucked up family that was the Cullens. Not only was Edward and Alice accusing me of things that I am completely innocent of but they were actually hurting my family to get to me.

“What can we do to help get them?” I asked Heidi.

She shook her head. “Nothing Isabella. We would never want to cause you or your family harm. Aro asked me to send his apologies to you and yours for not being able to stop this from happening to your father and stepmother. As we speak, Demetri is tracking them. He caught onto their scent as we came into Forks. Demetri is the best tracker there is around, if he cannot find them no one can.”

So she excepted us to just sit around while my entire family was possible picked off because of my psychopathic ex boyfriend and the fucking demented pixie I once called my sister.

“What about my mother? And my stepfather, Phil? What about the rest of the Cullen family? There are not enough of you to watch over them at all times.” You could hear the panic in my voice.

Heidi held her hand up in a calming manner. “Please do not get all upset, Isabella. Your mother and everyone is being guarded. Nothing will happen to them. We have two of our best fighters watching over your mother's house in Florida and as for the rest of you, I was hoping the pack here would be willing to help me watch your home.”

Jacob nodded his head before speaking, “I am really not big on siding with leeches but if it means that Bella is safe than so be it. I will have some of my guys watch over Bella.”

“What about Bella staying with us?” Jasper asked.

“Staying with you? As in at the Cullen mansion that smells like sickly-sweet bleach? I'd feel better sending my guys to Bella's house.”

I gave Jake a stern look. He needed to back off and stop trying to tell people what I'm going to do.

“No Jake, I will stay with Carlisle and Esme at their home if they will allow me. Besides, it would be much easier for you guys to watch one house instead of splitting up at two different places. I know I would feel safer.” I muttered the last part quietly.

Jake huffed like a child and tried to give me his big brown puppy eyes. Years ago if he would have given me that look I would have done anything for him but now, not a chance.

“Sorry, not changing my mind. Deal. With. it.” I smiled smugly.

***

I had tossed and turned all night long. I knew Jasper was awake every time I shifted in bed because I could see those stormy eyes shine in the moon light that was flowing through the giant picture window. I kept worrying about “what if's” when I know that ever supernatural creature in the state of Washington was here to help out but I couldn't help it. It was a natural thing for me to worry.

“Baby, have you even slept a wink?” Jasper whispered.

I sighed heavily. “No I have not. I have too much going through my head right now to think about sleeping.”

“You shouldn't worry darlin'. No one is going to hurt anyone anymore. I swear it.” His voice was thick with emotion as he pulled my back against his firm chest. “If they cannot get those two crazy fucks and they somehow even come close to you Bella. I promise, no I swear to god, I will kill them myself.”

“I trust our friends to keep us safe, but it doesn't stop me from being a worry-wart.” I looked over my shoulder to see him staring off towards the now early morning sky. “I know you want to go all Major Whitlock on them, but you need to understand you are only human now sweetheart. You saw what James did to me and you have seen first hand what a crazed vampire can do to humans. Just.. please let the Volturi and the pack take care of this.”

“I can help...”

“Please?” I nearly begged.

Jasper's lips were pressed in a firm line and his jaw was set. He gave a curt nod before whispering a simple. “I promise.”

***

Esme had gone into mother and design mode as soon as breakfast was out of the way. She had dragged Jasper and I up to the guest room, now named 'Jasper-Bella Love Zone' thanks to Emmett, floor plans in hand and laptop and credit card on standby. I thought the room looked lovely in its deep blue tones and so did Jasper but Esme insisted that it wouldn't do and that we needed to make the area 'ours'.

Ours. I really liked the way that sounded.

We had ended up spending way more than I wanted to on things online, but, Jasper and Esme both just waved off the amount like it was nothing.

I wasn't sure why they were doing so much with the quest room because once all this mess was over, I needed to go back home. I had a job, friends, and I was going to attend grad school once I had enough money.

I must have completely lost myself in my thoughts because I was pulled from them by Jasper shaking my shoulders.

“Darlin'... Bella!” His voice was in total panic.

“Huh?” Great. That will let a person know you are okay. Geez.

“Where did you go there? I was talking to you for fifteen minutes until I realized you hadn't moved an inch. What's wrong?” Worry was clear in those stormy eyes of his.

I shook my head, looking around at our bedroom. “Nothing is wrong, I was just thinking.”

“About what?”

“Why are we completely redoing a quest room for us? I mean, we will be going back to our own homes once this is over, right?”

Jasper looked worried for a moment. “Well, of course we will be going home darlin'. This is just Esme's way of taking her mind off of things. She wants us to feel comfortable, yes. She wants us to know that we have a place here anytime we wish. But, she is also trying to ignore the fact that her first son and second youngest daughter are not only alive but out to take away and/or possibly kill their youngest daughter. Edward and Alice were both such gentle creatures when I first came to the Cullens. You would never think that they could do something like this.”

I was looking in those stormy eyes the entire time he spoke to me. His voice was a gruff whisper and the sadness was very much evident in his beautiful eyes. I cut off he promises of keeping me safe with a gentle kiss that was full of my love for him. I hadn't told him how I felt about him just yet but I had a feeling in the pit of my stomach that he just knew. The way his eyes bore into mine, he could see my soul, he could see the real me that I had hidden away from the years of heartache.

Breaking the kiss, I mumbled against his lips. “Please, help me take my mind off of this. I don't want to think about everything going on. I only want to think about..” I pleaded, near tears.

“Bella...” he sighed deeply. “I don't want to do this as a reaction to our psychopathic ex's.”

I shook my head and pulled away enough for him to look me in the eyes. “Jasper, I need this. To feel us. To just be us. It has nothing to do with them, this is about us. This is the only place that we can truly be us right now.” He gave me a questioning look before I continued. “I love you, Jasper. I know I'm saying this soon but I have to tell you. Please, just let me show you how much.”

He pressed his lips into a thin line before he gave me a slow nod. “Bella I ...”

I pressed my fingers to his lips. “You don't have to say anything back, Jasper. I just wanted you to know where I stand in our relationship. Now let me show you my love for you.” I whispered.

The kisses started out slow but they were full of meaning. Our eyes never closed as we kissed. We were watching each other. His normal gray-blue eyes were near black now. Jasper rolled me onto my back and laid atop of me, his gentle hands cupping my face and his planted soft kisses on my mouth. Taking my bottom lip between his, he suckled softly causing my breath to hitch slightly. I love feeling his pillow-soft lips on mine. They were full and wide and just so perfect.

I let my hands travel down his body, rubbing his chest and stomach as I went. Feeling every muscle tense and ease under my touch. Jasper had now moved his kisses to my neck and expose throat, leaving open mouthed kisses on every inch of skin he could reach. My hand went under his shirt and up his strong back. As I neared his shoulders his entire body tensed when my fingers brushed a part of his skin that was slightly raised and cooler than the rest of his over heated body.

He pulled back and away from me, searching my face for something I wasn't sure of.

“What's wrong?” I whispered.

Jasper bite down on the side of his mouth and avoided my eyes. “My scars.” He whispered right back.

I pulled his face back to me so I could look him in the eye. “I don't care about scars Jasper. I don't care about any type of flaw because every flaw just makes you who you are.” He scoffed and I narrowed my eyes at him. “I'll show you mine if you show me yours.”

He looked thoughtful for a moment before giving a nod. Slowly he sat up in front of my and pulled his shirt over his head. He dropped the shirt over the side of my bed and held his head high but his eyes were looking at something over my head. Carefully, I sat up and reached out to touch his. The scars were hardly visible. With the unusually bright Forks sun shining in through the window I could barely make out the slightly raised marks all over his upper shoulders and arms and chest.

I ran my hands across every one of the scars, leaving trails of kisses on each one of them. My name came out as nothing but a whisper on his lips as I continued my actions on his battle scars. I kissed every one of them that I could reach from my position in front of him. When I ran out of places to kiss I pulled away only to pull my own shirt off. His eyes grew wide taking in that I was now only wearing the pair of pajama pants I had worn to bed last night.

He lightly ran his finger tips up my abdomen, ghostly over the curves of my breasts and then running those long fingers down the lengths of my arms. “Beautiful.” He whispered huskily.

I pointed to the long scar on my right side of my lower stomach. “Appendix. I was twelve.” Going up higher I traced the long thin line that ran just on the underside of my right breast. “Push into a fence last summer. It was the worst of the cuts.” I ran my fingers over the thin scar on my forehead. “Motorcycle accident the spring after Edward left.” He rose a brow at me for that one. Then I held my wrist up for him to see where James had bitten me. “You were they after this one. You saved me.”

Jasper shook his head. “Edward saved you. I showed up after the epic battle of the pussies.” He said with a sad smile.

I gave a chuckle softly but sobered up fast. “But you were strong enough to kill James without losing who you are.”

“Bella...” he started.

I shook my head. “Do my scars make me any less beautiful in your eyes?”

“You're perfect.” he whispered.

“And so are you. I don't care about scars or physical looks. What matters to me is whats inside Jasper.” I placed my hand over his heart. “You're beautiful on the inside and out.”

Jasper grabbed my face and captured my lips in a heated passionate kiss. Making my own body feel as if I were on fire. “I love you, too.” he whispered once he pulled away for a breath.

“Show me.” I demanded before going in for another kiss.