empathy

FORTY-SEVEN

"I've had to fight our kind before. We're not easy to kill," Jasper speaks up, standing between Anastasia's legs as she sits on the counter in their garage. He went to protect her when Laurant came to warn them and hasn't moved since.

"But not impossible," Emmett chirms with his usual confidence, sending Anastasia a wink. "We'll tear him apart and burn the pieces."

"I don't really like the idea of killing another creature. Even a sadistic one like James," Carlisle gets something before already turning back around again. 

Anastasia looks after him with a frown. He actually belongs to the very few people she has learned to care about, for her sister's sake rather than her own. Carlisle made her feel safe, not only around men but doctors and he has helped them more than she'd like to admit. She doesn't like the idea of him being in any sort of distress.

"What if he kills one of us first?" Rosalie slips onto the counter next to her, looking at their coven leader.

"I'm going to run Bella south, Jasper and Anastasia will join us. Can you lead the tracker away from here?" Edward speaks up in his place instead. "Absolutely not," Jasper disagrees immediately. "It's the dumbest strategy to use in this situation."

"He's right. James knows that neither of you would ever leave Bella or Ana," Carlisle agrees. "And it's not a smart decision to let Jasper anywhere near Bella at the moment," he adds, observing his son's deadly glare directed at the human. 

"I'll go with Bella," Alice chirms in. "Jasper, Aurelia and I will drive her south. I'll keep her safe, Edward."

"No," Anastasia surprises them by shaking her head. "Carlisle is right, it's a dumb idea to let him anywhere near her," she nods at Jasper before glancing Bella's way.

"I didn't do anything," Isabella is quick to defend herself. "You outed me in front of James," Anastasia deadpans. "And for the record, if I shall die because of you, I will come back to haunt you until you've lost the last three of your remaining brain cells."

"You'll be with us, Bella will be fine," Alice does her best to diffuse the tension. "Yeah, don't get me wrong but I don't really feel like protecting her life when she is hell-bent on ending mine," Anastasia raises her brow at the pixie vampire. 

"We'll use two cars then," Aurelia offers. "Alice and Bella in one. And we three will get another."

"Sounds like a plan, thank you," Carlisle quickly agrees for all of them. The last thing they need right now is a fight within the family. Though, he supposes, it's inevitable. All he can do at the moment is postpone it for a little while.

"Can you keep your thoughts to yourself?" Edward turns to Alice, ignoring the others.

Jasper holds his hand out for his mate to help her jump off the counter before sending a 'good-luck-nod' Carlisle's way and leading her to Aurelia's car. 

"Mind if I steal your jacket? It'll help set off the tracker," Jasper asks her once she's seated in the back. Looking at him, she doesn't really get it but takes it off to hand to him either way. 

"Rosalie," he calls and the blonde turns to him with a sigh. "Don't do it for us, do it for Antonina," he tells her. "I'm doing it for all three of you," Rose mumbles after a moment of hesitance as she grabs the jacket to put it on. 

Jasper quickly speeds to his room to get a jacket of his before he is swiftly sliding into the seat next to Anastasia, offering an apologetic smirk when she flinches in surprise.

"Not funny," she breathes out, her forehead curling into a frown before she quickly shakes it off.

"You guys got everything?" Aurelia asks from the front and speeds off the moment they both confirm. 

"You should get some sleep," Jasper observes the way Anastasia's head is leaned lazily against the window, her eyes having a hard time staying open. "I'm fine," she shakes her head. 

Letting out a sigh, Jasper, pads his lap, pointing her to lay down on it. 

"Just a few minutes. We'll need to get you something to eat on our way, I'll wake you then," he means. "You're lying," she points out but lays down nonetheless. Truth be told, she's dead tired and sitting in the car made her very much aware of that fact. 

"Get some rest," Jasper starts brushing through her hair, loosening her knots and massaging her scalp tenderly as she quickly drifts off. 

Aurelia watches the two of them through the review mirror for just a second before giving them their space. She's happy for them, or well Jasper, and she really doesn't understand why Alice doesn't like her. Anastasia seems nice enough. Secretive and a little bitchy at times but she's making her brother happy. That's good enough for her.