Loving The Major - Jasper Hale

Reunited

It started out as a day just like all the others for Adeline; chained to the floor inside the old barn, absently fiddling with Jasper's medal in her fingers. She had no idea how long she had been there; time had long since stopped meaning anything to her. She did at least realize that it had to have been many years since she was first taken as her second settling had come and gone. However, at this point, all the days simply blended together as she drifted lost in her own mind, the voice of her love the only thing keeping her going. The knowledge that he was still going strong, that he was alive and fighting gave her the courage and strength she needed to not succumb to her prison as many Elementals had before her.

But even that tether was dying. She knew the weight of the years was weighing heavily on Jasper. She could tell by the way that he had grown quieter over the years. Speaking less and when he did only when it pertained to the army or training the newborns. She desperately wished that she could reach out to grab him, to hold him and tell him that it was going to be okay. That she would be strong for both of them and he could rest, but she could not reach him and even if she could, how could she promise him that it would be alright when they were both trapped here, bound to this coven?

She startled out of her thoughts when she heard the sound of the old door creaking open. This shocked her. While time meant very little to her now, she knew it had to have been over a year since the last time Maria had come in to check on her because the cold season had come and gone again.

To be honest, she had thought Maria could have even forgotten that she was here, which caused a confusing mix of emotions in her. On the one hand she hated and feared her for what she had done to Jasper and herself, but on the other, Maria was her only source of human contact besides the voices carried to her by the wind and she did not want to lose that.

Once again startling out of her spiralling thoughts at the sound of footsteps, she seems to be getting lost in them more and more these days, she looked up and gasped in surprise. This was not Maria, not even close, it was a man. He was tall with broad shoulders and almost shoulder length hair. The sun was at his back, shielding his face from her, but he saw her. He stopped at the sight of her laying down in the middle of the barn, and as he did the door swung closed allowing her to finally see his face.

At the sight of it she broke down in tears. It had been many years since she had last seen the face of her love and he had been human then, but she would recognize him anywhere. She gasped for breath as tears streamed down her cheeks, too shocked and overcome with emotion to even try talking to him.

Jasper was in a worse state of shock than her, unable to react, let alone move as his mind tried to process what his eyes were seeing. Here was the love of his mortal life, looking just a beautiful as the last time her saw her. Even in an old dress, covered in dirt, blood and grime she was somehow still as radiant as ever. And unless his instincts where deceiving him, the moment her eyes met his, he knew; she was his mate, the one he was supposed to love, protect, and cherish.

The sight of her tears, however, broke him from his trance and the moment he noticed them he sped over to her to wrap his arms around her and comfort her. The second she was in his arms he felt peace he had never known before. As if he was finally complete, like the world had finally clicked into place and everything was finally as it was meant to be.

He began to stroke her hair and rub her back in an attempt to comfort her, as his mind finally began to catch up with what was happening.

How was she here?

How long had she been here? For it had to have been some time given the state of her dress.

How had he never noticed her presence?

And above all other questions, who had done this to his lovely little Adeline? Although he suspected he already knew the answer to that one without having to ask.

As his thoughts ran through his head uncontrollably, trying to understand how this was possible, Adeline finally managed to calm down enough to trying talking to him. Although all she could manage was to repeat "you're here, you're here, you're really here" over and over again. She was so amazed to be able to see him again after all these years of only hearing his voice, and to be in his arms again was a dream come true. She was half convinced that she must be dreaming, that there was no way after all this time that he could possibly have found her and be here holding her. She had dreamed of such a thing happening before of course, but never so vividly and she clung to him in a desperate hope that this time it would be real.

Hearing her voice allowed Jasper to snap out of his thoughts and focus back on her. Pulling back to look at her face, he stumbled through the questions racing through his mind. "Darlin' how-how are you here? How do you look the same as you did all those years ago? Did she turn you into a vampire as well?"

"Oh Mio Tesoro, there was so much I was going to tell you. So much I never had time to share. The truth about who my parents were and what I am" she said through her tears, giving a breathy laugh at the end. "But it will have to wait. If Maria catches you in here, she will kill you. I could not possibly bear the thought of having you die, not now that I am finally able to hold you again."

"MARIA! That bitch was the one to lock you up here!!" He roared pulling completely out of her hold in his anger, as he began to pace the floor of the barn. The Major was screaming to be let free, to tear her apart slowly for what she had done to HIS Adeline, and Jasper was about five seconds away from not only agreeing, but joining him.

Adeline tried to reach out for him, to once again pull him into her grasp, but the chains on her wrist stopped her short. "Please Jasper, calm down, now is not the time to be getting worked up, you must leave before she finds you here!" she begged.

Adeline desperately wished that she could go with him, that they could both leave this place, but time was winding down before Maria would be back and she had no idea if he would be able to break her chains. If whatever Maria had done to them also made them vampire proof and she did not want to risk Jasper's safety by wasting time finding a solution if they were.

"And leave you here to suffer alone!" he yelled as he whirled around to face her. As he did, he finally noticed the heavy chains binding her to the floor of the barn, and his anger immediately doubled. Not only had Maria kidnapped her and kept her locked up here, but she had chained his wild and free Adeline down like some rabid beast!

Taking a breath through his nose, he pushed the anger away, quieting the Major. Now was not the time to get angry. He had to free Adeline and get her far away from this place and more specifically, out of Maria's reach.

Without another moment's hesitation, he reached out and grasped the chains binding her delicate wrists. Wrists which he could now see had a band of scares encircling them under the chains, from where she had obviously been struggling to free herself. He gripped one, tearing it away from her wrist with a snarl, being careful not to harm her, before doing the same to the other.

Adeline stared down at her wrists, free of the shackles that had adorned them for years. She had honestly begun to think would be on her until her dying day. As it was, she could hardly comprehend the thought; she was free. She was free and Jasper was right in front of her. She threw herself into his arms, which automatically wrapped around her holding her close to him. "Get us out of here. Please Jasper, take me far away from this awful place" she begged.

And without a second thought Jasper rushed her out of there, moving as fast as his legs could carry them.