Loving The Major - Jasper Hale

Even More Trouble

A few days later, Adeline walked into the living room to find Jasper and Emmet playing a video game. Jasper won just as she got close and began to tease Emmet about it. She shook her head fondly at how competitive the two always were.

Emmet turned around to face her and whined, "Adeline, your husband is picking on me!", a pout set firmly on his face.

She gasped in fake shock, dramatically placing a hand on her chest. "Jasper! Don't be mean to Emmet! He is the baby of the family after all!" She came over to Emmet and placed her arms around him, stroking his head like you would a child as she frowned over at Jasper, a smile tugging at the edges of her mouth.

"Yeah Jasper! I'm the baby you have to treat me nice!" Emmet stuck his tongue out at him, reaching behind him to puller her closer, setting all three off into peels of laughter.

When they settled down, she moved over to Jasper's side, him lifting his arm to pull her close as she did. She was glad that even with things as tense as they were, they were still able to have some fun and enjoy the time they spent together as a family. 

Carlisle came in a little while later and switched on the news and they all listened to the reports of the growing violence in Seattle.

"Seattle is in a state of terror. Police are baffled by the escalating number of murders and disappearances." They all frowned at that the TV at this, knowing it had to be a vampire behind it and worried for what it meant.

"Theories range from a vicious new gang to a wildly active serial killer." The news reporter continued, just as Edward and Bella entered the house.

"It's getting worse. We're going to have to do something." Carlisle turned off the TV not wanting to hear anymore.

"It takes more than one of our kind to cause the damage their reporting" Jasper stared straight ahead, images of his past and time with the newborn army flashing through his mind. Specifically, the sort of damage a newborn would bring to any town they were near, especially if they were poorly trained or too much for the creator to handle. "Quite a few more. And they're undisciplined, conspicuous."

"Newborns" Edward cut in, reading his mind.

"What like new vampires?" Bella asked.

"In the first few months after the change." Edward explained badly.

"That's when we're at our most uncontrollable, vicious. Insane with thirst." Adeline curled up closer to Jasper as he said this. She too was having flash backs of all the times she would hear the newborns fighting over food from the other side of the barn walls. Those sounds had haunted her nightmares for years. The yelling she could have handled, but it was the shrieks and growling that barely sounded human that had always left her huddled on the floor of the barn in fear, hands pressed against her ears in a desperate attempt to block them out. She shivered at the reminder and Jasper grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze.

"Something to look forward to." Emmet grinned up for a fight, especially after all the boring protection details.

"No one's trained these newborns. But this isn't random" Jasper cautioned, turning to face their leader.

"Someone's creating an army." Carlisle rubbed his hands together, finishing Jasper's thoughts.

"Well now were definitely going to Seattle." Emmet jumped up, ready to head off right then.

"An army of vampires?" Bella asked skeptically.

"And they've been created to fight someone." Jasper answered, mind already focused on how to best prepare and fight against them.

"We're the only coven even close to Seattle" Edward said, finally catching up to what Jasper had already realized.

"Regardless of why they were made, if we don't put a stop to them the Volturi will. I'm surprised they let it go on this long." Carlisle stated, trying to think of a way to keep his family out of danger and avoid a fight.

"Maybe they're behind it."

It seemed to Adeline as if Edward was determined to see the kings in the worst light possible.

"In Italy, I read Aro's mind" Edward continued, "he wants me and Alice to join him and he wants Adeline at their side, but he knows we'll never choose him so long as our family's still alive."

Jasper growled, pulling Adeline onto his lap, "An army could solve that for him".

"Okay, now you have to change me! You have to do it so that I can help!" Bella said turning on Edward. Adeline just rolled her eyes and stood up, marching off to hers and Jasper's room.

Jasper sighed and followed her upstairs, not wanting to be apart of this ongoing argument. It seemed to him that Bella would use any chance or excuse to try and get Edward to change her. Reaching their room, he opened the door to find his wife sitting on the edge of the bed, facing the windows. 

He could feel the sadness and worry rolling off of her, as well as some irritation. What really worried him though, was the metal that flashed as she moved it through her fingers. It had been years since he had seen her with his medal and the thought that she was upset enough to need its comfort worried him greatly. "What's bothering you Darlin'?" he asked, although he was pretty sure he could guess.

"I don't know. A lot, I guess. I'm worried about our family. I'm worried about you. And I'm worried about this whole situation and how it is going to turn out."

"And you're irritated" that was not a question.

She let out a breath, "Yeah. I'm irritated that Edward seems so certain that the Volturi are the bad guys. I don't think they are saints, but the way he is so obvious in his dislike is going to get him into trouble with them one day. And we both know they can't be behind this. They care too much for the rules, and they would never have allowed an army to act as this one is. It's just too messy, especially when they could simply frame us for a crime. Not that they would have to with Bella, a human, hanging around us and just execute us for it. I just think Edward isn't thinking this through."

He approached her then, sitting down beside her and rubbing her back. "That's not all that's upsetting you though is it. I felt your irritation spike as you left."

It's also Bella" she sighed, "All these things are happening around her and yet all she can think about is her becoming a vampire. Its like she doesn't care about anything else or thinks all her problems will magically go away if she becomes one. Plus, its obvious that she doesn't really understand what it means to be one if Edward still hasn't explained newborns to her."

Jasper pulled her in close, silently agreeing with her assessment. Bella was fully focused on what she wanted, and didn't seem inclined to listen to reason or worry about who might get hurt in the process. 

Gently he opened his wife's fingers that had formed a fist and removed the medal, running his fingers over it before placing it back on its spot on their nightstand. Pulling her to her feet, he placed a kiss on the top of her head before leading her into the bathroom. "Come, what you need is to relax." 

He began to fill the tub and turned around to help her undress before pulling his own clothes off. When the bath was filled, he slid into the tub with her, pulling her back so she leaned against his chest and rested between his legs.

"Tesoro? Do you think it will be alright in the end?"

"I don't know Darlin' but I hope so."

A tear fell from her eye, "I just thought we were done with all this after we got away from Maria. I thought you wouldn't have to risk your life again in another stupid battle while I stayed behind worrying about whether or not you would make it back."

He pulled her close then, brushing kisses across her head, but not saying anything. He knew this situation would bring up a lot of bad memories for the two of them and there was nothing he could say to make it better. So instead, he focused on holding her close as they both soaked up the comfort of having the other in their arms, safe and sound, and away from the danger of the outside world.