The Inauspicious Beginnings Of A Prince
by Laura Spudzmom
Chapter 25
Peter leaned forward, kissing Paula's neck gently. If he was being totally honest, he was somewhat embarrassed by his actions.
She turned then and caressed his face before turning his head to the side. Pressing herself against him, she kissed his neck lovingly before choosing the perfect spot where she sank her fangs in, placing her mark on him as he had her.
His eyes widened and he gasped in a breath before groaning out with the rapturous feelings that made their way through his body.
She backed away a pace and smiled brightly at him. "Well, that was unexpected, I must say, but it was very welcomed my mate. I'm so glad that we finally got over our shyness with each other."
He smiled and blushed. "I apologize for being so…."
He trailed off when she covered his lips with her fingers. "Shush. No apologies. You were magnificent, so let's not spoil that with second guessing, all right?"
He smiled and nodded. "Agreed."
Hearing a crash from another bedroom, they looked at each other, curiosity clear on both of their faces.
Paula's thoughts then went to Bella and she began looking for something to wear.
"Do you mind if I borrow a shirt and a pair of boxers? I seem to be without clothes for the moment."
Peter nodded and blushed a bit as she held up her shredded shirt and bra and she laughed quietly at him as he retrieved the items she had requested.
She buttoned the shirt which went down halfway to her knees and then slipped on the boxers, rolling the waist band until they were snug.
He took her hand when she was done and opened the door.
"I need to check on Bella and then we can investigate what that crash was."
He nodded. "I'll come with you."
Making their way down the stairs, Paula was reassured by the steady beat of Bella's heart still coming from the living room. Stepping in though, she could see that Bella wasn't conscious, but she didn't look to be merely asleep, slumped over as she was. She was alarmed by the tear tracks she could see on Bella's face too and she rushed forward, trying to wake her.
Patting her cheeks, she called her name several times before her eyes finally fluttered open.
Bella focused on Paula, everything she felt rushing back to her in an instant and her eyes overflowed with tears again as she gasped. "Jasper! Oh god Paula! Something is wrong with Jasper! I can feel it! We have to find him! Please!" She looked at Peter, and the pain assailed her again just at the sight of his twin.
"Please! Go find him! Oh god Paula, I will not live through losing him. I refuse to. If he's gone, I might as well be too."
The pain gripped her again and she grasped her chest, rocking and sobbing.
She looked up at a frozen Peter and snarled at him. "Go god dammit! I'm not fast enough! If I was, I'd already be gone for fucks sake!"
His eyes widened and he backed away as she shot off the couch, screaming at him, getting louder and more desperate by the second.
"MOVE YOUR ASS AND FIND YOUR TWIN!"
Peter spun on his heel and raced from the house, hoping that she was over reacting but somehow knowing that she wasn't.
~o0o~
Caius charged into the clearing just as his son, his beautiful son, was making what looked to be a last ditch effort at fighting off an entire pack of shape shifters.
He didn't waste time thinking about things. He dove into the fight next to Jasper and began shredding dogs, Aro and Marcus joining just seconds later.
He smelled fire and watched in horror as Marcus was tackled from behind as he fought a wolf head on.
He never had a chance as he was knocked into the fire they had built, no doubt for his son.
Refocusing past that pain, he fought on, snapping the neck of a wolf that had almost got it's jaws on his rapidly weakening son. He could tell his son didn't have much time, not with the amount of blood he was losing.
Clutching his son to him, he spun, watching as the remaining wolves began backing away.
There was an unholy howl from a massive black wolf and, as one, the rest of the pack retreated into the forest, leaving two devastated Kings, a gravely injured Prince in the arms of his father, and what had come to be a funeral pyre for their beloved brother and uncle.
They would never forget this day. Ever.
Aro straightened up from staring at the flames for seconds, and faced his brother and nephew, who was no longer conscious.
"I will go and get a fresh meal for him and meet you back at the Cullen's. Go quickly brother. He needs to have the wounds bound until we can get blood into him so his healing can begin. If that does not work, you may have to consider transitioning him all the way before his heart stops."
Caius nodded and turned, taking off, going as fast as he could while trying not to jostle his precious cargo.
His mind worked overtime on the run back, the ache in his heart for his lost brother raw and jagged. He thought about all that he and his brothers had been speculating about earlier and he vowed that if Carlisle had anything to do with the days events, he would see to it that he was locked up and tortured regularly for the next thousand years at least.
Peering down at his injured son, he hoped that, at the very end of this day, he would not find himself mourning for two.
~o0o~
Peter's breath caught in his throat as he saw Caius approaching through the trees, carrying what he knew to be his twin. He knew, only because he felt him, but it was a flicker compared to how his brother usually felt to him.
He certainly could not recognize him. He was literally soaked, head to toe in blood, some his own, but from the scent, mostly the blood of many others.
Caius flew past him and he caught up and joined him."Is there anything I can do?"
Caius glanced over quickly. "Yes, Aro went to get him a fresh meal but he will require more than one. You can retrieve another. Hurry, you must be quick!"
He veered off, now heading toward Port Angeles. He figured it was large enough to cover a missing person, and much closer than Seattle. His brother's life was at stake after all.
~o0o~
Caius broke through the trees and groaned mentally when he spied his son's human mate waiting on the deck, anxiously pacing. She hadn't spotted him yet, but it would be a matter of seconds. Time to see just how she handled being mated to a vampire.
Bella grabbed the railing as she spotted the form approaching rapidly from the forest. She knew it was Jasper.
She knew it in her heart and soul.
As the form drew closer, she could see that it was actually Caius and that he was carrying Jasper. A blood drenched Jasper. Her breath caught, just for a moment and Caius eyed her critically as he ascended the steps. She was sure that he was waiting for her to collapse or freak out.
She would do neither.
Her love and determination filling her, she straightened her shoulders and opened the door for him, holding it as he passed through and following him in.
She climbed the stairs after Caius, making it there just as he laid Jasper on the bed.
He looked at her.
"I will return soon. Aro is on his way with a meal for him. There is something I must do."
She nodded, already beginning to strip Jasper of his shredded shirt, and Caius left the room, glancing at a distraught Esme being held by none other than Garrett Williams whom he recalled meeting when Jasper was very young.
Esme stepped forward. "May I do something Bella?"
Bella continued working as she answered. "Sure, you could get a couple of basins of water and some clean cloths. I need to get some of this blood off of him so that we can see just….."
She trailed off, choking on her tears while she steadfastly continued working.
Esme rubbed her shoulder. "It's okay Sweety. I'll be right back with what you need."
Bella nodded and finished stripping him down to nothing, cutting off what she couldn't simply finish ripping.
Placing a towel over him for privacy, she began gently washing away the blood and grime, her tears a silent testament to her inner sorrow. He wasn't moving, no matter what she did and that scared her more than anything.
He was always so vibrant that it was hard to believe that the still form on the bed was her Jasper.
When she had removed as much of the blood as she could, Esme came forward again.
"Bella, let me get Carlisle. He can…"
She trailed off as Bella spun on her, eyes flashing. "Absolutely not! Carlisle hates him Esme. Have you not seen the way he looks at his own son? I also know the feeling is mutual. Jasper would not tolerate the touch of Carlisle, much less any care he may provide.
No, I'll wait on Jasper's father and uncles to take care of him because I know that they love him."
Bella sat down, removing the towel that she had against the wound in his side. It was soaked with blood and her tears began again as she placed yet another towel to the wound.
Leaning her head against the side of his, she whispered. "Jas? I love you baby. Don't leave me Jasper. Please baby, we haven't had enough time to love each other. We were just getting started."
She kissed the corner of his mouth and tried to dry her tears before replacing the towel at his side once again.
Relief filled her as Aro and Peter arrived with two very alive men. Retrieving a sharp knife, Aro glanced at her.
"You may want to step out for this my dear."
She shook her head. "No. He is my mate and will be for eternity. I'll stay. I'll see him through this."
The men's eyes got huge with their fright when Aro approached with the knife as Peter held them. They had mercifully been gagged, so they were only making muffled sounds of distress, but their panic was plain to Bella, as Aro held the first man's hand over Jasper's mouth.
"Could you open his mouth a bit my dear? Don't be surprised if this gets a bit messy."
Nodding, she held Jasper's mouth open by tilting his chin down as Aro reached over and quickly slit the man's wrist, his panicking heart doing a very good job of pumping the blood into Jasper's mouth as Bella rubbed his throat with her free hand.
She nearly collapsed in relief when she felt his throat begin to swallow and it was then that Aro placed the man's wrist directly against his lips, Jasper drawing the blood in on his own until the man collapsed.
He still had not opened his eyes though and remained motionless as Bella cleaned up with a fresh towel.
Aro smiled at her. "You're taking all this very well my dear, but you need not clean up yet. We still have one more to go."
She smiled a wan smile and checked the towel at his side, noting with relief that the bleeding had stopped and the wound was beginning to close.
Aro was preparing to open the wrist of the second man when Carlisle walked into the room his brow furrowed in confusion.
"What is going on here Aro? Why is there a human body lying on the floor? And why does it look like you're readying another to die?"
Bella rounded on him before either Vampire could say another word.
"Are you for real?! Do you not see your own son lying on this bed, at deaths door? Just what the hell is wrong with you that the first thing you're concerned with is the body of an obvious criminal rather than your gravely injured son?! I would say your priorities are a tad fucked up Doctor!"
She eyed him carefully then. The way he stood there with a straight face, not a flicker of concern or any emotion at all for that matter. She concluded it was a careful mask; a mask meant to deflect suspicion.
She scowled at him with her realization. "You are one sick bastard Cullen. You aren't concerned because you fully expected it! You knew! Before we even realized what was happening, you knew. I'm right. I can see it in your eyes."
She watched as those eyes darted quickly to an avidly watching Aro before settling back on her.
"Don't be ridiculous. I had nothing to do with this."
Caius arrived then looking more disheveled than anyone had ever seen him. Crossing his arms over his chest, he snarled at Carlisle. "You lie. And your actions caused not only the Volturi Prince grave injury, but it cost the life of my brother! You will pay dearly for that. I will ensure that you do, personally."
Carlisle tried to make a run for it then but Caius and Aro both were ready for it and grabbed him, subduing him easily.
Peter took charge of the human who was on the floor, struggling with his bonds, and Aro helped Caius remove a screaming Carlisle from the room.
Garrett stepped in, rubbing Esme's shoulders to comfort her. "We'll take care of that body and come back in a bit for the next one."
Bella nodded. "Thanks Garrett."
Hefting the body over one shoulder, he inclined his head as Esme took his free hand.
"It's not much, but anything I can do to help, just let me know."
She smiled sadly at him. "I appreciate it. Thanks again."
Esme reached out and rubbed her arm. "We'll be back in a bit dear."
Sighing, she gestured Peter over to the bed. "I think they're all gonna be a while. Let's get this blood into him. I don't want to delay just because Carlisle's an asshole."
He glanced up at her and gave a nod. "I agree."
"If you hold the guy, I'll open Jasper's mouth and cut the guy. Once Jas gets a taste this time, I think he'll actively feed."
Paula walked in then. "Do you two need some help? Is there anything I can do?"
Bella glanced at her and nodded toward Peter. "Pete might need some help holding the guy."
Together, they got the struggling man into place and Bella made a deep cut to his wrist quickly with the razor sharp knife while tilting Jasper's mouth open.
She'd been right; once he got a taste, he latched on, fangs descended this time, and much less of the blood was wasted. She was relieved to see him responding so well, even if his eyes had yet to open.
Caius and Aro reentered the room then and she glanced at them.
"I didn't think we should wait to get the blood into him. He's lost so much."
Caius held up a hand. "No need to explain Bella. You're taking very good care of him my dear, but be careful.
He is Vampire and you are human my dear. He is not yet coherent….."
He trailed off, as at that very moment the blood Jasper was drinking ran out and he began to growl.
Caius' eyes widened as he lunged toward the bed, yelling at Aro to grab Bella.
Aro was a second too late though and Jasper had grabbed Bella's arm and was snarling and growling as his father held him down.
Bella began to reach forward with her free hand as Aro still held her against him and Caius realized what she meant to do. "No Bella! He is not himself and he will never forgive himself if you are hurt."
She locked eyes with Caius. "He will not hurt me. He will stop before that happens."
"He is incoherent my dear. Please don't risk yourself."
She studied the struggling vampire on the bed for a moment and looked back at Caius.
"I can bring him back. He will not hurt me. Let me touch him and speak to him."
Caius looked at his brother and adjusted his grip on his son as Aro let Bella go.
She moved forward carefully, speaking in low tones as she reached for his face.
"Jasper? It's Bella baby." She touched his face and he snarled but she didn't let that deter her as she cupped his face with both hands.
"Jasper? Come back to me baby. I love you Jasper, so much. You brought me through my tough times and we're going to get through this one too baby. Just come back to me."
Caius watched as the human girl cried silently over his blood covered, growling son, amazed by her strength and love, as his son relaxed and calmed little by little until he laid quietly as she laid her head on his chest.
He caught Peter's eye. "Your brother needs more blood."
Peter nodded, taking Paula's hand as he left the room.
Caius pulled up a chair next to the bed and settled in to wait, watching as his brother did the same.
Bella got up quietly, taking the basin into the bathroom where she washed it out, refilling it with fresh warm water. Fresh towels were next and she began to clean him up for real this time.
Hopefully, his next feed would be much neater than the last two but if not, she would clean him up all over again. At least it gave her something productive to do as she waited for him to recover fully.
Glancing at Caius and Aro, she continued to gently clean up Jasper as she spoke. "So what did you wind up doing with Carlisle? Just how do you subdue a vampire anyway?"
Caius crossed his legs as he sat deeply in the plush chair, fingers caressing the arm absently as he answered her.
"In Volterra, we have the dungeons and special chains used for when transport is necessary. Here? We simply removed his arms and legs and stored them to ensure that they remain separate."
She nodded, placing a pad and many towels under Jasper's head as she prepared to try to get his hair clean.
"What about Alice? I really think that she is involved. I saw her enter the house with Carlisle earlier, before you came back carrying Jasper. I'm pretty new around here, but them being together struck me as seeming odd for some reason."
Caius nodded. "We will find her. We have an excellent tracker in our Elite Guard. He will find her no matter where she hides. It is only a matter of time."
Bella stopped and met his gaze. "So she's gone then?"
Caius smiled bitterly. "She is gone, for now. She will not remain free. I vow it. Our brother is dead and my son narrowly avoided such a fate. Such treachery will not go unpunished."
Bella continued to wash Jasper gently then, just finishing with his face and neck. She gasped as he began to stir, his eyes fluttering open, his gaze quickly finding hers.
"Bella?" His voice was a weak whisper and he struggled to speak but she laughed quietly as relief and joy filled her.
She leaned forward, kissing him as her tears began anew, this time from her happiness. "Yes baby it's me." She caressed his face with both hands as she smiled at him.
"Welcome back my love."
"God Bella, I can't believe I'm here. I thought I was about to die for certain and my one regret was that I couldn't see you and tell you that I love you. I said the words though, just before they attacked that last time."
She kissed him gently. "I felt you my love. I knew, and I love you too."
Caius motioned to Aro and together, they left the room.
Bella spread a blanket over Jasper and curled up next to him.
Their greatest challenge to date had been met head on and defeated and she sighed in relief as he wrapped her in his weak but comforting embrace.
Peter leaned forward, kissing Paula's neck gently. If he was being totally honest, he was somewhat embarrassed by his actions.
She turned then and caressed his face before turning his head to the side. Pressing herself against him, she kissed his neck lovingly before choosing the perfect spot where she sank her fangs in, placing her mark on him as he had her.
His eyes widened and he gasped in a breath before groaning out with the rapturous feelings that made their way through his body.
She backed away a pace and smiled brightly at him. "Well, that was unexpected, I must say, but it was very welcomed my mate. I'm so glad that we finally got over our shyness with each other."
He smiled and blushed. "I apologize for being so…."
He trailed off when she covered his lips with her fingers. "Shush. No apologies. You were magnificent, so let's not spoil that with second guessing, all right?"
He smiled and nodded. "Agreed."
Hearing a crash from another bedroom, they looked at each other, curiosity clear on both of their faces.
Paula's thoughts then went to Bella and she began looking for something to wear.
"Do you mind if I borrow a shirt and a pair of boxers? I seem to be without clothes for the moment."
Peter nodded and blushed a bit as she held up her shredded shirt and bra and she laughed quietly at him as he retrieved the items she had requested.
She buttoned the shirt which went down halfway to her knees and then slipped on the boxers, rolling the waist band until they were snug.
He took her hand when she was done and opened the door.
"I need to check on Bella and then we can investigate what that crash was."
He nodded. "I'll come with you."
Making their way down the stairs, Paula was reassured by the steady beat of Bella's heart still coming from the living room. Stepping in though, she could see that Bella wasn't conscious, but she didn't look to be merely asleep, slumped over as she was. She was alarmed by the tear tracks she could see on Bella's face too and she rushed forward, trying to wake her.
Patting her cheeks, she called her name several times before her eyes finally fluttered open.
Bella focused on Paula, everything she felt rushing back to her in an instant and her eyes overflowed with tears again as she gasped. "Jasper! Oh god Paula! Something is wrong with Jasper! I can feel it! We have to find him! Please!" She looked at Peter, and the pain assailed her again just at the sight of his twin.
"Please! Go find him! Oh god Paula, I will not live through losing him. I refuse to. If he's gone, I might as well be too."
The pain gripped her again and she grasped her chest, rocking and sobbing.
She looked up at a frozen Peter and snarled at him. "Go god dammit! I'm not fast enough! If I was, I'd already be gone for fucks sake!"
His eyes widened and he backed away as she shot off the couch, screaming at him, getting louder and more desperate by the second.
"MOVE YOUR ASS AND FIND YOUR TWIN!"
Peter spun on his heel and raced from the house, hoping that she was over reacting but somehow knowing that she wasn't.
~o0o~
Caius charged into the clearing just as his son, his beautiful son, was making what looked to be a last ditch effort at fighting off an entire pack of shape shifters.
He didn't waste time thinking about things. He dove into the fight next to Jasper and began shredding dogs, Aro and Marcus joining just seconds later.
He smelled fire and watched in horror as Marcus was tackled from behind as he fought a wolf head on.
He never had a chance as he was knocked into the fire they had built, no doubt for his son.
Refocusing past that pain, he fought on, snapping the neck of a wolf that had almost got it's jaws on his rapidly weakening son. He could tell his son didn't have much time, not with the amount of blood he was losing.
Clutching his son to him, he spun, watching as the remaining wolves began backing away.
There was an unholy howl from a massive black wolf and, as one, the rest of the pack retreated into the forest, leaving two devastated Kings, a gravely injured Prince in the arms of his father, and what had come to be a funeral pyre for their beloved brother and uncle.
They would never forget this day. Ever.
Aro straightened up from staring at the flames for seconds, and faced his brother and nephew, who was no longer conscious.
"I will go and get a fresh meal for him and meet you back at the Cullen's. Go quickly brother. He needs to have the wounds bound until we can get blood into him so his healing can begin. If that does not work, you may have to consider transitioning him all the way before his heart stops."
Caius nodded and turned, taking off, going as fast as he could while trying not to jostle his precious cargo.
His mind worked overtime on the run back, the ache in his heart for his lost brother raw and jagged. He thought about all that he and his brothers had been speculating about earlier and he vowed that if Carlisle had anything to do with the days events, he would see to it that he was locked up and tortured regularly for the next thousand years at least.
Peering down at his injured son, he hoped that, at the very end of this day, he would not find himself mourning for two.
~o0o~
Peter's breath caught in his throat as he saw Caius approaching through the trees, carrying what he knew to be his twin. He knew, only because he felt him, but it was a flicker compared to how his brother usually felt to him.
He certainly could not recognize him. He was literally soaked, head to toe in blood, some his own, but from the scent, mostly the blood of many others.
Caius flew past him and he caught up and joined him."Is there anything I can do?"
Caius glanced over quickly. "Yes, Aro went to get him a fresh meal but he will require more than one. You can retrieve another. Hurry, you must be quick!"
He veered off, now heading toward Port Angeles. He figured it was large enough to cover a missing person, and much closer than Seattle. His brother's life was at stake after all.
~o0o~
Caius broke through the trees and groaned mentally when he spied his son's human mate waiting on the deck, anxiously pacing. She hadn't spotted him yet, but it would be a matter of seconds. Time to see just how she handled being mated to a vampire.
Bella grabbed the railing as she spotted the form approaching rapidly from the forest. She knew it was Jasper.
She knew it in her heart and soul.
As the form drew closer, she could see that it was actually Caius and that he was carrying Jasper. A blood drenched Jasper. Her breath caught, just for a moment and Caius eyed her critically as he ascended the steps. She was sure that he was waiting for her to collapse or freak out.
She would do neither.
Her love and determination filling her, she straightened her shoulders and opened the door for him, holding it as he passed through and following him in.
She climbed the stairs after Caius, making it there just as he laid Jasper on the bed.
He looked at her.
"I will return soon. Aro is on his way with a meal for him. There is something I must do."
She nodded, already beginning to strip Jasper of his shredded shirt, and Caius left the room, glancing at a distraught Esme being held by none other than Garrett Williams whom he recalled meeting when Jasper was very young.
Esme stepped forward. "May I do something Bella?"
Bella continued working as she answered. "Sure, you could get a couple of basins of water and some clean cloths. I need to get some of this blood off of him so that we can see just….."
She trailed off, choking on her tears while she steadfastly continued working.
Esme rubbed her shoulder. "It's okay Sweety. I'll be right back with what you need."
Bella nodded and finished stripping him down to nothing, cutting off what she couldn't simply finish ripping.
Placing a towel over him for privacy, she began gently washing away the blood and grime, her tears a silent testament to her inner sorrow. He wasn't moving, no matter what she did and that scared her more than anything.
He was always so vibrant that it was hard to believe that the still form on the bed was her Jasper.
When she had removed as much of the blood as she could, Esme came forward again.
"Bella, let me get Carlisle. He can…"
She trailed off as Bella spun on her, eyes flashing. "Absolutely not! Carlisle hates him Esme. Have you not seen the way he looks at his own son? I also know the feeling is mutual. Jasper would not tolerate the touch of Carlisle, much less any care he may provide.
No, I'll wait on Jasper's father and uncles to take care of him because I know that they love him."
Bella sat down, removing the towel that she had against the wound in his side. It was soaked with blood and her tears began again as she placed yet another towel to the wound.
Leaning her head against the side of his, she whispered. "Jas? I love you baby. Don't leave me Jasper. Please baby, we haven't had enough time to love each other. We were just getting started."
She kissed the corner of his mouth and tried to dry her tears before replacing the towel at his side once again.
Relief filled her as Aro and Peter arrived with two very alive men. Retrieving a sharp knife, Aro glanced at her.
"You may want to step out for this my dear."
She shook her head. "No. He is my mate and will be for eternity. I'll stay. I'll see him through this."
The men's eyes got huge with their fright when Aro approached with the knife as Peter held them. They had mercifully been gagged, so they were only making muffled sounds of distress, but their panic was plain to Bella, as Aro held the first man's hand over Jasper's mouth.
"Could you open his mouth a bit my dear? Don't be surprised if this gets a bit messy."
Nodding, she held Jasper's mouth open by tilting his chin down as Aro reached over and quickly slit the man's wrist, his panicking heart doing a very good job of pumping the blood into Jasper's mouth as Bella rubbed his throat with her free hand.
She nearly collapsed in relief when she felt his throat begin to swallow and it was then that Aro placed the man's wrist directly against his lips, Jasper drawing the blood in on his own until the man collapsed.
He still had not opened his eyes though and remained motionless as Bella cleaned up with a fresh towel.
Aro smiled at her. "You're taking all this very well my dear, but you need not clean up yet. We still have one more to go."
She smiled a wan smile and checked the towel at his side, noting with relief that the bleeding had stopped and the wound was beginning to close.
Aro was preparing to open the wrist of the second man when Carlisle walked into the room his brow furrowed in confusion.
"What is going on here Aro? Why is there a human body lying on the floor? And why does it look like you're readying another to die?"
Bella rounded on him before either Vampire could say another word.
"Are you for real?! Do you not see your own son lying on this bed, at deaths door? Just what the hell is wrong with you that the first thing you're concerned with is the body of an obvious criminal rather than your gravely injured son?! I would say your priorities are a tad fucked up Doctor!"
She eyed him carefully then. The way he stood there with a straight face, not a flicker of concern or any emotion at all for that matter. She concluded it was a careful mask; a mask meant to deflect suspicion.
She scowled at him with her realization. "You are one sick bastard Cullen. You aren't concerned because you fully expected it! You knew! Before we even realized what was happening, you knew. I'm right. I can see it in your eyes."
She watched as those eyes darted quickly to an avidly watching Aro before settling back on her.
"Don't be ridiculous. I had nothing to do with this."
Caius arrived then looking more disheveled than anyone had ever seen him. Crossing his arms over his chest, he snarled at Carlisle. "You lie. And your actions caused not only the Volturi Prince grave injury, but it cost the life of my brother! You will pay dearly for that. I will ensure that you do, personally."
Carlisle tried to make a run for it then but Caius and Aro both were ready for it and grabbed him, subduing him easily.
Peter took charge of the human who was on the floor, struggling with his bonds, and Aro helped Caius remove a screaming Carlisle from the room.
Garrett stepped in, rubbing Esme's shoulders to comfort her. "We'll take care of that body and come back in a bit for the next one."
Bella nodded. "Thanks Garrett."
Hefting the body over one shoulder, he inclined his head as Esme took his free hand.
"It's not much, but anything I can do to help, just let me know."
She smiled sadly at him. "I appreciate it. Thanks again."
Esme reached out and rubbed her arm. "We'll be back in a bit dear."
Sighing, she gestured Peter over to the bed. "I think they're all gonna be a while. Let's get this blood into him. I don't want to delay just because Carlisle's an asshole."
He glanced up at her and gave a nod. "I agree."
"If you hold the guy, I'll open Jasper's mouth and cut the guy. Once Jas gets a taste this time, I think he'll actively feed."
Paula walked in then. "Do you two need some help? Is there anything I can do?"
Bella glanced at her and nodded toward Peter. "Pete might need some help holding the guy."
Together, they got the struggling man into place and Bella made a deep cut to his wrist quickly with the razor sharp knife while tilting Jasper's mouth open.
She'd been right; once he got a taste, he latched on, fangs descended this time, and much less of the blood was wasted. She was relieved to see him responding so well, even if his eyes had yet to open.
Caius and Aro reentered the room then and she glanced at them.
"I didn't think we should wait to get the blood into him. He's lost so much."
Caius held up a hand. "No need to explain Bella. You're taking very good care of him my dear, but be careful.
He is Vampire and you are human my dear. He is not yet coherent….."
He trailed off, as at that very moment the blood Jasper was drinking ran out and he began to growl.
Caius' eyes widened as he lunged toward the bed, yelling at Aro to grab Bella.
Aro was a second too late though and Jasper had grabbed Bella's arm and was snarling and growling as his father held him down.
Bella began to reach forward with her free hand as Aro still held her against him and Caius realized what she meant to do. "No Bella! He is not himself and he will never forgive himself if you are hurt."
She locked eyes with Caius. "He will not hurt me. He will stop before that happens."
"He is incoherent my dear. Please don't risk yourself."
She studied the struggling vampire on the bed for a moment and looked back at Caius.
"I can bring him back. He will not hurt me. Let me touch him and speak to him."
Caius looked at his brother and adjusted his grip on his son as Aro let Bella go.
She moved forward carefully, speaking in low tones as she reached for his face.
"Jasper? It's Bella baby." She touched his face and he snarled but she didn't let that deter her as she cupped his face with both hands.
"Jasper? Come back to me baby. I love you Jasper, so much. You brought me through my tough times and we're going to get through this one too baby. Just come back to me."
Caius watched as the human girl cried silently over his blood covered, growling son, amazed by her strength and love, as his son relaxed and calmed little by little until he laid quietly as she laid her head on his chest.
He caught Peter's eye. "Your brother needs more blood."
Peter nodded, taking Paula's hand as he left the room.
Caius pulled up a chair next to the bed and settled in to wait, watching as his brother did the same.
Bella got up quietly, taking the basin into the bathroom where she washed it out, refilling it with fresh warm water. Fresh towels were next and she began to clean him up for real this time.
Hopefully, his next feed would be much neater than the last two but if not, she would clean him up all over again. At least it gave her something productive to do as she waited for him to recover fully.
Glancing at Caius and Aro, she continued to gently clean up Jasper as she spoke. "So what did you wind up doing with Carlisle? Just how do you subdue a vampire anyway?"
Caius crossed his legs as he sat deeply in the plush chair, fingers caressing the arm absently as he answered her.
"In Volterra, we have the dungeons and special chains used for when transport is necessary. Here? We simply removed his arms and legs and stored them to ensure that they remain separate."
She nodded, placing a pad and many towels under Jasper's head as she prepared to try to get his hair clean.
"What about Alice? I really think that she is involved. I saw her enter the house with Carlisle earlier, before you came back carrying Jasper. I'm pretty new around here, but them being together struck me as seeming odd for some reason."
Caius nodded. "We will find her. We have an excellent tracker in our Elite Guard. He will find her no matter where she hides. It is only a matter of time."
Bella stopped and met his gaze. "So she's gone then?"
Caius smiled bitterly. "She is gone, for now. She will not remain free. I vow it. Our brother is dead and my son narrowly avoided such a fate. Such treachery will not go unpunished."
Bella continued to wash Jasper gently then, just finishing with his face and neck. She gasped as he began to stir, his eyes fluttering open, his gaze quickly finding hers.
"Bella?" His voice was a weak whisper and he struggled to speak but she laughed quietly as relief and joy filled her.
She leaned forward, kissing him as her tears began anew, this time from her happiness. "Yes baby it's me." She caressed his face with both hands as she smiled at him.
"Welcome back my love."
"God Bella, I can't believe I'm here. I thought I was about to die for certain and my one regret was that I couldn't see you and tell you that I love you. I said the words though, just before they attacked that last time."
She kissed him gently. "I felt you my love. I knew, and I love you too."
Caius motioned to Aro and together, they left the room.
Bella spread a blanket over Jasper and curled up next to him.
Their greatest challenge to date had been met head on and defeated and she sighed in relief as he wrapped her in his weak but comforting embrace.
DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended.