The Whitlock Family (Trilogy to 'My Major Whitlock')

Chapter 17

Melanie's POV

Although only a few days passed, for me, it felt like centuries have gone by already ever since Jasper and Alice left us without any warning. It was hard; Alice and Jasper knew how to evade the gift of seeing the future, so I couldn't hold a grasp on where they were. I tried so hard to find them that I accidentally drained myself and almost risked the safety of our second child. I was strongly scolded by everyone for doing that and since then, I gave up trying to find the two best friends. My child's life was far more important at this point than tracking the two. The last thing I would ever want is to bring harm to my unborn baby.

Because I couldn't find them, my emotions have been all over the place. I cried in our room, I would lash out at the trees a few times without harming the baby inside me. My thoughts withered away to many scenarios on why they could have left - they decided to run away from the Volturi out of cowardice, or they were truly looking for more help, or they were having an affair - that one really scared me and I avoided thinking of them for a few days. I did not want to play with that idea longer than I needed to.

I knew that Alice had a small crush on Jasper - who wouldn't, he was a Southern gentleman raised to treat ladies especially respectfully (when the blood lust doesn't take over him the few times). But it's just my insecurities biting at me; Jasper and I were separated for decades, while Jasper and Alice were together during those years. What if Jasper truly had feelings for Alice somehow through our mate bond?

Edward, having heard my conflicted mind, had Esme look after Junior while Rosalie helped me look after my body and mind so we don't potentially experience any miscarriage in some way. I don't know if it's possible for a vampire to have a miscarriage, it wasn't mentioned in the book, but who knows? We don't want to risk it.

By the time I managed to get myself back together from my depressed mood since Jasper left, everyone had split up to travel around the world, contacting their connections for help, for witnesses. I partnered up with Rosalie and Emmett to find a nomad by the name of Garrett. We found him nearby about to have his meal by the looks of it.

"I hated the first British invasion," the nomad was saying to his meal, "I hate the second one even more -"

"Even the Beatles?" Emmett interrupted the man's moment with his quip, carefully lowering me down from his back. Garrett snapped his head to look in our direction, finally noticing us. "Really, Garrett?"

"Old habits die hard," was Garrett's reply to Emmett with a smirk.

"Carlisle needs you," Rosalie told him seriously, breaking the light moment. Garrett's grin fell at that, roughly letting go of the human to put more of his focus on us. The drunk man tried crawling away from us, weakly calling out for help.

"Sounds interesting," Garrett drawled out seeming to agree already to join us, "First, I better finish my meal..."

"Sorry to disturb your dinner," I quipped with a raised eyebrow. Garrett smirked, though I could feel the curiosity he had when he was looking at me. Evidently, because he's never seen me with the Cullens before, and the fact that he noticed I was slightly different from them.

Once he finished his meal, he made his way in front of us in a blink of an eye. "Melanie Whitlock," I introduced myself, holding a hand out to him. "You are Garrett who fought in the Revolutionary War, so I've heard."

"True that is," the nomad beamed, accepting my hand and rather placing a kiss on my knuckles instead of shaking it. My dead heart broke a bit more as the action reminded me of my missing husband. "Whitlock, eh? You must be the Missus that he's been searching for."

"We got there eventually...for a while..."

"Oh?"

"Long story, we can explain once we get home."

~*~

Melanie's POV

Garrett gazed at Renesmee in fascination, having just witnessed her special gift through her touch. He immediately accepted to help us, smiling at everyone before he made his way to my side at the piano. His curiosity was coming at me in waves.

"So, you're Major Jasper Whitlock's long-lost mate," he stated, leaning against the piano casually.

"Maybe," I muttered lowly, the two of us watching my family talk among themselves as they planned the next course of action. "Depends on the reason why he left me and the others here." He hummed thoughtfully.

"He left with Alice, right?" he wondered. "Was there ever...anything between the two -?"

"Garrett!" Edward snapped, flitting to my other side protectively. "Don't say those kinds of ideas!" Out of everyone, Edward knew how insecure I was with the thought of Jasper and Alice being together...

"Stressing her out with these ideas isn't good for the baby," Esme chimed in with a motherly scolding look on her expression. Garrett glanced at me with apology and surprise.

"Child? You hold a child?" I nodded my head. His eyes widened at the revelation. "Oh my - I thought you were legends!"

"You know about my kind?"

"I travel around, darling," he drawled out with a casual shrug. "You hear things every once in a while. And since I have heard about your kind before -" He looked to everyone with a raised eyebrow. "-you shouldn't be existing at this moment."

"The Volturi will be after her as well," Edward sighed, resting a comforting hand on my shoulder. Yes, we've been focussed on protecting Renesmee, but I'm still in danger - I'm not meant to be existing, the Volturi kills all vampires like me. Once Renesmee is declared innocent, they'll still come after me.

"Well, ain't this coven interesting," Garrett mused, smiling at me assuredly. I returned the gesture, feeling warm at his presence. He truly was refreshing for me; his casualness and jokes were distracting me from this situation - people have been cautious around me, worried to say the wrong thing...Garrett treating me normally was refreshing.

We're going to be good friends.

"Come on, Mels," Rosalie said, flitting to stand in front of me. "I think you and the baby need some blood." Giving everyone a smile, Rosalie and I made our way to my room for some privacy.

Walking into the room, I see Junior in his cot, standing and holding onto the railing. He smiled a toothless smile at Rosalie but cooed happily once he saw me enter. I barely managed to send a loving smile his way, guilt eating at my insides.

It's been a while since I last saw him, and it was because of my selfish emotions and needs after finding out Jasper and Alice had left. I should have been there for our son, but instead, I was sulking and crying just like how Bella was when Edward left her when she was a human.

"I'm sorry, my darlin'," I whispered, leaning down to press a chaste kiss to his forehead. "I'll be a better Mama from now on, I promise."

I will from now on devote my time to looking after myself, my son, and the rest of my family. With, or without my husband.