Waxing Gibbous

Origins (A)

Soon we all started dispersing Bella and Edward. I turned to Jasper and Lucia "how'd you guys know so much about newborns?"

I had an idea, obviously they fought them, I mean how did I know about werewolves if I didn't fight them. The two looked between each other. I felt bad for a moment because it looked like Jasper was uncomfortable. "you don't have to answer if you don't want to"

Lucia stepped up "How about we make a deal, I'll tell you if you tell me more about these werewolves. I'm intrigued"

Rosalie smirked "Lucia loves a good fight"

"yes, I do and something new to fight... but we should wait Emmett would love to hear this too" she smirked before running off. It's a good and bad thing she and Emmett were mates. I mean they were both competitive, which is good, but I wondered how the others felt about it.

Jasper looked down the back at me "I didn't have the same upbring as my adopted siblings." He raised his sleeves slightly to reveal more scars. They were everywhere on his body, neck, face. He screamed soldier. I never saw it as something to be afraid of, people have scars.

"battle scars..." he then looked me in the eyes "all the training in the confederate Army gave me was useless against the newborns. Still, I never lost a fight"

"confederate army?" I wasn't the biggest history buff, but even I knew that was wrong. I mean old time mentality and such, if he grew up in the south it might have been something he was taught to believe... the Cherokee fought with the confederacy, not because of slavery but rather a chance to turn against the government that took their land.

"youngest major in the Texas calvary. Without ever seeing battle." Jasper looked at me and I could tell he knew I was uncomfortable with the confederacy. "I never saw battle, I didn't want to fight it wasn't worth it, but it was expected of young men in the south. So, I joined. Used my charm" he smirked "to work my way up the ranks. I just wanted to make sure the people were safe. So while the others were off fighting I was evacuating women and children; a may have let a few slaves through to the north." He added slyly, as if it were some big secret that he couldn't tell anyone. But back then he probably would have been demoted or killed if he did.

"one night I was doing just that. The Union was closing in, a bloody battle was on the way, and I didn't want any civilians getting hurt. I was riding back to Galveston when I saw them. three women on foot. I assumed they were stragglers and dismounted at once to offer them my aid. But, when I could see their faces in the dim light of the moon, I was stunned into silence. They were, without question, the three most beautiful women I had ever seen. They had such pale skin, I remember marveling at it.

They seemed young, all of them, still young enough to be called girls. I knew they were not lost members of our party. I would have remembered seeing these three.

"'He's speechless,' the tallest girl said in a lovely, delicate voice - it was like wind chimes. The other was blonder, her face was like an angel's. She leaned toward me with half-closed eyes and inhaled deeply.

They talked among themselves, then I was unsure what they meant. It was like they were talking about a prize horse. My hair was standing up on the back of my neck, My instincts told me that there was danger, that the angel had meant it when she spoke of killing, but my judgment overruled my instincts. I had not been taught to fear women, but to protect them."

He paused looking at me "times have changed, and women are now taught to protect themselves. They even make great soldiers. If only we accepted that sort of dynamic, things would have been very different."

Jasper paused; his face thoughtful. "A few days later," he finally said, and I wasn't sure if he had edited his story for my sake or if it was the tension that was in his shoulders. "I was introduced to my new life. Newborn armies were common, and I was recruited into one. By luck I survived past the first year, Maria kept me around because of my gift."

I looked down; it was a terrible life. Forced to fight other newborns for someone else's gain. We reached the edge of the Cullen's house and Lucia was waiting. I turned towards Jasper.

"I'm sorry, that you had to do that. I couldn't imagine feeling everyone's emotions when you..."

Jasper smiled "you know you are one of the first ones to recognize that. Most think it was the killing that hurt but it was the emotions as it happened."

I furrowed my brows, grateful that I couldn't feel what everyone else did.

"I never liked killing, but having to experience it over and over was..." he trailed off "you also don't look at me like I'm some sort of danger. Most who see the scars for the first time do. Some of our friends still do"

Lucia approached us then "it wasn't all that bad. That's how I met Jasper"

"you were created by Maria too?"

Lucia smirked "boy was she surprised when she found me. Unlike Jasper I wanted to fight. I started my career in the Confederate Army as a soldier. Cross-dresser" she amended when she saw my confused expression "I gained their trust enough to rise through the ranks, then I found a group of Union soldiers. Back then I was too young and dumb to understand the real reasons behind the war, land was what I fought for, figured I could get my father his farm back. He was a small farmer, but he loved it."

She laughed "it seems counterproductive to help the people who stole it, but I thought if I could rise in the ranks I could be rewarded with it back. The union however, they wanted to end slavery. If I helped them not only would I help my family but others. So, I became a spy."

Lucia looked up at Emmett who was standing next to her, she was completely relaxed. "that's how Maria found me. I was returning to our camp, the confederate just lost a battle, and were trying to regroup. I never made it back."

She sighed "when I woke up a few days later Maria was shocked that I was indeed a woman, but she kept me around because I could fight. And I stayed because I got to fight... at first it was a competition, who was the best... but when the death started it was survival that kept me going. I wanted to live. I stayed so long because of Jasper; he was the only one who understood everything. Then we found Alice and she brought us to our family... And the union upheld their deal. My family got their land back, a portion of it anyway."

The others looked at their mates with nothing but love in their eyes. I couldn't help but smile and be happy that they got a happy ending.

"well since we're sharing origin stories. I was fighting a bear" Emmett smiled "first and only time I lost to the beast"