Evelyn kept her eyes focused on the road ahead of her as Jasper urged the Jeep even faster towards her house. They had left Edward and Bella at her house; during their drive, they had hastily come up with a plan to get Charlie and Marie off of their backs while the tracker was watching to protect them and lead them away. Bella and Edward were supposed to stage a breakup, and Bella would tell her dad that she was going back to Phoenix. Evelyn would then tell Marie that she was going to go with her to keep her safe and try to talk some sense into her; it wasn't the most seamless plan, but for their current situation, it was they best that they could do.
She wasn't worried about Marie not letting her leave; she knew that her aunt loved Bella like a daughter, and would want nothing more than to see her safe. It was the fact that Marie would be left here alone, and the possibility that she would never see her again, depending on how things played out, that made her stomach twist in knots with fear and anxiety. She could feel Jasper's eyes on her as he drove, and she knew that he was sensing the hurricane within her. She wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans in an attempt to calm herself, but it didn't work.
"Evelyn, don't think like that. She's going to be safe... you're going to be safe."
She shook her head, finally meeting Jasper's concerned gaze. "I can't lose her, Jasper. She's the only family that I have left." Tears stung her eyes, and she looked away as she hastily swiped at her cheeks. She hated that she was crying, especially in front of him, but she couldn't stop herself. "I'm so scared."
"I know, Ev." Jasper felt his heart break at the tremble in her voice. He knew that nothing he could say now would completely reassure her, so instead he took her hand. He grimaced when he felt the wetness from her tears that lingered on her skin, and his frown deepened when he felt her hand shaking in his own. He brought their entwined hands to his lips, gently kissing the back of her palm in an attempt to soothe her fears. This is all my fault, he thought bitterly, but he knew blaming himself wouldn't do anything to help Evelyn or Bella right now. He had to focus on keeping them safe; it was the only way that he could make sure that they all came out alive. I'm not going to lose you.
As they turned down Evelyn's street, she felt her stomach drop. Marie's yellow bug was missing from its usual spot in the driveway, and all of the lights in the house were off. Her aunt was never out this late, and with the tracker on the loose, her mind jumped to the worst possible scenario.
"No..." Evelyn breathed, feeling her chest tighten. James couldn't have gotten here and taken her so quickly, could he?
As soon as Jasper put the Jeep in park, Evelyn was out of her seat and running up the slick path to the front door. She vaguely heard Jasper yell at her to wait from behind her, but she didn't care. She knew she was being reckless; for all she knew, this could be a trap, but that didn't matter to her now. Marie was the only thing on her mind.
She burst though the unlocked front door and was met with complete and utter silence. Jasper was behind her in an instant as she stood in the entryway, suddenly hesitant to move forward and afraid of what she might find.
"I don't think anyone has been here. I don't smell anything unfamiliar," Jasper stated, his tone matter-of-fact. "Marie isn't here, though."
Evelyn nodded, most of her fears at ease, and made her way to the kitchen. She's probably still at the diner or something, she thought to herself. I have to calm down.
Sure enough, once Evelyn turned on the kitchen lights, she noticed a ripped piece of yellow notepad paper on the table with Marie's messy scrawl.
Ev,
I'm working late tonight to help Brenda with inventory, so I don't know when I'll be home. Call me if you need anything! I love you!
Marie
Jasper watched from the kitchen doorway as Evelyn stared at the note in her hand, her face unreadable. He could feel that she was wrestling with her emotions, but of course, he could do nothing to help her. But he was getting impatient; his whole family was relying on them to get out safely, and they didn't have much time.
"Evelyn," he started, gently touching her shoulder. "We have to pack and meet up with the others. It isn't safe for you here."
"She's not here. I can't say goodbye." She paused, her throat tightening as she met Jasper's gaze. "Jazz, what if I never--"
"You will see her again. Both of you are going to be alright." He pulled her in his arms, holding her tight as he saw the tears he knew that she was fighting so hard against brim in her eyes. "I won't let him hurt you."
A sudden flash of cold air made both of them spin towards the door; Jasper shoved Evelyn behind him, ready to attack the intruder before he realized that it was Alice.
"Are you almost ready to leave? The woman will be here in," she paused, her eyes glazing over for the briefest moment before focusing on Evelyn again. "-- 7 minutes. She needs to see us leave so she knows that you aren't coming back here."
Evelyn nodded, folding Marie's note in her pocket and hastily wiping the few stray tears from her cheeks. "Yes, I just have to pack a bag."
"I'll help! Jazz, you wait by the front door. It should only be the woman, and she won't bother trying to attack. We'll be ready soon." With that, Alice took Evelyn's hand and pulled her up the stairs to her room.
Packing went a lot faster with Alice helping, and within five minutes her duffel bag was filled with the basic clothing and bathroom essentials. For once, Alice did not bother filling the silence with talking, and for that Evelyn was grateful. When they finished, Alice lifted both Evelyn and the bag into her arms and flitted down the stairs with ease. Jasper was waiting at the open front door, his arms crossed over his chest as he stared with narrowed eyes into the woods across from the house. Alice set her down just out of sight of the street, her golden eyes glazing over once again.
"Just a moment, she's almost here... Alright, she's watching from the tree line. Evelyn," she leaned in close to Evelyn's ear to minimize the chances that Victoria could hear their conversation. "Call your aunt and tell her that you're going with Bella. Once she hears, she'll be able to confirm to James that neither of you are going to be staying in Forks. Can you do that?"
Evelyn's throat tightened, but she nodded. Despite the fact that a wild nomadic vampire was waiting just yards away, she knew she could do this much. She had to, for Marie, for Bella, and for all of the Cullens.
"Perfect," whispered Alice. She looked at Jasper as Evelyn pulled out her phone and dialed Marie's number. "Let's go."
Jasper and Alice stood on either side of Evelyn as they hurried towards the Jeep. Evelyn chewed her lip as she listened to the ringing of her phone against her ear. Please pick up, Marie.
When her aunt's voicemail recording began to play, she had to fight back the urge to scream. Instead, she took a deep breath and recited the words they had practiced in the car less than an hour ago.
"Hey, Marie. I'm sure you've heard from Charlie by now, but Bella is leaving Forks. Her and Edward fought, and I'm going with her to try and calm her down and make sure she's safe. Don't worry about me, I have my phone and money with me, and we'll take turns driving so we don't get tired. We'll be back soon, I promise. Call me back when you get this... I love you."
She shoved her phone back in her pocket, letting Jasper lift her into the back seat of the Jeep. Alice slid in beside her with Jasper flashing to the driver seat and starting the car in mere seconds.
Evelyn managed one last look at her aunt's house before Jasper pulled out of the drfiveway and took off down the empty road. She couldn't help but think of how unfortunate it would be if this was the last time she laid eyes on the familiar house. She hoped with all of her heart that everything would be okay, and that she would be able to come home soon.
Alice scooted closer to Evelyn, extending a dainty, pale hand and wrapping it around hers. "Don't worry, Ev. Victoria heard you, and she's on her way back to meet with James now. Your aunt is safe."
The human girl nodded, forcing a smile at the pixie-like vampire. She knew that Alice was doing her best to make her feel better, but she also knew she would not feel safe until this was all over.
All she could do was hope that what they were doing would be enough.
***
They arrived at the Cullen house just after Bella, Edward, and Emmett, who Evelyn had seen jump out the back of Bella's truck. She was amazed; these people were risking their own lives and family to protect her and Bella after only knowing them for a short period of time. She couldn't be more grateful to all of them, and she couldn't help but feel lucky to have met Jasper Hale even amidst all of the uncertainty around them now.
Jasper rested his hand on her waist as he led her up the steps into the house behind Edward and Bella. However, as soon as they entered Jasper's grip on her tightened to the point where it was uncomfortable, a low growl escaping his throat. In front of them, Edward had stepped defensively in front of Bella to shield her from Laurent, who was coming down the stairs with Carlisle close on his heels.
The Cullen patriarch held up his hands to his adoptive sons. "Wait! He came to warn us about James."
Despite Carlisle's words, Jasper did not immediately relax; Evelyn did not blame him. Even she could see that Laurent was still dangerous. She assumed that he decided to align himself with the side that he thought would "win," and that he had no loyalty to James or Victoria. She hoped that he would leave the area for good after this was over. She knew that it would not end well for her if she were to run into him again. Evelyn placed a hand over the one Jasper had wrapped around her. He relaxed slightly, but she knew that he was constantly analyzing the possible danger of the current situation.
Laurent eyed Jasper and Edward warily before speaking. "This is not my fight," he said, "and I've grown tired of his games. But he has unparalleled senses... he is absolutely lethal. I've never seen anything like him in my three hundred years. And the woman, Victoria? Don't underestimate her." The vampire looked from Bella to Evelyn briefly, a tinge of sadness in his eyes. "I am truly sorry for what has been unleashed here."
No one bothered to answer him. Laurent nodded once to Carlisle, before brushing past them and out the front door. Evelyn turned and watched him disappear into the forest; she wondered briefly if he was going to rejoin the other two, but she knew that was unlikely. He would not have come to Carlisle if he had any meaningful ties to James.
"He won't go back to them," Edward confirmed for the benefit of both Evelyn and his family. "He's going north, to Alaska. Carlisle told him of our cousins there."
"I don't know, I still don't think we should trust him," Evelyn said, but she shook her head and turned back to the group. She met Edward's conflicted eyes. "What's the plan, now?"
Edward nodded towards the back of the house, and the group walked back towards the entrance to the garage. "We're getting you both out of Forks, and then we have to hunt him down and kill him."
"How exactly are you planning to do that? Is it even possible?" Bella asked, her voice high and shaky.
Jasper led the way into the garage, holding the door open for Evelyn as the rest of the Cullens followed behind her. "I've had to fight our kind before, we're not easy to kill," he told them, leaving Evelyn's side to search for something in one of the cabinets.
"But not impossible," Emmett said with a wicked grin on his face. "We'll tear him apart and burn the pieces!"
Evelyn stood next to Bella and Edward, and she saw the look of regret and sadness on Carlisle's face when he spoke. "I do not relish the thought of killing another creature, even a sadistic one like James."
Rosalie gracefully lifted herself onto the counter with a huff. "What if he kills one of us, first? What then?" Evelyn met Bella's eyes, and she knew that they had both worried about the same thing. Evelyn would not be able to live with herself if one of the Cullens was killed trying to protect her.
"Jasper and I will run the girls south. You can lead the tracker away from here." Edward began, but Carlisle interrupted him with a swift shake of his head.
"No, Edward. He knows that neither of you would leave them. He'll follow you wherever you go."
Evelyn placed a comforting hand on Edward's shoulder. "He's right. There's no way this will work if you both come with us." Her gaze flickered to Jasper, whose expression was hard across the garage. She knew that it would pain him to leave her just as much as it would hurt her to leave him, but they had no other choice. Edward nodded once, and she knew that he agreed, no matter how much he did not want to.
Alice jumped up, flitting to Carlisle's side. "I'll go with them. I can drive the girls south while you take care of the tracker." She looked between Edward and Jasper, who has equally apprehensive expressions on their faces. "I'll keep them safe."
"Can you please keep your thoughts to yourself?" Edward snapped, with Alice only offering an eyeroll in return. Evelyn and Bella shared a look; Alice had seen something, most likely to do with them, and for some reason Edward did not want them to know.
"Someone should go with you, just in case." Carlisle looked around at his family, before his eyes settled on Emmett. There was a brief moment of silence before the sound of Emmett's groan and Rosalie's hiss filled the room.
"Absolutely not!" She fumed, leaping off of the counter with her fists clenched.
"I want to hunt the tracker, you guys need me!" Emmett argued, clearly put out by missing this opportunity to get back at James.
Carlisle shook his head, giving his adoptive son a hard look. "Jasper, Edward, and I can take care of him. You need to go with them in case things turn bad. We have to protect them." Something in Carlisle's eyes must have affected Emmett, because he sighed loudly and nodded once, turning to get the car ready.
"Carlisle, you can't be serious," Rosalie began, but Carlisle shook his head. Her eyes flashed, but she did not argue. Evelyn could understand completely why she was angry; if the roles were reversed, she would not want Jasper out of her sight, either.
Edward pulled two jackets out of a bag, each one belonging to Evelyn and Bella. He tossed Bella's to Esme, and Evelyn's to Rosalie. "Esme, Rosalie, could you put these on so the tracker will pick up their scent?"
Rosalie huffed, a hard look on her face. "Why? What are they to me? All they have done so far is put us in danger." She stayed still, refusing to do as Edward had asked.
"Rose," Jasper warned, his expression deadly.
"Rosalie," Carlisle began, his disappointment obvious. "Evelyn and Bella are with Jasper and Edward. They are a part of our family, now. And we protect our family."
An unspoken agreement seemed to pass between Edward and Rosalie before she finally stood and slipped Evelyn's jacket over her shoulders. Without another word, she stalked over to Emmett's jeep and disappeared inside.
Jasper was suddenly in front of Evelyn, his golden eyes filled with a sad longing that she knew was reflected in her own. He held her face in his hands, his cold skin giving her goosebumps on her cheeks.
"Stay close to Emmett and Alice. Do whatever they tell you, and make sure you keep an eye on Bella." He paused, and suddenly his voice was low and thick with strain and emotion. "I'm so sorry, Evelyn. If I hadn't dragged you into this--"
She shook her head to cut him off, placing her hands gently over his. "Don't do that. None of this is your fault." She smiled softly up at him, brushing a few stray hairs from his face. "I love you. We'll be together again soon."
Overcome with the love he felt for her and the agony at the thought of leaving her, Jasper leaned down and kissed her hard, as if it were to be the last one they would share. She curved against his body, the very same fear running through her own head. There was so much left unsaid between them, so many things he wanted her to know, but all they could do was hope that one day they would be together again.
Reluctantly, they broke apart, their foreheads resting together as Evelyn tried to catch her breath. "I love you, Evelyn. More than anything. I promise you, we will end this soon." She nodded, unable to speak and afraid of saying goodbye.
"Jasper. It's time." Carlisle's voice pulled them out of the moment. Jasper led her to the Mercedes where Emmett, Bella, and Alice already waited.
Evelyn slid into the backseat beside Bella, immediately turning towards Jasper, who had leaned down into the open window. "Please be careful," she told him, hating the fact that their time together was dwindling by the second. "I need you to be safe."
Jasper's eyes were pained, but he tried to hide it with a smile as he gently touched her cheek. "I always am. I'll see you soon." He leaned down to kiss her again, then turned away from the car without a glance back. It was all too much; he couldn't bear to watch her leave.
Alice's eyes met Evelyn's from the rearview mirror. "It's going to be okay, Ev. There are seven of us and two of them."
All the human girl could do was nod. As they peeled out of the garage and into the cold night, she resisted the urge to look back at the house. She prayed that some day soon, she would be able to return. They had to succeed; there was no other option.