"Who was it? Was it someone we know?" Carlisle asked. He and Esme had stayed at the house, waiting anxiously on the group to come back. And Bella trailed behind them.
"A stranger. We couldn't recognize the scent." Edward said. Jasper was sitting quietly, holding onto Ezra as he stared blankly at the floor.
"A nomad passing through?" Esme asked, sending a worried glance to the couple quietly sitting and staring off.
"A nomad wouldn't have left Quinn, Charlie or Finn alive." Ezra sucked in a breath, Jasper rubbing her back as some sort of comfort.
"Do you think Victoria's behind this?" Emmett asked. "We did kill her mate."
"It could be the Volturi." Edward offered, everyone ignoring Bella as she happily walked around. Alice shook her head.
"I don't think it's the Volturi either. I've been watching Aro's decisions, too." She informed them, leaving them at square one.
"All right." Carlisle sighed, rubbing his forehead. "We'll take shifts protecting them."
"Another protection detail? I'm all for protecting Charlie, Finn, Quinn, and Ez. But that thing?" Rosalie sneered as she pointed at Bella. "She can be sacrificed."
"No, she's right." Bella spoke up, everyone rolling their eyes. "You can't protect me, watch my dad, search for the intruder....and Victoria...and keep yourselves fed."
"Jasper's the only one who can do twenty-four-seven, since he can feed from Ezra." Carlisle said, Bella narrowing her eyes. Everyone nodded.
"I'm not gonna let the rest of you starve." Bella said, bringing the attention back to her. "And I wouldn't be unprotected, I have...."
"Nope, absolutely not." Ezra finally spoke, noticing how Bella was eyeing Jasper. "You can stop looking at him. He doesn't like you, and your blood makes him want to beat you to death."
Bella's jaw dropped, trying to find something to say as she looked around. She was hoping that last part was a lie.
"Why do you think he looked at you like that on your birthday? News flash, it wasn't the kind of bloodlust you were hoping for." Ezra said, Jasper propping his chin on her shoulder. "It was 'I kinda wanna beat this bitch to a pulp' bloodlust, idiot."
"You heard what they said in Italy! I will become a vampire whether you like it or not!" Bella hissed before storming out of the house, Jasper tightening his hold on Ezra as he stood up.
"We're going to bed." He tiredly mumbled, his family nodding as they watched them disappear.
"Nice to see you guys getting along." Ezra said, walking over with plates of food. Paul and Jasper leapt up to help her, Jacob smiling cheekily at her. They were all sitting by a tree near the edge of the forest.
"It's thanks to Quinn for talking some sense into the elders." Jacob said as he took his food, leaning back against the tree. Ezra laughed as she recalled having to calm her mother down, the woman arguing with one snobbish elder in particular.
"Yeah, I'm surprised she didn't get physical with him." Ezra said as she let Jasper eat off her plate. Quinn had talked the elders into lifting the treaty, saying that the Cullens had no intentions of harming any person.
"Aren't you guys supposed to be mortal enemies or something?" Bella's voice disrupted the peaceful and playful atmosphere, everyone ignoring her as they ate. "Hello?"
"Ez, wanna go for a ride?" Paul asked when he finished eating, Ezra excitedly nodding as she shoved her plate into Jasper's hands.
"Careful, now." Jasper said as he started eating again. Ezra saluted him as Paul shifted.
"Oh, you're welcomed to the bonfire tonight!" Jacob called out as Paul took off, Ezra shouting an 'okay' back as her laughter faded. Bella huffed and walked off, going to her room.
"Ah, so you're the human who wants to be a vampire?"
"Isn't it weird?"
"What weird?" Jasper and Ezra chorused, Angela deadpanning.
"That. You two are always together. And you're rubbing off on him." She pointed out, Ezra scoffing.
"Am not."
"The other day I heard Jasper call Emmett a 'fucking abomination' because he woke him up." Angela said, Jasper shrugging. They were all in Ezra's room, the boy laying on her bed as the two girls were on her floor. "And a 'premature crack baby.'"
"...I recall saying none of those things." Ezra denied, knowing that she had cursed Bella out one day for stepping on her foot purposely.
"Yeah. Sure." Finn suddenly started wailing, Quinn knocking before entering the room tiredly.
"She's fussy." She whispered, Ezra cooing as she took her sister.
"Go and rest, Mama. I've got her." Quinn thanked her as she headed back to her room, snuggling up against Charlie as he sighed and pulled her closer in his sleep. "How ya doin?"
Finn giggled happily, a gummy smile showing as Ezra played with her. She reached up and grabbed her nose, laughing as she pulled slightly.
"She's so adorable." Angela said as she moved closer, Finn smiling at her. "She looks like you."
"She does." Jasper said as he leaned over the bed and looked at Finn. Her smile got wider as she reached up and grabbed a lock of his hair, tugging on it and laughing. A knock sounded on her window, Jacob sliding it open and poking his head in.
"You will not fucking believe- hi Finn, hi Angela. You will not fucking believe this." Jacob said, panting a bit. "We saw Isabella."
"Well, where is she?" Ezra asked as she pulled Jasper's hair free, Jacob making a face.
"She's....she's a vampire. And she's fucking psycho."
"All I'm hearing is, now it'll be a fair fight." Ezra said. She still had Finn, the rest of the Cullens and her tired parents in the living room. Jasper stared at her with wide eyes.
"No it won't and you know it." He immediately said, Ezra looking at him. "Don't look at me like that, you'll literally break her."
"Bella's turned." Charlie mumbled, a part of him grieving. He knew that they would kill her, his eyes welling up with tears. Quinn hugged him and rubbed his back. "She's gone."
"Dad, and I'm sorry if I'm overstepping my boundaries, but Bella's dead." Ezra said, her father looking at her with furrowed brows. He got the point, she was obviously dead. "The moment they turned her, the Bella you knew and for some reason loved died. That thing is not your daughter anymore, it just looks like her. Think of it as a ghost possessing her body."
Charlie nodded, Ezra handing him Finn since the baby was sleeping and she knew he needed a little more comfort. Quinn ushered him back into their room, closing the door as she sighed.
"Oh, I am beating the shit out of them." Ezra sneered, clenching her fists as she stormed into her room and slammed the door.
They were cuddled up as they listened to Jessica's speech, Jasper closing his eyes and relishing in the moment. His thoughts were filled with her. Her smell, her smile, her laugh. Anything Ezra did had him falling for her again and again. The way she would look at him would leave him frozen in place, like it were a crime to be caught admiring her.
But she'd always laugh and ignore it, going on to say whatever she was going to say. Hell, if she told him to jump he would go as high as he could, no questions asked. She had him wrapped around her finger, and he wasn't sure if she was aware.
"You're not focused." Her eyes locked with his, amusement swimming in them as a smile danced across her lips. "She made very good points in her speech."
"I'm sure she did." He didn't deny losing focus, not seeing a point in lying when she already knew the truth. He gave her a short and sweet kiss, pulling her up when the ceremony was finally over. All he wanted to do was cuddle with her, share some kisses and watch movies with her. But Alice's party was tonight.
"She'll rip you a new one if you keep me up in your room, y'know." Ezra spoke up, almost as if she were reading his mind. He wouldn't be surprised, seeing as it's not the first time she's done so. "We don't have to stay where everyone's at. We could always go outside or something."
He grabbed her hand and kissed it, Ezra smiling as she kissed his hand back. They pulled up to the house, Alice standing at the door and grabbing Ezra when they went to pass by.
"I've already seen what you're planning to do, and you're not keeping her up there." Alice said when Jasper went to protest, the boy groaning and rolling his eyes.
"Thirty minutes?"
"No. Go get ready." Ezra laughed as Jasper pouted and went up to his room, Alice ushering her to another bathroom as Rosalie brought in a dress.
"What was he planning?" Ezra curiously asked as she started the shower, Alice shuddering as Rosalie caught on and started laughing. "Oh no way. And he said thirty minutes, right?"
"Get in the damn shower!" Jasper laughed quietly as he closed his eyes, the water warming up slowly. He could hear them talking and laughing, but the only person he focused on was her. Her laugh made him feel warm inside, bringing a smile to his face. He washed himself up, dried off, and got dressed so he could go downstairs.
"Woah, Jazz. That's a wall." Edward said when his brother nearly bumped into it, steering him out of the way. He was glad that Jasper's thoughts were filled with non sexual things about Ezra, or he'd be begging Quinn for answers right now.
"Yeah...is Ez ready?" He mumbled, waving off the fact that he almost slammed into a wall. He heard his brother snicker, letting him lead him towards the living room. People were there, music was playing, slowly getting more and more crowded. No sign of Ezra.
"Jazzie!" All of the noise faded and he froze in step when he finally found her, Ezra smiling brightly at him. Alice had her put in earrings, a necklace around her neck and her curls in her face. "Don't just stand there, come here!"
His feet moved towards her without him thinking, following her command and stopping at her side. She handed him a cup, their gaze never wavering.
"Is he malfunctioning?" Alice asked, watching as her brother fumbled with the cup. Edward shrugged, a smirk on his face as he enjoyed Jasper's panicking thoughts. "How did he even make it this far into the relationship without exploding?"
"Looking flabbergasted, bud." Ezra said as she pushed his jaw closed, Jasper clearing his throat and looking away in embarrassment. "You look good too, love."
He relaxed, his thoughts calming as she grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the snack table. To think she was the one who got flustered around him.
She still does, but not that bad.
Her eyes lit up when they fell on the kitchen, dragging Jasper over as Jacob and Paul walked in. They had brought Seth in with them.
"My little bugger bear!" Ezra yelled as she brought him in for a hug, Seth bashfully smiling as he hugged her back.
"I'm too old for that nickname." He mumbled, Ezra hugging him tighter. "I missed you too."
"Great party! Alice went all out!" Jacob shouted over the music, Ezra nodding as they looked around. "Oh, we brought you a late graduation gift!"
"Yeah, sorry about that." Paul apologized as Jacob took her hand, placing a charm bracelet on her wrist. "Made it ourselves."
"Aw, thank you! You guys are so kind to me." Ezra said as she looked it over, showing it to Jasper.
A shiver went down her spine, her eyes immediately catching Alice's before she went into her vision. She quickly ran over to her, Jacob following behind her. The other three hadn't caught on yet.
"Alice? What'd you see?" Alice was staring at Ezra, a look of fear in her eyes.
"I....I need to talk to Jasper." Jacob blocked her way, Edward suddenly appearing behind him and snarling.
"I suggest you move your arm, or I'll do it for you." He sneered, Jacob slowly doing so.
"Alice...what happened?" Ezra asked again, the girl sucking in a breath.
"The decisions been made. We're not going to Seattle." She said, Ezra tensing. "They're coming here."
"They'll be here in four days." The rest of the family and more of the wolves had joined them outside, away from the party. Ezra was pacing around, Jasper watching her to make sure she didn't go around punching the trees. "They were passing around Ezra's Star Trek shirt."
"I think I'm gonna puke." Ezra said as she stopped, more disgusted at the fact that they were passing around a dirty shirt to sniff than the fact that they had taken a shirt to sniff.
"This could turn into a bloodbath." Carlisle sighed, Jasper sending a wave of calm towards Ezra when she motioned for him to.
"Sit down." Jacob said as he pushed Ezra to sit on the ground, the girl fanning herself as she tried to calm down. "If you're gonna pass out, I'd rather you already be on the ground."
"I wouldn't stand too close. Last time she did that, she puked and then passed out." Jasper said, recalling what happened when Alice informed her of what the Volturi did to the tourists.
"I think I recognized one." Alice said, looking at Edward as he nodded.
"Riley Biers. The local kid who's gone missing." He said, rubbing his temples. "But he didn't start this. Whoever did is staying out of the action."
"They must be playing with the blind spots in your visions." Carlisle said in thought. Ezra slowly calmed down, laying back in the grass as she stared up at the sky.
"Either way, the army is still coming. And there aren't enough of us to protect the town." Edward said. They should've killed Victoria when they had the chance.
"Hold up. What fucking army and who are they?" Paul was shaking in anger. No one messed with the people he considered family.
"Newborns. Our kind." Edward said, looking over at Ezra as Jasper and Jacob talked to her. "Like Alice said, they're after Ezra. Only they don't know what she can do."
"It means an ugly fight, with lives lost." The wolves looked at each other before nodding.
"We're in." Jacob said. They would do anything to protect Ezra.
"I'm in too. Ignore whatever the hell that was, I'm ready to kick some ass." Ezra said as she raised her hand, Jasper chuckling as he moved her hair out of her gloss. "Thanks."
"They'll give us numbers. And the newborns won't know they exist, so it'll give us an edge." Jasper spoke up.
"Yeah, listen to him! He was a Major!"
"We'll need to coordinate. We'll all need some training." Carlisle said with a smile, glad that Ezra could still remain her normal self. "Fighting newborns requires knowledge that Jasper has."
"Yeah! Big strong man!"
"Jesus."