Jasper waits on the edge of the playground for Lilo to finish in a few minutes, his mind elsewhere. He's so mad at Nala right now - how on earth can she defend Taylor when he pushed her down a flight of stairs knowing she was 7 months pregnant? How can she let it go when it was their baby in danger, when it was her in danger? What would he have done if he'd lost them both?
His thoughts rage and so do his emotions, but that all melts away as he sees Li running towards him. He bends down and catches her in a hug. "There's my girl!"
Lilo grins. "Hi daddy. Are we going to the park?"
"Yes, Emmett said he has better things to do than go to the park." He teases.
Lilo scowls. "Nuh uh!"
"I'm just teasing, he's gonna come right after he's done a job for auntie Ro, okay?" He kisses her cheek and carries her to the car.
She grins triumphantly. "Good."
Jasper smiles and drives to the big park just outside of town where most of the school children go after schools out. He holds Li's hand as they head in the gate and she's off moments later, running to the slide. He sits on a bench and watches, letting his thoughts wander.
He's so deep in his thoughts and watching Lilo that he doesn't notice the scent of an unknown vampire enter his vicinity. He doesn't notice when said being walks close by and watches him from across the park. Her eyes are dark with thirst, but she's got other plans than feeding on her mind - she wants to see her Jasper.
As he looks away from Lilo and inhales for the first time in a while, his whole body tenses as he catches the scent. A familiar one... But where does he know it from? He looks around, his eyes wide and nostrils flaring, before catching sight of her ; his whole body goes cold.
"Maria..." He whispers.
She smiles wide when he finally sees her, waving a little. Jasper's phone rings and he answers, not looking away. "Yes?"
"Jasper-" It's his old friend, Peter.
"If you called about Maria, you're a second too late. She's here." He ends the call and slips his phone away, slowly walking over to the fence she waits by; his fists are clenched at his sides while his jaw is tight.
"My Jasper." Maria smiles wide, reaching a hand out to touch him.
He snatches it before she can and throws it back at her. "What the fuck are you doing here?!" he demands.
Maria lays the hand he threw on her chest. "I came to see an old friend-"
"Friend!? You can hardly class me as that. You're the witch who created me, that's it. You aren't a friend, or acquaintance. You're nothing. Go." He growls.
"But-" Maria's eyes snap to the little girl running over to Jasper.
"Daddy, I fell!" she cries.
Jasper instantly kneels down and catches her, holding her close. "Oh baby, I'm so sorry I didn't see. I could've stopped you." He whispers, feeling guilty.
"Who is she jasper?" Maria asks.
Jasper ignores her and holds Lilo close, kissing her hand that's a little scraped. "One more go down the slide then we can go home to mommy, yeah?"
She nods and wipes her eyes, running off to the slide again. Jasper turns back to Maria. "Hey, eyes on me." He snaps.
Maria looks back to him. "What is this, a joke? The Jasper Hale tied down with a what, human? Disgusting." She spits.
Jasper glares. "You're disgusting. And there's nothing wrong with being human. You should try it some time." He snaps before turning away.
Maria grabs his arm. "Jasper wait please, I came for help!" She begs. "Please!"
"Whatever mess you got into, you can sort yourself. You've done it enough times." He mutters, not looking back at her. He snatches his hand away and goes to Lilo, taking her hand as he forces a smile. "Pizza on the way home?"
She nods quickly and skips beside him to the car. He looks over his shoulder to see if Maria is there but she isn't, much to his relief yet discomfort. She's somewhere nearby and that worries him.
-
Nala sets the car seat down as she huffs a little. "Damn girl, you're chunky already. Mommy's gonna have to cut the boob out." She teases Effie who chews her blanket. Nala pushes the car seat by the couch and sits down, getting the baby out. She's sore from today, standing too long; she did some baking at the Cullen house then took Effie for a walk in the baby carrier. It's the most she's done since before she gave birth and had the accident.
The doorbell rings and Nala sighs. "Just as mommy sat down." She coos to Effie, hauling herself up to get it. She's confused when she sees a woman stood there, a dress reminiscent of an 1800s style one on her exquisite figure. She can't be an immortal... Right?
Nala slowly opens the door, Effie hidden by it. "Can I help you?"
"Hi, I'm yes, Jasper sent me... This is the right house?" The woman asks, pale skin despite her dark complexion. She has a Spanish twist to her words.
"A Jasper lives here, yes... But he isn't here right now." Nala says, pretending to scratch her side but really pressing the sos on her phone - it's set to ring Carlisle from when he was her main carer.
Maria notices but doesn't react. "I just saw him picking up your other daughter. He said to come right here, he's gone to get pizza with her quickly."
"Um." Nala doesn't know how to respond. She doesn't really have chance to as the woman walks in and looks around.
"Beautiful home you have. Me gusta la franqueza." She says.
Nala was right, she is from a Spanish speaking region. But who on earth does Jasper know from that far out? Nala leaves the door open and wraps both arms around Esther. "Who are you?" she demands.
Maria looks around before looking at Nala, smiling. "Maria." She says simply.
Nala feels her blood run cold as she says that name. Maria... The same Maria who changed her Jazz? You bet. "O-oh.."
"I gather youve heard of me." She says as she walks around, running her hands over things. "Does Jasper talk about me much?"
"Jasper doesn't give you a second thought." Carlisle says sternly as he, Emmett and Rose come in.
Maria smirks, her teeth a bright white as they show a little. "Ah the infamous Cullen clan. Muy biene." She laughs. "I hear legends of you. You stood up to the volturi. Victoria. Wolves." Maria leans over the table, obviously entertained by this all.
Nala hands Esther to Rosalie incase she has to run with her. "Jasper hasn't spared you a thought in almost a hundred years, if not more." She growls, stepping closer. Carlisle grabs her arm to stop her going closer.
Maria smirks again. "You know about me so clearly he has." She winks.
"Edward told me." Nala snaps.
Maria laughs. "Ah yes, the mind reader. You - you must be the doctor. The one who created all of this. Who spreads the word like a preacher about the vegetarian life. I've tried it, you know. I dabble sometimes but sometimes I can't resist." She shudders at the thought of human blood.
"Good for you, keep trying - elsewhere. Better you go before Jasper gets home-"
"Jasper's already here." He snaps as he comes in. "Rose, take the girls. Far away from here." He orders just as Bella and Edward arrive too, Seth on their heels. Nala sends him a look and he nods, following Rosalie and Bella with the girls.
Jasper stands in front of all of his family, before Maria. "What on earth do you want from me? Wasn't it not too long ago you admitted you were afraid of me?"
"I let you go because you were more than I could handle, yes. I'm still your creator though, Jassie, I'm still special to you." Maria coos as she walks close to him.
Nala growls and steps between her and Jasper. "No."
"Afraid of needles but not of a psychotic vampire? Humans are weird." Emmett mutters.
Nala glares at Maria. "What do you want." She says slowly.
Maria looks at Jasper. "I need help, like I said."
"And like I said, whatever mess you made is down to no fault but your own - you clean it up." He snaps.
"Please." She begs. "Please, Jasper. I had almost settled down just as you have - Leon and I, we took a stray under our wing. He was a boy when he was changed, just a teen. But he's mi hijo. My son. And my actions in the past are catching up to me."
Nala feels a little remorse for her, in a way of mother to mother. Jasper on the other hand doesn't feel a thing. "A mess you created."
"Someone wants revenge. Dacre, one of the last we changed before you left. He has a gift... And he's been rallying up others who I let go years ago, all after revenge. I'm past all that jasper I promise you, I just want to live in peace and hunt without fear with my mate and my son. They listened to you Jasper, they trusted you. You can stop them." She begs.
Nala looks down for a moment before sighing heavily. "He'll do what he can."
"I wo-"
"You goddamn will you stupid ass." She snaps at him. "She's a disgusting being, I get that, but she's a mother. And if her story is true and you can stop this then you have to. Imagine if it was me begging someone - would you want them to seek forgiveness for the past? Or let me and the girls die."
Jasper grinds his teeth together and glares at Maria. "I'll never hear from you again."
"Not a peep. Help me and I'll forever owe you, I'll never come by again." She promises.
Things just got a little more complicated from here on out....