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"Ma, I'll be fine," Jack says, jumping up and down anxiously.
"I know, but make sure to stay away from humans. If they see you—"
"I know, you've given this speech every time. Can I go now? I'm hungry." You sigh, but ultimately smile.
"Fine. Don't take too long." He kisses your cheek and rushes off into the night. You ignore Jasper's gaze as you lay down in the grass, staring up at the stars.
"Calm down," Jasper says as you look toward the woods Jack ran into. "Your emotions are all over the place."
"Really? I didn't know," you reply sarcastically. He moves to lay on his side, propping up on his elbow as he looks at you.
"What's wrong? If you're worried about Jack—"
"No," you reply. "He's been hunting plenty of times. He knows to be careful."
"Then what?" You hesitate. You and Jasper haven't talked about Maria since you left fifty-seven years ago, and you don't know whether to start. "You can talk to me."
"I know." You bite your lip, thinking about how to word it. "How do we know Maria won't come for us?" Jasper stills at the mention of Maria, and you can't help but look over at him.
"What makes you say that?"
"Even though— and I mean this in the nicest way possible— you were a pawn in her game, you were extremely valuable. What if she wants you back into the fold?" you question, your mind running to every possible scenario. Jasper sighs and takes your hand.
"(Y/N), it's been fifty-seven years. If she wanted to, I'm sure she would've come by now. Besides, even if she did, I wouldn't go back."
"But you loved her."
"Loved. Past tense. I feel nothing for her now. The only woman I see is you." You gaze up at him, the moonlight giving his golden eyes an ethereal glow.
"I love you," you whisper. Jasper smiles gently at you.
"And I love you." He leans down and presses his lips against yours. You smile against his lips, grateful for the past fifty-seven years that's allowed you and Jasper to grow together— as people, parents, and partners.
"Ma?" a soft voice calls. You and Jasper are ok your feet immediately, zeroing in on Jack standing in the tree line.
"What's wrong?" Jasper asks, moving forward. Before you can reach Jack, a figure steps out beside him.
"You three are impossibly hard to find."
"Maria," you growl, "step away from him."
"I spent so long searching for you. Why would I give up that easily?" she faints. She trails a finger across Jack's face, and you hiss, Jasper somehow able to keep his anger in check as he holds you back from launching.
"What do you want?" Jasper demands.
"I want you to come back, Jasper. I miss you."
"Liar," you deadpan.
"I've not lied to you once," Maria defends. Cold washes over you, and you notice Jasper shiver slightly.
"You know what my power is, Maria?" you ask, stepping toward her. "I can tell when people lie."
If vampires could pale, Maria would resemble a ghost. You smile at her disbelief and alarm, using the opportunity to rush her. You tackle her into the trees, listening as the trees you crash into tumble to the ground.
Maria breaks free of your grasp, and you're immediately on the defensive, putting yourself between her and your boys.
"You need to leave before I end your useless existence," you sneer.
"You could never overpower me," she challenges.
"Yeah?" you mock. "Watch me."
You launch at her, slamming her face into a tree. One thing you notice about her, is that she's marginally slower than she was when she was ruling territories.
As you think of your next move, you let down your guard, giving Maria the opportunity to get you in a headlock. You gasp as you feel a painful amount of pressure applied to your neck.
You squeeze your eyes shut, hoping you gave Jasper enough time to take Jack far away.
Before she can finish the job, her grip on you slackens and you rip away, ready to go on the defensive again.
There, before you, stands a headless Maria.
You stumble backwards as Maria's body falls to the ground. Jasper stands above her, his eyes dark, his face twisted in rage.
"Jasper," you breathe. He tears his eyes away from Maria's body and looks into your eyes, and he softens. He steps over Maria and pulls you into his arms, holding you so tight that if you were human, you'd be crushed.
"Are you okay?" he asks, his voice shaking.
"I'm okay," you assure, pulling away and taking his face in your hands. His hands roam your body as if to make sure all of you is there and unharmed.
"I was so scared," he admits. "I don't know what happened. I saw her holding you and everything just..." he trails off, swallowing thickly.
"It's okay," you whisper. "It's okay. We're okay."
"Ma!" Jack calls. In a split second, he's beside you, holding you tight. You let go of Jasper and hold onto Jack as tight as you can.
"It's okay, buddy. We're all okay." You feel Jack's shoulders shake in dry sobs, and Jasper wraps both of you in his arms, using his power to calm Jack and yourself down.
"Is it over?" Jack whispers after a moment. You look up at Jasper, his eyes back to their golden hue.
"Yeah, Jack. It's over."
Jasper pulls away and takes a match out of his pocket, striking it against a tree. It glows faintly as he drops it onto Maria's body, effectively erasing her from existence.
"What do we do now?" Jack asks.
"I hear Washington is vampire free. We could set up stake there," you offer. Jasper nods.
"Washington. There's a lot of forest there, right?" Jack questions. You laugh at him, ruffling his hair.
"Yep. Lots of forests and lots of animals." Jack grins and takes your hand. Jasper wraps an arm around your shoulder, and together the three of you set your sights on Washington.
