The Flower and Major

part 31

I sat beside Bella on the hood of Edward's Volvo. The jeep had pulled away with Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, and Emmett who was driving. I smiled at Jasper as he approached with Maggie at his side kicking mud from his shoes. I hopped down and jumped on Jasper who had caught me with ease. I wrapped my legs around his hips with my head against his collarbone.

"Jasper, Maggie..." Bella says to them. "are you sure, there's nothing we can do to help?"

"Your presence alone, your scents will distract them." Maggie says. "their hunting instincts will take over and drive them crazy."

I smacked Jasper gently as he started growling at Maggie.

"Good." Bella nodded. "I'm glad. Hey, how do you know two know so much about this?"

"We didn't have quite the upbringing as our adopted family." Jasper says as he started walking away.

Bella jumped from the Volvo following us. Jasper and Maggie paused looking toward her. He swung me around to his back gently as I whined. I rest my chin on his shoulder as both him and Maggie roll up their sleeves showing Bella.

"Those are like mine and Lily's." Bella gasped looking at their scars.

"Battle scars." Jasper says. "All the training in the Confederate Army gave me was useless against newborns. Still, I never lost a fight."

"This has happened during the Civil War?" Bella asked.

Jasper nodded as him and Maggie started walking with Bella alongside.

"I was the youngest Major in the Texas Calvary, Maggie was a Nurse during the Civil War, my cousin." Jasper began. "I haven't seen real battle..."

"Until..." Bella whispered.

"Until I met a certain Immortal." Jasper says causing me to glare ahead of me. "Maria."

"I was riding back from Galveston after evacuating a column of women and children, Maggie was with me just in case we found people hurt. When I saw her we immediately offer her our aid. 'Lovely. An officer and Nurse.' The blonde had grinned taking a deep breath. 'You'd better do it, Maria. I can never stop once I've started.' The dark haired one says. I had glanced at Maggie with confusion. Maria had moved closer to us. 'What are your names soldier, nurse?' she asked. 'Major Jasper Whitlock, Ma'am.' I replied."

"'Nurse Margot Whitlock, Ma'am.' I had answered her." Maggie says taking over. "'I hope the both of you survive.' Maria had said. 'You both maybe a great use to me.'"

I gently gripped Jasper's neck from behind as he stopped walking. I knew this was painful for both him and Maggie. I reached to Maggie gripping her shoulder. She gave me a gentle smile Bella had moved to sit on a log.

"Maria was creating an army?" Bella asked.

"They were very common in the south." Jasper nodded. "And cost a brutal battles for territory. Maria won them all. She was smart, careful. And she had me. I was her second in command. My ability to control emotions served her well. She only kept Maggie around because I refused to let anything bad happen to her. I trained newborns. An endless occupation since she never let them live beyond their first year. It was mine and Maria's job to dispose of them. I could feel everything they felt. I thought what Maria and I had was love. But I was her puppet. She pulled the strings. Maggie knew this of course and tried telling me but I refused to believe her."

"We didn't know there was another way." Maggie adds. "Until we found Alice. Now she's seen us coming of course."

"And promised me I'd find the love of my life in time." Jasper glanced over his shoulder to me.

"Kept me waiting long enough." Alice popped up.

"Our apologies, Ma'am." Jasper smirked at his sister.

"I honestly don't know what id become without her." Maggie smiled at Alice.

Alice wrapped her arms around Maggie kissing her cheek.

"You'll both never have to be that again." Alice says.

"I'll kill anyone that tries." I shrugged. "Bye the way Alice, Maria's dead."

Maggie's head whipped to me with wide eyes.

"What do you mean?" She asked. "How do you know?"

"Back when you guys left." I say. "I was in the forest and she tried attacking me but the wolves got her and tore her apart."

Maggie let out a breath as her shoulders seemed to say as she relaxed.

____________________________________________________________

My eyes snapped open from the dream. Jasper looked down at me with concern. I jumped out of bed and ran across the hall to Bella's room slamming the door open. Edward jumped along with Bella.

"You're right." I say to her with wide eyes. "So fucking right."

"What are you talking about?" Jasper asked from behind me.

"I had a vision." I say. "Bella was having a nightmare and told Edward about it. Victoria's doing the same thing Maria did to you. Staying behind the scenes as she used someone as their puppet. I think it may be Riley."

"Trust me, we all want it to be her. Want her to be that close. To end her ourselves, with our own hands, but Alice would have seen it."