Six weeks after the wedding, Bella and Edward returned to the family from their honeymoon. Bella was now a vampire and absolutely delighted in bringing it up or showing it off any chance she got. She had even challenged Emmet to a fight, believing that with her superior strength she couldn't lose.
What she had forgotten was who his sparring partner for the past five and a half decades had been. He might not be able to beat Jasper in a fight, but he had learned a lot from his brother. Not to mention the experience he had gained from fighting Victoria's newborn army. In the end he had put Bella on her back within ten seconds in every single one of their "fights".
Jasper had watched on from the sidelines, shaking his head in disappointment at seeing Bella act like almost every other newborn he had met or trained. Most of them seemed to believe that because they were now strong and fast that they were invincible. Completely ignoring the fact that skill and experience would easily be able to make up for it. It was a lesson he had taught many newborns when he was with Maria as they had assumed that because he was "weaker" they didn't have to listen to him.
He had assumed that Bella would be different given that she had seen his family in action and watched their training as they prepared to the fight the newborns. But apparently that was asking to much. Hell, it was apparently asking too much that she know anything about being a newborn.
She seemed to be under the mistaken impression that she was the same as the rest of his family. That she had "perfect control" and would be able to go out in public with them right away. Never mind the fact that she had only been around a few humans when she and Edward had taken a private plane back to Forks. Or that she had to hold her breath the entire time.
She had tried on multiple occasions to try and go out with the family, but each and every time they refused. In response she had thrown a fit, yelling and stomping about like an angry toddler. Jasper desperately hoped that this was a response to being a newborn, as emotions were always heightened in the first few weeks, because he didn't think he would be able to stay sane if he had an entire year of this to look forward to.
Not to mention Edward was being just as insufferable. He seemed to be feeding Bella's delusions about being a perfect vampire at every turn. They had all caught him trying to sneak her into town and promising her that the only reason the family was not allowing her out was because they were jealous of her control. Or agreeing whenever she claimed that she was just destined to be a vampire.
Rosalie always scoffed at that, as it wasn't so long ago that Edward had claimed that being a vampire was the worst thing in the world. That they were soulless creatures, damned for all eternity. Personally Jasper just hoped that it meant that Edward was over his "woe is me" phase and Jasper wouldn't have to suffer through anymore of his fits of depression.
But for the most part everyone just tried to give them space. Trying to put their antics down to the pair still adjusting and doing their best to ignore the voices in the backs of their heads telling them that Edward and Bella had been like this before. They all desperately wanted things to return to the way they were before Bella arrived; where their days were peaceful and they didn't have to worry about anything. And if they acknowledged the truth about the pair, then they would have to admit that they were in for a year of hellish drama and temper tantrums that would make a five year old jealous. Something no one wanted to contemplate.
However there was one ongoing argument that made denial impossible. Ever since Bella had returned, she had been talking about seeing her dad again. About showing him how she was doing. Everyone had told her that it was impossible. That at the moment his knowledge skirted right on the edge of knowing too much, but seeing Bella transformed would push it over. How if that happened he would be in breach of the law and they would be forced to do something about it.
Bella had listened to each of their arguments, nodding along before asking at the end when she could go see him. No matter what they tried she never listened, either believing that everything would work out for her or not caring if it didn't and she got her father killed.
Maya had eventually become so enraged at Bella carelessly putting their dad in danger that she had started a fight. They had been arguing about it outside for what seemed like the hundredth time when she had simply swung out and punched Bella.
She had broken her hand, but Bella had been sent flying back into a tree. Emmet had grabbed Edward before he could rush to Bella's aid and the family had watched on as Maya, in human form, had practically shattered Bella's leg and pinned her to the ground. Her eyes had been practically glowing as she had spit that if Bella did anything to endanger their father, then she would personally hunt her down and destroy her.
After that Carlisle had stepped in to diffuse the situation, ushering Maya off to set the bones in her hand before they could heal wrong. Jasper was right behind her the whole time, worry and anger warring within him as he fought down the urge to take his own pound of flesh from Bella in payment for causing his mate such distress.
The rest of the family followed them inside as Edward angrily told them that he was taking Bella to hunt so she could heal.
Rosalie rolled her eyes, "Can we just send them back to their honeymoon?" she asked already done with the two. She had expected this year to at least be better now that Bella finally had what she wanted. But apparently like any spoiled child, getting what she wanted didn't satisfy her. She had simply moved onto wanting other things.
"No can do Rose" Maya told her with a grin as Carlisle gently looked over her hand. "They're both vamps now, which means even if we abandoned them on an island they would simply swim home."
Rosalie groaned at that and buried her face in Emmet's chest as he laughed. "Don't worry babe, worst comes to worst we can ask the mutts if we can borrow a couple of muzzles for them" Emmet joked.
Maya laughed at the mental picture of Edward and Bella walking around with dog muzzles on before it was cut off as she hissed in pain.
"Sorry" Carlisle apologized, "one of your knuckles is out of alignment and I have to move it back into position before it heals."
"S'okay" Maya hissed between her teeth as he continued to work on her hand.
Jasper moved forward so that she could take his hand and squeeze it while his father figure worked. Maya sent him appreciative smile and leaned against him as Carlisle finished fixing her hand.
Just as he finished up though, Maya's phone rang. Jasper answered it for her as she only had one hand at the moment.
"Hey Jake, what's up?" Maya asked. She had no idea why he would be calling her. She had no plans to hang out with the wolves today that she knew of and they had already informed the pack of Bella's change.
"That Bitch has officially gone too far" Jake growled out, anger clear in his voice.
Maya took the phone from Jasper, "What?"
"That bitch, Bella, just appeared at your house and attacked my dad and Charlie!" Jake yelled, obviously working himself into a rage.
"She did what?!" Maya screeched, ignoring the family's winces at her volume as she began moving towards the door.
"According to my dad she just came straight in and attacked Charlie. Billy tried to pull her off, but she knocked him over."
"Oh God," Maya moaned in worry as she fought with the front door, her broken hand not cooperating with her. "Are they okay?!"
"My dad just has a broken arm, but she nearly drained yours dry. I arrived just in time to pull her off him before she killed him but he's now on the ground writhing about."
At this point Jasper had joined her at the door and was moving to open it for her. Before he could though Maya, in a fit of rage and frustration, merely kicked the thing out of her way, sending the whole thing flying out into their front yard. "I'm gonna kill her" Maya growled furious.
"Not if the pack finds her first" Jacob warned. "She broke the treaty and more than that; hurt my dad. We find her, she's ours to kill."
"Then may the lucky shifter get the pleasure of it" Maya growled before hanging up.
She contemplated Jasper's truck before decided it would be faster on four legs. Taking off towards the woods, she shifted as she ran, ignoring the calls of the Cullens behind her. She ran like her life depended on it, ignoring the burning pain of her front leg as the still healing paw hit the ground. The only thing on her mind was getting to her house and her father. She would do what she could for him before setting off after Bella and Edward. She had no doubt the idiot had been involved in Bella's plan somehow. The two were attached at the hip and where one was the other was sure to be.
Letting out a roar of rage that had birds taking flight and deer fleeing, Maya came out of the trees that bordered her backyard. Not breaking her stride, she shifted back and ran on two feet to her backdoor and threw it open.
Immediately she saw her dad convulsing on the kitchen floor as Jake was settling his father into the arm chair in their living room. His wheelchair was across the kitchen, bent out of shape and Maya sent out a quick prayer of thanks that he hadn't been hurt any worse than what appeared to be a broken arm and a cut on his head.
Rushing to her dad, she dropped to her knees beside him. "Dad? Daddy?" she cried, moving to cradle his head in her lap. She had no idea what to do for him. She had never seen a vampire in transition before and had no idea how to make it better for him.
Before she could even guess at what to do, the front door opened and Jasper appeared at her side along with Carlisle. The other Cullens were not far behind them.
Carlisle was quick to take charge, directing Emmet to carry Charlie to their house and for Esme and Rosalie to prepare a room for him. They quickly nodded and moved to do as told. Maya watching with tears streaming down her face as they vanished with her father. Carlisle then sent Alice to go fetch a new wheel chair for Billy. She nodded absently and took off, her eyes clouded with visions as she searched for Edward and Bella. When they were all gone, Carlisle moved over to help Billy, doing what he could before they moved him to the hospital.
Jasper stayed kneeling on the floor, supporting Maya as she cried in his arms. "I want them dead" she screamed at him between sobs. "Dad was supposed to have a choice! My family agreed that we'd give him a choice! She's taken that from him Jas and I want her dead!"
Maya was practically hysterical as she finished and Jasper just held her tighter in response and rocked her back and forth. He stroked her hair and murmured reassurances to her even as he fought to hold back his own rage.
Run far, He thought to his brother, not caring if Edward was actually close enough to hear him or not. Run far Edward because I'm coming for you and when I catch you there will be no mercy.
The boy who used to be his brother had gone too far. He and Bella had pushed too far. They had attacked Charlie, a man Jasper was actually quite fond of, and broken his mate's heart by taking her father's choice from him. The wolves had declared their intent to hunt the two, but they would have to beat Jasper if they wanted the kill. Or Maya if that was what she wanted. Because if his Darlin' wanted to end those two with her own hands then he would gladly hunt them down and drag them before her so she could have the honour.
Eventually as Carlisle ushered Jacob and Billy out to the car to take them to the hospital to get Billy properly taken care of, Jasper picked up Maya and carried her up to her room so she could get dressed. He doubted in her current state that she even remembered she was naked.
He dressed her as she stood in a daze, unable to truly believe that Bella had done that to their father. No, that Bella had done that to her father. Bella no longer deserved to claim Charlie as her father. Not after what she had done.
As the reality of what had happened once again hit her, she let out a whimper and clung to Jasper as she cried. Her anger was fading fast as her worry and sadness for her father took over. In her current state she couldn't care less what happened to Bella, her mind was consumed with her father and his well-being.Being infected with vampire venom did not guarantee a successful turning and given Bella was newborn with no control, there was a chance that she might have done too much damage for the venom to repair.
Jasper's heart ached for her as he held her close. "What can I do Darlin'? How can I help you?"
"I want my dad" she sobbed.
"Okay Darlin', okay." Jasper picked her up and carried her out of the house, beginning to run the moment they were hidden by the trees.
He took her straight home and up to the room they had placed Charlie in. He set her down next to the bed and she immediately crawled into it to lay next to him, clinging to her father and telling him that she was there and everything was going to be okay as he whimpered and thrashed every once in while from the pain of the venom flooding his body.
Jasper slowly backed out of the room, not wanting to intrude on the pair. Once in the hall he went to find his family to ask for updates, keeping the bedroom door open so he could hear if Maya needed him.
"What do we know?" he asked the moment he entered the living room where his family had gathered. The only one missing was Carlisle, who was still at the hospital.
"I just see the two in the woods" Alice told him, still trying to force a clearer vision.
"I'm gonna kill them both if the wolves don't beat me to it" Rosalie growled in anger. She was enraged at the fact that Bella and Edward had taken the choice to turn away from Charlie. She may not have spent much time with the man, but from what she saw he was good man who loved his children and didn't deserve this fate.
"I just can't believe Edward and Bella would do something like this" Esme said, at a complete loss. How could we have missed the signs she wondered. She knew they had been making allowances, brushing aside concerning behaviour as they assumed that it was because of what was going on but she never thought Edward, her son for almost a century, would do this.
"What are we going to do when we find them?" Emmet asked, voicing the very thing they were all wondering about.
Jasper opened his mouth to tell him that they were going to kill them when Carlisle came into the house. "That is for Charlie to decide" he told them sternly. "Bella is his child and he was the one attacked. As such he will be the one to decide what is done to her. And Edward will share her fate, whatever it may be."
"What about the wolves? They aren't going to just stand down" Rosalie asked.
Carlisle sighed and closed his eyes. You didn't have to be an empath to feel the regret and sadness he was feeling. "If they get to them first then so be it. Bella and Edward are no longer members of this coven. Not after what they have done. We will try to get to them first, but I don't want any of you risking yourselves by fighting the wolves for them."
They all nodded in acceptance at that, Esme with tears in her eyes. Carlisle looked over his family, he hated having to do this, having to remove Edward from the family permanently. But after seeing what he had allowed Bella to do, Carlisle couldn't lie to himself anymore. Edward had changed from the boy he had known and not for the better. To keep him in the family would be to endanger everyone else and as the leader, he couldn't allow that. He had failed his family as the leader so many times these past two years, he would not fail them in this.
So with a heavy heart he began to divide up his family and direct them towards various areas to search. As they took off he made his way into his study to contact their cousins and let them know what had happened in case Edward or Bella came to them for aid. The last thing he wanted was for them to find themselves caught in the centre of this mess without knowing all the facts. Especially given that he knew once Maya had calmed herself and been assured that her father was doing as well as could be expected she would be placing a call to the Volturi to let them know what had happened. He might have told his family it was Charlie's decision, but he had no doubt in his mind that it would be the kings who would ultimately decided what was to be done about the two.