Margaret Allie Brandon (Jasper's Mate Story)

Chapter 56

Margaret's POV: Dream 

I felt like crying out as I found myself in a shaded forest, knowing that this wasn't a normal dream. I knew without having to search very far for the person this dream was about, that it was Emmett's death dream. I felt my feet start to carry me along the forest until I came to a small stream. I watched as the man kneeling next to stream, seeming to be washing his hands with the water rushing by finally finished. Wiping his hands on his pants, which seemed like a worn pain of denim held up with a twine belt of sorts, grabbed an ax that was laying on the ground next to him before turning. 

I felt tears grow in my eyes at the relaxed dimpled smile on the face of the man child I considered a friend. He had no idea that his death was imminent in this moment, even though I knew that it was closer than it should be just as it had been for all of the Cullens. I watched his blue eyes scan the forest around me, wondering if he was wearing contacts as his eyes were normally bronze or gold in color. I didn't have time to ponder the question any further as he started walking away from the stream and deeper into the woods around us. 

I was stuck journeying with him through the woods, listening as he begun whistling a cherry tune, an ax slung lazily over his shoulder as we went. It looked to be mid-spring or perhaps early summer, as the grass under our feet was starting to turn the new green color. This setting didn't seem right for Emmett's death, it was too bright, too cheerful, to peaceful. I watched as he approached a tree that was about a foot or more in diameter. He looked up, his whistle ending for a moment before he gently hit the tree with the blunt end of the ax. 

A thick heavy thud came from the tree as he hit it, and he nodded in what seemed to be approval before he tossed his cap on the ground and rolled up his sleeves. A few seconds later and he was swinging at the tree, bits and pieces of wood flying off with each stroke. I could barely hear him singing under his breath, but I couldn't make out the words. I started to hope that the tree wasn't going to fall on him and slowly crush him, but then I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. A large black shape darted from one tree to another just as Emmett stopped swinging. 

I could tell that he too had seen what I had, but unlike me he seemed to know what it was while I was completely unsure. I then heard what I could only describe as a roar before both Emmett and I turned toward the largest black bear I had ever seen racing towards him.  I held in a scream knowing it would do no good to scream, but I did allow tears to fall from my eyes.

I felt the bear plow into Emmett before he even had a chance for the swinging ax to make contact with the attacking bear. I feel myself falling to my knees with the searing pain that the bear was inflicting on Emmett at the same time. I could feel running down my chest and stomach as I collapsed to the ground next to Emmett. He had cried out only once, and even now his effort and fight to get the bear off of him were dimming.

A few more moments pass and the pain dims some even as I hear another growl that most definately did not come from the bear. I force my eyes to focus back on Emmett rather than the clear blue sky above us, and I see the bear now dead  at Emmett's feet with Rosalie now cradling Emmett's head in her lap before she picks him up as if he weighs nothing. 

My body flies with them both as she runs faster than any human could possibly run until she reaches a small old fashioned house. She lays him down on a large wooden table before Carlisle appears. They start speaking faster than I can understand even as the searing pain from the bear attack burns my body again. I see Carlisle finally nod and lean down close to Emmett before biting his neck.

As soon as I feel the pain of Carlisle's teeth in Emmett's neck I feel the all too familiar burning sensation as if I'm on fire coursing through my veins. It's then I realize that this is how they all seem to die with the same pain. Carlisle killed each of them.  I scream again and again as the fire seems to consume me before the entire scene before fades to black as I keep burning.

End of Dream 

I woke screaming and crying as the last waves of pain seemed to course through my body. It only took a moment before my mind to recognize Jasper's arms around me. I clung to him as fear began to grow in me at the realization my dreams had given me only a moment ago, barely hearing him start to whisper soothing words in me ear.

"Shhhh darlin it's alright it was just a dream, shhh I'm hear darlin." (Jas)

"It.....it was Emmett this time.....a bear but then......Carlisle.....Carlisle killed him.....oh God Carlisle killed each of them......"

"Shhhh darlin Carlisle would never hurt us I swear."

"NO! You're wrong! It all makes sense now, he's been at everyone's death except yours and Alice's.....only Kombo was there at her's but......it's Carlisle!"

"It's not though Maggie I promise. Please just trust me." 

"How can I when he's the one that's going to kill nearly everyone I care about!" (M) 

I saw him about to say something else before a knock on the door causes me to flinch back into his chest, his arms wrapping gently around me as the door opens. I see Alice standing in the doorway, Emmett behind her in the hall a sad looking smile on his face as tears seem to flow faster at seeing him alive after having seen and felt his death. 

"It's time Jasper. Everyone is downstairs." (Al)

"Time? Time for what?" (M)

"To learn the truth Thunderbird. Don't worry, it'll be alright just trust Jasper." (Em) 

I looked back at Jasper to see his face set in a blank expression but his eyes with a multitude of emotions including fear, hope, perhaps even pain as he stared back at me. I went to say something else but the words got caught in my throat, so I did the only thing I could and nodded to the unspoken question of if I would go downstairs. I was prepared to walk but before I could even place my feet on the floor Jasper scooped me into his arms and while holding me close to his chest carried me downstairs. 

As he sat me in the chair facing the rest of the seats in the house, all occupied by the Cullen family. I tensed as I saw Carlisle sitting on the arm of the chair across from mine. Momma Esme was sitting in the chair, holding his hand, and I felt tears fall from my eyes knowing that he was deceiving them all as he would kill each and every one of them. I felt Jasper gently squeeze my hand before whispering my name, forcing me to break my gaze from Carlisle and Momma Esme and back towards him. 

"I promise Maggie, it'll all make sense in a moment." (J) 


Jasper's POV: 

I held her gaze as she looked at me, fear swirling in both her blue eyes and her emotions. I gently placed my hand on her cheek, tracing the scars that were on display with her hair in a messy bun. She had stopped hiding them as much here with us, and her injuries were fading leaving only mild bruises to be viewed. Well the physical injuries anyway, as I knew even without my ability that the emotional and mental injuries would take more time to heal and even longer to start to fade away. 

She finally offered me a nod before leaning closer to my side as I sat on the arm of the chair just as Carlisle was across from us. She clung to my hand in hers as he slowly stood and walked to stand in front of the fireplace a few feet from his chair. The air felt heavy as I realized that this could be the last time I have the chance to hold her, because if she wanted to leave the moment we told her the truth I would let her go. 

"It's right that we tell you now Margaret, we should have told you when you agreed to stay with us as a part of the family." (Esme)

"Told me? Told me what? That Carlisle is a killer?!?" (Mags)

"He's not though Margaret, just listen. Ok?" (Rose) 

She didn't say anything, move, or even break her gaze from Carlisle at Rose's request. But she did stay silent as Carlisle turned towards us, a sigh leaving his chest. We all knew that this could put us in danger from the Volturi, telling a human what we were. But Alice had sworn that it was the right decision. 

"This isn't a secret only I have, it's the whole family. We aren't......we aren't normal. I  can't say we aren't killers in our own way, but not in the way you've seen in your dreams." (Car) 

"That's it, I.....Jasper we need to leave!" (Mags)

"No Maggie, we can't. Please-" (J) 

"NO! You promised me that you could prove Carlisle was innocent. Either you can or you can't and it seems that you can't but I.....I can't be around him any longer. I won't be around the man that kills nearly everyone I care about." (M)

I felt her panic and fear grow just as everyone else heard it in her voice as she started to shake by me on the chair. I slowly and gently wrapped my arms around her even as she tensed as Carlisle took a few steps closer to us. I could feel his regret and worry over the situation but I was too focused on calming my mate to send him any comfort.

"I'm sorry for the rough start. There is no easy way to say this Margaret and you must let us tell the whole story first." (C)

"I don't know that I trust you enough for that." (Mags)

I watched as she stood up from the chair and started to back away from all of us on shaky legs before I made my way over to her. I was worried she'd run from me too but was relieved when she grabbed onto me before I could even reach out towards her. She wrapped her hands in my shirt as I wrapped my arms around her again as her tears started to fall down her face.

"Maggie, you trust me right?" (J)

I saw her look away from where Carlisle was still standing and back up at me as I stared down at her. She opened her mouth to speak before she gave a simply nod instead. I kept her wrapped in my arms as I guided us back to the chair, watching with worry as her gaze was trained on Carlisle again and she became as tense as a rabbit that sensed a mountain lion nearby.

"I was born in London and I was the son of a strict Anglican priest. He loved me I suppose in his own way, but he was a strict man that was determined to hunt down the monsters of the world and eliminate them. I followed him in his teaching but the only monsters he ever found couldn't be killed. See I wasn't just born in London, I was born in 1640 and I died in 1663 when I was bitten and turned by the very monsters my father swore he was eliminating. These monsters were vampires." (Car)