Breathing

"Jasper," Annabelle called quietly when he walked past her. Jasper had to look up to her as she was sitting on the truck's hood. "Are you sure there's nothing I can do to help?"

"Well - your presence alone - your scent will distract the newborns. Their hunting instincts will take over and.. drive 'em crazy." Jasper smirked a little.

"Okay, great." Annabelle smiled at him. "Hey," She called out again when he went to walk away. "How do you know so much about this? You know - if you don't mind me asking."

He smiled. "I don't mind at all, Annabelle." Jasper moved the jacket he was using to cover his forearms, exposing the bites that were dented int his skin. "I didn't have quite the same up-bringing as my adopted siblings."

Annabelle's eyes widened as she moved off of the truck and closer to him. "What happened to you?" She glanced up at him, "Those bites are like mine."

"Battle scars." Jasper almost smirked. "All the training the confedrate army gave me ..was useless against the newborns." His eyes locked with hers. "Still, I never lost a fight."

Annabelle just stared at him. When she didn't say anything, Jasper began to walk away. She jogged to catch up with him and walked backwards infront of him as she spoke. "This happened during The Civil War?"

"I was the youngest Major in the Texas Cavalry." Jasper smiled with half of his mouth. "All without having seen a real battle."

"Until..?" Annabelle trailed off.

He looked to her. "Until I met a certain Immortal. Maria." Jasper stopped walking and turned to her as he spoke. "I was riding back to Galveston after evacuating a colony of women and children, when I saw them. I immediately offered them my aid."

Annabelle frowned, "Maria was creating an army?"

"They were very common in the south. Constant brutal battles for territory. Maria won 'em all. She was smart, careful.. and she had me." Jasper went on. "I was her second in command, my ability to control emotions served her well. I trained her newborns, an endless occupation, since she never let them live beyond the first year. It was my job to dispose of them. I could feel everything they felt." Jasper said painfully. "I thought what Maria and I had was love. But I was her puppet, she pulled the strings. I didn't know there was another way. Until I found Alice. She'd seen me coming of course." He whispered a laugh.

Alice appeared at his side with a small smile on her face. "You kept me waiting long enough."

Jasper grinned. "My apologies, Ma'am." He said, without taking his eyes away from Alice's, "I don't know what I'd become without her."

"Shh," Alice whispered. "You never have to be that again."

Annabelle felt an ache in her heart. Jasper had done these things - killed these beings. And he had to live with it for the rest of his never-ending life. That's what she was most afraid of. Never growing old, watching herself age and disintegrate, dying peacefully in her sleep. The way it was supposed to be. The eternity and infinity of living. She wanted to be with Edward - and feel alive. But.. forever? She wasn't sure she could do that.