Well folks, here we are at the end of another tale, thank you for coming along for the ride and for all your reviews. We hope to see you again at the beginning of another tomorrow. Love Jules and Kat xx

Chapter 141

Jasper

We finally got free of our friends after a week although I had enjoyed talking about our plans for the place. I was staggered to find therefore that Peter had bought back his family's farm just a few miles away.

"I know you couldn't do without me Major so I thought what the hell and bought it at the same time Darius got this for Bella. I reckon between us we can breed some spectacular horses."

"Just a minute, if you're living only a few miles away how come you haven't gone home yet?"

Peter grinned,

"Feeling a little frisky are we? We just thought you might want a little company and like I said I still have one thing left to do."

Peter had told me what happened with Charlie and his wife and although Charlie had told me himself I didn't want to spoil Peters fun so I kept quiet. "

"I think she wants to set the record, straight Major. I'm not saying what she did was right, or that it will make any difference, but I think Bella needs to know the truth, even if it helps her forgive her father a little."

We decided between us that Charlotte should speak to Bella as the most understanding so while Peter and I went down to the barn to start drawing up some detailed plans Charlotte stayed behind with Bella. We stayed away for a couple of hours only going back to the house when Charlotte called for Peter. She stood alone on the front porch but smiled encouragingly as we approached.

"I think we should go home, Peter. Give Bella some time to take everything in. Let us know how she is later won't you?"

I nodded and watched until they were out of sight before going inside to find Bella. She was actually sitting on the back porch, but she turned hearing me approach and smiled although it was a little strained.

"Did you know about Chloe?"

I nodded,

"Charlie told me everything before we left and I was waiting for the right time to tell you. It's just that you were so happy and excited I didn't want to ruin it and then Charlotte told me Chloe had begged her to tell you the full story."

Bella sighed and took my hand pulling me down to sit beside her on the swing seat, a copy of the one my father had built for my mother so long ago.

"What a tangled web. Chloe was one of the Sisters from Greece. I bet they didn't expect her to recognize Charlie as her mate, that must have been a shock. She told Charlotte that she wanted to make me so angry with my dad that I'd leave Volterra and never return. To keep me out of danger because she could see how much we meant to each other. Well, I guess it worked, almost. I was furious, I really hated my dad for a while, her too."

"She did come clean and tell him everything. She even came back with him to try to save everyone. She turned traitor to her own sisters."

"I know and that can't have been easy. You know I didn't think my dad would listen to me when I begged him to save you instead of me. I guess I underestimated how much he loved me. He knew I would never forgive him if he didn't save you, he knew just how much you meant to me. Maybe I've been a bit harsh, I told him I never wanted to see Chloe again which I guess was the same as saying I never wanted to see him again either."

"And do you? Want to see him again?"

She looked out across the meadow for a long time before she replied,

"Of course I do and I guess I owe Chloe an apology for treating her the way I did. I'm just not sure they will forgive me."

"He's your father, Bella, of course, he'll forgive you. If he even thinks there is anything to forgive."

She laid her head on my shoulder and I wound an arm around her pulling her close.

"I never really thanked you for the wonderful gifts you've given me."

"The house? I just thought it would be the right place for us to start our life together and there's a warm friendly feeling about it."

"There always was Bella, but I think it's the people who inhabited it. My mother loved her family and worked hard to make us happy, my father too. She always had a smile and a hug of greeting, you felt loved as soon as you stepped over the threshold. Now you give it the same glow, I feel wrapped in your love when I enter, but it wasn't just the house I wanted to thank you for. You gave me back my humanity, you believed in me Bella when I didn't even believe in myself. You gave me a reason to keep going, something to aim for, a purpose to my life."

I kissed her and one thing led to another, I don't think the old porch saw anything like our love making before but I was sure my mother wouldn't have minded, she would be happy that I had found my true love at last.

Charlie

I waited hopefully to hear something from Bella but weeks turned into months and there was nothing. Work for the council kept me busy a lot of the time, there were the usual policing duties when reports of problem nomads came in and I found to my astonishment that the Volturi had a line of communication open with the guardian tribes although I guess I should have expected it. Even enemies need to have a way of communicating.

I spoke to Johnny H, the leader of the guardian tribes and we renewed the pledge Aro and the others had made. So long as the nomads kept off tribal lands the guardians would not actively hunt them. In return, we would not object if any nomads were killed if they strayed onto tribal lands to hunt. It was the best agreement we would get and we decided Emmett and Darius should go to sign the paperwork, a rather strange idea and extremely old fashioned but it seemed the Guardians still relied on a signature to make a contract legally binding.

We also had certain duties to the population of Volterra. While not aware of our true nature they did know we were not ordinary people and we funded several things in the town in return for anonymity and the right to live in the citadel unmolested by the authorities who ran the town. Carlisle helped us in this regard albeit reluctantly. Esme had made plain her decision to stay on the Volturi council so he opened a free clinic in the town for those who lived in Volterra and the surrounding villages. It became very popular and I think as the months passed he forgot why he had resigned from the council, he was doing what he loved, using his vampire abilities and senses to care for the humans.

Chloe and I were happy enough, but the shadow of Bella's anger hung over us like a cloud. Charlotte rang to tell us that she had spoken to Bella on Chloe's behalf, but she couldn't tell us if it had made any difference to the way she felt so we would have to wait and see if time would heal the wound we had inflicted. Then one day Chloe came to me very distressed,

"Bella and Jasper are having a housewarming party."

"How do you know?"

"Athena showed me her invitation. She thought I should know as Alice and Graeson, Rose and Emmett, Esme and Carlisle and some of the Volturi like Felix have received invitations too. She didn't want us finding out like that."

"Well I guess we always knew it would take time, I guess she just needs some more."

Leaving the citadel later that day to go hunting, we preferred to be absent when Heidi came back with a catch as we hunted animals along with Esme and Carlisle and the other Cullens, we were stopped by the receptionist Inga.

"Chief Swan, this came for you special delivery just a few minutes ago. I was going to bring it to you."

I opened the white envelope and glanced at the contents then smiled and handed it to Chloe,

"I think we've been forgiven my dear."

As she read the invitation a smile lit up her face and I knew Bella had made the first move to forgiving us.

The End.