Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

Behind Steel Bars

By Midnight Dreamer

Chapter 34: Revelations

Jasper had been settling in nicely to his new surroundings. It helped a lot that with Emmett around it didn’t seem like he was in prison. He met the two other inmates – Jose and Manny – and found that he got along well with both of them. They were in for stupid reasons: reasons that were because of money. Jasper shook his head. He knew how it felt to have money and the problems it causes – and more recently, he realized that it causes just as much problems when you don’t have it. They all sat around talking and playing cards. It was around lunch time that Isabella stopped in and, of course, this set off a round of wolf whistles and cat calls.

“Hey there Warden! What brings ya down to our neck of the woods? Not that we ain’t happy to see ya…” Manny said.

“I feel the love just pouring off ya, Manny.” Isabella chuckled.

Jasper watched as she moved closer to the table they were all sitting around.

“Emmett, what did I tell you about playing poker?”

“Huh? Not to?”

“I believe that is what I said. You cheat and it’s not fair to everyone else.”

“I do not cheat! And, as it stands, your boy-toy hear is kickin’ all our asses.” Emmett whined.

Isabella froze on the spot. She wasn’t sure how the others would react to her being involved with an inmate – even though they were somewhat involved before he was imprisoned. All her fears were washed away when Manny rebutted Emmett:

“Why you gotta be such a sore loser, Emmett? It’s all in fun – and it’s not like we playin’ for money! And the nuts we playin’ for ain’t all that good anyway.” Manny smiled, winking at Isabella.

She sighed and moved closer to Jasper.

“So, this here boy has caught your eye huh, Warden?” Jose asked.

“I’m no boy!” Jasper growled.

“Sorry…” Jose dramatized.

They all laughed.

“Well then – tell us soldier boy, how did you catch the un-catchable Miss Swan?” Manny asked.

“First off – I’m not a soldier boy: I’m a Marine. There is a big difference. One: we’re better trained. And two: we’re better dressed.”

“Well sorry there, jug-head. Didn’t mean to offend your sensitive nature!” Jose said chuckling.

“Ha-ha! Funny.” Jasper replied.

“So now – how did you catch Miss Swan?”

“Hell, I’m not even sure I did catch her…? I think it was the other way around.” Jasper said rubbing the back of his neck, a nervous habit he seemed to have.

Isabella came closer and sat on Jasper’s lap. Smiling at the guys.

“He’s right, you know – it was like leading a fly to the web. I just spun it right and he stuck fast.” Isabella cackled evilly.

All the guys looked at her with stunned expressions. They didn’t know what to say. Even Jasper was a little shocked. He had never seen her like this. But then again, he didn’t think any of them had either. Their silent stupor was broken by the sound of a phone. Emmett excused himself to go answer it. Isabella picked up his cards and took over his place. A few minutes later Emmett came out to tell Isabella that the phone was for her – and that it was important. She vanished into Emmett’s office for a while, leaving Jasper to question Emmett.

“So, she lured me in and trapped me like a fly?”

“No not really, I have a feeling she said that just to get a rise out of us and it worked. She is a devilish little minx when she wants to be though. I haven’t seen her like this in years, You’re good for her.” Emmett said.

“Yeah, and we ain’t never seen her like this: she was always all business and no fun.” Jose added.

“She always had that look in her eyes. Ya know the one that says she has been through and seen to much. It doesn’t seem to be there that much as of late – and if your the reason behind it, then you’re alright in my book!” Manny said.

“You guys seem to care a lot for her…”

“She isn’t only our Warden – she is our friend. We look out for her. Even though we are in here we have family and friends on the outside that look out for her for us. My wife helps to clean her house, my brother does her landscaping, my kids come help her shovel snow or rake leaves – they all keep an eye on her.” Manny said.

“Wow! It’s great that you guys look out for her – she seems to not get close to people.”

“No, she hasn’t ever since her parents died; she has closed herself off from everyone – except me, of course. But I’ve been there from the beginning. It’s not easy being her. She was always so smart. She was the youngest student in our graduating class in college. And that’s saying a lot being as it was her second… or could it have been her third time through…?” Emmett told them.

“What are you talkin’ about, Emmett? She can’t be any older then my brother, Peter!”

“Exactly – she was only 15 when she graduated high school. By the time she was twenty, she had several different Master’s Degrees… I think she was working on one of her Criminal Science ones when I met her. The following year, her parents died and she took over this place. That was just over seven years ago.” Emmett said.

“Well, hell! It’s no wonder most people feel intimidated by her…” Jose said.

“Yeah, and she has the right-hook to back it up! She was in the Dean’s Office almost more then the Dean himself! She fought hard to protect herself since people didn’t take to kindly to her; they often degraded her and picked on her – which is why I grew so protective of her. But, then again, she has kicked my ass several times for gettin’ in the way of something she could handle herself!”

Jasper laughed, causing the guys to look at him like he had lost his mind.

“What so funny, Whitlock?” Emmett asked, causing Jose and Manny to gasp.

“You! Isabella can obviously look after herself and you go all brother bear on her – I could see how she could kick your ass!”

“Not funny! Now – why are you two impersonating guppies over here?”

“He’s a Whitlock?” they said in unison – it was almost creepy.

“Yeah, so?”

“Well… um… we just didn’t expect it.”

“Yeah well, neither did I! I didn’t expect to wind up in here, either. Except my ex-wife and ex-best friend decided to fuck each other – on my bed – while I was away over seas for the last two years. Then the son of a bitch ran me off the road – putting me in a coma. Bastard even had the balls to take my ass to court. To top it all off, they sentenced me to five years – even though I wasn’t there to testify on my own behalf! Now – here I am.”

“That shit ain’t right – they can’t do that!” Manny said.

“Well they did and that asshat is after my money. I figured it out when my ex-wife snuck in to see me and told me that he was tryin’ to sue me for damages. Well, he ain’t getting one penny of my money!”

“Right on!” Jose said.

Just then, Isabella returned wearing the brightest smile Jasper had ever seen on her face.

“Well, I guess that phone call went well?” Jasper asked

“More than you know!”

“Why don’t you tell me, Darlin’?”

“Of course! It was your sister Char…”

“Hey, did you tell her we said hi and she that needs to come visit again?” Manny asked.

“No, this was strictly business – now you two, hush!”

“Fine.”

“Go on, Darlin’ – you were sayin…?”

“Well, it seems that a little birdy sent your sister a letter saying that this wasn’t the first time Edward and his wife have swindled money from rich folks. So, Char is tryin’ to track down all their other victims and we’re gonna use those cases as proof that he is just doing the same thing to you. If we can get enough evidence, we can have your record cleaned and you released from here. Then we’ll go after Mr. Masen!”

“Oh, Darlin’ – that is the best news I have heard in months!” Jasper stood and grabbed Isabella and kissed her hard, not caring who else was in the room with them. A throat clearing was the only thing that brought them back out of their bubble.

“Do ya mind?” Emmett asked.

“No, I don’t.” Jasper said back.

“Don’t you have a cell to go to?”

“Sure do – and I’m takin’ this lovely hostage with me.” Jasper said, picking Isabella up and throwing her over his shoulder.

“What do you want for ransom?”

“I let you know in a couple hours!”

“Fine – but don’t you harm one hair on her head!” Emmett called as they rounded the corner to the other row of cells.

“Not plannin’ on it!”

Jasper took Isabella to the cell furthest from the doors. It was open so he didn’t have to ask Emmett to unlock it. He slid inside and placed Isabella on the bed. Turning briefly, he closed the door behind him.

“Now, Mr. Whitlock – what is goin’ on in that head of yours? You can’t just kidnap the Warden in her very own prison and expect to get away with it!”

“Oh now, Warden – I expect to get away with a lot more then just kidnappin’ ya in your own prison…” An evil smirk appeared on Jasper’s face and Isabella shivered in anticipation.

She stood slowly and headed toward Jasper. He looked at her expectantly as she led him over to the bed and sat him down on it. She straddle his lap and placed his hands down behind him. She kissed slowly up the side of his neck to his jaw. His moans of pleasure spurred her onward. She finally came to his lips and kissed him with everything she had in her. A small almost inaudible click sounded causing Jasper’s eyes to spring open. He tried to move his hands but couldn’t. He looked down over his shoulder and noticed that she had handcuffed him to the bed. Where she got the cuffs from he had no idea – but what she did next caused his eyes to widen so much that he looked like an owl…