Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

Louisiana Love

By Midnight Dreamer

Chapter 09: What the hell took you so long?

Arabella’s farm. Louisiana 1895, July.

(Arabella’s POV)

“Peter David McCarty, you stop skulking there in those trees like a creeper and come help me get these weeds cleared out.” I yelled at him. 

I could see someone with him. I just figured that it was this Major character they kept going on about. Well if he was gonna be here then he was gonna pull his weight around here or he can find his way right on down the road.

“Yes Ma’am.”

“Peter!” Char yelled from the porch as she could finally step out without looking like some kid dumped a ton of glitter all over her and it wouldn’t wash off.

I watch the two as they ran into each others arms.

“Hey you two can play house later I have work that needs to be done and it ain’t gonna do it by itself.” I hollered at the pair.

“Sorry sugar I just missed him so much.” Char spit out oh so sweetly at me. Then just as I thought it was over she pivoted on her heels and ran straight at the stranger who was standing silently watching the whole exchange and threw herself into his arms. Wrapping her legs around him.

“Oh Major it is so good to have you home with us. What took you guys so long to get back?”

Well now that was a question I would like answered myself.

“Well…” he started but was cut off by a babbling Peter.

“We had to run in an evasion pattern with the Major runnin in front of me so I could mask his sent. I wasn’t sure what happened to Maria as we didn’t wait around to see your plan come full circle, so I didn’t know if anyone was following or not. So I didn’t wanna lead them straight here so we took some detours.”

“Peter are you telling me these two made the plan?” the stranger asked.

“Now do you believe me that they are truly evil when they are together?”

“Okay well now that we know everyone is here and you weren’t followed, can we please get this work done. I don’t have forever you know, and it’s getting late. Some of us still have to sleep.” I scolded them.

“Yes Miss Bella” Char said

“Yes Ma’am” came Peter’s reply.

I quirked my eyebrow at the stranger. “Well?” I questioned.

“Well what?”

“You just gonna stand and watch or you gonna help. I hope your mama taught you better then to disrespect a lady. When a woman asks for your help you be sure to oblige.” I looked him dead in the eyes.

“Well now Miss, my mama taught me manners, but apparently yours were skipped cause I was taught to be polite.” 

Who does this asshole think he is. Char warned me he was bitter but I just figured it was because he was stuck in a situation he didn’t wanna be in. Guess he is just an ass. Big shocker there.

“I see even though you were taught to be polite the actually follow through is still eluding you.”

“Where do you get off little lady. You know nothing about me and I’ll be damned if I’m gonna take orders from you. I dealt with one psycho bitch for almost 35 years all be damned if I deal with another.”

“Then I suggest you hit the road cause you ain’t gonna disrespect me and expect to stay in my home.”

“Now Arabella, be reasonable.” Peter cut in.

“No Peter this is my home and I won’t take to being disrespected in my home.”

“Arabella this is my home also..”

I cut him off.

“No Peter you are a guest in my home. Remember you died, we buried you, for all intense and purposes you aren’t here.”

I swear I saw him pale even more. Char’s mouth must have hit the floor.

“You don’t mean that.” Peter pouted.

“I’m damn sure I do Peter. Now if you don’t mind I have work that needs to be finished before the sun goes down.”

I spun on my heal and got back to work. I don’t know who he thinks he is to bring that stranger into my home to disrespect me. I went a whole year on my own with out any help from him and now he thinks he can just come here help out for a while and take over. I don’t think so. 

“Oh and Peter.”

“Yes Arabella?”

“You and your friend there can stay in the barn tonight. There are bunks in there still set up.”

“Why can’t we stay in the guest house? It’s much nicer then the barn.”

“Cause I told you the barn. The guest house is for welcome guests, as of right now you are not welcome.”

I watched as the two men took off toward the barn. I turned to see Charlotte standing there with glossy eyes filled with tears that would never fall.

“I’m sorry Char, but you know how I run things and I’ll be damned if I’m gonna let my brother and some cocky ass come here and start pushin me around.”

“I understand Bella, it’s just that Peter has been gone for a week and I have missed him terribly. I know he was bein an ass but that is just how he is around the Major.”

“That reminds me, who the hell does he think he is. I don’t care if he is some badass vampire, he will treat me with respect or both him and Peter can go sleep out in the woods for all I care. Brother or not.”

“Sorry Bella. I know the Major seems like a real bastard, but it is all on the outside. He just doesn’t know you at all so he puts up a front. Believe me when I tell you he is the sweetest man I know, next to your brother. Well now that I think about it, he may even be sweeter then your brother.”

With that we both started to laugh. Char always knew how to defuse a situation between Peter and I. which also reminds me. I may have to chew my brother out for losing his manners and not introducing us properly.

“I’m gonna head inside now Char, the sun is setting and I can’t get much else done out here now. Would you mind terribly to finish up here for me?”

“Not at all Bella, I will be in as soon as I finish up with what needs to be finished. I’ll be sure to tell Peter to feed and water the horses, and round the cattle up out of the back fields.”

“Thank you Charlotte. Good night.”

(Major’s POV)

“Damn Peter you weren’t jokin. I felt no fear from her what so ever. Now I see your not just stupid it’s a family trait. I remember how you were when we came upon you. You weren’t scared at all either. I wonder if it is sumthin to do with your bloodline?”

“Major what in the hell are you ramblin about over there?”

“Oh hell Peter ain’t you been listenin?”

“No I was thinking about how I’m gonna get back in my sister’s good graces.”

“I see. I was just sayin that I think it is sumthin in your bloodline that makes it so your inner voice is broken. You know the one that tells you to run and scream for your life.”

“Well I think your right Major there is some serious Mojo workin against us. We show no weakness, or fear. To us they are usless emotions. That should be a reprieve for you Major. Not feeling fear or other weak emotions.”

“Now is this some of your voodoo shit workin or you just guessin?”

“Neither I just know you well enough that our emotional shit bothers you more then others, particularly the one’s from me. I warn you now that my sister is a very emotional being, more so then most vampires.”

“What hell does that mean?” he is really aggravating.

“Well the emotions that we put out are damn near enough to kill anyone. Us McCarty’s learned along time ago to give everything with your heart. So for you that means you feel everything we feel that much stronger. You gravitate toward happy feelings, and tend to feed off of emotions like fear, anger, lust, greed, envy, hate, your internals go haywire and it takes days, not hours, days to find you once that shits takes hold of you. Then we all run for cover cause you are a lethal son of a bitch when it happens.”

“So your sayin that your sister’s emotions my have been influencing me.”

“Yes, that is exactly what I’m sayin. She was pissed, and down right livid with you for goin all caveman on her.”

“No I didn’t fucker.”

“You basically insulted her behavior Major. She don’t take kindly to bein insulted, she took her lessons in manners seriously. I have never seen a prouder gleam in a fathers eye like I did when my father would look at Arabella.”

“So, your point being?”

“Look because you slapped your asshole mask on the second she asked if you were gonna help, now I’m stuck sleepin in the barn with your ass instead of in my bed with my wife, who may I remind you I haven’t seen in a week cause I was rescuing your ass.”

“Well now if you don’t want me here I will gladly leave.”

“Now Major you know I didn’t mean it that way.”

“Oh you didn’t. it sure as hell sounded that way to me.”

“You listen here Jasper, I spent months with those two ladies in that house workin on a plan to go bust your ass out of that hell hole you were livin in. They spent hours goin over everything that could and would go wrong, if it weren’t for them then your ass would still be there. I love you like my own flesh and blood Jasper but if you don’t wise up right, I will ask you to leave.”

“What do you mean they?”

“Exactly that. Charlotte and Bella put together that escape plan. I was just following orders. It was more Bella bein the mastermind, Charlotte just helped explain the ins and outs of the whole compound and newborn thing.”

“Well I’ll be a suck egg mule. She don’t even know anything about me and yet she put her own effort into helping someone she ain’t never met.”

“That is just how she is Jasper.” Char chimed in out of nowhere.

“When did you get here?” Peter asked.

“A while ago. Long enough to hear you puttin the big brother mojo on the Major here.”

“Miss Charlotte it seems I owe you and Miss Arabella an apology.”

“No need to apologize to me Major, I knew a long time ago you were a bastard so I take most of what you say with a grain of salt. As for Bella, well I suggest you wait a couple of days and let her cool off before you even look her way. She is liable to put your ass on a pyre and dance around it singing kumbiyah. Now before you all get comfy with your male bonding shit I hope for your sake you will do as your asked and not cause anymore trouble for yourselves.”

“What do ya need Char?” Peter asked her.

“Not what I need Peter. Your sister said to tell you to take care the horses and bring the cattle in out of the back fields. I suggest you do so before sunrise. I know she will be down to check on them, so you best do it before she gets up. You know how Bella is. She is up at the ass crack of dawn on any given day, so you better get a move on.”

“Yes Ma’am.” Peter replied.

I watched as Char took off back toward the house. I could see the lights on in one of the upper rooms. Must be Arabella, wonder what she is doin up this late at night?

“Well Major you gonna help this time or you gonna bitch and gripe at me too?”

“No Peter I think this time I will take Chars advice.”

“Oh and why is that?”

“One I’m not to fond of fire, two I hate kumbiyah, and third your sister scares the fuck out of me.”

“Damn Major. You suck you know that.”

“Why”

“I’m only gonna say this once. Char won!”