A/N

If there are mistakes it's all my fault... I tried to keep it as clean as I could, but I knowing me, I know there's bound to be mistakes in here...

There is only one chapter left after this.

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Previously;

"We ate him last week," came a husky amused voice right behind us, making us both jump. We whirled into crouches, growling and dropping our totes on the ground. I hadn't seen her draw it, but she had the business end of her katana pointed at the figure before us.

The woman stood tall, long chestnut hair waved over her shoulders and down her front, full of beads and tiny braids in random, enhancing her small frame. I was thin but there was a sturdiness about her that was startling. Her eyes were a bit crazed, if you ask me. Her face, full of sharp edges and angles, held a softness in contradiction with itself. Her hands peeked out in supplication from sleeves too long for them. Her hands were just as bony as the rest of her. Long dirt embedded nails shot out from her fingertips, looking a little too daunting with their jagged appearance. She wore some kind of patched embroidered full-length robe over a light blue… nightgown?

"He sent you finally," her voice swam warm around us as if it had substance of its own, "Grandfather will be so happy for company!" she looked from my eyes to Izzy's and back again, and her face lit up in an ethereal beauty as she smiled, "He didn't tell me you were kin!"

~Monstress & Major~

~Izzy POV~

We sat at a table in the tiny wooden two-bedroom house with glasses of whiskey in front of us that I was debating whether or not to drink. I think I was about to need it with the explanation Caleigh would give us, but I was afraid that the whiskey would cause hallucinations or something. Anyone who told a vampire they were virtually impossible to kill and that nothing drank or eaten could kill you, never met Caleigh before. I had a feeling that she could do whatever she wanted, and wasn't sure why I felt that way. Maybe it was just our present surroundings.

I weighed my options: good manners…or life. Would it be insulting if I didn't drink her elixir? Did I chance being beheaded by our host by not drinking whatever was in the glass? Or did I drink it and take my chances that it wouldn't turn me into a zombie?

Besides, look at the last month, hell, the last 20 years of my life. I knew better than to think vampires were indestructible.

Looking at Caleigh and her little…bungalow, I think I might have laid money on the fact she had come up with more natural ways to kill a vampire in her sleep.

The place was small, but what got me was that it appeared to be a kitchen with a bed and two tables. The bathroom made for the 'second' room. It was almost as big as the kitchen and I thanked Goddess I didn't have to pee as a vampire. I didn't want to go in there alone.

Bones, herbs, twine, leather, garlic, spices and shit I had no name for, hung around and above the long, thin, wooden table that acted as some sort of median, in one half of the room. One of those old well pumps brought water to a huge stainless steel barrel – one like you see in old western movies that they used to bathe in – in one corner, and I shit you not, a large black caldron in the other corner.

An old wood-cook stove sat opposite the caldron, cooking water for tea. At least that's what she said. I wasn't sure. Shelves lined the walls with books gadgets, bones, a skull… I stopped looking. I thought she was a Shaman… this place looked liked she was into voodoo. When I thought about it, was there much difference? I had a feeling I would be insulting her if I asked. I kept my mouth shut. I made a note to look it up. I wasn't exactly up on my sacrifices and potion making. I snorted at the thought.

The table we sat at was a huge round piece of wood, carved and sanded down, and could probably sit four people comfortably. Behind us was a bed with an old patchwork quilt in the corner.

Jasper and I sat on the side closest to the bed and Caleigh sat facing us closest to the other table and the door. If anything happened – like chanting or spell casting - I was outah here. Seeing how I was sitting on this side of the table, the only way out was the wall behind me. I hoped she didn't mind an 'Izzy' sized hole in her wall when I ran from here screaming.

Glancing around I wondered where her grandfather was. Didn't she say something about another person? I couldn't smell anything beyond the spices, herbs, old blood and whatnot scattered around the place.

Fey lanterns hung in various places setting off shadows and adding to the uncanny feeling of the place. I'd asked about them after introductions because it seemed she had no electricity. She said they were magic. I left it alone after that.

She let us look. Monstress was at full attention and couldn't take her eyes off Caleigh. She wanted to know what she'd meant by calling us 'kin'. Was she talking about Jasper? Me? Did she mean that we were vampires and Peter's family? She didn't mean WE were kin to her did she?

I nudged Jasper under the table and cleared my throat. He turned his attention to me and away from the book titles he was trying to read behind Caleigh's head. He looked startled and his eyes were a little wild looking. I wondered if I had that same look.

"Oh…" He said intelligently and turned to the woman who sat patiently with a small smile on her face. She didn't look like she would eat us, but I just wasn't sure. "Uh..." This was more intelligence from Jasper than I'd ever seen before.

I snorted and leaned forward resting my arms on the table. I looked up to see Caleigh trying to hold in a laugh. "Well, I guess you can say I'm at a loss here. We are at a loss. What did you mean by 'kin'?"

Her laugh was throaty and deep, but not unkind. "You are the same as me." At my eyebrows shooting into my hairline she reiterated, "You used to be the same as me. Well you still are, but now different as well. To be honest I didn't think it was possible for someone like us to be Changed." Her accent was thick just like Sherman, Berg and the other alligators. That old Creole was something to get used to.

"Someone like us?" I said slowly. I kinda wanted to slap Jasper, he wasn't helping. Maybe she put him in a trance and made him brainless.

"Yes." She said with an affirmative nod, "Like us."

"I'm lost. What do you mean people 'like us'?" Was she implying we were Shamans?

She cocked her head to the side studying me for a long minute and I almost squirmed, but I held still. Was she waiting for me to figure it out?

"Shaman," she finally said Shaman? She was saying I was a Shaman? Or Jasper? What?

"Ok. You lost me there. Are you saying I'm a Shaman? Or Jasper? Because I'm not, nor have I ever been, a Shaman." I shook my head trying to clear it and deny her words all at once.

She laughed that laugh again sending a shivers down my arms as goose bumps popped up, "You both are Shamans. Am I wrong? I am never wrong. I can smell it on you. I see it in your eyes."

I refrained from sniffing my armpit. I sat back in my chair. She can smell something other than the overwhelming spices in the place? Yeah that's the question you should be asking yourself, dumbass.

"I don't think so. What do you mean in our eyes?" I asked warily.

"Your other halves of course, she's peering out now." She waved at me…at Monstress. "Helllloooo," she sang.

"You can see them?" Jasper finally found his tongue; thank Goddess because I'm floundering around like a fish on a stick over the coals.

"Of course silly," And as I looked at her, like really looked at her I caught the fey lantern's light in her eyes and realized what I thought was reflection of the flame was actually movement behind her eyes. I jumped back trying to put a little distance between us, knocking my chair over in my haste.

Jasper… Jasper sat there with his mouth gaping.

"OH," Jasper's way with words was catching as I stuttered for something to say, "You…"

Her amusement was not mine at this revelation. How had I not realized what I was looking at earlier? It was the same as when I saw Major, or when I saw Monstress in the mirror looking back at me.

Jasper reached over, grabbed my chair, put it under my ass, and pushed me back down to sit.

"I'm trying to figure out why the two of you are so shocked," She said as she crossed her arm across her stomach and the other played with the long necklace around her neck. The little bag on the end clinked as it swung back and forth. I tried not to stare at it. "To be honest I can't believe you're vampires. I've never heard of one of us being able to make it through the Change. Our magic interferes with the vampire pathogen." Pathogen. Virus.

"Like a virus?" Jasper choked.

"What would you call it?" She quirked a brow at him.

She had a point.

"You think we were Shamans? How, because… because of our eyes." I wasn't sure how or what to say about Monstress.

"Well yes. And you still smell of the magic of our kind." She gave me an 'uh duh' look.

"Magic?" I asked. She could smell magic?

"We're so confused," Jasper muttered.

"Maybe we should start by you telling me how you were Changed, hm? How old were you both?"

"I had just turned twenty-one," I said, "And it wasn't by choice."

"Twenty," Jasper replied but gave no more.

"Ah, that is a turbulent age, and it makes sense really that you didn't know," she nodded to herself, "Were you already aware of your spirit's presence? It is still young to have them make themselves aware to you, but not unheard of."

"Uh, what?" God if I got any more intelligent I'd have to shoot myself.

"Tell me, could you transform to your spirit's shape before your Change and can you change shape now?" Her eyes were alight with curiosity.

"What?" I squeaked.

"Can your spirit come forth and change your shape? Did she walk on earth before your Change?" She asked slowly.

"No," I told her, "But…" Should I tell her? What would be the harm? She looked at me expectantly and I found myself speaking whether I wanted to or not, "When I was Changed, I didn't remember anything. But… my…" what do I call her? I skipped it for now, "I was shown what happened. I didn't remember how I was Changed or what happened leading to it. I met my Sire recently, and the memory was, uh, shown to me. When the vampire who Changed me attacked me, my uh," Crap, "I saw my hand turn into a claw. Is that what you're talking about?"

Caleigh's eyes lit up, "What kind of claw?" Wow she understood what I'd said? Because I'm not sure I did.

"Erm, a huge cat's paw. Larger than my own hand." I stammered.

She smashed her palms together once in a loud smack and smiled from ear to ear, "You're spirit is mountain lion! Or a cougar? How wonderful! Was it she who showed you the memory or was it you yourself who conjured up the remembrance?"

"I'm pretty sure it was her. No, I know it was her," I stuttered.

"Does she talk to you? Can you still shift now that you are vampire?" she asked again.

"Um, not that I know of. Are you telling me I'm a shapeshifter?" My head was spinning trying to keep up with the conversation and it took everything in me not to stand up and call 'bullshit'.

"OH, heavens no! Not a shapeshifter. Skinwalker is what we Shaman call it when we get our spirit walkers." Pride dripped from her voice.

A Skinwalker? Although I rebelled against the word, something inside me settled with the truth of it.

"It is not uncommon for your spirit guide to show itself in time of such need. I'm sure the experience was very traumatic for you and she was aware enough she came to your aid." She assessed. I sat back in the chair once more and wondered if we weren't in OZ. We did get off the jet in New Orleans, right?

By the lack of response Jasper and I showed she went on, "Maybe I should explain some things first."

That would be an excellent idea. Why hadn't I thought of that? Jasper's hand found mine under the table and he squeezed it sending me his love and feelings of rightness at what Caleigh was saying. I sent them back hesitantly.

After a long moment Caleigh laughed, "Well, I will tell you what I know and why this is such a shock for me. I will try and explain what it is to be Shaman and how it works. Then maybe some of your questions will be answered and you will find yourself less afraid to answer me.

"Shamans have been around a long time, as long as vampires have been around and we have been enemies just as long. The pathogen that changes the vehicular to create a vampire does not mix with our magic as I told you. I have heard that it can be done, but never met anyone who ever made it through the Change. Our magic rebels against it."

"Magic? You mean voodoo?" Jasper interrupted eyeing the shit on the walls.

She laughed again, "Goodness no. Not voodoo. Voodoo is of the evil spirits and speaks of demons and of the Nevernever. Shaman's work with earth as the Pagans did several millennia ago. We are parallel in many ways actually of the Pagan faith. Our magic is earth bound, Mother Nature born if you will. No voodoo involved.

"Each Shaman born is different in nature. Some are mages and work with the elements. Some can heal the sick and dying, some are more affluent in herbs and spices for making remedies and spells. Some are given more magic than others and can influence elements, emotions, or other magic even. Some see the world differently than anyone else can or they can protect themselves and others with specific magic. Some can repel bad magic or elements meant for harm.

"Most - there are a few who never get their spirit walkers, but it happens and it doesn't make them anymore or any less of a Shaman –spirit walkers manifest when the Shaman turns an age of maturity. It all really depends on what the spirits have decided. A spirit walker is chosen by the spirits beyond and appointed to a Shaman making them what we call a Skinwalker. But don't be misguided, that doesn't take away that you are Shaman; it is merely a type of Shaman. Spirit walkers are the souls that have passed on from one plane to anther. Over time, they are reborn and appointed for guardianships to a Shaman. It may be a little confusing at first, but when you are raised in our world it comes as second knowledge and something that doesn't have to be taught. Explaining it may take some time, years, but the cliff notes should give you the idea.

"The 'maturity' of an individual may depend on many things. Usually the first signs of a Shaman's spirit walker don't show up until your mid-twenties, at the earliest, some even later than that. It all depends on the needs of the individual and the strength of the spirit walker and the environment their host or Shaman is in. The young Shamans usually are not told of their heritage until the signs of the spirit make themselves known if one of the parents is human. Or, the magic of a Shaman is revealed. We are a secret society and guard our heritage until it is needed to be told."

"Like the wolves." I whispered.

"The wolves?" Caleigh cocked her head in question.

"Uh…" in for a penny in for a pound, "The Quileute wolves in La Push. When vampires are around, the men - sometimes woman - change into huge wolves to protect their village. The young ones are brought up knowing the legends but most believe them to be fables. The young ones don't go through the change to become wolf unless there's a threat of vampires around. So although they are told the legends, they aren't believed until it happens. Even then, most of the tribe is unaware that they aren't purely myth."

Caleigh regarded me for a long moment and I wondered if I hadn't made a mistake in telling her. She stared at the wolf claw hanging around my neck and slowly began to nod.

"That's probably better than I could have explained it myself," She finally smiled. I could tell she wanted to ask more questions but she went right back to her tale, "If it does not happen, if the magic does not present itself, the person is not even told because their human lives usually are unaffected by the Shaman bloodline. If you never saw signs of it before you were Changed, then it does not surprise me you were never told of your heritage. In this day and age we are more careful than we used to be. At the age you have said you were changed… your spirit walkers must have been extremely strong to manifest themselves in you. Yours even came to your rescue."

"So, you're saying that we were born this way?" Jasper asked.

"Yes. There are very few Shaman who live their life in a completely human way, usually only those born with one human parent. It comes with breeding with a non-Shaman. Although they are still technically Shaman, they do not practice any of the Shaman ways. Some even tend to hide their magic. The connection is usually lost in the gene pool eventually and the person could end up with no connection to the spirit world. We are human for all intense and purposes. But Shamans are a thread between the spirit world and the human world. When that thread is compromised, it weakens the connection. To put simply, if you father is human and your mother was Shaman, depending on how the spirit world felt about it, you many not inherit the Shaman gene.

"The spirit world gives a Shaman magic. The spirit walker has a vessel or skin then to transform itself and hence the "Skinwalker' title. But Shaman can be given many other tasks on Earth besides being a Skinwalker. Like I said, they can be mages, or guides between the spirit world and Earth, healers… like I said many things."

"So, since we have these… spirit walkers in us, we were 'preordained' to be this way from the beginning?" Jasper tried to understand.

"Yes, I believe so. When a babe is born Shaman and they reach maturity, some Shaman are known to perform rituals to attract the magic, or the spirit walker as the case may be, if the Shaman shows no sign of… magic. Sometimes the spirit walker or a Shaman's magic is so undefined it does not show up until the ritual is performed. At the first sign of the spirit walker over taking you, your parents or relative Shaman, should have told you of your heritage. But due to circumstances in your lives that might not have been possible, or the spirit walker was so undefined because of your age, they may not have known to look. Besides, I said there are those Shamans who walk the Earth completely human; your parents might have come from a line of Shaman who ever taught them. It does happen."

"I've made it to maturity and my father, who I still speak to, has never said anything." I argued.

"Twenty-one is still a few years before Shaman maturity. Does your father know about your spirit walker? Have you told him that you have the spirit of Cat inside you? And what of your mother?" She asked.

I swallowed the lump in my throat before I answered, "She died before I was changed. About 8 months prior."

"By accident, or?" She tried to pry respectably.

"Cancer," I said quietly.

"Ah," The sympathy in her eyes was overwhelming, "You still talk to you father?"

"Yes, regularly. I never told him about Monstress, but he's never said anything close to any of this. He knows of the wolves and he knows what I am. You would think at some point this conversation would have come up. I was changed almost eighteen years ago." I told her.

She was quiet a long time and I actually fidgeted under her gaze. Maybe it was my mom. I thought about her and how she'd lived her life. Free spirited. I hadn't even seen my mom for a long time before she died. When she finally told me she had cancer she was gone a month later. Would she have told my dad before or during their marriage? Knowing her, probably not. The cancer took her so fast…

"You spoke of the wolves. When did you find out about them?" The switch in subject caught me off guard.

"Before my Change, soon after I found out there were vampires."

That surprised her, "You knew of vampires and wolves before your Change?"

"Almost four years before I Changed." I said indignantly.

"Oh," She breathed, "Now it makes sense." She nodded to herself and let go another husky laugh.

"Uh, could you explain it to me?"

"From what you've just told me… I see a pattern here," she let go a snort, "You were around vampires, wolves and whatever else, more than likely this brought your spirit walker forward early. It's why she was able to manifest herself from you when you were Changed. You were living a world of threat, which would bring her to come to you much earlier than normal, so she could protect you and give you knowledge. Intuition. Tell me how were you Changed? Not by choice, right? You said earlier you were shown a memory."

"No I was attacked. It wasn't a choice," I said bitterly. Although I wouldn't change what I am, it still burned I wasn't in control of the time, place or most importantly the who of my change. "I was actually tortured for three days before hand."

"Ah, even more clearly now I see," her head nodding was going to drive me to throttle her, "Like I said the trauma of your Change brought forth your spirit walker before she was ready. The fact that you saw her emerge to help you… it's as if… well this is all theory. I've never talked to a Shaman who was Changed by the vampire pathogen. But knowing what I do and what you have told me… you were too young for her to emerge in you properly, but close enough to maturity and close enough to enemies, that she forced her magic to be used before she was fully there. She forced herself there to protect you. Both of you had three days of trauma and forcing the thread between worlds, she was able to come forth finally and manifest herself through you in this world. But such a transition and a forced one at that, made her weak and she could not fight off the vampire pathogen.

"Your body now, not being able to transform due to being vampire has trapped her inside you. I can only guess that she was enough apart of you that she was able to stay when you were Changed. You became neither Skinwalker nor vampire, but both."

I wanted to argue with her. I wanted to say I wasn't what she was saying. I was not Shaman who had been given a spirit walker making me a Skinwalker. I didn't have magic. I also wanted to dance on the table for the explanation and knowledge, because deep down inside things were finally making sense to me. That 'rightness' of words swarmed in my head and Monstress undulated and purred against me with the truth of it. She knew. She'd known and had no way to tell me.

She was trapped inside me.

I would have been a Skinwalker.

"What… how… I mean what's a Skinwalker really? You're saying that we would have eventually changed shape or would have been shapeshifters?"

"No, not shapeshifters. Skinwalker. There is a difference between the two. They are two different worlds. Shapeshifters are of a specific species. The shapeshifter shares the soul of its beast. A Skinwalker has a soul of their own and a spirit walker guide that has its own soul. You and the spirit share the body. The vessel. And yes, you would have been able to change shape. Well, the spirit walker would have been able to conform your body to change. She can use her magic from the spirit world when she is in her form in our world. Being trapped inside you now, not being able to shift to her form, I would imagine eliminates her magic."

Oh man. Seriously? Monstress snarled in my head and I got the feeling Caleigh was wrong. I had a feeling she let us use her magic just fine. But I kept my mouth shut and Monstress tempered, for now.

"The spirit walker guides you giving you a strength and knowledge you wouldn't normally have. It gives you magic." Caleigh said.

I looked over to Jasper to see him sitting dumbfounded as I was. And he hadn't been any help whatsoever; he'd let me waddle around like a duck outah water all by my lonesome.

As if seeing my attention shift Caleigh turned to a very quiet Jasper, "What of you Jasper? How were you Changed?"

"Not by choice." Jasper said as if he were answering on autopilot and his brain was somewhere else. He'd been putting pieces together from the information Caleigh had been telling me. His answer confirmed that.

"I see, and when you awoke, your spirit walker was with you?" She asked him carefully.

"Yes," he said and his voice had little more life in it this time. I sat back to watch her work on him now.

"And what is your spirit that shares you?" she asked gently.

Jasper looked uncomfortable and I squeezed his hand in support, he gave me a dose of gratitude and after taking a deep breath he muttered, "Black panther."

Caleigh whistled low and long, "Very rare. And your spirits name?"

Jasper choked but answered, "Major."

"Ah. That's an unusual name. Tell me why," She demanded kindly.

Jasper told her about being changed by Maria, although he left out her name, during the Civil War and how Major was there when he woke up. He explained the extra strength and how Major took over where he would have failed when fighting for Maria. She and I both sat in rapt attention as he remembered his time and what Major did for him. The more he talked the more at ease he seemed to become. He'd never had anyone to talk to before about Major and I knew from the past month that it was hard for him to open up about it.

"Does he talk to you? Or show you memories?" She asked him.

"Not the same way Isabella has said that Monstress talks to her. Not memories exactly, more like emotions. He guides me with… intuition and sometimes flashes of pictures, but…" he seemed sad or confused that his connection wasn't as forthright.

"From what you have explained, Jasper, I think that the reason being is that you were changed differently. I don't think that Major was as defined in you at the time of your change. That he was there at all… is very unique at your age of your change. You were even younger than Isabella and not having been around the supernatural forcing him come forth early. The only thing I can think of why he was there at all as early as he was, was that you were in danger and amongst fighting in the Civil War. He protected you and gave you strength before you were even aware of him."

We digested that.

"You mean he was there before I was changed into a vampire? But I don't remember…." Jasper tried to deny and as he worked out the logistics.

"More than likely he wasn't able to let you know, but from what you have told me, he was there. Your affirmation that you were charismatic is a characteristic of Shaman talents. Him not being able to 'speak' to you now and only show you guidance may stem from several different things. Not all spirit walkers are able to speak, for one. For another you were quite young for him to manifest himself in you. Another reason might be because of the vampire pathogen. My theory is that the trauma of your life with your Sire hurt him. Stunted him if you will. When he could have been healing the both of you and teaching you, he was instead making sure you both survived and protecting your mind. Your time with your Sire was very… traumatic doesn't seem a strong enough word… but nevertheless… you were made to fight, to survive as soon as you awoke. You had no transitional time. He obviously came though the change with you and that alone could have impaired him. If he wasn't dominant in you or fully manifested… it is a surprise that either of you made it at all. Major not being completely transitioned in you, probably saved both of your lives.

"I told you before, the vampire pathogen is poison to Shaman's magic. That you came through the Change at all is a miracle, to come through it with him and some of your magic is… phenomenal to say the least. And don't sell yourself short Jasper; I can feel your strength. I can feel Major's magic, it is strong indeed. You're belief in your own magic will make you all that much stronger."

"Magic?" Jasper rolled the word around.

"You said you are an empath. Empathy is Shaman magic. Charismatic in nature is a Shaman's way of earning trust in those not so willing to be… let us say… agreeable," She shrugged like it was common knowledge.

"So Jasper's empathy isn't a vampire gift?" I said in wonder.

"I wouldn't think so. I could be wrong, but I don't see how it's possible. This is all truly… dumbfounding. You see, it takes years for the true magic of a Skinwalker to be known once the spirit enters them, sometimes decades, centuries. If the magic is never needed sometimes it will never manifest itself." She shrugged again, "You're spirit walker obviously pulled magic with him when he crossed planes and joined you in the transformation to vampire, and has allowed you use of it."

We sat and I stared off into space and tried to digest everything that was laid before us. My mind ran in loops and I felt the warmth of Monstress settle herself down inside me in comfort. She wasn't anxious or nervous. She wasn't agitated or… it was like she finally was comforted by the knowledge that I was learning this. Like she was comforted by the fact that I now knew.

I would have been a supernatural freak if I'd wanted to be or not, with or without becoming a vampire. I felt cheated that I was a vampire, but I wasn't so sure that wasn't Monstress's feelings on the matter. I think a little of both.

A Shaman Skinwalker.

I still wasn't sure what that exactly detailed. It made sense… the whole thing… in a strange out of body way. How Monstress came to be. How she guided me and gave me strength. Was it her magic that gave me the telekinesis or the infrared sight? I'd have to ask later. Seeing how Major gave Jasper his gifts then maybe mine came from Monstress.

Being able to feel her on the inside of my skin, was that her way of wanting to change? Was that her trying to manifest herself on this plane? The vampirism stopped it from happening? That part made sense. Vampires couldn't change shape that I knew of. Their bodies trapped in the never changing age they'd been transformed in during the change. Women couldn't have children. Men couldn't make a woman have children… well besides right after they were first changed apparently. We never grew old.

Monstress knowing more than I did and being able to share…

"What…" I choked on my own venom and tried to swallow it down as the thought came to me, "You said that the spirit of, well, what exactly is the spirit? Where does it come from?"

"The spirit world." Caleigh's face morphed into a look that said 'is this girl not functioning on all cylinders'.

"What I mean is," I looked at Jasper and could tell he was trying to tell where I was going with this. I turned back to Caleigh, "Monstress has shown me memories."

"Yes, sweetie, you told me that," Ok, she was treating me as if I was two and learning to eat by myself.

"No, I mean she's shown me… HER memories," I gritted.

Caleigh's face went blank. Hah! Maybe she didn't know what she was talking about. Maybe she was going to say this was all just a joke and she'd been wrong.

Jasper sat forward anxious to see what Caleigh would say to that too seemingly to see where I was going with this.

"Monstress has shown me her life as a mountain cat," I made sure she understood.

When she spoke her voice was so quiet I barely caught her words, "She showed you her past life?"

"Yes," I said and seeing as I was on a roll and liked that I'd stumped her I went on, "She also showed me the Major."

Then I felt bad cause her face warped into this … frozen stunned 'oh my goddess I just saw the Devil' look. I was rethinking the wisdom of sharing. Jasper's hand gripped mine and I turned to him seeing the concern on his face.

"Do you think that was too much? Do you think we broke her?" I whispered at vampire speed.

"I don't know. Maybe she's wrong about all this," He mused, but the frown told me he didn't believe that any more than I did.

"What does Major say about it?" I whispered.

"Uh," He looked a little bewildered, "He's calm." He simply said and looked at me with the most adorable confused look on his face, "He's always restless and aware and alert when he's… present. Right now, I know he's present, but he's like the cat that ate a huge bowl of milk and now laid back for a nap." Then he did something I thought I'd never hear out of my mate's mouth… he fucking giggled.

I felt my brow crunch as I stared at him speechless. He didn't stop either, he kept right on giggling like a fifteen year old girl telling her friend she just kissed a boy for the first time, or saw her friend's dad getting dressed and saw her first penis.

Jasper laid his head down on the table and although he muffled his laughter his shoulders still shook with obvious suppression. I eyed the whiskey he'd drank. I blamed it. I pushed my glass away from me, no way in hell was drinking that now.

He kept laughing and I wondered just how much he drank? That was his first glass right? I didn't see him re-fill it and I'd only remembered him taking that one drink. Jeez. It was cute though. Kinda endearing. I let out a giggle at his antics. The first giggle slipped, and then another. I pressed my lips together and closed my eyes; maybe if I didn't look at him in hysterics it wouldn't affect me.

That worked until he projected. Shit. More giggles. More laughter. I snorted with the effort to stop myself that just made Jasper gasp and give in, he let his laughter flow and took me with him.

The bursts of his projection caught Caleigh and it drug her down with us as the three of us began to laugh hysterically.

Jasper pounded his fist on the table that his head still lay draped on and stomped his foot. There was no one here to stop this craziness.

I was going to kill Peter. He had to have known. He would have known. He had said nothing and landed us square into Crazytown. This had to be a joke. This all had to be made up. Maybe this was Peter getting even with me for telling him off so many times. Maybe there was a camera somewhere around here and Peter and the others were watching and getting a big kick out of us believing it all.

Deep down I knew that wasn't true. Somehow this was all real and Jasper and I had lost our goddamn marbles trying to wrap our heads around all of it. Letting the laughter fill us released the tension and disorientation of information of the last couple of hours.

Somehow Jasper got a grip on himself and we slowly calmed down. Caleigh wiped tears of mirth from her face and sobered up.

We sat in silence for a few minutes before Caleigh dove back into topic without comment on what had just happened, "She's shown you her past life?"

"Yes." I said with a nod and waited for her theory on that. I didn't understand enough to even guess at what she'd say.

"And she showed you Major?" She made sure.

"Yes. As mates apparently, they had cubs together." I said quietly and Jasper grabbed my hand and squeezed.

"That's… wow. So they were mated spirits. Are mated spirits. And so… Jasper sought you out after you were Changed having felt her arrival on this plane." Her statement was shocking and not what I expected.

That gave me pause.

Jasper was the one to find his voice first, "Actually, no." He told Caleigh how we'd met. Edward's involvement, Alice, his Sire, Carlisle, Esme… I wasn't sure he meant to tell her the whole thing, but to understand how we came here today snowballed until he was telling her everything. Every little nuance. If we wanted her to understand, it was only right she knew everything.

When Jasper was done she looked overwhelmed. I didn't blame her. Welcome to my world, I thought.

"The spirits know no bounds, do they?" She muttered under her breath. Louder she spoke to us, "Being Shaman it does not surprise me that you were born more than a century apart. Shamans can live a long time. Not usually eternity, but long enough. Thousands of years sometimes, it all depends on the spirit world and what it deems as worth. Of course if we are not careful we may die before our time, we are not immeasurable, or indestructible. So Jasper being born when he was would not have made it impossible for the two of you to find each other eventually. If it had progressed naturally as it was meant to, when Isabella was born and then with her maturity and when the spirit walker came upon her, Jasper would have felt the pull toward her then. You both would have." She spoke as if she were speaking out loud and working it out as she went. I was glad she for that. What she said had a ring of truth to it.

"It is ironic and… beyond my comprehension that Jasper was changed the way he was and then Isabella in similar circumstances and then…" her voice trailed off as she stared at the ceiling as if to look at something we couldn't see.

"I knew Jasper was my mate right after I came out of the change." I interrupted her stare down with the cobwebs.

She nodded absently, "Your spirit walker would have known him instantly especially having met him before."

"But I didn't know that Isabella was mine when I met her," Jasper argued, "and when she became a vampire I didn't know she was even alive."

"Ah, yes, but you said that you tried to take her when she cut herself, then you suppressed Major for years. It is amazing that you were able to do that in and of itself, but his being was…'damaged' if you will, during your Change I'm not surprised. He does appear stronger in some aspects as compared to Monstress, but he is also weaker in others." She sighed and rubbed her face with both hands, "I'm afraid this will take a long time to sort out. The spirit world works beyond our comprehension and for its own reasons. You may never know how the events of your creation in the Shaman world took place. Magic is magic. There really is no rhyme or reason to it sometimes, it is what it is and knows no bounds when it guides us. We can borrow from it, shape it, mold it to our liking, but in the end it is its own making and will do as it pleases. Nothing is guaranteed. Magic is tricky that way."

Silence fell over us once again and I listened to the chimes outside gently rocking in the midst of the night. The wind did not stir and it seemed to just confirm the words that Caleigh had just spoken; Magic is tricky.

Monstress still rested lazily in my head. In my being. There was satisfaction in knowing she was meant to be there. The truth of it put something inside me to rest and eased my disquiet. I felt Jasper and my bond slip into a tighter existence, like we'd been playing tug of war and all of a sudden we both stopped and let the rope stay steady and strong between us. As if we were pulling toward each other instead of away from each other.

Jasper and my eyes met and I knew he felt it, I knew he could feel the threads that bound us strengthen and tighten as we accepted our fate. We were both mystified over the events and what we'd been told, and both of us had a million questions, but we believed it. That belief solidified our bond.

All was right in the world. Even though I had a gazillion questions, I settled into the fact that I'd just learned that Monstress was mine, and I hers. And even if I'd known it before the absolute truth that I was Jasper's as well as Major's… just gave me chills. To have it confirmed. To have someone finally be able to put words to it, although I may not understand them, I would do everything in my power to comprehend and see what I could do with them.

I almost jumped out of my skin when I heard the bells go off. I'm embarrassed to admit I almost ducked under the table figuring the ruse was up and Caleigh was going to bring down some voodoo shit on our heads.

Caleigh saw my reaction and laughed, reached inside her robe and pulled out a square metal looking thing flipping it open. It took me a full three seconds to realize it was a fucking phone.

I snorted and Jasper laughed along with me. Jeez. For being so comfortable now, we were sure jumpy.

"Hellllo, my friend!" She sang into the mouth piece.

"Well hello to you. Did my party make it, or did you eat them?" I heard Peter's voice boom on the other end. Neither Jasper nor I had our COM's on. Nor did we have our cell phones.

"Oh, I just put them in the pot to simmer, they should be done anytime now," Caleigh's laugh echoed Peter's.

Hah, ha.

"We're on our way, just wanted to give you a heads up we have company with us," Peter informed her.

"OH! The more the merrier. You're welcome anytime, see you soon." Caleigh answered and without preamble hung up the phone.

"Well looks like it's going to be a party!"

(+=+=+=+=+=+=+)

A/N

It's a messy explanation, eh? lol but I think the three of them are falling over themselves with the new knowledge on both sides.

I know, another short chapter... next chapter won't be up 'til next week to wrap things up a bit.

Tell me what your thoughts are on all of this...

Did I lose any of you?

;)