AN: As always, I know I suck, but here's another chapter for you fine folks. Hope you enjoy this.

Disclaimer: It's SM's world, I just play in it.

Before we headed downstairs to meet with the Whore, I checked to make sure my shield was around all four of us, as well as trying to keep a check on my emotions which was easier said than done since I was fucking furious with the bitch, who not only was after my mate, but also had interrupted my time with my family, manipulated my desires with no regards to my feelings and just generally just pissed me off.

"Calm down there Darlin'."

"Believe me Jay, I'm trying."

"Want a hand?"

"Please." I sighed as I felt a wave of calm envelope me, pushing the rage down so it was just a flickering flame at the heart of me. I felt my muscles relax and my breathing ease as I embraced the serenity. "Thank you Cowboy."

"Any time Sugar." He smiled, helping me shrug on one of his plaid shirts over my white tee and tying it around my waist, leaving the buttons open. Apparently anger equals shredded clothes for this newborn. He pecked my lips and took my hand, leading me out to join Pete and Char in the hallway. Without a word we headed down the stairs.

The house was silent as we walked through it and out the back into the main part of the compound Maria had sequestered herself away in. Once we were outside I appreciated just how soundproofed the main house was. The din was horrendous, the constant crashing sound of thunder, the growls echoing through the air, and the screams of agony the change brought about.

I shrank into Jay's side a little as we walked through the mayhem of Newborns. They were everywhere, fighting, fucking, feeding and changing. There was no order to this 'army' Maria had created. Most spared a glance for us as we passed through their midst, many cowering away from the scars Peter, Charlotte and Jasper bore, the sun glinting off their skin was dulled in the matted web of scars criss crossing over their flesh. I think I even heard a few whimpers from a couple of the 'recruits'.

We reached Maria, who was talking to a rather large vampire, he was about the same size as Emmett, but had shaggy black hair and vacant red eyes. He was obviously just muscle. Before the Whore turned to look at us, I shifted myself so I was standing straight beside my mate. I would not cower in front of her.

"Ah, Major." She simpered as she turned to face us. "So glad you could join us this morning." Jasper remained silent, his eyes fixed on the Whore, but they were flat, devoid of any emotion, a fact she seemed to notice as her smile faltered for a moment. "I think it's time for us to begin." She said, her tone almost brusque, but her fear made her voice tremble a little. "But before we do I'd like you to meet José and Enrique." She gestured to Muscle man – José - and another vampire I hadn't noticed. He was small, about the same height as Alice, and thin, though the slight muscles he had were toned making him look wiry, his eyes were a deep red and his dirty blonde hair was scraggly but silky, if this was how he looked as a vampire I shuddered to think how he looked as a human since the venom enhanced our looks to produce a beautiful predator, designed to entrance and ensnare our prey.

"José is in charge of keeping my children in line. Enrique is one of my more talented offspring." She smiled with pride as she glanced at the scrawny boy, though he cowered slightly from her gaze, shrinking into himself, his shoulders hunching and his head hanging, making him even smaller than he was before. I felt a pang of pity for him. "José, would you show the Major and his friends to the training ground and round up the recruits." It wasn't a question and Muscles nodded before signalling for us to follow him as he strode back through the mess of Newborns and towards an empty open space to one side of the compound.

Once he left us to round up the others Jay turned to look at me, an unreadable expression on his face, but I could see the question burning in his eyes.

"I'm fine Jay."

"Are you sure Darlin'?" I nodded, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek.

"I'm sure, now get your Major on and show these Newborns how it's done." I smiled taking a step behind him beside Peter, who was now flanked by myself and Char as the Newborns approached, led by Muscles. They were quieter now, and walked behind their 'leader' like rats following the Pied Piper.

They spread out in a semi-circle across from us, leaving a space large enough for a sparring match. I counted thirty of various sizes and shapes. Some fidgeted as they stood, staring at the imposing figure Jasper had become, his back was straight, his hat firmly settled on his head, and he seemed to ooze a 'don't-fuck-with-me-vibe', honestly, if I didn't know him like I did, I'd be scared of this vampire.

He strode out to the middle of the space and surveyed the Newborns, still silent until he beckoned José to him. There was a moment's hesitation before José complied with the order, for with the Major it was never a request. Once the pair were facing each other Jasper said something, too low for us to hear, and presumably for the Newborns as well. They took five steps apart each and settled into a fighting stance, Jay's was hard to see unless you watched him closely, which I was definitely guilty of doing, his knees bent minutely, his shoulders shifted forward a fraction and his fingers flexed. José dropped into a crouch, one hand resting on the floor in front of him, the other stretched out behind him. His shoulders were hunched and his eyes fixed on Jasper.

I saw the moment José went to attack, his muscles bunched and his stance shifted as he launched himself through the air. It took a lot of self-control not to launch myself at José and knock him of track to stop him colliding with Jasper, but I managed it, with a little help from Pete and his tight grip on my hand.

Jasper moved at the last second as he reached out and grabbed a handful of José's hair and jerked him backward, his other hand reaching to rip the jaw off of Muscles and toss it aside. The fight continued, José gradually losing more and more body parts, one for every attack he launched at Jay.

Finally, when José was out of removable parts except for an arm and his head, Jasper called an end to the match. All of Muscles body parts had landed in a pile behind Jay and he casually walked over to it, producing a Zippo lighter from his pocket, one I knew well since I'd bought it for him on our first anniversary, it bore a picture of a swan wearing a Stetson, I'd had it designed specially, with a deft flick Jay had lit the ear in his other hand and tossed it back on the pile which caught fire instantly, blazing brightly. The smell reached my nose, its sickly sweet stench assaulting my senses and making me feel like vomiting, though I managed to quash that urge. What I couldn't ignore were the pain filled screams of Muscles as he writhed on the ground, his one remaining arm was clutching his head as he screamed, tearing at his hair and flesh.

I locked all of my muscles into place to prevent myself running over to Jasper and begging him to stop José's pain, and my own, for it was a truly painful sight to watch. It tore at my heart and made my stomach clench, and not in a good way. I managed to peel my eyes away from the scene, burying my face in Peters shoulder, he held me tightly against him with one arm, his fingers twining in my hair, locked my head in place, preventing me from turning back around, as if I even wanted too. My hands clutched at his shirt, one on his chest, the other at his back.

The rustic smell of Pete, pine and car oil mixed with a summers breeze, went a little way to clearing my nose of the sickeningly sweet odour of burning venom and stony flesh. I felt more than heard the moment when José's screams stopped, but I still couldn't turn myself away from my brother. Needing his comfort and strength.

"Split off into pairs and practice your sparring." Jasper called out. "Any of you set one toe out of line and you'll follow in that idiots footsteps." His voice was detached, the words were cold and callous, he wasn't my Jasper and yet I still loved the man my minds eyes envisaged, radiating power and strength, projecting a mask of coldness and calculation. The look in his eyes telling those before him that they were nothing to him, nothing but cannon fodder in a game bigger than any of them had ever imagined. My heart ached for him.

A few seconds later I felt myself being pried from Peters grip, though his was resisting only a fraction less than I was. I was jostled slightly and was then being held in Peters arms as we moved across the compound, the fresh sounds of stone bodies colliding echoed behind us. We stopped somewhere, away from the sights and smells, away from the sounds. Somewhere quiet and alone and that was when I felt myself crumble. I sobbed into Peters shoulder, my whole body shaking, though my eyes stayed dry. I gasped for unneeded breaths, but couldn't find the catharsis that crying had given me before my change, there was no way to let this pain out. As my sobs subsided Pete's grip on me lessened until he was peeling me off of him and setting me on the ground opposite him.

We said nothing as the minutes stretched between us, until I sighed. Pete took that as an invitation and started to speak. "You alright Belly Bob?" I nodded. "I might not be an empathy but I know when you're lyin' Little One, so come on, tell Uncle Peter what's wrong."

"I'm fine Pete. I'm just a little overwhelmed is all."

"An' what has you all overwhelmed?"

"Just seeing that, the destruction, and the ease with which it was carried out. I knew it would be like this, but I wasn't prepared for what it would actually look like. Or how I'd feel seeing Jay like that."

"Has it changed anything?"

"No. I still love him, and I still want to finish this. But I want to finish it all. Maria will not walk away from this. She's forced to become something he never wanted to be again, and that I won't forgive. The bitch is going to fry."

"I thought she already was."

"Yeah, but now it's no holds barred. I am going to ruin her and make her watch while I destroy everything she's ever held dear, and then I'm going to burn her and dance around her pyre."

"Vengeance looks good on you Little One, though it might not make you feel any better."

"Killin' the bitch that made my mate feel like a monster will make me feel better."

"But will it help Jay?"

"What are you saying Pete, do you think she deserves to live? Do you think I can walk away from this? Are you saying you won't help?"

"No. No. And Hell no. But Belly Bob, I just want to make sure that you'll be alright at the end of this. I don't want to see that Skank ruin the life of someone else in my family."

"Don't worry your pretty little head about me Petey, I'll be just fine. I'm the Colonel after all." I smirked, feeling my confidence return and the need to fight for my family, and for my mate. I was the Colonel and nothing was going to get in my way.

I felt the old Bella fall away, her hang ups and insecurities melt away as I adjusted my posture, my back straightening. I knew I was worthy to stand beside the Major, to lead our family of four into battle and I knew we'd all make it out unscathed.

I was born for this. I was born to live this life and walk beside Jasper. I was born to be his, as he was born to be mine. Though nothing in my life had been more important than seeing him in that moment. Without another word I sprung to my feet and darted back to the training area, immersing myself in the sights, smells and sounds of the sparring surrounding me. I took my spot beside Char who was watching the fights in front of her. My eyes found Jasper, who was walking amongst the Newborns, correcting their movements and honing them.

The moment his eyes found mine he smirked at me, I arched an eyebrow, but a similar smirk was on my face. When I'd confronted Maria before I had been the Colonel in an academic manner, I had known it but had never really felt it, not in the core of me. Now it hummed through every cell of my being, and the air seemed to crackle with my newfound control and power.

A body flew out of the fray heading straight towards me, I saw Jay tense a little though he never paused in his work, but I sidestepped the vampiric missile and tore the head off of the body, tossing it aside and lighting the venomous body before it joined the head on the floor.

They were all disposable, replaceable, worthless.

I was the Colonel and nothing could beat or break me.