I know you were all thinking; WHAT THE HELL WERE THEY DOING OUT IN THAT TREE?! Well, here ya go.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything Twilight-related. This came out of SMeyer's womb... I mean, dream.
"She's coming today?!" Rosalie boomed and Emmett tightened his grip on her shoulder. I glanced at Alice and she smiled weakly in my direction. She knew…
"Now, Rosalie," Esme began, Carlisle at her side. "I think it is proper to have Bella meet Edward's family. She is, after all, apart of this family."
Anger, remorse, frustration, excitement, sympathy, apathy, humor, and comfort along with my own thirst shifted around me. I hadn't taken my eyes off of Alice after Esme spoke. She noticed my concern, but shook her head in a minute fraction of a second before turning back to Carlisle and Esme.
"Perhaps we should cook for her," Alice said gleefully.
"Edward told us not to…" Esme murmured and then glanced at Carlisle, a smile spreading. "You're right. A little welcome dinner… I'm sure she'd be hungry." Carlisle pressed a kiss to her temple and my eyes shot to Rosalie and Emmett. "Rosalie, can you get the bowls from the cabinet? Emmett, take out the chicken and salad from the fridge," we always had to keep spare food in the fridge in case of any unexpected visits from humans from the hospital or perhaps a welcoming gift from a neighbor. "Alice and Jasper, can you—"
"Actually, I think it would be best if I had a word with Jasper… perhaps we can grab a quick bite before Bella arrives?" Alice persuaded sweetly. I winced. I was always considered the weakling.
Carlisle stopped and turned around from flipping cooking channels on the small flat screen television. He glanced at me with a weak encouraging smile and nodded. I darted out the window before Esme could approve.
The pads of my feet evenly distributed the weight and Alice landed right behind me. "You are crazy," I immediately spoke and she sighed.
"You are melodramatic," she said with a roll of her eyes as she put a hand on my shoulder and fought to keep up with me. "This is for Edward, not for you."
"I'm not saying this is about me. I'm saying, you knew about it and didn't tell me. How long?" I asked and she stopped behind me. I slowed to a human-paced walk and turned around. "How long did you know he would bring the girl?"
"Only a day or so…" she muttered reluctantly.
"Or so? And then you portray me as the weak of the group. If you gave me notice, if you told me… if you—"
"If I told you in advance, you wouldn't want to come. Nothing is going to happen. Edward will appreciate it if there is one person there who isn't like Carlisle and Esme. You can tell they are so excited and so—parents. Edward is embarrassed by whatever encouraging nothings they are silently telling him." She was behind me and on my back, pressing her lips to my temple. "I have confidence in you. I know that you won't hurt her. I know that you will come. I've seen you come; I've seen you welcome her. You wouldn't displease me," she said with a smirk.
I sighed and she tightened her grip around me. "Are all women this sadistic or is it just you?" I replied with a small sigh. She grinned and slid off my back. "Let's grab a snack and go back."
She held my hand and guided me off before we finished three deer and returned to the house. I heard the faint discomfort, annoyance, and then humor. Alice squeezed my hand one last time before rocketing up the tree at the side of the house.
I followed her and she stopped short, turning around to look at me, cupping my cheek with one hand. "She's there," I muttered obviously. Alice just nodded in response and I looked confusedly at her. Wasn't this what she wanted? Her time with Bella, her future soon-to-be best friend? Was I interpreting this wrong?
"Thank you," Alice said with a smile and I put my hand over hers on my cheek, pulling it back and kissing the inside of her palm.
"For…"
"For not harming her," Alice said with a grin and I smirked.
"I would become the meal," I heard Bella's somewhat familiar voice and had to get used to that embarrassment. She pressed a kiss to my lips and left me to follow the tree limb to the balcony near the kitchen. She jumped down and I followed.
"Hi, Bella," Alice greeted with a smile. Her excitement and anticipation was suffocating me. As I approached Edward and Bella as well as the rest of my family, I saw Edward note my appearance with a nod of thankfulness? Perhaps Alice was right. One less Rosalie and one less parental embarrassment was ease to his thoughts for today.
"I'm Alice," Alice approached the human easily, her scent hitting me like one thousand knife stabs to my burning throat. I stopped breathing then, watching Alice return to my side, knowing that she reeked of this girl's unimaginable mouthwatering scent. How I admired my wife's self-discipline and control.
Bella looked at me awkwardly and Carlisle glanced among us, but I barely noticed, so fixated that I might harm her. The scent was still burned in my memory. No amount of faux blood could tame this thirst. "Sorry… Jasper's our newest vegetarian, it's still a little difficult for him," Carlisle apologized and Alice squeezed my arm, her eyes never leaving me, my eyes never leaving Bella and Edward.
I snapped out of my reverie when Alice laced her fingers with mine following a tight squeeze. "Pleasure to meet you," I replied evenly, immediately refraining from another inhale. Alice sensed my unease and smiled warmly.
"It's okay, Jasper, you won't hurt her," she replied confidently and Edward glanced awkwardly between the two of us and our adoptive parents.
"Alright, I'm going to show Bella the rest of the house…" he said, stepping back a step.
"I'll see you soon!" Alice immediately spoke to Bella and Edward rolled his eyes as Bella replied with an uneasy 'okay'. As the ironic couple left the room, Esme leaned toward Alice, smiling.
"Cute!" she observed with a grin.
"I know," Alice replied with the same reaction, smiling and noticing my gaze fixated on where they had left.
"I think that went well," Carlisle muttered and Alice grabbed my arm, gently pulling me out of yet another reverie as she tried to make eye contact with me.
"You alright?" Alice asked as she earned my gaze and I nodded. She grinned with a look of 'I told you so' and I exhaled. Perhaps it wouldn't be this bad. Perhaps I was becoming more of an Alice or Emmett in this situation; just happy for our brother rather than resenting it like Rosalie.
"Clean this up," Esme said sternly to Rosalie. "Now," she said, pointing to the floor.
Review?