A/N:
These started out as one-shots examining relationships between the Bella and the Cullen's fifty years after her change, but then I realized it would perfectly fit my Consequence Series. This is installment III of Consequences, though they can be read in any order. This is chapter 1/3.
Bella Cullen realized that she and Edward would argue a longer if not for Jasper.
Right now as she stewed, waves of calm and reasonable feelings overwhelmed the anger that was making her hands shake. "Come on Jasper, I know you're here." Bella shouted into the woods. He appeared from behind the trees, the air of shyness that still hadn't dissolved after fifty years very evident.
"I'm not good at subtle, am I?" He laughed slightly. Bella shook her head ruefully.
"I just know the symptoms." She replied. Jasper sat down beside her awkwardly.
"You know, even Carlisle and Esme disagree." He said gently, knowing, as always, just what she was feeling. Bella frowned and looked at him. "Carlisle and Esme disagree once every century." She said sternly. "Don't try to make me feel better about this. I hate arguing with him."
Jasper didn't need to ask who 'him' was. "He loves you Bella. Never forget that."
Bella closed her eyes. "I've always known that, Jasper. But—"
"You're worried that may not be enough." Jasper finished. She nodded. Jasper could feel remnants of anger, and confusion and worry, and underneath all of that, love. "Bella, Edward is worried about you."
"He still blames himself. He still thinks I've damned myself and he's angry and guilty all the time." Bella said, sharpness creeping into her tone.
"That's who Edward is, Bella." Jasper said calmly. "It's his nature to shoulder every bit of blame around him and pile it onto his shoulders."
"It's stupid." Bella said, frustrated. "I don't know if he can keep on loving me, when I'm the cause of so much of this pain."
"You're just insecure." Jasper said softly. "I know. Nothing could ever make Edward leave."
Bella was quiet for a few minutes. "Jacob wrote to me."
Jasper looked at her with mild surprise. "That explains a lot of what I've been feeling." He remarked.
Bella looked at him sharply. "Edward wasn't jealous was he? —Because I'm a vampire now and I won't hurt Jacob by seeing him."
"Not jealous, but—angry a bit. And he was concerned, and sad. There was a quite a bit of control there too." Jasper replied. Bella slumped. Her eyes tightened a bit when she thought of the letter. Jasper looked at her quizzically when he felt the grief and wistfulness emanating from her.
"You don't regret your decision, do you?" Jasper asked quietly, tentatively.
"No! The letter said—well, you can read it." She answered, pulling the already worn piece of paper scrawled across in Jacob's still illegible handwriting. Jasper took it with surprise.
After a few moments he put it down. "I can see why Edward felt the way he did. He's insecure too, you know. Hoping you won't grow tired of him and fall in love with another. Scared Jacob will still love you, and that you'll let him."
Bella looked surprised at that. Jasper laughed.
"He's not perfect, though appearances can be deceiving." Jasper teased. Bella gently punched his shoulder.
They were silent for a few moments. Bella smiled gently and looked at her long, graceful, icy fingers. She flexed them and admired the delicate band of gold and stones that wrapped around her ring finger.
"And to think I made such a fuss about putting this thing on." She murmured, amused as she remembered the night she put it on the first time. She was lost in memories for a few minutes, struggling to remember the way it felt to bask in the sun on a beach, or to fly with Edward. (She thought of running with him carrying her as flying.)
She had forgotten that Jasper was there, so he startled her when he spoke. "Carlisle and Esme argued quite a bit their first fifty years together." Jasper commented. "Carlisle told me that when Alice and I had a disagreement." Then he noticed her surprise. "What are you thinking?"
"You're one of the few people I know who I can forget about being near. I'd forgotten you were sitting right beside me." She explained ruefully.
Jasper smiled. "I could say the same of you. Only I know when anyone is near me. Sometimes I wish I could trust that what I'm feeling is my own."
"It must be hard, feeling the pain of the world." Bella said softly. "And people are never quite at ease with you, when they know what you can do."
"There are perks." Jasper replied, an almost flippant tone to his voice. "People rarely lose their temper around me."
Bella laughed, then abruptly stopped. "I'm going to Forks, Jasper." She said. "I don't care if I see Jacob, I don't care if I'm recognized, I need to say goodbye to Charlie."
Jasper's face was serious when he nodded. "I understand." He said. Bella nodded. "I knew you would. I think that the others—they don't know what I feel. I still feel guilty for leaving him, and I need to know that he's gone, and that I can say goodbye."
"To humanity?" Jasper asked, but it wasn't really a question.
"In a way, yes." She replied. "Charlie is," she winced, "was my father. He never accepted that I was Edward's wife, and I need to see him."
Jasper's ageless eyes looked at her with worlds of empathy. "I know what you're feeling." He said.
"Edward will want to come." Bella said flatly. "He can't though. The pack may accept me, to go to the funeral, but Jacob might not accept Edward."
"You don't want him there." Jasper added with assurance. Bella shot him an annoyed glance.
"I need to be alone for this." She retorted. The two of them were silent for a long moment, Jasper looking at Bella intently. Finally he spoke again.
"You do. If you'd like, I'll talk to Edward." He looked slightly sheepish as he offered.
"Thanks Jasper. He won't like me going alone, but he'll be able to realize it's what I need." Bella said decisively.