Chapter 3 - Consequences


… The metal bowl scraped against the concrete floor. Remnants of my last meal dried around the edges, flecks of mold growing from the dried bits. I dipped a finger into the cold, thick substance; the smell was repulsive, but I was starving. Using my fingers, I scooped it into my mouth, a brown watery liquid dripping down my hand. I didn't allow myself enough time to consider what it was. I was just too hungry ...


Jasper POV

I couldn't let her leave me, not like this, not without explanation. I darted out the door, searching for signs of my wife, but she was gone.

"No!" I growled, slamming a fist into the ancient oak beside the house.

I felt betrayed. I had given her my devotion and trust. She promised to love me. She promised we would be happy. I had cared for her when she couldn't care for herself.

I leaned back against the tree and slid down. Resting my arms on my knees, I closed my eyes and tried to hold myself together.

I felt someone approaching from the house, looking up I saw Rosalie. Her expression matched my feelings. She didn't say a word as she sat down on her knees beside me, and neither did I.

She pulled me into her arms and the pain overtook me as I shook with sobs.

"I wish I knew what to say to make this better. I'm so sorry, Jasper." Rosalie was struggling to comfort me, but nothing right now could give me that.

The hurt and anger for what Alice had done was threatening to consume me, her parting words echoing in my mind. Follow your heart. You might be surprised where it leads you.

My heart led me to Alice, and she returned my love by tearing my heart in two.

"Why don't we go for a hunt?" Rosalie asked softly. "It will help you clear your head."

She was right. I needed to hunt. Manipulating Bella's emotions had drained me, but I couldn't seem to gather the strength to leave without knowing how she was. The need to know clawed at my mind. I used my senses and gift to reach out to her. She was far from calm, but wasn't as unstable as before. It surprised me how much that piece of knowledge set me at ease.

We found our way into the dense woods, and it didn't take long to find a suitable distraction from my pain. A medium-sized black bear was sitting back on his haunches in a patch of blackberry bushes. I didn't need to stalk up to him, surprise wasn't my intent. I needed a fight. I needed the release that would come from challenging him.

I growled and stalked towards him, making sure he saw me coming. He rose cumbersomely, rocking forward so he fell onto all fours. I snarled, stepping closer. He lifted his head letting out a warning growl, his hackles raised. He was ready to fight.

When I charged him he made a move to run, but I wasn't having that. I circled him, goading him into a fight. With no other choice, he did. We tore at each other, snarling and roaring, dirt and blood matted on us both. He grew tired quickly and surrendered. I drank greedily from him, letting the blood soothe me, washing away my pain.

I turned and saw Rosalie leaning nonchalantly against a nearby tree, absentmindedly peeling the bark away from the trunk. "Feeling better?" she asked, looking over at me, dropping a piece of bark as she did.

I brushed away what remained of the debris on my clothes. I would need to shower and change when we got home. My shirt was in tatters, and a mixture of blood and dirt was smeared across my exposed chest and arms.

"Not particularly," I said, taking a seat on a nearby rock.

"Wanna talk about it?"

"I don't know where to begin, Rose," I said as I scraped my nail into the rock below me. "She's been my life for decades. I did everything I could think of to help her during these past two years, and in one moment it's over. She wakes up, and after a few cryptic words, she disappears." The pain was back and my words were becoming choked again. "I mean, what the fuck, Rose? What did I do wrong?"

"You didn't do anything wrong, sweetie. I don't know what's going on in her head, but it's Alice. I'm sure she thinks she's doing the right thing."

"The right thing for who, though? How can it be the right thing to desert me like this?"

"I don't know. I wish I did but she's never steered you wrong before. Maybe you should follow her advice, as convoluted as it may be."

How could I follow advice I didn't fully understand? She wanted me to follow my heart. What if where my heart was leading me was wrong? The only pull I had other than to hunt Alice down and force her to explain, was to Bella. She couldn't have meant for me to go to her, to be with her. She was Edward's and, more importantly, she was human.

The thought of Bella made my body tense. The more I thought of her, the more I needed to be near her, to be assured of her safety. I couldn't fight the draw to her much longer. Was this what Alice meant?

I shook my head and made my choice. Okay, Alice, I'm trusting you. I'll play along. I just pray you know what you're doing.

"Jasper?" Rosalie asked, gaining my attention again. "Are you all right? I asked you if you were ready to go back but you were just staring off."

"Sorry, I was just thinking. I guess I didn't hear you."

She looked at me curiously. "And did you come to a decision?"

"Yeah, I did, and I think it means it's time to head back."

"Okay"-she shook her head-"and you call Alice cryptic."

I couldn't help but smirk at her comment, but I didn't think it was time to share my suspicions about what Alice had meant, not until I was sure of it myself.

When we approached the house, we could hear the distinct sounds of a struggle. Emmett's voice carried over the chaos, demanding Edward release Bella. I pushed myself harder. Moving into the house, I quickly ascended the stairs. Rosalie was behind me, concern at the forefront of her emotions, but I didn't know if it was concern for Bella or what I would do when I reached her.

The door to the guest room was open. Inside, I found Edward pinned to the floor by a raging Emmett, his knee pressing into the small of his back, his hand wrapped around Edward's neck, gripping his chin and pulling his head back. He was snarling, mouth agape, venom dripping from his chin. This was the second time today Edward had found his head nearly removed, and had the situation not been so dire, I would have laughed.

Looking around the room I quickly found Bella amongst the mess. She was standing in the corner, visibly shaking. Her gaze fell upon me and ever so slightly her rigid posture softened. Carlisle was speaking quietly to Esme, reassuring her, but he was radiating disappointment and irritation.

Rosalie went to Emmett's side, and began calming him enough that he would release Edward. I considered assisting with my gift, but I wasn't sure that Edward didn't deserve it.

Esme looked at me and flitted from the room, returning a moment later with a clean shirt and a damp cloth. Moving quickly, I tore off the remnants of my shirt and, using the cloth, removed as much of the dried blood and dirt from my face and neck as I could. Esme nodded to me that I looked presentable enough and I slipped on the shirt.

I felt a wave of mixed emotions coming from the corner Bella was in, she had been watching me change. Something about me had caused her to feel a mix of curiosity, fear, and sympathy. I studied her carefully, curious as to why she would have felt sympathy for me. Was it for me? Bella had been an enigma at times in the past, and it seemed that some things hadn't changed.

I turned towards Carlisle and Esme and, careful of my tone, I asked what had happened.

"Edward was trying to-" Carlisle began, but was cut off by Emmett's growl.

"Don't you dare defend him, Carlisle! He was holding her against her will!" Emmett snapped sharply. Hearing his outburst, Rosalie, who was helping Edward up, shoved him back to the floor.

I drew in a breath and bit back a growl. "Carlisle?" I said, urging him to continue.

"I wasn't going to defend his actions," he said, first looking at Emmett. "As for the issue at hand, Edward had attempted to comfort Bella, who was experiencing a bit of upset after our failed attempts at getting her to eat the lunch Esme prepared."

"Excuse me, but I fail to see how this led to Edward nearly losing his head," I said pointedly.

"I screwed up," Edward said, his guilt and remorse overpowering the other emotions in the room. "She was crying, I only wanted to comfort her. She tried to fight me off, so I held her arms so she wouldn't hurt herself. She began screaming. That's when Emmett came in, and before I knew it, I was pinned to the floor."

"I warned you, Edward," I growled. "I told you she felt more fear near you. Now she's terrified in the corner. You're lucky it was Emmett and not me, I would have removed something, and it wouldn't have been your head."

Edward stiffened and stepped away. His self-loathing bullshit was his only saving grace right now. Had he not felt remorse, I would have willingly inflicted pain until he had. My last thought gave Edward pause as he exited the room. I expected him to say something else but he didn't, instead, he dropped his head and disappeared into the hall.

With Edward gone, I felt Bella's fear lessen. Edward could be impossibly obtuse at times, and when it came to something he believed was his, he was that much worse. In his eyes, I am sure he thought that his touch could magically bring Bella back from the brink. He still saw her as the innocent girl he knew in Forks, but that's not who she was anymore.

"I think it would be best if everyone else stepped out. She seems more accepting of me," I said to them, too low for Bella's ears.

"Are you sure you will be okay?" Carlisle asked. I nodded and they left, closing the door behind them.

I watched her carefully, and when she seemed settled enough, I walked slowly towards her, letting her adjust to my presence. She eyed me cautiously but didn't move away. Her emotions stayed fearful but not more than they had been before. I stopped when I was a few feet away, her posture relaxed and her curiosity piqued. I couldn't help but wonder what was going on in her mind.

"You're hungry," I said gently, watching her response. She shook her head and drew back closer to the wall.

"I can hear your stomach growling. You're hungry," I said, tilting my head slightly.

She furrowed her brow and deliberated for a second before shaking her head again.

"No, angel, that won't do. You need to tell me what you're thinking. Did you not like the food?"

Again, she shook her head. This wasn't going to be easy, I sighed and centered myself. I was going to need to be firmer if I was going to get a response.

"No, you need to use words, Bella. Did you not like what she brought you? We can get something else if that's the case, but I'm not going to stand by and let you starve yourself."

Her eyes widened, and I felt her panic spike, but I held firm rather than backing away. We stared at each other, and finally, I felt a shift in her emotions. She was deliberating her choices now.

She drew in a breath and averted her eyes before answering. "I-I-I I couldn't. I'm not supposed to. I'm not allowed."

I wanted more than anything to storm out the door and hunt down whoever it was that had hurt her, but for now, I needed to help her.

"They had rules where you were?" I asked, hoping to solicit some more information.

"I-I-I wasn't allowed to eat unless I earned it."

Earned it! My anger was becoming harder to conceal, venom was pooling in my mouth and I had to bite back a growl.

"Did they have other rules?" I asked.

"I can only eat from the floor. They put my food in a bowl."

I nodded, keeping my expression light. I learned something from the questions, other than just how she was treated. There were more than one involved; she had said they. Sensing her discomfort, I stopped my line of questioning for now. She was tired and confused, and her stomach was growling loudly.

"Well, you live here now, and here we have rules, too. One is that you eat from the table, or a tray, anywhere other than the floor, and another is that you talk to us, no more shaking or nodding your head as your only response."

I felt her conflict over my rules. She wanted to do what I was asking, but it was hard for her. It was going against what she had been told for two years.

"Yes, sir."

"I have another rule to add to the list. I want you to call me, Jasper," I said, continuing to send her calming emotions. "No one here is better or above anyone else, that includes you. You can call us anything you want, as long as it's not sir or ma'am."

"Yes... Jas-sper," she said nervously.

"That's right, Angel. Now are you ready to eat?" I said stepping aside and motioning for her to leave the corner.

She nodded and stepped forward. Although she was cooperating on the outside, her emotions told a different story. I wouldn't be surprised if she was plotting an escape. I think the one emotion that disturbed me the most was the feeling of longing she felt when I asked her about the rules she had at the place she was kept.

I walked over at the tray that Esme had brought up earlier, touching the side of the bowl I wasn't surprised to find it was cold. I don't eat human food, but I imagine it tastes better warm. I pushed the tray back further on the dresser it was sitting on and turned to Bella. She was standing a few feet away from me, looking down at the floor.

"It appears that the food has gone cold," I said, pausing as I heard Esme in the kitchen informing me she was preparing a fresh meal. "Something hot will be here shortly. Until then, why don't you sit down." I motioned with a nod to the settee by the window. She was getting agitated again, so I increased the assistance I was giving to her to keep her calm.

She hesitated for a moment, but reluctantly she took a seat. I could feel her exhaustion. The day had taken its toll on her.

A soft knock tapped at the door before it opened slowly, revealing Emmett carrying a tray of food. His emotions were a welcomed relief in the small room. He was nervous and apologetic, but there was an undercurrent of pure warmth and brotherly love for Bella.

He had missed her so much. I knew to him it didn't matter how Bella looked. He would always see his little sister when he looked at her. But right now, I believe he was just concerned that mauling Edward had made Bella fear him even more than she already did.

"Bella, I've brought you dinner," Emmett chimed, walking into the room grinning from ear to ear.

Bella kept her eyes on the floor, her posture only stiffening slightly at the intrusion. Emmett's face fell when she didn't look up. For such an intimidating man, he really was all heart.

"Bellsy-boo, not even a hi for your big bro', I'm hurt," he said, ignoring her indifference and continuing on like the last two years had never happened. I could feel his determination to make this work.

"Sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to scare you if I did. I just couldn't let Eddie-boy do that to you," he explained, setting the food down on table beside the settee. He stared at it with a look of pure concentration for a minute before a his face lit up, apparently he'd experienced some type of epiphany.

Moving in a blur he nabbed the end table and brought it around to sit in front of Bella, and arranged the tray neatly in front of her. "There, that's better," he said triumphantly. "What d'ya think?"

Bella didn't look up, but the smell of the food made her stomach rumble loudly. I wondered when the last time she'd eaten a full meal was.

"No worries Belly-bear, you can thank me later. I know I'm awesome," he said cheerfully, though he was wounded that she hadn't responded. "Well I'll let you eat. I'll be back later to see you. Rose wants to visit with you, too."

He crouched down to her line of sight. "I missed you," he whispered. Bella sucked in a harsh breath, but otherwise didn't make a sound.

"Eat up before it gets cold, 'kay?" he said as he stood. He nodded to me and stepped out of the room, leaving Bella and I alone again.

Bella was still sitting there, unmoving, the food untouched in front of her.

"Something on your mind, Bella?" I asked, watching her closely. She was eyeing the food and was concentrating on something. She shook her head, and then turned her head to stare at the window.

"Eat," I said.

I felt a storm of negative emotions brewing in the air, and I prepared myself for whatever was to come. Her anxiety was high and she was fluctuating between too many emotions to guess what she was thinking.

"Eat," I repeated firmly.

Again the emotions coming from her were strong. She was highly suspicious, and she was giving off every sign that she was not only determined to defy, but she was accepting of the results she'd thought it could bring.

"Do you not like the soup?" I asked, but I knew that wasn't the problem. Her hunger was intense enough that she would likely eat anything that came her way.

"You're hungry and need to eat," I said, dipping the spoon into the bowl and bringing it to her lips. "Open, please."

Her lips tightened into a line and something similar to a growl was coming from her throat. She pulled her head away from me, and summoning courage, she pushed the tray back, sending it crashing to the floor.

She jumped up from the couch and charged toward the window. I easily swept her into my arms and began dosing her with calm. She thrashed, snapping her teeth trying to find purchase on my stone flesh. She screamed to be let go, but I couldn't.

The door to the room slammed open, bouncing back against the wall. Everyone was quickly inside, forming a line blocking the door, watching in horror.

"I won't stay with you! I won't!" She screamed, twisting in my arms, fighting my influence with all she had. "I want to go home!" Her voice was becoming rough from the strain and her body was growing limp. Her emotions were heartbreaking-longing, suspicion, fear. She truly didn't believe we wouldn't harm her. She didn't trust us at all.

Carlisle disappeared from the room only to reappear a second later carrying his bag. Edward and he shared in a silent conversation, and I had a feeling I knew what it was. They wanted to sedate her again, and honestly, I wasn't sure that was such a bad idea.

Bella's breaths were coming in pants now. It concerned me how quickly she'd become winded. It was just another reminder how little we knew about the condition she was in.

"Jasper," Carlisle addressed me holding a syringe in his hand. I nodded, and in a blur, he was beside us.

"Bella dear, this will help you calm down," he said, injecting the drug into her arm.

She slumped in my arms, and I picked her up, laying her down on the bed. Carlisle was beside her in a flash, checking her vitals. Her breathing was concerning me. She was wheezing now and gasping for air. Edward disappeared out of the room and returned back with a small black machine. Esme was quickly beside her on the bed, stroking her hair gently and whispering words of comfort.

"How is she?" I asked Carlisle, he was worried but still had a professional demeanor.

"Her heightened anxiety has led to her have an asthma attack," he explained while he attached a small tube to the machine, attached to that was a clear plastic mask. He twisted off the cap from a small plastic vial and poured the contents into a chamber. He switched on the machine and a pungent smelling mist began seeping out from the mask.

"This will help open her airways," he said, placing the mask on her face. She looked at him through half-closed eyes. She was too drugged to argue with the treatment.

"I think it would be best for the present time that we continue to keep her medically sedated," he said, reaching into his bag. "It will allow me a chance to do a proper examination. I suspect at minimum she will need IV fluids as she is showing signs of dehydration."

Carlisle laid out the supplies for an IV on the edge of the bed, pausing to look at me with concern.

"Blood?" I asked. Carlisle nodded and I left the room. Rosalie and Emmett followed me out. I wasn't comfortable leaving Edward there with her, but he was a nearly a doctor and could assist Carlisle if needed and Bella's health was the most important thing right now.

We walked down the hall and waited by the top of the stairs, listening to Carlisle discussing Bella's condition with Edward. From what I could understand, she was in far worse health than we had all imagined.

Emmett's curiosity piqued, I raised a brow at him in question.

"Do you think she will ever like us again?" he asked.

"I am sure in-" I stopped as a surge of bloodlust crashed over me. I pushed past Emmett and shot into the room where Bella was. Esme was standing in front of Edward, his eyes were black. She had her hands on his shoulders trying to reason with him. He wasn't beyond control yet, but he was close.

"Get him out of here. He needs to hunt," Carlisle said, standing protectively in front of Bella.

I moved to Edward's side, grabbing his arms from behind and dragging him towards the door. The smell of Bella's blood still lingered in the air, and though it made my throat burn, I knew at that moment I could never drink from her. The mere thought of drinking her blood brought about an overwhelming feeling of revulsion.

He growled and flexed his muscles beneath my grip. "Edward, not here," I snarled, pulling him into the hall.

Emmett was furious as he took in Edward's posture. "You tried to eat her!" he shouted, slamming a fist into Edward's face, the force knocking us both back.

Edward could only groan in response, his self-loathing emotions back in full force.

I released him, shoving him back into the wall. Rosalie was gripping Emmett's arm, holding him back from attacking again.

"Edward. Out. Now," I commanded, pointing towards the front door. "We need to talk."