D is for darlin'
"I apologize, ma'am," were the first words out of his mouth after the initial nod of his head and "hello" at the tiny lady standing before him. So it had been a surprise when, on the second week of being together, and on their first shopping trip, Jasper had laughed upon seeing her lime green dress (the very height of fashion) and said: "Very...unique, darlin'." A very pleasant surprise, mind you. She'd grinned and wrapped her arms round him in glee. So by the time they'd arrived with the Cullen family,it had just been their sweet endearment that showed how much they loved each other.
Alice was so fond of her little pet name, that when she saw a vision of Maria visiting, she'd waited until Jasper was out hunting and then sobbed for three straight hours. Esme had stayed behind when Alice had privately begged her to, and now Esme knew why she'd been asked but didn't know why her (perhaps not so) little girl was crying. Or why Alice would come to her and not Jasper. She knew it must be bad. "Oh, darling, what ever is the matter?"
Through the water-less tears Alice chokes out a, "Maria," Esme knows who Maria is, of course, but doesn't make the connection to why Alice was crying. Alice continues, "is going to visit us." Esme rocks Alice like she was the little girl who showed up on their doorstep so many years ago. She makes shushing noises and finally Alice is down to whimpers. "Mom," she says. She doesn't want to admit it, but she's just so scared of losing him, so scared that he'll call her darling and cuddle her and tell her everything he'd told herself.
"Yes, sweetheart?
"What's going to happen?"
"Nothing," Esme murmurs. "Go and get cleaned up." She says it calmly and collectedly, but she is worried too. She's seen the look in Jasper's eyes when he mentions her. The pain, but also the feeling of belonging. She never knew if he felt like he belonged in their home, or back in the bloodthirsty coven. But Alice was the one he loved now, and by the way he looked at her, he'd never bear the pain of leaving her, surely?
She was pulled out of her pondering when the boys and Rosalie were back from hunting. Had she really spent an hour and a half just thinking? Jasper's face contorted.
"Where's Alice?" He asks needlessly, running up the stairs to find her. Undoubtedly, he finds her instantly. He looks at her. "Darlin'?" he says, treading carefully. "Have you got another headache?" She nods pathetically. It wasn't a whole lie. Her head hurts after all that crying. Certainly is draining, even if there are no tears. He hesitates for half a second. "Would you like me to stay with you?" She glares forlornly at her pillow so he can't see her screwed up face. Alice sits up for a moment so he can see. She hugs her heart-shaped pillow and angrily mutters a no. He bites his lip, a habit obviously not to be broken, despite Esme's trial and error methods. "But darl-"
"Don't call me that!" She screams, her breath caught in her throat. Her voice is so high he checks the windows aren't broken, shattered on the floor around him.
"D- Alice, love, why not?"
"My head hurts. Leave?" He lowers his eyes, hurt by her rejection but nods and leaves, anything to make her happy. After he leaves, she can hear them downstairs.
"What's wrong with her now?" Rosalie asks. She sounds concerned, but Alice hears her nail filing continue. So not that worried.
"I don't know," he says, deflated. She's hurt. He usually glares and says: "There's absolutely nothing wrong with my Alice." But she knows she's hurt him too. It doesn't make her feel secure and safe, though. She knows she's being silly, but she can't shake the feeling. She wants to call out for him, to say she's feeling sorry - but then they'd both know it's not true. She is feeling a burning in her throat though, so skips downstairs. She tries to keep her mind off of her, and asks Emmett to go with her. She won't feel safe knowing Maria could be lurking behind a tree at any given moment, ready to get her, because god knows Alice feels Maria could. She's only little, after all. Strong enough to defeat the strongest of humans but as Emmett has frequently told her, Renesmee could probably squash her, let alone a vampire. Jasper feels her fear so ditches his original plan of keeping his eyes focused on his magazine. His head snaps up and there she stood, staring back at him.
It feels like hours before she looks away.
"Emmett, can we go hunting?"
"I just..." he trails off, feeling Rosalie's eyes burning on him. "Yeah. Sure." He grabs his little sister's hand and leads her into the forest. "Don't worry, I'll save you from the grizzlies," he teases. He doesn't hunt for himself, feeling full, instead he watches Alice wondering what she's scared of. But then the wind blew and she froze.
"Alice?" he asks, but then he can smell the intruder too. He grabs Alice's arm. "You saw." It wasn't a question, so she doesn't answer. "Stay close to me," he murmurs.
"Why hello, my Cullen friends! Ah, yes. You're the grizzly lover. And you, little one, are Jasper's lover!" She takes a step forward as Alice simultaneously takes a step back. She stumbles on some bushes.
"What did I say?" Emmett snaps, bringing her closer protectively.
"Oh dear. A little clumsy. Never mind! Won't you show me to your guest room?" Maria's teeth glisten.
"Carlisle doesn't like visitors," Emmett says at the same time as Alice says, "Sure!"
"Alright," says Emmett. "I'll stay here. You ask Dad." Alice smiles and asks on the phone. He hears the determination in his daughter's voice, so says yes. Emmett mutters obscenities on the way home, always keeping one eye on the mascaraed enemy Alice was bringing home. Like that time she'd asked to keep Jacob. Esme had told her off, but Alice had chirped on, patting Jacob and feeding him bacon. He didn't complain.
They walked into Jasper on the path into their home and he visibly freezes at the sight of his sweet little Alice with her. He lets out a shaky breath.
"Hello," he says, composing himself. "What a surprise." Maria smiles.
"Yes. Though I'm sure your mate would have seen me coming. I made the decision a while a go."
"Hmm." He looks at Alice. "Shall we go shopping, get a gift for our guest, Alice?" She cringes at the edge in his voice that she rarely hears, but nods and swallows.
"Of course," she says pleasantly. His knuckles look like they'd pierce the skin if he gripped the steering wheel just a tad tighter.
"Is this why you're so upset?" He asks through gritted teeth, "because she will not be going anywhere near you." Alice shakes her head.
"Nope." She pops the P. "I can handle myself." It's you I can't control, she thinks bitterly. Jasper mutters something indistinguishable so Alice rolls her eyes.
"Well, what is wrong with you?" He says it angrily enough but his face is soft and so is his touch when he at least tries to hold her hand. She tugs her hand away. "I don't shout at you often. At all! I don't ever hold grudges, or not speak to you! I don't give you the silent treatment. So god knows why you won't speak to me!" He lets out a breath and tries to calm himself. "What did I do wrong?"
"Nothing. Yet." She looks up at him and he closes his eyes.
When they finally get home, Carlisle and Esme are waiting worriedly for them. Esme smiles and squeezes Alice's hand while Carlisle pats Jasper on the back. The four of them exchange looks. Esme raises an eyebrow at her husband but then quickly focuses on her children. "So, did you make up?" Esme sees no point in beating around the bush. Alice sighs and Jasper snaps a "No!" before vanishing to his bedroom. Esme's face softens at her daughter.
"What has he done?"
"Nothing. You know, yet."
"You're a clever girl-"
"I've been in high school for a very long time." She quips, tilting her head to see her mother's point. Esme frowns.
"Shh." She brushes a strand of her out of Alice's eyes. "And you love him to the moon and back."
"More," Alice says, barely a whisper.
"You don't want to fight."
"No."
"So talk to him."
While the women of his life talk it out, Jasper had been standing in his door frame, reasoning with Maria. Alice froze at the sight of them talking so easily. She was protective of him, but by no way in the way he was of her, but she wasn't possessive at all. She's always been rather immodest, too. She has no qualms about walking into the bathroom to check her hair or get her nail polish while someone is in the shower. She didn't care when Edward walked into hers, and she's had a conversation with Rosalie while she's in the bath by sitting on the bathroom floor. Alternately, she doesn't mind if anyone walks in on Jasper. She'd almost killed herself laughing when Jasper had yelped like a girl when Rosalie walked in the first time, he'd heard her outside dying with giggling with Rosalie.
But somehow, her just being in that room with him bothered her more than ALL of that together. It infuriated her to the highest degree. They were seemingly so engrossed in conversation they didn't hear her listening.
A feminine voice purred. "You're mine."
"No," he says softly. "I'm not." He pauses. "What do you mean?" Alice can't hear Maria now. She assumed she was whispering. Jasper's unusually loud voice boomed. "What?! No, of course not."
"We could."
"You wouldn't get the chance and I'd rather kill myself than let you. You won't get near her without her family watching. Edward can hear you. She'll see you coming beforehand. Emmett is the protective big brother. He'd rip you in half with his bear hands. Esme? She could kill the devil with kindness. Rosalie. Hmm. Perhaps that would be the best to watch. She's get her theatrical creativity out." Alice hears his laugh. "And me, well, I can't say I'd bother with the planning. I'm a man of my impulses, but of course you know that."
Alice motions for Esme, who has just sidled up to her, to be quiet. Esme prays in her head that he wouldn't break her already damaged heart. She loved her daughters so fiercely. Esme holds her breath.
"You wouldn't dare," Maria shrugs.
"Oh, but d-" Jasper freezes when he hears a muffled sob. He stands angrily, seething that she'd heard this woman say that about her. About the love of his life.
Don't waste darling on her, don't do it Jasper...Esme thinks worriedly. Alice thinks the world of that in his Southern drawl.
"Dear, I most certainly would." Alice and Esme breathe out a sigh they weren't aware existed till then.
Jasper walks to Alice and it's like the first time they met. Magic. "Darlin'?"
"Yes, Major?" She teases, using his old Army name. He pulls her close and she grins into his chest.
"I will always love you."
"I'll always love you too."
I didn't quite mean for this to get so long...I just wrote it by hand and now typed it..so I didn't even know. Tell me if you like it more like this. I feel like it's more natural. Can't phrase it right but if you prefer longer chapters, you get it.
Also you can give me suggestions of letters. I've done F so not that :P