The Wedding Day
"Alice Cullen!" Her father called as soon as he walked into the hotel room. "Where the hel-?"
Alice ran out of her room in nothing but a towel and stood a good twenty feet away from her father. "Yes?" Her voice was as cold as she could make it, she had been submitted to a questioning about their mother's sudden, and violent, death.
They'd asked all the mandatory things. Where were you? Who could verify this for us? But then they'd asked if she knew of anyone who could have committed this crime... and Alice had known immediately who she would accuse. Her father. He had done something to Edward, and Alice wanted to know what. She wasn't curious... it was more of an incentive thing. She wanted to dangle it over his head that she knew. She wanted to threaten, she wanted him to cower to fear. It was sadistic in all aspects, but she loved Edward more than anything, and she wasn't willing to tolerate his stupidity anymore.
"You submitted my name." He said surprisingly evenly. His dark green eyes that looked so much like Edward's were locked on her small frame.
"Yes." Alice started walking back, some primitive instinct telling her to run like a bat out of hell, and Jasper had been a boyscout, he told her to trust her gut unless something could prove her wrong. Nothing was proving her wrong. She turned and walked back into her room, then she felt his hand clamp around her wrist.
"Tell me one thing."
Alice was silent.
"Did Edward say anything?"
Alice knew immediately to protect him. "No." She lied, ripping her hand from his grip.
It hurt when his hand connected with the back of her head. "Bitch." He hissed. "Don't say anything if you want to live through today for Jasper dearest." He mocked in a cold voice.
And then he was gone.
Alice ran through the halls of the large hotel they had picked for the wedding. She was in sweats and her make up wasn't done yet, but she ran. Her ears were ringing and her head stung where her father's fist had collided with it.
But, for what it was worth, she knew what Edward had gone through. Room one hundred and eight, her fists pounded like a mad woman's. "Jazz!" She yelled. "Jazz!" Her tears saturated her voice for a moment.
He finally opened the door. "Alice?"
She threw herself into his arms, hugging him to her shaking form tightly. He was solid, he was pliant, he was the same, he was there. He was all she needed. She cried and confessed her worst fears to Jasper. "Hes abusive, Jasper. My father is abusive." She gritted her teeth. "And I know he killed my mom."
Emmett sat with Rosalie on his lap, running his hand over the bump on her slightly larger stomach. "Olivia... Olivia..." He seemed to be tasting the name on his tounge... it tasted perfect. He put his hand there, resting against hers. "I love you... Both of you." Emmett bent in a dropped a chaste kiss on Rosalie's cheek.
Jasper held Alice's shaking form to his side, internally cursing the bastard that had dared to Alice such a bruise on her cheek. When they walked into her dressing room, Bella stood with Edward, talking quietly. "Did he talk to you guys?" Bella asked quietly.
And they immediately knew. "Yes," Jasper answered, then he shot a hard glance at Edward. "Hes abusive, and you never told."
Bella nodded. "He told me about a week ago."
"And you never told." Jasper guessed.
Bella shook her head. "I told Liz."
Both Cullens rounded on her, staring at her with hard expressions. Edward's was the most pained. Alice was horrified looking. "I had to tell her, Edward..." Bella's tears were the icing on the cake and Edward pulled her into his warm arms, offering comfort. "You wouldn't have told anyone, and I had to... you were so hurt, so broken..." She blushed, hating the spot light almost as much as Jasper. "I needed you to be okay, I love you."
Edward kissed her hard, and bruising on the lips. Jasper pulled his hands through his hair. "Do I still have a wife?"
Alice nodded, and pulled Edward away from Bella by the shoulders, his hands and arms stayed around her though. "Don't!" He moaned like a child. "I love you so much."
Bella pressed a soft kiss to his neck, then to his chin, then to his lips. "I love you just as much."
Alice shoved him out the door, and turned back to Bella. Bella gasped. "He hit you."
Alice nodded. "Make up."
Jasper's mouth seemed to have been unhinged. His lips were opened in the perfect 'o' shape. Alice had emerged in her white dress. The top clung to her small form appreciatively and her the skirt made her legs look so much longer. And around her pale throat, glistened not the pearls from her mother, but a small, silver necklace made of a lock and key.
Emmett could see it in Jasper's eyes. This was serious as death. The way that Jasper's eyes slowly traced her figure, making long languid strokes seemed to Emmett, to be the equivalent of sex. He sighed, resting his hand on Rosalie's leg. She smiled up at him, slipping her hand into his. "He really loves her." She whispers.
Emmett nodded. "Can you-?"
"See it in his eyes?" Rosalie smiled a huge smile. "Yeah."
Edward and Bella were in a back row, clutching onto each other. Bella's off the shoulder blue sweater and black slacks hugged her frame in a way that made Edward anything by gentlemanly. His own tuxedo was hot, but fit well and was comfortable. He was having a good time until about an hour ago, when Bella had confessed what she told Liz.
"Do you remember when we were like thirteen?" Jazz's voice was smooth and low. "I knew, Kitty. I knew right then, that you were the only one for me... even if some other girl wanted me, the only person I ever wanted was you... Kitty, through everything..." his fingers toyed with her necklace. "I've loved you. And I do love you. Alice.. .I guess what I'm trying to say is, I don't know how to put into words how much I love you." Jasper put his hands under her neck, wiping away a tear. His bass tone caressed the words. "I love you so much."
Alice swallowed and lowered her soprano voice to the same level. "You have always meant so much to me... Jazzy, when we were, well, when I was sixteen and you were seventeen, and I gave you my virginity, I loved you so much, and I wanted to make you happy." She smiled affectionately at him, running her fingers over the features she'd become so used to. "I want to wake up to your face every morning until the day I die.. and then, I'm going to watch over you. I'm going to keep you safe, Jazzy." Her voice was nothing more than a purr. "I love you so much too."
"Jasper Whitlock Hale, do you take Alice Brandon Cullen to be your lawfully wedded wife?"
"I do." Her eyes flashed a happiness that Jasper could feel through the fingers that clenched his.
"Alice Brandon Cullen, do you take-?"
"Yes! Of course I do!" Alice smiled very innocently at a very shocked priest.
After the priest had collected his barrings, he stepped aside and smiled at the newly married couple. He had hope for these youngsters, he hadn't heard such heart felt vows in a long time. "May I now present you with Mr, and Mrs. Jasper Whitlock Hale." He winked at Jasper. "You may kiss your bride."
Jasper put his hands under Alice's chin, and lifted her lips to his in a small kiss. Much like the first one they had ever had. Her hands refused to leave his cheeks. "I love you."
"I love you too."
Emmett followed up to the table where the newly wed couple sat. Alice was on Jasper's lap in a pair of dark wash jeans and a white sweater, she had insisted upon being comfortable, so most of the guests had dressed down. Jasper was in dark jeans and a black, long sleeved, tee shirt. "Jasper!" Rosalie said. She threw her arms around his neck, and in a sisterly gesture, kissed his cheek. "You're married now... hm..." She looked back at Emmett, gently letting her fingers wander down the path to her stomach. She was wearing a black, strapless dress that flared so their child wouldn't be such a spot light stealer. Better to keep it on the down low for now.
"Alice!" Emmett playfully looked at the pixie like girl. "Jumped the gun a bit, huh?"
She smirked at him. "I love Jasper that much."
"I know you do." Emmett winked back at her. "Hey, have you seen Edward?"
No one had seen Edward, as Edward and Bella, were locked in a hotel room with his father, as his father fired questions at each of them, trying to save his own sorry ass.
"I didn't say anything!" Bella whimpered as she felt a hand collide with her cheek .
Edward rushed forward, pulling her into an awkward embrace. "Don't hurt her." His voice hurt. His lungs hurt. His head hurt. Did he mention that he hurt all over? His father had been angry to say the least, and Edward was the closest punching bag. Bella wasn't going to get hurt too, not because of him.
"Shut the hell up!" Mr. Mason hissed. His fist collided with the side of Edward's head and everything went black...
"Help!" Bella screamed. She took off for the door, fighting the instinct to go back and protect Edward, but she was protecting Edward, her mind reasoned. Going off for some medical professional would help him, it was all she could do at the moment... She flung the door open and ran down the hall faster than she knew she was capable of, Mr. Mason followed at a safe distance, his face was red with anger.
"Help!" Came a muffled cry. Emmett tapped Rosalie's shoulder. "Listen." He coaxed.
"Help me! Its Edward!" Came the same, almost familiar cry... and then he knew.
"Bella! Whats wrong?" Emmett took off in her direction to discover Bella. Her face with a huge bruise on the cheek. "Bella, what happened to you?"
"Mr. Mason is abusive." She said, just by way of saying something. Emmett's eyes were dangerously observant, she didn't want him to know how scared she actually was. "Help me. He knocked Edward out."
Emmett ran with her, leaving Rosalie behind with her brother, and hauling Alice out of her own reception. If he felt anything, he felt that he'd been a dick. Taking Alice away from Jasper? Today? That was bad enough, but the fact that he'd left his wife behind when an abusive man was on the prowl made it so much worse.
Mr. Mason was waiting. Where were the damn kids anyway? They hadn't come back past him since he lost track of Edward's little slut, Bella. He sighed, and walked into the reception. Maybe today would be a good day.
"Wheres Alice?" He asked a frozen Jasper.
"Edward!" Alice ran into the room, the sight of her brother, cold and so broken looking, made tears suddenly spring to her eyes. "We need help." Alice murmured. "Emmett, go get Rosalie and Jasper, quietly, please, and bring them here."