Previously:
I stared at the quiet scene in front of me trying to see what had Jasper upset. I couldn't find it though. It was a cute one story log cabin. There was a large front porch, complete with wooden rocking chairs, and the rear of the house backed up almost into the woods. There was a large four bay detached garage to the left. The front lawn was expansive, the dirt path of the drive cutting two tire tracks through the snow.
"Everything ok Jasper?" He didn't answer, just continued to glare at the house. He slowly put his window down while creeping the truck forward. We were about halfway there when I smelled it.
Vampire. And it was less then 5 minutes old.
Chapter 9 -From Strangers to Family
BPOV
I watched as Jasper's eyes swept across the quiet, snow filled scene before us. He slowly brought the truck to a stop and tilted his head to the right, apparently listening for something. I was nervous. Who would be here? Looking around it didn't seem as if anyone had been here in ages. Jasper even said that since the house was so small no-one ever wanted to come here unless it was just one couple wanting to get away. Even then there were so many other, better places to visit that this poor, cute little home was basically ignored and eventually forgotten about. I wonder if they would let me live here for a while once things calmed down.
"Bella?" Jasper broke me from my daydreams and turned to look at me. "Your senses are stronger then mine. Can you hear or smell anything?" The look in his eyes was calculating but held a hint of hope. Allowing his calm demeanor to ease my own anxiety I closed my eyes and concentrated.
"I can only hear the forest. There is no sound coming from the cabin or the area around it. I can smell the fresh snow, the trees of the forest. I can smell you, of course, and the truck, but that's really…wait. There is a faint hint of roses, tobacco and…fresh cotton? And...and…there is something else off but I am having a hard time placing it." It was something familiar but not something you smell everyday. God! What is it? I should know what it is.
"Could the last scent be ink?" Opening my eyes I was surprised to see Jasper with a slight smile on his face.
Taking another taste of the air I found that Jasper was right. It was ink, old time, fountain pen type ink. How could I have missed that? I nod my head and Jasper's small smile turns to a grin as he pushes the gas and heads to the house.
My anxiety spikes again as we get closer and closer. "Jasper? Who is it? What is going on?"
Pulling the truck to park in front of the cabin instead of the garage, he turns and looks at me, amusement dancing in his eyes. "You remember me talking to you during your change about my past?" I just nod my head. "Well the two vampires that are currently hiding out back in the forest are Peter and Charlotte. Don't ask me why they are here because I have no clue. Peter just knows stuff and has a tendency to put himself in the middle of it."
"So they won't hurt us?" I couldn't help but be nervous. There was nothing telling me to run or that it was a trap. My intuition was actually telling me everything will be fine. But knowing all this still didn't stop my head from overreacting. I reached over and grabbed Jasper's hand as he turned fully in his seat to face me. Bringing his hand up to cup my cheek he looked directly into my eyes.
"They won't hurt us. I promise." I could feel the sincerity he projected and I knew he was telling me the truth. Then I felt something I wasn't expecting, his protectiveness. "Even if it had turned out to be someone else, someone who would hurt us, I wouldn't let them near you Bella. You are safe with me. I wont let anyone hurt you."
Any anxiety I had had left I felt melt away at his words. "Now, my little Puma, lets go inside and see
what kind of trouble Peter has gotten himself into over the last decade."
Hopping out of the truck I met Jasper around front and we walked up the short stairs to the front porch. As we opened the door a small piece of paper floated to the ground just outside the dark entrance. I picked it up and read it aloud.
Jasper & Bella
The yellow room in back is ours. Keep out!
Jasper started laughing and shaking his head. "That's just like him; coming here uninvited and claiming first pick of the bedrooms. Come on, Puma, lets go get our stuff and get ourselves settled." Turning he went back to the truck and started unloading our suitcases. He actually had a few this time since the plan was to stay here until I was able to be around humans again.
Placing our bags inside the door I looked around the great room. This was so unlike the other houses that I almost thought we had the wrong place. Maybe it just needed to be cleaned up a little. There were still drop cloths and plastic on all the furniture and there was dust and dirt everywhere. I could see the potential of this room, however. It ran the length of the house and was open to the roof. In the far left-hand corner was a small kitchen, an island separating it from the rest of the living space. The dining room table was small and round with only four chairs but it fit the corner between the kitchen and the front wall perfectly. There was a stone fireplace, framed by large windows, along the back wall and a small door in the right-hand corner that looked as if it led to the back of the property.
Taking the time to explore the rest of the house I found the bedroom that Peter had claimed as his and a room that looked like it could have been Edward's on the right side of the first floor. The basement held a small family room, an office and what was probably Rose's bedroom.
Of the two remaining rooms – two because I will not stay in Edward's, so his doesn't count – Rose's was the best. "If it is alright with you, Jas, I will take this one. I can't see you being very comfortable in here, anyway."
He poked his head in from the office and after looking around just shook his head. "Yeah, you can have this room. Maybe we can get some paint and freshen it up for you. I think I will take what must have been Carlisle's office. It will take some dusting but should work fine for me. The sofa is actually still pretty comfortable. For now, though, maybe start cleaning up what you can in here and we can start taking stock of this place to see what needs to be done to bring it up to Cullen standards. Don't worry, I already have the TV ordered." He winked as he left the room, leaving me behind, laughing at him. Men and their technology.
I spent the next few hours cleaning up the bedroom, unpacking my suitcases, and making a list of some of the simple things we would need, like a vacuum cleaner, duster, sheets, washer and dryer; you know, the things you take for granted in a home.
When I had done as much for my new bedroom as I could I walked upstairs to see what Jasper had been up to. I had heard him wander up there about an hour before. I was about halfway up the stairs when I heard the shattering of glass and the sound of snapping wood.
"JASPER!" Running the rest of the way up the stairs and out into the great room I found Jasper and
another vampire rolling on the floor, the wooden floorboards cracking and splintering. I could feel the anger rising up in me as I threw my shield around him. The unknown vampire was thrown back through the broken window where he had entered. Jasper was up and in a crouch as soon as the other vampire was free of him.
Deep laughter came from outside before we heard the loud crack of a vampire being hit by another.
"What in the HELL were you thinking?!? What is wrong with you? He could have, no, scratch that, he WOULD have killed you without even thinking about it! Jasper? I'm sorry, he ran in before I could stop him."
I looked up at Jasper, ignoring the woman as she continued to scream outside. He was standing now and while he didn't look happy he was no longer in defensive mode. He was reaching out and touching the shield I had put up around him. Running over to him I pulled the shield away. His hand still in the air, where the thin force field had been, he moved over and took me in his arms.
I took a breath and inhaled his scent, allowing it to calm my frazzled nerves. I hadn't realized just how angry and upset I had gotten seeing the stranger go after my Jasper. My arms snaked around his waist and I pulled him as close to myself as I could. He stepped to the side just a little, putting himself between me and the broken wall.
On the way here we had avoided the one conversation we should probably really have had, the one about us. At the time I just couldn't bring myself to start it, worrying that he wouldn't feel the same towards me as I did towards him. Now, though, being held in his arms, I really wished we had. Clinging onto him I took a few more breaths, calming myself further, before loosening my hold and looking up at his face. If we had talked then maybe I would know that he didn't mind that I held onto him like this, I would know why I felt so safe with him, I would know what that look in his eyes meant.
I could feel him shaking slightly in my arms. I watched as his eyes drifted closed and he pulled me back, into his chest. There was the light pressure of a small kiss to the top of my head before I felt him rest his cheek in the same spot, his arms tightening even more around me.
I heard the yelling that I had been ignoring stop suddenly. I threw my shield around us as Jasper loosened his hold on me, trailing his left hand down my right arm and interlocking our fingers. He turned, keeping me slightly behind him but not standing in front of me entirely either.
Looking out at the pair of vampires in the back yard, the male looking guilty and the female glaring at him, I was suddenly hit with the realization that not only had I been able to protect Jasper but that he had let me, without so much as one word. He didn't try to send me away when I went to him, he didn't yell at me for getting in the middle of his fight or even for helping him. In fact he pulled me closer, like he needed me to be there.
This was something that Edward would never have allowed. He would have yelled at me, would have chastised me for trying to help, and would have tried to send me away so he could handle it. He never would have let me stand with him to face whoever was out there, even if he knew who they were, as I suspected Jasper did in this situation.
I had to fight to hold back my laughter. That didn't stop Jasper from feeling the sudden wave of amusement from me though. He was looking back at me with an eyebrow raised in silent question. I just shook my head. How could I explain that I found it highly amusing that Edward was always so worried about protecting me, making sure I was safe, when here I was with the power, the ability to protect others? Sure, I can't protect them from everything, I can only protect myself and my mate from physical attacks, according to Eleazar...
Wait…
Eleazar said that he thought I would only be able to project my physical shield to protect myself and my mate. I had not only just protected Jasper from a physical attack, but I was able to project my shield to where he was. Just as Jasper was turning to look at me fully I tried my best to hide the confusion and whirlwind of other emotions that I was going through. I knew that I liked Jasper, hell if I was honest with myself I would admit that I was falling for him, but could he really be my mate?
I shook my head to try and clear my thoughts. I needed to concentrate on what was going on around me. This was not the time to think about this. The two crimson eyed vampires were walking through the hole in the wall and I still did not know who they were or why they attacked Jasper, who was just staring at them with a hard look in his eyes. I felt him squeeze my hand just a little, the simple gesture reassuring me.
The strangers stopped just inside the room. The male looked like he could have been Jasper's older brother. He was the same height, his hair the same color although cut short. He was also a bit stockier and his face a bit rounder then Jasper. The woman beside him was petite in both height and build. She was probably only a bit taller then Alice and had long, straight blonde hair that was blowing in the breeze brought in by the giant hole in our wall.
"You are so going to be fixing this, asshole." Jasper broke through my assessment of them. I could hear the amusement in his voice but his face was set in a slight sneer. The guy's eyes shot up from the floor to meet Jasper's as the woman cleared her throat. "What? Don't give me that look, Char. He was the one who not only came through the window but then fucking attacked me!" She just met his stare, giving it right back to him, as her eyes darted to me and then back to him. "Oh."
I was even more confused now then when this whole thing started. This was Peter and Charlotte? Why would Peter have attacked Jasper, though? I heard Jasper clear his throat as he gave my hand another slight squeeze. I let him feel some of my confusion and saw him nod his head slightly in response. I was not going to be dropping my shield until I knew exactly what was going on. I didn't quite know just how I was doing it, anyway, so I wasn't going to chance not being able to call it up again.
"Puma, these are my good friends, Peter and Charlotte. Peter, Charlotte, this is my, ahem, this is Bella Cullen."
I tried to give them a small smile. Charlotte took a small step forward, towards us. "Bella, it is so nice to meet you. I hope that my idiot of a husband didn't scare you too badly." She shot a look back to Peter who was quietly looking at the ground, but I caught the smirk on his face. He might be acting sorry but he wasn't. "I don't know what he was thinking, attacking Jasper like that. He knew you were here."
I dropped Jasper's hand and, finally, my shield. As I walked slowly up to Charlotte I could feel Jasper's eyes on me but he let me go without so much as a breath. Smiling as I got close to her I reach over and give her a light hug. "Don't worry about it. Everything ended up fine and really, these floors needed to be replaced anyway." Breaking our hug I looked back to Jasper who was smiling at me with bright eyes; I couldn't place the emotion hidden there. Looking back at Charlotte I could see the hope there as she smiled a huge smile at me. It was as if an instant friendship had been born. The bright teal in her eyes told me that she would not only be very important to me as a friend, but also as a sister.
Suddenly I was scooped up from behind in a tight hug. Knowing it was just Peter I fought with my instinct to shield myself and let him swing me around.
"Peter!" Jasper was growling. "Put her down. Now." I was on my feet by the time Jasper had been finished speaking and before I could even worry about my balance he was beside me. Peter had backed up a few paces and was holding his hands in the air. "What the hell is your issue today, Peter? Why did you not only attack me but break apart the entire wall to do it?"
Peter shrugged off the question. "I just wanted to make an entrance. So, Bella dear, what got you stuck babysitting our Major here?" Jasper's growl was getting louder as Peter spoke. I had the feeling that Peter was doing everything he could just to get Jasper riled up and I couldn't help the smile that broke out at that thought.
"I think it was the other way around actually. He is running around babysitting me."
Jasper just shrugged and pulled me over to the sofa. "Not like you are all that difficult to look after. We just need to keep you away from the humans for a while yet."
"Having trouble sticking to the animals are you? Char, we lost another one to the darkside." Peter was shaking his head in mock shame but Charlotte had started laughing.
"She's a newborn you idiot!"
"What?" He looked truly shocked.
"Yeah, just a few weeks old now. What, you all consider me a newborn until I hit a year old right?"
"For the most part. Your super strength and speed will last about that long but really it depends on how well you take to the change. You are doing exceedingly well. You managed to fool old Peter here, and that is not easy." Jasper was probably enjoying that a little to much. Peter was still sitting there with his mouth hanging open. Reaching over I close it for him.
"Unless you like the taste of fly you might not want to leave that open." I was rewarded with laughter from Jasper and Charlotte. Peter however narrowed his eyes. I crossed my arms and lifted my eyebrow, I wasn't buying it. His lips twitched before he gave in and laughed with the others.
"I like you Bella. We are going to have a lot of fun. I can see it now." Jasper groaned at that, which Peter ignored, instead continuing to talk to me. "Now dear Bella, what is your story? "
I knew it was coming but that didn't mean I was looking forward to getting into it all again. Do they even know who I am? "How much do you know already?"
Charlotte looked down at her lap as she answered. "Well, nothing really. We haven't spoken to Jasper in a little over ten years. We haven't seen him for almost thirty."
Wow. That was a long time. I realize I must have been quiet for a little longer then I thought when I felt Jasper's hand rest on my leg and a wave of concern from him. I shook my head and turn to smile at him. Well, the beginning was the place to start it seemed. "I moved to Forks, Washington last year where..."
"Forks? Seriously? Who names their town after silverware?"
I had to choke back my laughter at Peter's opinion. It was a silly name for a town but if I didn't get this all out at once I wouldn't get it out at all. "I don't know. Now if you want to know what happened then no more interruptions. Do it again and I won't finish, got it?" I tried to give him a stern look. I guess it worked because Peter just nodded and mimed locking his mouth. I caught a proud smile on Jasper's face before he looked down, hiding from my view.
With a deep breath I launched into my story since arriving in Forks. I still gave the cliff notes version but went into a little more detail then I had with the family. Something told me that not only could I trust these two but also that they would benefit from knowing.
By the time that I had finished the anger in Peter's eyes matched Jasper's. Charlotte launched herself over the coffee table between us and attached herself to my neck in a fierce hug. I lost it and began sobbing into her shoulder. I felt Jasper's hand on my back, rubbing softly, to help me calm down. I was angry with myself for breaking down. I thought I was over what happened but the compassion in Charlotte's hug told me it was ok to let go. I didn't have to be strong all the time.
I felt the couch dip as Peter sat down next to me. He lightly moved Charlotte away so that he could give me his own hug. After a few moments I calmed down enough to talk again. "Sorry about that guys. Don't know what got into me."
Jasper and Peter both went to speak, Peter beating Jasper by only half a second. "Don't ever apologize for that Bella. Ever. You have nothing to be sorry for. What that ass did to you was unacceptable and the fact that you are not only here but aren't royally screwed up because of it speaks volumes about your inner strength."
I closed my eyes and took a breath before giving a quick nod and responding. Peter was right, I had nothing to be sorry for, it was ok to be upset every now and again. "Thank you."
We were all quiet for a moment, squished on the couch. Finally Jasper spoke up. "Now that you Bella's story, what the fuck are you guys doing here?!?"
Peter laughed and moved back to the sofa across from us, Charlotte following. "I knew you would need my help and so we left Mexico and drove up here. We were headed to Alaska but about halfway there I decided it would be better to come here instead. We only beat you here by a few hours."
Jasper was smiling, his amusement reaching his eyes. I wanted that look to stay on his face. He really didn't smile enough. "And why did you feel the need to attack me? And don't try to charm your way out of fixing that hole in the wall."
"Like I said. I wanted to make a entrance. First impressions are important, I wanted to make a good one on Miss Bella here."
We all broke out into more laughs, after I informed Peter that he actually did not make a good first impression. We relaxed and talked some more about noting real important, Jasper, Peter, and Charlotte mainly catching up on the past years. By the time that we broke so I could go hunting, Peter and Charlotte had wormed their way into my heart and became like another family to me. I had gone from one rather small and broken human family to two very full vampire ones, The Cullens and The Whitlocks.
~*~
The sun was beginning to rise as I stood on the front porch and watched it begin to peek up over the horizon. Jasper had left early this morning to travel the several hours into town to pick up some things for the house. He probably wouldn't be back until this afternoon. Peter and Charlotte were currently in their bedroom where I was not about to interrupt. We had been at this home in Montana for three days now with no word from our family. I was really beginning to worry and being away from Jasper was just making it worse.
I was finally allowing myself to think about everything I had been putting off thinking about. I ran through everything that Eleazar had told us about my power and couldn't believe that I hadn't caught on earlier to the fact that he thought Jasper was my mate. I liked to think of myself as an observant person, someone who picked up on little hints, but this one had gone right over my head. I was blaming the whole 'I have a super powerful ability' bomb he dropped for distracting me. Looking back on my rather short vampire life, however, it wasn't just Eleazar and Carmen who thought that something might be happening between us. Really thinking about the things that Alice and Esme had told me, I could tell that they thought the same.
I knew that I was falling for Jasper. How could you not? Beyond even the physical attraction, because, really, he was just downright gorgeous, he was a perfect mixture of strength and sensitivity. He has protected me since the moment he found me but at the same time has allowed me to find my own way, be it right or wrong. That was something that endeared him to me regardless of whether or not we ended up together.
The more I pondered the subject of Jasper, though, the more I was forced to think about my relationship with Edward and the fact that he really hadn't been a good boyfriend. He completely took over my life and controlled everything he was able. Where he should have encouraged me to try new things, he held be back because I might get hurt. He constantly told me I needed to have human experiences but then kept me away from my human friends. His endeavors to convince me that I was beautiful and worthy were almost the only good thing he had done for me.
The truth of it, though, was that as much as Edward hadn't been a good boyfriend, I hadn't been a very good girlfriend. I did nothing but complain to him and doubt his feelings. I gave in to him more times than not and, while most of the time it really didn't matter to me what we did, there were times where I had ignored what I wanted in favor of his ideas. I relied on him far more than what was healthy and that had put on him a pressure that he never deserved. It made me wonder that perhaps if I had stood up for myself from the beginning that, when things began to get bad, we would both have been far better prepared to handle it.
It was amazing how much I have changed since, well, my change. I expected the physical changes but the emotional ones were a surprise. The memories I had managed to hold onto were a bit fuzzy but I could remember feeling unworthy of his attention and that I wasn't good enough. It was sad but vampire me had to agree, though not for the same reasons as the human me.
For what it was worth, I was able to see now that I always had been pretty and that I had been the only one holding myself back. I had allowed my fears to take over my life and rule me. I now understood that the only truth in my theory that I hadn't been good enough for the Cullens to befriend and take in was that it is impossible to be good enough for others when you are never good enough for yourself.
I had always blamed my mother for forcing me to grow up too fast, and maybe she did mess up some things, but she also taught me to follow my heart, that everyone deserved to be happy regardless of their situation, and that everyone had it in them to be happy. That was a lesson I had forgotten.
I blamed not being popular on my looks when the truth was that I had never let anyone in. I had hidden behind my long hair and books and had secluded myself from the world around me. I had been so lost in my own head that I hadn't been able to see just how much the people around me truly cared. My mother, my father, the Cullens, even Angela and Mike from school. Once I met Edward no-one but him had mattered. I truly wondered now why they had put up with me. I could only hope that it was because they could see through the walls I had unknowingly built around myself.
Knowing now that those walls were there I was able to think back upon the past few weeks to when they had begun to come down. The first cracks started to appear when I refused to accept Edward's words. Granted, it was for the wrong reasons; had he managed to leave me in the woods I was sure that I would have fallen apart. But that was when the foundation first cracked all the same. Then, during my change I accepted that I wasn't going to be able to change my situation, but I could still change how I would react to it. It took me a few days to come to terms with everything but, by the time I was sitting on the roof with Jasper, I had finally allowed myself to fully open up to someone. I had listened while he let me past some of his own walls and, later, when I told him what happened with Edward I wasn't able to censor it. It was the first time I had ever said everything that came into my mind and allowed myself to feel every emotion that passed through me. And it had felt great.
I was stronger now then I had ever been before, and not just physically. Deep down I knew that I would now be able to handle whatever it was that life decided to toss at me. I would be strong when I needed to be, able to hold up those whom I loved and who loved me. I might still have my insecure moments but who on this earth doesn't? The difference now is that I would not let those simple insecurities take over and keep me from doing whatever it is I want to do.
Taking a deep breath, I was surprised to find that the sun was high up in the sky. I turned and almost jumped in surprise at finding Peter leaning on the door watching me. He gave me a wide smile as he walked over to me.
"Well, Little Bella, you figure out what you needed to?" I wasn't quite sure what he was talking about; what was it that I was supposed to figure out? He just continued to smile at me as I stayed silent, never breaking our eye contact. Finally he just nodded his head. "Stay strong, Bella. He is going to need that strength." With a final nod he turned and walked back inside.
I remembered Jasper saying that Peter just kind of knew what was going on, and that he loved being all cryptic about it, but he hadn't quite gotten across to me just how annoying it was. As I walked inside I was suddenly drenched as a bucket of water was dumped on my head. He had also failed to stress just how much Peter liked practical jokes. I suddenly couldn't wait for Jasper to get back so I wouldn't have to deal with him alone. Or plan, alone, how to get back at him.
AN: Hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday!! Sorry this is late being posted but after some writers block and then some changes it just took a while to finish.
I have a beta now! I feel so official now. Thank you Sinvisigoth for helping me out here, your help is invaluable!!
Let me know what you all think!
Have a fun and safe New Years!!
