Inception on a rainy night
Chapter 9
Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephanie Meyer.
A/N: I need to make a clarification before beginning this chapter.
It would take time, but the bitterness caused by her cheating would eventually melt away. She was just too sweet to resist.
These words were used by Carlisle, in the last chapter, when thinking of Alice. Unfortunately, due to the use of the word 'cheating', few of you are under the impression that Alice committed adultery when in a relationship with Jasper.
This is not the case. Please know that the word cheating was used to imply that Alice was deceitful when she allowed Jasper to think that they were mates when she knew that they weren't. She also managed to keep the truth from Edward for several decades despite his mind reading skills.
The word was used to show that Alice cheated Jasper of the knowledge that Alice was not his mate and that he had yet to find his true mate.
Now, with that little speed breaker behind us, time to move on.
Lo and behold! Finally the much awaited conversation between Carlisle, Jasper and Bella. Enjoy!
Previously
"Hello Isabella," I addressed the woman sitting in his lap.
Jasper's reaction was immediate, his growl reverberated through the high walls of the mansion and that Isabella did not jump, or show any outward sign of distress was amazing. Her cheeks did heat up in a beautiful blush though, probably at the impropriety of her position, but she managed a timid "hi" in my direction. The first interaction between Isabella and a new vampire had taken place and I waited to see Jasper's reaction. Even as I studied them, something told me that the delicate creature enfolded in my son's arms would be the one to hold together my crumbling family.
CPOV:
Isabella looked completely bewildered with Jasper's reaction to me and looked at both of us alternately, hoping to find the reason for Jasper's hostility. I wanted to relieve her of her apprehensions, but I knew addressing her directly would probably enrage Jasper all the more. So I just waited there, standing next to the door, hoping Jasper would calm down. And then I saw the most incredible thing. She turned slightly in Jasper's lap and started gently stroking his hair, soothing him with the repeated gentle motions. In just a few minutes, his growl turned into a purr as he buried his face in her neck. I continued to watch in fascination as the tiny girl relaxed my son from one of the tensest moments in his existence. Finally, Jasper gained control of his emotions and looked up, conveying his apology through his eyes.
An awkward silence ensued in the next few moments, where all of us were at a loss of words given that I myself had forgotten my purpose having seen their display moments ago.
"Won't you please sit down?" she asked hesitantly, still fidgeting in my son's lap. She was quite obviously unused to public displays of affection.
"No thank you, Isabella. I'm not quite sure Jasper would take very kindly to that." I smiled at her, hoping to reassure her while I knew my words would confuse her all the more.
"It's Bella, please. And I am sure Jasper wouldn't mind if you took a seat, would you Jasper?" she asked, raising an eyebrow challengingly at him.
I almost laughed out loud as I saw my son, over a century and a half old, one of the most feared members of the vampire world being bossed over by the frail woman. Jasper must have sensed my amusement since his lips twitched into a smile as he nodded to me. Without making any quick movements, I silently walked over to a chair farthest from the couch on which the two of them were seated. Jasper watched me warily and I knew he would attack with the slightest provocation.
"It's good to see you, son. I'm sorry that this is so difficult for you, though I promise to try and make this as painless for you as possible."
"I don't understand," Bella mumbled.
I was hoping that Jasper may have told at least something about vampire mating, but apparently he hadn't. This was going to be a complicated conversation. I decided to start with something that would put the both of them at ease.
"Bella, how did you and Jasper meet?"
Blood rushed to her cheeks as she lowered her gaze, biting her lower lip. Jasper purred rather indulgently, pressing kisses to her face which made her blush all the more.
"Jasper!" she admonished in a low tone, trying to pull away from him, but of course he wouldn't let go. I decided she needed a bit of help.
"Don't worry Bella, Jasper has already informed me about how you met. I just wanted to get your version of the events."
Though her blush continued to adorn her cheeks, this time she answered the question haltingly.
"Umm… actually he's my professor and he teaches us American History and… I know this is wrong but…"
Her words were cut off when Jasper snarled. Obviously, he did not like her using the word 'wrong' in context of their relationship. However, this reaction from Jasper seemed to be the final straw because Bella stiffened and I felt her heart beat pick up.
"That does it!" she said, anger obvious in her tone. "Jasper, you tell me what's going in on right this instant. I'm sick of it. All you've been doing for almost an hour now is growling and snarling. I want to know what caused you to have such a fit and I want to know why you're treating your father like this. I've done everything you asked me to- I've stayed by your side and faced your father in your boxers! Now I want some explanations, fast!"
I froze in my seat, torn between worry and amusement as Bella continued to glare at Jasper, her breathing labored. Jasper to his credit remained silent though his breathing had also increased and once again I was amazed at the amount of control he could exercise when it came to Bella.
"Bella, please darlin', you have to understand this is difficult for me," he implored.
"Why? Why is this difficult for you? Make me understand," she begged him.
Jasper looked at me, wanting me to take over the conversation once again.
"Actually, that is the reason I am here, Bella. Jasper asked me to come here so that I can give details about some of the things that the two of you will experience now that you are mated."
"Mated? As in mates?" she asked, looking as though she'd just realized something.
Jasper had told us how Bella had already been aware of our true nature when he met her and that was something I was very curious to know about. How had a human, one as young as her managed to glean the truth of our existence so easily? I couldn't fathom the reaction of the Volturi if they found that the truth of our existence was becoming commonplace amongst the human population. Obviously, she was co-relating the word mating with some prior information and that surprised me once again since information on vampire mating was extremely rare.
"What do you know about vampire mating?" I asked her.
"Nothing, it was something Jasper mentioned yesterday and I asked him what he meant when he called me his 'mate', but he said we would discuss it later. The only thing I know about mates is the literal meaning, you know, couples and marriage and…sex," she whispered, the blush rising in her face again. I wondered if this conversation would stain her cheeks permanently pink, though it was quite becoming on her.
"Well, yes Bella, the literal meaning certainly holds true, though there is a lot more to vampire mating than just that. Firstly, what you need to know is that the word mate is used not just in the sexual connotation, but the spiritual one as well."
"You mean soul mates?" she caught up quickly, though she looked thoroughly unconvinced. She cocked her head to the side, as if assessing my sanity.
"You're trying to tell me that vampires believe in soul mates, and that I am Jasper's soul mate?" she asked, her incredulity obvious in the tone of her voice. I knew that disbelief was something she needed to go through before she could grasp the extent of seriousness of the issue, so I just nodded. I'm sure she wanted to laugh, but it seemed to come out as a very un-lady like snort.
"Dr. Cullen, you can't really expect me to believe that," she protested.
"I don't just believe in it, Bella, I've personally lived through it and that's the answer to your previous question. The reason Jasper's behaving like this is because you're his mate," I told her waiting for the explosion, and she didn't disappoint me.
"That's ridiculous!" she commented as she tried to shove off Jasper. She couldn't have made a worse move.
Jasper stiffened and continued to hold a struggling Bella in his arms while looking mutinous. I wanted to intervene but knew if I did so, I'd end up losing a few limbs.
"Jasper, let me go!" she cried, wincing from the strength of his grip on her midriff. This was very rapidly getting out of control and I was afraid Jasper might break her ribs if she continued to struggle. Bella seemed to have a momentary lapse in intuition as she continued to try and get out of his grip. Jasper finally lost control and roared at her in the most terrifying way I had ever seen.
I did not need to be an empath to feel Bella's fear as her eyes widened and the rush of adrenaline made her smell all the more alluring. Instead of the ensuing scream, I saw Bella slump in his arms completely as tears made their way down her cheeks. This seemed to have the desired effect on Jasper as he almost instantly went from looking like an feral panther to a puppy standing outside in the rain. He quickly loosened his grip on her and cradled her to his chest, rocking her like a child and muttering 'sorry' over and over again. The transformation of the scene from violent to calm happened so quickly; it gave me a whiplash. I could only imagine how the two of them felt.
To my relief, Bella put her arms around his neck and clung to Jasper in return. I had been afraid that Jasper's loss of control might scare Bella forever. Apparently, Bella was made of sterner stuff than that.
After a good twenty minutes of rocking and apologizing, Jasper looked at her again.
"Did I hurt you Darlin'?" he asked.
She shook her head. "I think I'm bruised, but I don't think anything is broken," she whispered.
"Carlisle, could you have a look at her?"
"I don't think that's a very good idea. You won't be able to stand me being close to her."
"I'll control myself, I promise. Just please make sure it isn't bad," he begged.
"I feel fine, you don't have to do it if it upsets you," Bella protested.
That Bella would equate Jasper's mating instincts to being 'upset' was the understatement of the century. I stood up and Jasper's chest rumbled in warning, but he controlled himself and nodded at me to continue. I had taken precisely three baby steps forward before I found myself being rammed into the opposite wall, with Jasper's very sharp teeth millimeters from my unused jugular.
I knew talking would do no good in this situation, so fighting my own instincts to defend myself; I kept my hands at my sides making no offensive moves. Jasper continued to move closer to my neck, only to pull away with a jerk, again and again as he battled with his instincts. Finally, it was Bella's whimper of fear that made the decision for him as he swiftly moved back to her, holding her as she did what she could to calm him down. I stood there near the wall, the crumbled plaster adorning the floor.
"Carlisle, I'm so sorry…" he apologized for the millionth time that day and I waved it away. Jasper didn't know, but Emmet had been much worse. I proceeded to guide him through the motions of checking Bella's ribs, since he was not going to let me get anywhere near her. The look on his face was of utter devastation as he took in the sight of the large bruises marring her flesh. After the exam, I had him get Bella a glass of water. There was no pointing her getting dehydrated. When I was told that Bella had not had her breakfast, I insisted she eat first. After finishing milk and cookies, she looked at me with a seriousness that had not been there before.
"You really meant everything that you said, didn't you?"
I sighed. This was a lot for any one to take in, let alone some one as young as her.
"Yes Bella, I meant each and every word; this not a prank or some elaborate hoax. This a matter of great seriousness."
"What does it all mean?" she whispered.
It was the most difficult question anyone had asked me. How do you explain something as intimate and complex as mating to someone who doesn't experience it? For the rest of us, no explanations were needed since both partners felt the same mating pull with almost equal intensity. With Jasper and Bella however, it was only Jasper that felt the pull.
I decided instead of giving her answers that would be difficult for her to believe, she needed to find the answers to the questions with in herself.
"Tell me Bella, why are you with Jasper?"
"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked, a bit miffed.
"Well, firstly, he's your professor and a relationship between a professor and student is not only unconventional but forbidden as well." I saw Jasper stiffen and direct a hateful glance in my direction as I brought up the student teacher relationship, but I knew this was the only way to make her see the truth.
"I'm sure you do not expect any… benefits from him while being in a relationship with him," I pointed out and this time the redness in her face was not from embarrassment but anger.
"How…how dare you! How dare you suggest I would do something so… so…" she became incomprehensible in her anger and Jasper stated snarling a me again.
"Calm down, the both of you. Bella I'm not accusing you of having a relationship with your professor for better grades. What I'm trying to point out is, could you ever imagine yourself in a relationship with any other professor?"
Mutely, she shook her head.
"You are young and bright. You could choose any companion you want, you certainly don't lack any options. Yet, here you are with a man who is your professor, risking your education and reputation. You seem like a girl with above average intelligence, tell me, why would you risk all that for some, pardon my language, fling with your professor?"
Bella sat there, looking shell shocked as though she had never seen things from that perspective and I knew I was finally making some breakthrough.
"More importantly, you know what he is. The two of you don't even belong to the same species. You know very well that he thirsts for your blood, that he can easily loose control and drain you dry," I pointed out and Jasper's growls were gaining a higher pitch as he started shaking with the effort to keep his control.
"We're supernatural creatures Bella, we're vampires. We're natural predators and humans are our prey. Your relationship with Jasper, as nature intended it, should be of the hunter and the hunted and yet, here you sit in his arms, cool as a cucumber. Why do you not fear him?"
"You've seen him get angry, you've seen his strength and speed. You know how lethal he is. He's roared at you, dominated you, hurt you and yet here you are. So tell me Bella, why is that?
She looked at me, her eyes full of a dazed expression as she whispered, "because I'm his mate."
I smiled. Half of my work was done.
BPOV:
I sat stunned as my own words rang in my ears over and over again.
I'm his mate. I'm his mate. I'm his mate.
The feeling was surreal. Everything suddenly seemed to make sense. I started recounting all the unexplained instincts I had been having ever since I had seen Jasper. The uncontrollable attraction towards him, despite him being a professor had initially surprised me as I had always been a very level headed person. The decision of not exposing his secret once I realized what he was, even to Jake had been taken unconsciously. Since the first moment I had set my eyes on him in class to Friday night when I had slipped into his car, I had been waiting, what for, I hadn't known. Now I understood why it was so easy for me to ignore the part of my brain that kept sending up red flags, asking me to run. Now I knew why that first night, I had turned into a wonton on his bed despite knowing he was my professor and a vampire.
My mind soon became flooded with broken images of the two of us in the basement of the bar last night. I had so very easily accepted his possession, his dominance and his complete control of my being. It had been so easy to forgive him for his rough treatment of my person, I had been more worried about him being mad at me instead. Just a few moments ago, when he had roared at me and bruised me, instead of being angry at his rough treatment of me, I had cried at seeing him so upset with me.
Would it always be like this between us, so complex, so intense, and so overwhelming?
"Bella?" Jasper's voice broke me out of my meditation.
As I turned to look at him, I saw worry and, could it be possible, fear on his face.
"What are you thinking so intently, darlin'?"
I shook my head. I was still in no way fit to carry out a rational conversation. I mentally grunted at this thought. I was sitting with two vampires, discussing my being the soul mate of one of them, there wasn't a shred of rationality in the entire situation. Suddenly, the sheer implausibility of the circumstances hit me hard and a desperate giggle left my unwilling lips. It sounded foreign to my own ears, a little off and bordering on hysteria.
"Bella, I know this can be overwhelming, but you need to calm down," Carlisle tried to pacify me, looking a bit wary.
I couldn't respond to him. I needed space, I needed time, I need sanity.
"Jasper let go of me. I need to leave."
A/N: Please don't kill me. The chapter was becoming much too lengthy and I needed to break it off at some point. So, how do you think 'the conversation' has gone so far? What do you think of Jasper's animal instincts? And what do you make of Bella's reaction?
If you let me get into your head, I'll let you get into mine!
Leave me a review and I'll let you have a peek at 'the conversation' part 2!
Also, I am now a member at Twiwrite(dot)net which is a all things twilight fan fiction site. I'm known there as KT8812.
Check out the thread of 'Inception on a Rainy Night' at their forums for discussions, suggestions and teasers of coming chapters of IOARN. You can find the link on my profile.
Lastly, I have nothing against anonymous reviews, but it just makes things difficult when I try to respond to them. It's much easier for me to communicate with my readers when they leave signed review, so I apologize in advance if I forget to respond to any anonymous review. Let it be known that even the anonymous reviews are read and much appreciated.
Hugs,
~KT.
nanal89: Thank you for the kind words. I'm glad you enjoy the story and thank you for putting up the part on Edward. Trust me, it'll make sense in the distant future.
ninny1954hotmail: Thank you for the review, I really appreciate it. I try to update as often as I can, unfortunately, at the moment I own neither a computer nor a reliable Internet connection so getting out chapters frequently is not possible. But I try my very best to do so.
