Disclaimer. All publicly recognizable characters, settings etc., are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. I only do this for fun.
Realidades Torcidas
A/N: Well, we are all caught up! I hope you enjoy this all new chapter! This story is written as a collaboration by both Xo Bella Italiana oX and XxJasper'sAngelxX, but was adopted from PuzzlingApprentice. If you have any questions or comments, post them in my reviews and I will answer them in my next Author's Note! We hope that you enjoy the story and look forward to hearing your thoughts. – B
Chapter 9: Getting Acquainted
(Bella's POV)
"Well, there's the face of a man who just knows shit," I winked at him.
"Nice to finally meet ya, Sweet Pea," he smiled a toothy grin, "That was a good one. You had me over a barrel for a minute there."
My upper lip tugged up into a smirk, "Sorry, I couldn't resist."
He nodded, his smile still on his face before he began looking around the aisles. "So, where is that fucker that calls himself my brother?" He asked. "I know he was in on your little scheme." His eyes, still filled with humor, flickered down at me briefly.
"Oh, he's around here somewhere," I giggled, already liking Peter.
I turned and made my way around to the next aisle, browsing through the condiments. I ended up grabbing some snacks and a six pack of bottled water, not knowing if Peter and Charlotte had stocked the house for my arrival. I didn't want to make any assumptions, so I began to lug it over toward the cashier on the other side of the store, only to have the six pack of water bottles eased out from under my arm and effortlessly into Peter's hands. I smiled up at him in thanks and finished making my way to pay.
Stopping in front of the high counter top next to the exit, I began to unload my items onto the counter for the tan skinned man to ring up. Peter held up the water bottles for the attendant to scan before he quickly bagged my items and hit a button on the register, causing it to make a loud 'DING'.
Seeing that the total came to $27.83, I began to reach into my pocket, but was stopped by a cold hand on my wrist. Looking up, I watched as Peter whipped out some cash before I could even make an objection to stop him as he handed the attendant a ten and a twenty dollar bill.
Letting out a huff, I glared at him, but he only gave me a Cheshire cat grin, clearly amused with what I hoped to be a chastising glare.
"It's my treat, Sweet Pea," he said winking at me, followed by me rolling my eyes in mock-irritation.
Reaching up to grab my bag from the attendant, I looked over at him and gave him a small grateful smile. "Thanks Peter, that was nice of you."
"Not a problem," he waved me off as we turned toward the door next to the checkout counter. "I'm the one who insisted y'all come down here in the first place. It's only right that I help out with some of the expenses." He said, pulling open the glass door and holding it open for me. I couldn't help but to smile at this; clearly, he was as much of a gentlemen as Jasper is.
As we were walking to the truck, I suddenly felt a wave of anticipation and wariness. I could feel the tight pain in my chest begin to alleviate and knew that it was from my Jasper, trying to send me a silent message. Going by the emotional cocktail, I was guessing that he wanted to pull a fast one on Peter. I concentrated on my emotions, sending him my own cocktail of compliance and amusement.
I motioned at Peter as I led him over to the truck, which Jasper looked to have moved around to the side of the building while we were in the aisles picking out my junk foods. I made my way around the bed and to the passenger's side, away from the prying eyes leering at us from the little store, acting like I was looking for Jasper for their benefit.
As I rounded the truck, heading toward the car door, Jasper appeared out of nowhere and tackled Peter from behind.
"Son of a -" I heard Peter cuss as Jasper managed to get him into a head lock.
Peter wound his foot around the back of Jasper's leg and pushed, effectively knocking them onto the ground and causing Jasper to release his arms from around Peter's neck.
As they wrestled around laughing, I could see how much they had missed each other and I was happy that they would be able to spend some time together this week. It would be nice for them to catch up and do whatever it is that they do together. Honestly, I looked forward to getting to know the duo that had saved my Jasper from the evil clutches of that bitch of a sire of his. For that alone, I would forever be grateful.
I watched the two vampires, a fond smile on my face. I had never seen Jasper let go this way the entire time that I saw him with the Cullen's. It gave me a warm feeling in my chest and made me happy that he had a place where he could let loose and have fun without having to hold back his true self. I was hoping that I would see more of it in the future.
The fun between the two men continued on until Jasper finally had Peter pinned on the dirt with his forearm under his chin, laughing.
"You give?" Jasper asked from on top of him.
Peter chuckled, "Yeah, I give, you mother fucker!"
Faster than my eyes could follow, Jay was on his feet, his hand stretched out to help Peter up off of the ground and on to his feet. Standing side by side, they dusted their clothes off and grabbed each other in a hug; not one of those one armed manly hugs, but a warm hug saying 'welcome home brother', and 'you've been missed'.
Finally pulling away from each other, Jasper spoke, pulling me into his side, "I see you've met Isabella."
Peter nodded, smirking down at me, "Startled the hell outta me. It took me a minute to realize who she was the second I got a real whiff of her scent mixed with yours. I can't even tell you what was goin' through my head at that moment."
Jasper grinned down at me. "She's a sneaky one, I'll tell ya that." He commended me. "She even managed to get past me and Alice when we were protectin' her down in Phoenix."
Peter's grin widened. "Well, if that's the case, she's either one hell of a mastermind or you're losing your touch, Major!"
Jasper narrowed his eyes at his brother in arms, "Well, it sure ain't me. There's a reason she's my mate; my equal in every way – even if she is still only a human."
"Yeah, yeah, you know I'm just playin' with ya," Peter waved him off.
There was a moment of silence as Jay quickly glanced around the parking lot before his eyes finally landed on Peter, once again.
"Did you run here or somethin'?"
Peter nodded, "Sure did. Char wanted me to get a lighter an' some fluid so that we could light up the pit and make a bon fire tonight for Sweet Pea." He grinned down at me.
Jay tightened his arm around my waist as he spoke, "Well, come on, let's get goin' then. We don't want to keep your Missus waiting!" He smirked teasingly at Peter, guiding me over to the truck and pulling open the door.
"Ha Ha, just you wait, asshole. You've got a mate now too, so you'll be one ta talk!" He said dryly as he leaned against the bed, watching as Jasper helped me in before pulling open the back door and slipping inside.
It wasn't until we pulled out of the dirt parking lot and drove down the road a little ways that the silence was broken.
"So Peter, what did your knower tell you?" Jasper finally asked, peaking up to look in the rearview mirror. His voice was harder now; the play time behind him and it was back to business.
Sensing the changes, Peter's voice became harder, as well, losing all traces of its usual humor. "All I know is that you and Sweet Pea, here, needed to get away from that house before the Cullen's returned. I don't know why or what would've happened if ya stayed. I just know that it wouldn't have been good. It seems that Eddie and that pixie-bitch have known all along' that y'all are mates, yet they planned on keepin' ya apart."
I watched as Jasper's hands tightened on the steering wheel, his eyes intently watching the road in front of him as he listened to Peter speak. I could practically feel the rage pouring off of him at being manipulated in such a way for reasons still unknown.
I reached across the seat and placed a comforting hand on his thigh, sending him calming emotions in an attempt to soothe him. His eyes softened as they flickered down toward me, though his expression didn't change. He released one hand from the steering wheel and reached down to place it on top of my own, giving me a gentle squeeze.
"Why would they do that?" I asked in a monotone, confused and angry at the idea of them betraying us in such a way. I couldn't understand what they would gain by keeping us apart. "Isn't there supposed to be a law or something that forbids you from keeping a mated pair apart?"
Jasper stayed silent with a thoughtful look on his face, allowing Peter to answer me instead. "Yeah, but it doesn't seem like they care about that," Peter sighed. "Either that, or the thought that they wouldn't be caught; that the two of you would never find out the truth."
My brows scrunched in befuddlement as I turned around slightly in my seat to face Peter. "But, if that was the case, why would they leave Jasper alone with me at the house for a week?" I pressed.
Peter just shrugged, so I looked to Jasper for an answer. He still looked like he was off in his own world, thinking intensely about something. Finally, noticing that I was looking to him for answers, he finally let out a sigh. "I don't know Darlin', but we'll find out what's going on," Jasper promised, his eyes penetrating.
I just nodded, something inside of me telling me to put my full trust in him.
Ten minutes passed in silence, none of us talking as I watched the flat Texas land zoom past me. The sun was starting to set on the horizon and the sky glowed in beautiful orange hues.
Jasper suddenly turned the wheel, maneuvering us onto a little dirt road that didn't seem to go anywhere by the looks of it. It appeared as though they lived very in a very secluded area, but close enough to the city if they need to feed, which made sense for vampires.
After several minutes, I finally could make out the silhouette of a house in the distance and as we got closer, I began see the clear outlining of a large ranch house fenced off in the distance. It wasn't as big as the mansion that the Cullen's owned in Forks, but it screamed warmth and welcome and I couldn't wait to explore all the wonderful treasures that this place looked to hold.
The ranch style home looked like it could be at least a hundred years old, but kept up with nicely. There was a large front porch that wrapped around the house, adding a homier feeling to the property. Navy shutters rounded each upstairs window and a big bay window stuck out from the downstairs.
Off in the distance, a large brown barn sat with what appeared to be the stables in the back, adding to that western-ranch-style-look. It made me briefly wonder what they kept in there since I couldn't immediately see anything off the bat with my weak human senses.
When we finally pulled to a stop in front of the house, I was almost bouncing in excitement. Jasper looked down at me with an amused smirk on his handsome face before looking up at something behind me. It was then that I noticed a beautiful, petite woman with bright red eyes and white blonde hair standing on the porch waiting for us. She wore a warm smile on her lips and her eyes immediately sought out Peter's as he exited the back seat with an equally yearning air about him the second she came into his view. After witnessing this, I immediately came to the conclusion that the woman standing there had to be his mate, Charlotte.
I watched as Peter rushed over to Char, picking her up and swinging her around before kissing her deeply, the love shining in their eyes and happy smiles crossing their lips. You would think that they had been away from each other for months rather than hours. It gave me a warm feeling, watching the two of them, knowing that there was no force on earth that could break their bond.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Jasper watching his brother and sister with a small smile before releasing my hand and sliding out of the truck. He flitted around to my side, opened the door, and looked up at me, holding out his hand. My eyes flashed down at his hand before looking back up into his eyes, sliding my hand into his cold one, allowing him to help me down. Once on my feet, he put his hand on my lower back and began leading me toward the porch.
Hearing our approach, Peter and Char finally pulled apart. Her eyes lit up as she saw Jasper and with a quick look to both her mate and Jasper, she stepped forward and threw her arms around his neck.
"Major! It's so good to finally have you back here! We've missed you so much!" She gushed. I couldn't help the possessive feeling that began to overtake me at the sight of her touching my Jasper and I literally had to hold back a growl. However, the feeling immediately left me as I noticed Jay kept his hand on my lower back, sending me a cocktail of emotions ensuring me that he was mine, as I was his.
"It's good to be home, Char," Jay responded, pulling back and gesturing towards me. "This is my mate, Isabella."
"Bella," I smiled up at her, shooting him a glare; I only let him call me by my full name as I loved the way it sounded when it rolled off of his tongue.
Charlotte immediately grabbed me up in a hug as she went on saying, "It's so good to meet you, Suga'. It's about time that the Major, here, found his true other half." She looked back over at Jasper with a chastising expression on her beautiful face as she playfully smacked him on his chest. "See?! I told ya that spikey-haired midget wasn't for you!" Jasper just rolled his eyes and chuckled at her antics.
I couldn't help the bright smile forming on my lips, feeling right at home with Jasper's family. "It's nice to meet you too, Charlotte." I told her with a small laugh breaking through my words.
She waved me off, stepping over so that she was standing on my other side. "It's Char to family, Suga'," She said linking her arm with mine and leading me toward the beautiful ranch house.
Stepping inside, my jaw immediately dropped in astonishment. Just the same as the outside, the inside screamed 'home'. The colors were all neutral and unlike the Cullen's home, nothing made me feel like I was too afraid to even breathe on it in fear that it would break. Everything seemed so warm and comfortable and the most delicious smell was coming from what I was assuming is the kitchen, making my stomach rumble loudly, which caused the three vampires to laugh. I knew that in the past, this was something that easily would have made me blush, but after Edward's abandonment, I learned hold it back.
"Come on Suga', I didn't know what you'd like to eat, so I just made some homemade pizza," Char said leading me into what appeared to be a chief's dream kitchen. This surprised me, especially considering the fact that neither she nor Peter needed it to cook or eat in.
Deciding not to question it, I looked up at her with a smile. "It smells delicious, thank you," I praised her before reached for a plate and grabbing a slice of what looked to be covered with sausage. I held it over the plate and leaned forward, taking a huge bite, and moaned at the explosion of different tastes, seasonings and flavors in my mouth. "Good God, Char, this is amazing! You have to give me this recipe!" I gushed in between bites, not even bothered by my rude table manners. If Edward were here, I could practically see his chastising expression as he scolded me with something along the lines of my unladylike behavior.
I could hear Char chuckle before going over to the fridge and grabbing a bottle of water as well as a soda and holding it up for me to choose. I pointed to the soda, not wanting to talk anymore, and just to savor the taste, and eat more than I should before washing it all down with the cold soda.
When I was done, I noticed for the first time that Jasper and Peter were nowhere to be found, my hand automatically reaching up to cover my chest, reminding me of the dull ache from his absence.
Charlotte, seeing my confused and worried expression, answered my unasked question, "They're out back. Peter is showin' Jasper the new horses we got."
I felt my eyebrows shoot up towards my hair line as I spoke, "You have horses? I thought animals were afraid of you guys?"
She pursed her lips and nodded, "Usually they are, but Peter was adamant that we owned some. So, we went out and searched for a long time before findin' a couple that weren't scared of us. But it was worth it to see the joy on my Peter's face. Both of the boys rode when they were human and they always wanted to keep horses again," Char explained and I couldn't help but smile to myself at the thought of Jasper on the back of a horse as a human with his honey blonde curls bouncing as he rode.
"Can we go and see them?" I asked her, anxious to see him around the large animal. She nodded with a smile and opened the back door, motioning me to follow her.
The two of us walked across the back yard towards the stables. I appreciated the fact that she walked at a human pace with me instead of just tossing me over her shoulder and flitting across the yard like a sack of potatoes. We took our time and enjoyed ourselves while she pointed out different parts of the property that she thought I would enjoy exploring with Jasper later on during our stay.
We finally made it to where the horses were docked and seeing the look on Jasper's face made me realize just how different he was from the Jasper that the Cullen's knew. Sure, I had seen a glimpse of it when he and Peter were goofing off at the gas station up the road, but it was different now that we were here on their property with people who knew and accepted him the way that he was. Here, where he could just relax and be himself. I couldn't help but marvel at the wonderful man that is my mate and how fortunate I was to even know this side of him.
Sensing my arrival, Jasper turned his head towards me as he held the reins of a beautiful caramel colored mare with a brown mane and tail. She had her nose buried in Jasper's hand as her lips brushed against his palm while he fed her some apple slices.
"Wow, she's beautiful," I gushed without taking my eyes off of the mare. "How many do you have?"
"Five, includin' this one," Peter answered. "Three stallions and two mares. That one there that the Major's feedin' is Mocha."
"She's beautiful," I grinned, only to be startled by the feeling of being shoved against my back. I jumped slightly, turning around, only to come face to face with another large black more, but she had a small patch of white in the shape of a star on her forehead. She looked at me with such intelligent eyes, as if she knew exactly what was happening around her.
"That's Akasha," Char explained and reached up to stroke her long neck. "She's the other mare we have. She's a little on the sassy side, but underneath she's still the biggest sweetheart of them all.
I smiled at the horse as I reached forward to stroke the white star on her forehead.
"She likes you," Peter observed.
I looked over at him as my smile widened. "I like her too."
As time went on, they showed me the rest of the horses. The three stallions were all just as beautiful as the mares and I stood in awe, not only at their larger size, but at the presence that they seemed to command.
After a while of standing around and talking about the horses, hearing about where they found them and feeding them all some apples, carrots and sugar cubes, my eyes began to droop as I fought to stay awake. Of course, Jay immediately felt my lethargy, so we continued our conversations as we moved back into the house, where Char took me on a quick tour.
The more I saw, the more I fell in love with this place and I knew that if they permitted it, this would be where I wanted to live after I was changed. The moldings and archways were all original, and the gigantic stone fireplace in the sitting room looked like it could warm up the whole house. They had a large living room with a huge flat screen TV and gaming systems much like Emmett's. Everything was done in warm, earthy tones making you feel right at home.
On the far end of the house, they had a huge library/study filled with floor to ceiling book cases with shelf upon shelf of books on every subject imaginable.
Finally, Char led me upstairs to the bedrooms. The room Jasper and I were sharing was also done in warm, earthy tones and it had a medium sized fireplace with a wall mounted flat screen TV above it. A king-sized four poster bed sat across from it as the center piece of the room and there was one wall that was made entirely of glass with a beautiful view over a large lake.
There were two doors on the opposite wall; one leading into a walk in closet and the other led to the most amazing ensuite I have ever seen. There was a large sunk-in tub, big enough to fit me and Jasper comfortably, a walk in shower with four different shower heads, a toilet and a 'his and hers' basin, all done in black marble with silver accents.
Exiting the ensuite, I came to find that both mine and Jasper's bags were sitting on the bed. I couldn't help but to roll my eyes at the vampire speed that was probably used to do this while I was checking out the bathroom.
I smiled to myself while I took out a pair of navy color shorts and a white top before turning and making my way back into the bathroom, eager to try out that amazing shower head.
I placed my PJ's near the sink before turning on the water in the shower, giving it a chance to warm up. I suddenly felt a pair of cold arms wrap around me, nuzzling my neck in an affectionate gesture. I felt my eyes close as a smile formed on my lips and I placed my own hands over top of his arms with a contented sigh.
"Can I assume that you like it here so far, Darlin'?" Jasper murmured, his lips ghosting across my skin with little vibrations as he spoke.
I couldn't help the chills that it sent down my body as I forced myself to reply. "I could definitely get used to it here."
A/N: And there you have it! The first chapter of the rest of the story! I hope that you guys enjoyed it! Jasper's POV will be next, so is there anything that you think will happen?! What did you think of Peter and Char?! What about what happened with Edward and Alice?! Why do you think Jasper and Bella had to leave the Cullen's house before they got back?! Review!
If you have any questions or comments, post them in my reviews and I will answer them in my next Author's Note at the bottom of the chapter!
To see more, go to either mine or my Co Author's FF page: Xo Bella Italiana oX or XxJasper'sAngelxX
If you enjoyed this story so far, check out some of my other stories on my FanFiction page! Also, I am still accepting Twilight stories that involve Jasper/any female leads or Bella/selected male leads if anyone is looking for a Beta Reader. I will make exceptions on the characters depending on the plot. I am also accepting other story topics as well! PM me for details!
- Bellisma -
Xo Bella Italiana oX