Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters 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.
A/N: You guys have been so awesome, understanding and encouraging! And since I can't individually hug each and every one of you, I decided to post the next chapter. :D
I'm working under the opinion that everyone reading already knows Jasper's history (I know it, and I've never even read the books!), so I'm not gonna repeat it here. I figure it's pointless unless you have something new to add to it and, well, I don't. I feel bad about what happened in his past, I really do, but I'm all about the present.
I tweaked Edward's gift slightly (I seem to be doing that a lot) giving it a little less... range, than he had in the movies. I mean, I'll buy the whole telepath thing, but the fact that he can hear thoughts a few miles away enters WTF territory for me.
Finishing his story, Jasper rolled down his sleeves he had pushed up to illustrate his past, once again hiding the various vampire bites that covered his arms. His eyes had been turned away through the majority of it, shame coloring his voice.
"We're not your regular vampires, at least not the kind you read in horror stories or see in movies. We don't sleep in coffins, or at all, and other then blood, animal blood," he stressed, "we can't eat. Holy water, crosses, stakes, sunlight, none of it hurts us. Our skin is tough, resilient, hardened by the venom running through our veins, which makes us practically invincible. But that same venom is a weakness as well, it's highly flammable and really the only real way you can kill us, but you have to-" he grimaced "-disassemble us first. They did get our strength and speed right, for the most part and the fact that we never age. We're essentially frozen in time..." he finished pensively.
Realizing he'd spent the better part of ten minutes telling his entire life story to the ground, he finally looked up at Bella, steeling himself for the fear and disgust he was certain would be marring her chocolate eyes. He was surprised to see that she looked thoughtful instead.
"Whitlock, huh? It suits you."
Jasper gaped at her. "Please tell me that's not all you got from that conversation? I'm trying to tell you that the Cullen's are... that I'm... we're vampires."
-oo-
As adorable as the stumbled explanation was, Bella decide to take pity on him. "I know."
"Excuse me?"
"I guess it's only fair that since you told me your secret, I should tell you mine." She inhaled loudly, then lowered her voice to a terrified whisper. "I see dead people." She managed to hold a straight face for a few long seconds before breaking into peals of laughter. "I've...always...wanted...to...say...that," she said in between large gulps of air.
The laughter tapered off when she noticed the bewildered and slightly hurt look (he no doubt thought she was mocking him) on his face and immediately felt guilty.
"I'm sorry," she soothed, reaching over to rub his arm affectionately. "I wasn't laughing at you." She sighed. "I should probably clarify. I see a dead person."
Pain darkened his beautiful golden eyes.
"Not you, you doof... Oh god," she groaned. "I'm doing this all wrong, aren't I?"
Desperately needing to erase the hurt etched on his handsome features, the hand she had unknowingly kept resting on his arm trailed up to cup a smooth, cool cheek. "You, Emmett and Rose are more alive than anyone I've ever met," she murmured. "And you make me feel more alive too."
The air around them grew still and silent as Jasper's eyes fluttered close and he raised his own hand to engulf the one resting on his cheek.
It was broken when Bella heard Nan sigh, "How lovely."
Embarrassed, she snatched her hand back and glared at the ground, catching Nan's contrite look out of the corner of her eye. "Well it was," Nan muttered defensively.
The moment officially gone, Bella awkwardly cleared her throat.
"Urm... well... You know my great-grandmother Marie? The one who gave me this necklace?" she asked, gesturing towards the small silver bells.
Jasper stared at her for a moment, his eyes an unreadable storm of emotion before finally conceding a nod. "Yes. The one who passed away a few years ago."
"Well... I've never stopped seeing and talking to her."
"What?"
"She's actually here right now."
"I sure am," Nan piped up.
Bella turned her head slightly. "Obviously he can't hear you," she chastised.
Jasper shifted his eyes in the direction she had spoken and seeing nothing more than the trunk of a large oak, skepticism quickly flashed over his face. Not quickly enough though.
"Oh," Bella huffed. "You tell me you're a vampire and I believe you immediately, but I tell you I see my dead Nan and suddenly I'm the crazy one?"
"It's not that... it's just..."
"Fine," Bella cut him off, abruptly turning her back to him.
"Don't leave," Jasper pleaded, lightly clamping his hands on her shoulders to keep her in place.
"I'm not leaving," Bella replied, reaching up to pat his hand. "I'm going to prove it. Turn around."
"What?"
"Seriously, are all vampires this childishly stubborn? Between you and Emmett's full on goofiness, you're really blowing the whole 'vampires are badass' theory out of the water, aren't you? At this point, I think The Count from Sesame Street is more threatening then you guys." Adopting a heavy Dracula-esque accent, she continued with her ribbing. "Vun. Vun stubborn vampire. Ah ah ah."
She chuckled at the strangled affronted sound behind her followed by a petulant mumble that sounding an awful lot like, "show you who's a badass vampire."
"You do know that's basically the equivalent of insulting my manhood, right?" The petulant tone still tinged his words.
"Well, I swear I'll start on that next if you don't turn around."
Her neck prickled and she was certain he was staring at her. Finally he shifted and she felt the comforting pressure of his back against hers. She shivered slightly at the sensation.
"Why do I have to be turned around too?"
"So you know I'm not peeking."
"Peeking at what?"
"Hold some fingers up," she instructed, eying Nan who nodded, drifting over to position herself in front of Jasper.
"Ready," she called.
"Wh-"
Don't you dare say what again, Whitlock!" She was really enjoying the way that name rolled off her tongue. "Just do it."
It was silent for a second, before her Nan called out, "Four, Chime."
"You're holding up four fingers," Bella replied confidently.
She felt the muscles in Jasper's back tense slightly.
"Six now, Chime."
Bella quickly rattled off that one, then the next and the next. Correctly guessing six in a row (including the three and a half and when he flashed five of his fingers in four quick successions) before Nan chuckled at the final one.
"Doesn't surprise me that this boy's Southern, he's got as much sass in him as you do, Chime."
It didn't take much for Bella to guess what Jasper had just done.
"Nan really doesn't appreciate you giving her the finger, Whitlock. Haven't you ever been told to respect your elders?" she paused with a laugh, as she did the quick calculations in her head. "Although I guess, technically, you'd be hers." Still chuckling, she turned, her movement encouraging him to do the same.
Shock was painted all over his face, but there was a mixture of reluctance and worry in his eyes.
Bella was disappointed. "You still don't believe me, do you?"
"It's not that," he sighed. "There's just... there's something I left out of my story."
Bella's face fell with resignation. As vague as he tried to be about how exactly he came to live with the Cullen's, she already knew what was coming. "I know. You and Alice, right?"
"I..." He frowned in confusion. "What?"
As much as it hurt her to say it, she knew it couldn't be avoided forever. "You two are together, aren't you?"
"We were," he admitted. Was that...guilt? Strange. "For a time." He closed his eyes. Okay, that was definitely guilt on his face. "A long time, but it's been over for a while."
"How long is a while?" Bella wondered if he could hear the vulnerability and thinly veiled hope in her words.
"A few years before we moved to Forks."
She wanted to ask why it ended, but felt like she was getting too personal, too soon. Instead she offered a softly mumbled, "Sorry," which he returned with a small smile.
"It's alright."
"So, something you left out..?" Bella questioned in an attempt to get them back on track.
Jasper gave his head a bit of a shake and nodded. "Right. Well, besides being a vampire, me, Alice and Edward have a little something extra."
Bella raised an eyebrow, unable to stop the instinctive reaction to scan his body. Somehow she doubted he was referring to an extra appendage though. "Extra?" Bella encouraged.
"I guess you'd call them gifts, depending on how you looked at it. I can feel and manipulate other people's emotions..." he trailed off when he noticed the look on her face. "But I've never used it on you." He paused. "Okay, so actually I have..." He hurried to assure her. "But only the feeling part. I can't really control that as well as the other."
"You've felt me?" Bella asked, then blushed heavily when a slow smirk spread across Jasper's lips. "I don't... I meant... You know what I meant. Ass," she grumbled.
He had enough common sense to take the high road. "I have," he agreed. "But nothing bad, I promise. It's actually nice, your emotions I mean. They're always so calm, steady. It's almost comforting. It's been a really nice change," he mused wistfully.
Bella couldn't stop the overpowering rush of affection if she tried and judging by the tender look he gave her, he felt it.
She turned her face away shyly, settling her eyes on Nan and allowing her comforting and loving smile to ease her tumultuous thoughts.
"And the others?" she managed.
"Well, Alice can see the future."
Bella noticed the concerned look on Nan's face, before her eyes narrowed with something akin to suspicion. "I don't like the sound of that, Chime."
Bella remembered the angry look on Alice's face the day the van had just barely missed hitting her and grew uncomfortable. Neither did she.
"The future? You mean everyone's or just her own?"
"For the large part, it's hers. But anyone who spends a significant amount of time around her is vulnerable to it."
'Vulnerable, what a peculiar word.' Judging from the raised eyebrow from Nan, she thought so too.
"Rose refers to it as sinking her mind hooks into you. She's had to ask Alice repeatedly to stop looking into her future."
Bella was surprised. "Why? I figured you guys would appreciate something like that. Especially with the difficulties that undoubtedly come with being a vampire."
"The problem is that they're subjective to change, sometimes with hundreds of possibilities and outcomes. Think of it like someone with a remote in their hands and they can't decide what to watch." A dark shadow passed through his eyes. "Alice also has a tendency to share or encourage only the ones that benefit her."
Nan looked anxious to hear more and Bella wondered if it would be cool to just blurt out, "I think your ex tried to kill me."
"And Edward?"
"Edward... he can read minds."
Ahh... so that explained some of the apprehension earlier.
"And you think I'm doing something similar, right?"
"For a minute there, yeah."
"What changed your mind?"
Jasper lowered his head and rubbed his neck sheepishly. Bella was certain that if his blood was circulating, he'd be blushing right now.
"I was, uh, thinking some things in your direction while we were talking."
'Some things... wha...' Nan snickered and Bella's eyes widened.
"You... You... horndog!"
Jasper had the decency to look ashamed, turning his head away. But Bella could see the mischievous smile fighting to escape. "Not like I could control it around you anyways, Darlin'," he mumbled, just loud enough for her to hear.
Bella was getting really tired of blushing around him, so she fought the rising redness by replacing it with forced indignation instead.
"How do you know I can't..." she fumbled for words, "turn it off and on like a light switch?"she finished.
"Because Edward can't and he's the only telepath I've ever met. Even after almost 90 years he still has no control over it. He hears everyone's thoughts, all the time. To be honest, I don't think he even tried to erect barriers. He complains about it all the time, but I think he gets some sort of sick pleasure out of knowing everyone's business. Me, Rose and Emmett have had to come up with our own ways of keeping him out."
"How?"
"His gift only works if you're roughly in the same vicinity, which includes anywhere in the house. So if we're unable to find some reason to leave when he's around, we just occupy our mind with something else. I usually repeat the most monotone history book I've ever read, verbatim, Rose will alphabetize a list of car parts or models, and Emmett... well, he just thinks about sex."
Bella rolled her eyes. "Obviously. And Edward hasn't realized this yet?"
"Oh, he knows. There's just nothing he can do about it. We have it down to such a fine art, that he hasn't been able to hear our thoughts in decades."
"Huh," Bella said, completely at a loss for words. She blankly scanned the area, catching the amusement and concern warring on Nan's face.
What is it? she questioned, deciding to keep her conversation strictly mental for the time being. Whether Jasper believed her or not, it obviously made him a bit uncomfortable. A part of her was strangely proud that she managed to make a vampire uneasy.
Nan though, had no need for such concerns and stuck to speaking out loud.
"It's like the vampire discovery all over again."
What do you mean?
"You're taking it rather well," Nan said, repeating the words she had said the first day she had noticed the Cullen's.. Hales...McCarty's... Whitlocks.. Jesus, what was she supposed to call them all now?
Taking what well?
"The fact that Ranger here just told you that there's a vampire in the family that reads minds."
Blink. Blink.
Oh. My. God.
Her head whipped back to Jasper. "Edward can read minds?!" she half shrieked.
Jasper's eyes lightened with mirth. "Finally catching up to the rest of the class, Miss Swan?"
She couldn't even spare a moment to appreciate how delicious that sounded coming from him.
"So he's been creeping around in my thoughts since day one?"
She really, really did not like the sound of that. It was possibly even worse than the future bit. That meant he heard everything. All the times she resorted to childish name calling whenever she was (reluctantly) near him. That stupid rhyme that could never stop running through her mind. 'Deadward Edward's got a big headward.' She cringed now even thinking about it.
Then there was all the thoughts about Alice and how uncomfortable she was around her. How bitter she was about the obvious relationship (even if it was in the the past) her and Jasper... Jasper! She almost swallowed her tongue. He had heard all her private thoughts about him. All her hopes, dreams and desires that she could never stop from dancing through her head when he was around, and even when he wasn't. Those were her most treasured thoughts and knowing they had been... violated had her two seconds away from hyperventilating.
The rational voice of Nan broke through her panic. "It doesn't make sense, sweetheart. He hasn't reacted to our mental conversations once."
It inched closer to Defcon-0 thanks to Jasper's furrowed brow. (Or at least the vampire equivalent of a furrowed brow.)
"Actually, now that I consider it, I don't think he has."
"You don't?" Bella really needed reassurance.
"Around us, Edward's never been particularly mum about the things he hears in people's thoughts and usually won't hesitate to find some subtle way to call you out on it. Especially if it regards him." He smirked. "Something tells me you don't have the highest opinion of him."
Bella shrugged. There was no point in denying it.
"It would also explain why he's so frustrated by you. He practically drowns me in the emotion when you're nearby. I always thought it was something else."
"Something like what?"
"We are vampires, Darlin'," he reminded her gently, before hesitating. "And you are his... singer."
"His what? I've never sung to him a day in my life. Probably bust his eardrums if I tried."
Jasper's lips wobbled slightly and it looked like he was fighting a grin. "Not that kind. It's your blood. Your blood is what sings to him."
"Oh," she replied. Her eyes widened as his implications clicked and she noticed that Nan looked equally panicked. "Oh. Should I... should I be worried?"
"Of me, Rose and Emmett? Never."
"I know that," she said, doing her best to send out her complete faith and trust in him. In them. "But Edward..." she trailed off nervously.
"That means a lot, Bella, that you trust us that much," he murmured, his voice slightly choked up. "But as for Edward," his jaw tensed, "Carlisle would be the first to swear to you that he has excellent control, and while he hasn't slipped in a very, very long time, a vampire's singer has a tendency to make them... irrational. I can't tell you for certain he's not a danger to you, but I can guarantee that me, Emmett or Rose will always be near and I want you to promise me that you'll never be alone with him." He paused in consideration, than frowned. "Or Alice either."
Though all that information had made her incredibly uncomfortable, she also had to admit she was a little surprised that Jasper had included Alice and found it necessary to express this. "Not even Alice?" She didn't know why she was asking, she could barely stand to be in the same room as her as it was.
"Yes, Bella, even Alice."
Bella bit her lip, nervously tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. Now would definitely be the time to bring up murderous exes.
"What?" Jasper asked softly.
Sensing her hesitation, Nan moved closer. "Ask him, Chime, it'll be alright."
She nodded in agreement. "Did she... did you know about...?" She wasn't exactly sure how to frame the question, but Jasper seemed to understand what she was asking.
"Rose said she looked mad that day. That she was glaring at you. Did you see her?"
Bella nodded.
He began pacing, running his hands through his hair in frustration. "I honestly don't know. She's never very forthcoming with her visions in the first place, said it's her job to 'protect the future'." He sneered. "Rose suspected something first, but I was... skeptical. I wasn't sure until that night in Port Angeles." He lowered his head in shame.
"Hey," Bella chided softly, placing a hand underneath his chin and raising his head until his darkened topaz eyes met her own. "I hope you don't blame yourself for any of it, Jasper. I don't."
He reached up and grabbed her hand, lacing his fingers with hers and lowering them. "Can't help it, Darlin'," he muttered self-deprecatingly, as his thumb traced nonsensical patterns on the soft flesh of her hand. "I'm used to being in control and we're not quite certain what she's up to."
"Is she dangerous?"
Jasper opened his mouth to reply, before clamping it shut again. "She's never shown any signs of it in the past," he finally admitted, if not a little reluctantly.
"Well than buck up soldier."
His lips tilted slightly at the corner. "It's Major, remember?"
"Then buck up, Major," she corrected with a roll of her eyes. "That's why you invited me to lunch that day, isn't it?" She tilted her head thoughtfully. "Because you were concerned about me."
"That wasn't just it," Jasper defended and she chuckled at his assumption that she was offended about it. He pouted cutely at her laughter. "I would have done it eventually," he muttered.
"Well, maybe you should thank her for speeding up the process."
Jasper blinked slowly at her response, while Nan let out a huff of laughter in the background. "Only you, Chime. Only you."
A slow grin stretched Jasper's lips. "You're one a kind, you know that?"
"Count your blessings," Bella quipped cheekily.
His eyes became the equivalent of melted gold, as his voice lowered. "Oh, I do, Darlin'. I do."
Bella cleared her throat as a blush formed on her face, darting her eyes away to look at anything but him. Nan doing the fluttering, girly bit at the sound of his drawl certainly wasn't helping the matters.
As desperate as she was to continue whatever this was turning into, she felt like it was important to know everything that she was getting into. It was a little difficult to gather her thoughts while he was still touching her, so she reluctantly released his hand, her heart twinging at the hurt in his eyes when she broke contact. "Um...What about Esme and Carlisle?"
"Normally, I would agree that you were safe with them, but considering their tendency to favor Edward and Alice..." he trailed off, his meaning all too clear. Probably for the best if you didn't.
She inhaled loudly and took everything he said into consideration. "Alright, I promise to be careful around them," she swore softly.
"Thank you, Darlin'."
"Why did you decide to tell me anyways? Besides Emmett and Rose, do the others know?"
"Yes, the others know. You can imagine how Edward and Alice reacted. Esme and Carlisle were a little more understanding. A bit reluctant, but they gave their blessings anyways. Even if they didn't give it, the three of us would have told you anyways."
"Why would you do that?"
"Lying to you was hurting us Bella... it was killing me," he admitted, before pausing. "And you've known this whole time?"
Bella nodded sheepishly.
A myriad of emotions crossed his face. "That certainly explains a lot of things."
Bella tilted her head curiously. "Like what?"
"Once or twice there was something... off about your emotions. Sometimes they never really matched what you were doing or saying. I could never figure out why you felt so guilty all the time."
Bella lowered her eyes. "Lying to you was hurting me too," she whispered.
His eyes softened and he took a step forward, wrapping his arms around her in a tentative hug. She welcomed the embrace, sinking into him with a soft sigh and he let out his own faint murmur of appreciation.
He pulled back with a playful smile, twining a lock of hair around his fingers and giving it a light tug. "Could have saved us a lot of trouble if you let us in on the fact that you already knew."
"And miss out on you and Emmett stumbling over those piss poor explanations when you did something decidedly supernatural? Never."
Jasper scanned his surroundings, noticing the deepening shadows that indicated nightfall was swiftly approaching. "It's getting late, I should get you home before Chief Swan deems it necessary to come looking for me with a shotgun."
"Would that even hurt you?" Bella wondered out loud.
He grinned. "Not a scratch."
"I'll see you at home," Nan piped up beside her. "Seeing as how you've forgotten I'm even here anyways."
Sorry, Nan.
"Don't be. If I had a boy like that to distract me, I'd forget me too." She grinned cheekily and disappeared.
Turning around, Jasper bent down slightly, and turned his head to look over his shoulder. "Interest you in a ride?"
Bella eyed his back. "Are you serious?"
"You scared?" he countered, a note of challenge in his voice.
"Bring it on, Whitlock." She hopped up, plastering herself to his back and wrapping her leg around his waist and her arms around his neck. She blushed when she felt the tremble passing through him, which he tried to cover by taking off in a swift run.
As the cool night air whipped through her hair, Bella buried her face in his nick. "Hey, Jasper?" she murmured against his throat.
"Yeah?"
"You said you felt everyone's emotions right?"
"Yeah..." A little more uneasy this time.
"Do does that mean you feel when girls are on their rag?"
He groaned.
A/N2: So what did you think? I thought it was pretty fun writing Bella being so chill about the whole thing. It just wasn't in her to be freaked out... if Jasper had hovered around her hissing 'Say It', in her ears, than it might have been a different story. I'm sorry, but the original moment from the series was just creepy. There is no way I would've gone out into the middle of the woods, alone, with that vampire.
And yeah, I've always personally wondered about the Jasper/Period thing... not so much the blood, but the wacked out emotions that came with it. Asking myself if he suffered from sympathy pains or something. Tell me that uncomfortable look on his face in the first movie didn't look like someone suffering from cramps.