Chapter Ten - Edward's Comeuppance

JPOV

I was glad I had chosen to run, as I was nearly three hours ahead of everybody else. I checked my watch and saw school had just let out, and Bella and Edward would be on their way home. Esme had called to tell me Edward sent her a text to expect him by sunrise tomorrow, which meant he must intend to do the deed right after school. Where would he choose to break up with her? Well, she would surely cry, so she wouldn't be safe to drive. Edward would know that, so he would do it at her house, where she could safely retreat to her room. I headed over to the Chief's house in a roundabout fashion, moving high through the treetops to avoid Edward detecting my scent.

Without Edward's knowledge, I had worked for years on meditation as a way to create and hold a blank mind, to escape his detection. It would be useless in a fight, of course, but it was perfect for surveillance. The front portion of my brain that Edward was able to access would be entirely blank, as if there was nobody there, while the rest of my brain would process my surroundings – everything I could see and hear. It was a way to hide myself if I didn't want to be found, but I had also found it useful for eavesdropping on his private conversations. I hadn't found any serious uses of the skill before now, but I had practiced it anyway, just in case, and had found it to be very effective. My military mind had seen my weakness in the face of Edward's gift and had dutifully found ways around it. Just as I had found ways around Alice's gift. My years with Maria had taught me to never fully trust anybody and to always be certain I had a contingency plan, along with a secret escape route. The only drawback to the meditation was that I had to remain perfectly still in order to maintain the complete calm and focus necessary to keep that portion of my mind completely blank. Thus, I chose a perch high up in a treetop, hidden by the foliage, downwind of Bella's house and the path leading back to our house. I made myself comfortable and became as still as a statue and began the exercises to clear my mind. I was determined to view the conversation between Edward and Bella first hand, since Alice refused to share it with all of us. I had a really bad feeling about this and had the distinct urge to pound him to a pulp and burn the remains, even before he started. The fact that he didn't want any witnesses, including Alice, told me he intended something he knew none of the rest of us would approve or condone.

I didn't have to wait long before Bella arrived home, and Edward shot out of the forest to meet her at her truck. I saw him take her backpack out of her hands and place it back inside the truck. Why would he do that? It didn't make sense. I watched as he led her around the house and along the pathway just inside the forest. Why here? Why not inside the house? Or in the backyard? Ah, so he can make a quick getaway. It also explains why he didn't want her to bring the backpack.

As I listened to him tell her he didn't want her, that she wasn't good for him, that her mind was like a sieve, that he was tired of pretending, that he would always love her 'in a way', that it would be as if he never existed, my blood boiled. I had to struggle to stay focused on keeping my mind blank so he wouldn't detect me before he had thoroughly dug his grave. This bastard was going down. He had played on nearly every one of Bella's insecurities and hurt her in ways that would leave permanent emotional scars. My family and I would take care of Bella, without any help from the immature gonadless prick or my newly ex-wife. Or ex-mistress as the case may be. Jasper Whitlock had been single his entire life. Alice had never wanted to take my real name, and now I was happy for it. It was something pure I could give my true mate. She was sure to appreciate it in a way Alice never had.

I watched Bella fall to her knees in agony after Edward fled the scene. The pain was so strong in nearly knocked me out of the tree! Yeah, this shit wasn't going to fly. First things first, I was going to catch up with Edward and beat the living daylights out of him. If he thought he could treat a beloved family member that way without severe repercussion, then he was in for a rude awakening. I felt a strong urge to forget about Edward and just take care of Bella, but I couldn't let him get away. Alice was sure to warn him I was out for blood, and he could run faster than the rest of us. No, I needed to catch him now if I wanted justice to be served. After all, the family was right behind me. They'd be here soon enough to comfort her and show her that Edward was a bald faced liar. As soon as I was finished tearing Edward apart, then I would come back and show Bella once and for all that she really is worth it, just as I told her last spring. I would keep telling her that until she believed it, no matter how long it took.

Desperate to stop Edward, but not wanting to leave Bella in pain, I sent Bella waves of strength, courage, and determination. I absorbed enough of her pain, taking it away from her, to allow her to function, rather than remain collapsed on the cold, wet ground. I sensed her longing to chase after him and beg him to stay, and quickly sent her a sense of resolution and acceptance of his disappearance. I watched her get up and head back toward her house, without a backward glance, still hurting, but now composed and able to think for herself. I wanted her to question the lies he'd told her, so I also sent her some suspicion and doubt, tinged with anger. I couldn't help the small amounts of rage that slipped through, as I was so full of that emotion myself. Deciding she'd be safe enough in her own home, now that she was rational and functional again, I raced after Edward, determined to teach the prick the error of his ways.

Edward dashed through the forest toward the house, intent on escaping Forks, fleeing from the pain he caused the sweet innocent girl he just attempted to destroy. He was fast, but was distracted, caught up in his own mind, so he wasn't running at full speed. Even so, he was far enough ahead of me that I couldn't see or hear him, though he was still within range of my gift. I tested his emotions, curious as to how he was feeling, now that he had done the deed. He felt angry, betrayed, hurt, relieved, hopeful, righteous, determined, and nostalgic. Betrayed? What right did he have to feel betrayed? He was the one doing the betraying. I had to know the source of that particular emotion. Had he detected me somehow? Was he fleeing from my impending retribution?

At the house, he ran inside and grabbed a bag from his room. He was already packed and ready to go, but paused by the piano on his way out the door. That few seconds delay gave me just enough time to catch up to him. There was no way he'd be getting past me now.

Edward. I challenged in my mind from the front yard.

"Jasper? What are you doing here? Why aren't you in Alaska with Alice?" He demanded, startled and disturbed by my presence. He came out onto the front porch with his duffel, locking the door behind him. "Look, we're all moving Jasper. I'm pretty sure Alice already packed for you, so you can just ride with me. We're the last ones, and I was heading out now, so c'mon."

Why are you feeling betrayed, Edward? What happened to make you feel that way?

Edward frowned. "Well, you did attack my Bella at her birthday party. You knew how much she meant to me. How could you?"

I rolled my eyes. No, Edward. You were feeling betrayed before you even knew I was here.

He sighed and looked away from me. "I just told Bella we were leaving, that we were moving away, and she'd never see us again, and she just let me go. She put up a token protest, but that's it. I thought I'd have to argue with her for hours before she'd give up, but it only took a few minutes! Obviously she didn't love me as much as I thought she did."

I growled. "Did it ever occur to you, you little fool, that she loved you enough to let you go? You always claimed that was the highest form of love, right? Did you ever think that if she thought you'd be happier away from her, that she would release you from your obligation to her, let you go easily so you wouldn't feel guilty about not wanting her anymore? I heard what you said to her, you self-righteous prick. Would you like to know how she really felt about it, about you?"

He looked at me wide-eyed and nodded. "First, this is the love she felt for you, every day, including her birthday." I hit him with the intensity of her feelings, making him gasp in amazement. "Next is the love she felt for the rest of the family. Carlisle. Esme. Alice. Emmett. This was her family you've ripped away from her." I was happy at his feelings of awe, amazement, guilt, and remorse as he realized just how deeply and strongly she was bonded to our family, how she had made us her own and considered us hers. It was time for the real whammy. "This is what she was feeling after you left her just now, broken and alone, collapsed on the ground." I hit him with all of her emotional and physical pain. He whimpered, groaned, and collapsed to the floor clutching his mid-section.

"Please, please stop! I can't take it. It hurts so badly," he begged and pleaded.

I kept it up a little longer. "Why should I? She doesn't have anybody to take her pain away. You've left her alone and unprotected to deal with this pain all by herself. She doesn't really have a life outside our family, in case you haven't noticed. Besides, even if she does reach out to others, what can she tell them? My vampire boyfriend and my vampire family up and left me because they got tired of pretending to be human? I had turned my back on my humanity and chosen a future with my vampire boyfriend and my vampire family, when they up and disappeared on me one day without a word or even a goodbye? She can't talk to anybody about why it hurts so much. They'll just think she's being stupid and overreacting over a break-up with some boy. I mean, what human girl reacts so strongly to the break-up of her first boyfriend, her first love? Humans are fickle by nature. They won't understand why she hurts so badly and for so long, why her heart feels like it's been ripped from her chest. Why her life feels like it has lost all purpose and meaning. You didn't just rip yourself away from her, Edward. You took away her parents, her siblings, her best friend. By trying to give her a clean break, letting her think they left without a word and would never contact her again, she will have to mourn all of them as if they died. After all, as far as she knows, she'll never see or hear from them again - they're just as permanently gone as if they'd passed away. How much can one person take before they collapse, before they snap, before they're willing to do anything to stop the pain? Not only that, but you showed her a world of magic, of superpowers and immortality, and then you ripped it away."

I could see he was about to protest, so I stopped him. "Yes, I know there's more to this life than that, but how could she know? When did you ever sit down and discuss it with her? When did you ever explain the ins and outs, ups and downs, pros and cons of vampirism? Of course she couldn't make an informed choice about joining our existence, without any information. You refused to answer her questions. You merely shut her down each time she brought it up and tried to discuss it like two rational adults. You never listened to her, dismissing her opinions, ideas, and desires as worthless, believing you knew what was best for her. But how could you, when you never really knew her? Never really understood her? Never believed her or took her words at face value? Always second guessing her, belittling her, doubting her, over-analyzing her. You didn't do this to protect her or for her sake, Edward. If you believe that, you are lying to yourself. You did this for yourself, Edward. You were the one who couldn't handle this life. You were the one that didn't want her to become a vampire. You were the one who was afraid your love wasn't strong enough to last forever, who was afraid you wouldn't want her after the change. You subconsciously knew how much of your attraction to her depended on the scent of her blood calling to you, her warmth, her blush, her weakness, her need for protection. All of that would change when she became a vampire, and you weren't sure that what was left would be enough to support your relationship for eternity. Your love is the weak one, not hers. Your love, adoration, and desire is all tied to her humanity. You love controlling her, commanding her, protecting her, taking care of her. You love that she looks up to you, that she is dependent on you. You love being in a position of power over her and love being so much stronger than her. You don't want a lover, you want a pet. You know that once she is stronger and faster than you, when her scent changes and she doesn't smell delicious anymore, when she is no longer dependent on you, you won't want her anymore." I released him from her pain, and he growled at me, jumping up into a crouch.

"Is that true, son?" Carlisle asked, his expression pained and grieved.

Edward straightened up in shock to see Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, and Rose staring at him in shocked disbelief. He hung his head, unable to lie to his sire. That gesture was enough to confirm it.

"You bastard!" Rose screamed. "You mean you've just been playing with her all along? You brought her into our world, endangering all of us, and she wasn't even your real mate, but your toy, your pet? How could you do that to her? To us?"

Edward growled at her. "Why do you care? Do you have any idea how hard it is to live in a family of three perfect couples? To hear your lovemaking every night, to see it in your mind every day? To be the odd man out for decade upon decade? To have to listen to the insipid thoughts of countless teenagers, who have dirty, disgusting fantasies about our family, day in and day out? Finally, I had someone of my own. Someone who cared about me and tried to make me happy. Someone whose thoughts I couldn't hear, so they couldn't disgust or disappoint me. Someone who reminded me of my own humanity. Of course I wanted that! I've put an end to it now, okay? She'll get over it, move on with her life."

"Edward Anthony Masen Cullen! Of all the selfish, hurtful, willful things you have ever done! I have never been so ashamed of you in all of my existence!" Esme whimpered angrily. "I can't believe you used my poor sweet child that way! Have you no morals, no integrity, no sense of honor? You are not the person I believed you to be!" She ended her rant with a snarl and a growl, glaring at Edward like she never had before.

"I didn't use her!" he protested guiltily, dropping his eyes, unable to see the anger, hurt, and disappointment in his 'mother's' eyes. "I love her. But she's human, and she deserves a normal human life. You all agreed with me!"

Carlisle scowled. "That was when we thought she was your true soul mate, and you would act in her best interest. It has since been brought to our attention that she is not yours after all. Since she is not your mate, you do not have the right to make sweeping decisions with regard to her health, future, or ultimate well-being. She is a member of this family, which means as head of this family, she is mine to care for and protect. I will make the choices as to what I feel is best for my daughter. As my child, she has just as much a right to my love and affection as you do, son. In fact, after what you've done and the lies you've told, I'd say she has more right than you do. I will not abandon her just to make you more comfortable with yourself, any more than I would abandon anyone else in our family. If you choose to leave, then that is your choice, but we will not make Bella suffer for your mistakes and poor choices. I am disappointed in you for lying to me about your true feelings for her and disappointed with myself for not recognizing the true nature of your relationship with her before now. I did have concerns all along about the way you treated her, but I chose to ignore them, deluding myself by naively thinking you just needed time to learn the error of your ways. I delighted in seeing you happier than you had ever been, but if I had realized you were merely toying with her affections, using her for your own selfish pleasure, I would have put a stop to it long before now, I assure you."

Edward withered under Carlisle's authoritative disapproval. He was more chastised by Carlisle's and Esme's disappointment in him, than he had been by feeling the pain he caused Bella with his harsh words and actions. I quickly recounted the entire conversation I had overheard between the two of them in the woods and let them all feel Bella's pain for a second or two. It left them all weak and horrified, staring at Edward with rage and disgust.

"I trust you to deal out justice, Carlisle," I decided, wanting to rip off a few limbs, but feeling a need to get back to Bella right away. "I'm going to go take care of Bella now. She needs to know we all love her and that Edward is a lying bastard."

"I'm coming with you," Emmett immediately insisted, waves of protectiveness billowing out from him. "My little sister needs me. I can wait my turn with Assward and pound on him later, after Bella has been taken care of properly."

AN: FINALLY! Next chapter we'll be all caught up and even go past Bella's swan dive. *snicker*