Rise 12
"Jazz?" said Alice.
she was grinning at my nickname for her husband.
"I think i like that" said Alice
I heard Jasper growl something into the phone and knew he was dealing with an Edward irritation.
"Well that's a mute point now isn't it?" said Jazz
I took a deep steadying breath and looked at Carlisle before turning my attention to Alice.
"Alice I need you to" i started to ask
"Already on it" she said
"And the tickets?" I asked
"Already arranged I saw him coming home last night but not why" she said
Her voice hitched
"Why didn't I see this coming?" she said
She sounded like she was crying again and I could almost feel the guilt radiating off of her. I sighed and rubbed our forehead and Bella wasn't being very helpful at the moment.
I needed to get them working towards our survival but first I needed to snap them out of their grief.
I decided to start with Alice. If I could get her somewhat calmer between her and Jazz we could work on Carlisle.
"Alice listen to me you're not infallible you make mistakes like everyone else but I need you now to help fix this will you please grieve later" I said
She looked up at me from where she sat on the edge of the bed
"Oh Bella I'm so sorry please forgive me I'm a horrible best friend" she said
I sighed and hugged her close. no matter how mad I was at Edward I couldn't hate Alice for long.
"Its ok I understand he's your brother you wanted to help him in any way you could" I said
I brushed her hair off her forehead and hugged her. she swallowed and hiccuped some before she said
"Oh Bella you won't have to drink his venom I'll change you myself if it comes down to it" said Alice.
She was about to say something more when suddenly she gasped.
"NO!" she whispered
She suddenly rushed towards the phone and snagged it out Jasper's hand
"No Edward don't do it don't go alone they'll kill you too" said Alice
I winced with them at the sound of Edwards reply
"what do you mean too?" said Edward
I took the phone from her hands because she was starting to shake and I could see she couldn't answer.
"Edward it's me look just come back with Peter we need to plan we can't rush into this" I said
"They've got your mom Bella they could be draining her as we speak" said Edward
Bella flinched and I wanted to punch him for his lack of tact.
"Edward I'm only going to say this once get your emo ass back here your father needs you, and stop being stupid Peter saved your ass remember, the least you can do is listen to him" I said
Stunned silence met my statement. I heard Peter chuckle on the other end. I was about to say something else when the phone buzzed. I looked at it , someone was on the other line
"ah Jazz?" I said and handed him back the phone.
He told Edward and Peter he had to go and answered the call on call waiting.
"oh Rose, thank gawd where are you?" said Jazz
"what do you mean what happened?" said Jazz
He was beginning to get angry again and this time he was projecting it.
"Just get back to forks anyway you can run if you have to" said Jasper
I heard yelling on the other end
"Look rose I'll explain when you get here" said Jasper
He hung up and sat on the small table. Leaning forward he put his head in his hands and tried to calm himself down. I waited until he was ready to talk to me.
"Tell me what your thinking?" he said at last.
"Why do you think this is planned?" said Jasper
he looked at me levelly and I frowned.
"because its too precise, I think she went for help" I said
"She being Victoria?" he asked
I nodded yes
"Edward said something about the Volturi being in Florida" I said
He was looking at his lap when his eyes suddenly snapped back up.
"The Volturi is he sure?" he said
"I'm not sure but we can ask him when he gets here" I said
Jasper nodded
"How are you Bella?" he said
"This can't be easy on you and were sorry we put you in this situation again, I" said Jasper
I reached out and rested my hand on his shoulder. I felt him stiffen beneath my touch.
"Relax you can handle this" I reassured.
"Bella I, I don't want to hurt you" he said
"And you won't, its ok you're doing great" i said
I suddenly leaned forward and hugged Jasper. Alice started to move towards us and even Carlisle stopped sobbing to watch us. I could tell he was holding his breath.
"Breath Jasper or I'm testing to see if vampires are ticklish" I warned
He let out the breath he was holding and said "you wouldn't"
He immediately snapped his mouth closed.
"Stop that your only making it worse let your body get used to my scent" i said.
He was trembling beneath my hands
"Please Bella I don't" he started to say.
I broke his chain of thought by kissing his cheek
"Yes you can you've got this Jasper you sit next to kids everyday and don't slip you can do this" I said
"No Bella I'm weak I can't handle this please let go" he said
I shook my head no and tightened my grip when he tried to pry me off. He was still trying to pry me off to no avail. I grabbed his face in my hands when he tried to hide his face from me.
"Jasper look at me" I said
My tone making it more of an order than a request. He opened his eyes warily and stared at me.
"Listen to what I'm telling you, you are not weak" I said
He shook his head no.
"No I tried to eat you at your party don't you remember?" he said
I sighed yeah we remembered but I noticed something in those memories that maybe he didn't.
"Yes I know and if you'll let me explain I'll prove to you that you are not as weak as you think you are" I said
"Bella you can't your not seeing things right please let go of me" he said
"Really because I could swear I had a real good perspective of the whole family from my spot on the floor and the only eyes that weren't black in that room were mine" I said
I forced his eyes to meet mine on that last part then I let him go as he asked me to earlier. he stood there in shock staring at me. I could tell my words had sunken in and all eyes were on Jasper and I now.
I waited for him to make the next move.
If we were wrong he could strike before we could blink. I was betting my life and hers on our memories not being wrong. I decided to push the envelope.
"Jasper can I ask you something all those times you slipped before, how many of them were you alone when you acted" I said
He swallowed and looked at the floor. I could tell he was thinking about what I said. Alice answered me.
"None we were always with him" said Alice
She said it as if something was just occurring to her.
"And what is your gift again?" I said
He looked somewhat shocked by what I had just revealed
"Empathy" he said softly.
I raised an eyebrow and we just stared at each other for a few minutes.
"Meaning you feel what others are feeling correct?" I said
He nodded yes and looked at me. I could almost see the wheels turning in his head and Bella winced inside us.
"poor Jasper he's been going this whole time feeling like he's the weakest of the group" said Bella
"You're not mad at me are you?" he asked
I shook my head no.
"Jasper I've never been angry with you at all not even on my birthday" I said softly
He winced but didn't flinch away when I took his hands in my own. He looked at our joined hands and then up at me.
"Bella" he said softly.
"I'm so sorry I" he apologized and started to say more. I rested my finger on his lips.
"Jasper you have nothing to apologize for because it was never just your blood lust" I said
He nodded his head yes.
"I know and I thank you for pointing that out" he said
Then he leaned forward and hugged me. He kissed my cheek and whispered
"Thank you Bella you have no idea what your belief means to me" he said.
His arms were strong and hard. He always struck me as a bit wiry and skinny. I never realized just how many muscles those sweaters concealed. He released me and stepped back.
Alice came forward and hugged him closely. the look she passed to me said it all.
I moved back and sat down by Carlisle. He had stopped sobbing to watch us and I was grateful he had. It made us both uncomfortable to see Carlisle such a nervous wreck.
"Carlisle?" I said softly
"Bella?" he said back
He looked sad but also worried
"how are you?" I asked
He wiped his eyes and then wiped his hand on his pants.
"I have been better are you all right?" he asked
I wasn't sure what he was referring to since I had a score of problems at the moment.
"I've been better" I said as well.
It was the truth after all. I snaked my arm around Carlisle's waist and I felt him close his arms around me.
"I am grateful you came after me Bella but I could have sworn I told you to run" said Carlisle
I shrugged and answered truthfully
"it's not in my nature to leave a friend to die" I said
Carlisle shifted me so I was facing him and I allowed the movement.
"Bella there's something very different about you and it scares me" he said
I snorted if only he knew how accurate that statement was.
"you have nothing to be afraid of Carlisle I would never hurt you" I said.
He hugged me closer as if reassuring himself that I was indeed there.
"He's right I keep getting strange readings every time I'm near you" said Jasper
I frowned I could have sworn I was masking myself better.
"Strange as in what?" said Alice
Jasper frowned and looked at us
"Almost like I'm reading two different people but there so close together their emotions overlap" said Jasper
I looked at Carlisle sitting next to me.
"maybe your picking up Carlisle" I said
He shook his head no.
"No it's happened when you were alone as well, it's very odd" said Jasper
Alice was silent for a few seconds and so were the others.
"What happened to the two she sent after you?" said Carlisle
We froze how do we answer that.
"I didn't see anyone" I responded.
Carlisle narrowed his eyes at me.
"then explain why the two holding me exploded" said Carlisle
"Something they ate?" I said
He glared at me
"Ok, ok so it wasn't I've been working on something ok" I said
"What?" said Alice
"Well you know how Edward said he couldn't read my mind right?" I said
They nodded and I launched into my plausible explanation number one.
"Well I picked up a few books on psychic phenomenon and I started using the exercises to explore my gift so to speak" I said
They frowned as a group almost. If I hadn't been so scared about covering this up I would have laughed at them. It was quite comical really it was.
"What is your gift?" said Alice
I grinned like I was so proud of what I discovered. Technically Bella was so the look was easy to fake.
"I can shield" I said
They frowned again
"Ok I'm confused that doesn't really explain why they exploded" said Carlisle
"Hold on I'm getting to that" I said
They stared at me and I assumed they were waiting.
"I can also project that shield over or into objects" I said
They blinked in shock there mouth dropping open in shock. Bella was laughing in my head because my explanation was actually so close to the truth that it couldn't be disproved.
"Holy, oh wow" said Alice
"So that's what you did how did you know it would do that?" Jasper said
I looked somewhat embarrassed
"When charlie got kidnapped I went after them Laurent had two others with him that day" I said
They hissed in their breath in shock.
"great move scare the crap out of them" said Bella
"they need to know we aren't helpless" I responded.
"hat's how I knew it would work because I did it to them" I said
"And if it didn't work?" said Carlisle
His tone was angry and I stared at him in shock. I was seeing a side of Carlisle I didn't know existed. I wasn't sure if I liked it or was scared by it.
