Final chapter peoples. But not the end of the storyline, by any means! I will post the second story in a short while. :)
The male leader of the coven was staring down Carlisle, who was standing there with his arms crossed, Esme to his right and slightly back. His children were behind them, Emmett and Edward then Rose. Jasper stood at the back of the group, eyes cold. He felt antsy. There were three newborns who were riled and itching for a fight The other two were grinning at him, almost like they knew him. It was pretty likely.
Everybody in the Americas knew about Jasper Whitlock. They didn't know he was a halfling—no, they thought he was a vampire—but his fighting prowess was very well known. And Caius had spread the knowledge of his existence all across Europe, Asia, and Africa. Jasper really wouldn't have minded if it had meant that they would leave him alone. But no, every vampire and their mate wanted to try to take him down. Caius had apologized profusely, but the damage was done.
"Come now. Let us feed here," the lead vampire said.
"No. This is our land. Go away," Carlisle said forcefully.
There was a blurring motion and Jasper moved without thinking, snagging the sneaky vampire by her hair. She shrieked in surprise, bringing everybody's attention to them.
"Oh ho!" the lead vampire said, red eyes gleaming in amusement. "So you are the legendary Jasper Whitlock!"
Jasper let out a growl, jerking the female away from Rosalie then shoving her back to her coven. "What's it ta you?" he spat.
"Jasper, be quiet," Carlisle said sharply.
"No, no. I want to hear what the devil of the south has to say," the male said.
"He is under my command, and I say he is to say nothing," Carlisle replied.
Jasper knew that smirk that appeared on that male's face. He was about to be baited.
"How rude of me," the lead male said with the shake of his head. "I'm Henry."
"Henry," Carlisle said, not relaxing a bit. "I would like you to leave our territory."
"I would like to know why you won't let us hunt when your eyes are gold. That means you hunt animals, correct?"
Carlisle considered the question then answered it. "Yes. We are 'vegetarians', as we've been nicknamed. And the answer is simple. You hunt in our territory, people will start looking into the deaths. We are considered odd, and any inquiry will probably lead straight to us. We would have to move territories. Again."
Carlisle had relaxed slightly, and Henry had taken the chance to slip closer to him. Jasper growled threateningly, forcing everybody to look at him again. Jasper felt Henry's great pleasure as Carlisle snapped at him again.
"Jasper, be quiet!"
"Ooh, this vampire's got an attitude problem!"
"Ah'll give ya a problem alrahght!" Jasper yelled storming past Emmett and Edward. Carlisle grabbed him.
"Go back home!"
"But—" Jasper started.
"NOW!"
A fist flew at his face, and he moved so fast that they were staring, shocked, at empty air.
"Now, where were we?" Carlisle asked, turning back.
Jasper heard that as he ran as fast as he could back home. He shuddered from head to foot as he lunged inside. Tears streamed down his face and he was hyperventilating. He needed water. He stumbled to the fridge and took a bottle, downing it like it was a beer and he was in a chugging contest. He downed three like that then moaned as he felt his stomach clench. Cold water had been a bad idea. There was a light brush against him, and he looked up to see Caius in surreal golden light. Alice joined him.
"Shit, big brother, you okay?" she asked gently.
"Carlisle almost h-hit me!" he sobbed.
"He did?" they both asked in disbelief.
"Y-yes!"
Edward's voice came in, but he didn't appear beside the two people who weren't really there. "That's a barefaced lie, Jasper, Whitlock!"
"It is?" he asked.
"You don't know?" Alice asked.
"Quiet!" Caius commanded, kneeling down to embrace Jasper. "Now, what happened?" He and Alice listened while Edward focused back on the other vampires. Caius nodded when it was over. "You haven't had hallucinations in a while. Could that be what happened?"
"Ah…Ah guess," Jasper said. "Ah mean, he yelled at meh just like Father used ta. Same tone, same 'flection, same emotion. Same ev'rythang."
"Well, we're heading back now, Edward said. "Go to your room and listen to a cd or something. I'll inform Dad of the situation."
Jasper stripped his wet shirt off and put on a cd before curling up under then blankets. He heard the front door open and close after five minutes and rapid footsteps on the stairs. There was a gentle knock on the door.
"Come in."
The footsteps came up to the bed and there was the sensation of somebody sitting down.
"Jazz? You okay?" Carlisle asked.
"Ah…Ah thought ya'd tried ta hit meh," Jasper admitted, feeling ashamed.
"No. Oh, I would never hit you, and especially not in front of strangers."
"Ah'm sorry."
"It isn't your fault, Jazz. It isn't your fault at all. Now, come here, my little soldier."
Jasper hesitated for a few brief moments then poked his head out of the covers and wrapped his arms around Carlisle's middle. Carlisle relaxed and cooed at him, stroking his skin lightly…. Wait a minute…What was that on his skin?
"Son, do you have a rash or something?" he asked pulling back the blankets. A barking yowl left his mouth without a single thought, and he automatically tensed. Jasper's face flushed in embarrassment, and he jerked the blankets back over himself as the others raced up to see what had happened.
"Dad? What's wrong?" Emmett asked, looking around to see why his father had made such an enraged noise.
"Jasper, I'm sorry. I didn't expect that. Please, come out," Carlisle said gently.
"What happened?" Esme asked, going over to stand by him.
Edward picked up Jasper's discarded shirt. "I think he found out why Jasper always wears long-sleeved shirts."
Carlisle nodded. "Jasper, please come out. We're your family. We aren't going to attack you or judge you for this."
"But they will make the same noise you did!" Edward said in a sing-song voice.
"Edward!" Carlisle scolded.
"He's rahght," Jasper muttered. "Ya cain't help it. It's instinctive."
"What are they talking about, Dad?" Rosalie demanded.
Jasper whimpered, but shrugged off the blankets. Three noises exactly like the one Carlisle made shot from their mouths. Emmett forced Rosalie behind him and he and Esme took defensive stances.
"Relax," Carlisle ordered as Jasper looked hurt, and he curled an arm around his son as his eyes traced his body.
Half moon-shaped lines decorated every inch of his upper body except for his neck and face. The pain that he must have been in to have received so many.
"Why didn't I see this when I treated your burns?"
"The fire liquid burns away the skin," Edward explained quietly. "By the time the scars started reappearing, you'd left him in my care. Those aren't even his worst scars."
"How are those not his worst?" Rosalie demanded.
"They're just not. He hasn't taken the rest of his clothes off, or you wouldn't ask that question."
"Now you've got me curious," Emmett said. "Take off the clothes, Jazz."
"Y'all don't wanna see 'em."
"Come on," Rosalie said with a snort. "We've seen so many people naked that it's ridiculous. You won't be showing us anything new."
"Rose," Edward warned.
"If he doesn't want to show us, he doesn't have to," Carlisle said firmly.
Jasper swallowed and stood. Keeping his back to them, he undid his jeans and slid the rest of his clothes off. He turned around, his eyes locked on the floor. There was dead silence. They didn't know what they had expected, but none of them thought his worst scarring would be there.
"What happened?" Carlisle asked in horror.
"Maria," Jasper said. "She wanted meh ta be her mate. Ah resisted. A lot."
"Shit, Jasper," Emmett whispered.
"Yeah. Ah know. Ah'm nuthin' but a monster."
"No, you're not," Carlisle said, pulling his son to sit on the bed.
"Ah look lahke one, don't Ah?"
"You look like somebody who's lived a long, hard life, Jazz," Emmett said before Carlisle could speak. "But that doesn't make you a monster."
Jasper hummed and leaned over to press against Carlisle, who wrapped an arm around him, pulling him close.
"Thanks fer that. Edward 'n' Alice 'n' Caius keep tellin' meh Ah'm not a monster. It's just…" Jasper swallowed hard. "Hard ta believe 'em sometimes. Ah've killed so many people. So many…Hundreds. Both humans and vampires. It's hard to be a Christian, just knowin' that."
Edward frowned. He'd never heard that before. Carlisle patted his back.
"It's okay. Nobody's perfect."
Jasper snorted. "Ah'm as far from perfect as anybody can be. Ah can curse lahke a soldier, drink lahke a fish, and kill lahke an assassin. Ah've got a temper that'll make the flames a hell look icy, and Ah gets riled so easy, as ya saw. Ah'm pathetic."
"No," Carlisle said, shaking his head. "You are not. You're no more pathetic than me or Esme or your siblings. All we can do is pray for the strength to face each day. Okay?"
Jasper smiled and nodded. "Okay."
Carlisle gave a sigh and Jasper felt the room stiffen, so he stiffened, too, moving away from Carlisle and turning to fully face the room. Esme wouldn't look at him. Emmett and Rosalie looked away when he searched for their eyes. Edward just looked sad.
"We'll be back in an hour, Dad," Edward said. "And Jazz?"
"What's goin' on?" Jasper demanded.
"Jazz, don't try to run. It'll just be worse for you."
Fear exploded through Jasper, and it literally bowled everybody else over. He knew what that warning meant. Oh, how he knew what it meant. Edward told himself that every time he was about to get a spanking.
"Jazz! Calm down!" Edward gasped from the floor.
Jasper didn't hear him. All he could hear was yelling. Loud yelling with a hard southern drawl and a drunken slur. He heard Alice screaming for their father to stop hitting him…
"Jasper, sweetheart, nioniana, relax. You're having a flashback," Caius' voice said gently into his ear. "Carlisle is not Jedidiah. He would never hurt you like that. Every family needs discipline. You know this. You've helped Alice discipline your grandkids. You knew what you were signing up for. Relax. Relax. Breathe."
Then Caius did something that he never did in front of people besides those halflings he called friends and family. He began to sing. Something that most people didn't know was that Caius did indeed have a special ability. He was a singer. He could manipulate a person's emotions as Jasper could, but only when song passed from his lips. His power was so honed that he could make zombies of people with his voice alone. Even Aro and Marcus didn't know about it. They had asked him to stop singing in front of them four years into their lives together because it made them "feel weird." And now he was showing his ability to the Cullens, most of whom didn't know about it.
Jasper's breathing slowly regulated as the song flowed through his mind. Gentle arms encircled him, pulling him close. The scent that promised safety filled his nose, and he clutched at the vampire that held him. Esme came and sat on the other side, kissing his cheek gently. By the time the song was done, he was relaxed, though trembling from stress. The golden-lighted Caius gently touched his cheek.
"You going to be okay now?" he asked gently.
Jasper shivered and nodded. "Ah think so."
"I'll be paying attention in case you need me."
Jasper nodded again then Caius disappeared. Esme kissed his cheek again then pulled back.
"We'll go hunt now," she said softly, kissing her husband before leading the others out.
Jasper breathed in Carlisle's scent until they were clearly gone then he was kissed gently.
"Come to my office, son. No, don't grab your clothes. Come on."
Jasper followed Carlisle into the room and the door was shut. The older creature walked over to the desk and gestured for Jasper to stand in front of it. He did so, standing in a relaxed attention that was common for soldiers. Carlisle studied him for a moment.
"Do you know why you are getting a spanking, Jasper?"
"Ah'm not…Not really," Jasper admitted.
"You disobeyed me. Three times. In that situation, once is understandable. Twice is less so. Three times is worthy of punishment. You almost caused a fight."
Jasper's cheeks flushed and he suddenly felt horrible. "Ah'm sorry, sir."
"As sorry as I'm sure you are, you must be punished. Brace yourself against the desk."
Jasper did so, his trembling coming back. Carlisle came up behind him, placing a gentle hand on his lower back.
"Ready?"
"N-not really," Jasper repeated, feeling hot and cold at the same time.
"I know. This is going to hurt, but you'll feel better afterwards. Now, try not to break my desk. I rather like this one. Here we go."
The boy gave a strangled laugh then tensed as a hand settled on his posterior. The first blow made Jasper gasp and his hands clenched into fists as his bottom was coated evenly with hard swats. Jasper sobbed as pain lanced up his body, making him taut as a bowstring. He didn't count and was extremely relieved when Carlisle stopped and swept him into a huge hug, shushing him tenderly.
"Shh, it's all over. You were so brave. It's okay. It's okay. Just cry it out," Carlisle crooned.
Jasper held him tightly until he was sniffling. He finally relaxed, and the vampire pushed back, kissing his forehead.
"Better?"
Jasper thought about it for a moment, realizing that he did feel better. He didn't feel guilty about the fight he'd nearly caused. He smiled, wiping his cheeks and nodding.
"Was I anything like Jedidiah?"
"No." Jasper paused. "Ah have something ta say."
"Alright. What is it?"
"Ah ain't neva gonna call you Father."
Carlisle's emotions suddenly shattered, and tears gleamed in the vampire's eyes. "Oh. I-I suppose that's understandable, all thing's considering."
Jasper nodded. "Then we're agreed. Papa it is."
The words didn't register with Carlisle at first, but when they did, his emotions decided to get on a roller coaster. Jasper found himself being stared at in joy and disbelief and hope. Carlisle slowly pulled him into a warm embrace, kissing his cheek.
"Papa. I like it," he said, trying to stay calm.
Jasper chuckled. "If'n ya wants ta jump up and down lahke a kid, Ah won't tell nobody."
Carlisle took that offer and ran with it. He gave a whoop of joy, swinging Jasper around excitedly. He ended it with another embrace and a kiss.
"I love you, Jasper Whitlock," he said with a deep sigh of satisfaction.
"Ah s'pose Ah love you, too, Carlisle Cullen. Ah…Ah ain't fixed, by no means, but Ah think Ah'll get betta if'n we work on it."
"Well then, work on it we shall," Carlisle said with a tender smile. Jasper yawned, and Carlisle led him back to bed. "You rest, son. I've got to get some work done. Call me if you need me."
Jasper nodded, curling up underneath the blankets as Carlisle went back to his office. His emotions were steadily happy. He belonged somewhere! Oh what great joy! Sure, they didn't completely understand him yet, but that didn't matter. It didn't matter at all. What mattered was that, unless he so chose, he would never have to be alone again.
"Goodnight, Papa," Jasper said in a low voice.
There was a smile in Carlisle's voice as he replied. "Goodnight, little soldier."