Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight, darn her and her sandbox.
As always special thanks to Emerald_Rosalie and Lion_In_The_Land. Incredible thanks go to all the reviewers. Life has been rough lately and the prayers and the encouragement have been amazing. Many reviews brought me to tears and I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart. Here is a three part chapter to get you through until the next one.
Hugs To All
Aerialla
Chapter Eleven: Friendship Part I
Song: I'll Be There For You: The Rembrandts
The next morning I waited until Janine was in the shower before I headed downstairs and made breakfast for her. Ingredients were limited meaning Janine was often not home to eat. Searching through the kitchen, I was able to find just enough ingredients to make crepes.
Everything was on the table when Janine came down the stairs dressed for work. Her right eye was a mass of purple and blue it matched the swollen bottom lip. She looked at the table complete with late flowers from outside and stopped in her tracks. Tears formed in the corner of her eyes even though her face lit with a smile. Without a word I ushered her to her seat and laid a napkin in her lap before pouring her a cup of coffee.
I sat across from her and pretended to sip my own cup of coffee and motioned for her to eat. I would talk for both of us.
"Are you sure that you want to go into work today? Isn't there someone you could call?" Speak of the devil and they did appear. The phone rang and Janine rose to answer it using the universal sign that she'd be back in a moment.
Sitting I listened to the conversation with Janine's boss. He understood the strain of the attempted robbery and was giving Janine a paid vacation. There would be a full investigation since one of the robbers had been an employee. For the next two weeks she would meet with the investigators which required staying close in case any questions needed answers. The police had seen the tape and while Janine was not a suspect they had to follow protocol. Janine whispered her understanding into the phone but her hurt came through to me loud and clear. It hurt my heart to watch her wipe tears away from her eyes then hung up the phone. She returned to her seat with her head down and pushed her half-eaten plate away.
"Since it seems you have some free time, why don't you help me with a project?" Reaching across the table I grabbed her hand in my icy one and squeezed. I hated forcing emotions on her but I wanted her to be happy. That's what friends were for.
"I could use a project to take my mind off this. What's the project?" Picking up her coffee cup, she drained the hot liquid in one go. She stood to take her dishes to the sink. "Thanks for being here, Jasper, and thanks for being a friend. I could use one about now." She turned away from me to wash the dishes and I flew to her side taking them from her.
"Go change your clothes and throw on something that you don't mind getting dirty and I'll show you something. I'll finish these." Gently I turned her while rubbing the knots from her shoulders and pushed her toward the door.
Flying through the dishes I made it a fact not to let the actions of last night happen again. We were both in a needy position and had clung to each other in comfort it was as simple as that. Janine and I both needed a friend right now and I planned on having her for a friend as long as possible. It was going to be different being a friend with a human. I didn't know Bella enough yet to consider her a friend and I hoped that changed. As much as I wanted Janine's lush hot body against mine and around me I wanted her companionship more. Sex entangled things romantically in a way I didn't think either of us wanted at this point. I also had Bella to worry about and jealously in any form was an emotion I disliked.
Bella and I have ties now in a way that I didn't want to think about. Her one drop of blood had changed me to an extent that I didn't know yet. I could feel the tie with her that had nothing to do with the Cullens and Edward but that one drop of her precious blood. I had to check on her tonight when it would be the easiest to see how she was doing through her bedroom window. For now and today my agenda was to keep Janine occupied that she didn't think too much about her job.
Today I would get the help from Janine that I would have gotten last night at dinner. With any luck I could get all the errands done I had to before we left town. The past twenty-four hours had seen the most significant changes to my life. Vampires were slow to change. It was not typical to see your whole world upending and seeing a rainbow from a different perspective. If I had learned anything from the Carlisle it was that a vampire if he put forth the effort could survive in human society leading a normal existence.
Leaning against the front door I waited for Janine to change her clothes and join me for our outing. Feeling a vibrating against my leg, I pulled out my cell phone. There was a text message from Emmett.
"Where in the hell are you man, Esme's going nuts worrying and Carlisle has been pacing the study for hours. If you're going to be an asshole as least call them and tell them."
My little brother had a way of not beating around the bush. Fingers in a blur I responded. "I'm going to be there this weekend don't get your panties in a wad. Tell them I'm fine and I'll call this evening."
"You didn't do something stupid like eat someone did you? Am I going to have to sponsor you for a twelve-step program?" Leave it to Emmett to try to find the humor in any calamity. The boy obviously watched too much television.
"I have not eaten anyone . . . yet. If there is such a program for vampires I'm sure Carlisle knows about it. Hell he probably invented it. I'm fine. Don't worry about me and I'll see you in a few weeks. Tell Esme that I'll try to call tonight." I sent the last message and closed the phone shoving it back into my pocket as Janine came down the stairs wearing an old faded pair of jeans and an fitted T-shirt with the bank's logo. Sneakers had replaced her heels and her hair was down from its twist and now hung in a ponytail. She had taken the time to scrub the makeup off her face and it made her look younger. Excitement and happiness replaced the earlier hurt in her eyes. The smile on her face lit up the room. In her hand was my shirt from last night missing its buttons and ripped down the front.
"I think it's a goner, you could have just thrown it in the trash." I took the shirt from her and picked her jacket off a hook on the wall. Holding it out to her I helped her into her coat and opened the door. "Do you have a spare set of keys? I would hate to have to break in again?" Opening a drawer in an entryway table she shook them at me.
"So where are we going? It's not hiking or anything is it because I will warn you I never fail to come back with a rash from something. Last time I got poison sumac on my butt and couldn't sit still for a week." Her happiness was infections and I found myself laughing with her at the thought.
"No hiking, but before we get there, I do have a few errands I need to take care of in town if you don't mind." I opened her car door and closed it before she could speak.
"So where to." Janine fastened her seat belt and settled in. "You do know that this is a beautiful car, completely unpractical but awesome. I can't believe I didn't pay attention to it last night. I must have been out of it." She stroked the leather in such a way that it brought back the wonderful memories of last night. I quickly locked them away and started the engine pulling smoothly out of her drive and down the block.
"That sweetheart is going to be the first order of business." I knew that I could be opening a huge can of worms by letting Janine into my life, but every feeling that I got from her told me that I could trust her explicitly. "Some of the things I'm going to show you need to are just between us. I promise to try to answer any questions that you may have."
Trust poured out of her and she turned to me in her seat putting her hand on mine. "Jasper I work at a bank, I keep many secrets. Who would I tell them to anyway?" Sadness hit a little in her heart and the loneliness that she tried so hard to contain seeped through a little. Squeezing her hand I changed gears and kept to the speed limit through town.
"You were going to tell me about today." She was still looking at me and I smiled. Her face was once again alight with happiness. She was almost as good as I was at blocking emotions.
It was amazing that in such a short span of time Janine had wormed her way into my heart. Realizing that I could have found a true friend meant the world to me even if that friendship had only existed in the manner of hours rather than years or decades. Last night was better off left where it was. The sex while incredible was nothing but two people needing each other for that one brief moment in time. It would never happen again. Both of us knew that.
"Well I need your help with a few obstacles about the property I bought yesterday." Pulling the car smoothly up to the gate of the storage unit, I punched in the code.
It was priceless sight to see Janine's eyes wide with astonishment as she looked around. Parking the Porsche in its spot I killed the engine and since Janine did need to breathe I kept the massive metal door open for a few more minutes to get rid of the fumes. The new truck stuck out in the lineup since it had no cover.
"Don't tell me that these are all yours." Janine all but leaped out of the car. She raced to the first car and began peaking under the cloths.
"All right I won't tell you that. Would you like to see them?" I closed the door and turned on the powerful overhead lights. She nodding her head all but salivating at the prospect of what lay underneath. This was a woman who recognized fine machinery and I laughed. "You choose darlin' which one do you want to look at first."
Out of the nine that I uncovered she pointed to the one closest to her. With a quick pull and flick of the wrist I unveiled a classic 77' Corvette Stingray. Again and again she pointed until all the cars lay bare for her perusal. My whole collection so far consisted of a Porsche 356, Shelby GT 500, Lamborghini Diablo, Lotus Elise, Jaguar XKE Roadster, BMW 507, an Aston Martin Vantage Roadster Convertible, and a Bentley. Some like the Jaguar had been with me for a long time. It had been years since all of their covers had been off. I knew what was under each one there hadn't been a reason to just pull the covers off and stare.
The delight radiating from Janine made me laugh as she ran to each car gawking with much appreciation. Good manners kept her from letting one fingerprint get on the paint that still shined in high gloss. I could tell that she itched to be inside each one.
"Jasper, how? A collection like this takes years, unless you have some fountain of youth, not to mention that there's millions of dollars of cars. Again I say how?" Janine stood in the middle aisle her head going back and forth in shock.
"I'm on the list for the new BMW Z4 that comes out in 2010 too. Some are good investments and some passed down. My family has a healthy appreciation for cars and the money to be able to have what we want." Walking past, I poked her in the ribs skating over her Fountain of Youth remark had been easy. If she only knew.
There was no way that I was willing to risk losing her friendship or her life if she found out the truth. Both were becoming too precious to me. In my life even human I had little true friends. Yeah I had always been charismatic and could talk someone into just about anything, did not mean that true friends were easy to come by. On one hand I could count the true friends I had including Janine.
While Janine scooted from car to car still amazed, I fired up a computer then dug the keys out of the vault. The light in her eyes was worth any fingerprints, not that I was a stickler for that anyway. Something that anal was more of Edward's territory. I loved all my cars but I still looked at them as something replaceable. In my hand I held all the keys and held them out to her. She squealed and began jumping up and down.
"You mean I can look closer." Her tone said disbelief but her heart and eyes held promise and hope. Who was I to deny her anything?
"Yes, but I need help first. For every piece of help I give you a set of keys. Deal." I shook them, holding them away when she tried to jump the five-inch difference between out heights. At 6'3 it was easy to hold them over my head and watch her 5'8 frame try to get them. Playfully I put my hand on her hand then tickled her with the other. This was the play that I likened to Emmett and Rosalie.
The thought of my family made me miss them and I decided to make good on my trip to Denali this weekend.
"Ok, I give, you freaking' giant." In a huff she stamped her foot at me then followed me into the office. "What do you need my help with I'm all yours except if it's illegal?" Janine sat in the chair next to mine and tucking her leg under her.
"I'm now the owner of a substantial piece of property and as you are a homeowner I need your help in getting everything set up. Where to call for water, electricity, things like that. I'll need insurance and stuff too. Later after lunch if you're good, I'll take you out to see it. I grabbed a pad of paper and a pen for her."
"Geez you're a slave driver. I need a phone book and a phone. Some will want deposits so you'll have to talk to them for that." She threw the pen back at me and I caught it before it hit me between the eyes. Damn but she was sassy.
"I'll make it easier for you. Wait here." I jogged back to the Porsche and pulled out my jacket from the day before grabbing my checkbook. "Here is my cell. I don't have a phone book, but the internet is up and ready to go. If you can set something up where everything is debiting from my account, without me having to deal with it that would be great. If they won't do check, I'll give you my credit card." Reaching into my back pocket I pulled out my wallet and handed her the appropriate card.
Janine stared at me as if I'd grown two heads and the way she picked up the pad of paper it looked like I was in for a beating. Luckily I didn't get any feelings of hostility from her only that she was plaining to get me back. "You expect me to sit here and do your dirty work for you. Man, you are going to owe me big time and I'm talking letting me drive whichever car I want, whenever I want, kind of big time." She reached up and smacked me in the head with the pad, I let her. Then tickled under her arm, loving the sound of her giggle.
"Done, I'll be your willing slave and you can have full discretion to the cars. What else do you need?" Janine's gaze went out to the cars and I knew I had won. Even if she wrecked one, the payment would be worth it, just to see the joy in her eyes.
"All the basic personal info and the address for the property. For lunch I want Chinese. You can pick it up while you go to the DMV and register that truck. That will get you out of my hair. Now start writing." She laid the pad and paper down for me and I began the task of giving her the information she needed.
"Thank you, darlin', I do appreciate you. What Chinese do you want?" I bent down and kissed her on the head pushing a stray tendril behind her ear. Parts of my libido stirred and I forced them down. Keeping my hands on her was already harder than I thought possible. The memory of the picture of her husband and her tears for him were enough to ease the tension when she leaned into my hand unaware of her action.
"They have a sampler that I love so get that and Coke. I need the caffeine I haven't had my coffee yet." Standing she made herself comfortable in my chair and fired up the internet. I turned to walk away feeling dismissed then felt a warm hand on my bare arm.
"Thanks for doing this Jasper. I needed something to keep my mind occupied today. If you could run by the bank and see if they will let you get my purse that would be great." The soft caress of her hand as she moved it to mine and squeezed, meant everything.
*****
Chapter Twelve: Friendship Part II
Song: Thank You For Being A Friend (The Golden Girls Theme): Cindy Fee
For the next two hours my life consisted of waiting in line at the DMV until my number was up. A crowded room full of angry and frustrated people was not how I wanted to spend my morning. More than once I had to use my powers to force the whole room to calm down before I lost my mind and killed them all.
Finally I walked out and threw the new plate in the car then went to the Chinese place a few doors down. On the way I passed a jewelry store and the window was displaying charm bracelets. One caught my eye and I had to get it for Janine. Opening the door, I let myself into the small store.
"How may I help you today, sir?" A silver haired older woman strolled up to me from the back.
There is an item in your front display I would like. I also need to see what else you have." I waited patiently as she pulled the small display from the window then pointed to the one I wanted.
After she had returned the tray to the window she showed me the others and I chose another and a bracelet. I knew Janine would not appreciate anything extravagant but knew the small gift would bring her great joy. With no family or friends in the area I was positive that presents were surely lacking in her life.
Leaving the store with the small bag, I made my way back to the truck and locked Janine's gift in the glove compartment. Looking at the truck made me realize that I had almost forgotten my promise to Walter, and I didn't have my cell phone on me. I would have to make a quick trip to the dealership and come back for the food otherwise it would grow cold. The thought of cold Chinese food smell in the truck almost made me gag and I didn't want to even think of the smell hot.
It took me minutes to get to the dealership and I walked into the main building asking for Walter with the receptionist. I stood idly leaning against the counter and waited until finally came out of his office shaking a man's hand and saying how sorry he was that they couldn't help him more. As soon as the man left, I walked over to Walter. He seemed surprised to see me, he had thought that I would have forgotten to help his daughter.
"How are you, today Walter?" I led him into his office and sat in the chair I had sat in just the day before.
"Is there something wrong with the truck Mr. Whitlock?" He sat behind the desk placing his hands on the top.
"I came by to get your daughter's information." Checking my watch I was glad to find out that Janine would not be waiting excessively long for lunch as it had not yet even reached eleven o'clock. "I also have some free time right now, if you like I can call them direct from here. We can make sure that we don't leave anything out or to chance." Amazement and relief flooded the small confines of the room and I was glad that I had not forgotten my promise. "Do you have the number for the financial aid office?"
Walter reached and pulled out his wallet and a card bearing the Harvard logo. His hands were visibly shaking and he held it and the phone to me. Smiling I sent some calm toward him and didn't dial his number, but one to an old friend on the board of admissions. "Her name is Jessica Matheson."
"Howard, this is Jasper Whitlock. I know it's been a longtime but I need to ask you a favor. There is an applicant for you school and I was wondering if you can pull up her file. The name is Jessica Matheson." I smiled at Walter and we both waited patiently for Howard's voice.
"I have her file now Jasper. The kids got a great transcript but I see why they denied the full scholarship. We have had to do this to many kids this year. They cut back our funding for scholarships. If they can come up with the rest, we want to have her here. This kid has a great future ahead of her. You would be happy to know that she applied to the history program. Her transcript says she wants to study the Civil War and the affect it had on the western part of the country."
I could hear the creak of Howard's leather chair and could tell in his voice he was being truthful about the cutbacks. Not everyone at Harvard was an elitist. Howard had worked his butt of to get through school.
"Could my family's scholarship fund offset the amount not covered by the partial scholarship?" I knew without a doubt it could, I just didn't want to discuss that in front of Walter.
"You'd have to make the call on that one. If you want us to put it through that way we don't have a problem and we can put everything through right now and get the paper faxed to you. All it will take is a couple of keystrokes to the office letting them know the scholarship is for approval of full tuition and board for Jessica Matheson. Do you want to add the stipend for incidentals like we have before? I always hate it when these kids with so much promise have to work themselves to death like I did. The clause your family put in to give the candidate's a monthly allowance for good grades was genius."
"Let's do that Howard. Fax me the papers I need to sign to my number on file and fax the ones for Jessica to this number." I read the number that Walter pushed at me his hands shaking so badly that they dropped the paper. "Thanks Howard, I appreciate your help on this as I am positive the family does as well." I hung up the phone with a clatter and stared at Walter.
"What does this mean?" Walter was too afraid to ask more. He was so proud of his daughter and guilt ate at him that he could not provide this for her. Walter was a good father.
"Let's wait until that fax comes through. It should be just a moment." I knew that keeping Walter in suspense was cruel but knew the outcome was more than worth it.
Walter paced for the full ten minutes it took to get the fax through, even the calm I sent him only took the edge off. He was also afraid to hope, and I sent him some of that as well. Lately I had hope to spare.
The machine's beeps and whirring sound had Walter standing in front of it as it spit out the page that would change his family.
"Why don't you read it to me Walter?" I sat patiently knowing that if he read it out loud the reality would sink in more.
"Dear Jessica Matheson,
We are proud to offer you a full scholarship to Harvard. The generosity of the Whitlock foundation has made it possible for you to not only receive the full scholarship but also a monthly allowance based on grade performance. Please let us be aware of your full intents at your earliest convenience. Welcome to Harvard.
Sincerely,
Howard Marshal, Dean of Admissions"
The paper was shaking so badly that I thought Walter was going to have a heart attack.
"Congratulations, Walter. Your daughter is going to Harvard." Standing I shook his hand and made to leave the office.
"Wait. Whitlock, your family name is Whitlock? You put this through for her, how?" He was standing, staring at me and at the paper in his hand.
"My family has gone to Harvard for a long time and we have a scholarship set up for deserving students. By all accounts your daughter is a deserving student, end of story." I tried to leave by the man grabbed me in a hug with a war whoop. Prying myself from not only his grasp but his elated emotions for him and his daughter. "Walter, I'm sure you have a few calls you need to make, I'll leave you to them." Slowly I backed out of the room and shook Walter's hand one last time when he held it out.
"I don't know how to thank you enough, this will mean the world to her." He pumped my hand up and down so much I thought his hand would fall off his arm.
"Tell her that Texas had a great deal to do with the Civil War and the men fought bravely until the end." I turned and all but ran out of the building before he could attack me again.
With some stealth I was able to bypass the wandering cops at the bank. Luckily Janine's purse had been under her desk and out of sight. I doubt its noticeable presence so its disappearance would pose any questions.
The scent of blood almost overwhelmed me in the lobby and parts of me warred for control. It would be easy too easy to grab a cop unawares pull them behind the counter and drink until the hunger satisfied itself. Breathing deep the scent, I did not feel the hunger I should have. There was no need to feed the thirst that burned my throat. I knew the smell had me hungry but I had no urge to do anything about it. Concentrating I brought to mind Bella and her wonderful ambrosia. Spice burst on my tongue and my nose, my body rebelled at the smell of the blood on the floor until I thought I would be physically ill.
Hope filled my chest overcoming the burn and clearing my mind. Somehow, in a way that I never would have dreamed possible Bella's one drop of blood was making me sicken at the thought of any other. I longed to share my discovery with Carlisle and wondered what he would make of this.
In a flash I was back to the truck with Janine's purse in her hands and trying hard not to think of my new discovery. For now it was good to know that a part of me was getting better with humans even if that meant Bella's blood had been the reason.
Now I had to stop and get Janine's food then head back to her and finally to the house. Like yesterday this was turning out to be someday. Who knew that doing good deeds could be so fun. I was starting to feel like a hero rather than a creature of the night that made a person lock their doors and stay out of shadows.
Janine was hanging up the phone when I cut the truck's engine off. She dropped it hard on the desk and pinched the bridge of her nose. Getting everything turned on for me obviously had been the trial that I thought it would be.
"I have food." I placed the offensive smelling bag in front of her and watched as she dug in with gusto. I tried hard not to cringe in disgust.
Sitting in the other chair, impressed, I looked over her notes. Not only had she managed to get the water, electricity and gas turned on but also satellite and internet connection. Janine notified the post office of the address as well as the refuse company. Beside each she had put the amount she had paid and with what account with the dates each would turn on. A piece of paper told me that I would need to send in a copy of the deed for tax purposes. In truth Janine was a miracle worker and I know which I had bought her a bigger present.
"So are you going to play Mr. Miyagi now and give me a car for all of my hard work?" Taking a drink of her soda she shoved the leftover food away looking at me with eyes pleading for the keys.
"You have a choice you can have the keys either now to poke around or later this afternoon you can test-drive any that you want." In my open hand lay each set of keys and I tried not to chuckle as she bit her lip. First she eyed the keys then the cars, next came to the clock which said it was just half past noon.
"I'll take the second choice, to joyride with you and poke around later." Straightening from her position in the chair Stretching her arms above her head Janine worked the kinks out of her stiff muscles.
Her gray T-shirt inched up over her jeans leaving a wonderful expanse of belly and lower back. A lower back that contained swirls of color and stars. How in the world had I missed that tattoo last night. The sight of it on her golden skin almost made me growl in lust. Clenching my hands I watched her breasts move higher as she stretched,
straining against the shirt while I strained against my jeans. It was all I could do not to grab her and rip the clothes from her skin burying myself in her from behind so that I could memorize every millimeter of her sultry tattoo.
She looked at me from behind her long dark eyelashes and winked. The minx was toying with me. Her eyes looked down at the apparent bulge and had the audacity to giggle and walk out of the office, her behind wriggling at me as if to say "Come and get me."
"Coming Jasper." Janine's sweet voice echoed off the metal walls and I cursed myself for ever thinking we could be nothing but friends. I was coming, all right, and soon whether by her lovely body or by hand. She was killing me and it was such as sweet torture.
With a growl of frustration I threw the keys back in the safe not bothering hanging them back up, grabbing her trash I ran to the truck which Janine already occupied. After I threw the trash away outside in a dumpster, we were on our way to the house. With her hand firmly place in mine I broke all speed limits and she was laughing while the window was down to blow through her hair.
*****
Chapter Thirteen: Friendship Part III
Song: Wind Beneath My Wings : Bette Midler
Janine did not say one word about my speed as I drove and gave off no feelings of fear or nervousness so was a comfort. She had turned up the radio and after changing it to a Country station began singing with every song that came on. She wasn't bad.
We began pulling into the drive and she turned off the radio and gasped when we were finally through the clearing and close to the house. The Elk herd was in the pasture enjoying the sun when it would break through the clouds.
I laughed when Janine yanked off her seat belt and hopped from the car before it had even fully stopped. Using her distraction with the Elk I grabbed her present from the glove box and after getting out shoved it in my pocket.
As she watched the Elk, I snuck up behind her and without thinking wrapped my arms around her from behind. She leaned into me and the smell of her vanilla skin made my mouth pool. Her skin was warm and I enjoyed feeling her in my arms a little too much. Holding her made too many thoughts bombard my mind, most chastising me for getting this close to another woman this soon after Alice. Had it only been a day? It felt like years. Maybe I had been too busy with other people's feelings to realize my own.
Three questions hit me between the eyes making my body tense unwillingly. How long had I been out of love with Alice? How long had it been since I had stopped loving her? How long had I been pretending for the sake of the family? Holding Janine in my arms told me that for too long I had denied my own feelings and that damn the consequences with family I would find my own happiness first. If fate decided that Janine and I would be more than friends I would leave her to decide.
"Let me show you inside. Come on." Grabbing her hand we made our way under the porch and into the house before the sun had time to make my skin sparkle. "I'll warn you now the whole place needs gutted." Gently I pushed the door opened and followed her inside.
Janine didn't say much at first. Leaving my side, she began to meander from room to room, seemingly taking stock of every nook and cranny. It was as if she was making to do list in her head.
I began opening windows to let fresh air in. The stale musty smell was making me gag. It was bad enough that I saw Janine take in huge breaths as the fresh air wafted into the room. Without a doubt the lower level would be worse and I slipped down into the darkness to open whatever windows found there. I was back upstairs before she'd even known that I had gone.
"Would you like to see the downstairs?" I leaned my hip against the low halfway wall surrounding the stairs noticing her small gulp as she swallowed. A hint of fear caught me with a war to reassure herself. It made me long to ask her why she was afraid of the dark. It was something I had noticed last night in her small house and dismissed. There had been a small lamp of some sort on in each room.
Not speaking Janine slowly walked to me from the kitchen and I held out my hand to her. She took it and interlaced her fingers with mine tightly. Her fear increased another notch when she momentarily forgot there was no electricity to the switch that she had just clicked into the upward position. She tensed and I almost stopped her as she slowly descended to the next step and another after that.
As we took each step into darkness, I was glad that I had left the door open. Her fear had massed with each step until she was trembling at the bottom. She had begun squeezing my hand with more strength that I thought she possessed. Small words began to form passed her lips and I could hear the whispered mantra telling herself there was nothing to fear from the darkness.
I would have stopped and taken her upstairs when her fear began to overwhelm even me. It was her determination to fight whatever demons had made her so afraid of the darkness that made me stay. I hated manipulating her feelings in anyway knowing she would be angry with me for it. There was no way I could not send small sparks of calm at her.
My bare cold arm touched hers and the change came too late for me to stop it and I grabbed her just before she could hit the floor. Paralyzing fear had her keening into my shoulder and struggling to get away. Every time my cool, skin touched her she flinched away in almost physical pain. I slammed the door on my receptive emotions and sent as many blasts of calm into her mind as I dared. Lifting her gently as she still cried into my shoulder, I carried her farther into the blackness until we were in the lower family room. The wall of windows letting sunlight pour through. With my back to the wall I sat with her in the sun holding her as she cried and remembered terrors I wanted to tear apart with my bare hands.
Two questions came from her lips and rocked me to the foundation of my being. I tried to shake it off as my sensitive ears hearing something they did not want to hear. She had to repeat the questions before I was able to wrap my mind around them.
"How did you become a vampire and when were you planning on telling me that you are one?" Here in the light wrapped in my arms she felt safe and her earlier panic attack was fading into the recesses of her memory.
"Why don't you tell me how you know about vampires and why you think I am one?" I now understood a little why Edward wanted to keep Bella so safe. Janine as she sat in my lap, in my arms had in a short amount of time became more precious to me than my own life. There was nothing that I wouldn't do to keep her safe. It didn't mean that I was going to control or decide Janine's life for her. Unlike Edward in my life I had known true love and friendship and it was, to those memories, I clung when being a vampire tore everything else of my soul away. When I had been with Maria, they had been the only possessions I had. Scant memories flitted across my mind, now because of time faded and askew.
I felt Janine's intake of breath as she snuggled into my shoulder. Her head rested just under my chin and I was glad for the warm sun coming in on both of us even if it did make my skin shimmer in the light.
"I was in college. My roommate and I were leaving the library. There had been some recent problems and a few girls had gone missing. Most just figured it was a freshman year and they had gone home. One had run home because she got too homesick. I was extra cautious and wanted to be back in the dorms before dark. We had not stayed too long, it was still light outside. People were still going to and from class. To get to the dorm we had to pass a small wooded area." Janine's body tensed and I began to rock her gently and calmed her some more.
"Before we knew it, someone was pulling us into the trees by hands that were as hard as stone and just as cold. I remember the blood pouring from my roommate's neck and two men standing over her, they forgot me for a moment. Quietly I had begun backing up toward the last rays of sunlight that were coming through the trees. One hand reached out to grab me and I fell backward out of the clearing and into the light." The sob built up in her chest and Janine had begun breathing deeply in order not to break down.
"I'll never forget his eyes, they were blood red and his skin glistened like a diamond facet. He stared at me my roommate's blood all over his mouth and laughed before going back into the woods. I ran as fast as I could back to the dorms. Until this moment I have never told anyone even the cops when they asked questions about her disappearance. How could I tell them that my roommate had been eaten by a vampire in daylight?"
Turning she faced me and her memory made fresh fear in her dark eyes. "Why are you different? I researched every legend, watched every horror movie I could find. Some all pointed to vampires but nothing about the skin. That's the way I knew you were like him. I saw it when we were outside. Your eyes, they are different, why?" Slowly she moved away from me, and I had felt her discomfort in my embrace. The pain of her moving away from me frightened and confused made me hang my head. I had never anticipated this moment, and became unsure as what to do. She needed reassurance that I was not going to kill her.
Telling Janine, my history, with the facts that I had once ate humans, just like her roommate would not to anything to ease her fear. I was going to have to do this as delicately as possible. Just the thought of losing her new frail friendship was not a risk that I was willing to make.
"Most of what you've read or seen about vampires is folklore, the rest unfortunately is all too, close to the truth. Yes, I am a vampire." I cringed when she backed away from me making sure to stay close to the door and the sunlight. "There are different ways that we can live, but for all of them we need blood to survive." Janine's fingers on her throat were almost my undoing.
Turning away from her and the haunted fear in her dark eyes, I continued. "Not all of us eat humans, many like my family choose to survive on the blood of animals. We go into the mountains and feed making sure to stay faraway from any human scents. There are some in my family who have never had the taste of human blood." My back was to her now and I pushed back the sliding door stepping out into the bright sunshine. "Yes my skin sparkles for lack of a better word, why I don't know. My strength is unsurpassable and I could keep pace with a car if I choose to run."
Turning, I looked into her eyes. "Know this for certain, I would never hurt you. You have nothing to fear from me. I want you as my friend Janine but the choice is yours." I held out my hand to her and hoped beyond hope that she would take it. I would not beg or take away her fear. If being my friend was something that she could not handle it was a fact that I would have to live with.
I held out my right hand and the agonizing seconds seemed years. Hesitantly she put one foot in front of the other and with a shaking hand to my cold one into hers. I gently squeezed her fingers and she returned the small gesture. Figuring now was as good of a time as any I pulled the square box out of my pocket and put it in her free hand.
"Jasper, what did you do?" Looking from the small box to me I smiled and shrugged at her question.
Taking my hand reluctantly out of hers I let her open her gift. "Consider it a thank you for all of your help today and a token of friendship."
I watched her as she opened the box surprise shined in her eyes. Many of her earlier fears about the darkness, and my being a vampire, began retreating slowly from the front of her then finally back into the recesses of her spirit. Her eyes were golden in the light shining brightly in the sun. Nothing was as brilliant as her smile when she pulled the small charm bracelet from its box.
Taking it from her slightly shaking fingers I worked the clasp around her wrist. Two small charms faced her, an enamel, gold and crystal turtle and the Chinese symbol for friendship. The turtle had been an obvious choice after seeing several of them sitting around her kitchen and in the flowers in front of her house. Our friendship even so beautifully new was something that I wanted her to remember.
"Thank you, Jasper, I'll treasure it always." She fingered the small turtle delicately then looked up into my eyes. Small tears pooled in the corners and her eyes darkened slightly. Small pieces of guilt pierced my heart, hers, not mine. "I'm so sorry that I was afraid of you Jasper. So sorry." With a speed I didn't know she held she was in my arms hugging me with all the strength she had. I hugged her back feeling free, not only because she knew who I was, but that she accepted me in my entirety.
"So what do you think of the place?" Letting her go, I stepped away. The warmth of the sun was a comfort I had not known in so long and my body and spirit ate the heat of an early fall day.
Together Janine and I turned, facing the meadow we watched as the elk grazed in peace. "It's going to be a huge renovation. Are you sure you're up to the challenge? Even at lightning speed it will take a few months just to get the place livable. Working day and night might get you there a little sooner." She grinned at me and gently bumped me with her shoulder. "So do I get the keys yet or are you going to make me beg?"
The light in her eyes melted me and I scooped her up while she laughed and ran back to the truck.
The rest of the day passed in peaceful play and I dropped Janine off at her door after dinner. We made plans for the weekend considering the bank would be opening again and she would be back to her daily grind. At her door she once again thanked me with tears in her eyes for the bracelet and for one of the best days of her life. I left her after kissing her soft cheek.
There was one final goal for the day. The time was right, Bella would be home and I would be able to check and see how she was. No part of me was expecting a miracle, not that I didn't hope for one.
Parts of me felt guilty for spending the day with Janine when I should have been watching Bella's every movement. I had shamefully sought comfort for me instead of thinking of her. It didn't matter that I had helped two people in the past two days. What mattered was that I had not helped the one who needed my special powers the most.
Author's Note: Because of medical problems I don't know when the next update will be, hopefully soon. Please do not give up on the story if it takes more than a week for an update. I refuse to give up on this story. Everyone's reviews have meant the world and everyone is appreciated beyond words.
Until next time...
Aerialla