Author's note: Thank you for reading and reviewing. This chapter is pretty long I've gone over it a few times. If there are any glaring errors let me know and I'll try to fix them asap. Shout out to the reviewers: Baby Cyclopes, Beb Sweets, Brazos, Our Miss Connie, Redux, Welsh Angarad, and Sky Dog.
Saturday Evening
Jasper
Rosalie is shuffling through the numerous bags at the bottom of the stairs when I follow Alice over.
"Here Alice this bag has your things." Alice takes the bag, bouncing with excitement.
"Look at this Jasper!" she pulls out a dress with a a fancy pattern and a white collar.
"It's very nice."
"There are shoes to go with it too. Rosalie helped me pick them out. Maybe after dinner I can put it all on and show you." She looks so excited. I honestly can't wait to see her in her fancy dress I'm sure she will look beautiful. she deserves to wear beautiful things.
"These are for you." Rose holds out a pile of folded, tags still on, clothes to me. The expression on her face as she does looks, curious or suspicious I'm not sure which or why.
I take the clothes from her with some trepidation.
It's odd to me that everything I'm wearing at the moment is from the Cullens, except my boots. But it's all second hand nothing newly bought. Well, the underwear might be, I don't know. These new clothes Rosalie has given me are a lot, really too much.
It might be more new clothes then I've ever had in my hands except maybe the uniform the army gave me.
Alice starts pointing things out. "Here's some socks and a new pair of track pants. These are long sleeved shirts and these couple are short sleeved. You can layer them if you want. This one with the strips is a collared shirt and there's a blue sweater."
Rosalie is watching us like a hawk and she doesn't look particularly happy.
I'm afraid it might be because my face isn't showing the emotion she expected, gratitude or excitement or something.
I just can't help but feel very serious about this, this really is a lot.
"If something doesn't fit or you don't like it give it back and we'll return it." She says curtly.
I nod. I'm not sure what to say.
Alice takes the clothes from me. "Let's put them away. You can try them on later"
I don't know that I will be trying them on or keeping them. I'm thinking pretty hard about giving them back right now.
Dinner is heating and everyone is back in the kitchen. I stand back at the threshold not wanting to get in the middle of things.
Alice of course jumps right in and takes the plates from Edward who rather than seeming irritated actually smiles at her.
I'm not sure what I should be doing. I'd like to just kind of sneak away. But I don't want to make anyone mad or upset, anymore than I apparently already have.
I can still feel Rosalie's eyes on me. I don't know what I did, I really haven't seen her since breakfast. I thought she was ok with me then.
Alice skips up beside me with silverware in hand and thrusts a bunch of napkins at me.
"Come help me set the table Jasper."
I am thankful for something to do and to get out of the kitchen.
When everyone sits down to dinner tonight there are fewer things on the table. I am surprised and relieved that everything on the table looks appetizing and not dried out or gelatinous.
Things are passed around the table again this time everyone seems a little more calm than last night.
Alice leans over to me as she passes each dish and gives me her review. Apparently she really likes the green bean casserole so I take take some of that to try.
Dr. Cullen asks if I'd like dark meat or white. I shrug my shoulders because I don't want to pick something that someone else might want.
"Well here's a leg and a breast you can start with that. Let me know if you want something else, there's plenty more." he smiles and I nod in acknowledgment.
I look at all the food suddenly on my plate and look at all the food that everyone else has. I relax some when it looks like everyone has everything they want.
Rosalie
I've been watching them interact since Uncle Carlisle first brought them to stay that night two weeks ago.
I've been swooning over the way they communicated with just looks and small touches. The way she brings a light to his eyes and how he is constantly her number one thought. I just knew the two of them had to have an epic war torn love story.
I had imagined it all. In my mind Jasper and Alice were childhood sweethearts. She had crying quietly but kept her head up when he'd come home to tell her he'd joined up. He'd looked back as he boarded the bus that would take him away to the army and promised to write her everyday.
They had written countless letters to one another during his deployment each recounting the hardship of being so long without the other. Then the fear of what had become of him during the base attack and finally the fairytale reunion with tears of joy.
I couldn't help it. The romantic fool in me just had to snoop. This afternoon while trying on clothes I'd asked Alice how she felt when Jasper left to join the army.
Her answer through the dressing room door struck me like a bolt. "Nothing. Well nothing about him joining the army, I was definitely feeling something at the time. I'm sure I would have felt something about it but I didn't know Jasper at the time."
"Really, I would have thought you knew each other. When did you meet?"
"In March."
"March? Like two months ago, March?"
"Yep and we've been together ever since."
Then while I was still coming to terms with the fact that they really just met I just had to ask her how old she was.
Sixteen, that's how old Alice is.
She's only sixteen.
And that means a couple of things.
One: it is possible for Uncle Carlisle and Aunt Esme to adopt her.
and Two: the part that's got me watching Jasper, or whatever his name is, as he sits in his awkward nervous way across the table from me. He's old enough for the government to consider him a grown man and she's just a girl.
I just want to make sure I've not missed anything while I've had my metaphoric heart shaped glasses on. I want to make sure their relationship is of two equals.
Alice seems so naïve and young. I don't want her to get hurt because she doesn't understand how men are.
Alice deserves someone to watch out for her.
I tune back into the conversation. It's pretty mundane. Esme is talking about our outing and Alice is talking excitedly about some of the things she saw.
She was so excited you'd have thought she'd never been to a grocery store, of all things to be excited about.
She's talking about all the things she saw there. "and I saw a magazine at the store talking about lots of people being arrested earlier this month what was that about?"
I groan internally, her question is innocent enough but she doesn't know she just woke up Edward the political monster.
Carlisle
Alice asked about the Mayday protests and the arrests that followed and the floodgate of Edward's politics opened.
I try to reign him in but apparently his been waiting for an opportunity to get on a soapbox on the subject and won't be dissuaded.
"I just think that they should have done more to come to a diplomatic peaceful solution instead of jumping in with guns and napalm."
"I'm sure they tried that tactic first, son." I say evenly.
"Edward dear maybe we should discuss something else at the dinner table." Esme tries but Edward is worked up and not ready to stop.
"I just, they just... Fighting is never the answer, it never solves anything in the long run. It will only make things worse."
"There are..." A quiet voice comes from the end of the table. Everyone's eye's snap to Jasper, we're all surprised to hear him speak up.
He looks a little shaken by the sudden shift in attention but he continues. "There are some people in this world that want what they want no matter who they hurt and no matter what you say or how long you talk they won't change their ways."
His eyes get dark, I can imagine the terrible experiences he's drawing this conclusion from and I shutter.
"So you're saying violence is the answer." Edward practically hisses.
Jasper doesn't back down. "I'm saying fighting for the lives of anyone you can save is the only answer." Jasper gazes intensely at Edward before diverting his eyes.
He doesn't quite look up at us but asks in our direction his eyes downcast. "Dr. and Mrs. Cullen may I be excused from the table?"
"Well certainly you can Jasper but aren't you hungry wouldn't you like to finish your dinner?" He hadn't eaten very much but it doesn't look like that is going to stop him.
I can feel his very palpable discomfort. I'm pretty sure everyone at the table can feel it. It is only reenforced when as soon as I give him permission to go he is up like a shot and out of the room.
His crutch left abandoned as he lurches through the doorway.
"I..." Alice looks back and forth between us and the doorway Jasper left through. "I should check on him."
"Yes do. Let us know how he is."
Alice take his crutch from where it have been leaning on the wall behind his chair.
I am really disappointed that things have gone this way. I thought I'd gotten through to Edward about things having a time and a place.
Everyone looks a bit stunned by what's just happened.
"You really messed up this time bonehead."
"Emmett, please don't call your brother a bonehead." Esme directs him softly.
"Sorry."
"I..." Edward speaks. "how was I suppose to know things would upset him this much."
I stand up. I'm not interested in continuing with dinner at the moment. "I think you should go to your room Edward."
Edward gets up from the table but doesn't go. "He comes to live with us, we've known him all of two weeks and he moves in. most of that that we've known him he was pretty much skulking in the shadows like a damn vampire. He tells us his name is Jasper and not Jack like he led us to believe. And has anyone else noticed he seems scared of us. I just don't know what to think or trust when it comes to him."
"It's not been easy for any of us, Edward. Sometimes the people worth knowing are worth working for."
"What does that even mean and you obviously know something about him and all of this that you're not telling us. Why, what's the big secret? What's so special about him."
"We've said before it's not our story to tell. Give him some time, he needs to know he can trust us."
"Yeah, you're not helping Edward." Emmett added unhelpfully.
"Shut up Emmett." Edward snaps.
I'm done talking. "Edward, upstairs now."
I step into the kitchen with Esme so we can figure out what we should do now.
Alice
"Hey you alright Jazz?"
He's sitting on his bed with his head in his hands.
"I'm ok. I'm sorry Alice. I just...I just got angry. I had to get out of there. I don't mean to be mad at Edward. He's just naive."
"He is young and not had the same experiences you have. I don't think he was trying to upset you." I lean his crutch against the wall by the doorjamb and sit down next to him.
"I don't take it personally. Some day someone is going to teach him something. I just don't know that I want it to be me."
"Aw Jazz I bet you'd be a great teacher."
"You're too kind." he starts to rub a his forearm where I'm sure the stitches itch. I take his hand and hold it in mine.
"Will you come and finish dinner?"
"No I don't think so, but you should." He says quietly and he squeezes my hand lightly.
"Are you sure?" He nods. "I'll save you something."
"Thank you Alice but you don't have to worry about me." his southern draw lengthened the words he spoke.
"It's a big job but somebody's to do it."
Emmett
Everyone left and then it was just me and Rose at the table. "So this is weird."
"You're telling me."
"Hey, I know weird I had all day day with Jasper it was weird."
"Well, I spent all day with Edward Broody pants." She says like it's a competition. I roll my eyes and lean over to her.
"I've been waiting to tell you all about it all day." I as quiet as I can.
"Yeah well you won't believe what I found out." She whispers back.
"What?"
"You first."
"But, but..." Now I want to know what info she's got the suspense is killing me.
"What have you got." She insists.
"Well he was super in awe of the garage and stuff."
"Like who wouldn't be." She's unimpressed.
"No but like how I was, like coming from nothing and seeing people live like this, that kind of shocked. He didn't say much, no surprise I know. But when he did talk about war stuff he got like scary intense it was crazy. And and when we couldn't find him this afternoon he'd sat on the deck with a chair all the way pushed back in the corner so like maybe no one could sneak up on him or something and then I touched him and he scary flinched like I scared him or hurt him or something."
"interesting but not totally surprising."
"It was a surprise when it was happening, believe me. Now, what do you know?"
"Alice is sixteen."
"Noooo, really? I knew I got a little sister vibe from her. Dang."
"I know right."
"Well it could be worse."
"How's that?"
"Your new baby sister could be prettier than you."
"You Jerk!" Rose pushes me like I knew she would for calling Alice our new sister.
And speak of the devil.
Alice came back to the table without Jasper.
"Hey Alice is everything ok?" I ask her. I hate to see her looking upset.
"Jazz is fine, just a little tired right now." I nod my head, I could understand that Edward wears everyone out.
She slumps down in her seat. "I didn't mean for things to go like this." She looks around the table at all the half full plates.
"You didn't do this. Edward has a way of putting his foot in his mouth that is truly legendary." Rose clarifies.
"I just wanted Edward and Jasper to talk. I didn't want anyone to get into trouble or upset."
"Edward doesn't get in trouble." I say with a grumble. "He gets a talking to but he almost never gets grounded or anything. He's like golden boy or something. I guess he's so rarely in trouble that when he does get into trouble Carlisle and Esme figure it's a cry for help or something."
"What do you mean you want them to talk? Did you bring up the protests on purpose?" Rose stabs at her uneaten chicken with her knife as she asks. She looks kinda scary. I kinda like it.
"It's just that Jasper needs to get some things off his chest, he would really feel so much better. But he's so cautious that he won't just put it all out there. Edward is so stuck on the fact that Jasper was an enlisted soldier to talk to him and understand that Jasper wasn't over there for the reason that most of the soldiers were."
"Then why was he there?" Rose asks in her serious voice.
Alice's eyes get big. "I can't tell, I'm sorry. He'll have to tell you himself. I..." She looks around and picks up his half full glass of water. "I think I'll go back and see if he needs anything."
She hurries away, leaving Rose and I again.
"Oh my God, he was a spy!" I say louder than I mean to.
"What? that's stupid."
"no no it fits, all the secrecy, the name change, there's something about the way he stands in a room and seems to watch everyone and the exits. I'm telling you the guy was a spy."
"You read too many comic books." Rose shakes her head but I can tell she's thinking about it.
Esme
I pause outside his door and think about what I want to say. Carlisle and I decided that I should try having a word with Edward tonight.
Our youngest is always thinking. That's a good thing. I don't want punish him for that but Carlisle and I agree that he needs to practice some self control.
I take a deep breath and knock on the door. "Edward, can we talk?"
I hear him cross the floor, he opens the door and doesn't wait for me to come in. He heads back to sit on his bed and I sit down next to him.
"Mom I..." He starts but I don't let him continue.
"I don't think that it was your intent to upset anyone this evening, Edward. That being said you did upset our guest. Yes, I know how you feel about him but Jasper is a guest in this house. So to start with you will apologize to him..."
Tbc...
Thank you for reading.
