Chapter 12 ~ Somebody To Love
Song ~ Enter Sandman by Metallica; No One by Alicia Keys; Tonight I Wanna Cry by Keith Urban
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EPOV
I am now a few days away from finishing my classes. Jasmine and I have been discussing going to New York to be with my family. I really miss them and feel like it's really time for me to be with them again, and fortunately Jasmine has agreed to go with me to see them. She has also thinking about whether we would be able to stay with them long term. She is an amazing woman for even beginning to think about this for me. I am truly a lucky man to have found someone who is so understanding.
My cell phone chirped, signaling a new text. Alice.
*Hey, bro. Just wanted to let you know, we are in Seattle now. Probably moving there. Things came up. Don't worry, we will talk soon. XOXO – A*
What the hell? Why? What the fuck is going on? Why are they in Seattle? Hm... Maybe she will answer if I call. But, when I dialed, no such luck. So, I left her a voicemail asking her to call me back as soon as she could. This is so unlike her. Unless there was something to hide.
Was there something to hide? What the hell is in Seattle that she can't tell me about? ME? She tells me everything. I really didn't need this shit right now. God help me, I will find out what the hell is going on though.
Honestly, it had me a little worried they were so close to our old home and my past. I promised it would be like I never had come in to her life, and so far, I had tried really hard to keep that one promise to her. She deserved me to at least keep one promise to her. The overwhelming guilt I felt over everything was sometimes too much, and sometimes I wish there was some way for me to make it up to her. I guess that would go against my promise, so I let that one go.
Over the next couple days, I tried to call everyone in the family. Carlisle and Jasper won't answer their phones at all. I talked with Alice once. It didn't alleviate my worries. She wouldn't tell me anything. Esme just kept trying to distract me with questions about a new house she was planning to build. But, then she wouldn't even tell me who the damn house was for. Or the location of it. Emmett and Rose just flat out told me to stop probing everyone for answers, that everything was fine.
Dammit, why couldn't I hear thoughts over the phone?
I will figure this out one way or another. I plan to be in Seattle in the next few days and I will have my answers. But, truthfully, I didn't want to make any concrete plans. The best way to do this was spur of the moment, so Alice doesn't see it coming. I needed to catch them off guard, so they wouldn't be able to block me or rearrange things.
I will have this figured out.
JPOV
That night, after Charlie, Bella and the kids were all asleep, Carlisle, Alice and I sat down to discuss what Alice had revealed to me. I know Carlisle only wanted to help, to give Bella her Dad back. I just couldn't help but think this is going to cause more grief than necessary.
"Carlisle, is this really necessary? I'm afraid it will cause more harm than good."
He looked to me with a small smile and felt nothing but compassion and love. "Jasper, I understand the way you are feeling. But, I think Charlie deserves to know what we are. We have put him and Bella out time and time again. Not to mention risking their lives on several occasions. As you already know, Charlie is already slightly suspicious of us. He deserves the truth, and when he knows the full truth, that we have the ability to save his life, how can I not offer him that chance? I love him like a brother and I would do anything for him, including this."
I was stunned into silence. Carlisle very rarely made such long speeches and I knew enough to shut up and listen when he did. Alice's quiet voice broke me out of my thoughts.
"Jasper, we could talk to Charlie about this without Bella ever knowing, unless he decided to be changed."
"No, Alice. I will not be like Edward and hide things from her. She deserves to know everything. It is, after all, her father. She would be so hurt to know we had kept something like that from her."
"That is true, Alice. Edward was not always fair to Bella. He didn't treat her like his equal. Sometimes he treated her like his child. Jasper is right, which obviously proves that Jasper is good for Bella," Carlisle said, and my mouth hung wide open.
Carlisle never talked about Edward like that. And the fact that he thought I was better suited for Bella than Edward was, well wow. There were no words.
Alice reached over and pushed my chin up, apparently so no flies flew into my mouth, and laughed. Carlisle chuckled too.
"Carlisle? Thank you. Um...you really feel that way?"
"Jasper, surely you can feel my sincerity and honesty. I mean every word. Bella deserves to be adored, which Edward did. She deserves to be put on a pedestal, which Edward did. She deserves to be part of a team, one half of a whole, which Edward did not do. I know in my heart that you will not do that to her, and you will give her all the other things she needs and wants too.
Trust yourself. You can be anything and do anything you set your mind to. You've already proven that many times over. And, you becoming a doctor; that is just one of the proudest moments I have ever had in my entire existence. Oh, and just so you know, we all know the real reason you became a doctor." he finished the last part of his speech with a smirk on his lips, and I think if I could blush, I would have.
I had never told anybody the real reason I had went to medical school. I just kind of figured they would figure it out on their own. Alice just smiled at me and now I was uncomfortable. They better not tell Bella. That was a conversation for me to have with her later.
My cell phone started vibrating then and I went to see who it was. Edward. I looked to Alice and she just shook her head 'no' at me. I huffed in frustration and hit the ignore button.
"Someone is going to have to talk with him soon, you know." I told her, running my hand through my hair.
"Jazz, trust me. It can't be you who explains this to him first. I'm not talking about the relationship you have with Bella. I'm talking about the Charlie issue. The best way I have figured is for Carlisle to do it. He's planning to be in Seattle in the next few days, but he's not making a decision about when so I can't see."
"Oh shit, he's coming here? Well, great. How about we add a little more drama to the mix? We don't already have enough here?"
I was mad, not really in particular at anybody. All of this was just taking its toll on me.
I started pacing the floor pretty hard when I finally felt a firm hand grab my shoulder. Carlisle was looking at me with so much love, it was truly comforting. Then, he shocked me once again by wrapping his arms around me and giving me a firm hug. He was feeling so many things towards me; love, pride, understanding, determination, fear. That one confused me.
"What do you have to fear, Dad?" I asked him, as I stepped back. Usually, I didn't take to calling him that unless he was treating me like a dad, and right now, he really was.
"I'm just scared for you, my son. I wish I could take some of this burden off you."
He was so wonderful; I don't think he ever really realized it. How much I loved him, appreciated him, how much I wanted to make up to him all that he had done for me. One day...
"Dad, I can take it. I know I can. For her, I can do anything." And it was the truth. She could make me do anything, just so I could sit in her good graces for a few minutes.
"Then, that's all I needed to hear. I will be leaving now to call and talk with Edward. I will tell him the basics and leave the rest for when he decides to show up. I know all of this will work out, Son. You deserve to be happy, so does she. It will be fine." He clapped his hand on my shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze.
"Oh, yeah; Just for the record, I think Charlie is going to say yes." and then he breezed out the door.
X~~~~X
I started to hear Bella around 3:45am and she was having a nightmare. I moved to right outside her door and sat myself down. I had been doing this pretty much every night when Bella would start talking in her sleep. I would calm her and send her some love too. She had said my name a few times, but it sounded like a conversation.
Sometimes, I would think about going in, but then I remembered that conversation we had with Emmett about Edward the stalker. Definitely not going to be labeled the stalker.
But then, different sounds started coming from her. They were soft but kinda sounded like a sigh. I wondered what she was dreaming about in that pretty little head of hers.
"Oooh, Jasper," she moaned.
Holy shit! What the hell? Did she just say what I think she did? While moaning? In that moment, I wanted nothing more than to go to her. To crawl in her bed and wrap my arms around her. To kiss her without abandon. To press my body to hers. To make love to her. My pants were now unbearably tight.
I sent her some lethargy so she would go back to a peaceful sleep. I pulled my knees up to my chest and dropped my head into my hands. How the hell was all of this going to work out? Charlie? Bella? Edward? Jake? There was so much going on and all I really wanted to do was loose myself in Bella. To just let her wrap me in her love and bask in the sunlight of her happiness.
When she was happy, I felt whole. When she felt sad, I wanted to right everything in her world. Do anything to bring that happiness back again. To make her love me. No, I don't want to make her do anything. I want her to fall. Fall head over heals for me. The way I have fallen head over heals for her.
I could hear Charlie moving around in his room and decided to go in the kitchen to make some breakfast for everyone. Charlie walked into the kitchen just as the coffee was finished brewing, with a small smile on his face.
Charlie was a man of few words, and I really liked him. He loved his family with everything he had in him and that was enough to make me respect him fiercely.
"Hey Charlie. You hungry?"
"Yeah, but you don't have to do that. I can do it."
"Charlie, I really don't mind. Plus, I heard you weren't exactly an Iron Chef, so please let me do this for you. What would you like?"
"Umm...pancakes and sausage sounds good, I guess."
I made myself busy getting the sausage on the flat-top. Charlie cleared his throat and was feeling very nervous. I sent him some calming vibes and then turned to look at him. He finally steeled his resolve and said, "Jasper, I wanted to talk to you about Bella."
I smiled and nodded.
"Sure Charlie. Go ahead."
"I can see you have feelings for her and I know my daughter well enough to know she has feelings for you too. I really like you, Jasper and I don't want you to worry about you needing my blessing. You have it. But, take care of my girl and my grandbabies. They are everything to me."
"Really? Um...thank you...so much! You have no idea how much that means to me, and don't worry. I will take care of them."
"I'm not worried at all. You are way different than your brother. I know you won't leave when the going gets tough. My proof is in you being here, all day everyday, helping in any way you can. You must really love her, cause it's been crazy as hell around here. And when things got crazy when Edward was here, he just cut and ran, taking Bella's heart with him. Then she was with Jake, and don't get me wrong, I like Jacob. But, you could tell they never had that fire. I should still kill that shit for leaving my babies, but ultimately, it worked out better than ever. She is starting to have that twinkle in her eyes, even through the sadness. I know that she will be okay when I'm gone because she has you and your family."
He stopped himself and hesitated. "Sorry, I don't mean to push all of this in your lap. I just feel the need to make things right in this world before I leave it for good." He was feeling sadness and resignation, but also determination.
"Charlie, I completely understand and I want you to know that I sincerely appreciate everything you have said. Trust me; she will never want for anything again. You have my word as a man. I love your daughter and Sophie and Alex. They will be taken care of and loved. I'm so sorry all of this is happening to you though. I would love to be able to get to know you better."
"Thank you Jasper. That is very nice of you."
"Your welcome." I told him as I sat a stack of pancakes in front of him. He dug in and I knew he was done talking for now. His conversation really made me feel at peace with all that I was feeling for Bella. There was truly one person I wanted to share this moment with and I was going to go let her know about it all right now.
Carlisle's POV
I'm so glad Edward can't hear our thoughts over the phone. Usually, I have no trouble blocking my thoughts from him, but right now it seems my thoughts are consumed with the situation at hand. How do I make this better? All I know right now is Edward needs to know at least a little bit of what is going on, so he's not in total shock when he shows up.
Of course, he would choose to come back to the family the one time it was inconvenient. Right now, I feel like pulling my hair, not that that would help in the least. I don't want Charlie to die. I loved him like the brother I never had and he had a daughter and two grandchildren that adored him. I prayed that he would choose the life we would be offering him.
Sure, it would be hard. We would have to take him away from humans and get him through his newborn year. But, he wouldn't be dead. And we all could be together, forever. Bella would be beyond happy that I could save her father. Alice kept telling me it would all work out well.
The vision Alice had of Bella becoming one of us is still going strong. I always knew, one way or another, she would just us in immortality. Edward was going to be upset, but he made his choices and I have made mine. This is the way it was supposed to be. The way it will be. So, I left the house to make my call to Edward.
The first ring, he answered with an exasperated tone.
"Hello Carlisle. Long time, no talk."
"Edward. How are you?"
"Oh, you know, finishing school tomorrow, spending time with Jasmine, worried like hell about my family. Seriously, what the hell is going on there? Why are you all keeping me out of the loop?"
Might as well just keep it as simple as I can. Carlisle, do not slip up!
"Edward, I'm sorry for avoiding you. Things have been really hectic and while that's not a good excuse, it's true nonetheless." I took an unnecessary breath and just laid it out for him. "We are back in Forks with Bella. Charlie's dying and we came to be with her."
Before I could say anything else, he was screaming. "What the fuck? You're joking with me, right Carlisle? Tell me you are not with Bella. We gave her all those years without us and now you guys decided to come back into her life? This is bullshit! How could you go against my wishes?"
Now, he was pissing me off. "Actually, Edward, we have been in her life pretty much since you left her. She deserves better than that and you know it. Did you not hear the part about Charlie? About him dying? She needed her family and we are here for her. What is the matter with you?"
I was upset with him for being so difficult. Why does he not understand that Bella is my child, just like he is? I would do anything for my children, and now my grandchildren.
"Carlisle, damn, I'm sorry. This is just a lot to take in. Isn't Jake there though to take care of her?"
Huh? How did he know about Jake?
"How much do you know, Edward? Why do you ask about Jacob?"
"Because a few years ago, I came back to check on Bella. She was sitting on Charlie's porch, pregnant and Charlie had a pretty baby girl on his lap. I heard Jacob inside. They seemed happy and I left. I didn't want him or her to see me, so I left. It's all I ever wanted for her. Charlie's sick?"
Good Lord, he really is slow today.
"Yes, Edward, he's dying. He's got cancer and has got less than two weeks. We have been avoiding you because things were stressful and we didn't want you to think you needed to be here. We have things under control. Everything is going to be okay."
"You are not answering my question though, Carlisle. Where is Jake? Shouldn't he be there for his wife?" I paused, not knowing what to say really.
If I told him Jake left Bella for another woman, I know he would tear Jacob limb from limb. So, instead I told him a partial truth.
"Jake is here."
"Ok, and is he ok with you all being there? I know he became a werewolf after we left."
"He seems to be dealing pretty well, all things considered."
He's going to be so upset when he finds out the truth.
"Carlisle, why do I feel like there is still something you are not telling me?" he asked in a snide tone.
"Because, I just feel that it wouldn't help the situation were you to know the whole truth." I answered honestly.
"Spit it out, Carlisle."
"Son, Bella and Jake are divorced."
All I heard from his end of the line before it was disconnected was, "I'll fuckin' rip him to shreds."
Bloody hell.
