Surprise! The ring is back! DUN DUN DUN!
Yard and yard or white lights string the trees on either side of the driveway as Jasper and I pull down it, my eyes wide as he chuckles, shaking his head as we round to the garage, music blaring from within the house, and as we enter, there are teens that fill the house from wall to wall, dancing and celebrating, reminding me of a night club. Jasper is tense behind me, causing me to grab his hand, directing him through the other students, a few stopping us to tell us congratulations, and for us to return the sentiment. I spot Edward, Emmett, and Carlisle in a deep conversation in the kitchen everything seems tense, causing me to steering Jasper towards them, the two of us enter as they look up, nodding in greeting.
"I'm gonna go look for Bella." I tell Jasper, my palms resting on his chest. "Stay in here, and talk, you'll be okay."
"Alright, darlin." Jasper grins at me, causing me to smile, reaching up to the toes of my heels, pressing a kiss to his lips, going to pull back when he wraps his arm around my waist, deepening the kiss as I let out giggle, pulling back to smile at him.
"I'll be right back." I tease, causing him to nod, releasing me as I turn, escaping to hellish club vibe in the rest of the house, catching a glance of Bella as she walks up to three unexpected guests. I hurry over to Bella's side.
"What're you doing here?" Bella demands in a low but, threatening tone.
"You invited me," Jacob grins. "remember?"
"Was my right hook too subtle?" She demands, causing me to smirk. "That was me uninviting you."
"Look, Bella. I'm sorry... about, you know... The kiss and your hand... I'd blame it on the whole inner animal thing... But it was really just... me. Being an ass. I'm really sorry." Jacob sighs, running his fingers through his hair, I can see Bella's face soften as she nods, causing me to huff a breath. "I brought graduation presents." He reaches out, taking Bella's hand to wrap a bracelet around it, an intricately hand-carved figurine of a miniature wolf dangles from the band, Bella looks moved as she looks at it.
"Oh… you made this?" She looks up at him. "It's really pretty. Thanks."
"Where's mine?" I taunt, causing Jacob to chuckle, grabbing my wrist to latch a bracelet around it, the figurine that dangles from it is different than Bella's, hand carved and wooden and hand strung, but instead of a wolf, it's a miniature dream catcher.
"You mentioned something about nightmares, thought this might help." Jacob explains, I smile at him.
"It's perfect." I murmur, causing him to smile at me, I catch Bella's gaze landing on something just past Jacob, causing me to glance up, finding Alice frozen on the steps, Pandora's hand resting on the small of her back. "Excuse us." I say, grabbing Bella to pull her along.
"Alice?" Bella asks, worriedly.
"What did you see?" I am vaguely aware of the boys coming up behind Bella and I.
"Okay, something's going on here. Tell me." Jacob insists as Alice looks at me, causing me to nod, ducking through the crowd to the kitchen, where Edward, Jasper, Emmett, and Carlisle all are, Edward says something in a quick tone, and Jasper is at my side, all of us leaving the house to stand on the back porch, Alice and Pandora, Bella, Rosalie, Esme, Jennifer, and Garrett join us, the boys at their side. I can see Garrett giving Jacob, Quil, and Embry a look, head tilting as his muddy red eyes are trained on them.
"How long?" Edward asks.
"Four days." Alice replies, her eyes flickering back and forth between present and future, Pandora's hand resting on her back.
"This could turn into a bloodbath." Carlisle frowns, looking down.
"Who's behind it?" Edward demands.
"I didn't see anyone I recognized. Maybe one…" Alice looks at Edward, who nods.
"I know his face, he's a local, Riley Biers." Bella's head snaps towards her boyfriend, looking shaken as she recognizes the name. "He didn't start this." Edward states.
"Well, whoever did, is staying out of the action." Alice responds.
"They must be playing with your blindspots in your visions." Carlisle concents.
"Either way, there's an army coming, and there aren't enough of us to protect the town." Jasper's arm wraps around my waist, causing me to swallow thickly.
"Hold up. What damn army?" Jacob finally speaks up, is anger evident even though he's trying to put a top on it. Carlisle and Edward share a pointed look, Edward shake his head no, but Carlisle turns to Jacob.
"Newborns. Our kind." Carlisle answers.
"What're they after?" Embry asks.
"They were passing around Bella and Lilith's scents." Alice answers, causing everyone to tense. "A red blouse, and… A denim skirt." Alice looks at me, causing me to bite the inside of my cheek in anger.
"They're after Bella and Lily?" Embry asks, worry in his tone.
"What the hell does this mean?" Jacob demands, stepping forward a bit.
"It means an ugly battle, with lives lost." Carlisle answers softly, a beat passes as Jacob and the two other boys exchange looks, then Jacob straightens up.
"Alright, we're in." Jacob says.
"No. You'll get yourselves killed. No way." Bella barks, stepping away from Edward, who looks tense as soon as she does.
"I wasn't asking for permission." Jacob spits back, and Bella turns to Edward.
"Edward?" She asks in disbelief.
"It means more protection for you, and Lily." He answers.
"Jacob!" Bella cries, but gets ignored.
"Do you believe Sam will agree to... an understanding?" Carlisle inquires.
"As long as we get to kill some vampires." Jacob answers.
"Jasper?" Everyone looks to my mate, causing my heart to echo hollowly in my chest.
"They'll give us the numbers. And the newborns won't know they even exist. That'll give us an edge." Jasper answers in a firm tone, it's balancing just between Jasper and The Major, causing my throat to constrict.
"We'll need to coordinate." Carlisle states.
"Carlisle, they're gonna get hurt!" Bella attempts to reason.
"We'll all need some training. Fighting newborns requires knowledge that Jasper has. You're welcome to join us." Carlisle extends the offer.
"Alright. Name the time and place." Jacob nods, causing my heart to jump as well, fear swelling in my throat.
"Well we're not going to sit idly by." Jennifer state, causing everyone to look at her.
"You aren't suggesting-?" I ask.
"It'll take a lot of training on our part to." Jennifer nods to me. "We'd only need a few of the others. The more we're around magic users, the stronger we'll get."
"But who?" I ask.
"Sheryl. Jason. Mary. Melody." She answers.
"We can attempt to repair our friendship with the Denali clan." Edward answers. "Bring them in."
"Couldn't we ask Peter, Charlotte, and Grace for help?" I ask Jasper, who seems to freeze at that, but he nods stiffly.
"Alright, let's go back to the party, before we draw suspicion." Esme finally speaks up, the others all nod, entering the house as I look up at Jasper, who is looking into the woods, causing me to sigh.
"Let's go on a walk." I suggest, starting down to porch as Jasper follows, his hand on the small of my back as we enter the treeline, silence settling over us for all of about five minutes.
"I need you sit out." He says.
"Mm… Don't think so." I answer, causing him to frown. "Beside, you promised."
"I did, didn't I?" He growls. "Then you are going to start training tonight." He says.
"I plan on it." I turn to him, hands clasped behind my back, lips pressed firmly together. "But, you are going to have to tell Bella." He stiffens at that, causing me to smile. "You know, what I'm talking about." He nods, and I walk up to him, my arms winding around his shoulders, I lean up to press my lips to his softly. "Don't worry so much." I state.
"I can't help it, darlin." He murmurs, pressing his forehead to mine. "I love you."
"I love you too." I peck him on the nose. "That doesn't change the fact that I'm fighting." With that, I slip out of his arms, giggling as I dash away, he follows at a slightly faster than human pace, contributing to our game of cat and mouse.
In a large, very quiet field surrounded by dense forest, the mist is heavy; it's overcast, grey. Suddenly, the quiet is broken by a large impact that echoes through the clearing, and dirt kicks up, causing me to laugh behind my hand and Emmett growls, climbing to his feet, and charges Jasper again. "Again!" He spits, Esme, Alice, Carlisle, Rosalie, and Garrett are off to the side, watching in their movements, while I sit up in a tree. The Volvo arrives, skidding to a halt beside Emmett's jeep, Edward and Bella climb out, heading into the field together. Halfway across, Edward stops, looking up as five figures enter the clearing from the brush, causing me to hop down, landing on the balls of my feet, and Bella watches as I strut across the field to stop before them. I hug Mary and Melody, then Jason, before rounding on Jennifer, who nods firmly, and Edward watches the treeline.
"They're here." He says, causing me to turn, from the treeline out of the mist skulks nine giant wolves, as wary and on edge as the Cullens are, Emmett seems to recognize Paul's wolf, because their eyes meet, and the seem to itch to attack each other, before I step between them, my fingers crackling with electricity as I eye Paul.
"They don't trust us in their human forms." Edward provides.
"I could tell you who is who, right now." I offer.
"No, they came, that's what matters." Carlisle attempts to reason.
"Jake." Bella breathes, causing me to look over at the red-brown wolf looks at her, it's body turned towards her. He seems to almost smile, tongue lolling. A sharp look from Sam gets Jacob to focus.
"Will you translate? Carlisle asks, Edward nods as Carlisle moves slowly towards their pack, Sam steps forward in turn.
"Hey, Jake. Welcome." Edward greets.
"Jasper has experience with newborns. He'll teach us how to defeat them. "Carlisle starts, interlocking his fingers before him.
"The want to know how newborns differ from us." Edward says, causing Carlisle to nod.
"They're a great deal stronger than us, because their own human blood lingers in their tissues. Our kind is never more physically powerful... ... than in our first several months of this life." Carlisle explains, the pack takes this in as Jasper wraps his arm around me, placing a kiss on the crown of my head, before I look up at him, reading him clearly- Jasper is uncomfortable with both the wolves and the attention, but steps forward anyway.
"Carlisle's right. That's why they are created." His demeanor shifts, his back straightens, hands clasping behind his back, his feet spreading to an army regulation stance. "A newborn army, doesn't need thousands like a human army. And no human army could stand against them." He starts further to the middle of the clearing, the space feels almost crippling on my chest. "The two most important things to remember are, first... Never let them get their arms around you. They'll crush you instantly. The second... Never go for the obvious kill. They'll be expecting that. And you will lose." He turns back to us, and smirks. "Emmett." The bigger vampire steps forward, grinning at my mate. "Don't hold back." Jasper warns.
"Not in my nature." Emmett answers, then charges Jasper with impossible speed, but Jasper is virtually a blur. Emmett lunges several times, his strong arms grabbing at air. Jasper comes up before him, grabbing him by the throat, and slams him into the ground, causing a small crater to appear, and Jasper stands.
"Never lose focus." Jasper starts, clearly as he let's Emmett up, everyone takes turns sparring with Jasper, or pairing off against each other. They're all blurs, which become visible as soon as I cast a spell over my eyes. "Now," Jasper says, once everyone has stopped. "never turn your back on your enemy." He beckons to me, causing me to step out, and everyone goes tense. "I know you worry for each other." He directs this at Bella, causing her to press her lips together, nodding. "But, you don't need to worry. Watch." With that, he lunges at me, causing me to sweep low, and he flies over me, he rounds on me, reaching out to swipe at me, but his body goes straight through me as I traverse through his grasp, and he goes to wrap his arms around me when I just look at him, and he goes flying backwards, before he pounces on me, but I jump over his head, my hands landing on his shoulders. He rounds on me as I laugh, he steps up to me, pulling me against him, and I press my lips to him, beaming at him, before we separate, and he gestures to Jennifer, who steps up to me.
"Better not kiss me." Jennifer taunts.
"Better bring it for once." I respond, the two of us circling, looking for an opening, before she thrusts her hand out, and purple tendrils appear out of nowhere, all sharp as spikes as they strike at me, but I cross my arms before my face, the tendrils all bouncing back off the shield before me, falling to the ground, and burning to ashes. I cast my shield out, the backlash knocking into Jennifer as I whip out my hand, a green flame sword forming in it, and I cross the gap to swing at her, causing her to form a pair of smokey purple, curved raptors just in time to block my attack, and parry it. Before, I can strike out again, a tendril wraps around my middle, and I am hanging upside down as two more round my wrists, my head dangling as Jennifer lets out a laugh, pointing one of her raptors at me.
"Do you yield?" She demands, causing me to grimace, the blood in my body pooling to my head.
"Fine. Fine!" I hiss.
"Say it." She says.
"I yield!" With that, the tendrils disappear, I land in my mate's arms, causing me to smirk in triumph, wrapping my arms around his shoulders, and kiss him, before standing on my own. Next is Edward and Carlisle, Jasper circling their match, critiquing here and there.
"Focus on speed, agility, keep your opponent off guard." Jasper nods at Edward swings at Carlisle, who blocks it, swing his arm down and out. "Use their momentum against them." I look over at Bella, who is watching these fierce, life and death war games, a portent of the violence to come, a worried look on her face. Jacob seems to understand her worry, because he nudges her with his muzzle, she looks at him, wrapping her arm around his head, then pensively looks back out at the field.
"Some of you, are gonna get hurt. Some of you could get killed, because of me. It's gonna be a hundred times worse than this, right?" I hear her say, Jacob nuzzles her, causing her to smile, petting him as she lean into him.
"We're done for the day." Edward says, walking over to them, his expression is calm, but firm. Jacob eyes them, then rejoins his pack as they retreat into the woods.
"Darlin." I look up at Jasper, who appears at my side. "How much energy did you spend?" He asks worriedly.
"Not that much." I shake my head, smiling up at him. "Don't worry. Jennifer and I have a potion we'll be taking the next few days, it's going up our strength immensely." He sighs, carding his fingers through his hair, and nods. A few minutes later, the Jeep pulls away from the clearing carrying Carlisle, Esme, Jennifer, Garrett, Rosalie and Emmett, Bella and I sits on the hood of the Volvo as Jasper approaches kicking the mud from his shoes; brushing dirt off. Bella looks at him as if for the first time, smiling as he pauses before us to press his lips to my own, lovingly, before pulling away as I glance at Bella.
"Jasper… Are you sure, there's nothing else I can do to help?" She asks, causing Jasper to smile up at her.
"Your presence alone, your scent will distract the newborns. Their hunting instinct will take over, drive them crazy." Jasper answers.
"And, I can put a shield around you, keep you from any danger." I offer.
"Good." She nods firmly, I notice Edward give Jasper and I an angry look. "I'm glad. Hey. How do you know so much about this?" She asks, curiosity in her voice.
"I didn't have quite the same upbringing as my adopted siblings" I frown as he walks away, hoping to end the conversation then and there, but Bella jumps off the Volvo, following him, he pauses, sees her inquiring look, a beat passes between them. He slowly rolls up a sleeve, he shows her the scars that I know dot, not only his arms, but nearly his entire body.
"Those scars, they're like mine." She says, her tone is aghast as he nods, I hop down from the volvo as well, crossing over to them.
"Battle scars. All the training the Confederate Army gave me... ... was useless against the newborns. Still, I never lost a fight." He says.
"This happened during the Civil War?" Bella asks, tilting her head at him, and he nods, starting to walk, Bella walks apace with him.
"I was the youngest major in the Texas cavalry. All without having seen any real battle." Jasper launches into his story.
"Until?" Bella asks.
"Until I met a certain immortal, named Maria." His tone darkens, telling me that he's slipping into his past.
"I was riding back to Galveston…after evacuating a column of women and children. When I saw her…" He frowns. "I immediately offered her my aid." They stop walking, Jasper seems overwrought by the terrible memory, Bella moves to sit on one of the trees the boys had knocked over during the fight.
"Maria was creating an army?" She asks.
"They were very common in the South. And cost a brutal battles for territories." Jasper eases up a bit, looking at her. "Maria won them all. She was smart, careful. And she had me. I was the second in command. My abilities to control emotions served her well." He looks over to me, causing me to nod, walking towards them a bit. "I trained her newborns. An endless occupation since she never let them live beyond their first year. It was my job to dispose of them." His face contorts in pain, from the memory as I sit down on the lo, beside Bella. "I could feel everything they felt. I thought what Maria and I had was love. But I was her puppet. She pulled the strings. I didn't know there was another way... Until I found Alice. Now she'd seen me coming, of course." He shakes his head.
""I told him that he had a future, full of love, with a stubborn girl." Alice says, winking at me as she joins our conversation, Pandora remains silent at her side, causing me to smile as I stand.
"I don't know what would've become of me, if I had never had met Alice, if she hadn't told me about Lily." Jasper explains. "Not that she didn't keep me waitin' long enough." He taunts as he wraps his arms around my waist, I smile at him, seeing his ghosts of his past swimming behind his eyes.
"You never have to be that again." I sooth him, pressing a kiss to his lips, and he smiles at me, before I turn to Bella, seeing Jasper's words echo in her head as she smiles at us. That night, Jasper and I lay in bed, my head on his chest, our fingers interlocked beside my head, his other hand resting on the small of my back, trailing up and down my bare back, before I smile up at him, leaning up on my free arm.
"What?" He asks.
"Nothing." I shake my head, before biting my bottom lip. He brings his hand up from my back, pulling my lip free, and kisses me sweetly.
"What is it?" He asks.
"I want to get married." I state, causing his eyes to widen. "I've been thinking about it since you asked, and I want to do it." I smile up at him.
"So, you're proposing this time?" He smirks at me.
"I guess." I shrug.
"You couldn't have waiting until we were dressed? He teases, causing heat to trail up my neck, to my cheeks. "I'm tease you darlin'." He presses his lips to my own. "But," He sits up, moving me off of him a bit, and my brow furrows. "I'm turning you down, this time." I frown as he shakes his head. "I just want to make sure you really want to do it, and this isn't out of some fear of dying, during the battle." He cups my face. "Understand?" I nod as I look down, leaning into his touch.
"I love you." I state, causing him to smile.
"I love you, too." He answers, pulling me against him, I curl up against him, closing my eyes, and falling fast asleep, the next day, we meet up with Bella, Edward, and Jacob the center of the field where we're fighting.
"You aren't fighting?" Jacob asks Edward. "What, you pull a muscle or something?"
"He's doing it for me, okay?" Bella snaps, Jacob looks at her then to Edward, the shakes his head with disdain.
"Whatever, just tell me the plan." Jacob snaps, Jasper steps forward slightly.
"This field will give us an advantage in battle. We need to lure the newborns with Bella's scent. It needs to end here." Jasper explains, glancing at me, my head ducks instantly as I look pointedly away, shame and embarrassment filling my cheeks.
"Edward and I are going on a campsite, up the mountain." Bella explains.
"Even if Edward carries her, they'll pick up her scent." I explain.
"Your stench however, is revolting." Edward barks.
"Edward." I hiss before Jacob can speak. "The newborns won't want to get near your smell, so we thought, your smell will cover Bella's scent."
"So, we thought you'd carry me to the campsite." Bella explains.
"Done." Jacob nods.
"This is not a good idea." Edward says, shaking his head, eyes unfocused as he reads Jacob's thoughts.
"Edward. They won't want to get anywhere near his... odor" Jasper pointed looks at Jacob, then looks back at his brother.
"Let's just try it." Bella says, Jacob scoops her up in his arms.
"Eau de wolf, comin' up." Jacob says.
"Run." Edward hisses, causing Jacob to roll his eyes, bolting into the trees with Bella, Jasper waits ten seconds, then starts to follow at human pace. Once he's out of earshot, Edward turns to me, his brow furrowed as I look up at him in confusion. "What's going on between you and Jasper?" His tone is gentle, causing me to look down, toeing the dirt with my boot, my hands in my pockets.
"I asked him to marry me, and he said no." I state, not bothering to look up. "He said he wants to make sure it's what I want, and not out of fear of death during the battle." I look up at him. "I'm not afraid of death." I shake my head.
"But you are afraid of long term commitment." He answers, causing me to narrow my eyes, glaring at him. "It's not your fault. It's all of the foster homes you've been abandoned by. So, do you honestly want to marry him?"
"I love him." I answer. "With all my heart. I'd give my life for him." I chew on my bottom lip. "I'd sell my soul to be with him forever, if I had to. I don't want him to hate me, and abandon me." Edward surprises me, setting a hand on my shoulder, and I look up at him.
"He loves you, too. You need to tell him these things, though. He'd not me." He quirks a smirk at that. "He can't read your mind, only you emotions."
Then, shouldn't he know how much I feel about him? He should know that I'm truthful with him, that I want to marry him." I state, causing Edward to sigh nodding.
"He should, but it helps to hear it." He explains, dropping his hand as Jasper appears before us.
"All I picked up is wolf stench. No Bella. This plan will work." Jasper says, looking at me as I smile at him, causing him to smile happily too.
"Great." Edward says, though his tone tells that he's more annoyed, more that upset or happy.
"As long as it protects Bella." I remind him, he nods, and I look over at Jasper. "We need to talk." He frowns, then nods as he and I start toward the Jaguar, the two of us climb into it, and I shut my door as Jasper starts the car, back out of the field. As soon as we're a couple miles away, he pulls off to the side of the road, stopping the car to look at me, his hand going to my face.
"You are ashamed, and embarrassed, because I rejected the idea of marriage." Jasper states.
"Not anymore. Edward and I talked, but you need to understand Jasper, that I love you, and I am not going anywhere." I lean into his touch, covering his hand with my own. "For me, you're better than I deserve, and as good as I can get. I want to marry you, because I'd rather die, than be without you." He flinches at that. "So, even if it's just getting our marriage license at the courthouse, and going to vegas, I want that." I explain. "Because, to me, that says that you aren't going anywhere."
"Alice would kill us, if we went to vegas." He jokes, causing me to groan, leaning away from his touch, and look out the window.
"I'm being serious, but you're making jokes!" I cry in annoyance.
"Darlin, I'm also being serious as well. Alice will kill us, if we go to vegas." My head snaps over at him, my eyes wide as he holds out a familiar box, the Tiffany Lucida diamond engagement ring, 2.56 carat E/VVS1 is still in it, as pretty as the day he first offered it to me. "So, darlin, if we're gonna do this right. Will you marry me?" He asks.
"Yes!" I cry as soon as the words leave his mouth, throwing myself into his arms as he lets out a chuckle, and press my lips to his, once we pull apart, he slips the ring from the box, putting it on my finger. I kiss him once more, curling against his side as he puts that car in drive, starting toward home, once again
Yay! Finally, they're engaged! Took me long enough, huh? Read! Review! Enjoy! ^-^