Author's note at the end!
Disclaimer: I own nothing related to the Twilight franchise, only the OC's.
Part Two
The Breaking Bough
Chapter One
June
Danielle woke to a wet and rainy Sunday morning. Sighing gently as the haze of sleep began to clear from her mind, she opened her eyes, listening to the loud pitter-patter of rain against the window and watching the rivulets of water that travelled down the glass. She then rolled onto her back, yawning widely and stretching her arms above her head, before finally pushing off the covers and sitting up in bed.
The room she was in was not her own. It was Jasper's. Danielle stood from the bed that had been moved into the room specifically for her and went across the room to the desk, walking slowly and gingerly because she didn't have her walking boot on yet. She bypassed the books and papers sitting on the surface of the desk so that she could grab her phone and check the time. 9:23. There was a tiny feeling of disappointment that flashed through when she saw that she had no missed calls or text messages, but she quickly pushed the feeling down and set her phone back on the desk.
Turning away from the desk, Danielle limped over to the closet across the room, opening the door and clicking the light on. Jasper had cleared out a section for her clothing, and though she had seen it every day for two weeks now, the sight of their clothes together in a single closet still made her inexplicably happy. It was just so…domestic. Danielle rifled through her clothes for something to wear, and after settling on her favorite pair of jeans and a lightweight long sleeve, she slid out of her pajamas and got dressed. Danielle then went into the adjoining bathroom to brush her teeth and throw her sleep-mussed curls into a messy knot on top of her head, before stepping back out into the room to put on her walking boot. Then she finally left Jasper's bedroom and headed downstairs.
The Cullen house was full of its usual sounds. The morning news was playing on the large television in the living room and she could hear a muffled conversation from somewhere in the house. She could also hear loud music and some banging around coming from the garage on the first floor, which could only mean that was where Emmett currently was. She had discovered very quickly upon moving in that her second favorite Cullen was, unsurprisingly, the loudest member of the family. He was almost always making some sort of racket in the house, whether it be yelling at the television during sports games or, as he was doing now, stirring up a ruckus in the garage. It had been annoying at first simply because he had woken her up in the middle of the night at least four times her first week living there. But after a stern talking to, he had kept his noisiness to a minimum during sleeping hours, and now his general loudness wasn't quite so irritating anymore.
The living room was empty, so Danielle continued on to the kitchen, following the scent of breakfast and coffee. It was in there that she found Esme stationed at the stove, wearing a look of concentration as her eyes bounced back and forth between the food she was making and the recipe she was evidently following.
"Good morning, Dani," Esme greeted with a warm smile, only taking her eyes off the pan for a second before concentrating on the food again. She was making pancakes.
"Good morning," Danielle said in return. "Where is everyone?"
"Jasper and Alice are in the dining room, Rosalie went out, Emmett is tinkering around with his jeep, Carlisle left for work a few hours ago, and Edward is spending the day with Bella," Esme answered, smiling with satisfaction as she finished with the pancake she had been cooking and moved it from the pan to a nearby plate.
Esme reached for some more pancake mix and poured just the right amount of it onto the pan to make another. As she did this, Danielle move closer to lean against the counter next to the beautiful vampire. She quirked an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest, staring pointedly at Esme until the vampire finally looked over.
"What?" Esme asked innocently.
Danielle sighed, giving her a look. "Esme, it's super nice of you to cook for me," she said first and foremost. "But like I've told you a dozen times, you really don't have to. I don't want you to go through the trouble of cooking stuff you're not even gonna eat yourself. I can handle it myself," she insisted.
Esme just smiled and patted her shoulder. "And like I've told you a dozen times, I really don't mind," she countered. "It's fun, actually. I'm learning new things," she added, before flipping the pancake so that it could cook on the other side.
Danielle shook her head. It didn't matter how many times Esme said it – Danielle still felt bad that the vampire continued to go out of her way to take care of her. Jasper insisted that Esme did genuinely enjoy it, that she liked having another person around to nurture and look after, but it didn't stop her from feeling guilty that she disrupted the natural routine the Cullen's normally had in their home.
"I just feel bad," Danielle told Esme with a heavy sigh. "I'm imposing enough as it is already, and I don't want – "
"You are not imposing," Esme argued back firmly. "We all love having you around, Dani."
Danielle quirked a brow. "Even Rosalie?" she asked knowingly. Sure, things might have gotten a little better between them in the nearly four months that had passed since Phoenix, but that didn't mean Rosalie had been thrilled over the fact that Danielle was currently living with them.
Esme pressed her lips together at that one. "Anyway," she said, ignoring Danielle's rebuttal. "This is a pointless argument. You will be marrying my son soon, which means that I already view you as a member of this family. And I take care of my family in whatever way they need me to. So you might as well get used to this, Dani, because it's going to go on for quite some time," Esme stated firmly.
Danielle sighed – how the hell was she supposed to argue against that?
She finally smiled and nodded in acceptance. "Alright. If you insist," she said with a huff of amusement.
"I do," Esme said, before turning a bright smile on her. "Now how many pancakes do you want?"
"Three would be great. Thanks," she said.
"Coming right up," Esme responded, her tone overly chipper. "I made you some coffee, too," she said next, her eyes focused on the pancakes again.
Danielle's eyes lit up as she turned to the coffee machine, which was filled with dark liquid. "Wonderful!" she said, already moving to pour herself a cup. She had become quite an avid coffee drinker over the past few weeks. Seeing as Jasper never slept, she found that she had taken to staying up quite a bit later than she normally did so that she could spend as much time with him as possible. This had led to her getting far less sleep than she was accustomed to, which had resulted in her turning to caffeine for an extra pick me up whenever she found herself feeling especially tired.
"Go ahead and have a seat in the dining room. I'll bring your food when it's ready," Esme said once Danielle had her cup of coffee in hand. "I'm sure Jasper could use a little saving right now. Alice has been talking his ear off about wedding plans for three hours now."
Danielle snorted into her coffee as she took the first sip.
It wasn't surprising to hear this, of course. Alice had begun making plans for her and Jasper's wedding before they had even become officially engaged, and she had been full steam ahead ever since. The date was set – July 30, 2005 – everything was booked, and now, with the wedding barely a month and a half away, Alice could hardly speak of anything else. She was constantly immersed in wedding planning, often times forcing Danielle and Jasper to sit down with her for hours on end to discuss every last little detail that popped into her mind. It was nice of Alice to help out so much, of course, and with the combination of her party-planning skills and her being able to peak into the future, it had helped speed up the planning process quite a bit, hence their decision to get married so quickly. Alice's enthusiasm could get a little overwhelming sometimes, though.
"Help is on the way," Danielle announced to Esme, who laughed quietly.
Danielle left the kitchen and walked toward the dining room, blowing gently on her hot coffee to cool it down some. As she drew closer, she could hear two very familiar voices already, though they were speaking in two very different tones. Alice sounded excitable and eager, while Jasper sounded exasperated and annoyed.
"Come on, Jasper! It would be so nice!" she heard Alice insisted.
"Absolutely not," Jasper responded firmly.
"Ugh!" Alice heaved back. "You are such a stick in the mud sometimes," she accused. "I bet Dani will go for it. Just you wait and see!"
At the exact moment the vampire said those words, Danielle walked into the dining room. She saw Jasper and Alice sitting opposite each other at the large, wooden table, with a number of binders and papers strewn across the surface between them. They looked up as she entered, both immediately forgetting their annoyance with each other as they smiled at the sight of her.
"Morning, Dani!" Alice said cheerfully.
"Morning," she said back. "You guys sound like you're having fun," she then commented with a smirk, moving around the table so that she could be by Jasper.
"Tons," Jasper said sarcastically, shooting a brief look toward Alice.
Danielle grinned and leaned down to brush a kiss against his lips. Jasper had a lopsided smile on his lips when she pulled away. "Morning, honey," Danielle said affectionately.
"Good morning to you, too," he said.
Danielle settled in the chair next to him, instantly feeling content and safe when Jasper rested an arm around the back of her chair, his hand resting comfortably on her shoulder. She took a drink of coffee and set her mug down, then turned a questioning look on Alice.
"So what exactly do you think I'd go for?" she asked curiously, wanting to know what they had been discussing before she had entered the room.
"Alice thinks we should release a dozen white doves when we kiss at the end of the ceremony," Jasper said, his brow quirking and his expression stating exactly how much he disliked the idea. "Which seems silly and unnecessary to me."
"I disagree," Alice rebutted. "It would be so lovely! Don't you think so, Dani?"
Danielle pulled a face. "Actually, I have to agree with Jasper on this one."
Jasper smiled in triumph, while Alice blanched at her. "You're kidding!" she said in disbelief. "Why don't you like the idea?"
Danielle shrugged. "I don't know. It seems a little...corny?" she said. "I guess it just makes me think that some cheesy magician will pop up and start doing tricks or something."
Alice frowned. "So no doves, then?" she asked forlornly.
Danielle shared a look with Jasper, before they shook their heads at the same time. "No doves," Danielle confirmed with finality.
Alice grumbled and turned her eyes down to the paper in front of her, muttering things that Danielle couldn't quite hear under her breath as she scratched out a line of writing. "I suppose you wouldn't like the idea of swans walking around the yard either, would you?" Alice asked, though her tone hinted she already knew what answer was coming.
Danielle shook her head. "Not particularly," she said. "I don't trust that they wouldn't poop all over the place," she added, which made Jasper chuckle under his breath. "It's a nice thought, Alice, but I think it's best if we just avoid anything involving any winged creatures, okay?"
"Yeah, okay," Alice reluctantly agreed, before grumbling again and crossing out the line directly underneath the one she had just marked out. Danielle shared an amused smiled with Jasper, who squeezed her shoulder in return.
After a second, Alice perked up again, her expression businesslike as she read over her notes. "Okay, next order of business then," she said, moving on with the conversation. Danielle reached over to squeeze Jasper's knee encouragingly when he let out a heavy sigh. "The seating chart," Alice said, ignoring Jasper's heave. She shuffled through her papers until she found one that had several tables drawn on it. "While I've got you both here, I want you to look over the chart and see where I've put everyone. Tell me if there's anything that should be changed."
Jasper reached for the paper Alice extended in their direction and set it on the table between them. Danielle leaned closer, surprised by all of the names she saw written next to each table. "But we haven't even sent out invitations yet," Danielle said with a frown, her eyes turning back to Alice. "How do you know all these people will come?"
Alice rolled her eyes. "Duh, Dani," she said, tapping her temple with a meaningful look.
Danielle nodded in understanding, then turned her attention back to the seating chart. She eyed the different names written on the paper, as well as the locations of the tables themselves in comparison to where she and Jasper would sit during the reception. All in all, everything looked good – not that she really cared where everyone sat, so long as people were fed and had fun.
Just as she was about to tell Alice that she thought everything look fine, her eyes landed on a name written next to one of the tables closest to her and Jasper.
Lynne Clark.
Danielle pressed her lips together tightly, her stomach clenching as she read her mother's name. She turned a look up to Alice, her brows pulled together uncertainly. "Are you sure my mom's coming?" she asked timidly, trying to ignore the heaviness now filling her stomach. Jasper must have felt the change in her mood, because he squeezed her shoulder comfortingly.
Alice smiled gently and nodded. "She'll come, Dani. I know it. I've seen it."
Danielle nodded slowly, but wasn't completely convinced.
You see, there was a reason that Danielle was currently living with the Cullen's, and that reason wasn't a happy one. The truth was that Danielle had been having some serious problems with her mother as of late, problems that stemmed solely from the fact that Lynne did not, in any way, shape, or form, approve of the fact that Danielle and Jasper had decided to get married. She thought they were too young, that they were jumping into things too quickly and making a huge mistake. And she had had no problems telling them that when they had broken the news to her about the engagement the day after Jasper had proposed…
OOO
The morning after graduation, Danielle paced the length of her bedroom nervously while Jasper watched from her bed, his brows raised a tick as she muttered to herself under her breath.
As much as she would have loved to have taken a few days to bask in the sheer joy of now officially being engaged to Jasper, she knew that they needed to tell her mother the news before word had the chance to spread and she found out from someone else. Needless to say, Danielle was not looking forward to it. The Cullen's had been overjoyed at the news of their engagement, but she knew better than to expect that same reaction from Lynne. She knew her mother, and she knew there were only two ways that Lynne might react – either she was going to be mad, or she was going to be furious.
"I feel like I'm gonna throw up," Danielle admitted as she fidgeted nervously with her engagement ring.
Jasper got up from the bed and planted himself in her path, putting an end to her pacing by placing his hands on her shoulders. "It'll be fine, darlin'," he said, rubbing her shoulders encouragingly and flashing an optimistic smile.
"You don't know my mother like I do, Jasper," Danielle countered with a shake of her head. "She's not like your family. She's gonna freak when we tell her."
Jasper sighed and shrugged. "We can wait, if you want," he offered. "We don't have to tell her today."
Danielle immediately waved off his suggestion. As much as she was dreading it, she knew it was something that needed to happen sooner rather than later. "No. Keeping her in the dark will only make things worse," she said with a sigh of defeat. Danielle dropped her face into her hands for a second, before rubbing her face and exhaling loudly. "Let's just get it over with before I lose my nerve," she finally said, nodding resolutely.
"Alright," Jasper said. He pulled her close to kiss her, flashing an encouraging smile. "Don't worry. I'll be right there with you," he reminded. Danielle managed a smile and a nod. "I'll be back soon," he then promised.
Jasper kissed her once more, then went to her window and stealthily snuck out, presumably to run back home and fetch his car. He had spent the night with her, which Lynne also would have freaked out about if she had known about it…or if she had known about the dozen or so other times Jasper had stayed with her since March. While he was gone, Danielle took the time to collect herself and practice what she would say, breathing deeply all the while and doing her best to think positive, encouraging thoughts.
Before she even knew it, the doorbell was ringing. She went to her window to look outside and saw Jasper's car parked in the street. He was back already. Danielle sucked in one last deep breath, then left her bedroom and headed downstairs.
By the time she hit the bottom floor, her mother had already opened the door to reveal Jasper, who was expertly pretending that he hadn't been under the Clark roof for the past twelve hours. "Good morning, Jasper," Lynne said, smiling widely and pulling him in for a quick hug.
Jasper was a little stiff as he returned the hug, but his smile was easy and friendly. He was still getting used to her mother's affectionate nature. "Good morning, Lynne."
"Come on in," she ushered, stepping aside for him to step through the front door. As soon as he was inside, Lynne shut the door again. "Can I get you anything? Water? Coffee? Breakfast?"
"No, thank you," he declined politely. "I already had breakfast at home."
"Alright," Lynne said.
Danielle stepped forward to make her presence known, trying not to look as nervous and jittery as she currently felt. Jasper smiled at her, his eyes full of reassurance as she planted herself next to him. He leaned over to kiss her cheek, one hand finding its way onto her back. "Hello," he said in greeting.
"Hi," she said back.
Awkward silence followed. Jasper seemed as though he was trying to let her take the lead, but Danielle had absolutely no idea what to do or how best to approach the subject of their engagement. She glanced toward her mother and cringed when she noticed that Lynne was eyeing them with uncertainty, as if she could sense that something was going on, only she wasn't sure what.
"Do you guys have plans for today?" she finally asked to break the silence.
"A few, yeah," Danielle answered with a nervous smile. "Nothing crazy. Just…you know…stuff."
Lynne quirked a brow at her weird response, which made Danielle cringe. Jasper rubbed her back discreetly, sending a wave of calm over her. "On second thought," he spoke up, his voice perfectly calm and normal, "I'd love some coffee if you have it."
Lynne glanced back and forth between the two of them, before nodding slowly. "Sure," she said. "Go ahead and get comfortable in the living room. I'll bring it to you."
"Thank you," Jasper said with a nod.
After Lynne went into the kitchen, Jasper led Danielle into the living room. She sighed and shook her head as they eased onto the couch together, raking a hand through her curls and making them stick out in wild directions. "I'm blowing this," she said helplessly.
"Just relax," he said, grabbing her hand and lacing his fingers with hers. "I'm right here with you, remember? Whatever happens, we are in this together."
Danielle smiled and nodded, squeezing his hand back. Not for the first time, she found herself marveling at how good he was to her, and wondering just what the hell she had done to get so lucky.
Lynne joined them in the living room shortly after, holding a steaming mug of coffee. "Is black alright?" she asked.
"That's perfectly fine," Jasper answered. "Thank you."
Lynne smiled and set the mug down on the coffee table in front of him, then sat down on the sofa adjacent to them. Jasper, out of obligation, reached for the coffee and took a drink. No doubt it tasted absolutely disgusting to him, but he had been pretending to eat and drink like a human for so long that his dislike of the coffee didn't show anywhere on his handsome face. After he swallowed the sip, he set the mug back down, his eyes darting to Danielle. She didn't realize she was fidgeting until he released her hand to put an arm around her shoulder, effectively anchoring her to the couch so she couldn't wiggle around.
"So," Lynne said to break the uncomfortable silence that had been stretching on. "How does it feel to wake up as a high school graduate today, Jasper?" she asked.
"Very liberating," Jasper answered. "I feel like I've got an entire world of opportunity before me now."
"That's because you do," Lynne said with a smile. "What's your plan then? Are you going to college?" she asked next.
Jasper glanced at Danielle again. "No set plans yet, but I'm weighing my options," he said with a nod.
Lynne nodded slowly, her eyes sliding back and forth between Danielle and Jasper. Danielle was convinced then that her mother definitely knew something was going on. Lynne didn't address the awkwardness surrounding them at first, though. Instead, she made a few more attempts at making small talk, which only Jasper responded to. Danielle was so nervous, she couldn't even look at her mother, let alone talk to her. Finally, after this went on for a few more minutes, Lynne seemed to have had enough.
"Alright," she said loudly, making both Danielle and Jasper look at her. "What's going on?" she asked bluntly. "You're both being really weird, especially you, Dani," she stated pointedly. "Has something happened?"
Danielle looked at Jasper, who nodded encouragingly. Finally, Danielle sighed and looked at her mother. "Yes," she answered. "Something has happened."
Lynne waited for her to say more, then waved an impatient hand when Danielle didn't elaborate right away. "Well?" she prompted. "What is it?"
Danielle sucked in a deep breath, then decided she might as well just say it and get it over with. "The reason Jasper came here today is because we have something to tell you," she started. Lynne's brows furrowed together immediately, her lips pulling down into a frown of uncertainty. "Mom…" Danielle took one more breath. "Jasper and I are getting married."
Lynne blinked at those words, then looked at Jasper, who nodded in confirmation. Lynne then looked back to Danielle, before suddenly bursting into laughter. Danielle quirked a brow, her eyes jumping to Jasper's in confusion. Why the hell was her mother laughing? Had she just heard what she had said? She turned her gaze back to her mother, who continued to laugh for a few more moments before sobering up again.
"Very funny," Lynne said, a smile of amusement still stretched across her face.
Danielle frowned. "I'm not joking, mom," she said. "I'm being serious."
Lynne made a sound of disbelief. "Sure you are," she said sarcastically, clearly still not believing her.
"Mom," Danielle said firmly, the fierceness in her tone finally bringing Lynne's amusement to a halt. "I'm serious. Jasper and I are engaged. See?"
She held up her left hand to show off her sparkly engagement ring. Lynne peered at the ring for a moment, blinking hard a few times as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Then, suddenly, her eyes went very wide, before she surged to her feet.
"What?!" Lynne hollered loudly, her brows drawing together with anger. "You're engaged?!"
"Yes," Danielle answered.
"Since when?" Lynne demanded.
"Since last night."
Lynne gaped at them, then began to shake her head vigorously. "No. No, no, no. You can't be engaged. You're far too young!" she said with denial. "What are you thinking? Do you have any idea how serious this is? Do you even – " Lynne suddenly gasped, her hands flying to her mouth as she seemed to realize something. Then she glared at the two of them with anger so fierce that Danielle could practically feel it against her skin. "Are you pregnant?!" she demanded.
It was Danielle's turn to gasp in shock. "What? No!" she shouted at once.
"You are!" Lynne countered. "You have to be! It's the only explanation!" She rounded on Jasper then, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "You!" she growled. "You did this! You deflowered my daughter! You got her pregnant, didn't you!"
"No, ma'am!" Jasper said immediately, shaking his head. "I swear to you that I didn't."
"I don't believe you!" Lynne said angrily.
It was Danielle's turn to surge to her feet. "Mom! Stop!" she said loudly. "I am not pregnant! Jasper and I have never even had sex! I'm still a virgin, okay?" she said, her cheeks flushing furiously as she revealed this information. Jasper looked embarrassed too, and probably would have been blushing if it had been a possibility for him. "I wouldn't lie to you about this!"
Lynne stood there for a moment, breathing hard as her glare shifted from Danielle, to Jasper, then back again. She finally seemed to accept that Danielle was telling the truth, but the knowledge that her daughter hadn't been having premarital sex wasn't nearly enough to quell the anger still burning within her.
"If you're not pregnant, then why are you getting married?" Lynne demanded.
Danielle scoffed. "Gee, I don't know. Maybe because we love each other?" she offered, unable to keep the sarcasm from her tone.
"Don't you take that tone with me!"
"Well, come on, mom!" Danielle said with exasperation. "You're being a little ridiculous right now."
Lynne sputtered angrily. "I'm being ridiculous? You're the one trying to get married at eighteen!"
"First of all, I'll be nineteen in October," Danielle felt the need to point out. Lynne huffed dramatically in response. "And second, we're not trying anything. We are getting married, and that's that," she finished with a resolute nod.
"No. No, it's not!" Lynne argued. "I will not stand by and let you make this mistake! You are way too young to get married! End of story!"
"Lynne," Jasper interjected, getting to his own feet. "If I could just say a thing or two – "
"You shut it!" Lynne said with a sharp glare in Jasper's direction. "You've caused enough trouble already!"
"Hey!" Danielle snapped just as angrily. "Don't talk to him like that!" she defended. "If you wanna be angry at someone, be angry at me! He's been nothing but good to me! He doesn't deserve you being a jerk to him!"
"Darlin' – " Jasper tried to say.
"Oh, I'm being a jerk, huh?" Lynne said loudly, speaking over Jasper without giving him a second glance. "Well, if me being a jerk means I can stop you from ruining your life, then so be it!"
Danielle threw her hands up in exasperation. "Don't be so dramatic! How am I ruining my life?" she demanded. "Jasper and I love each other! We know we want to be together for the rest of our lives, so why wait?" Danielle crossed her arms over her chest, then gave her mother a firm look of determination. "We're getting married, mom. And nothing you can say is gonna change that."
"It's not happening, Danielle," Lynne countered with irritation. "You're going to go to college. You're going to get a degree. You're going to find a career. If by the end of all that the two of you still think the sun shines out of each other's butts, then I'll approve of you getting married. But until then, I forbid you from marrying Jasper," Lynne concluded with a firm nod.
Danielle scoffed stubbornly. "Just in case you missed it, let me clear something up. I wasn't asking your permission to marry Jasper. I was telling you that I'm marrying him," she said. "I'm an adult, which means I can make my own decisions. And my decision is to marry Jasper!"
"You're not an adult!" Lynne said, bordering on hysteria now. "You're a child. And I don't care how grown up you think you are – so long as you live under this roof, you will do as I say!"
Danielle pressed her lips together tightly, her fingers digging into her arms tightly as she considered what Lynne had said. She knew this argument had escalated quickly and long since passed the point of being under control – even Jasper's powers didn't appear to be enough to keep them from flying off the handle. But her mother's last words had given her an idea, and even though the tiny part of her brain still capable of rational thought screamed that it was a bad idea, she found herself jutting her chin upward stubbornly, her face set with determination.
"Fine," she said. "Then I'm moving out."
Both Lynne and Jasper gaped at her in shock. "What?" they asked at the same time.
"I'm moving out," Danielle repeated. She then turned to Jasper, who seemed completely at a loss as to what he should be doing. "Will you help me pack my stuff?" she asked.
Jasper stared at her, looked over at her mother, then turned his eyes back to hers. He looked horribly confused and extremely uncomfortable, but he nodded anyway. "Yes. I will," he agreed.
Danielle turned and marched toward the stairs with Jasper right on her heels. For a long few moments, Lynne seemed too shocked to do or say anything and stood right there in the middle of the living room, watching them go with disbelief. By the time Danielle and Jasper were reaching her room, however, Lynne recovered and came storming after them.
"Danielle!" she yelled. "Danielle Katherine Clark! You come back here right now!"
Danielle ignored her, and once she and Jasper were in her room, she slammed the door shut and locked the door so that Lynne couldn't come in. Lynne banged on the door from the other side, yelling all sorts of things to try to get through to her, but Danielle didn't respond. Instead, she braced her hands on the door and let her head fall forward, feeling exhausted now that she'd had a moment to stop and think about everything that had just happened. Actually, she was more than exhausted. As much as she had anticipated her mother's negative reaction, to know that Lynne was so against her and Jasper getting married was incredibly disappointing, and just down right made her feel sad.
A hand on her back made her lift her head and turn around. Jasper was staring down at her with obvious concern. "Darlin', are you alright?" he asked gently.
Danielle pressed her lips together. She was not alright, not even close. Still, she nodded her head. "I'll be okay. Let's just…make this quick."
She started to turn toward her closet, but hesitated when Jasper wrapped a hand around her wrist to stop her. He still looked uncertain. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked. "You're both so upset. Maybe you should try talking to her some more."
Danielle shook her head. "I can't. Not right now. She won't listen to me." Danielle sighed heavily. "This wasn't what I had planned, Jasper. But…I love you. I want to marry you. And as much as I love my mother, I won't let her stand in the way of that. I'm old enough to make my own decisions, and if moving out is the only way to make this wedding happen, then…so be it." She paused and began to nervously fiddle with her engagement ring again. "Would it be okay if I stayed with you?" she asked.
Jasper smiled a bit and stepped closer so he could place a hand on her cheek. "Of course," he said. "I just…wish it didn't have to be under these circumstances," he said, glancing toward the door, where Lynne continued to yell and rant.
Danielle smiled sadly. "Me, too."
Jasper looked back to her, then kissed her softly on the lips. When he pulled back, it seemed as if he was contemplating saying something. Instead, he just smiled sympathetically before moving to grab a bag from her closet. "What do you need to pack?" he asked helpfully.
In no time at all, they had all of her necessities packed. Jasper asked her one more time if she was really sure she wanted to go through with leaving, and after Danielle assured him that she was, he grabbed her hand and kissed her knuckles, before leading her out of her bedroom. Lynne was right there, looking equal parts emotional and angry, following them down the stairs and yelling all the while.
"Don't you dare step out of this house, Danielle!" Lynne shouted behind them as they headed for the front door. Danielle ignored her, clinging tighter to Jasper's hand as they continued forward. "If you leave, I will never let you come back!" Danielle still said nothing. "I will never forgive you for this, Danielle!" Lynne said next, her voice taking on a shrill note of panic.
Danielle hadn't realized she had begun crying until they finally reached the front door. She turned back to Lynne, who looked blurry because of the tears in her eyes. She had made her decision, though, and she was not going to back down from it. "Goodbye, mom."
She and Jasper left after that, walking determinedly to his car and throwing the bags into the trunk. He helped her into the passenger seat, then ran around to the driver's side. Lynne followed them outside, but she seemed to have given up on trying to stop them. Danielle stared at her from the passenger seat, more tears sliding down her cheeks. Lynne was crying, too, and the sight of her mother looking so broken down was almost enough to have Danielle running back to her.
Almost.
They drove to the Cullen house at top speed, Jasper holding her hand and saying soft words of encouragement the whole way. When they parked in the driveway, Jasper insisted on grabbing the bags himself. Once he had her things, they walked up to the front door and stepped inside. The first Cullen they came across was Esme, who had been lounging on the sofa and watching an old black and white movie. She took one look at Danielle and gasped, before hurrying over faster than Danielle's eyes could see.
"It didn't go well, did it?" she asked with a frown.
Danielle shook her head, then promptly dissolved into tears. Esme immediately hugged her, whispering soothing words and rubbing her back.
"Is it alright if Danielle stays with us for a while?" Jasper asked.
Esme nodded. "Of course," she said with hesitation. She pulled back from Danielle to brace her hands on her shoulders, before smiling comfortingly. "Come on," she said, sliding an arm around her and leading her toward the stairs. "Let's get you settled."
OOO
That had been it. She had been living with the Cullen's ever since, and she had not seen, or even spoken, to her mother since moving out.
At first, she had been too angry to feel guilty about leaving home. The fact that Lynne had been so mean to Jasper and so unsupportive of their love for each other had hurt, which had, in turn, made her feel angry with Lynne for being so close minded. She had felt good about her decision to move out, not only because it meant she was able to live with Jasper, but also because she had felt as though she was sticking it to her mother.
But then, slowly, her anger had faded away. And as the days stretched on without any communication with Lynne, she began to feel differently about things. She had never gone so long without talking to her mother. Never. And every time she sat down with Alice to discuss wedding plans, she couldn't help feeling like something was missing. That something, of course, was Lynne. She was getting married. This was supposed to be the happiest time of her life. She should have had her mother by her side, supporting her and helping her and being happy for her. She missed her mother. She needed her mother.
But Lynne was not around, and after the way they had left things, Danielle couldn't find the courage to reach out to her. She was afraid reaching out to her mother would end in another raging fight, and she just didn't have it in her to handle that right now, nor did she want to think what sort of damage another fight might inflict on their already fragile relationship. All in all, she just didn't know how to fix things between them. And not even Alice's supposed vision of Lynne coming to the wedding was enough to give Danielle hope that things would get better between them any time soon.
Esme walking into the dining room finally pulled Danielle away from thoughts of her mother. The vampire placed a plate of pancakes smothered in butter and syrup in front of Danielle.
"There you go. Three pancakes, as ordered," she said, looking mighty proud of herself.
Danielle managed a smile. "Thanks, Esme. You're the best."
"You're welcome. Now eat up before it gets cold," she advised, before gliding back out of the room.
As Danielle grabbed her fork and dug into her breakfast, the music downstairs shut off and they heard the garage door open. Before long, Emmett had come up to the second floor. He stepped into the dining room, covered in a generous amount of engine grease, smiling widely as he caught sight of Danielle.
"Morning, Red," he said, referring to her by what had become his new favorite nickname for her.
"Morning," she said back around a mouth full of pancake.
Emmett turned his gaze to Alice and Jasper, his gaze momentarily dropping to the papers still scattered across the table. "Good lord," he huffed, shaking his head. "You guys are still going over wedding details? You've been going at it for hours!"
"Who are you telling?" Jasper grumbled under his breath.
Alice shot a sharp look at Jasper before raising her brows at Emmett. "In case you've forgotten, Dani and Jasper's wedding is a big deal. I'm going to make sure it's absolutely perfect, even if it's the last thing I do!" she said adamantly.
Emmett snorted. "Judging by the look on Jazzy-poo's face, it very well might be the last thing you do, sis," he warned.
Jasper and Danielle stifled their laughter when Alice rolled her eyes dramatically. "Keep talking trash, and it might be the last thing you do, Big Foot," Danielle warned.
"Nah," Emmett said, waving off the warning. "Alice can't kill me. I'm the Best Man, remember?"
He was the Best Man. As much as Jasper and Emmett loved to fight with and annoy each other, they were undeniably close with one another. Jasper hadn't thought twice about asking him to be his Best Man, and Emmett had happily accepted the honor. He had been bragging about the title ever since, too.
"That's right," Alice said. "You are the Best Man, yet you still haven't sat down with me to talk about what duties will be expected of you on the big day," she reminded him.
Emmett shrugged. "What is there to talk about?" he asked. "I already know what I have to do. I show up dressed to the nines and looking good – which won't be any trouble, obviously," he couldn't help but say with cockiness, earning himself three eye rolls. "Once the ceremony is going I make sure Jasper doesn't freak out or anything, then I get to make a killer speech at the reception," he said next. "Oh," he added, smirking gleefully now, "I also get to throw the handsome cowboy here a bitching bachelor party," he added. "Does that about cover it?"
Alice and Danielle both raised their eyebrows. "There's more to it than that," Alice said with exasperation.
Danielle however, narrowed her eyes accusingly and asked, "What kind of bachelor party are we talking about here?"
"The stripper kind, of course," Emmett said without hesitation.
Jasper looked over at her quickly. "Not true," he denied. "I would never participate in something like that."
Danielle believed Jasper, of course, but still shot a glare at Emmett, who chuckled at her reaction.
Esme suddenly came hurrying into the dining room, a frown tugging at her lips when she caught sight of Emmett. "Emmett McCarty Cullen! You are filthy! Go upstairs and clean up before you ruin my rug!" she said. "Go! Shoo!" she added, ushering him quickly out of the room.
"Oops, gotta go!" Emmett said with a smirk and a wave.
"You got away this time, but we will talk about your wedding duties soon!" Alice called after the two vampires as they left. Once they were gone, Alice sighed and shook her head to herself. "He's lucky he's my brother, otherwise I would've killed him ages ago," she said. "Are you sure you're prepared to have him around for the rest of your life, Dani?" Alice then asked, jerking her thumb in the direction Emmett had gone.
Danielle shrugged, flashing a quick smile toward Jasper. "I can deal with an annoying brother-in-law, so long as it means I get Jasper," she said.
Jasper smiled and leaned over to kiss her. Alice smiled at their affection despite her irritation with Emmett, before holding up a hand. "Stop. I can't handle the cuteness from you two," she teased.
Danielle and Jasper just laughed in response, then watched as Alice started rounding up all of the papers and binders containing the details and information for the wedding. Jasper did not try to hide his sigh of relief as he realized they were finished going over plans for the time being.
"I think that's all for now," Alice said, stacking all of the items neatly. She paused to give Danielle a hopeful look. "Dani, I was thinking that since the boys will be gone hunting for a few days, maybe me, you, Bella, and Esme could go to Port Angeles and start looking at some dresses," she said. "Would you be okay with that?"
Danielle pursed her lips. The truth was that she had been putting off wedding dress shopping because it felt just wrong to try on dresses without her mother there. But the wedding was coming up quick, and she knew she couldn't delay finding a dress for much longer.
"Yeah, we probably should," she finally said.
Alice squealed and clapped her hands excitedly. "Great! I'm glad you said yes, because I already made an appointment for Wednesday," she revealed with a grin. Danielle and Jasper just shared a look at that statement. Grinning to herself now, Alice finished rounding up all the papers on the table. "I'm going to head to the post office now and send out the invitations," she announced. Alice's grin faded as she huffed irritably. "These should have gone out days ago, but that darn company took so long to get them made. Thank goodness most of the people coming live in Forks." Alice gave them a look. "Remind me not to use them for invitations if Bella and Edward get married."
Danielle smirked with amusement. "You got it."
She expected Alice to leave after that, but the vampire lingered a few moments longer, staring at Danielle with an expression she couldn't quite read. Finally, Alice opened the top binder in the stack of wedding information she held and grabbed something inside. "Before I go, I want you to have this," she said.
Alice leaned over to place a single envelope bearing Danielle's mother's name on the table. It was Lynne's wedding invitation. Danielle stared at the envelope, then looked up at Alice.
"You should give it to her yourself," she suggested. "It'll get you guys talking again and give you the chance to clear the air." Danielle must have had a doubtful look on her face, because Alice leaned over the table to stare her down. "Trust me, Dani," she said firmly. "It should come from you."
Danielle sighed, then finally nodded. "Okay."
Alice seemed pleased with her response. "I'll see you guys later," she said, before leaving the room.
Danielle and Jasper said goodbye to her, before falling into a comfortable silence. While Danielle ate some more of her breakfast, she stared at the envelope in front of her with wary eyes, half expecting that it would come to life and start shouting at her like a Howler from the Harry Potter series. She knew it would need to go to her mother soon – if the invitations made it to the other attendees before Lynne received hers, her mother would likely jump to the conclusion that she hadn't been invited and it would just make everything a million times worse than it already was. But the thought of facing her mother was downright terrifying, so much so that it almost made her feel sick to her stomach.
She didn't realize how much her emotions had begun to spiral until Jasper sent a wave of calmness over her. "It's going to be alright, darlin'."
Danielle gave him a doubtful look. "How do you know?"
"Because I know that you and Lynne love each other, and I know neither of you wants this to continue on the way it has been," he stayed plainly. "Then again, I also know how stubborn you both are," he added, which had her quirking an eyebrow at him. "Don't even try to deny it," Jasper said, quirking a brow right back. "You said it yourself – Clark's are known for their stubbornness."
"You're not supposed to agree with me about it," Danielle grumbled, her eyes trained on her plate as she pushed a piece of pancake around.
"I'm just saying it like it is," Jasper said. "We're getting married next month, which means time is running out," he continued. "Your mother is important to you, and you're not the only one who wants her to be there when we say I do. I want her to be there, too, Danielle."
"According to Alice, she will be," Danielle reminded him.
"Alright, let me rephrase," Jasper said patiently. "I want her to be there and be happy about it."
"Well, I can't guarantee she will be happy about it," Danielle warned.
"Well, you won't really know until you speak to her, will you?" he countered knowingly.
Danielle gave him a sour look as she reached for her coffee. "Since when are you such a know-it-all?" she huffed sarcastically.
Jasper looked unimpressed. "There's no need to be sarcastic. I'm just trying to help," he said, his tone finally betraying a hint of impatience.
Danielle looked over at him, then sighed guiltily. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be a brat," she apologized, reaching over to squeeze his knee again. "The past few weeks have just been a total whirlwind, and with the wedding coming up so fast and things still so crappy between me and my mom, I'm just…stressed out. I'm sorry for taking it out on you, Jazz," she apologized. "You're the one who's been keeping me at least somewhat sane through all of this. You deserve better than for me to act like a jerk toward you."
Any annoyance Jasper had felt disappeared instantly. He pulled her closer with the arm he had around her shoulder and tilted her chin up with his free hand, smiling gently. "It's alright," he said reassuringly. "You've had a lot on your mind. I understand." He raised his eyebrows at her after that. "Just promise me you'll talk to your mother soon, alright?"
Danielle hesitated then finally nodded. "I will. I promise."
"Good," Jasper said, before leaning in to give her a sweet kiss.
When the rain finally eased up, going from a hard, steady downpour to a light mist, Danielle and Jasper decided it would be a good idea to get out of the house for a little while. They got into his car and headed for town, their destination being the grocery store so that Danielle could restock the pantry and fridge for herself. Esme had offered to go to the store for them, but Danielle had insisted on doing it herself. Cooking for her was one thing, but shopping for her took it to another level. Esme had done more than enough to make her feel comfortable and welcome in the Cullen house – the least Danielle could do in return was handle her own errands.
She and Jasper walked into the store hand in hand and a made a beeline for the shopping carts. Jasper dutifully took charge of the cart while Danielle led the way through the aisles, adding things to the cart at random. Jasper seemed to be doing his best not to pull any faces at the food she was grabbing, but every so often he would wrinkle his nose up in disgust whenever something she added smelled particularly gross to him.
"Oh!" Danielle said with excitement as they went past the chip aisle and she spied her favorite kind – Salt and Vinegar. "These are the best," she said, hugging the bag to her chest affectionately before tossing it into the cart.
Jasper quirked an amused brow. "You've said that about almost everything you've put in the cart, darlin'," he pointed out with a smirk.
Danielle shrugged. "What can I say? I love food," she said without remorse. They continued onto the next aisle, where she added a twelve-pack of a lemon flavored seltzer water and some sweet tea. "Do you ever miss it?" she asked curiously. "You know, eating regular food?"
Jasper pursed his lips and shook his head. "Not particularly. It's been so long that I barely remember what it tasted like as a human," he admitted. "Though it would make my lifestyle a lot easier if I were able to get some sort of sustenance from it."
"True," Danielle agreed.
On the next aisle over, Jasper watched her toss in some cereal bars and instant oatmeal before smiling over at her. "You should make a list of all the meals you like the most," he suggested.
"Why?" Danielle asked.
"So that I know what to cook for you," he said as if it were the most obvious answer in the world.
Danielle smiled widely. Just when she thought Jasper couldn't possibly get anymore perfect, he had to go and prove her wrong yet again. "You wanna cook for me?"
Jasper shrugged. "I can't promise it will be good, but I'm willing to give it a shot. Esme won't always be around to do it and I'm sure there will be times where you won't want to do it either, so it seems like a good idea to learn."
Danielle frowned with confusion now. "Is Esme going somewhere?"
Jasper shook his head. "No. But we certainly won't be living in the house with the rest of the family once we're married," he said.
Well, that was news to her.
Danielle came to stand next to him, resting one hand on the shopping cart as she raised her brows. "Oh? And where are we gonna live instead?"
He gave her a mysterious smile as he brushed some of her hair back away from her face. "I have something in the works," he answered vaguely.
Danielle could feel her interest burning already. "You're not gonna tell me, are you?" she asked with a pout.
"Nope," he said without hesitation. When Danielle started to protest the lack of information, he leaned in closer, his eyes smoldering as they locked on hers. "Just be patient, darlin'," he said lowly, obviously sensing her impending argument. "You'll find out what it is soon enough."
The way he was looking at her combined with his close proximity made her forget what she had been about to say. In fact, it more or less made her brain turn into mush. When he finally backed off and she was able to think coherently again, she frowned at his self-satisfied smirk. He knew how he affected her, and he had used that against her.
"That's really unfair, you know," she said accusingly.
"What?" Jasper asked innocently. "I didn't do anything."
Danielle let out an unladylike snort. "And I'm the queen of England," she quipped, before turning on her heel and stomping away.
Jasper just chuckled behind her as he followed her with the cart.
When they passed by the floral section, Danielle stopped to peruse the pre-arranged bouquets. She remembered how happy Esme had been the last time Danielle had brought her flowers, and suddenly she was inspired to do so again. Esme had been so good to her these past couple of weeks – she had taken care of her, had been there to listen if Danielle needed to vent, and had just all around been the supportive mother figure that Danielle had been needing since things had gone to hell in a handbasket between her and her own mother. Bringing Esme flowers seemed like a good way to thank her for her support and kindness.
"Okay," Danielle said, crossing her arms over her chest as she eyed the bouquets with scrutiny. "Which one would Esme like best? She really liked the Lillies I brought last time, but I feel like I should change it up. Not roses, though," she mused aloud, tapping her chin now. "That's a little too romantic, I think. Those sunflowers are nice. So are those daisies. What do you think, babe?"
When Jasper didn't respond, Danielle glanced over at him. She realized then that Jasper hadn't listened to a word she had said. Instead, he was glaring at something in the distance, his eyes narrowed and darker than usual. Danielle followed his gaze, before frowning when she saw what he was looking at.
A group of teenagers was loitering near the end of the candy aisle about thirty feet from where she and Jasper stood. Danielle didn't know any of them by name, but it was obvious the teenagers knew exactly who she and Jasper were. They were staring at them not so discreetly, whispering amongst themselves and nudging one another with their elbows. When they all started laughing, Jasper's eyes narrowed even more.
Danielle sighed heavily, knowing in an instant that the teenagers were talking about them. The news of her and Jasper's engagement had spread through Forks like wildfire these past few weeks, and given how young they were – or, rather, how young Danielle actually was and how young people thought Jasper was – and how quickly they had gotten engaged, well…a lot of rumors had begun to spread. She had learned from Jessica a few days ago that the majority of the town seemed to believe that their wedding was a shotgun wedding. It had become fairly common to see people giving them looks and whispering behind their hands whenever she and Jasper went out in public, which was why they had been keeping their visits into town at a minimum. With how crazy the rumor mill was going now, though, she could only imagine how much worse it was going to get whenever everyone learned how soon their wedding actually was.
Danielle moved closer to Jasper and placed a hand on his arm. "Ignore them," she said gently.
Jasper looked down at her with a raised brow. "Kind of hard to do, considering they are talking badly about the woman I love," he countered. He glanced at the teenagers again, who either didn't notice, or just didn't care, how angry Jasper was getting. "I should go over there and teach them a lesson."
Danielle immediately stepped in front of him and placed a hand on his neck, pulling with all of her might to try to force him to look at her instead of the stupid teenagers down the way. "Jasper," she said firmly. He finally looked down at her. "They aren't worth it, okay? Let's just finish up here and go. Please?"
Jasper looked at her for a long moment, glanced at the snickering teenagers, then returned his gaze to her. Finally, he sighed and gave a single, curt nod. "Alright," he said, though he still looked displeased.
Danielle smiled, leaned up to kiss him quickly, then grabbed a bouquet of sunflowers and added it to the shopping cart. They then headed in the direction to the checkout line, both of them refusing to acknowledge the immature teenagers again.
She had thought that once they were home and well away from any gossiping teenagers that Jasper's mood would improve, but that wasn't the case. He was tense and quiet for the rest of the day, obviously still angry over whatever the teenagers had been saying. His bad mood did not go unnoticed by his family, but anytime they tried to ask him what was bothering him, he simply waved off their questions and insisted that he didn't want to talk about it. Danielle wisely kept mum on the subject as well, knowing fully well how fiercely protective the Cullen's were and knowing that they would only get just as angry as Jasper if they found out what had happened. One irritable vampire was hard enough to reason with as it was – she didn't think she would be able to talk down an entire coven.
Much later that night, when she and Jasper were alone in his room, she stood in the doorway of the bathroom, leaning against the doorframe and watching as Jasper packed a small bag for his hunting trip. The frown that had been on his face all evening was still there, making his forehead crease and pulling his lips downward. Danielle sighed, unsure what she could do or say to make him feel better.
"Where did y'all decide to go?" she asked to break the silence, hoping a little conversation might help distract him.
"North, to Canada," he answered, folding up a shirt and stuffing it into his bag.
"And you have to leave tonight?" she asked with a sigh.
Jasper shrugged. "We may move fast, but we still draw less attention to ourselves when we move at night," he said.
Danielle nodded slowly, then gave him a small smile. "I'll miss you," she told him.
Jasper finally stopped what he was doing to lift his gaze to hers. "I will miss you, too," he said with a nod. "We won't be gone for long, though. I'll be back before you know it."
"Not soon enough," she countered.
Jasper said nothing to that, just flashed a small smile and resumed packing his bag. It wasn't long before the frown was on his face again, though, and the moment she saw it return, Danielle pushed away from the doorframe and went to stand behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and molding herself to his back.
"I wish you wouldn't let those idiots get under your skin," she said with a sigh.
Jasper froze, then let out a heavy exhale as he turned around to face her. "I try not to…but you didn't hear what they were saying, Danielle," he said with a frown. "If people want to say bad things about me, that's fine. But I will not stand for people talking about you. You don't deserve the things people in town have been saying, Danielle."
Danielle just huffed and shook her head. "Well, you know what I say about all those gossipers? Screw them," she said vehemently. "Let them talk. They don't know anything about us, or our relationship."
"Danielle – " he started to say.
"They don't matter, Jazz," she interrupted firmly. "All that matters is that we love each other and that we're getting married. We don't owe anybody an explanation, least of all a bunch of stupid kids that have nothing better to do but gossip by the candy aisle. So don't let them get to you, okay?"
Jasper looked at her for a long moment, before letting out a long sigh. "I'll try to ignore it, if that's what you want…but I cannot promise I won't say something if I overhear anything like that again," he added.
Danielle smiled. "Good enough," she said.
Jasper pulled her closer and leaned down to press his forehead against hers. A few beats of silence passed before he pulled away to give her a serious look. "What do you think about going away after the wedding?" he asked suddenly.
"We are going away after the wedding," she said, thinking of the honeymoon that they already had planned. They were jetting off to a private island owned by the Cullen's, which Carlisle had affectionately named Isle Esme. The trip had been a gift from Carlisle and Esme, who had wanted the two of them to have a place where they could truly be alone and where Jasper could truly be himself.
"I mean after the honeymoon," Jasper said. "I just want to get away from Forks for a while. Get away from all the gossip and the scrutiny," he confessed. "It would be just the two of us. We can go anywhere in the world. Anywhere you want."
Danielle took a moment to consider it. The thought of travelling didn't sound bad – they had already agreed to take a year off before enrolling in college together, so why not use that time to travel the world? "Would your family be alright with that?" she asked skeptically.
"I'm sure they will understand," he said with a nod.
Danielle nodded slowly. "I'm certainly not opposed to the idea of traveling. I adore your family, but I definitely like the idea of having you all to myself for a while," she admitted, which made him smile. "Why don't we discuss it more when you get back from your hunt?" she suggested.
"Alright," Jasper agreed.
Danielle smiled, then slid her arms around his neck. "Now," she continued, "seeing as you're going to be gone for a few torturously long days, I think we should make the most of the time we have left."
Jasper tilted his head curiously, his eyes lighting with interest. "And how would you suggest we do that?" he asked.
Danielle gave him a meaningful look, her fingers toying with the hairs at the nape of his neck. "Kiss me like you miss me, Major Whitlock."
Jasper didn't need to be told twice. He leaned in to kiss her, his lips sweet and gentle at first. But it wasn't long at before he was holding her a little tighter, his lips moving against her with more urgency. Danielle pressed closer to him, unable to help the small moan of pleasure that welled up in her throat. When he pulled his mouth from her to trail kisses down the line of her jaw, she tilted her head backward, giving him all the access he wanted as he kissed his way down to her neck.
In a moment of bravery, she pushed against his chest. She couldn't move him of course, but he felt the pressure and pulled back, his eyes dark as he peered at her in silent question. Danielle smirked and pushed him again, until he sat on the bed behind him. Once he was seated, she braced her hands on his shoulders and sat so that she was straddling his lap, making his eyes widen with surprise. She knew she was being very brazen, and she knew that she was likely pushing the boundaries that Jasper had firmly set into place in regards to their physical relationship, but she didn't really care in that moment.
She placed her hands on his neck and caught his lips in another fiery kiss. Despite his surprise, Jasper let out a low groan and planted his hands on her hips, pulling her even closer. Desire crashed through her, though whether that was her own desire or his, she couldn't say for certain. Heat began to engulf them, making their lips move with more urgency as they kissed like their lives depended upon it.
Finally, Jasper pulled away. She shivered when she saw that his eyes had gone dark with desire. "We need to stop," he said, his voice husky but his tone firm.
"Is that what you want?" she asked, pressing light kisses to his jaw and chin.
"No," he answered honestly. "But if we do not stop now, I won't be able to stop at all. We agreed to wait until the wedding, and I will not break that arrangement, no matter how tempting you are making the idea right now."
Danielle sighed, then pulled back to look at him, unable to help feeling a little disappointed. She completely understood why he wanted to wait – he wanted the first time they made love to be perfect and special, and wanted it to be on the night they married. She also knew he wanted to wait a little longer because, deep down, he was scared of what might happen when they did take their relationship to that level of intimacy. But still…just because she understood, that didn't mean she didn't get frustrated from time to time. She loved Jasper. She wanted Jasper. And when he set her ablaze only to pull away before things could go any further, well…needless to say, she had gotten quite familiar with cold showers.
"You're too noble for your own good sometimes," she said with a small smile.
Jasper smirked. "If you had any idea what sort of thoughts I was having right now, you wouldn't think me so noble anymore," he said, his eyes burning with heat.
Danielle sucked in a shaky breath at those words, then sighed and held him tightly as he leaned in to kiss her again, this time keeping it sweet and innocent. He finally pulled away when a knock sounded on the door.
"C'mon, dude," Emmett said through the door. "Let's go get Ed and get this party started."
"Be right out," Jasper said back.
With that being said, Danielle reluctantly disentangled herself from him, instantly feel cold and bereft once she was no longer in his arms. Jasper stood from the bed to grab his bag and sling it over his shoulder. Then he went back to Danielle and pulled her into his arms again, hugging her tightly.
"I'll be back in a few days. I'll have my phone, so if anything happens or if you need me, just call," he said.
"Okay," she said, though she knew she wouldn't bother him while he was gone. His hunting trips were crucial, and she wouldn't dare do anything to make him cut it short. "Be safe, alright?"
"I will be," he promised.
Jasper wrapped a hand around the back of her neck and gave her a long kiss. "I love you," he murmured against her lips.
"I love you, too. Now go before I don't let you," she said, pushing against him gently.
Jasper gave her one last lingering kiss, before finally letting her go and heading for the door. He flashed one last smile at her over his shoulder, then left the room, closing the door behind him. Once she was alone, Danielle sighed and ran a hand through her hair, before flopping backwards onto the bed. She closed her eyes, feeling as though she could still feel Jasper's lips against her own, as though she could still taste him on her lips. The desire still simmering in her veins burned a little bit hotter at the memory, making Danielle turn and bury her face into the pillow, a groan of frustration escaping her.
It was going to be a very long and lonely night. But first, it was time to take a cold shower.
Yay! We're back!
So when I originally posted The Breaking Bough like a bajillion years ago, it covered both New Moon and Eclipse. I plan to do the same thing now, but I've already written a lot of new content, so Part Two is likely going to be quite a bit longer than Part One. Something tells me you guys will be fine with that! There isn't much else to say, I suppose, but I will warn you guys that there will likely be more mature situations happening the further we go along. It won't be anything explicit, though.
Anyway, thank you to everyone for your support and your kind words! I hope you guys continue to enjoy the story as we go along! You all rock!