Chapter 21: A Mothers Greatest Fear
Esme smiled as she sat in the living room with hers and Carlisle's son, Samuel, while their four-year-old daughter, Melanie, was sitting in Carlisle's lap pointing at pictures in the book with a beaming smile on her face. Samuel smiled as his tiny hands rested on Esme's slightly bulging stomach. "Bee bee," he said giggling.
"Yep the baby's in there," she answered smiling.
Carlisle was watching his wife out of the corner of his eye with a smile. "Blue biwd," Melanie told her father pointing in the book.
"Yep that is a blue bird," he answered.
They looked up when the front door opened and closed. "Jasper you can't go!" they heard Alice exclaim.
"It's too late," they heard Jasper answer quietly.
Alice practically ran into the room, dragging Jasper with her. "What's too late?" Esme asked. The woman tried to get up from the floor when Carlisle walked over, helping his wife up from the floor.
"He joined the war!" Alice exclaimed tearfully.
Esme felt her heart plummet to her stomach, looking at her son with a horrified expression her face. "You what?" she asked.
"I joined," he answered.
Alice kept a grip on his arm. "He can't go, he just can't!" she exclaimed.
"It's too late now; I can't tell them no now. I'm serving the country, I'm protecting everyone I care about and love that includes you and my mother," he told Alice.
"Say something daddy please, don't let him go please," Alice insisted tearfully.
Carlisle looked at his grief-stricken daughter with a sad sigh. "Alice, there is nothing I can do," he said quietly. Alice stood there with a sob.
"You promised you would never leave me!" she exclaimed angrily at Jasper, her voice shaking.
She turned around and bolted upstairs. "Alice!" Jasper called. The door to Alice's room slammed closed. Esme stood there with tears in her eyes; Carlisle wrapped his arms around his wife, kissing the side of her head.
"Why Jasper? Why?" she asked quietly.
Jasper looked at his mother. "To protect the people I care about more than anything," he replied. He closed his eyes before going upstairs. Carlisle kissed his wife's forehead before going up after his stepson.
Jasper was knocking on Alice's door. "Alice please let me in," he insisted.
"No!" Alice answered from inside her room.
"Ali, I love you, I am doing this to protect you," he insisted.
"Jasper," Carlisle called.
Jasper turned around to see his stepfather standing by the wall. "Leave her be, Jasper, she'll talk to you when she wants to," he informed.
"Carlisle, I didn't do this to hurt anyone. I want to help in part of this," he said quietly.
Carlisle nodded his head slowly. "The last thing I ever want to do is hurt her. I would put a dagger in my own heart you know this Carlisle you have seen how much I care for her since we were children. I would die for her, I would kill for her," Jasper explained. Carlisle nodded his head slowly, staying silent.
"You did this without thinking it through," he observed.
Jasper was silent. "Alice is angry with you, hurt, as well as your mother. I can guarantee Rosalie and Edward will be just as unhappy," Carlisle pointed out.
"I have to do this, for everyone and for me," Jasper answered.
"I understand, they will too. When do you have to leave?" he asked.
"In a month," Jasper replied.
Carlisle let out a sad sigh. "I have watched you grow up from a boy to a young man. I know you also love and care for my daughter as much as I love and care for your mother," he explained. Jasper nodded his head slowly. "I can't stop you, you are old enough to make your own decisions. Just leave Alice be, she will come out and talk to you when she's ready," Carlisle informed. Jasper nodded his head slowly before leaving.
Esme was sitting on the couch with tears falling down her face when Carlisle sat next to her, hugging her close. He hushed her softly, kissing the top of her head. Esme cried softly, hugging him close. "Why's mama cwying?" Melanie asked.
"Mama's just sad because Jasper has to go somewhere for awhile," Carlisle replied.
"Daddy cwy?" Melanie asked.
Carlisle cleared his throat as he lifted his daughter up into his arms. "Daddy's alright darling," he whispered to his daughter. He kissed her forehead while hugging them both close.
That night at dinner, it was extremely quiet. Both Esme and Alice's eyes were red from crying so much. Rosalie's eyes were practically spitting flames at her twin while Edward was just poking the food on his plate. Alice sniffled, rubbing her eyes. "I'm still mad at you," she told Jasper after what seemed like hours.
"I know," he answered quietly.
"You promised me," she told him.
Jasper looked at her. "I'm protecting you, all of you," he told her. Alice sniffled again.
"It's not fair that you have to go," she told him, her voice shaking.
"No it isn't, and I'm sorry that I did this without talking to you about it first," he answered.
Carlisle was holding Esme's hand gently as they listened in on the small conversation at the table. "But I know why you are doing this. I love you and I will be waiting for you to come home to me," she told him swallowing hard. Jasper pulled Alice's chair closer to his, hugging her tight.
"I promise I'll come home," he answered kissing the top of her head.
Esme got up from her chair, hugging her son tight with tears in her eyes. Jasper hugged her back letting out a sigh. "I'm sorry mother," he said quietly.
"You have to do what you feel is right for you sweetheart," she whispered rubbing his back.
Sniffling Esme pulled away, her hands on his face. "You will write to us when you can," she told him.
"I promise," he answered.
Carlisle smiled sadly, letting out a deep breath. Alice got up from the chair hugging Jasper as tight as she could. "I love you Jasper, I love you so much," she told him sniffling. Jasper hugged her back, holding onto her.
"I love you," he answered.
After dinner, Carlisle was sitting in his office when Jasper walked in. "Carlisle, may I talk to you for a minute?" he asked.
"Of course," Carlisle replied, sitting back in his chair.
Jasper sighed as he stood in front of Carlisle's desk. "Sir, I would like to ask you a very important question. When I come back from war…whenever that would be…with your permission Carlisle…" he started. Jasper let out a shaky breath. "I would like to ask Alice to marry me, and I would like your blessing," he explained. Carlisle was silent for a few minutes as he got up from his chair.
"You have taken good care of my daughter. Remember she's only fourteen right now," Carlisle pointed out.
Jasper nodded. "I would like her to be at least seventeen or eighteen when she marries," he added.
"Yes sir," Jasper answered.
Carlisle nodded his head slowly. "I trust you with my daughter's life, Jasper. You have my blessing to marry her when you return from war," he informed. Jasper smiled.
"Thank you Carlisle," he answered.
Carlisle chuckled lightly as he shook Jasper's hand before pulling him into a short embrace.
When Carlisle walked downstairs, he saw his wife pacing the living room with a sleeping Samuel in her arms. "What is it my love?" he asked quietly. She kept glancing out the window.
"It is late and Rosalie hasn't returned from Vera's," she said quietly.
Carlisle tapped his chin before grabbing the phone that was on the stand, calling Vera's house. "Hello Vera, this is Dr. Cullen is Rosalie still over there?" he asked.
"No Dr. Cullen she left over an hour ago," Vera replied.
Feeling his own heart plummet he let out a sigh. "Thank you Vera," he told her before hanging up the hearing piece to the phone.
"Carlisle?" Esme said quietly.
He looked over at his wife. "Rosalie left her house over an hour ago," he replied. Esme let out a gasp, her heart stopping completely.
In the city, a young man was walking down the street trying to keep him warm from the bitter Chicago air. He had short dark, curly hair, piercing blue eyes. He was wearing black boots, gray pants, a white shirt, a black vest, and a black jacket. He grabbed a hold of his jacket, pulling it more around him to keep himself hidden from the cold.
Looking up, he saw five guys running out of an alley laughing. He furrowed his brow as he went down the alley to see what made the men leave in such a hurry. Walking into the narrow passageway, he looked around before looking down. His eyes widened in horror at what he was seeing. "My God!" he exclaimed dropping to his knees by the limp body of a young woman. She was hardly breathing, her clothes were torn to shreds, her body bloodied and bruised. He touched her cheek gently.
"No, no," she sobbed weakly.
"Shh, shh, shh, don't worry I'm not going to hurt you," he whispered.
He quickly took off his jacket, wrapping it around her. "I'm going to get you help," he told her. Getting up from the ground, he started running to the hospital.