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Death is Only the Beginning
A/N: This story is written as a collaboration by both Xo Bella Italiana oX and DeathsQueen26. If you have any questions or comments, post them in my reviews and I will answer them in my next Author's Note! We hope that you enjoy the story and look forward to reading your reviews.
Chapter 25
(Jasper's POV)
It didn't take long to figure out what was to happen next regarding the newly mated couple. Bree was still a newborn vampire, after all, so if Seth wanted to see her, Carlisle agreed that he was allowed to come and see her on our territory any time he like and the same went with the other wolves under one condition. Any wolf on our territory that starts trouble is fair game until they are safely back on their own territory. Knowing that it wasn't asking much for the wolves to behave while on our side of the line, the Alpha agreed and reenforced that rule with the rest of his pack, especially with such a danger on the horizon that could come at us from any angle.
We had just gotten back to the house, Seth trailing along, not wanting to leave his imprint so soon after their initial meeting, when Carlisle decided that we would gather to speak about what we will do for the time being. Needless to say, it wasn't a favorite topic amongst my siblings.
"School?" Rosalie complained with disdain. "You've got to be kidding me! Why?"
Carlisle sighed in exasperation, though, through his emotions, I could tell that he was expecting this outburst reaction from some of us. "Because, Rosalie, the School Board already knows of our existence and you all have been attending for the past two years. It's your senior year and it's already more than half way over. I think you can deal with the next few months until graduation."
"Yeah!" Emmett agreed, always the most agreeable amongst us. "Common, Rosie, it'll be fun! We'll have Bella Bean and Tami with us! Do it for them! They deserve to graduate from High School for the first time and Carlisle can't enter them without the rest of us." He pouted.
She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "This is ridiculous. I have more graduation caps than shoes these days."
Edward snorted. "I highly doubt that's possible, Rose."
She only rolled her eyes in response.
"Well, I'm all for it!" Alice chirped. "Although, I see trouble if you don't put Bella in her Senior year with Jasper instead of her Junior year. And since she's moving up a grade, you might as well put Tami in her Junior year instead of her Sophomore year so that she won't be alone. You know, just in case."
Carlisle smiled kindly at the spikey-haired pixie-like vampire and nodded. "Of course, Alice. This wouldn't be a good time for Tami to be in a separate grade alone. No offense, intended."
Tami just smiled uneasily and nodded her head in understanding, not taking any offense to her human age, nor her vampire age.
'Just in case, my ass' I thought to myself as Tami shifted uncomfortably. I had a feeling that she would be having a discussion with Alice as she was obviously not ready to come out to everyone, let alone start a full blown relationship with Alice yet.
I felt bad for the couple. Tami had been raised in such a way that being with another female was unacceptable, despite the fact that Alice is her perfect match in every way. Her mating instincts seemed to be battling with her human thoughts and traditions. It would be exactly the same thing if Edward's mate turned out to be a male.
Edward's head whipped in my direction at that thought and glared.
'Exactly my point,' I thought to him and he just rolled his eyes before turning back to glare at Seth, whose arms were around Bree.
Speaking of...
"What about Bree?" I spoke up getting Carlisle's attention, as well as the rest of the room.
"What about me?" Bree chimed from under Seth's left arm. I had obviously jumped in at a new topic as the school bit must have been settled.
"What's Bree going to do while we're in school? Certainly, the School Board will find out about her if the rest of us are registered and she's sitting here at home." I interjected pointedly.
Carlisle pursed his lips in thought as Bella spoke up from her place on top of my lap. "We could always tell them that she's to be home schooled?" She suggested.
Esme nodded in agreement. "That could work. I have teaching credentials that would allow me to be her teacher. She would be in her... what... Freshman year of High School?"
Bree nodded and spoke up in a small voice. "Yes, I was walking home from school when Enrique snatched me off the street from my bus stop and bit me."
Seth growled at that and pulled her tighter to him and pressed a kiss to her temple. "I'll never let anyone hurt you ever again." He whispered quietly in her ear as she turned her head to him and smiled. She leaned forward and pressed a return kiss to his lips, resulting in Edward's snarl from a few spots over.
"Oh, knock it off, Edward!" Tami huffed. "She's lucky enough to find her mate in someone that she is obviously happy with. So, give them a break and back off!"
The room got quiet at this and a small whimper from Alice echoed throughout the first floor of the house. Her emotions showed hurt and worthlessness, causing a few of us to look down sadly, unable to watch and see such a cherished family member hurt like that.
"Is that what you really think?" Alice asked in a small voice.
Tami turned to Alice, her eyes softening as she realized what she had said. "Alice, I didn't -"
"Are you really so unhappy with having a female as a mate – me as a mate?" She pressed and paused, not giving Tami room to speak. "Well, congratulations, you've got your wish." She cried as she jumped to her feet and flitted out the back patio French doors and into the forest.
Tami sighed sadly as Bella jumped to intercede any oncoming verbal or physical blows that she knew would be directed at Tami. I reached up before she could move and clutched her to my chest instinctively, not wanting her to get hurt. It was clear that she knew that there was more to this than there appeared.
"What the hell was that, Tami?" Rosalie snapped, being the first one to speak. "She can't help who her mate is any more than you can, but at least she is trying to make the best of things! You don't have to be such a royal bitch to her!"
Tami immediately defended herself. "You don't know what you're talking about, so don't involve yourself!"
"She's right, though, Tami. That was a mighty harsh thing to say about her, whether you meant it or not." Carlisle spoke calmly and clearly as he looked down disappointingly at one of his new daughters.
Tami tried to speak. "But I wasn't -"
"Oh, save it!" Rose sneered. "You've done enough, haven't you?"
"But I didn't mean -"
"That was a low blow." Emmett spoke up.
"God damnit, will someone let her speak!?" Bella screamed as she struggled in my hold. The room suddenly got quiet at Bella's outburst as everyone turned to face us. Bella stilled and directed her words towards me. "Jasper, you're my mate and all, but if you don't let me go right now, I'm going to pull your arms off."
I immediately released her, knowing that with her level of anger right now, she probably would and I could never raise a hand, even if it was defensively, against my mate.
The room was spinning with mixed emotions as well as the emotional signature from where Alice had been only moments ago. It was almost dizzying.
Bella stood and met the eyes of every one in the room. "Now, I know Tami and she would never say something intentionally hurtful like that. She has nothing against Alice and she is trying her best to go against everything that she was taught about same-sex relationships being wrong so that she can have a real shot at something with Alice. She needs time to adjust to everything and to work everything out with her on their own and if I know my girl like I know I do, things will work out in the end." Bella paused and I noticed Tami out of the corner of my eye looking up gratefully at Bella. "Now, as for what she had just said, she meant it in general, not pertaining to anything that her and Alice have." Bella turned her head towards Tami and smiled gently. "Go ahead, I know you want to go after her."
'Thank you' she mouthed to her before she zipped out the french doors where only minutes ago, Alice had disappeared.
Bella looked over each of them. "Maybe now this will teach you not to jump to conclusions." She chastised them. "If you noticed that Edward didn't berate her and neither did Jasper, they even have gifts that are able to either read what she was thinking or feel what she was feeling when she said that, then obviously something wasn't right about the whole display. Just because you know their situation doesn't mean that you know everything about it to make judgments on a person's character and even Alice has to learn that as she get's to know Tami. So, think about that next time you all gang up on someone like that."
Everyone who had spoken up during the fiasco looked down at themselves in shame.
"I think we owe her an apology when they return." Carlisle said shame-filled.
They all nodded, but remained quiet for a few moments before Esme stood to her feet. "I'm going to call the school and add Tami and Bella to the roster and let them know that the rest of our kids will be returning tomorrow, as well." She said in a quiet, tentative voice.
"You go and do that, sweet heart." Carlisle agreed and gently took her arm and pulled her in to place a loving and tentative kiss on her cheek before releasing her.
Edward stood to his feet, as well. "Bree, Seth, do you mind if I speak with the two of you on the back porch?" He asked them in a calm manner, showing them that he meant no ill will towards their relationship and wanted to reconcile that as well as possible explain the bond that he has with Bree and how important that it is that he and Seth get along for her sake.
I stood and grabbed Bella's hand, causing her to look up at me and smile. "Bella and I will be in my study." I announced as I gently pulled her towards the winding marble staircase, leaving Carlisle alone with Rosalie, as well as Emmett by default, not wanting to leave his mate alone as she was spoken to by the patriarch of the family.
Maybe now, we will learn what Rosalie's problem has been with our new members of the family...
A/N: Well, that was an interesting chapter to write! What did everyone think of it? What do you think Rosalie's problem has been? How do you think everything is going to work out school wise? Will Alice and Tami make up? Review!
If you have any questions or comments, post them in my reviews and I will answer them in my next Author's Note!
To see more, go to either mine or DeathsQueen's FF page: Xo Bella Italiana oX or DeathsQueen26
If you enjoyed this story so far, check out some of my other stories on my FanFiction page! Also, I am still accepting Twilight stories that involve Jasper/any female leads or Bella/selected male leads if anyone is looking for a Beta Reader. I will make exceptions on the characters depending on the plot. I am also accepting other story topics as well! PM me for details!
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Xo Bella Italiana oX