A/N: Please don't be mad at me, I'm mad enough as is at myself. Honestly, someone should take the burden of prompting me into writing! Well, on we go again I suppose.
Bella's POV
We sat in the tree until sun down, talking about everything and anything, and yet nothing was discussed. We got to know each other better, without digging up unwanted issues. I learned more about Jasper in those few hours than I had since I'd met him, and I believe that means he had listened to me and taken in what I'd told him. We were moving in the right direction.
He'd been one of four children. He'd had two brothers, one older by three years and one younger by four. He couldn't remember their names anymore – I could sense the sadness that caused in him but the relief mingled in with it had told me that he was happy with not having to grieve for their loss – but he knows that the three boys looked a lot alike and they resembled their father. His sister was the youngest of the four, and that she looked like their mother. All he remembered about her name was that it was unusual, like his, and that it was what would be regarded as a 'pretty' name. She had their mothers green eyes and dark hair and she was quiet but he'd had the largest of soft spots for her, and often aided her in her endeavours and all the mischief she used to get up to.
His mother was a sweet talking southern belle. She loved her children and she loved to take care of them. But they never crossed her. What she said; went. His father was a hard worker and well educated, and he insisted that the same would be said about his children.
He'd had a horse, of course. A large black stallion that was his pride and joy, and when he and his eldest son died of a disease that Jasper couldn't remember now, Jazz was given the horse. My heart broke just a little more for him. Jasper took on the role of breadwinner at fourteen, and spent two years educating his two remaining siblings and his mother on how to effectively work their land and the best ways to reap the benefits of their hard work, before using his charming and controlled nature to enrol himself in the army at only sixteen.
He was charismatic and confident, and soon worked his way up through the ranks of much older officers to earn the tittle of Major. Which made him the youngest ever major in the confederate army, without anyone even knowing his real age. He was strategic and clever; two things which helped him and his soldiers survive various different battles throughout his time in the war.
He was escorting women and children from a city that was about to find itself under siege when he met Maria. She was one of three – what he believed to be – stragglers. It was at night, as he was going back to make sure that they had gotten everyone, that he came across the three 'sisters'. He was instantly enthralled by their beauty. He had never come across anyone so magnificently pale, or eternally stunning. He quickly offered his aide to the three, even though his instincts were telling him to get as far from them as he could.
Maria was the one to bite him, as the others didn't have the discipline required to let someone live. His time as a major in the human wars was over, and so began his rise to major in the Southern Wars. His previous military training provided Jasper with an edge that none of the other newborns had, and allowed him to survive. He also developed his 'gift'. He became Maria's favourite - in more ways than one.
He began to train the newborns of his own accord, rather than just letting them run rampant. When Maria 'trained' them, they never made it past their first couple of months, but with his precision and a little extra persuasion, more and more of them made it to their first year mark under his teachings.
That's how he met Peter. He himself had turned Peter, able to detect that little something else about him that would enable him to be of value to Maria. He was right, of course, and Peter was allowed to survive the first year without being culled. They served under Maria together for almost sixty years. Then Peter met Charlotte and Jasper had never felt anything as pure, and as overpowering as their love for each other, and subsequently couldn't end Charlotte when her year mark came and went. Instead, helping Peter sneak both of them away from Maria.
Jasper had become depressed after their departure. He began to realise that he couldn't keep on existing just for Maria and her games. He didn't want his title of God of War any longer, as it no longer felt like an accomplishment. Just another way of showing that he was owned.
A decade later and Peter had come back for him, and despite being a soldier through and through, and having loyalties to Maria, Jazz left, having stringer loyalties to himself and his well-being.
It wasn't too much longer before Alice found him. She told him that they were mates and that the Cullen family were waiting for them. He went without asking questions, because her feelings for him were as strong as Peters for Charlotte and he didn't suspect that anything was out of place. He met the Cullens and bonded with Rose almost immediately. They were the 'black sheep' of the family having sordid pasts that they hardly ever spoke of. In the forty or so years that he spent with Alice, he never felt that he loved her enough, because he never felt for her what the other mated couples felt for each other, nor did he really feel accepted by his foster family. They didn't understand him, not even Alice or Rose but he never complained.
We sat in silence for a while after he finished talking, and I held one of his hands in both of mine. This man had gone through so much and he was still such and amazing person. There were no words in my vocabulary that could describe the utter awe I was in. Because of him.
He was watching me closely, oblivious to my thoughts, simply reading my emotions and wandering. I caught his honey eyes and held them.
"I love you." I felt that it was prudent that I tell him that after everything that he'd just confessed to me. They held a new depth that I hadn't thought was possible, and yet I was experiencing a more fulfilling love than I had previously for my mate. His smile lit the darkened sky.
"And I love you." I laughed and it felt freeing. We could make this work and we had just proven it.
Jasper hopped up and held out his hand for me to grasp. I cocked my head and him and his grin just got wider. Placing my hand in his, he pulled me to my feet and we dropped from the branch. We landed in the little clearing just off to the side, and he instantly swept me into his arms. I giggled as his nimble finger tickled along my sides before coming to rest on my hips. He pulled me to him, wrapping one arm around my waist and using his free hand to clasp both of mine and looping them around his neck. My peals of laughter echoed through the forest as I realised what he was doing. He laughed with me before kissing my forehead and starting to dance with me to the beat of our combined love.
We twirled gracefully around, wrapped in each other's arms and there was nowhere else I could imagine being, than right here with this magnificent man.
"When I was human, the men used to court the woman of their affections, patiently wooing his way into her heart. I think that they had it right." I lifted a brow at him, not quite sure where his random outburst was headed.
"I took no time to court you, Bella, and it got us nowhere. So, I'm going to do what I was taught in my youth. I'm going to court you, woo my way into your heart for eternity. I want to show you just how much you mean to me, as impossible as that is. We're going to do this my way, because in my time it was the only way and Hell - it worked!
So, Miss Swan, would you do me the honour of accompanying me to the movies tomorrow night…un-chaperoned?"
I gasped in mock horror at his teasing smile, but I knew he meant it.
"Why, Mr Whitlock! I am, quite frankly, appalled at your outrageous question! The answer to that, dear sir, is certainly yes!" he whooped and kissed me, causing us to both fall into fits of laughter. We continued to dance, wrapped in each other's arms until the sun began to bleed into the sky and then we started a leisurely stroll back home, hand in hand.
When we got back to the house, I gave Jasper a quick kiss before going off to grab Emmett. We headed out into the forest enabling us to train without disruption. We trained for a while, knocking each other about and some trees down, before Emmett pulled me down to the ground beside him.
"What's wrong?" I looked away from him, annoyed that I was that transparent.
"When the shit hits the fan with Edward and Maria, I don't know what's going to happen." He just looked at me, as obviously I didn't know, but that wasn't what I'd meant either.
"What I meant was how are Carlisle and Esmé going to react if Jasper kills Edward, because we all know he wants to and honestly Emmett? I don't think he'll be able to stop himself." he sighed, rubbing his face.
"I don't think he will either Bells, but it's not like we haven't all thought about it. It'll be hard for them, Edward is there son, but I think that they've come to the conclusion that he isn't the son they know and that nothing they could do would stop Jasper from ripping him apart. You just don't threaten someone's mate, Bella, you do that and either you have to kill both of them or have a death wish because it isn't something that's ever over-looked." I nodded; I knew exactly what he was talking about.
"I'm going to kill her." He let out a long breath and slumped.
"Have you told him that?" I turned to look at him, surprised.
"Why would I have to tell him? She's threatening my mate!" he sighed and muttered something too low even for my enhanced hearing.
"Maria is Jaspers maker, Bella. It's a special bond, one that only the mating bond triumphs over. What I'm saying is…he might not want you to hurt her." I sat in stunned silence as I digested that. Jasper was my maker as well as my mate, which is probably why I hadn't been told about this makers bond.
Fury began to burn in the pit of my stomach unlike anything I'd ever felt before. So this bitch would get away with all of this, and it would be because of Jasper?!
Speaking of, the man himself came skidding into sight, posed and ready to attack.
"Bella?!" I didn't even react to his panicked voice; I just looked at him and fumed.
He looked around at our surroundings before settling his eyes on me again, puzzled as to why I was so enraged. Emmett and I were still seated as we were, right beside each other, our crossed legs touching at the knee. Clearly, it was Emmett that had put me in such a dangerous mood or else he wouldn't be so close to me.
"Bella?" I just continued to glare at him, not caring that he was becoming more and more confused.
"I think you should go Emmett." He sighed, ran his hand over my hair and left with a quick nod to Jasper. Jasper didn't take his eyes off of me the entire time.
He took a step closer to where I was seated and the fury rolled off of me in waves. He halted and looked at me incredulously. Oh, yes, my mate, I am furious with you.
"What the fuck's going on, Bella?" his hands reached for me and I sprung up, away from him. Hurt flashed through his eyes before the confusion came flooding back through.
"Will you kill Edward, Jasper?" he jolted as though he was shocked at what I'd asked. Then he growled low in his throat.
"You don't want me to kill the little bastard, is that it? You still have feelings for him, don't you?" I hissed at him before laughing darkly.
"No, but then he's not my maker and I'm not bonded to him!" he stepped back as though I'd slapped him.
"Bella…" I turned from him, trying to calm the urge to take a swipe at him.
"She's your maker Jasper and that means that you're bonded with her! Were you ever going to tell me that?" the look on his face said it all, he wasn't. The betrayal was almost crippling and he lunged for me but I pushed him away.
"No, Bella, it's not like that – I swear! Please, Darlin', it's not like you're thinking. It doesn't mean anything. You are my mate, and we are bonded!" the pain in his voice made me want to believe him but the spooked look in his eyes let me know it was like that though, or had been at the very least.
"So, when the fight happens, you won't even think about trying to stop me from killing her?" I crossed my arms over my chest and stared him down. He flinched but shook his head. My heart broke right then.
"You can't lie for shit Jasper." I left him there and ran back to the house as fast as I could. I ran straight into Emmett, and he caught me up in his arms as I sobbed into his chest.
"Let's get you out of here for a while Bellsy." I just continued to sob into his shirt as he picked me up bridal style and carried me out of the house to sounds of furniture smashing and walls being ripped apart. My broken heart splintered.