Some more family bonding. During this I found that canon Jasper actually has quite a lot in common with each of the Cullens. Wish that had been brought out more in the books and the movies.
The following day, I found myself in Carlisle's study.
I was nervous to begin with, not wanting to open some can of worms and upset the man I would hopefully one day be able to call father.
Conversation started gently enough, and soon we were bantering pleasantly on this and on that.
We had differing views on religion, and discussed it quite thoroughly.
Of course, when that failed, I asked of all his experiences with the Volturi.
I'd heard of them in much a different light from Maria, and so, faced with a man who'd spent quality time with them and was of a different heart than her, I was intrigued.
The stories he spoke of made us both laugh and roll our eyes.
Of Aro's recounting of his first meeting with the other brothers… and of Caius's general belligerence when it came to all others but his mate.
When he asked for stories of my human time, I replied with the same question.
And so we struck an easy conversation, going back and forth from our different life times, finding ourselves to be akin to one another in many ways.
We'd both had generally unloving and hard parents, both having lost our mother at any early age.
I mourned for him as he spoke of his depression after his turning, of his desperation to find something he could do to kill himself just so he would not harm a human.
I mourned for myself as well, wishing that I had been that strong.
But he had reassured me as only a father could that it was not about that… that he'd had it easy compared to me.
He commended me for my strength and perserverance; for not giving up, even when faced with having to commit sin after sin every day just to survive.
And when I asked him why, all he did was look at the photo of himself and his mate on the wall to my right.
And I knew my answer.
Alice.
She was worth every second of it.
She truly was.
She was worth the pain, the depression, every scar which marred my flesh.
And I would go through it all again and again if it meant I could be with her.
And as I got up from the chair to go find and bond with his mate, we shared a smile.
Yes.
One day, I could call this man my father and be worth the proudness I saw in his eyes as he regarded me now.
~oOo~
My visit with his wife was much the same.
I could feel how proud she was, and I could feel how she saw me—already—as another son as she spoke of her family.
This family.
Our family.
She asked me about my own, and though I had hardly a memory to suffice, I tried to give her as much as I could.
She cried for me, and I held her hand as she relayed her own story.
I sent her my love for her as her newest son as she sobbed over the loss of her stillborn.
And I felt her love back all the while.
"Thank you, my son," she whispered, and I let her go up to her mate as I made my way through the house again, to find my 'twin'.
~oOo~
"You do what you've got to do to survive," Rosalie whispered, looking at me with an expressionless face.
But I could feel her pain and her sorrow.
"I killed him afterwards," she said with a small smirk, "I loved every second of it. I know that doesn't make me a bad person. What does it make me?"
"Human," I whispered, "it makes you human."
The tears that would never fall fell from her eyes, and I sent her my brotherly love and comfort.
She smiled wetly at me as Emmett came to stand at the door.
"Thank you," she whispered, and I took my leave with a nod.
I smiled to myself as I heard him comfort her.
I finally felt as though I had a place in this house, as though I belonged.
I met Carlisle's and Esme's eyes and saw them mouth the word "thank you."
I felt how proud they were.
Of me.
I swallowed.
What a strangely delightful feeling.
I hoped I would live up to their standards.
Two more days.
Please review,
bexie25