Chapter 28 - Your Story

Jasper sighed he was sure he was as good as dead. King Endymion had just caught him kissing Celestine and his hands were in places that he knew any father would be furious about. He noted she did have the most perfect breasts though. He chuckled to himself, they were worth the threat of public execution.

Celestine grew defensive, "Daddy, you really should knock before you come into a room. It's hardly fair that you just barged in."

Endymion rubbed his forehead with his hand, "Celestine, I walked into the library and found you in the fiction section. I was looking for a book to read this weekend. Who knocks on a library door?"

"Apparently you should if you don't want to catch me kissing Jasper." she replied.

"You two weren't just kissing, his hands were…" he sighed. "Anyway, maybe don't do that in such a public place. I would like to pretend that it isn't happening and you are making that difficult for me right now. Please fix your bodice Celestine."

She fixed her top so that it was no longer obvious that Jasper's hands had been on her. "Better daddy?"

"Infinitely better."

Jasper was having trouble figuring out why he wasn't being yelled at right now. He knew what Darien saw. Celestine had been pressed up against the bookcase while they were engaged in a heated kiss, his hands were grasping her breasts and he was pressed up against her. He menatally berated himself for conjuring up that image with her father there, he was getting turned on again. Damn it.

Darien continued, "Jasper I think it is time you tell me what your intentions are for my daughter."

Jasper nodded and looked Celestine in the eye and spoke to Darien, "I love her and I intend to marry her one day if she will have me. My life is nothing without her."

"I will marry you Jasper." Celestine launched herself into his arms and held him tightly.

Jasper held her and looked at her father with a shocked look on his face. Did he just propose? He was pretty sure she just accepted a proposal. Damn. He wanted it to be more romantic than asking her after her father caught him with his hands in the metaphorical cookie jar.

Jasper watched King Endymion laugh; he was sure he was laughing at him. Endymion announced, "It appears we have an engagement to celebrate! Come along you two, Serena, Molly, and Jadeite should be told first."

Celestine grabbed Jasper's hand and they followed along after her father.

They found Serena and Molly quickly and then Jadeite was sent for, the six of them all sat down in a small sitting room. Darien stated, "Celestine and Jasper are engaged."

Jasper was surprised how blunt King Endymion was and at the response they received. They were all ecstatic and unsurprised. Serenity smiled and said, "Well, we will have to figure out a date and work on the invitations. Sorry, but you don't have the option to have a small ceremony, we will need to invite a lot of our allies. Molly and I have already figured out how you two can have some quiet moments on your big day. The temple was built with some secret paths for you two so that you can sneak away for some time together."

Jasper knew there was something he was missing and it was driving him crazy, what in the world was going on here? That temple was built before he was born. "Everyone needs to stop, please. What in the world is going on. Don't for an instant think that I am not thrilled that you are all happy that Celestine and I are marrying. She has been my focus my whole life and she is everything to me. But I know there is something going on that you all aren't telling us." He paused and pulled Celestine to him. "I think you need to tell us what is going on."

Darien nodded and said, "You are right and it is time to tell you now. First we need to get some more people, they should be here for this." Darien walked out to gather everyone.

Jasper was growing more and more curious the longer they had to wait for people to be gathered. Darien walked in and offered his arm to his wife, "Why don't we go to the other sitting room since there is more room. They are all gathering there."

By the time everyone arrived Jasper and Celestine had grown almost unbearably curious. They sat on a loveseat holding hands and staring at everyone there. Prince Sammy, King Sapphire, Queen Raye, Lady Amy, General Zoisite, Lady Mina, General Kunzite, Lady Lita, General Nephrite, Great Uncle, and Lord Andrew were all gathered along with his and Celestine's parents.

Jasper let out a low whistle and said, "Now I know something big is going on here. What in the world do you have to tell us?"

Darien smiled at him and said to the group at large, "Well, first I should tell everyone that Princess Celestine and Lord Jasper are engaged to be married." The joy radiating from the whole group was almost palpable.

Celestine was so overwhelmed by their joy that she started to tear up and said, "It means so much to me that you are all happy for my coming marriage."

Darien smiled and said, "You actually have no idea how incredibly happy we are. We have been waiting for this for a long time. First though you should know that you both are soulmates."

Celestine looked completely shocked, "Those are really rare, are you sure?" She looked at Jasper, "I love him so much, but I don't need that to tell me that we can build an incredible life together."

Darien nodded, "I am sure, Mars told Jasper that you both were soulmates."

"I know that can't be the case. I haven't spoken to Mars and I wouldn't have lied to you about something so serious." Jasper said a little upset that people had been lying about what he had said.

Darien chuckled, "Well that is where this gets complicated. Jasper you told us all almost thirty years ago. Andrew you should probably tell them how it started."

Andrew took over and said, "Well, it all started one evening when I was closing up back when I worked at the Arcade. A guy was sitting there and asked to talk to me and knew things about me that made me sit down and listen to him. He told me that he was from the future and that he had come back to prevent something terrible from happening. It got even weirder when he told me that future me sent him back to fix things. I was incredibly cool and didn't freak out. I did however freak out later all alone at home." Everyone chuckled. "He told me that an evil egg was going to land and hatch and that energy would lay dormant until it attached itself to Celestine." Here everyone heard her gasp. "It killed her and used her body to kill Serena and rule the Silver Alliance. Here is the other crazy part, that guy was you Jasper."

Darien spoke up next, "Eventually we all found out the truth, you had come from the future to save the life of the woman you loved and Neo-Queen Serenity. We all became friends, it isn't by chance that I hold you in such high esteem. You traveled back in time in your grief to help us find that egg that we destroyed. I know we have told you about it, we just left a lot out. You were the one to find it, you were the one who risked changing your own future to save my wife and daughter. The moment the egg was destroyed you disappeared."

Serena smiled at him and added, "You and Darien were so similar in your focus and desire to destroy the egg and protect the women you loved. While you were there you touched the Sword of Mars and you spoke with him. He told you that Celestine was your soulmate and that she loved you and when she died she knew you would fight to make things right. In that timeline you didn't know she loved you before she was destroyed."

Molly said, "Before we knew who you were you had already become close friends with Darine and your father. We all liked you even before we knew you were my son." She let out a small chuckle. "It was strange meeting my son and having him be older than me."

Darien said, "So you have been right all along. I have treated you preferentially since you were born. I promised you back almost thirty years ago that I would be there for you growing up and that I would be happy to see you married to Celestine."

Serena nodded, "When you disappeared we all missed you terribly, especially Darien." She bumped Darien's shoulder with her own. "He just tried to hide it. I think he felt the two of you could really understand each other since you both have soulmates."

By that point Jasper had dropped Celestine's hand and his jaw had gone slack. Celestine was rubbing his back and smiling proudly at him. "How… How am I supposed to process all of that? I… I didn't go back in time. How is it that you still see me like that?"

Darien answered, "You are still the same man that we met back then. We have all watched you grow up into exactly what we expected you to become. You may not have gone back in time, but I have no doubt that you would have, had it been necessary. You are the kind of man that would do anything for Celestine. I have seen it. I have seen that you find her when she cries. Do you think you are the only man who noticed when her tears fell? I am her father after all."

"Oh and I fixed your middle name," Andrew announced. "Last time around it was Agnew, you hated it and asked me to stop your parents from choosing it. You are welcome."

Jasper was grateful that Andrew gave him something more normal to talk about. He did shake his head at him though. "You realize that my middle name is Andrew. You fixed my middle name by getting me named after you?" Andrew just nodded proudly.

Celestine said, "Wow. This is overwhelming. I am marrying a man that loves me that much." She looked at Jasper. "How am I supposed to deserve you?"

Jasper looked stunned at her, "Of all of the things people have said in here that is the craziest thing I have heard." He shook his head."You are the most amazing woman I have ever met, before I could even fall in love you were my focus. You have always been, and will always be everything I could possibly want."

Darien clapped his hands and rubbed him together, "And that is why I am okay with you dating, and now marrying my daughter. I would do anything for her even give her away to one of the best men I know."

It took time and more questions, but Jasper came to realize why everyone, especially King Darien respected him so much.

And so it was that Jasper and Celestine lived happily ever after.