A/N: I have officially begun Fall Quarter classes, so my uploads may be a little more sporadic than last month! Thanks for your patience!
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Penelope paused to look at the hundreds of thin threads wound around the fingers of her aging, rheumatic hands. It had only taken three hundred years for the witch to convince her captors to provide her with the spools necessary to start her tapestry. She rewarded them with her compliance, which in turn yielded her more gifts of thread to weave in and out, in and out; for Penelope is the weaver.
Letting the threads fall from her fingers, she slowly rose to her feet, well committed to her role of wizened hag. She leaned down to examine her life's work and what would surely be her masterpiece. Pivotal moments of each key player's life were accounted for and woven into a pre-determined, choreographed dance to rain destruction and ruin upon those who thought they could take from her.
Penelope inspected the colors that darted in and out of her weaving, looking for any new anomalies. She found them about a foot from her most recent workings. Here and there, tiny strands had started to change color, shimmering and shifting as decisions were made, but still heading down the path she had carved out.
Soon, now, she thought. So much sooner than before.
She couldn't keep the smile off her face, even when the evening guard brought her a dinner of burned pork chop, charred broccoli, and, as if to compensate, an undercooked potato.
You would have thought over the course of eight hundred years, they might have hired an actual chef, lest I starve to death and no longer be of use to them.
It wasn't as though she could blame them, however.
Vampires have never been the type to cook their food.
/ * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \
Alice Cullen managed to mince delicately through the snow, despite her neck-break speeds.
I hate the ice, I hate the snow, I hate the bimbos, she thought to herself, mind buzzing with annoyance.
Of course, they wouldn't send Rosalie, Bella's new bestie. Of course, they wouldn't send Emmett, because they wouldn't separate mates. And of course, they wouldn't send Jasper, because he couldn't leave that human alone, she emphasized angrily. She rolled her eyes for the millionth time, positive she was on the verge of frustration-fueled insanity.
No, they obviously had no choice but to send me, seeing as how I'm useless now anyway.
Therein lay the crux of the issue. Alice Cullen, for the first time in her second existence, was useless to her family. For decades, every big decision, every anxiety about where they were going or what they were doing, lead the family to rely on Alice and her gift; and now, she was no one and nothing to them.
Alice came upon the Denali clan's home, welcomed by both Carmen and Eleazar, the older parental figures.
"The girls are out on a hunting trip out east, unfortunately," Carmen announced sounding truly upset by the notion that Alice might miss them.
"That's fine," Alice waved her concerns away. "Is Edward around?"
"Well," Eleazar started, then rubbed his forehead as though he were frustrated. "He was staying in the guest home, a few miles from here but we haven't smelled any fresh trails from him in a few days."
"Why didn't you tell us?" Alice hissed acidly.
"Sorry, Alice," Carmen interjected with an edge of irritation and without any real apology. "We figured that since Edward was an adult with hunting needs of his own, that he had merely been on a longer jaunt, especially with how upset he was."
Alice exhaled slowly through her nose, wondering at the competence of other creatures. Edward was close to the age of adulthood, and in Carmen's eyes, from her time, he could even be considered one. Alice, however, knew he had most certainly been far too young, when he was changed, his maturity perpetually stunted. Ever since she had joined the family, Alice had taken in upon herself to watch over her younger brother and minimize his tendency to overreact.
"He may be an adult in your eyes, Carmen," she ground out slowly, "but I can assure you, it was a huge mistake to keep such loose tabs on him, and I can only hope this won't end poorly."
Without another word, Alice took off, following his fading scent to the guest house, and let herself in without knocking or announcing herself. The interior of the home was, of course, immaculate and didn't betray any signs of guests.
Alice followed Edward's scent up the stairs and followed her nose to the bedroom with the most densely concentrated smell of clean ocean air and chimney soot. On top of a bed that had never been slept in, there was an envelope. Hands shaking, Alice took a seat on the pastel-topped mattress and reached for the it.
She forced herself to open it and pulled out a slip of folded paper. Before Alice could finish unfolding what was clearly a letter, thousands of tiny black shreds fell through the opening of the envelope.
"What have you done, Edward?" Alice whispered, horrified as she realized what it was. More pieces of black plastic fell to her lap as she unfolded the paper to read it.
To Whom It May Concern:
I have made the decision to no longer be a Cullen, part of your family, or associated with it in any capacity. For too long, I have stood by as the family made increasingly poor decisions.
The worst, by far, was not ridding the world of that abomination when you had the chance. To think you'd risk our existence and the existence of our people for that thing; to think you'd choose it over own your son, your own brother – truly, I feel little pain, as you did everything to make my choice for me.
I have destroyed the family card I was provided with. You will neither hear from nor see me again. Don't look for me, especially you, Alice.
Edward Mason
Alice set the letter down, venom tears attempting and failing to make their way down her face. Instead of crying, she curled onto her side atop the bed and spent the next few hours inhaling as much of her brother's scent as she could.
"How could you leave me, Edward?" she mumbled quietly. "We were supposed to have each other's backs, always. Us against everyone. And now it's just me, outside of them."
/ * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \
The update from Alice had rocked the vampire family to their core. Both Carlisle and Esme were devastated over the loss of their son, especially when it was followed by Alice's decision to stay far from home herself. She wished to try her hand at tracking him with her visions. Without interference from Bella, she was having better luck seeing the different potential outcomes.
Though they didn't voice their opinion aloud, Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper were clearly feeling somewhat relieved to be rid of Edward, as well as enjoying a temporary break from their dour sister. They did not, however, relax in the slightest. A loose-cannon version of Edward that they couldn't keep tabs on was dangerous in and of itself.
The next few weeks of Bella's new life took on a mostly predictable routine that consisted of an escort to and from school, dinner, homework, sleeping in Jasper's arms, with the occasional visit to the Cullen home sprinkled in. Time, however, had seemed to stand still. It was as though their lives were on pause until either news came from Alice, or the intruder situation had been resolved.
Bella didn't mind the protective measures, especially when unintentionally had one previously, simply due to the closeness the mating bond demanded. Bella did worry about the toll the stress was taking on her new family, though, and was doing her best to keep things fun and lively.
She was in the middle of handing Emmett his ass in Call of Duty, much to the amusements of their mates when Carlisle knocked on the wall of the spacious attic entertainment room.
"I hate to interrupt, but if I may, I'd like to have a word with Bella and Jasper," the older vampire announced in a kindly tone.
"Of course, Carlisle!" Bella hopped up quickly, having a hunch as to what he wished to discuss.
"I can take over for you, Bella," Rosalie extended her hand for the controller. "I may not be as good as you, but for the running total, I don't think your score will take much of a hit."
"Ouch, Rosie," Emmett muttered, sounding halfway wounded.
"I know, sweetheart," Rosalie murmured sympathetically. "If it helps, it isn't that you're terrible, but that Bella is fantastic at this particular game."
Jasper couldn't keep the smirk off his face as the rounded the corner to follow Carlisle, who, when he turned to hold his office door open for them, also appeared to be sporting a grin.
"Have a seat you two," Carlisle directed before closing the door quietly, though it would make no difference to the vampires in the house. He took a seat behind his desk and waited for them to get settled.
"Well, Bella, Jasper brought your mutual concerns to me a few days after our family dinner. I have to admit, after Esme and I found out you were mates, we had questions ourselves.
"I'll jump right into it, though, this may be a delicate topic. I will proceed slowly to allow you to share your thoughts with me as I share mine."
"Sounds good, doc" Bella chimed in, grateful that someone with extensive medical experience would be taking the lead.
Carlisle grinned at her familiarity.
"First things first," Carlisle stated, "I feel the need to address your rate of physical growth and development."
Bella frowned, her confusion evident, and Jasper shifted uncomfortably.
"According to visual measurements of your height and build. While most humans have slowed physical maturation by this point, you have not, and appear to be doing so much more quickly than your peers."
Carlisle gave the shifter a few moments to process the information.
Which makes sense, I guess, she thought to herself.
"With my accelerated healing, my body is developing and aging more quickly. The cellular turnover rate would have to be higher than average," Bella remarked slowly.
Carlisle beamed at her, clearly proud she had worked it through so quickly.
"An excellent observation, Bella. You've actually taken a few steps out of our conversation," the doctor replied. "I do wonder, however, at what point it will stop?"
Bella froze, suddenly terrified by mental images of her aging body giving out before she could even graduate high school.
"Did you notice anything about your mother that would stand out to you? Looking older or younger than she should, perhaps?"
"Renee looked amazing for her age," Bella offered, somewhat relieved when she remembered this. "In fact, most people mistook for my sister as I got older, and she always complained about being carded when she went out with my aunt and uncle."
Carlisle nodded slowly, absorbing the information.
"And are your aunt and uncle shifters as well?"
"No," Bella replied quickly. "Definitely not. We aren't actually related, they're just close family friends."
Carlisle thought for a moment then asked, "Would you happen to have dated pictures of your mother from over the years?" Carlisle asked. "I wouldn't keep them," he reassured her.
"In a box somewhere," Bella answered, thinking of the container of keepsakes she kept in her closet. "I can bring them on my next visit."
"That would be very helpful," Carlisle smiled at the girl.
"On top of your growth," he continued, "I believe that, even before we met you, your cognitive reasoning skills have expanded beyond that of your peers."
"So, what, I'm smarter than the average bear?" Bella asked, laughing at her unintended joke.
"Yes," Carlisle answered simply, taking the wind out of Bella's sails as she thought of the implications.
"I don't want you to feel like a test subject," Carlisle continued, "but over the next few weeks, I'd love to take blood samples, measurements, and run a few mental endurance tests."
"Of course," Bella offered readily. "Would you be able to take a slide of my blood then add vampire venom to see what happens?"
"I had considered it," Carlisle answered thoughtfully. "Though, I don't believe it would present an accurate representation of what would really happen in that event. It's very likely that, outside of your body, the venom would simply consume the cells."
Bella nodded. "That makes sense, actually; if my cells aren't inside of me, and are essentially dead on the slide, it's possible that whatever component of my genetic makeup fuels my accelerated healing would have no connection or biological drive to pull from."
"Precisely," Carlisle responded despondently. "We can try, however."
"I appreciate it, doc, thank you so much" Bella answered him with a smile. "Was there anything else?"
"That's it," Carlisle concluded.
Jasper rose to leave, and Bella followed, thinking of all the questions she needed to ask him when they were alone.
"Actually, Bella, I do want to add that, no matter my findings, we will do everything we can to keep you well, whole, and part of our family," Carlisle tacked on to reassure the shifter and her mate.
/ * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \
Bella spent the alone time she had while Jasper was hunting, and Esme patrolling, to stand in front of the full-length mirror in her bedroom. She was wearing nothing, save for a pair of boy-short underwear and a stretchy tank top. Perhaps she had been a little too excited by how she filled out her vintage lingerie to notice, but Bella could see it now: her hips and shoulders had broadened significantly since the summer previous, giving her a more hourglass figure than the straight up and down body she had before.
I don't hate it, but it's worrisome. I went through puberty when I had my first shift. There's no way it's happening again.
Bella pulled off her top and with her still-recently healed arm protesting, she traded out her sports bra for one of an underwire variety. Adjusting herself in the cups, she realized that even her breasts had grown larger. Upon standing straight and squaring her shoulders, her nipples were no longer able to be contained within the curve of the cup.
How did I not notice? I've been busy and lazy enough to wear sports-bras pretty often, but damn.
She changed back into her tank top once more and searched through her drawers for another item to compare.
Old faithful, Bella thought to herself as she found her holy grail pair of jeans.
She stepped into them easily enough, but by the time she had the waist pulled up the where it should be, a decent-sized section of skin above her ankles could be seen. Dreading her next move, Bella tried to bring the buttons together, but there was no way in heaven or hell that she could accomplish the task. While her stomach had most definitely remained flat, the spread of her pelvis and hips were simply too wide to allow the hole and button to meet, by a good two inches.
I never noticed because I wear leggings so often, Bella realized quickly. Maybe I started wearing them when the jeans became uncomfortable.
What's happening to me? But the animal inside of her, what Bella had come to think of as her intuition, either didn't know or was too tired with the waning of the moon offer an answer.
I wish my mom were here.
She removed her jeans and tossed them onto the floor near the corner of her room before sitting edge of her bed, hands rubbing her head. Anxiety finally filled Bella's mind as the now obvious changes started to merge with her perception of reality. Unable to keep herself together, she cried herself to sleep before Jasper came back from his hunt.
He gently tucked Bella more deeply into her blankets and scooped her into his arms. Still sleeping, she rolled to face him and reflexively clutched her body to his, seeking comfort, which he offered willingly.
/ * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \
In the end, Bella had chosen to not voice her fears to Jasper, who had enough on his plate, and had simply complied with Carlisle's tests.
It's not like I have the answers, she thought bitterly.
Her mind had been so consumed with the seemingly endless tests that it had been a surprise and welcome relief when Jasper asked her to go out with him for Valentine's Day. She spent the next week pestering him jokingly to tell her where they were going, but mostly Bella rolled with it, trusting her mate to handle the planning.
After Bella admitted she wasn't sure what she should wear, Rosalie offered to help Bella get ready for the date, providing the girl reassurance that she wouldn't be dressed inappropriately.
The Saturday before Valentine's Day finally arrived and was kicked off by a late morning visit from Rosalie. She carried multiple dress bags and pulled along a rolling suitcase filled with more hair and makeup tools and products than the shifter could begin to understand what to do with.
Bella was about ready to die from the excitement after hours upon hours of preparation when she was finally able to see her grand reveal. She was dressed in a tight, full-length, black silk dress that hugged her curves snugly until it flowed away at the mid-calf and pooled around her ankles. A modest sweetheart neckline and elegant off-shoulder sleeves topped the dress off, creating a softness that prevented the dress from looking a little too risqué.
Her eyes were framed with long, fluffy lashes, her lids decorated with thickly winged eyeliner and a pearlescent highlight. Rosalie had also applied a waterproof shade of deep red to the girl's lips, then finished the look off by adorning the shifter's loose vintage-looking waves with a glittering black hair comb. Bella's styling screamed modern-classic once more; a look that seemed to suit her.
To accessorize, Rosalie pulled a vintage, fold-over, black silk purse that she had used as a human out of storage for the occasion. The material was covered in iridescent black sequins with beadwork that swirled to create flowers, fading out into a smattering of small dark starbursts along the top. The vampire had even found a simple black bracelet Bella had inherited from her mother in one of her jewelry boxes that tied everything together.
For the first time in her life, Bella was positive she was going to make heads turn.
"Rosalie–," Bella couldn't find her words. "I can't–, I'm speechless! You're an artist!"
"It helps that I had a good canvas to work with," the vampire remarked kindly. "I appreciate the compliment, nonetheless."
"Are you sure it's okay for me to use your purse and wear your comb?"
"I wouldn't have brought them if it wasn't," Rosalie answered with a smile before pulling Bella into a tight hug. "You look stunning, and I'm happy to share my things with you. You're my family, too, you know."
Bella's eyes watered as she hugged the vampire back. She had never had siblings, so these experiences were entirely new, and occasionally overwhelming to know she was so loved.
"Thank you so much," she whispered into Rosalie's hair, grateful for her new sister.
The doorbell interrupted their moment, followed by the sound of Charlie answering it. A long, low whistle of appreciation sounded before the door closed, followed by muffled excited voices coming from out on the porch.
Bella shot Rosalie a confused look.
"You'll see!" Rosalie answered with a grin.
"Now," Rosalie spoke as she changed gears. She rifled through the multitude of bags that covered every inch of Bella's bed.
"We can't forget a covering for when you're outside," she explained as Rosalie found what she was looking for and separated its bag from the others. Inside was a very soft, black, fur wrap.
"It's faux," Rosalie reassured the girl, assuming the shifter may be offended or horrified to be wearing the skin of an animal she had possibly resembled during a shift.
She draped it around Bella's shoulders and finished off the look by handing the girl her purse to take in one hand, and a pair of pumps in the other.
"Carry the heels for now and wear your flats out to the car, that way you don't have to wear heels going down the stairs or during the drive," Rosalie explained at Bella's bewildered expression.
The sound of the door opening once more to admit Charlie and Jasper back into the house reached their ears. Rosalie gave the girl one last hug and shooed her towards the stairs.
Rounding the corner to the top step, Bella looked down to the landing. Her heart skipped as she took in the vision her mate in a perfectly fitted, deep cobalt suit created. She could make out his athletically muscular frame underneath and his tousled, yet tamed, golden curls shone brightly, offset by the blue tone of his jacket.
Jasper's eyes caught her own and darkened slowly with his desire. For a moment, everything around them ceased to exist. There was only the feel of the woodgrain under her fingers, the gentle rustling of her dress, and the look in her mate's eyes.
It took Charlie about three seconds to notice Jasper's sudden lack of attention indicating that Bella must have finally left her bedroom. Her father turned to see and made an odd sound at the back of his throat, something halfway between wanting to cry and trying to hold in his usual speech about how to protect herself without a gun and offering her pepper spray or a taser.
Charlie managed to stop himself, and turned back to Jasper, looking as though he were ready to give him a speech instead. Upon reading Jasper's expression, however, her father relaxed his stance.
He trusts Jasper, Bella realized.
Jasper's eyes didn't leave Bella until she was standing at his side.
"You always do, but you look absolutely beautiful," Jasper whispered, struggling to find his voice.
"Yes, you look lovely," Charlie agreed. "Your mother would think so too."
"Thanks, Dad," Bella answered then smiled broadly at her father, happy he had said so.
"And you, Jasper," she replied to Jasper with an embarrassed but pleased smile at her mate.
"Well anyway," Charlie pushed forward awkwardly. "Jasper here has been telling me where all you'll be, as well provided emergency contact information so you two should be all set."
"Well aren't you special, being allowed to know where we're going!" Bella remarked with a laugh.
"Hey, now, Bells, surprises are harder to keep than you'd think, especially when you're excited about the reveal."
"This is true," Jasper answered before shooting Bella a sly grin. "You have no idea how hard it was to keep everything under wraps this week."
"I truly appreciate it," Bella thanked her mate with deep sincerity.
"You kids had better be off if you want to make the 4:45 ferry. It's almost three hours to Bainbridge Island. Coming back this way, I'd prefer you to take the 9 o'clock ferry, but if you miss it, text me, that way I know when to expect you back."
"Thanks, Dad!" Bella answered excitedly, surprised he had been so willing to let her come home after midnight.
"Of course, Bells. You two have fun, and don't hesitate to call if you run into any trouble."
Jasper and Bella turned to leave, and as the door shut behind them, Bella was treated the vision Charlie had been so excited to behold.
On the driveway waited a silver, sleek, clearly imported, two-seater car that looked closer to a racecar than anything else.
"Oh, my God. What is it?" Bella asked, her voice reflecting her awe.
"It's a Pagani Zonda 7," Jasper answered as he extended his arm for Bella to take.
"It's stunning, Jasper! And I didn't realize you owned another car," Bella remarked as they neared the door.
"I own a couple," Jasper replied sheepishly and helped Bella into the low passenger seat, ensuring her dress didn't brush the ground in the process then dashed over to his side and strapped in.
"And I don't know that I'd call it stunning when you're right here."
"How many is a couple," Bella asked, a smile tugging at her lips.
"A dozen or so, but not all of them are here in Washington." Jasper thought a moment as he backed out of the driveway, "And I don't know that I would count this one, seeing as it's days of street legality are numbered," he continued, giving Bella a quick wink.
"Does Charlie know?"
"He didn't ask, I didn't offer," Jasper explained, pulling onto the road and heading for the highway.
"I do believe I'm starting to see your rebellious streak, Mr. Whitlock."
"And what's life without a little daring, darlin'?" he shot back, a broad grin spreading across his face.
"Boring," Bella confirmed.
"Then I'm happy to offer you a large dose of not boring. Especially tonight."
/ * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \
Dinner was served at an elegant and warmly lit restaurant, nestled among trees that flanked Lake Washington. Jasper had reserved a private table that was curtained off from the main seating area by heavy, red velvet drapes. Their table was lit with candles and flanked by plush dining chairs.
Jasper led Bella to her seat, facing a wall made entirely of glass, then took his own. Their table offered them a breathtaking view of the thousands upon thousands of lights dotting the landscape, creating a glittering cascade of silver and gold on the lake.
"I think I'm speechless, Jasper," Bella managed to speak after minutes of silently absorbing everything.
Jasper smiled and leaned in to press a kiss to her lips. His cool breath tingled against her warm skin and sent a shiver of pleasure into her abdomen.
He kept his desire in check long enough to allow Bella time to look over the menu. She had significant difficulties selecting from the wide array of decadent dishes. It was hard to hide her surprise when Jasper ordered dinner for himself, compromised of the options she had trouble choosing between.
"This way you can pick and choose from both of our plates tonight and have leftovers," Jasper explained once the waiter had left, then flashed her a gleaming smile.
"That was very thoughtful of you," Bella replied, unable to stop herself from smiling bashfully.
Jasper closed his eyes for a moment and let out a slow breath, clearly attempting to gather himself.
"Is everything alright?" Bella asked quietly as she took his hand.
"Oh, yes," Jasper replied as he opened his eyes. "There's just a lot of passion around us right now."
"I hadn't considered what tonight might be like for you."
"Very arousing," Jasper answered honestly with a chuckle.
"Oh?" Bella asked deviously. "Then I guess it would be awfully unfair of me to take advantage of this opportunity," she slid her hand slowly up her mate's thigh.
"To tease you mercilessly," Bella continued in a whisper as her hand danced lightly along the outline of his hardening manhood through the fabric of his pants.
"You," Jasper murmured darkly as searing swirls of gold and amber in his eyes began to smolder with pitch. He reached a hand to rest along her waist and bent his head, running his nose up and along her neck with a deep inhale, as his hand shifted angles.
"Are an evil woman, Isabella Swan" he finished before running his hand quickly down her front. He stopped when the heel of his palm met her bellybutton and rubbed his fingers up and down teasingly while nipping at her pulse point, igniting a raging fire within Bella.
"Fuck," the girl whispered with a shiver of arousal, her nipples rubbing against the fabric of her dress, the built-in bra doing little to hide them.
"Exactly," Jasper replied, pulling himself out of the passionate daze he had created, and eyed her chest hungrily.
"And that is what I'm being bombarded with."
"Well, thank you for sharing," Bella answered with a wink.
/ * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \
After dinner, the two made their way to the Space Needle, Jasper's car earning envious stares, and even a couple of double-takes. Bella readied herself as they neared the turn off for valet parking and was confused when they didn't stop.
"Aren't we going to the Space Needle?"
"Oh, we are," Jasper confirmed with a quirk of his lips. "We just aren't going to suffer through the tourist experience."
Realizing he wasn't going to spill the beans, Bella settled back against her seat once more and tried to wait patiently.
Jasper parked in a garage that required an electronic key card to enter and walked around to the passenger side to escort Bella out.
"I see you are full of surprises," she gestured to the private, secure lot.
"The family owns multiple spaces across the city, mostly to ensure we have places to go if for some reason we aren't home when the sun decides to pop out."
"That is very smart," Bella answered honestly.
"Indeed," Jasper replied with a chuckle. "Shall we?"
Bella took his arm at the gate, and the two started strolling to the Space Needle.
"So, are you going to tell me?" Bella asked as they neared the base, keeping to the trees and shadows.
"I can show you," Jasper offered with a wink. "Trust me?"
"With my life," Bella answered quickly and without a second thought.
Jasper stopped walking and turned his face to gaze at her with such intensity that Bella realized despite him deserving it, most beings have never, and would never, trust him so absolutely.
Bella squeezed his arm reassuringly and tilted her lips up to catch his. Jasper took the hint and lowered his face to hers. He wrapped one of his arms around her lower back and pulled her body tightly to his. Jasper reached his other hand to twist into her hair and rubbed his thumb up and down along her neck as their lips danced.
Jasper finally broke the kiss and looked into her eyes once more.
"You are amazing," he whispered in quiet awe. "And I trust you mine too."
"Thank you," she answered, feeling their bond tighten with the moment.
"No, thank you," Jasper insisted.
"Oh, no, no, no," Bella replied in an exaggerated tone. "Thank you, good sir."
"Why must you tease me so, my deer?" Jasper asked, sounding put upon, still pressing his mate to him.
"You meant deer like the animal, didn't you?" she asked, sounding accusatory, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
"Would I do such a thing?"
"Absolutely."
"Hmm," Jasper tilted his head to the side. "Then I guess there's no telling, is there?"
"I guess not," Bella answered with a grin.
"So," Jasper flicked his eyes towards their destination. "You ready?"
"Ready as I'll ever be for the unknown."
"Well then, darlin', I'm going to need to lift your dress substantially. Do you mind?" Jasper asked as he bent to the ground, awaiting her response.
Bella blushed and gestured that he should proceed.
Bella watched her mate as he pulled the hem of the dress up slowly, letting the fabric skim her legs teasingly. Raising, it above her knees his fingers grazed the smooth skin of her thighs, sending shock waves through her body.
All too soon, Jasper was standing once more, having freed Bella's legs from the tight dress, revealing the edge of her slip but nothing else.
"Wrap your arms around my neck," Jasper directed her.
Bella realized quickly what the plan was and did as told. She then jumped up gleefully, knowing Jasper would catch and help situate her more fully. Jasper did not disappoint her, as his hands shot out to grip the underside of her thighs, raising them up and over his hips to allow her to secure herself.
"You all set?" Jasper whispered quietly into her ear.
"Yep!" she replied from where her face was buried into the crook of his neck, reveling in the scent that was uniquely Jasper's.
A microsecond later, they had launched into the trees, going from one to another in movements too fast for even security cameras to track.
The next thing Bella processed was that they were flying through the air towards the space needle.
Keeping to the darkened areas of the structure, Jasper jumped and dove in and out of the metal slots that housed the elevators. As he neared the top, Jasper reached out a hand and entered a code for a utility access door.
He snuck them in quickly and shut the door behind him. The room was pitch black, but Bella trusted Jasper to navigate. He jumped a few more times before reaching a landing with yet another door. He typed in the code, opened the door, and slipped the two of them out into open air.
They appeared to be at the uppermost level of the tower, or needle, above the observation deck, on a flat surface where the tower itself extended from the circular disk.
Jasper helped Bella to untangle herself from him and set her down gently. He knelt again, this time to slide her dress back down, and kept his eyes on Bella as her face filled with wonder and awe at the sight before her.
She looked down to meet his softened amber eyes.
"This is so absolutely perfect, Jasper," Bella whispered then smiled as she turned back to look at the millions of twinkling lights spread out around them.
"I'm happy you think so," Jasper answered tenderly.
He moved to stand behind Bella and wrapped his arms securely around her. Wrapped up in their own little world, Jasper and Bella watched life unfold below them.
/ * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \
The following school week had been filled with tests across multiple classes in what could only be described as some sort of torture week, leaving little to no time to dish with her friends except over lunch. In lieu of interrogating their friend in front of Jasper and Emmett, Jessica and Angela chose to arrive for a Friday night sleepover, bearing gifts of chocolate.
The shifter's friends were long over-due to hear about Bella's date and were dying to get the details, unaware how modified her retelling was. The trio stayed up late, exchanging stories of their best and worst dates, including a way-too-detailed description of one that ended up with Angela going to the Emergency Room for food poisoning.
The next morning, however, no one was feeling well, having gorged themselves on post-Valentine's Day clearance snacks. It was decided that to compensate for their sugar intake, they would follow up a healthy breakfast with a morning run.
Assuming they would head for a nearby park, Bella had been surprised when Jessica drove them to a parking lot near the start of a trailhead. Apparently, Jessica's idea of running didn't involve pavement or the safety that the town of Forks could offer in the event of an emergency.
A text alert sounded on Bella's phone before she even had a chance to get out of the car. It was from Rosalie, who had skipped this particular sleepover to go hunting with her mate and Jasper.
Rosalie: Hey! Esme overheard the plan, and I offered to run parallel to you all in case our "friends" come back.
The girl was somewhat consoled knowing that help was nearby should they need it.
Bella grunted as her shoes slid through mud and rotting underbrush. She was bringing up the rear despite the looming full moon. Hanging back was a safety strategy, lest they were snuck up on from behind, as well as a personal preference; Bella detested running.
"Pick up the pace, Swan," Jessica called out as Bella fell back once more.
"You're evil, and this is awful," Bella shot back and heard Angela's laughter from around a bend on their footpath.
"Hey, you signed up to tag along, I didn't force you to be here this morning," Jessica retorted.
Bella had to slide down a short hill and jump over a fallen log before she could draw enough breath to answer.
"Yeah, yeah," she replied simply, not wanting to waste her oxygen.
The group continued their trail running, the sound of a vampire following them from a distance in the woods reached Bella's ears, but likely wouldn't be picked up on, even by Jessica's sensitive hearing.
"You'd best pick up some speed and get ready to jump," Jessica shouted before bending into her run, hands flashing at her side. She jumped cleanly across a stream and tucked into a tumble to avoid coming to an abrupt halt. She turned to face Bella and waited expectantly.
Bella's stomach dropped when she saw the distance Jessica had easily crossed.
Mind over matter. Just because I haven't been this active as a human doesn't mean I can't be.
She followed her friend's lead, leaning into her run, waiting for the right moment to launch herself from dry land. She landed gracefully on the other side, much to Jessica's surprise.
"Much more of this?" Bella asked.
"Only two miles or so before our loop will take us back to my car."
Bella groaned, and stretched her legs, taking an extra moment to flex and twist her previously broken arm to avoid stiffness, then took off after her friends to finish their trek through the woods.
/ * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \
A/N #2: Alright, so, I figured Jasper and Bella could use an actual date.
But, as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end.
Sidenote: do most authors answer questions in the reviews, or do you all just enjoy speculating?! My apologies if I've broken some kind of reviewer-author code by not answering them!