Previous chapter: Jasper - JPOV

Rose turns to look at me as I place another kiss on Bella's head and smiles at me softly. Fuck! That reminds me, I need to call Caius and ask how Esme and Edward are doing.

Jasper – JPOV

I close my eyes as I take another minute to bathe in the love that is radiating from my Bella before saying: "I'm going to run back to the house to call Caius, pumpkin. Rose wants to know how Esme and Edward are doing. Do you want to talk to him too?"

Bella shakes her head as she turns around to kiss me and says: "No, Jasper, I'm going to stay here with the kids. I'll talk to my father when mom calls me later tonight. She promised she would." I smile as I lean in for another kiss and say: "Then I'm sure she will. Athenodora loves you and would never break a promise to you. Have fun and hurry back to me, darlin'."

Bella smiles at me brightly as she takes a step back and says: "I will, Jasper. I love you." Bella closes her eyes with a happy sigh as I send her my love and say: "I love you too, pumpkin, with all that I am."

A squeal from Jane pulls Bella's attention back to the kids, and I smile as she shakes her head lovingly while watching their antics. Rose walks up to me as I turn to run home and says: "Can I come along, Jasper?" I nod as I start to run and can't help but smile as I notice the hope and love in her eyes. Let's just hope that Esme and Edward are doing okay.

We reach the house in no time at all, and I rush up to the bedroom to retrieve my phone while Rose moves to sit on the couch in the living room. I can feel how anxious she is and send her a wave of calm as I plop down on the couch next to her. She smiles at me softly as her anxiety subsides and mouths a heartfelt 'thank you' as I select Caius's number on my phone. I smile as Caius answers my call after one ring and says: "Major, is my daughter alright?"

"Yes, Caius, she is watching the kids play in the lake. Everything is perfectly fine at this side of the Atlantic."

Caius lets out a relieved sigh before saying: "Then why are you calling me, Major? It's not that I don't like a call from my future son-in-law, but you're not the type of person that makes social calls, so spit it out."

Rose's eyes widen at Caius's words, and I send her another wave of calm as I say: "How are Esme and Edward doing? Did they settle in without problems?" Caius lets out a loud laugh before saying: "So someone finally persuaded you to ask about Edward and Esme, Major. I can't say that I wasn't expecting it. Was it your dear sister Rose or that big lug you call brother?"

"Even though my sister doesn't condone their actions, she can't help but love them. I can't blame her for wanting to know how her mother and brother are doing. Emmett hasn't said it out loud, but I'm certain he wants to know as well."

"And you, Major, do you want to know too?"

I weigh my words for a second as Rose squeezes my hand, and I say: "I will admit that I'm curious as to how it will end for them both, but not because I care for them. I want to know how they are doing because they didn't deserve to be treated the way they were."

"Indeed, they didn't. Carlisle made a giant mess of things, and he will suffer forever for the way he treated Edward and the rest of his coven. I would never wish the loss of a mate upon anyone, but I will gladly make an exception for Carlisle Cullen. I will never forgive him for wanting to ruin the life and eternal happiness of my daughter. Chelsea broke his mating bond with Edward the day we returned from the US, and Aro confined him to his quarters after that. He will never get over it, but it needed to happen for Edward's sake.

I doubt if you would recognize Edward if you were to see him right now. He is a lighthearted and joyful young man now that he is no longer suffering from the repressed mating bond. He came to my office today and asked me to relay a message to you and Bella the next time you called. He said, and I quote: "Finding my true mate and being claimed by her as I claimed her, made me understand your instant connection with Bella and the innate urge to protect her from everyone that means her harm. I can never apologize enough for how I acted. I just hope you and Bella can forgive me one day."

Rose squeals at Caius's words, and I can hear him snicker at the other end of the line before saying: "I can hear that your sister is also very happy to hear Edward's message. Esme's story isn't quite as interesting, but she is doing fine. She's enjoying her time in Italy, but she's been feeling restless ever since they arrived in Italy. Marcus claims that she let go of Carlisle in her heart when she stepped off the plane in Florence and that she's feeling the mating pull. He expects her to return to the US sooner rather than later."

I roll my eyes at Rose as she keeps whispering 'ask who' in my ear. She looks at me pleadingly, and I shake my head as I say: "It's almost too hard to believe that Edward found a new mate so soon after the breaking of his bond with Carlisle. Who is the lucky lady?"

"Our Renata… They bonded the second he entered the throne room after Chelsea broke his bond with Carlisle. Aro couldn't be happier, of course. There's no way Edward will ever leave Volterra knowing his mate is an elite Volturi guard. If I didn't know better, I would think Aro planned the whole thing to perfection, but the bond is real. Marcus confirmed it, and Renata has never been happier. She's such a sweet girl, and she and Edward complement each other perfectly."

Rose leans back onto the couch with a smile on her face as I thank Caius for the information. He lets out a happy sigh as I remind him of Bella's phone call with Athenodora later tonight, and I snicker as he says: "Ah, the highlight of my day! I miss my darling daughter so much, Major. I can't wait for her to visit Volterra. Start planning your first trip. That's an order."

Bella - BPOV (at the same time)

I never thought that watching my children play in the lake would make me so happy. God, I wasn't kidding when I told Jasper that I'm going to miss them so much when they go back to Italy. I wonder what he would say if I were to ask him to buy us a house near Volterra. I love the idea of having a place of our own each time we go to visit the twins and my parents. I can only hope that Jasper feels the same way.

I tense up as someone places a hand on my shoulder and a low growl escapes my throat as I turn around to look at the person behind me. Peter lifts his hands in the air as he hears my growl and says: "Easy there, cupcake. It's only me. I just wanted to say that he does. I don't know what the fuck that means, but my gift is telling me that he does."

I squeal as I wrap my arms around Peter to hug him and giggle as he says: "Well, it must be a good thing if you're that happy about it. Now stop hugging me. I can't have Char thinking that I've gone soft. Before you know it, she'll start demanding flowers."

I shake my head at his antics as I take a step back and turn to watch the children again as I say: "Char already knows that you are a big softie, Peter. You would give her the moon if she asked you to. You don't fool any of us with your act. She had you wrapped around her finger, and you love it."

Peter's answer gets lost as the kids rush toward us, and I smile as Jane and Alec wrap their arms around my waist to hug me tight. I place a kiss on top of both their heads and say: "Did you have fun, sweeties?"

Alec beams as he pulls back a little and says: "It was awesome, mom. Can you and dad join us next time?" I nod as I ruffle his hair and say: "Of course, Alec, you know that we love spending time with you and your sister. We're going to miss you so much when you go back to Volterra."

Jane tightens her hold on me, and I place another kiss on her head before saying: "It's not that time yet, sweetie, and your dad already promised me that we will visit as often as I want, and that will be a lot. I love the two of you so much."

"We love you too, mom."

I smile as they both take a step back and say: "Let's run back to the house. I need to ask your dad something, and I believe that auntie Char wants to take the four of you shopping." Jane, Alec, Bree, and Michael smile brightly as Char moves closer before saying: "Indeed, we need to find the perfect Christmas present for you and Jasper, and perfection needs time, no matter what your uncle says."

I snicker at the look on Peter's face and pat his back before turning around to run back to the house. He mutters something incomprehensible but stops as he notices how happy Char looks as she directs the kids to the car. He turns to me for a moment and whispers: "You were right, cupcake. There isn't a thing I wouldn't do for that woman. Have fun with Jasper. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

I snort as he slips into the driver's seat, and I say: "I'll be fine then. I'm certain you're much more perverted than I'll ever be, brother." I smile as I hear Peter laughing out loud as he drives away, and I make my way into the house. I can hear Jasper talking to Caius and shake my head as I hear my father say: "Ah, the highlight of my day! I miss my darling daughter so much, Major. I can't wait for her to visit Volterra. Start planning your first trip. That's an order."

I giggle as I pluck the phone from Jasper's hands to talk to my father and say: "Papà, why not just ask us to visit? Do I need to tell Mama that you're ordering Jasper around?"

Jasper shakes his head at my antics and places a kiss on my hair as I plop down in his lap. I giggle again as I hear Caius says: "Mia figlia, it would be so harsh to submit me to your mother's wrath just for wanting to see you. You can't blame a man for missing his darling daughter."

"I miss you too, papà, and that's why I want to ask you something. Well, it was actually Jasper's idea, to be honest. Mama was telling me about the Christmas decorations she bought for the castle. And that made me realize just how hard it would be to celebrate the Holidays without the two of you. So, that's why I want to ask if you and mom want to come over and celebrate Christmas with us here in Montana."

Caius snickers as he says: "Mia stellina *, you do realize that there's only one possible answer to your request if I want to continue existing. Your mother will throw me into a pyre herself if I take away her chance to celebrate your first Christmas as a vampire with us. I still value my life very much, mia figlia, so we will definitely join you for the Holidays. I assume that you want to tell your mother the good news yourself?"

"If that's alright with you, I would love to."

"I can't say 'no' to you, mia figlia. You know that all too well; it's another trait that you somehow inherited from your mother."

Jasper gently strokes my hair as I finish the conversation with my father with a promise to call him soon. I smile as Jasper lets out a happy sigh, and I turn to kiss him softly on the lips. He smiles as he takes back his phone and says: "Are you happy now, pumpkin?"

I swat his head playfully as I roll my eyes and say: "You can exactly feel how happy I am, Major Whitlock." Jasper growls lowly as he pulls me closer, and I stifle a moan as he says: "Yes, I can, darlin', and your happiness is not all I feel. Shall we take this conversation upstairs, pumpkin?"

I squeak as Jasper lifts me into his arms and carries me upstairs as I say: "Why, Major Whitlock? Isn't our living room a good place to talk?" The sexy smirk on his face is almost enough to make me come undone even before we reach our bedroom. I bit my bottom lip to stop myself from moaning again as Jasper pins me to our bedroom wall and growls: "Who said anything about talking, darlin'? I know another way to communicate, and you happen to love it."

* Mia stellina = my little star

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