The Major came to the beach alone. He had managed to sneak out on the angel while this one was too busy wrestling Bella.
As far as she was aware Jasper was sleeping in their room.
And Jasper was sleeping.
His talk with the coven leader earlier had stirred a lot of feelings. He was still attempting to wrap his head around some of his words.
That man was too good for his own good.
But he had to admit that he liked him. Even if the man couldn't protect them better than he could something about him felt right. He liked this place and as stated before he was tired of telling himself that he wasn't.
He wanted a new start.
He did mean what he said earlier about starting to make an effort to be less... hostile. He knew he hadn't been the greatest person to be around.
He wanted to give them something. A lot of humans gave gifts to apologize. The more personal the gift the deeper and more sincere the apology was seen as.
Thus. What more personal to give than something that meant a lot to him?
Seashells.
Something worthless and stupid. Yes.
But that was the first thing the angel gave to him that he didn't got rid of. Seashells he used to make Toad's collar with.
Reason he kept the collar in the first place.
He liked seashells for it reminded him of the ocean. Of the small turtles hatching and how something so small and weak went without an ounce of hesitation into the ravenous claws of the ocean.
Seashells made him think of treasures in the form of simple things.
He loved the ocean. It was dark and cold. So merciless and unforgiving. It could become a ravenous beast that destroyed everything in its path, dragging the world beneath its deadly claws.
And still it held so much life in it. Beautiful and simple things that gave its darkness light. Seashells were one of those things.
A little light in the dark.
He liked the feeling of the sand between his toes and the sound of the waves crashing ashore. The smell of salt and the fact that whenever he was here he felt at peace.
He took in a deep breath and glanced up at the bright moon up in the skies, a small smile playing on his lips.
After a moment he decided to begin his quest. His night vision was perfect so he had no troubles finding what he wanted. He picked up handfuls of the seashells he found the most alluring. A couple of random sea glasses.
The whole ordeal was familiar and relaxing. It helped sooth the never-ending heat in his chest and the made the ache in the scars nothing but a background annoyance.
He took his time to dry out each and every single seashell.
He even managed to find a scallop with a pearl inside. Though for that he had to get into the water. Shapeshifting was starting to become easier but it was still a pain in the ass.
Even more if it was an sea creature.
They had never managed to shift into a sea creature without having their legs screaming at them in the aftermath. He had always wondered if it had to do with the fact that their legs' bones merged to create a tail.
Still.
He did it.
In fact. He found quite a few scallops with pearls which he decided to use into making a necklace. He had watched Jasper make them before for the angel. It wasn't that hard.
He also took his time to carving the sea glass with his claws into the shape of stars.
It was a frail job but he was nothing if not stubborn. He had carved into diamonds for the angel. Carving into sea glass was more than easy. Kind of. Because unlike diamonds sea glass was awfully frail.
Still.
He succeeded.
And when he was done he put them in a jam jar he had brought with him.
Jam jar he left infront of the coven leader's bedroom's door along with the necklace. He also left a handful of seashells and star shaped sea glass infront of the others' doors along with a pearl.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Carlisle was the one who found it for he had work at the hospital.
A jar filled to the brim with seashells and sea glass.
And he knew who had left it for he had smelt him earlier along with the whispers for footsteps.
It had been strange for Jor to stand infront of their door for a moment before leaving but he hadn't given it mind.
Now he realized what that had been about.
He hadn't seen him again yesterday after what had happened.
And he knew for a statement of fact that finding such stunning seashells all at once wasn't possible.
Nor was it natural for sea glass to have the shape of stars.
There was even an honest to God necklace made out of actual pearls.
This boy...
He ran his hand through his hair before picking the jar up. He wasn't even sure if to feel amazed or confused with this curious gift.
-What's that?- Esme asked as she stepped out of the bathroom and caught sight of the jar he was holding.
-Jor.
-That's what he was doing?- Esme wondered as she came to sit beside Carlisle. Picking up a little light blue star. She ran her finger across the smooth edge.- He did this?
-And this.- Carlisle told holding out the necklace of pearls. A red piece of sea glass hanging in the middle, it was shaped in the form of a heart.
Esme couldn't keep the soft gasp from leaving her as she took it. How long did it even took him to find all this? All those seashells were stunning. The shaped sea glass. The necklace.
-Why did he give this?- She couldn't help but wonder out loud.
-Maybe it's his way of trying to show us he does mean to change this time around.- Even if Carlisle said that he wasn't quite sure of his own words. Why would Jor give this to them? It was clear he had taken his time finding all of this.
-I told you he was a good boy.- Esme found herself reminding with a smile. Jor may have trouble showing it but the way he treated plants and animals in general left very clear that despite all he was good. He had a kind heart but the world had hurt him way too much for him to be able to express it openly.
Maria had hurt him too much.
But now he was here. He belonged here with them.
And that meant that as long as Esme lived she would never allow harm to come to her children.
~~~~~~~~~~~
-So he wasn't planning our murder.- Emmett said in amusement as he stared a the couple of seashells and star shaped sea glass on the bed. The little standing out like a sore thumb.
Rosalie at his side hummed.
Opening the door to find a handful of seashells and star shaped sea glass wasn't what she had expected this morning. Nor was it the little pearl.
What did Jor even expected from this? Why give this? It made no sense.
But he had never made sense. He did weird things because that's how he was. Like letting Renesmee paint his fingernails or asking Charlie Swan if he could have a chocolate kiss from the bag he had brought Renesmee. Or that time he threw a skull from a bear at Jacob for no reason whatsoever. Or bringing Alice a bunch of flowers that still kept their roots.
He was weird.
At least she should be glad he didn't let a dead animal infront of the door as Emmett once did in order to apologize.
And she guessed that while odd this was quite the beautiful thing to have.
Thus.
She didn't mind when Emmett decided to glue them together into one oddly shaped yet beautiful thing that became quite the fancy looking paper weight.
~~~~~~~~~
Edward wasn't quite sure what to make of the bunch of seashells left at the front door. He knew Jor had left them there for he knew that if there were footsteps it was definitely not Jasper.
But he hadn't knocked. All he did was come and leave.
It had been weird but he hadn't paid it mind until Bella called him.
A bunch seashells were at the front door. And star shaped sea glass which he knew wasn't natural at all. And there had been also a pearl. An actual pearl.
Renesmee had been more than delighted to pick them up and drop them in the little fish tank she had talked their ears off for the past months into getting.
Those weren't even common fish but salt water ones.
Still.
Back to the matter at hand.
-Maybe they were for Renesmee.- Bella said from her spot on the couch. She had accepted the odd gift without bating an eye.
Edward was the one who was giving it more thought than it was necessary.
Because unlike Bella Edward had known Jor long enough to know he didn't give things so naturally.
But to be fair he did seem attached to Renesmee enough to give her random stuff.
He sighed in defeat.
God why did he had such weird siblings?