First and foremost this is the original story before I started to rewrite it... and got stuck in the writing of the rewrite. If you are following the rewrite you will notice quite glaring differences between this and the one you have already started following. I do not intend on giving up with the rewritten version, however, I think you guys waiting for me to get over my blank slate of a muse isn't going to happen any time soon. So I am re-posting the original. This was my first completed story and it is very different from how my last stories flow.
Secondly, this is not beta'ed. NOT AT ALL. There will be mistakes in spelling (I'm Australian and some words we spell differently). The layout will honestly have you wondering what the hell I was thinking. I wasn't; well that's not true. What I was thinking was that I knew what I was doing and screw anyone else... yes I was a conceited little shit even at the age of 31.
Thirdly, there are 68 chapters to this story, including the epilogue and two outtakes. All of which have been uploaded to my profile I will try to upload as often as I can. Please understand that I have a busy life in the real world. This includes two children, one grown and the other with disabilities. So while I should be able to update wherever I am, if something happens please understand that I will miss updating.
Last but not least. I am not SM. Not even close. I do not own the franchise, work in any capacity with the publishing houses or studios. I merely escaped from reality to play with some characters that I fell in love with while reading four books in a matter of days.
As I turned to walk out of the room, silently preying that Jasper would get a few more hours sleep I couldn't help but wonder what had been going through his mind lately, he had almost become one of those overprotective guys that wouldn't let their girl outside without them. I know I'm exaggerating but it was not because I missed having me time, but that it was really affecting him in so many ways.
Demetri had called me yesterday asking if we had separated or if something had happened to Junior because he wasn't able to focus on anything other than when it was clock out time. It was still so quiet in the house since Peter had the flu (which by the way is such joy- note sarcasm) and poor Char had to be his little nurse.
Seriously why is it that when a guy is sick they turn into the biggest babies that ever walked the earth?
I made my way to the kitchen intent on doing something that I hadn't done in some time; call mother and father and see how things were going at home. It's not as if I don't talk to them but usually they call me and I wanted to surprise them. And with father being, the police chief they were always awake before the sun ever rose, not that you would see it of course but still the time frame stuck.
As I made myself cup of decaffeinated black richness I opened the sliding door and stepped outside with the throw over blanket that was always kept in the kitchen for early morning use. I stood there with every intention of watching the sun rise before I made the call, but something inside me told that I should do it now instead of later. Settling myself in the lounge chair, I dialed the number and waited for someone to pick up the other end.
They never disappointed; "Hello, Swan residence. Chief Swan speaking." Came the very gruff voice that I had to wonder if he would sound like that if he actually slept until a more appropriate time. But this is my father we are talking about.
"Hello father, I thought I'd surprise you and mother with a call from your very far away daughter." I sounded as cheery as I thought I was. Just hearing his voice made me happy.
"Now isn't that a lovely surprise, your mother and I were just thinking that it was time to give you a call tonight. How is everything in Texas? How is that little boy of yours going? And is Jasper treating you right?" father started to rattle off all the questions that I was actually expecting from mother, that I couldn't help but smile.
"Well right now it's almost as cold as Forks during summer but since the sun isn't up yet I can't complain, Junior is doing great, can't be said for Peter but he's Char's problem not mine thankfully. And Jasper is treating me great. How is everything at home, I miss you guys. It's been too long since I've seen you both."
I was smiling as we caught up on everything from the latest saga in the Mike and Irena drama, Jake finally getting the loan to expand his business, and Billy pestering him and Kate to give him a grand baby. Esme and Carlisle planning on going away for some big cruise around the islands.
"Charlie if you don't give me that phone... Bella; sweetie how are you? I need some new pictures of that grandchild of mine he's had to have grown since the last one's you sent Me." mother was talking a mile a minute and I was wondering if she would breath sooner or later; hopefully sooner.
No one wants to be at the other end of that kind of call. I listened to her ranting about how things were going on in her little circle of Forks as I watched the sunrise behind the clouds, getting lost in the whole Leah's first heartbreak. It made me immensely sad that I wasn't there to help her. I know that Kate, Sue and everyone else would have been there but I had always seen her as my little sister.
I nearly jumped out of my skin as I felt his hands slowly push me forwards as Jasper joined me on the chair putting the monitor beside me. But I melted as I felt his hands wrap around me and pull me closer to his chest.
"I really miss you too mother, it's only been a few months but still it's a long time to go without seeing you two. And poor little Leah, she must be feeling awful right now. That boy is gonna get his butt handed to him by Jake if he hasn't already."
I felt as Jazz smiled at my little rant about Leah and needing to kick someone's butt, but hey what could I do, they were a two-day drive away and I couldn't just up and leave without a second thought. I had work, the foundation, Jasper's job, Junior, and everything else that was coming up soon. I had received the summons for the trial the day after Jasper had that awful nightmare.
"Well Bella dear, it seems that we've been talking for nearly two hours, your father has to leave for work and I have to go down to the reservation to help Sue with some cooking for a bon fire on Friday. Give everyone our love and don't take too long getting those photo's to me. We love you." Mother started to tear up at the end of her little speech, and I was close too.
After hanging up the phone I snuggled into Jasper's chest, as I listened to his slow breathing, almost putting me to sleep when you listen to that mixed with his heartbeat.
"Hey you, why did you come out here? It's freezing." He whispered into my hair, and I knew that I probably scared him a little when he woke to find the house quiet and me not in bed or in Junior's room. I smiled at the tenderness in his voice.
"I wanted to call my parents and catch up. Father was always up early in the mornings and it's usually the best time to talk to him about everything. You've heard how loud some of our conversations end and I didn't want to wake anyone up." I reached up and kissed his jaw, electing a soft moan from him.
I couldn't help that my smile had grown from that little noise. We sat there and watched as the sun rose more into the sky, neither needing to break the silence that had fallen between us. Occasionally we heard a little noise from the monitor but we knew that Junior wouldn't be up for another hour or so, he was like his uncle in that sense; he liked to sleep in on most days, which meant that he was always up late at night.
"Do you miss everyone back there?" he surprised me but really, he was there when I was talking to mother so he would have heard that part of the conversation.
I hummed my response not knowing where this was going, and I sorta wanted to find out. I felt his lips meet the top of my head as we sat there again in peaceful bliss.
"I'd love to surprise them and go and visit, but it's so much to organize, I mean you and I have work, while I can take mine with me I don't think I'd get anything done. Then you have the foundation and getting that sorted. I think Junior would be the only thing that wouldn't be that hard to organize but then we'd have to work everything out."
It was his turn to hum before we both got up to head back inside, me grabbing the cup that now sat empty beside our chair and Jazz grabbing the monitor and blanket. We found Char sitting on the bench waiting for her morning caffeine, I hadn't even realized that she was there let alone that she was able to hear everything we had said.
"Bella, go home and visit your family. We girls can take care of the foundation, and you can always post some of your letters via e-mail. I'm sure Jazz would love to get away from everything right now." She cornered me as soon as we had closed the sliding door.
Her smile however showed me that she was fine with everything. And I couldn't help but feel a little hopeful that we could do just that. I felt as Jazz wrapped his arms around me again, as he snuggled his head into my neck and hair.
The rest of the day and the following went by in a blur of typing and reading as I focused on the letters that I had wanted to post in my column for the next week, I had gotten into the mood after talking to mother and father, they always had that effect on me and my work. I was even early with sending them to Rose that I decided that I'd get the girls together for a lunch date and catch up on everything that had happened in their lives.
I was still a little sore with going into the office since Eleazar had tried to use me for publicity and not taken into account that the foundation wasn't just my idea; that others had been working towards bringing it to where it was now. So much so, that Carmen had taken over anything that had to do with the business side of the lifestyle section. I was kinda glad she did that but knew that Eleazar was going to be causing some major tantrums soon if it kept going. So after quickly dropping off the column, which was apparently too long and needed culling or that they expanded it this week Rose and I walked down the two blocks to meet with Char and Alice. Both of them had matching grins that put me on guard straight away.
"Hey ladies, what can I get you?" the young waiter asked his eyes drinking in the beauty of both Rose and Alice while Char had gone to the bathroom. I was sure that if she was here the poor guy would have hyperventilated over the three of them. We quickly ordered our drinks as he went back to the bar with a very sour look when we started talking about weddings and babies. It was a tactic we had found very useful when it came to over bearing waiters with the three girls.
"So tell me what's going on? I feel like we haven't caught up with each other in a month. Wait it has been a month with everything that's gone on. So spill already." I turned to each one smiling as they all got lost in that far away daydream feeling you get when things seem perfect.
"Alice, why are you squirming?" Rose all but demanded as she stopped her movements almost becoming the opposite she was mere seconds ago.
"You know if you don't tell us, Bella will get Edward to tell her and then she's tell us anyway. So let's cut the middle man out of this one okay?" Char all but blurted out as I watched Alice slowly sink in her chair but then jump again when she thought I would go and talk to Edward.
"No, no, no, I'll tell but don't tell Edward you know. We want to know it works before we do anything big like you all do. Well Char and Rose. Edward asked me to move in with him, and I've just finished unpacking my stuff." She gushed out through the squeals of the rest of us.
We quickly discussed the ins and outs of those two moving in together, I was so happy that it was working out for them. Both of them deserved true happiness. We had moved on to complaining on how men acted like children when sick, especially when it was Peter, he was now over being sick but still tried to milk it for all it was worth. I had to admit I had pulled that trick during college, but it would seem that I was the better actor, or that Char had more sympathy for me. Either way it didn't work out for him.
"Alright now how was the holiday with you and Emmett, do we expect a little Rose or Emmett in the next couple of months or what?" I asked Rose only getting a little wide-eyed innocent look that didn't fool me for a second.
"Rosalie Hale McCarty you better be tell me something now." I was practically jumping up and down in my chair giddy. Something I hadn't been in a very long time.
"Well we did try a lot, we can't all be one hit wonders Bella." she giggled and it was my turn to blush like a little schoolgirl. "But we aren't going to worry about it anymore. It'll happen when it happens. Plus I don't think I could go through morning sickness like you did and I enjoy all the practice we have." She was wiggling her eyebrows knowingly that had us all in hysterics.
You could tell that she was Emmett's wife and loved every minute of it. We had been sitting in the booth for nearly two hours before we finally called for the check, well I called for the check as I was determined to pay for this one. They just had to suck it up and get over it. I was too busy talking to the girls to notice the waiter had arrived with the check that I had quite literally had to take a second and third glance as the little holder. There sat two tickets return flights to Seattle leaving this afternoon. When I looked up at the waiter, it was Jasper dressed in the uniform of the restaurant, smiling down at me with Junior bouncing in his arms.
"Come on Angel, we got a flight to catch." I heard the girls giggling and saw that he was trying not to laugh at most probably my face, but I just couldn't say anything. Instead, I stood up and took our boy from him, gently kissed him. I heard the cheers of the others in the restaurant but I couldn't find it in me to care.
"Okay let's go." I whispered in his ear before I turned around and kissed each of the girls good bye and left to catch our flight.
