Bella was torn suddenly from her sleep by a peel of laughter coming from downstairs. It was then followed by a deep sigh from Jessica, by the sounds of it.
Deciding it probably didn't need her immediate attention, Bella relaxed her body back into her bed, listening to the soft patter of rain that had decided to return. A moment later, she could make out that Rosalie was saying something, then heard the vampire's footsteps take to the stairs, followed by a soft knock at Bella's bedroom door.
"Come in, Rose," Bella called out groggily.
Rosalie sauntered in and flashed Bella a smile as she took a seat on her bed.
"Good morning, sleepy!" Rosalie exclaimed. "Busy night?" she asked with a wink.
"Not the way you mean it, Rose," Bella blushed with a smile. "It was nice, though."
"I'm glad to hear it," Rosalie answered sincerely. "You two are good now?"
"Very good," Bella echoed Jasper's words from the night previous. "What's going on down there?"
"Oh, Jess decided to make chocolate pancakes but couldn't find your whisk or electric mixer and a fork wasn't cutting, so she got out your blender instead," Rosalie explained in a tone that the result should be obvious.
Bella was still confused by Rosalie's explanation and thought she had missed something. "I'm not sure I follow."
"Well," Rosalie answered with a grin, "Jess had the batter all whipped up and turned it off to add the cocoa powder. She was leaning over the edge of your counter because the cord was short and was looking straight down when her arm slipped and hit the 'ON' switch–," Rosalie trailed off, expectantly.
"Oh my god!" Bella realized after a moment. "No!"
"Oh, yes," Rosalie cackled. "She got a face-full of cocoa powder and pancake batter."
"Poor Jess!" Bella lamented.
"She isn't upset or anything, so it's definitely funny," Rosalie assured her. "Her exact words were, 'this would happen to me'. Angela is helping her clean up. Thankfully, most of the batter stayed in the blender, so you all are still going to have pancakes."
"What are you going to do since you can't eat them," Bella asked worriedly.
"I told them I'm allergic to eggs but brought my own breakfast bar," the vampire answered simply. "No questions asked, and I can just tell them I ate it up here."
"That's smart."
"I have my moments," Rosalie joked back. "Anyways, I figured since you were up, I may as well encourage you to shower before you come down. You smell like dirt and grass."
"Gee, thanks," Bella muttered darkly.
"It isn't my fault you two decided to take a roll in the–,"
"OH MY GOD, WE DIDN'T," Bella nearly shouted before grabbing a pillow and whipping it as Rosalie.
"I was going to say grass Bella, not hay," Rosalie looked miffed and amused. "Which doesn't hold that same implication."
"You were not," Bella answered darkly.
Silence came from the kitchen, followed by footsteps padding up the stairs. "You didn't what?" Jessica asked, flinging the door open wide to reveal a head of hair still splattered with pancake batter.
"Ugh, does everyone need to know?" Bella groaned loudly. "I didn't have sex with Jasper."
"Well, I'd imagine not, seeing as how, as of last night, you hadn't," Angela pointed out.
Jessica gasped loudly in shock. "WAIT. HE WAS HERE, WASN'T HE?!"
Bella's blush betrayed her.
"I knew it!" Jessica exploded. "I could smell him last night before I fell asleep!"
"Don't be ridiculous," Bella replied quickly.
"I'm so not being ridiculous, Isabella Swan! And I'm wounded you'd try to convince me otherwise," Jessica answered dramatically.
Bella sighed and closed her eyes. "I called you ridiculous because I think it's ridiculous that you could smell him," Bella clarified. "Yes, he was here Jess. No, we didn't have sex," she finished before heaving a deep sigh, resigned to the fact that almost nothing would slip by without Jessica's notice.
Which could be dangerous.
Jessica looked pleased with herself. "Well, that's good. You've only known each other for two weeks. That would be a little sudden."
"I agree with you on that," Bella replied easily. "Now, can you all give me a few minutes to shower and change for breakfast?"
Jessica paled in response and with a horrified expression turned to Angela. "The pancakes!" and with that, the two humans ran back down the stairs to the kitchen.
"Can you keep an eye on them for me?" Bella begged in mock horror. "Charlie would be ever so upset if our house burned down.
"On it," Rosalie agreed to the request, and at the smell of charred pancake, left Bella's room at a pace a little more quickly than appeared human.
Bella smiled at how easily they had all fallen into this friendship. While there wasn't the pull that bonded her to Jasper, there was something here with them. It felt as though everything was unfolding precisely how it was meant to.
Grabbing her clothes, Bella headed for the shower, holding out hope that the rain would ease up before Jacob's get together.
/ * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \
For the first time in his entire second life, a weight in Jasper's chest had lightened, or that some sort of pain he hadn't realized he had been feeling finally eased. His body was relaxed, his mind calm and collected, even though his mind was still focused on the two vampires that had intruded upon the small town of Forks, WA.
I must protect her at any cost, he thought to himself. My mate. I have a mate. She's *my* mate. Jasper couldn't stop the smile that had spread at the mere thought. I have a mate and it's her, he was practically giddy with the notion, despite its redundancy alongside his previous thoughts, causing his outside to be at odds with his typically somewhat surly demeanor.
Not paying much attention to who might be observing him on the way to the entertainment room to slaughter Emmett in war-based videogames. Jasper walked through the living room, smile still plastered to his face; a smile that Esme hadn't missed.
"Good morning, dear!" Esme called out from her reading chair. "Why don't you come over here and tell me what exactly has made such radiant happiness exude from your being."
Well, that's Esme for you, Jasper thought wryly. He studied his vampiric mother figure for a moment and realized there was no way he could deny her the joy of sharing his happiness with her.
I don't have to make it easy, though, he thought while an internal grin. Let the game begin.
Jasper sat on the couch adjacent to Esme's chair and watched as her face grew exponentially more expectant.
"Well?" she finally caved, serving the mental ball.
Jasper grinned and readied to fire back. "Things are going well with Bella," he shared the small tidbit to tease her. "Even Rose is having a blast with her new friends," he added strongly, hoping the tail end, and her devotion to her daughter would catch and hold Esme's attention.
He wasn't disappointed, as Esme's eyes teared with the news. "I'm so glad that Rosalie is finally making friends after all these years." She paused to reach for a tissue and dab at her eyes lightly. "She deserves to feel close to people again." She paused, then added, "I know it's easier for her to abstain and that she has never slipped up; did she happen to mention if the blood has been difficult, though?"
"When we talked this morning, Rose mentioned that the chemicals from coloring hair had helped mask the smell and that Bella was a good buffer to have between them," Jasper explained to his mother. "They're doing nails this afternoon, another chemically strong-smelling activity."
"That sounds so nice!" Esme spoke proudly. "I'm so grateful for Bella," she finished with a sniffle. Her face took on an infinitesimally more businesslike expression, something the others of their family had yet to identify, leaving Jasper no doubt that she was going to circle back on their conversation. "Now, you also mentioned that things are going well with Bella?"
Esme the Kind and Un-deterrable; and our family thinks she has no gift. Jasper thought with an internal chuckle, for he knew better.
"Yes, things are going well for us," he offered with a cheeky grin.
"Oh, you're terrible, Jasper," Esme frowned comically at her son, one of her many tactics of persuasion. "Come, now, it seems like it's getting quite serious."
He felt the compulsion to answer her override his own willpower, though, it didn't feel violating. Jasper relented. "It is," he whispered solemnly, letting Esme win this round as his eyes shuttering closed consumed by bliss again. "She's absolutely wonderful, Esme."
"It certainly is easy to see that you're happy, Jasper," Esme's smile reached her eyes as she extended her hand to grip his own.
"I am, really and truly," he answered hesitantly, as he still wasn't quite sure that, after everything he had done, his happiness was earned.
"You do deserve happiness, Jasper."
But how that can be, he wondered not for the first time.
Esme caught the downward shift in his focus and chose to move on with a re-direct. "Would you be alright with Carlisle and I inviting Bella over for dinner tomorrow evening?"
"I would love that," Jasper replied, his feelings shifting back towards happiness at the mere thought of being near his mate.
"Good, I'll give her house a call later this evening while Charlie is home to see if it's alright with him."
"Thanks, Esme," Jasper answered, filled with appreciation for his pseudo-mother. "Actually, maybe ask Charlie to come too," he added, almost bashfully, an emotion that Esme had never seen on his son's face.
"So it is that serious," Esme answered with a warm smile. "I'm glad for you, sweetheart," her sincerity and happiness poured into Jasper like a ray of sunshine, helping to banish the doubts that had plagued him for nearly a century.
/ * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \
A morning filled with only slightly burned pancakes, bacon, and coffee was followed by a slow afternoon of herbal teas, gossip, and manicures. Rosalie had done everyone's nails, including her own, while romantic comedies played in the background.
"I can't believe he just left like that! He was in love with her!" Jessica exclaimed angrily during a turning point in the current movie.
"Yeah, but he didn't know she felt the same way, Jess," Angela tried to rationalize with her.
"I know! It's just upsetting, is all. They're so very obviously supposed to end up together," Jessica protested.
"Then maybe we should wait to see what happens," Rosalie teased.
"I know, I know, I'm just going to complain, is all," Jessica retorted sassily.
The girls all laughed in response but were interrupted with the sound of the home phone ringing. Bella jumped up to get it and her anxiety spiked briefly at the thought that Charlie was calling to say something bad had happened. Turning her cordless phone on, she turned back to her friends, where she caught sight of Rosalie on guard, just in case.
"Hello?" Bella answered.
"Hey! Is this Bella?" a young male voice asked. Rosalie's stance relaxed somewhat upon hearing it wasn't an adult.
"It is; who is this?" she asked. Then, confusion giving way to realization, "Wait, Jacob?"
"You know it! Well, kinda, I go by Jake these days," her long-time friend answered. "Got some bad news, though," he announced ominously.
"That doesn't sound good," Bella muttered into the phone.
"Okay, I guess it isn't that bad, we just need to reschedule is all," Jacob amended.
"Oh no! Because it's raining?" she asked with a glance out the patio doors to the rain that had become much more than a light drizzle in the hours since waking.
"Nah, that would have been fine. My girlfriend and I, along with some of our friends aren't feeling well and I'd hate to get you or Charlie sick," Jacob explained.
"Thanks for letting me know, dude," Bella answered. "I hope you all feel better soon!"
"Me too!" Jacob agreed. "I'll give you a call when we're all well enough to party."
"Sounds good. Catch you later," Bella replied, and hung up her phone.
Bella turned to her friends with a frown. "Well, it looks like Jake had to cancel temporarily."
"That's too bad!" Angela offered with disappointment in her voice. "I was really looking forward to it."
"I was looking forward to s'mores," Jessica lamented with a deep frown.
Rosalie snorted in response to Jessica's issue with their plan cancellations, then her face turned thoughtful. "Well, I don't suppose there's any reason why we can't make an oven bake type thing with the s'mores stuff."
"Yeah!" Bella agreed excitedly. "And I think Charlie has a little portable grill if we wanted to cook the hotdogs that way?"
"Works for me," Angela chimed in. "Jess?"
"That would be amazing!" she said as she turned to Rosalie, ignoring talks of hotdogs completely. "What kind of s'mores bake?" her face filled with glee at the prospect.
"I was thinking if we put the chocolate down in a small baking pan," Rosalie started, "then put the marshmallows on top, we'd have a sort of dip for the graham crackers."
"You! You're a genius!" Jessica exploded happily. "I could cry."
"Breathe, Jess," Angela advised the overly excited girl.
"Hush, you," Jessica jokingly chided her girlfriend. "PMS isn't funny!"
"Then, chocolate it is!" Bella announced, feeling a fresh wave of guilt for lying about her own cycle. "Let's plan on doing hot dogs and chips for a late lunch, then do the s'mores dip."
"That sounds delightful," Jessica answered in a sing-song voice. "Care to veg out until then?"
"Fine with me," Bella and Angela answered at the same time.
"I'm game," Rosalie tacked on, turning back to the TV. "We need to find out if they can own up to being in love with each other to get their happy ending," she finished with a wink towards Bella.
/ * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \
By the time Angela and Jessica left, Bella was exhausted. Between all the mental and emotional revelations over the past week, along with the window of her shifting days finally coming to a close, she was completely wiped.
Rosalie was whipping through the living room and kitchen at vampire speed to tidy up before Bella's father got home. It was yet another long day for Charlie, filled with yet another disappearance; this time, farther from home, but likely connected. Bella sighed and turned to face the vampire when Rosalie had finally finished and flounced down in a seat next to her.
"Your level of perpetual energy should be illegal," Bella grumbled to her friend.
"Without my energy, the house wouldn't be immaculate," Rosalie answered smoothly. "And it isn't actually perpetual. I do feed, you know."
"Sorry, I meant to say thank you," Bella tacked on.
"Of course, silly. Got any plans for tomorrow?"
"Aside from sleeping and relaxing, I'm not too sure," Bella answered thoughtfully.
"Well, Emmett texted me, and I think Esme wants to invite you and Charlie over for dinner tomorrow."
"That would be great!" Bella answered excitedly. "I hope Charlie will be able to get away from work for a bit. He's been so, so busy."
"Maybe he just needs convincing," Rosalie replied somewhat deviously as Charlie's headlights illuminated the curtains behind them. Bella didn't have a chance to ask what exactly Rosalie had in mind as, moments later, Charlie was entering the house and taking his jacket off.
"Bella? You home?" the two heard from the hallway.
"Yeah, dad! Rose is here too!" she called back.
"Oh, well that's nice," Charlie called out then rounded the corner. "Did you all have a fun sleepover?"
"Totally!" Bella and Rosalie answered at the same time, then giggled.
"I heard that there's some kind of bug going around on the reservation and the party had to be cancelled," Charlie remarked as he settled down in his favorite armchair. He rubbed his hand back and forth across his forehead, weariness etched on his face.
"Yeah, it's too bad," Bella answered. "But we ended up making the hot dogs on the grill anyway, and there are some for you, too! Want me to dish you up?"
"That would be great, Bells, thank you."
Bella heard Rosalie and her father continuing a discussion while she heated Charlie's food and plated it. She had just come back out to hear Rosalie say, "Well, since Esme loves cooking so much, she offered to make lasagna for a potluck at the hospital," Rosalie explained. "But she always makes way too much, and literally none of us can have it with our allergies to dairy and eggs. You would be doing us a huge favor, since we already gave as many extras as we could away after the potluck. We would truly love to have the two of you over tomorrow!"
"In my entire life," Charlie started dramatically, "I have never once turned down Italian food, and I don't think I could start now; It sounds wonderful, Rosalie, thank you," he finished happily.
"Great!" the vampire answered cheerfully. "I'm going to head home, but Esme will call in a bit and confirm with you."
"Sounds like a plan," Bella answered with a smile as Charlie took a bite of his hotdog. "Do you want some help carrying all of your things to the car?" she raised one eyebrow, assuming Rosalie would understand she wished to talk.
"That would be great!" Rosalie caught on quickly before turning back to Bella's father. "Thanks so much for having all of us over, Charlie," Rosalie said graciously. "It was a blast, and I hope we weren't too loud last night."
"You all were fine," Charlie reassured her. "Actually, I slept better than I have in a long time, so if that's as wild as you teenagers get these days, you're welcome to stay any time."
Bella laughed and grabbed two of Rosalie's bags as the vampire called out one more, "Take care!" before they headed for her car.
"So," Rosalie started with an evil grin, "if you and my brother didn't do the naughty, can you at least tell me if Jasper knows you're mates, now?"
"He didn't tell you?" Bella asked, shocked.
"Well, no, he didn't know that I knew, so it isn't like I could ask, either. It's still only me and Emmett that know."
"Well," Bella drew out the word in a teasing way before she continued, "he definitely knows now." Her smile grew so large that she laughed briefly because her brain didn't know how to manage the emotions.
Rosalie leaned in to hug the girl tightly, "I'm so glad, Bella, and I'm so happy that you're part of my family now."
"Me too," Bella spoke with difficulty over the emotion rising in her throat as tears pricked in her eyes.
Rosalie pulled back, her own eyes gleaming. "I've missed having a sister," Rosalie admitted quietly. She followed that statement with a laugh then said, "Well, one that I like being around, anyway."
"Glad I could be here," Bella answered honestly. "And thanks so much for coming this weekend. I can tell Jess and Ang had a blast, too."
"Of course!" Rosalie exclaimed. "I had so much fun; it was nice to have some normal human time, especially with everything going on, you know?"
Bella nodded as the vampire continued, "I mean, I know I'm not one, but I really miss the way that feels. It's easy to get caught up in the touch and go of our world."
"I get it, a time out from life is needed sometimes," Bella added.
"Exactly," Rosalie agreed. "Sometimes I just can't anymore, and Emmett and I end up moving away for a while. I finally feel like I'm beginning to strike a balance, though. Forks is good for me, this is good for me."
Rosalie loaded the rest of the bags and got into her car. She paused before she shut it to say, "Thank you for being you, Bella."
/ * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \
The sound of wet gravel being squashed by tires could be heard, and a second later, Rosalie was standing in the foyer. She noted Jasper's presence and grinned at her brother.
"I'm back!" she announced breezily. "Esme, if you wish to call Bella and Charlie, they're both home right now," Rosalie addressed to the house at large.
Moments later, the sound of a phone being dialed from Carlisle's office could be heard, and Rosalie turned to face Jasper, a grin on her face.
"We have a lot to talk about, brother," she spoke lowly enough that no one else in the house would be able to hear. "Hey, Em," she called out more loudly, "Let's go hunting; Jazz looks like he could use it."
"Hey now," Jasper objected, a smile on his own face. "Are you saying I look peaky?"
"Well, no, you said it," Rosalie teased back.
The sound of Emmett's Xbox shutting down could be heard. It was followed by heavier footfalls than the rest of the family's, thought still managing to be quiet, as the massive vampire lumbered down the stairs. He greeted Rosalie with a kiss on the cheek.
"Hello, my darling," Emmett crooned in a silly voice.
Rosalie wrapped an arm around her mate and pulled him into her side, planting a kiss on Emmett's cheek in turn.
"Hi, goober," Rosalie answered with a laugh. "You're in a good mood," she noted.
"That I am, my love," Emmett stepped away and grabbed one of her hands to initiate a waltz across the room. "It's time to eat, you seem like you're in a good mood from the sleepover weekend, and because I want you to be happy that puts me in a good mood, too" he answered simply.
Normally somewhat pained by their displays of affection, Jasper simply rolled his eyes and smiled at the two lovebirds. They were still head over heels for each other, even after all these years. Now that he had a mate Jasper understood how, with a happy and beautiful future that stretched before him and mate, he could be equally joyous, whether he was deserving of that future or not.
"You are the purest and loveliest creature," Rosalie answered as she slowed their dance and pulled Emmett closer.
"Stop it, Rose," Emmett answered in a southern lady's voice. "You're making me blush," he waved his hand in front of his face, imitating a fan.
Rosalie laughed and playfully shoved his shoulder towards the back doors, then glanced back at Jasper.
"You going to hunt with us?" she asked in a tone that implied he should.
"I can go watch Bella's house, son," Carlisle spoke from upstairs, clearly in agreement with Rosalie that he should feed.
Jasper caved, "I could probably use it, actually." He turned his attention towards his father's office, "Thank you, Carlisle."
The three took to the woods, running, jumping, and playing along the way, as was their habit. Alice and Edward's hunting styles had left much to be desired by Rosalie, Emmett, and himself. There is a time and place for brutal precision, but it certainly wasn't on the way to feeding; rather, on the battlefield. Their overly done hunting techniques served only to illuminate the differences in experience he had with the majority of his family. The fewer things that reminded him of his time in the seemingly endless hell of vampires ripping and slaughtering their way through other vampires in the name of claiming territory, the better. This always left him to hunt with Rosalie and Emmett, or completely alone.
As always, Jasper tried to not dwell on his memories and the way he had felt the death of every single being lost on the battlefield, and every single life he himself had taken. Even on nights like tonight, with the stark contrast of the playful and enjoyable runs he made with Emmett and Rosalie, he could still be triggered to feel the pain from those memories anyway. Jasper worked hard to divert his attention back to the hunt.
But I've never thought of those memories while running with Bella, Jasper realized, shedding some light as to why her presence was so peaceful to him.
When I'm with Bella, it's just us. Yes, we had to talk about the intruders, but that's just a consequence that sort of violation brings. Even then, I wasn't reminded of my past.
Jasper's attention shifted fully, however, as Emmett caught the scent of something and changed his direction, charging through the woods like a bulldozer. Jasper and Rosalie halted their progress and likewise changed direction, sniffing out what Emmett may have located.
The scent of elk filled Jasper's nose; 12 or so if he had to guess. He and his family did try not to impact the local wildlife population too much, by his estimation, however, they were much closer to Oregon than their home and in an area they had yet to thin the herds of.
The trio took to the cluster of elk, each taking down one, and draining them quickly. After, each raked their sharp nails over the puncture wounds, until it looked as though they had been killed by another wild animal, perhaps a bear or wolf.
Or a mountain lion, Jasper thought with a smile as he envisioned his mate. For she is deadly, the notion occurred to him. She defends more than she attacks, which may stem from a lack of confidence in her abilities, but the sheer force her body releases when we spar…she has the potential to take a vampire or two down.
Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie dropped first one carcass down a small ravine, ran another 50 miles to leave the second, and completed their coverup with a final deposit nearer to the areas of Oregon that gave way to an arid climate and rocky terrain. It wasn't too much of an unexpected find for park rangers to come across, considering the intermingling of the species of elk in the region.
Thirst somewhat satiated, Jasper and his siblings headed back west, coming across a large herd of deer on the way. After a brief detour to quench their aching throats once more, with Emmett taking down two more than Rosalie and himself, they disposed of the bodies and made for their home.
Upon returning, they were met by Esme on the deck. "Did you all get enough to eat?" she asked, care and concern for her children radiated outwards to them.
"I sure did," Emmett answered with a grin.
"Yes, Esme, thank you," Rosalie added. "Will you and Carlisle need to feed as well?"
"Yes. I think because there's so many of us feeding tonight that Carlisle and I will take to British Columbia, so long as you'll be good for the night and one of you can watch Bella, with two of you here at the house."
Just in case, Jasper added in his head. Seems like we're all a little on edge after the presence of our unidentified invaders, he thought annoyed once more by the thought of the intrusion. There was something strange that niggled at the back of his mind, but when he tried to follow his train of thought, he hit a dead end.
"We'll be here," Rosalie answered.
Esme nodded and set off to spend time with her mate while waiting for their relief.
Yet another pair of true mates, Jasper thought with a smile.
Just then, Jasper's cell phone vibrated from inside his pocket. He flipped it open to see a text from Bella waiting for him.
Bella: Hey! I know I can't shift tonight, but did you want to come over for a bit?
Jasper: Is that even a question, Miss Swan? I have to shower first, but I would absolutely love to come. Jasper responded quickly, only then realizing the double entendre he had accidentally set up.
Bella: I'm ready and waiting. Bella responded shortly after, leaving Jasper uncertain as to whether she had caught the alternate and unintentional meaning behind his words.
"Go," Rosalie commanded as she watched the expressions as the played across her brother's face.
"Am I that transparent?" Jasper joked.
"Bro, you have no idea," Emmett interjected. "Like, I don't understand how Esme and Carlisle don't know yet."
Jasper froze and faced his brother, "What don't they knew, Emmett?"
"Whoops," Emmett hung his head and turned up to look at Rosalie. "Rosie?"
"Uh, well–," Rosalie began before she was cut off by Emmett, despite his deferment for her to answer instead.
"I figured out that you and Bella were true mates," Emmett blurted out.
"When did you determine this," Jasper asked quietly, somewhat relieved he wouldn't have to explain himself to Rosalie and Emmett.
"The night we were all in the meadow," Emmett answered. "When she and Rose were hanging out. I thought to myself, 'wow, she sure fits in, doesn't she?' and then I felt Rose through our bond, and she was already soft to her, like Bella couldn't help but charm all of us.
"I mean, that could be her gift, I suppose," the burly vampire continued. "But her being a blank spot to Alice, a non-scent issue, and a shifter, I couldn't imagine she'd have another secret power, you know?" Emmett reasoned with the group, explaining his thought process exactly. "And I had this feeling; everything was good at that moment, then I looked at you looking at her, after I almost kicked your ass, and I knew it. It was the only thing that made sense."
"Well," Jasper started and remained speechless for a few moments at his brother's accurate perceptions of the situation. "you're not wrong about that," was all he could think to say.
Emmett let out a whoop that echoed in the woods around them, and for the thousandth time since they moved to their secluded home, Jasper was glad none of their neighbors lived near enough to have heard.
"So, you going to go see her?" Emmett asked, his excitement for his brother abundantly clear.
"Yes, I'm going to go see her, Emmett," Jasper confirmed with a smile. "I have to shower and brush my teeth first, but yes."
"Why don't you shower and brush your teeth before you kiss me after hunting," Emmett asked his mate accusingly.
"Because you enjoy licking the blood out of my mouth?" Rosalie asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh, that's right," Emmett answered wickedly.
Jasper chose that moment to make his escape and fled for his bathroom before he had to witness the semi-disturbing scene unfold.
"You're too easy, Jasper," Rosalie called after him with a laugh.
"Yeah, bro, you know we don't do that in the house anymore!" Emmett protested over the sounds of Rosalie giggling.
Jasper smiled to himself and rolled his eyes at his family's antics, then turned on the shower to work on making himself presentable for his mate.
/ * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \
Bella struggled to ease her window open, as the wood was once again swollen from the excess humidity the rain had brought. With a particularly loud groan of protest from the frame, Bella paused and listened as her father's snore cut off. His breathing pattern changed, and Bella worried she may have gotten caught up so late in the night. His bed creaked suddenly as he rolled over, and Bella's heart stopped while she contemplated diving under her covers or heading to the bathroom to excuse the noise, somehow.
Apparently, Charlie had determined the sound wasn't worth investigating or perhaps it had been a figment of his dreams, as a few moments later the sound of sleep breathing, punctuated with light snores, echoed down the hall once more.
Bella breathed a sigh of relief and gave her heart a few moments to resume its normal rhythm before continuing with her task. When she completed mission: open the damn window, she turned to her closet to pick out a nightgown to change into. She worked through the hangers, passing over the many silly themed and colder-weather options until her eyes caught on one of the many vintage pieces her mom had amassed over the years.
Renee's collection had been quite large; where she had gotten them, Bella had no clue. Some of the pieces were quite rare, and beautifully embellished, no doubt worth a decent sum of money. After her mother's passing, Bella couldn't part with any of them and had taken every single piece, even the ones she wasn't particularly fond of, simply because they reminded her of Renee.
Bella gently loosened a sleeveless satin nightgown that shimmered in a shade somewhere between bottle green and aqua. She held the hanger against her neck so she could inspect herself in the mirror and was pleasantly surprised to find that the peachy pink tones of her skin were accentuated, and her chocolate brown eyes darkened but somehow more warm from the overall effect.
At Bella's height, the neckline reached a space slightly lower than, and between her breasts. A soft cream lace softened the edge of the fabric all the way up to its thin straps. Another panel of lace accentuated the space underneath her chest, that would reveal her flesh where it cut through the soft aqua fabric in an upside-down V shape.
Remembering all the times she had begged her mother to let her play dress up in the more modest pieces for fancy tea parties, Bella was pleasantly surprised to see how well her womanly figure would fill out the nightgowns now.
It was then that Jasper chose to appear, frozen with his arm raised to tap against the window frame to get her attention. Bella jumped in response, startled, and slightly embarrassed to be holding such a revealing piece.
"Sorry, I was looking for pajamas," Bella offered, a blush blooming on her cheeks. "I came across this nightgown in my closet, and I just wanted to see what it would look like," she explained, not quite able to meet his eye with the awkwardness she felt.
"Don't let me stop you, darlin'," Jasper answered slowly, his eyes sparkling in the glow of the moon overhead. "It certainly suits you," he finished as he climbed through Bella's bedroom window and admired the image she created.
"It's a little risqué," Bella objected. "I don't want to–," she hesitated. "I don't want to give you the wrong impression?" her explanation came out as a question.
Jasper walked forward slowly, still in the habit of giving Bella time to pull away. He gently cupped her cheeks, cooling her blush with his hands, and running his thumbs along her cheekbones in a soothing manner.
"I know where we stand," he whispered softly as Bella's eyes finally met his own. "If it makes you feel good and special, then you should wear it, but I would never dictate what you should or shouldn't wear."
Bella's eyes fluttered shut as his words sunk in.
"Thank you," she murmured as he pulled her into a hug, comforting the girl. "I don't know why I was so embarrassed."
Jasper pulled back and took her hands in his own.
"It's okay to be nervous, Bella. It's okay to not know what to do sometimes."
"Do you speak from experience," Bella asked, attempting to shift the tone of their conversation as she made up her mind to put on the nightgown after all. She gently removed the straps from the velvet-covered hanger and set it on top of her dresser.
"Yes, actually," Jasper answered as he turned to examine the decorations and knickknacks that covered the surfaces of her room. Jasper paused, seemingly interested in a few of the titles he found on her bookshelf. "With you, for example."
Bella paused her progress, which so far had only consisted of removing her sweater, leaving her long-sleeved shirt underneath.
"You're nervous with me? How so?" she asked in surprise trying to reconcile the concept of Jasper's being nervous while he always seemed so collected. "Also, I'm changing, don't turn around yet."
"I wouldn't dream of it, darlin'," Jasper answered, amusement in his tone, "not now, not without your permission, anyway," he clarified teasingly.
The silence that followed was interrupted only by the sound of Bella's pants and comfortable cotton underwear hitting the floor, then her dresser drawer opening so she could find one of the few lace pairs she had hidden away, for days she wanted to feel special and empowered.
"Well," Jasper finally answered, "I don't always know how to proceed with you, for instance."
Bella had put on the new underwear and removed her t-shirt and bra. She paused with surprise at his explanation, the nightgown clutched to her chest.
"I mean, everything feels right with you, I'm not unsure of you or myself in the moment, I just haven't had much experience with this," Jasper clarified, as he selected a book and pulled it from the shelf.
At that, Bella continued changing, and slid the nightgown over her head, then pulled it smoothly down around her hips, briefly admiring the silhouette that was created.
"What do you mean you don't have much experience with this?" Bella asked, even more confused. "We talked about it and you have loads more experience."
"I have more experience in some areas, Bella, but absolutely none when it comes to caring about the person I'm with," Jasper answered, his voice slightly pained.
She looked at Jasper, bent over to browse her bookshelf, flipping through a book idly, waiting for her to finish.
"I'm sorry," Bella murmured quietly. "I didn't understand what you meant, and it didn't occur to me how different this might be." She adjusted her breasts inside of the nightgown, making sure the seams of the cups were placed correctly to hold them up, while also avoiding revealing more than she'd like to.
"It's radically different," Jasper answered with an audible gulp. He ceased his exploration of the book and replaced it neatly before he selected another. "I've never had anything remotely close to this."
Bella's eyes brimmed slightly with tears as her heart broke for the man that had spent more than a century never experiencing emotional closeness with an intimate partner, and never thought he would. Bella walked towards her mate and extended her hand to him.
Jasper's eyes met her own, and he gently took her hand and stood. Eyes never leaving her own, despite the obvious temptation of her satin wrapped body, he wrapped one arm around her side, hand resting firmly against her lower back, the other reaching to feel the curves of her face once more. Bella raised herself on her tiptoes, asking to kiss him.
Jasper shifted his hand to rest against the side of her neck and his fingers tangled gently in the hair at the nape of Bella's neck. He ran his thumb along her jaw until it rested under Bella's chin. Jasper gently tilted her chin up, and leaned down, meeting her lips softly.
/ * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \
Jasper's chest, gripped with the phantom pains of his past while he explained where he was coming from slowly eased. The pain hadn't grown because he didn't trust her to not hurt him, but rather, revealing those wounds had required him to tear something open inside of him.
Bella guided him backward slowly, not once removing her mouth from his. Jasper's legs hit the back of Bella's bed, and he lowered himself gently, pulling Bella's body down with his. She settled one leg on either side of his waist and leaned down to press his head to her pillows.
Jasper reached up, his arms seeking to press his hands to her back. He held her body to his, unwilling to let even an inch of her warmth pull away from his own. Bella ran her hands along Jasper's strong shoulders and rested them on either side of his sensitive neck, interlocking her fingers behind his head. She gently ran her thumbs up and along his tendons to rest under his jaw.
In all his years, after all the biting, shredding, and tearing, the scars of which permanently marred his flesh, he had never allowed anyone to touch him there. His breath caught in his throat at the sensations, not realizing how much he had needed someone to touch him, to love him, even there.
Bella's fervor didn't waver with his sounds, her slow and tender pace like nothing Jasper had ever felt. There was no lust, just the sensation of falling down, down, down, deep into the oceans of each other's pain and fears. Bella's fears of losing anything good thing in her life and not being enough, blended with Jasper's fears of sullying another with the darkened remains of his soul, and his inability to deserve happiness. The two bobbed in the waters of their mixed pains, floating together, surviving together, comforting together.
While the deep, dark hole in his eternally cold heart wasn't filled, and never would be, her kiss was a balm that soothed the perpetual ache and reminded Jasper that he wasn't alone down in that hole anymore. Bella was there too, seeing and accepting the parts she had seen, and acknowledging those he kept buried away but carried always; she was loving him anyway, and maybe, just maybe, the rest of him wouldn't deter her love for him, either.
/ * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \
A/N: I thought this chapter was especially important, because something I've learned about love is that, when it's right, when you trust it, you don't just accept all those deep, dark crevices where pains hide, you tear yourself open and face your greatest fears *together* while you shape your lives together.
Your love should make you feel like you're able to do anything, that no matter what you take on, you can survive it because you're still safe with that person.