J.
Almost a year. That's how long it'd been since the battle. Or discussion, rather, thanks to Alice. Almost a full year, and yet I am still unable to let it rest. Stefan and Vladimir's words keep rolling through my head, and I've realized that they were right. The Volturi won't let this slide. They feel humiliated, threatened, and Aro's fear will soon be replaced by absolute outrage. He still wants Bella, and Alice. The thought alone makes my teeth grind. I also know that in combat, taking your enemies by surprise will often be a battle's deciding factor. They'll wait until we're comfortable, until we feel safe and happy, and then they'll come. Therefore, I have no choice but to stay on my feet. As long as I'm expecting them, they can't sneak up on us. However long that'll take, though, I've no idea. Could be days, weeks… maybe decades. I suppose that's a downside to living forever. Alice thinks I'm ridiculous, of course. She's been watching their decisions carefully, and she hasn't seen anything that's got to do with us. I wish I could let it go and be with her, mentally as well as physically, but I can't. She saved my life, all those decades ago. It's my duty to do the same for her, whenever she needs it. My family is all that's keeping me sane. I have to protect them. 'Jazz?'. She's next to me, suddenly. My hearing is impeccable, yet she moves like a feather. Light, almost floating. She's the only one who can sneak up on me. I smile. 'Will you come join us? Please?'. Her fingers wrap around my arm. Firmly, but lovingly. I look into the darkness outside. Mist is floating around the forest floor. Soft raindrops are clinging to the windows. 'Just a while longer', I whisper, my gaze focused on the trees. Alice chuckles, but it doesn't sound genuine. 'You've been patrolling these windows for three hours', she says. Three hours already? Hmm. Time's fleeting. She puts her fingertips on my jaw and forces my face towards her, interrupting my thoughts, making me smile when I see her face, and frown when I see the worry in her eyes. 'We're fine', she tells me. 'Please, Jasper. Come join us in the living room. Please'. There's some desperation in her tone, and I realize how long it's been since we had a night together. I've been patrolling inside, sometimes outside, off and on for almost a year now, but twice as often this past month. There's this feeling.. call it intuition, that tells me something's about to happen. Still, when I see Alice this way… hurt because of my actions, it makes me feel even worse. So I nod. 'I'm sorry', I whisper, lifting her chin with my fingers and watching the twinkle come back into her golden eyes. 'I'll come with you'. She smiles, wider than I've seen her do in a while, and I lean forward, gently pressing my lips against hers as I wrap her into my arms. 'I love you'. She chuckles again, and now it's real. 'I know'.
When we get to the living room, everyone's there. Emmett's sitting in a chair reading a comic, Rosalie on his lap, running her fingers through his hair and staring into nothingness. Edward and Renesmee are at the piano, playing the same tune they've been practicing the last few days. Renesmee learns fast. I don't know much about music, but I can tell that she's improved. Bella is resting her elbows on the piano and watching them, the way she does often. Then there's Carlisle, reading a book as Esme sits next to him knitting. It's a new hobby that she's picked up. By the looks of it, she's making Renesmee another sweater. Alice squeezes my hand and draws me to the fireplace. A fire is roaring. It's of no use to us, of course, but it adds to the ambience. 'I've been taking pictures lately', she tells me as she picks up a camera. 'Because Renesmee grows so fast, I thought it might be nice for her to have some form of normal childhood memories. Here, take a look'. I take the camera from her and start clicking through the pictures. The first is of Bella and Renesmee, unaware of Alice and her camera, smiling at a picture book that's in front of them. The picture right after that is of them, too, but this time Bella's looking at the camera and frowning, her lips shaped together in a perfectly formed 'f'. I grin. Next is Carlisle and Renesmee. She's standing with her back against the wall, a measuring tape rolled out next to her, with Carlisle jotting something down in his notebook. Then there's Jacob, pulling a face while Renesmee's sitting on his shoulders pulling an even stranger face. The next picture is immediately my favourite. Alice has pointed the camera towards herself and Renesmee as they stick out their tongues, while the only remnant of Jacob is his boot in the upper right corner of the frame. 'You're amazing', I whisper, and Alice smiles proudly. 'I thought of making a picture book', she says 'Once I've got enough photos, of course'. I nod encouragingly. 'She'll love it'. Alice's arms wrap around my waist and she rests her head against my chest. I pull her a little closer and smile. It's things like these that remind me of why I fell in love with her. She's just so… good. She's selfless, always thinking about everybody else, and nothing seems to get her down. That's why I have to protect her. My eyes gaze up at the big windows and the darkness outside, and my body tenses. She feels it immediately and stands on her toes, pressing her lips against mine before my mind can wander off again. Now all I feel is her.
When the dawn breaks, Edward, Emmett and I decide it's time to hunt. The sky is pink and blue and mist still clings to the moss under our feet. It's the end of October, and most people would think it too cold to leave the house this early, but I enjoy the temperature and the smell of frozen dewdrops on the ground. 'I hope there's mountain lion on the menu', Emmett grins. I smile and crack my knuckles. 'Maybe', I say. 'But not for you'. Emmett's eyebrows rise. 'We'll see about that'. He smiles widely as he walks into the woods. 'Don't expect me to save anything for you!'. He then turns to Edward. 'Or you'. Edward raises his hands into the air to declare innocence, but the smile on his face reads of mischief. 'Okay', I grin, clapping my hands together. 'Let's go'. Edward's already gone when the words leave my lips, and I smile. I like a challenge. Emmett and I leave simultaneously, sprinting side by side, jumping over fallen branches and dead tree trunks, neck to neck, exchanging taunts and glances until Emmett throws himself against me, smashing me into the moss floor. 'See ya at dessert, Jazzy boy!'. He hoots as he sprints off. I groan and jump to my feet, wiping the moss from my jacket. Emmett and I are about equally as strong, but I'm more agile. I would've left him somewhere in the dust, eventually, and he knew it. The only thing he's got on me is his weight. I shake my head smiling – and pursue. The trees become blurs as I sprint after them. I can heard Emmett yelling at Edward that he's kicking his ass, and I take up my pace. My legs move faster and faster, my eyes focused on the flash of Emmett's white jacket shooting between the trees, dodging branches as I go. I feel riled up and competitive, and decide that I'm going to take that mountain lion and leave Emmett a fish from the river. The thought of his face amuses me and I run faster, until my legs are weightless and the blurs have become a river of green. Then I smell it. I come to a stop so suddenly that my heels leave holes in the earth. My eyes flash from here to there, focused on the black dot shooting through the greenery. I take a deep breath, and realize that it's a scent I've never smelled before. Then it stops moving. And 'it' is not a prey. It's a woman. She's staring at me from feet away, with bright red eyes and sleek, raven hair. It's them. I know it immediately. My jaws grind together and I spurt towards her, but she's fast and soon out of reach. I groan angrily as I pick up my pace, faster and faster as the woods grow denser and darker, and just when I think I've got her, my fingers reaching for her coat, she disappears. I stop and turn in circles, looking up and around. 'Where are you?', I groan, my fingers balled into fists. I hear her moving behind me and I spin around, but there's nothing. The anger builds inside me. Left. I spin. Nothing. In the treetops. I look. Nothing. Behind me, again. Nothing. 'Where are you?!', I roar. Then I smell her, and when I turn, she's there, so close that I can see my reflection in her eyes. I don't wait. My fingers wrap around her throat and I push her into the nearest tree, my other fist free to make an end to her. 'Who are you?', I demand. 'Are they here?!'. To my surprise, she smiles. 'My name is Laeticia'. She has an accent. I can't place it. 'You're Jasper, correct?'. My frown deepens. 'What do you want?'. My fingers close tighter around her throat. 'I'll tell you if you let me go'. 'Not a chance', I growl. 'I'm not here for your wife, if that's what you fear'. I clench my jaws together. 'What do you want?', I repeat, louder this time. Her red eyes glance at my hand around her throat. She says nothing. I hesitate, but finally let go. She drops to the ground. I take a step back, staying close enough to grab her if she decides to run. It makes me uneasy that she knows Alice and I, but I refuse to let her read it on my face. 'I'm here for you', she whispers. I open my mouth, but she's quicker. She steps forward, gently, and rests her palms on the sides of my face, forcing me to look at her. Her tone is almost too soft to hear, but the words land like rocks. 'Tonight, you are going to kill your family'. I try to pull away from her. 'No', I groan. Why would I do that? What the hell makes her think I'd do that?! 'You will leave your wife and the shield alive, and you will wait until we come to collect them'. I try to pull away again, but she's strong, and the confusion and anger that I'm feeling slowly dissolves as she stares into my eyes… until it makes perfect sense. Laeticia smiles when I stop pulling away from her. 'Good', she whispers. And then she's gone.