Chapter 14: Unwanted Arrivals

Meanwhile…

While Rosalie was with Bella and Leah, Jasper was scouting Forks to ensure that there were no enemies lurking around. Jasper wouldn't put it past any of the supernatural beings who would like to collect on the bounty to return to Forks when Bella does, or even before she came home. So far, besides the wolves Jasper could not sense anyone else. Although, there could be vampires or other creatures whom are either immune to his gifts or can work around them. Jasper unlike his family, did not discount the possibility that other supernatural beings exist. After all, if vampires and shapeshifters exist, it is not out of the realm of possibility that other creatures do as well. To dismiss such a possibility would be arrogant and naïve.

While he was scouting, Jasper reflected on the last five years without the human whom he thought of as a little sister. Unlike what Edward and the others thought, he and Bella have spent time together without the others knowing. Besides at school, they have hung out at the public library together and talked about their pasts, history and her fears of Edward leaving her. Jasper was not surprised when he found out that Bella is now with a woman. Jasper had long figured out that her attraction for Edward wasn't as strong as her feelings for Rosalie.

In fact, Jasper is ashamed to admit that he had contributed to the attraction and love that Bella felt for Edward in the first place. At first, it was to ensure his brother's happiness. After all, out of everyone in the family, Edward is the only one who has never had someone to call theirs. Even Rosalie, whom he now knows is Bella's mate, has had Emmett. Whilst Edward, whom has been with the family the longest and has seen the couples in the family in love, hasn't.

Therefore, when he realized that Edward had such a fascination with one Bella Swan, he facilitated feelings for him on her end. In hindsight, he should have realized something was wrong when he had to keep changing her negative feelings for Edward at least six times a day. It wasn't until he witnessed Bella and Rosalie's first interaction, that he realized why she always felt uncomfortable when she kissed Edward.

Unfortunately, by then he had been in too deep and if he stopped altering her feelings, the family would quickly realize that something was wrong. Jasper had always felt guilty for messing with her feelings and ashamed that he was essentially forcing a lesbian to be with a man against her consent and knowledge. Jasper could only pray that when Bella finds out what he has done, she would find it in her to forgive him.

As it is, when he and the rest of his family fled Forks, Edward found out what he had done. It was a slip in his thoughts that gave him away, he briefly thought that at least Bella could be her true self now without his interference. They had just arrived back at their house in Denali from hunting. Edward had been miserable and depressed since they had arrived in Denali. It didn't help, Jasper supposed, that he was constantly reminded of what he had and then subsequently threw away, when he looked at how happy his family was with their other halves.

It happened when Jasper had looked at his Alice as they walked through the door. Seeing how happy she was to see him, regardless of the shadow of sorrow in her eyes at being apart from her best friend, made him happy. Jasper had the fleeting thought, at least now Bella can find a woman who would one day look at her with that much love in her eyes; he sincerely hoped that Bella would now be able to find her own Alice.

Truly, the saying once is all it can take sometimes, thoughts included is indeed true. This was the first time he had slipped up around Edward, ever. It was unfortunate, that the entire family was there to witness his shame, as Edward confronted him about his thoughts. Jasper will never, ever forget the look on his Alice's face and forever is a long time for a vampire. The look of absolute betrayal burned him more than his transformation ever did.

"Wh-what?" Alice's normally lyrical voice choked, the disbelief and pain in her voice rang with stark clarity. If Jasper could go back in time and smack himself stupid and convince him to not go through with what he had done, then he would. Alas, it is far too late. An hour of yelling, crying and the truth pouring out of him as though he was confessing a litany of his sins to his priest later, the family broke.

Edward, after hearing how many times Jasper had to change her emotions from negative to positive ones regarding him, felt devastated. The worse part of this is that Edward really does love her, truly. The choice of separating from her was the hardest thing he has ever done in his life.

Thinking back on the relationship though, modified feelings aside, the relationship was unhealthy. Edward was born and raised in a time where the man had the absolute power in the house. The woman's job was to obey her husband, birth and raise the children and keep the house. All of his life, Edward has watched as his mother while having a strong will and a passion to marvel at, turned into an absolute submissive to her husband. Edward knew his mother could have become one of the most political person in Chicago, if only the place wasn't such a cesspool full of crime and chauvinist attitudes.

The year of 1919 was a time where crime was alive, almost around every street corner there were fights, murder, drugs and prostitution. Al Capone had just arrived in Chicago, and with his arrival came death. Within the year, Capone ran the streets, and everyone knew not to cross him and his gang. While the gang wars and crimes effectuated the populace's safety and wallets, the Spanish Influenza attacked people's health. The Masen's were unfortunate enough to be affected by both. Mr. Masen was a banker for the largest bank in Chicago. It was unfortunate for him that the bank he worked at was the bank that held all of the mob's money.

As a forensic accountant for the bank, he ran the books and noticed a discrepancy in the ledgers. Once he brought it up to his boss though, he was quickly fired and told to keep his mouth shut. Having been fired from the job that allowed him to provide for his family, he became a drunkard as the days went on. Not knowing that in the following days he and his family would be infected with the Spanish Influenza, he was also being watched closely by the mob. It didn't take long until he was approached by some of Capones runners and offer a job to smuggle drugs in and out of Chicago.

Unfortunately for them, a drunkard he may be, but he had more honor than that and refused. Edward thought his father died from the sickness he and his mother died from, it was really from poison provided from Capone himself. It wasn't until years later when Edward found that out though.

Unlike his father, Elizabeth Mason was the opposite of her husband. Not so easy to give up when she loses something or someone, Elizabeth fought for what she believed in. What is not known to most and what was not in the history books, is that Elizabeth Mason was one of the women whom pushed for Women to have a right to vote. Elizabeth was the one to push for the 19th amendment to go into legislation in Illinois, though she did so all without her husband and his circle knowing.

While she may have the ambition and passion for women's rights, she knew that it would take a while to pull through, thus her need to be cautious. Though Edward Sr. and her son knew she was the person who was responsible, they never said a thing. As far as Edward Sr. was concerned, as long as she obeyed him and minded his children, he couldn't care less what she did in her own time. Their son however, took this to mean that while it is okay to be spoken, the status quo is to be maintained.

Watching how subservient his mother was to his father, despite how she is to everyone else set a clear picture to him as to how a relationship is supposed to work. Needless to say, it wasn't a healthy picture. Though it has been years, Edward still maintains that image. Seeing what his parent's relationship was like, seeing how the men could get away with murder while the police look the other way, it reinforced Edwards belief in the superiority of men.

Bella on the other hand, was different. Bella was an independent soul, she didn't seem like it at first, Jasper admitted. While she was too nice for her own good and seemed like a pushover at times, she was fiery and independent. It wasn't just her negative feelings for Edward that he suppressed. In order to make the relationship between her and his brother work, he had to make her docile and subservient more times than he could count. Another thing he felt horrible about, he pretty much used his powers to suppress her true self and personality.

When this fact came out, Edward left the family, Alice divorced him and though they cannot sever the mating bond as vampire's mate for life, she tried her best by moving to Paris. Carlisle and Esme couldn't even look at him. In fact, Carlisle was so disgusted and ashamed of Jasper's blatant abuse of his powers on the girl he considered his daughter, that he kicked Jasper out of the family. Esme never said a word but wailed in despair as her family fell apart before her eyes. Emmet and Rosalie though, they apart from Alice took it the hardest.

Emmet considered Bella his friend and a little sister. While he saw the looks, Bella gave toward his wife, he thought nothing of it, considering she was straight and with his brother. But to find out how hard Jasper had to work to redirect the feelings and positive emotions she felt toward Rosalie to Edward, Emmet saw the signs. The protectiveness when Bella saw Rosalie being ogled like a piece of meat, the lust and longing to touch her, the love, the admiration. That was what you felt for your mate, something Emmett never felt towards his wife as strongly as Bella did. Oh sure, he loved Rosalie and lusted after her constantly, but that was it.

Rosalie didn't know what to think or feel about this. While she has seen some of the looks that her brother's human shot at her when she thought she wasn't looking, she thought nothing of it. After all, even if she was flattered by the looks, which she was; she was still just a human. Rosalie knows that she shouldn't judge someone due to their species, but with humans it is kind of hard not to.

Rosalie hates humans, it is a sad thing, but true. Humans fear what they cannot understand or control and throughout her life both human and undead, she has seen what that fear does to people. It twists them until even the most noble of them can turn into complete monsters. Not only is their fear response an issue, but it is what they have, that inflicts a burning jealousy the likes of which Rosalie has never known as a human. Humans can change, that is her biggest issue with them.

On a whim, a couple whom has been together for years can fall out of love and in love with someone else. As vampires, they mate for life. Once you find your mate, they are the only person for you to love romantically ever. Another thing is that vampires don't even get a choice in whom their mate is. One look into that person's eyes and a connection is formed. Now that is not to say that it is an instant true love, but it is inevitable that love will spring from it. It is very rare that love is not a result or that it is a platonic love. While vampires have no choice in their mate, humans could choose whom they love.

Old, young, man, woman, married or single, humans could choose their partner. It makes Rosalie sick with envy and her hate for them grows further when she thinks about it. The obvious fact of humans being able to procreate while vampires can't? That is a whole other issue which is both sad and an obvious desire of Rosalie's. All of these differences combined, leave Rosalie hating the human race with a burning passion.

Realizing that Rosalie wasn't his mate, devasted Emmet. Emmet was so sure that she was his mate, he felt a connection to her when they met, it was like the world had aligned for him after seeing her face. But after much reflection, he wondered if it was just the love one feels toward their savior. Rosalie saved his life the day she brought him to Carlisle to be changed. Combined his gratitude from being saved, with hearing the talks of what meeting your mate is like, and Emmet realized that he had mistaken what kind of bond he had with his wife. In hindsight, having to take a full decade for Rosalie to even allow him to touch her or let him into her walls should have been a clue.

Upon this realization, Emmet changed from his usual joker self. He became moody, quick tempered and hardly cracked a joke anymore. The relationship between him and Rosalie changed drastically as well. After his introspection, he asked for a divorce and Rosalie too stunned from their argument they had beforehand as he laid out his observations could only agree.

Rosalie unlike Emmet did not feel any connection to him when they met. The only reason she had brought him to Carlisle to be changed was because he reminded her of her best friend Vera's little boy, Henry. If that wasn't the case, she would have never have given him a passing glance. As for why she agreed to give him a chance in the first place, well he was very persistent, and it paid off. After a while, she grew to love him, though not like one would their mate, but as a best friend.

After the family split, Rosalie and Jasper decided it was best to go out on their own for a while. Jasper went to stay with his brother Peter for a while, while Rosalie played the part of a nomad for a while. Four years later and they both decided on their own to search for Bella to make amends. Though Jasper was seeking redemption, Rosalie had finally felt the mating bond. Though a little to late it seemed, as Bella already has a mate. Not like that will stop her from trying to win her back though, Rosalie is not a woman who would give up on what she wants. Also, it helps that Jasper is helping her in not only keeping Bella safe, but in winning her back. Though this time, without his powers.

His reflection of his past was interrupted by a most unwelcome voice.

"Well, Well, Major Whitlock…it is a pleasure to see you again."

Whirling around in shock and dismay, Jasper was brought to his knees by the force of the punch that landed on his midsection. As Jasper went flying, he caught the face of his assailant and knew that things have just gotten much worse for them. Much, much worse!

Because Maria was in town, and she was not happy.