Got new beta and she worked on all the first seven chapters yeah, thank my girl Rena!!
Disclaimer: Twilight and all it characters are not mine, I mean no copyright infringement.
Chapter 7 – Even Angels Fall
Bella opened her eyes the next morning with her head pounding, and her nose felt like it had been stuffed with cotton. The previous night's events came barreling down to the front of her mind; was it truly that surprising her mother would do that?
Her resolve had wavered exponentially, there were too many obstacles; to her it was fate intervening, making it quite clear that she and Jasper were not meant to be. After some silent assistance from her mother getting ready, they headed to the dining room for breakfast. Now, typically no matter what affair was currently underway between the mother-daughter pair, breakfast was eaten in amicable silence with the occasional reminder of the day's activities.
This morning Renee decided to break the awkward silence, "I'm doing what is best for you."
Bella scoffed as if that truly justified her despicable actions. "What is best for me or what is best for you, mother? How can you look at yourself in the mirror every day? Are you aware of the damage that you have caused?" Renee turned her nose the other way, avoiding what she knew was an inevitable subject with her daughter. "Do not dare bring that up now Isabella?"
"It's BELLA not Isabella, and why not? You are a controlling and manipulative woman. He loved you and now he doesn't even know that you left him. He would be horrified if he knew that you were forcing me into marriage." Tears were unknowingly falling down her face; not even bothering to wipe her eyes for new ones would replace them almost immediately.
"Charles was a foolish man, he wanted to be a hero, go to war, fine; but not with me waiting around being the good little house wife. I warned him not to defend those good for nothing servants. Did he listen? No, I was forced to watch him take away all my decent help and set them free like damn birds!!" At this point Renee's face was red from anger, remembering the countless fights she had with Charles during those last few months.
Bella could see from the corner of her eye Nelly, the cook, retreating to the kitchen to avoid the altercation taking place in the dining room. "Those servants are people just like you and me. They deserve what he did, because tolerating your shrieking every damn day of their lives must have been torture enough. I have to live everyday wondering if my father is alive. He could come home injured to find your letter. You didn't even apologize or give a rational reason for leaving; to you, you are already a widow. How could I have been so blind?
"That man raised me, he taught me about the world and he loved me, to the point that he put himself in danger to make a better world for me." She had calmed down her rant towards the end; but you could still hear the passion behind her words.
"I love you darling. I only want what is best for you and this man could offer you a place in society, where everyone would have the utmost respect for you."
Bella looked at her mother's eyes, they were crazed and desperate, yet showed no love towards her. "You never loved me, you loved what you could get from me. The day I allowed myself to be fooled by you and left my home is the day I will regret for the rest of my life. You think people in Port Angeles thought badly of you for being a wife and supporting your husband? Look around you mother, the people in this town think of you are a whore who left her husband and flirts with every man within 100 yards. They even look down on me believing me to be just like you. Congratulations, look at what you have accomplished."
She had never stood up for herself when it came to her mother. With others it was easy, they were strangers, she had no qualms with their impressions of her; but it hurt to tell her mother the truth. It was like showing a mirror to a child, explaining that every action shown was truly a reflection, not an alternate world. Bella was tired of being pulled in different directions by her mother, but the fact of the matter was that she was still her mother.
It had been so long since she had allowed herself to think of her father. The guilt of what she had done to him ate at her constantly. Telling her to go back, to take care of their home, like he had made her promise. She had allowed her mother's cowardice to pull her from all that she knew was right. Blind indeed she thought.
~*~
Though the Whitlock Manor was not as tense as its Swan counterpart, the air still had an air of tension. Jasper had done his daily chores and was now in his father's office attempting to relax; yet his mind could not rest from thinking. It seemed that was all he was able to do today - think. He was physically there but his mind was elsewhere, in the little house across town where a family was falling apart.
John walked up to his son as he entered his office. The previous nights events flooding his memory, "Are ya goin' to be honest with me an tell me what's happenin' between you an' the Swan girl?" Jasper was taken aback; he would have expected this from his mother, but his father?
"Sir, nothing is happening between me and her, she is engaged to another man." He stated lowly but his father still heard him. "Now you listen here son, I have never thought you to be a liar I saw you sneakin' off that first night and after that you were happy, tired like an over worked dog, but happy." He gave a short laugh remembering his younger years; he had practically stalked Anne before she gave him a second look.
What love does to a man is one of things that always baffled him. It was one of those things that even John Whitlock did not question. You could never explain love yet it was there, people fell in love everyday and he knew Jasper was in love.
Jasper sighed at least he could tell one person, "I love her." He stated in a matter-a-fact sort of way, "Well I knew that, you don't just go lookin' for your momma's disapproval with going to visit just any girl." John looked at his son and didn't see the young boy who'd run around poking all the cows just for fun, he saw a young man torn between making his family happy or finding happiness himself.
"What are you planning to do about those feelings?" he asked exasperated by this point. Going against his wife's wishes was a road few men dare to tread, yet here he was risking precious moments trying to help his son and said son decided today was the day to become slow.
"She. Is. Engaged. What part of that don't you understand?" now Jasper was the one becoming exasperated.
"Where did you hear that she was just told last night?"
"I overheard in town," he quickly tried to cover, but John had interrogated enough suspects to know when someone was lying to him. "Well if you had bothered to overhear the rest of it, you would have known she opposed the engagement. Her mother may think she has complete control but that girl is stronger than she appears."
~*~
Bella came to her senses and returned home, yet she still did not forgive her mother. She entered the house and headed straight for her sanctuary, the library. The clock in the corner of the room struck midnight, she could tell her mind was tired and needed the escape sleep provided but her body was not allowing it. The chiming of the clock was disguising a sound from outside. Once the final hand of the clock stroke the minute mark, she could hear hooves stopping right at her window. Not two seconds after, there were the familiar taps on the window. The days events easily forgotten she ran to the window pulling back the curtains, there he was her gorgeous blue eyed, blonde prince. He truly looked like a prince mounted on his trusty steed read to save the princess from the evil queen.
Upon opening the window she whispered while still holding the biggest smile "Jasper, what are you doing here?"
He cleared his throat very dramatically making her attempts at hiding her laughter impossible. "Rapunzel, Rapunzel…" she cut him off. "Wrong love story, are we not Romeo and Juliet?"
"Well I thought Rapunzel fit, Romeo & Juliet it's too tragic, how bout' something with a happily ever after at the end?" he quirked his eyebrows daring her to argue with him. "Fine, but you will certainly not climb up my hair, it is far too short and you sir, are far too heavy."
He gasped, "Isabella," the outrage in his voice sounded so serious. "Are you calling me fat?" For the first time in the presence of someone other than her father Isabella Marie Swan giggled. This lighthearted fun was truly a refreshing change in their relationship.
"Now, stop wastin' time before the dragon wakes up, and get on Sally!" she looked beyond Jasper and saw a beautiful sand colored filly. Feigning anger Bella picked up her dress and tried to step out the window. "Jasper, my mother is not a dragon!" as he helped her onto Sally, a tough job in it of itself seeing as the girl was clumsy as hell. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean any disrespect."
"You should be, she is more a witch than a dragon." The sounds of their snorts filled the night air as she settled on the saddle.
"Hey there girl?" Bella cooed as she petted Sally's neck.
"Ready?" she nodded and they took off leaving behind their troubles, if only for one night.
~*~
The cool October night air of Texas whipped at their faces as the neared their destination. To Bella it seemed that the direction they were heading was toward the Whitlock Plantation. They rode right past it and into the forest, where the horses could not gallop, it seemed like the trip was never ending.
Jasper watched her from the corner of his eye; he knew she was tired of riding but she just had to be patient for a few more minutes. You could barely see ahead to the small clearing. You see, Jasper's great grand parents were some of the first to settle in this land. Back then, the land was cheap and they bought a shit load claiming it was for privacy. As the family grew they spread out and moved to different portions of the country, yet those who stayed in Texas stayed in the manor. What many didn't know, was that the original house was a tiny cabin about a half a mile from the main house. To this day the cabin is very well taken care of, but no one inhabits it.
"…and that's were I'm taking' you." He finished just as they left the cover of the forest; right in the middle of the small clearing was the cabin from her dreams. "Oh my word." She smiled at him as he dismounted Leroy and tied him to the wooden post on the front yard of the cabin. After repeating the same process with Sally, they entered the cabin together. The inside of the cabin was cozy and small yet very comfortable. The furniture all looked quite old, but up close you could see the how sturdy and hand crafted it was. It felt lived in, not at all like a house that had been abandoned for more than fifty years.
"One day Bella this cabin will be ours." He whispered into her ear and kissed her temple. She wished this would last. That living here with Jasper was not just a pipe dream; but this wouldn't last. No matter what, she was still promised to someone else; she knew her mother had to honor whatever deal she made with Mr. Hunts.
As if sensing her trepidation, Jasper wrapped his arms around and said "We will work through our obstacles one at a time. Just have faith in us."
A/N: This is where the un beta'd chapters ended so now that everything is up to par I can continue the story with out the kink in my neck reminding me of how rough these first 7 chapters were.