It is a peaceful time, a time for reflection and realization. Read this with a smile on your face. You will want to smile, anyway.

__________

Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight saga.

Chapter 16: The After Party

Jasper POV

I don't think that even Alice could have predicted the outcome of the Volturi encounter.

She and I sat on a windowsill on the third story of the Mansion, the wind caressing our faces. Alice's head was in my lap while my back was against the wall. We held hands; there was no fear of falling and no perspiration even when those hot breezes slid by. I used my power to envelope my wife in my love for her, and the…feedback I was getting from her was not too hot for the moment, but not too "cold". It was a perfect harmony. Just right.

Her golden, well-fed, beautiful eyes bored into mine. She smirked, biting down on part of her lower lip. I growled playfully, bending down hungrily to kiss her. I may be alter emotions, but Alice was the only one who could affect me the most. Damn my gorgeous, eccentric wife.

Meanwhile, everyone in the family had gone to say goodbye to our guests. Mary and Randall left quickly; places to go, things to see, people to eat… I still somewhat envy them for that tolerance for taking human life. The two promised to stay for a visit if we ever crossed their path again, and we happily agreed. In ten minutes, they had a room reserved for them in the Mansion.

The Denalis are still downstairs. Tanya has grown fond of Leo, and Carmen enjoys catching up with Carlisle. Garrett, Emmett and E are busy wrestling. I considered joining them, but then I remembered E's sharp claws and teeth, and I personally would like to keep my face.

I fiddled with Alice's fingers, gazing down at my extended family below. Maybe things could be normal for a while after this. Maybe the grave danger would stop for the meantime, preferably for a century or two. Maybe we could live off love for now.

Alice's curiosity tickled my brain, somewhere between taste and smell. I looked to her, smiling.

"What?"

"I was just wondering… Is it wrong to feel…satisfied right now?"

"How do you mean, darling?"

"Well, everyone is in their eternal family now. Esme and Carlisle have us 'kids', who have each other. Edward and Bella have Ness, who'll have Jacob. Em and Rose'll have E. You and I have Leo. Leo and E have each other. Everything just…fits."

I smiled. "I know exactly what you mean, love."

"As always."

I laughed. "As always," I agreed.

Easily, I lifted my sixth sense to outdoors, where I focused on Leo and the rest of the family. Naturally, my talent focused on Leo first, who was nervous, but proud and loving.

"E, come on! No—you can't bite Emmett's ear off, I don't care who's winning!" Her light, bell laugh sounded, and I sighed at its beauty.

Her feelings changed to bliss, giddiness and love.

"Lee, its no fair if you give all my thoughts away."

"I think you just need better volume control for you thoughts."

"Oh yeah?"

"Mm-Hm."

I heard Leo's delighted squeal and a peal of giggles.

"Put me down, you big pussycat!"

"No can do, kitten."

"E, this is so not funny!"

"Then stop laughing, girl."

"I can't help it if you…tickle me!" Her giddiness affected me, making me laugh myself. Even if someone didn't have my ability, they would be afflicted by the two's joy.

I heard the Denalis give their last goodbyes, surely seeing that the young ones needed time alone.

E burst through the front door, then in another second, entered the room in which Alice and I were sitting. Leo, now in jeans and an over-sized hooded sweatshirt, hung over E's shoulder, squirming. Alice squeezed my hand, beaming with happiness.

"Don't mind us, folks, just passin' through."

"Don't let him…!"

E stopped to look back at us. "I just wanna… Thank you for… Lee is…"

I nodded, "You're welcome." Alice could only smile widely.

"Oh, Jasper, here." Leo giggled as E dug through a messenger bag that slung across his body. Leo's laugh echoed throughout the room like a serenade of far-off hand bells.

E flung something long, cylinder and black at me, and I caught it agilely. I stared at its confusing gold markings, Alice also gazing up at it.

"It's a…scroll holder." E muttered. "The markings are the Troop's insignias. Inside, I swiped a copy of the Troop's legends, customs, holidays, beliefs, dress code, even a bit of our language…pretty much everything. Oh, and uh…the pendant at the bottom is our crest."

"By 'our'," Leo chuckled, "he means E and mine's."

"Yeah, I…thought you two deserve to understand Lee and me a bit better."

I shook the tube at him once. "Thank you."

"No probs. If you don't mind, I have something to dump in a tree."

"N-n-no! Not the tree again!" Everyone laughed along with her. E continued out the door, clutching the twisting Leo. "Bye, Mom. Bye, Dad..." She wave with a smile, giggling as the two left for the woods.

I sat very still.

"Did...she just…call us…?"

"Yes, Jazz!" It was Alice's turn to fiddle with my hair now. "It's official now."

I leaned my head back against the wall. "Wow…"

"Oh, it won't be all that bad, Jazz, just eternal bliss."

"I guess I can handle that…" I laughed, and Alice joined in, a perfect mix of soprano and bass. "It's just…a lot to dump on someone."

"Jazz, it's not gonna be any different. Look, you love Leo, right?"

"Of course."

"And you feel it's your job to protect her and influence the person she is to become?"

I nodded.

"After every thought you have, do you instantly consider how it would affect her?"

"Yes."

"Then you're already there, honey. We just have a title now," she kissed my hand.

"And E?"

Alice thought. "Well, Emmett and Rose seem to be fitting E's parent role in the future I see. But Leo is with us, so he'll still love us."

"I guess that's a good thing. It would be a tad confusing for them to be soulmates and call the same people Mom and Dad."

We both chuckled.

"So we," I said, "an empath and a psychic, are the proud sort-of parents of a thirteen year-old half-vampire half-shape-shifter young lady, who is Imprinted with another thirteen year-old half-vampire half-shape-shifter. That about sum it up?"

"Just about."

"And I remember when we thought Bella complicated things."

We both chuckled, at the joke and at watching our girl wrestle with her Imprint. Sitting comfortably on the windowsill, we were in no hurry to move. We had forever and an eternity together. There would be time for worrying later.