Chapter twenty

24th December

I sat in the living room on a sofa curled up on one end of the sofa whilst we listened to Peter and Jasper thumping around in the attic.

"What did they say they were doing again?" I said with a small frown as i raised an eye brow. Charlotte wrinkled her nose slightly and sighed.

"Finding something to make it seem more festive," She said mimicking Peter's voice, i sniggered as a reply and then turned to see the two idiots coming down the stairs grinning. Having Peter and Charlotte here has been good for Jasper i think, he's relaxed so much.

"TA DA!" Peter said pointing to the old battered guitar case in Jaspers hands. The two men were eyeing it like it held the crown jewels or something.

"OH MY LORD!" Charlotte squealed, "Is that...?"

"Yeah!" Peter said with a grin. Ok, so now i was extremely lost so i escalated the confusion i felt. Jasper looked up to me with a grin. It almost took my breath away, he was truly beautiful, angelic. His long messy dirty blond hair fly around his face as he swung his head up to look at me. His pearl white teeth framed by his luscious pink lips as he grinned chuckling.

He sat down between me and Charlotte placing the case on the floor unbuckled the ties and opened it. Inside was an ancient guitar which looked in decent condition but well used.

"My Father got this for me for my seventeenth birthday, it's been through the war with me, both civil and new born," He said lovingly lifting it up, running his fingers over the strings before tuning it carefully. I knew Jasper played guitar but i had never heard him play. He wasn't like Edward with his musical talent, he didn't flaunt it. He started to strum the strings, placing his fingers delicately on the neck and then started to play a tune. He was really good and then he started to sing. I almost went into cardiac arrest from the sheer beauty of his voice, sure it was only jingle bells but with Jasper singing it it was like angels in heaven doing opera. Charlotte and Peter joined in and Jasper raised an eyebrow at me and i rolled my eyes and joined in too. So with Jasper on guitar we wiled away our afternoon singing Christmas songs of different varieties. Some i hadn't a clue about because they were so old, Peter and Charlotte where only turned in the late forties so some of the music Jasper played they too could only listen too.

I think that was the point where i truly realised how old Jasper was, even in comparison to Peter and Charlotte. Jasper was turned in 1863 at the age of 20, which meant he was born in 1843 and as this year is 2013 (ok i looked at the calendar and this year ties up with the books and the dates i put earlier on so roll with it) it really shocked me to think he was born as a human 170 years ago. I was born on the 24th of April 1996 which makes Jasper 153 years older than me. Heck he's even 58 years older than Edward.

But still i couldn't help than chuckle when people said they had a thing for older men, no matter what their fetish couldn't be as bad as mine! I could easily beat them any day. Twenty years you say? I'll meet your twenty years and add on another hundred and fifty! Beat that! Hey i even beat Bella...but unfortunately Esme took the cake of the age difference front. Ah, if only Edward could hear my thoughts now.

I heard a male chuckle. I looked up and frowned, that did sound weirdly like Edward. I'm going mad, i thought and leant back. There was the chuckle again, i frowned slightly and then saw Charlotte tense and look behind her towards the door. I shook Jasper's arm slightly and he stopped singing and looked to the door.

"What?" He muttered raising an eyebrow.

"SUPRISE!" Was yelled as the doors burst open and eight figures burst through. My eyes went wide as Carlisle, Esme, Edward, Bella, Rosalie, Emmett, Renesmee and Jacob stood their grinning. Charlotte looked as surprised as i did, Jasper and Peter must have been in on it as they had no shock on their faces.

"OH MY LORD!" I squealed and leapt up to hug Rosalie and Bella, " What are you all doing here?"

"Christmas is for family! Jasper invited us down to stay over Christmas," Rosalie said before Emmett locked me in a bone crushing hug, literally. Edward had to point out to him i was breakable before he crushed me.

"Aw but i missed her!" He cooed ruffling my hair.

"What am i Em? A pet?" I said pouting. He snickered and then grinned.

"Possibly," He said.

I finally got round to greet Carlisle and Esme who were talking to Peter and Charlotte.

"Lizzie! Carlisle said he'll teach us to be Vegetarian!" Charlotte sad excitedly whirling to face me. I beamed at her.

"Great!" I said grinning to her before turning to face Esme before being folded into her arms. I truly adored Esme as the mother i never had.

"Oh Lizzie sweetie i did miss you!" She said fondly. Carlisle joined the embrace and i snaked an arm round both of them truly happy.

"Yes the house wasn't the same without you," Carlisle said smiling down at me; he really was tall, not as tall as Jasper but lanky all the same.

"I missed you both too, I don't know how you put up with him. He really is very messy...he never goes to bed when he's told, he plays with his food. I'm afraid i may have to send him back," I joked motioning to Jasper who had just appeared behind me, pouting like a child. Esme laughed musically and played along.

"Now Jasper what did i say! If you won't behave yourself like a good little boy santa wont bring you any presents!" Esme said waggling her finger.

"Yes, you'll only get coal," Carlisle said in a mock serious voice.

"Y'all here that! Jasper's only getting coal!" Emmett said with a grin.

"All you'll get is coal and all if you don't behave," Rosalie scolded him, to which he cringed. We all laughed.

It was seven o'clock and the boys, Esme and Charlotte had gone hunting so it was just Rosalie, Bella and I in the living room. Jacob was doing his paedophile stalker thing and playing with Renesmee up stairs, man that sounded wrong!

"So things going well? Or do i have to cancel all flights back to Alaska?" Rosalie said with a wicked grin. I rolled my eyes at her whilst Bella chuckled.

"Things are going just fine thank you very much!" I said trying to act serious but i couldn't help but smile. They squealed and Rosalie did the silly fast clappy thingy.

"Wow! So at what stage we talking here? The ok-lets-go-out-and-see-were-this-goes stage or shall-we-plan-the-wedding-this-summer-or-next stage?" Rosalie said and i could see the brides maid dresses flashing before her eyes. Bella grinned cheekily.

"Or the let-skip-right-to-the-chase-and-have-kids stage," She said jokingly. I scoffed.

"Do you and Ed have a hive mind or something?" I said scowling, "But no...we're quite comfortable not really having any major plans at the moment. Well i don't...he might be cooking something up in that stuck in the nineteenth century head of his. I wouldn't be able to tell if he did...you'll have to torture Ed in to telling you if you're that interested...i'm not too fussed...someone'll tell me if it's important," I saw the look Rosalie and Bella shared, it was the, you grab him i'll beat it out of him look they shared so often.

Rosalie really was a character, she was probably the most beautiful creature ever to grace this planet and she knew it with her well formed body and luscious blond hair. Yet she had a truly rounded personality, vain yes, but she truly was a good friend. I think she had come to accept the fact that, unlike Bella, i was not going to just throw away my humanity at the first chance i got. Jasper was changed at Twenty and i wasn't going to be eighteen for a good four months yet so had a good couple of years before i'd even start to think about it. But he already has a good 170 years on me, what's another couple on that? I'm not going age that much between twenty and say twenty three am i?

The hunting party returned seeming pleased with their work at about ten. I noticed a few tiny golden specks gracing Charlotte and Peter's eyes which made me happy.

"It's harder than it looks," Peter grumbled sitting down next to me, "Humans taste so much better," I scoffed.

"I'd prefer you didn't say that whilst sitting next to me," I said flatly. I saw him stiffen slightly and then rub the back of his head.

"Whoops! Sorry 'bout that," He said chuckling nervously. I just rolled my eyes and winked at him as i walked off to find Jasper. I knocked softly on his door knowing he'd hear me. I heard him call so i opened the door and stepped in. I could hear running water so i knew he was in the shower.

I looked around Jasper's room smiling. It had changed since i saw it the first day i was here. I smiled at the picture of myself and Jasper that Carlisle took on the day of the party. Jasper had his hands on my corseted waist as he rested his chin on top of my carefully done hair. I had my hands rested on his uniform clad chest, looking at the medals he had earned which decorated it. This had been a sneaky one that Carlisle had taken when we weren't looking. It had pride of place on the mantel piece along with other pictures of the two of us. There was one of us on the chaise long in the Cullen's entrance hall looking at each other longingly, Rosalie took this one. Another of us standing in the snow, wrapped up in warm clothes, with me about to tip snow on his head. I smiled as i looked at each in turn. I finally realised what Rosalie had meant about the look he gave me, he looked at me so lovingly in each of the picture, how had i been so blind.

Jasper stepped out of his ensuite wearing only a loose pair of black jeans whilst towel drying his hair. A few stray drops of water trailed down his chest and it was all i could do to stop myself from drooling as it traced his perfect abs. He just laughed at me.

"Stay in here tonight," Jasper said smiling to me. We where curled up on his unused bed, fingers intertwined just looking at each other.

"I've got to get changed first... but i'd like that," I said smiling to him. He chuckled, leaned forward and placed his ice cold lips softly against the warm flesh of my forehead.

"Ok..." He said as i leapt from the bed and skipped across to the door and over into my room. Slipped into my low cut mid thigh length purple silk night gown with matching lace underwear and dressing gown, brushed my teeth and my hair and then scurried back into his room.

He raised an eyebrow at me as i slipped off the knee-length dressing gown and i swear i saw him gulp slightly as his eyes trailed my body. I knew for sure he had forgotten to breathe as i crawled across the bed towards him. He was leaning against the head board sitting up, with his legs apart, so i decided to take advantage of this. I sat on my knees between his legs and smiled to him.

"I'm ready for bed," I said innocently, he was still admiring my night wear, "The night gown was Rosalie's purchase...it came as a set...this was the most covering night gown i had thats clean," He nodded slowly and chuckled finally meeting my eyes.

"I'd like to see the others if this is the most covering," He said with a smirk. I scowled at him playfully.

"Pervert," I muttered, "Spare Edward the pictures," He laughed and pulled me gently into bed flicking off the lights.

"Sleep now beautiful," He whispered. And thats just what i did. I was out like a light.