Chapter Twenty One
Nice long chapter for you here, slightly later than normal because I was out.
Disclaimer – I don't own Twilight, Stephanie Meyer does. I do own anything unrecognisable which does not include Mario Kart as that also isn't mine (although I kick arse at that game).
Jasper POV
The two years were the slowest of my life. After seven months, I cracked from Sandy's absence and left Archenwood. Nessie constantly talked about her as though everyone was about to forget. Alice had taken it upon herself to watch Sandy's decisions and talk to Alec in Volterra, informing me of the smallest things. I had been told when Sandy changed to human blood, when she chose to write daily letters to me that she never sent and when she decided to set Demetri's room on fire, even after I had departed when the strain grew too hard. I first returned to Manchester but didn't last long before leaving and heading to Scotland. I spent the majority of a year in rainy Glasgow before leaving Britain entirely and ending up in Denali, where Tanya and her family continued to reside. Needless to say, they were surprised to see me.
"Jasper? What on Earth are you doing here? The last we heard, you were in England!" Tanya cried as she opened the door. True to form, her strawberry blonde curls were in perfect curls and a wide smile spread across her mouth. I was hugged then tugged inside to see Kate and Garrett. Carmen and Eleazar were nowhere around.
"Well, well, well, I need to call Esme," Kate said before departing. Garrett rose from his position on the chocolate brown couch and slapped me on the back.
"Good to see you again. So why'd you leave?" he asked and I sighed, looking around the room. The walls were a rich, creamy colour as was the thick carpet. Any furniture was a soft brown colour and various paintings (very likely exclusive originals) hung on the walls. A large mirror the size of Emmett's television hung above the fireplace, framed in mahogany wood.
"I think you already know the answer to that," I replied, knowing full well that Alice would have called them as soon as she had a vision about my whereabouts. Garrett shrugged carelessly.
"Alice told us that you were very overcome, missing your mate and all but that was it. Why did you really leave?" There was a very long pause as he waited patiently for my internal debate to finish.
"I grew tired of being somewhere she could have been," I finally answered after five minutes of contemplation. Garrett nodded, making a slight face.
"I don't blame you. She is your true mate after all. Tell us what happened – how you met her, what she's like, when she became a vampire and how in the Hell you managed to irritate the Volturi. Again." Kate wondered back into the room as I sighed once more, not really wanting to talk about Sandy. But I missed her so much and I hadn't spoken about her or my feelings since I'd left my family. Maybe it could do me some good.
"It all started when Alice had a vision and moved us all to Archenwood . . ."
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Sandy POV
My final day in the Volturi Castle was the happiest I had been in two years. It ranked numbed three on my list of happiest days ever – one and two both involving Jasper. I was seated in my room dressed in the clothes Alice had chosen for me to come to Volterra in: baby blue skinny jeans, black Jimmy Choo (my favourite shoe designer) stilettos and a white top with off the shoulder straps. My black handbag with my plane ticket, passport (forgery), money, contact lenses and many, many letters to Jasper that I couldn't bring myself to let go of was clutched in my hand as I stared at my purple, diamond encrusted watch. I heard Demetri enter and didn't bother to hold back my groan of desperation. I told myself it was only a few more hours until I could leave and felt a little better. But when he sat next to me and didn't say anything, I grew confused and slightly suspicious and looked up at him. He was staring at the floor looking dejected. What the Hell was wrong with him?
"Tell me about you and Jasper," he ordered after a long while. I frowned, tilting my head to the side minutely.
"Um, what?" I asked in compete bewilderment. That wasn't what I expected when I got ready for the day at all.
"I want you to tell me about Jasper – what makes him so special?" Demetri seemed to be curious against his will yet kind of put out and I grinned devilishly.
"Are you . . . jealous?" I asked in what was almost a teasing tone. He glared at me but didn't reply and I took my cue to actually answer his somewhat complex question. "He's my true mate, what more can I say?" I asked cluelessly.
"How did you two meet?"
"He came to my school in my final year and we . . . connected, I guess." It was hard searching for the right answers to his questions, they were so in depth. Yet the storytelling continued. Demetri asked complicated questions, I gave the detailed answers that seemed to match up and it continued like that for several hours until a beaming Rosalie burst into the room. She was dressed in deep blue skinny jeans with a grey tank top and a fitted, black jacket. Her favourite Louboutins were on her feet and I smirked. She had put her hair in two plaits over her shoulders which looked very cute, I had to say.
"It's time," she told us eagerly and I rushed out of the room, leaving Demetri behind. We hurried along corridors until we reached Aro's throne room of sorts and I was led in. Every single member of the guard was present and they were arranged with perfect accuracy around the edges of the large hall. The three elders stood in front of their ornate thrones and I proceeded forward to them.
"I will miss you child." He was dragging out the goodbye but I had no interest in prolonging my stay.
"I can't really say the same but I can thank you for everything you've helped me with over these past two years," I replied and he slowly nodded his head, taking my hand one more time then letting go three seconds later.
"Alec will be accompanying you hone. But are you sure you won't stay, Alessandria?" I noticed that his milky red eyes did not waver from me and the way he distinctly singled me out, ignoring Rose.
"I am sure, Aro. You have treated me well and assisted me greatly but I don't belong here. I belong with the Cullens – my family," I insisted, still getting a thrill out of calling the Cullens my family. I also noticed that the cheeky edge to my voice was creeping back in and vowed to keep that under control until I was sure they wouldn't kill either Rose or myself.
"Very well. Have a safe journey and please visit sometime soon," he pleaded gently. I agreed with a firm nod then departed with Rose and Alec. We were going home!
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It took every ounce of my better built self control and light restraint from Rosalie not to run off the jet at vampire speed. She insisted that the very human-filled airport would be hard enough on the pair of us without complicating it. Alec bid us farewell, I popped in my mud brown contacts (something Bella could sympathise with – they were a pain in the arse) and prepared myself for the cruellest form of temptation.
"What did I do to deserve this?" I hissed as we walked as fast as possible without drawing attention to ourselves. Rose seemed to be doing a lot better than I was, lucky cow. We had navigated through passport control (with some staring at it wasn't directed at our faces) and were heading for the exit. Our lack of hold luggage made the journey easier.
"It won't be long now. Just hold your breath and don't talk," she suggested and I did so quite easily. The scent couldn't bother me if I could actually smell it. We weaved our way delicately through the bustling humans that I tried very hard not to see as food. I instead watched their suitcases to prevent gazing at their necks. Each person had a different size, shape or colour and there was no coincidental matching from complete strangers. My sensitive ears picked up children (probably in another terminal) screaming for food and hugs and that they were bored. I wondered vaguely if Nessie had ever been that whiny then decided I was glad I couldn't have kids. I didn't have the patience to wait for them to hit around twenty seven when they finally stopped being annoying. When we finally reached the exit, my hope for the end of my torment crashed as I saw humans gathered everywhere. Thankfully, the day was dull and rainy, so they were heading for cars and taxis fast and ignoring us. Looking around, I forgot all about my torture and squealed, throwing myself at the nearest Cullen (Edward).
"It looks like someone's happy," I heard Alice say and I let Edward go, latching onto the pixie like girl instead.
"I'm ecstatic! I'm home with my family and hoping for a bright, colourful wardrobe!" I cried gleefully, moving to hug Esme and Carlisle. "And a deer or something wouldn't go amiss," I whispered and Emmett grinned, pulling away from snogging Rosalie to pick me up and whirl me around quickly. I laughed jubilantly.
"I've missed you Sandy," he said cheerfully as he set me down. I punched his shoulder playfully and smirked.
"I missed you guys too. I missed my purple bedroom and my eye-catching clothes. I missed getting beaten by Emmett at every game except arm wrestling. I missed shopping. But most of all, I missed Jasper . . . who is not here . . ." I trailed off, glancing around in hurt. Where was he? Everyone else is here. Why not Jasper? I analysed my family members carefully and saw each one with a smoothly blank expression. Well, Rosalie looked just as stumped as I was. "Right, you will explain when we get home and go hunting," I ordered and slid into the backseat of the shiny, comfortable Land Rover that I had also missed. I couldn't wait to drive my Lamborghini properly! Soon, everyone else followed my actions and we drove back to Archenwood. Over the two hour car journey, I blabbered away to Nessie about everything I'd missed and what I'd done in Volterra. Apparently, many people had given up hope that I was still alive after Esme and Carlisle's missing persons report, which I suppose was along the right lines. I wasn't alive anymore. My mind kept drifting to Jasper as I explained the exciting parts of my daily routine to Nessie. Where was he?
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Jasper POV
"This is stupid. Go home," Kate demanded and we all looked up at her. Tanya looked disappointed yet expectant, Garrett looked like he was restraining laughter and Eleazar and Carmen were shaking their heads. Kate's shining topaz eyes were looking directly at me and I ground my teeth together. Hints had been dropped, heavily, over the previous five/six weeks and it looked as though Kate had finally cracked.
"Despite the rudeness of Kate's statement, she is right Jasper," Eleazar pointed out in a deceptively neutral voice. I glared.
"It is two years and three days since she left. You know she will be back in Archenwood by now and, despite your complete denial about all things Sandy, you know she'll be missing you!" Tanya nearly yelled, exasperation filling her statement and emotions. I sighed loudly.
"She may have stayed in Volterra." It was a statement of someone uncertain of themselves but Kate's furious glare showed she had misinterpreted it. She snatched me out of the soft suede armchair I had been seated in and began shaking me, sending occasional shocks down my arms that tingled unpleasantly. I noticed no one stopping her.
"She is your true mate, you utter imbecile! When you finally realise that you're being a prat and she didn't stay in Volterra, I hope the guilt eats you alive. I can guarantee she went back to Archenwood but you most likely pushed her back to the Volturi through your abandonment." She was half right, unfortunately. I could have pushed Sandy back to the Volturi through my actions – if she'd returned home in the first place. She also had the rest of the family to keep her planted in Archenwood. My thoughts weren't a lack of faith in Alessandria, but in me.
"You cannot guarantee that. You don't even know Sandy," I argued back, causing Kate to shake me harshly.
"I know enough about her from every detailed story that you've gushed." I thought that was a bit extreme. I did not gush. "I know her natural hair colour is dark blonde, which she hasn't told anyone but you. I know she sucks at video games but, despite you not wanting her hurt feelings, you love watching her pout because it's so adorable. I know that she is fiercely loyal and wouldn't give up the chance to see you again after that length of time. And even if I didn't know those random facts along with so many others, I do know that I am a woman and she will have gone home. I can't say she'll still be there though. If I had come home to find the love of my life gone, I'd jump to conclusions. She left to protect herself and her family. What's your excuse?" And she let me go, huffing angrily and stormed over to the couch where she sat down heavily. Tanya watched with restrained amusement and trepidation whilst I sat down in quiet thought. Kate made a very good point but, judging by her ready emotions, Tanya needed to add to it.
"It looks like you don't trust her or you don't love her." The doorbell rang and Tanya moved her head towards the front door. No one else shifted their positions. "Which would you prefer?" she asked before she breezed off to answer the door. My phone rang and I sighed as I saw Alice's name on Caller ID.
"Alice," I said as I answered. I could hear the various movements of our family in the background and the distinct yelling of Emmett.
"Get out of the way, you squishy frog thing!" I waited expectantly for Sandy to correct him with the 'squishy frog thing's' name but became disappointed when I didn't. She hadn't gone home after all.
"I will not yell at you for being a prick. But Sandy might. She was very upset that you weren't here."
"Nice try, Alice. She's not there, is she?" I heard Alice snort mockingly.
"Not anymore. She heard you'd vanished and followed in your footsteps." There was a clear mischievous tone in her voice that put me on edge.
" What do you mean she-?" I heard Tanya enter the room with some new, familiar footsteps. Kate was smirking gleefully at me. I turned around, phone still pressed to my ear and froze as first the scent then the face hit me. She was dressed in a tight, emerald green cashmere dress with five inch, black stiletto heels. Her hair was still poker straight and in a side ponytail over her left shoulder, still the rich blackcurrant colour I remembered. She was smirking slightly and I noticed her eyes were orangey red. She'd already been hunting – vegetarian style. Alice's voice faded into the background as I stared at her.
"Did you really think I was going to let you slip away that easily?" Sandy asked playfully. I finally ended Alice's call and put the phone away in my pocket. Blurring over to Sandy, I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her face everywhere.
"I." I kissed her eyelids, now closed. "Am." I kissed her nose. "So" I kissed both her cheeks. "Sorry." I finally kissed her lips. But she didn't respond and angrily pulled away, hurt taking precedent over her emotions.
"We need to talk. Now."
Ooh, what's going to happen? If you wait two days, you'll find out! Love Bianca :) x