Ch. 9. Healing begins.
A.N. The words in Italic's are song lyrics. The song is by Hoku, it's called 'Nothing in This World.' and if you have it, listen to it while you read this. The words in bold are memories.
Jasper's P.O.V..
I came upstairs as it seemed the drama for now was over. Edward had actually apologized for being an asshole. Okay so Rebecca had totally forced him to, but it was about time someone did.
Now I will always be grateful to Carlisle and Esme for all they've done for me. The love and unquestioning acceptance they have always showed me. But it's no secret that they let Edward get away with everything.
He is the spoiled prince of the family, and he damn well knows it. Seeing Rebecca put him in his place tonight was just the best thing I'd seen in a long time.
Speaking of Rebecca, I heard her come up the stairs about ten minutes ago. I could feel the sadness that my boost of happiness hadn't been able to completely squash.
She smiled at me downstairs and I just couldn't get the image out of my head. She was just so beautiful when she smiled. I could immediately see why Caius had been drawn to her.
Even depressed and looking sad, she had this light, a radiance that could outshine the sun.
I'd never actually met Caius. Seen him sure, when the Volturi confronted us believing Nessie to be an immortal child. All I knew about him was what I'd been told by Maria. Caius was known for his ruthlessness. His vicious temper and cruel attitude. He'd killed Irina with his bare hands after it was realized she had lied about Nessie.
Hearing Rebecca on the phone snapped me out of my thoughts. I could hear her talking, her voice breaking. But I couldn't make out who she was talking to.
We sound proofed every room in this house as best we could. I could hear her start to cry. I felt bad for her, even though I had no opinion of Caius, I could understand the hurt and the loss she felt.
For a long time, about three hundred years by my math, she and Caius had been together. He'd always been there and she really was struggling to cope with life without him.
Footsteps on the stairs. I had my guitar in my lap, so once I had determined it to be Alice, I went back to the song I had been working on. Hours passed while I worked on the words to go with the haunting, yet sad melody.
"Love ended here today. And the dreams we used to share. I watched you walk away as you told me you still cared. Now I can't believe your gone, how could you say goodbye. You told me you would never make me cry."
I was having a hard time as the song was so sad. It took me three hours just to get one verse. I had an idea. I wondered if Rebecca could help me. Carlisle had told us that she was very musically gifted. She played many instruments and was a classically trained soprano.
"I'm sorry for your loss." I hear Alice quietly tell Rebecca. I was startled to realize I was standing outside Rebecca's door.
"Thank you, Alice." I hear her respond just as the door swings open.
"Hey Jazz." Alice greets seeing me standing there. She no doubt saw what I was going to do. She smiled at me, golden eyes twinkling.
"Alice." I acknowledged my ex-wife. Though we had known we were not true mates, we'd spent fifty years together. Alice had saved me and I would always care about her.
Meeting James and the nomad's during our baseball game all those years ago brought surprising changes to the whole family. James and Alice discovered that they were true mates. So it had been with a heavy heart I'd granted Alice a divorce.
Letting her go hadn't been easy, but I wouldn't stand in the way of her happiness. James and I are close now. He understands the struggles I have faced, being an animal drinker. After years of feeding on humans. He's had several slips himself so we help each other greatly.
"Hi, Jasper." it is Rebecca's voice that pulls me from me little trip down memory lane. Focusing on her as she stands in the doorway, I remember what brought me to see her in the first place.
"Could you help me with the song I'm writing?" I ask.
"Sure." she answers, a small smile playing on her perfect pink lips.
"Alright, lemme go grab my guitar and we can go down to the music room." I say as I rush off, happy she agreed to help me.
Ten Minutes Later..
Rebecca P.O.V..
I went and grabbed my phone off the bed, where I'd tossed it after talking to Taylor. I also pulled Caius' old green button down shirt back on over the skimpy cami.
It didn't really smell like him anymore, I'd worn it and washed it too much. I had other things including a couple more shirts that were packed away.
Those still smelled like Caius, and with the way I kept them, they always would.
Jasper was already in the music room when I got there. Tuning the acoustic guitar on his lap. He was sitting on the bench to the black baby grand piano. I knew the piano was Edward's. So I brought down my violin.
"What's that?" Jasper asked, when I set the red leather case on the couch along the wall. I didn't answer him, just unzipped the custom case Daddy had given me for a birthday decades ago.
Gently I lifted the hand made wooden violin from the cradle of red velvet that lined the case. It had been made for me by a famous family of Italian violin makers. Caius had given it to me in 1735, for our 35th wedding anniversary.
Turning to face Jasper, his eyes widened when he saw what I was holding.
"Wow."
I blushed a little bit.
"That has got to be old." he added. I laughed a little.
"Yes it is. Caius gave it to me in 1735." I said, still remembering the day like it was yesterday.
Jasper whistled, he'd no doubt done the math and realized my violin was two hundred and seventy seven years old. I had another violin that had hand painted roses on it, but the one I propped on my shoulder now meant a lot to me.
Drawing the bow across the already perfectly tuned strings, I began playing one of my favorite pieces. The rich melody filled the room and my ears, providing break from my tumultuous emotions of late.
"Ok I am warmed up now. Would you play me what you have?" I ask Jasper as the final notes of my tune fade. It takes him a minute before he adjusts the guitar on his lap and begins to strum.
The melody he plays is sad. He plays it twice more for me before I have it enough to play it on the violin. As I play it I let the music speak to me.
"Can I play the piano?" I ask. I don't want to hear Edward have a cow. From all I've heard he is incredibly picky when it comes to his prized piano.
"Sure." Jasper says. So I carefully set the violin back in it's case and take a seat at the piano. I haven't played in a while. Jasper begins playing the tune again, and I let the music speak.
"Love ended here today. And the dreams we used to share. I watched you walk away as you told me you still cared. Now I can't believe your gone, how could you say goodbye. You told me you would never make me cry.
You said nothing in this world would come between us. No way you'd ever let me go. No no. Nothing in this world would come between us. What did you know?" I sing the verse Jasper already had and add another one.
"What difference does it make if I understand the promises we break are never what we planned. Cause we planned to stay together till forever then, now forever has come to an end." As I sing I can see Caius. I remember the day he left. He'd promised to come back. I had begged him not to go.
"Please don't go." I begged. I had a bad feeling about this. He'd gone on hundreds of these Clean Up assignments in the three hundred years we'd been married. Every time he'd come home. I knew, I just knew that this time would be different.
"I have to go." his voice echo's across my memory. Still as clear as the day he left. I start to speak but he cuts me off.
"I'll be home before you know it." he promises, kissing my forehead. I cling to him, refusing to let him leave.
"You said nothing in this world would come between us. No way you'd ever let me go. No no. Nothing in this world would come between us. What did you know? You said goodbye. You said goodbye. I hear it echo through this empty place inside. Let it rain, just let it rain. Cause there's nothing left between us but the lonely day you said."
"I love you, Rebecca. I'll be home soon." Caius says, as he gently pulls my hands from his coat. One last kiss before he's gone.
"Nothing in this world. No way you'd ever let me go. No no no no. Nothing in this world would come between us. What did you know?"
I stood in the hall with Caius' scent lingering in the air and knew with absolute certainty that I would never see my husband alive again.
Four nerve wrecking days later my fears were confirmed when the Guard that had gone with him, came back without him. They brought back his ashes, which they gave me.
Along with his crest necklace, a smaller necklace that bore our intertwined initials and his wedding ring.
The gold band with inlaid diamonds, emeralds and sapphires. Mine was a smaller version of it, and since the day I put that ring on his finger, he'd never taken it off.
"My condolences, Lady Rebecca. Lord Caius fought hard, but in the end he lost. There was just too many of them and they ambushed him." The Guard whose name I couldn't remember said.
I would later learn three other Guards had been killed, but I hadn't known them. And with grief consuming me I couldn't bring myself to care.
A.N. So I'll leave it here. Things are moving along nicely. Hope everyone's enjoying the ride.