Disclaimer. All publicly recognizable characters, settings etc., are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. I only do this for fun. – B
Chapter 7
(Jasper's POV)
As we ran through the trees back towards the house, I couldn't help but to go over everything that had just happened during our hunting trip.
The taste wasn't anything like drinking human blood and I had to drink more to become sated, but at the same time there were no crippling emotions anchoring me down, no pleading or murdering innocent people, no playing God when it came to trying to pick out my prey, no thinking back on the family of the person who's life I stole, no guilt or regret.
It was like an alternate reality.
I also began to think back to our round of love making after during our hunt as well. I couldn't believe that she actually marked me. I marked her during our first time claiming each other, not only because for the first time that I had the urge to mark them, but because I wanted the world to know that she was mine and that no one else could lay claim on her. I am the male, therefore the dominant in our relationship, but for the female to mark the male, it must mean that she really wanted the world to know I was hers.
Ever since I learned what the different kinds of markings meant, Maria had it instilled in my head that there would never be anyone who would want me and love me and take pride in me enough to want to mark me with a mating mark.
As I thought about that, I ran my fingers over the fresh mark on my neck and couldn't help but to smile. I haven't smiled as much as I have since I have met Bella than I have since I was thrown into Maria's army. The first few times it felt foreign on my face, but now it couldn't feel more natural.
I was broken out of my thoughts as we crossed over the threshold of the forest to the acres of fields around the ranch house. Bella stopped and turned to me with a smile lighting up her beautiful features. My God, it should be illegal to be so gorgeous. She has a face that only belongs in the heavens. She is my angel.
She reached forward with her hand outstretched and I placed my hand in hers and intertwined our fingers before returning her smile and began to walk through the fields.
"So, what would you like to do with your existence now that you're free to do it?" She asked.
"I'm not sure." I answered creasing my forehead, my eyebrows coming to a point above my nose. "What is there to do these days for work?"
"Do you have any degrees or work related skills?" She asked.
"Well, besides working on my papa's farm and my career in the Civil War, all I have ever known is running Maria's army." I shrugged.
"What about school? Didn't you go to school when you were younger?" She asked.
"Shouldn't you know?" I smirked and she returned with a sheepish smile.
"I knew from what I read that you went to school and worked on your family's farm and how after your brother died, you entered the military, leaving your younger brother and two sisters to help your mom and dad at the farm. But I never read if you actually finished school or learned a trade or not."
I shook my head. "I'm not sure if Peter told you this or not and I know that this information wouldn't be in any of the books about me, but when I enlisted in the army, I lied about my age. I never finished school."
"Oh, now that you mention it, I do remember Peter telling me that." She said as we continued to walk together with our hands linked together.
I looked back over the fields and watched as the wind blew across the blades of grass and the horses grazing in the distance. I could see the birds flying in a 'V' in the sky and the ducks near the pond by the barn making noise as they bathed. It was a beautiful sight and so private.
I sighed out loud and looked down at our feet as we matched our strides as one.
"What am I going to do?" I wondered out loud.
"Well, we can always have a lawyer that Peter knows make you fake documents." She suggested.
"Fake documents? For what?" I asked perplexed.
"Well, for starters, you will need proof that you not only got a college degree in your chosen trade, it they require one, but your high school diploma or GED." I gave her look of surprise and she chuckled, shaking her head. "What? Time have changed since you've been in the working force."
"Do I absolutely have to work? I mean, I have enough money to last me a couple life times from when I was in Maria's army." I told her.
"No, of course you don't have to work. Nor do we expect you to pay for anything that involves you living here. We already gave you your credit cards and ID's for anything else you might need, so we don't need you to pay for anything out of the money from Maria's army. That's yours to do with as you please. Spend it on yourself." She winked and then continued. "It's just that it is a long eternity and I know that I want to learn everything, try everything… I don't want to spend it doing the same thing over and over again. I want to enjoy it."
I nodded as I thought over everything that she said. "So, I would need those things in order to get a decent job." I mused and continued to think at Bella's nod. "Well, if that's the case, I want to earn them, at least once in my existence."
"So, you're saying that you want to go to school?" Bella asked and I nodded my confirmation. "Okay, did you want to just get your college degree in your chosen field, or did you want to go to high school too?"
I pursed my lips and pulled the bottom one in and began to nibble on it slightly before I answered. "I want to go to high school too. Just once to be able to say that I graduated, so that in the future when we have to fake documents for anything, I will know that it's not fake like the rest things that we will have to tell people. I want to start where I left off when I left for the army."
She smiled at me a full smile as she looked up at me while she radiated pride, acceptance and love. "I love that you are such an honest and noble person."
My heart lurched at the compliment and the way that she was looking at me. Even her emotions were wonderful to feel directed at me and I was sucking them up as fast as they were being thrown.
"Did you finish High School?" I asked out of curiosity and the fact that I wanted to get to know everything I could about her.
"No," she frowned. "No, I didn't. I was in my senior year when I was changed. I wasn't even half way through it when Laurent attacked me."
"Oh," I said, my expression turning thoughtful. "Do you ever think about going back? To finish High School, I mean."
She nodded. "Yes, I've thought about it. But until last year, I didn't want to risk it, what with being a newborn and all. Even though I was controlled and all, I didn't want to chance it regardless. But when I think about everything that I missed when it came to school and college, yes, I think about going back."
"Well, then why don't you go back with me? I was seventeen when I enlisted, so that would make me a senior as well. It's only October, so the school year is really only just starting. We can experience this together for the first time." I suggested.
I knew by the way that she spoke about it and the emotions behind her words that she really wanted to be able to go back and I wanted her to have that experience. Not to mention that the selfish side of me wanted her there with me and didn't want to part from her; even if it was only for a few hours a few days a week.
I looked at her thoughtful expression as I waited with baited breath for her answer.
"Are you sure that you will be okay starting school this year? I've never had to switch diets before, but from I heard from Edward," I growled at hearing his name from her lips. She paused mid-sentence and shot me a look. When I didn't say anything further, she continued. "As I was saying, he had said that the transition isn't easy. You have to remember that there will be other students there besides us and there were seven hundred and some kids in my old school in Phoenix and three hundred and something in Forks, though that's only because it was such a small town. Are you sure you don't want to wait a year?"
I thought about it before shaking my head. "No, I want to do this now. I can't sit here at the ranch for a year while everyone else is out there living their lives. I've let my blood lust rule me and everyone around me for over a century and a half. I won't let it rule me anymore."
She pulled us to a stop and turned to me. She looked up at me as if she was looking for something, though I wasn't sure what. She sucked her bottom lip between her teeth and bit it briefly before letting it go and giving me a small smile. Once again, she was feeling proud, acceptance and love.
"You're right." She said squinting her eyes slightly from the sun that was showing down on her face from over the tops of the trees. "I know you can do this and I shouldn't have discouraged you. You are stronger than that and I have to remember that. You're a lot stronger than the other coven of vampires that I met, especially when it comes to determination and righteousness. We will start school this year and we can start at the middle of next week if you like. But just as a precaution, I'm going to have Peter and Char bag some human blood to keep in the house, just in case you need it. I know how the emotions of your human prey got to you and I don't want you to have to feel that again if you don't have to. We'll store it in the downstairs fridge in the vault in case you do decide that you are having a hard time with the transition and being around all of those humans for six hours a day and need me to wean you off of the human blood. Does that sound like a compromise?"
One side of my lips pulled up in a crooked smile and I nodded. It sounded reasonable and she wasn't doubting my ability to do it. She was just covering the bases and looking out for me so that I could accomplish everything that I wanted to when I wanted to do it. She only had my best interest at heart and I could never fault her for that.
"I love you," I told her tucking a strand of hair that blew in front of her face behind her ear.
"I love you too," she grinned and leaned up to kiss me. I met her half way and touched my lips to hers in a chaste kiss as I brought up my hand and cupped her jaw.
We pulled back, but I kept my hand on her face and traced my thumb over her cheek bone once before dropping it.
"Let's get back to the house and talk to Char and Peter about our decisions so that they can get the necessary paperwork together for us to start school next week. We're going to both need transcripts in order for them to accept us in to any school in the US." She suggested.
"Alright," I said as I grabbed her hand once again and took off running towards the ranch house with my beautiful mate by my side.
A/N: I know that it's short, but I wanted to get this story moving again and I needed a filler chapter in order to make that happen. I'm doing that with a few of my other stories that I haven't updated in a while as well. I hope you guys liked the chapter and I would love to hear what you thought about it!
If you have any questions or comments, post them in my reviews and I will answer them in my next Author's Note!
Questions and Answers:
Soulsistersinaslan: Amazing chapter.
Definitely looking forward to what comes next. Just a question here, what is going on with Peter and Charlotte at this time, and what are all four of them going to be like in family moments? You know, like mates night in or something silly like that, or date night?
Please post more soon.
I plan on showing more of the family dynamic with Peter and Char soon. I just wanted to get the story off the ground first so that I could get Jasper and Bella's relationship started and Jasper's first hunt out of the way. Peter and Char don't need to be there for their hunt or any of the lemons obviously, but now that I have the direction that the story is headed in play, I will be able to include more Peter and Char and have Jasper get to know them all over again now that they are not in such a hostile environment. Thanks for the review and keep reading!
Check out my other stories!
'Attempting to Covet'
'Dhampir' COMPLETED!
'Far Fetched Realities'
'Mirror Image'
'Other Worldly Beauty'
'Dhampir: Broken Moonlight' (SEQUEL) NEW!
'Perplexing Revelations'
'Unimaginable Outcomes' NEW!
'Pretexting'
'The Heart's Desire'
'Intricate Beauty' NEW!
'The Major'
'Twilight ReVAMPed'
If you enjoyed this story so far, check out some of my other stories on my FanFiction page! Also, I am still accepting Twilight stories that involve Jasper/any female leads or Bella/selected male leads
if anyone is looking for a Beta Reader. I will make exceptions on the characters depending on the plot.
I am also now accepting Phantom of the Opera FanFictions that include Erik! I will also
be accepting Titanic FanFictions featuring Jack, The Ghost Whisperer that feature Melinda and
Law and Order SVU that feature Elliot. PM me for details!
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