Please go vote in my poll for this story!!! And if anyone needs FanFic ideas, I have some!
Once upon a time we had a lot to fight for
We had a dream, we had a plan
Sparks in the air, we spread a lot of envy
Didn't have to care once upon a time
EPOV
What is this feeling? The nervous stuttering? The sheepish glances? The heightened senses? What is the name for such childish apprehension to hear her laugh?
There she goes again, flashing me that stunning smile, rendering me useless. Only this angel can take my mind off of our gloomy new home. Volterra…
"What do you think our old home was like, Edward?" She asks, giddily, taking my hand. If my heart could beat, it would have ripped out of my chest by now.
"Oh, probably somewhere beautiful and serene. In America, I suppose, considering our accents. In an old, quaint house, maybe on a beach, or in the mountains…" I trail off.
She freezes for a second, then asks, softly, "Do you think we have a family, Edward? Others we live with? I would really like to have a sister…" Her voice is so sad I feel my heart breaking.
"I bet so, Alice. I bet you have many sisters. And brothers. And a mother, and a father. A real family." I'm not sure if I'm lying, but it feels…right. Like the family I'm making up is real. Well, if that's true, I'm determined to find them again. Anything for Alice.
"Come, dear ones. There is trouble in America." My head snaps up at Aro's words. America? Our home? "You will go with Felix, Demetri, and Jane. This will be your first test."
Alice's grip on my hand tightens. I smile reassuringly, adjusting my black cloak; the sign of the guard. I sigh, and lead my beautiful pixie to the water, the first step on our way to America. On our way home.
I stared at Jasper incredulously, mouth open wide. "Are you serious?"
"Yes. Let's go. Now. The sooner the better." Jasper's eyes gleamed wildly, and a spark of hope seemed to glisten in them.
"But why?" I asked, confused.
He stared at me, questioning my sanity. I realized what he thought I meant and quickly rephrased.
"No, I mean, why take me along? I would just be a burden, and it's not like Edward wants to see me again." He calmed down, understanding what I was getting at.
"Bella, I can't make this trip alone. I would destroy myself with worry. But none of the others would be able to relate. Sure, Esme and Carlisle would come in a flash, and Emmett too. Rosalie might even make an effort, but none of them would be able to relate. You would. You can." He grasped my hand between both of his, a pleading look in his eyes.
"Jasper, be reasonable. I would only slow you down. And think about your bloodlust. It seriously can't be a good idea to drag around a sack of blood you're not supposed to drink, on a journey to who knows where."
He stared at me curiously. "Do you want to go?"
I hesitated, biting my lip. "Well…yes. I do. But-"
He placed his finger gently over my lips, saying, "Well, then, you're coming. Conversation over."
Pulling his fingers from my face, I said, "Jasper, why are you being so nice to me? And don't start with the whole 'I felt guilty' crap. Edward just stopped loving me. End of story."
To my surprise, he pulled me into a hug. "Uh…Jasper? Are you bi-polar or something?"
He laughed, apologizing. "Sorry, but you look like crap, Bella."
"Oh, thanks. Every girl dreams of hearing that."
"I didn't mean it like that. I meant, you look like you haven't slept or eaten since we left. You look like walking death." He brushed a limp strand of hair from my face.
"Says the vampire," I joked, removing his hand from hair. It was a little unnerving to be constantly touched by someone who wasn't…Edward. Simple things. Charlie will FREAK if I leave. How will he feed himself. Crap, what am I going to make for breakfast? The eggs and milk are gone.
"Bella? Are you okay? You aren't breathing. Bella?" He stared at me, looking worried. I took a deep breath, looking at him.
"Yeah, I'm…fine." My voice cracked, giving me away. I hoped to God he would just ignore it.
"You're a mess Bella," He stated, gripping my shoulder. I suddenly felt…not happier, but better. I guess that's all I could ask from the empath. He was magical, not a miracle worker.
"Thanks. I guess I needed that." I looked outside, trying to determine the time.
"Well, I better get you to a hospital." Jasper opened the door, using his jacket as an umbrella, holding it over the doorframe to shield me from the rain. I stepped out, and we walked to the front of the car, over to the passenger seat. I slipped and, before Jasper could catch me, hit my head against the side of his car.
"Ow…" I felt my head, freezing when I felt the warm trickling of blood seeping from the re-agitated wound. I realized it was just a cut, nothing too serious, but head wounds always bled more easily…
Jasper stopped dead in his tracks, mouth open. I stared at him, suddenly terrified.
His eyes were black with thirst.
"Jasper?" I whispered, backing away slowly. He clenched the side of the car, crunching the metal with his bare hand. I stepped back, slipping in a puddle, landing on my back. Jasper stared at me hungrily, licking his lips.
"Jasper…don't…" I whimpered, crawling back crab-style. He crouched, ready to spring. "You-you can't, Jasper. I-I don't taste good. I really don't. Jasper please, don't do this to my father. Please, it'll hurt him so much." He came closer, a manic look in his eyes.
"Jasper…please." My voice cracked, panic rushing through me. "Don't do this. You're stronger than this. You bandaged me up without killing me. There was a lot more blood then." He paused, struggling.
Out of nowhere, he lunged at me, pinning me against the car, mouth at my neck. His cold breath tickled my skin, his razor teeth skimming my jugular. His breathing was ragged, and he seemed to be struggling with himself.
I let out a sob, realizing that I was going to die at the hands of my true love's brother, the last thing he saved me from before he left. Whispering, I said what I thought to be appropriate last words. "Goodbye, Edward. I-I love you."
The stabbing pain never came. As I slowly opened my eyes, which I had slammed shut in preparation for death, I realized Jasper was gone. I breathed a sigh of relief, slumping down against the side of the car. Tears formed in my eyes, not from shock or fear, but from the realization that I would never see Jasper, or any of the other Cullen's, again. Not again, Bella. Don't go through this again. Simple things. Let's go clean off your forehead, and think of an excuse to tell Charlie in the morning.
I got up, realizing I had no idea where I was. Walking a little, I saw that I was just a block over, and the walk back home wouldn't take very long. Good. No time to contemplate what just happened. Just think of simple things.
The walk was short, the rain relentless, and the journey upstairs quieter than I thought I could manage. I shut the bathroom door quietly, then walked over to the mirror, to take a look at the cut. It was deep, but not too. I probably wouldn't need stitches. Jasper just over-reacted. I marveled at how he was able to withstand the blood to help me; maybe there wasn't as much as I thought. I washed off the excess blood and re-bandaged it, sneaking over to my room.
Okay, there was as much as I expected. The sight caused me to get a little queasy. I covered it up with a rug, deciding to do something with it later. Too full of adrenaline to sleep, I went back to sitting at the window, staring out into the rain. It seemed to be letting up some, but it still came down in buckets.
I sat still, watching, almost hopefully, for a figure to come out of the shadows, just to see him one last time before I was abandoned once again. My hair slowly dripped dry, curling slightly in damp bunches. My nightgown, white, covered in mud and blood, was just as wet, but was more reluctant to air dry. But still I sat there, watching for my last glimmer of hope.
What seemed like hours later, I saw the shape of a man heading over towards the house. Knowing who it was, I stayed in my seat, waving to him. The rain was now a soft drizzle, and I could make out his honey-colored eyes as he ascended trellis under my window. I opened the window, letting him stick his head through.
We sat there in awkward silence for a minute until he said, "Look…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lose it like that. I've been trying to work on my blood-lust, going into town more with Rosalie and Carlisle, but I guess it was all for nothing…"
I smiled weakly. "No, you couldn't help it. And you did great not eating me when you went and played doctor while I was out." He smiled, eyes down.
"Yeah, I just thought you were seriously injured. Now I see it's not too bad." We found ourselves in another awkward silence, once again broken by him.
"So…look. I understand if you don't want to come with me now, after that little episode…" I shook my head, smiling.
"Of course I'm still coming with you. I've got nothing tying me here, save for Charlie. School doesn't matter to me anymore. All I care about is finding Alice and…Edward."
Jasper smiled, nodding in understanding. "I'm glad you trust me that much. It's stupid and dangerous, but who really cares when love is involved?"
Hope you enjoyed! Please review please! And VOTE!