A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who responded to the last chapter! I'm always glad to hear from you!
This chapter takes place the first time Edward brings Bella home. I got some of it directly from Twilight, so this is my disclaimer: characters and some dialogue are from S. Meyer...and enjoy!
Jasper sat on their window seat, his back pressed against the wooden frame. He was desperately trying to breathe in the clean air from outside in order to dilute the sweet smell of Bella's blood wafting through the house.
It was different than going to school. Yes, there were hundreds of humans at school that could tempt him, but it was hard to concentrate on just one of their scents. They all blended together, tainting the smells, making them less tempting--even if only minutely.
If one of the humans came too close, he could always escape at school. He could hold his breath and leave swiftly to the outside air, to the car, or even just to Alice. Her scent, and even simply her presence--always optimistic, hopeful, lively, made it slightly easier for him to resist at school.
At home, he needed no escape. Home was his safe spot. It was the place where he could go to get away from the temptation. He could escape to his books and inhale the scent of crisp pages and leather furniture. Or he could venture into the room he shared with Alice, where he sat now, and breathe in her sweet smell.
But today, home was not as safe for him.
He and Alice had been in their room when she arrived with Edward. He was flipping through a book on philosophy as Alice sat at her computer, working with the software to design a new dress. She had stiffened suddenly, and her emotions had dimmed briefly before becoming overwhelmed with excitement. She had then swiveled in her chair to face Jasper, her face glowing.
"They're on their way!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands together.
He smiled, "Remember what Edward asked of us…try not to frighten her. This is all a new concept for her," he gently reminded her.
Alice dismissed his statement with a wave of her hand, "She'll be fine! She's going to love us, Jazz. And we'll all love her."
He chuckled at her enthusiasm, "I'm sure you're right."
The two heard the click of the front door opening downstairs. Alice's eyes lit up, "Shall we?"
He could faintly detect the scent of her blood now. It wasn't too strong, but he held his breath, knowing that it would be a sharper scent once they went downstairs. He met her eyes once more to reassure himself that he wouldn't slip up. She had full faith in him, and it showed.
Taking her arm in his, he nodded, "We shall."
"I have such a delightful escort," she said, laughing as they strolled down the hall.
"I'm afraid the pleasure is all mine, mademoiselle," he winked.
"Ah, je suis "Madame," Monsieur Whitlock," she corrected in flawless French.
"Madame, pardon," he played along.
She grinned and stood on her toes to give him a peck on his jaw just as they reached the top of the stairs.
"Where are Alice and Jasper?" Edward had just asked.
"Hey, Edward!" Alice exclaimed before leaving Jasper's side swiftly. In a blink, she was standing in front of Bella, ignoring Carlisle and Esme's staggered looks. Jasper paused at the top of the stairs, testing his control. He breathed in for a moment and immediately regretted it. She smelled amazing. He swallowed the venom in his throat and tried to ignore the burning.
"Hi, Bella!" he heard Alice say as she kissed her on the cheek. Jasper was just as shocked as Carlisle and Esme now. His wife's control astounded him.
"You do smell nice, I never noticed before," she told her, breathing freely. Jasper knew that she intended it as a compliment, to make her feel more welcome. He could feel waves of embarrassment flowing from Bella and his mood lightened in amusement.
He sprinted downstairs as fast as Alice had and stood by her side, still not breathing. I'm fine, he thought to assure Edward.
Jasper then sent out tranquil emotions to Bella as he said, "Hello, Bella."
"Hello, Jasper," she smiled shyly.
He concentrated on ignoring the sound of her beating heart, of the blood being pumped through her veins. He continued to hold his breath as the conversation quickly turned toward Edward's musical abilities.
"Edward didn't tell you he was musical?" Esme asked Bella.
"No," she said with a glare, her emotions annoyed, "I should have known, I guess."
Esme was puzzled.
"Edward can do everything, right?" Bella said.
Jasper couldn't help letting out a snicker at her comment. Alice nudged him, but her emotions told him she was amused too.
As Esme encouraged Edward to play for Bella, Alice took his hand in hers.
"C'mon," she said almost inaudibly. They snuck back upstairs to give them some time alone.
"She's so cute. I love her already, Jazz," Alice said.
She then wrapped her tiny arms around his waist and leaned her head into his stomach, "Thank you for trusting that she wouldn't tell anyone about us, it means a lot to me," she whispered.
"I know," he murmured into her hair, "anything for you."
* * * * *
It wasn't so bad when Bella and Edward had been exploring the house, but when Edward had brought her to his room, the smell of her blood became undeniable. Jasper inhaled sharply, the sweetness of her blood clouding his mind. His shaking hands clenched as he fought to restrain himself. He concentrated on staying in their room instead of racing down the hall and--
"Hey," Alice spoke softly, suddenly right in front of him. She gently covered his trembling fists with her hands, "you're so much stronger than that, Jasper. Just don't think about it."
Had she seen him doing something? The shock of that thought was what led him to the window for air. She smiled before kissing his forehead and then settling across from him on the window seat.
They sat together for a few minutes before she was struck with another vision. At first, he had worried that she had seen him doing something to Bella. He had concentrated on clearing his mind, and thought that he was feeling a bit better, but maybe he had been wrong?
Her eyes lit up as they met his own and he felt a rush of relief.
"There's going to be a storm," she said, grinning.
"Baseball tonight?" he questioned, catching her excitement.
"OH yeah. And good thing too. Emmett's been wanting a rematch."
"Any hint of who'll win?" he wondered, hoping to use that knowledge if Emmett decided to place a bet.
"Maybe," she said innocently before getting up, "C'mon. I wanna go see if Edward'll come."
He took in one last breath of fresh air and held it in his lungs before following her down the hall.
They arrived to see Edward holding Bella tightly in his arms. Jasper's eyes widened in shock. He tested Edward's emotions, but they were calm, happy…loving? He loved her…but still…how was he able to be so close and yet still resist her blood?
"It sounded like you were having Bella for lunch, and we came to see if you would share," Alice announced, her emotions playful.
"Sorry, I don't believe I have enough to spare," he replied, his emotions elated.
Jasper felt himself smiling despite his confusion as he told Edward of their baseball plans, asking him if he wanted to play too.
Edward's eyes lit up, his emotions peaking, before hesitating.
"Of course you should bring Bella," Alice chirped. Jasper glanced over at her quickly to see if she was serious before looking back at Edward and Bella. She was serious. He wondered how much Edward was willing to risk her life. A field of vampires and one human. It could be bad.
"Will I need an umbrella?" he heard Bella ask.
He couldn't help but join in their laughter. Despite her scent, he found that he enjoyed her personality. Her emotions were pure, optimistic, calm. He was starting to like her…he just didn't know how long he could tolerate smelling her blood.
"Will she?" he asked Alice.
"No," she said positively. Her excitement delighted him.
As they finished up their conversation, Alice announced that they should go ask Carlisle if he would play.
"Like you don't know…" he teased as they left, closing the door gently behind them. She danced further down the hall to go ask Carlisle.
"Alice…" he said, wanting to ask before they involved the rest of the family.
She sensed the hesitance in his tone. Stopping gracefully, she spun to face him with questioning gold eyes.
"Are you sure its safe for Bella to come too?" he asked her, the memory of her scent still quite alive in his mind.
Her face relaxed and she grinned at him, "Of course. I saw her there. It'll be fun, don't worry about a thing," she said reassuringly.
He nodded as she skipped off again to ask Carlisle if he and Esme would join their game, even though he knew she knew he would. He followed after her, ignoring the burn in his throat, trusting his Alice. Everything would be fine.
A/N: Let me know what you think! And once again, any ideas/thoughts are appreciated. Thanks! =)
