p class="MsoNormal"Our lips break, and I grudgingly pull myself away from him, sighing as I breathe in everything that is my mate. Even though his eyes seem to glow with joy, they reflect a sadness back onto me, and my being hurts knowing that I am the cause of everything that he is feeling./p
p class="MsoNormal"But that is a two-way street, I know that I am duller than I once was, and that I do not hold the light I once held far before the murders. I long to be with him, but I will myself to not forget the pain that has been placed on me of a life I did not chose./p
p class="MsoNormal""You're here, with me." He states, and for a second I wonder if he thinks he is hallucinating, and does not grasp fully that I am before him./p
p class="MsoNormal"There is something about him that lacks the emotion he once held. He holds himself with a rigidity that was not there before, he seems so empty. I long to be the one to make him whole again./p
p class="MsoNormal""I am." I smile up at him, and with my smile he relaxes a touch, still watching me as though I could disappear at any second and slip through his grasp once again./p
p class="MsoNormal""Will you leave again?" there is pain in his voice, and he avoids my gaze, looking down like he's bracing himself for the absolute worst./p
p class="MsoNormal"My hand finds his chin, tracing over his jaw line and guiding his eyes up to mine./p
p class="MsoNormal""No, I'm here to stay." I smile gently, holding back a tinkling laugh when he visibly lets out a deep sigh, a grin breaking his stiff façade./p
p class="MsoNormal""I don't know if I could handle seeing you leave again." He admits, his eyes roaming over me with a charming smile./p
p class="MsoNormal"I simply smile lightly at him, taking my own time to look over my mate. His beautiful features seem to glow in the dim lights, and the music around us fades away as I reach for his hand, longing to just be near him, no matter how upset I still am with him./p
p class="MsoNormal""What happened is not over." I nod at him, hoping that he will understand./p
p class="MsoNormal""I understand why it cannot be." He agrees./p
p class="MsoNormal""But for tonight, I understand you need a date, and I need a memory from prom that doesn't end in complete misery." I laugh, leaning into him and looking up at him./p
p class="MsoNormal""Well, milady, may I have this dance?" he takes a step away from me, holding his arm out to me in a fashion that is far from any motion a boy from this century would use, but I giggle and go along with it anyways, relishing in the joy I feel simply from being home./p
p class="MsoNormal"It is like the world was turned in a way I could not understand, but with his puzzle piece in place, everything is correct again./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;". . ./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"Rosalie/p
p class="MsoNormal""Look how happy she is." I murmur, looking to Emmett with a smile, he follows my line of sight, eyes widening as he takes in Jasper's carefree grin. It's a far cry from the soldier in him who returned when Calina left./p
p class="MsoNormal""I have to admit, I never saw that one coming." He grins at me, arms wrapping around my waist automatically as we both watch Jasper twirl Calina across the floor gently like he's forgotten that she isn't made of glass anymore./p
p class="MsoNormal""I'm glad she's back, but I'm afraid Isabella will think that because of Calina's past with us, we will just turn her because she wants it now." I roll my eyes, looking over at the puppy dog of a girl as she makes heart eyes at Edward./p
p class="MsoNormal"I don't want to hate her, but her rash decisions and vast acts of petulant immaturity have driven me mad. Part of the hatred stems from Calina, and wishing to protect my family from the hurt her turn put us through, even if she is one of my closest allies./p
p class="MsoNormal""Rose, you have to let that go. She's here to stay, plus, you could like her. I mean look at how quickly you and Calina bonded." Emmett shrugs, soothing me./p
p class="MsoNormal""That was different, and you know it." I sigh, thinking of all the times I've had to talk myself out of heading back to the Alaskan prison where her attacker waits out his life sentences. I want to rip him to shreds, but I don't, knowing that it would do more harm than even the satisfaction of knowing he is dead would give me./p
p class="MsoNormal""I know it, Rosie," he smirks "how do you think Carlisle will explain her to everyone?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Good question, maybe Alice's younger sister?" I question, watching Calina closely even though she doesn't need my supervision any longer./p
p class="MsoNormal""Damn, I was hoping I would finally get a sibling." Emmett sighs, joining me in watching Calina and Jasper./p
p class="MsoNormal""Well, she does look like you." I laugh, holding out my hand to Emmett "Now, Mr. McCarty, I want a dance."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;". . ./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"Calina/p
p class="MsoNormal""Thank you, for tonight, Jasper, I had a really lovely time." I smile up at him, biting down nervously on my lip as I walk into my room slowly, turning back to look at him./p
p class="MsoNormal"He stands in the doorway, his arms tucked behind his back, looking as stiff as possible. For a moment, I consider making him use his own gift on himself, but figure it would backfire in some way, and instead I beckon him in./p
p class="MsoNormal""Are you sure?" he questions, looking around my room as he steps in./p
p class="MsoNormal""I wouldn't ask if I wasn't sure." I joke, but he just looks more awkward in my large expanse of a room./p
p class="MsoNormal""I have to admit, I spent a lot of time in here after Alice remodeled it for you. Even if you had never lived here, it felt like you. It felt like home." Jasper sighs, pausing briefly to look at a framed picture of my family./p
p class="MsoNormal"I nod wearily at him, unsure of how to even begin to feel from his remarks. A large part of my chest has been set alight with pride in knowing that he feels that his home is with me, the other feels empty knowing that we both felt so alone and solitary./p
p class="MsoNormal""Let me get changed, then we can talk, but not about what happened, that would be too much for tonight." I hurry into my closet without waiting for his response./p
p class="MsoNormal"I unzip the dress quickly, all too aware of the boy pacing outside the closet door in a quick rhythm that's almost quite unnerving./p
p class="MsoNormal"When I'm done, I throw on an oversized hoodie that must be Jasper's, and hurry back out to him./p
p class="MsoNormal"He's stopped pacing and is back in front of the picture of my family, gazing at them with intensity. I clear my throat and his head snaps up robotically, features sheepish./p
p class="MsoNormal""Will you tell me about them, about everything?" he asks lowly after a pause./p
p class="MsoNormal""Yes, you'll have to sit, it's quite the story." I sigh, eyeing the picture he has become so enthralled with./p
p class="MsoNormal"I curl up in the corner of my couch and he sits as far away from me as possible, still holding himself so tightly that I fear he could just combust if he concentrates on being any more rigid./p
p class="MsoNormal""You want to know everything?" I ask, and he nods vigorously./p
p class="MsoNormal""I was born when Allison was eight, in Alaska, obviously." I smile "She practically raised me, my dad worked long hours as a developer, I suppose that's where Allison's passion for those kinds of matters began. My mom was a lawyer at his firm, it's where they met, and fell in love."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Jasper nods, encouraging me to continue./p
p class="MsoNormal""I've never met a more enchanted couple. They looked at each other like the sun rose and set behind each other's heads. They loved each other well, but their jobs were demanding, and Allison and our housekeeper Diana really raised me." I pause thinking of what more I could say./p
p class="MsoNormal""When I was, younger I used to want to be a dancer, and I danced all day long and all night long. I just kept on dancing straight up until Allison left, and then I quit. I always regretted that. Although I never was very graceful off the floor." I laugh, and Jasper cracks a smile./p
p class="MsoNormal""You had a little brother." He nods towards the picture, obviously interested in Sammy./p
p class="MsoNormal""I did, he was born a year after Allison left. His name was Sammy, and he was four when he died. He was my redemption. I was fighting with my parents constantly, always doing something wrong. I was a teen, and I thought I ruled the world, but my parents never truly allowed me responsibility until Sammy came along."/p
p class="MsoNormal""You don't have to tell me about Jared Grant." Jasper growls through gritted teeth, obviously upset by my attempted murder./p
p class="MsoNormal""I need to, I may not remember it for much longer." I sigh./p
p class="MsoNormal"My human memories have been fading as the days turn to weeks, and I fear that I will forget my family forever, and forget the people I once loved. I have already forgotten so much of my childhood, and I don't want Jasper to go forever without knowing who Jared truly was to me./p
p class="MsoNormal""We met when I was fifteen, he was living with his Aunt after being bounced from home to home. I don't know what it was about him, maybe it was because he oozed danger, and my friends were always calling me a teacher's pet. We locked eyes, and my life forever changed." I rub my arm self-consciously, too aware of Jasper's hard gaze as I recount my ex./p
p class="MsoNormal""He was great in the beginning, wonderful even. He treated me with kindness, was a gentleman, although you are ten times the more than he ever was. It wasn't a sudden change, it went so slow I don't even think I realized what was happening. His words got harsher, and eventually his fists did as well."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Jasper shudders, and I stop talking, just taking him in. He looks pained, and I frown understanding why I am so calm. He has harbored me from any kind of negative feeling I could have, and is feeling them too intimately./p
p class="MsoNormal""Calina, we have to take a break. I cannot hear any more of how this monster turned his fists loose on you. There is no excuse for hitting a woman." He seethes./p
p class="MsoNormal"I scoot closer to him, stopping when I'm practically right up next to him, and I grab his hand soothingly./p
p class="MsoNormal""I promise that I will never intentionally hurt you again." He finally sighs, the anger in him retreating./p
p class="MsoNormal""I know." I whisper, turning into his shoulder./p
p class="MsoNormal"I stand, holding my hand out to him./p
p class="MsoNormal""Come to the bed?" I ask lowly "Just hold me, for tonight?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"His face breaks out into a grin, and he follows me, still in his suit, and lays down next to me in the completely unnecessary bed. There are no words, or quiet murmurs, I just lay in his arms completely content to just be held by him, a man I swore I hated just days ago./p
p class="MsoNormal"But that is a two-way street, I know that I am duller than I once was, and that I do not hold the light I once held far before the murders. I long to be with him, but I will myself to not forget the pain that has been placed on me of a life I did not chose./p
p class="MsoNormal""You're here, with me." He states, and for a second I wonder if he thinks he is hallucinating, and does not grasp fully that I am before him./p
p class="MsoNormal"There is something about him that lacks the emotion he once held. He holds himself with a rigidity that was not there before, he seems so empty. I long to be the one to make him whole again./p
p class="MsoNormal""I am." I smile up at him, and with my smile he relaxes a touch, still watching me as though I could disappear at any second and slip through his grasp once again./p
p class="MsoNormal""Will you leave again?" there is pain in his voice, and he avoids my gaze, looking down like he's bracing himself for the absolute worst./p
p class="MsoNormal"My hand finds his chin, tracing over his jaw line and guiding his eyes up to mine./p
p class="MsoNormal""No, I'm here to stay." I smile gently, holding back a tinkling laugh when he visibly lets out a deep sigh, a grin breaking his stiff façade./p
p class="MsoNormal""I don't know if I could handle seeing you leave again." He admits, his eyes roaming over me with a charming smile./p
p class="MsoNormal"I simply smile lightly at him, taking my own time to look over my mate. His beautiful features seem to glow in the dim lights, and the music around us fades away as I reach for his hand, longing to just be near him, no matter how upset I still am with him./p
p class="MsoNormal""What happened is not over." I nod at him, hoping that he will understand./p
p class="MsoNormal""I understand why it cannot be." He agrees./p
p class="MsoNormal""But for tonight, I understand you need a date, and I need a memory from prom that doesn't end in complete misery." I laugh, leaning into him and looking up at him./p
p class="MsoNormal""Well, milady, may I have this dance?" he takes a step away from me, holding his arm out to me in a fashion that is far from any motion a boy from this century would use, but I giggle and go along with it anyways, relishing in the joy I feel simply from being home./p
p class="MsoNormal"It is like the world was turned in a way I could not understand, but with his puzzle piece in place, everything is correct again./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;". . ./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"Rosalie/p
p class="MsoNormal""Look how happy she is." I murmur, looking to Emmett with a smile, he follows my line of sight, eyes widening as he takes in Jasper's carefree grin. It's a far cry from the soldier in him who returned when Calina left./p
p class="MsoNormal""I have to admit, I never saw that one coming." He grins at me, arms wrapping around my waist automatically as we both watch Jasper twirl Calina across the floor gently like he's forgotten that she isn't made of glass anymore./p
p class="MsoNormal""I'm glad she's back, but I'm afraid Isabella will think that because of Calina's past with us, we will just turn her because she wants it now." I roll my eyes, looking over at the puppy dog of a girl as she makes heart eyes at Edward./p
p class="MsoNormal"I don't want to hate her, but her rash decisions and vast acts of petulant immaturity have driven me mad. Part of the hatred stems from Calina, and wishing to protect my family from the hurt her turn put us through, even if she is one of my closest allies./p
p class="MsoNormal""Rose, you have to let that go. She's here to stay, plus, you could like her. I mean look at how quickly you and Calina bonded." Emmett shrugs, soothing me./p
p class="MsoNormal""That was different, and you know it." I sigh, thinking of all the times I've had to talk myself out of heading back to the Alaskan prison where her attacker waits out his life sentences. I want to rip him to shreds, but I don't, knowing that it would do more harm than even the satisfaction of knowing he is dead would give me./p
p class="MsoNormal""I know it, Rosie," he smirks "how do you think Carlisle will explain her to everyone?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Good question, maybe Alice's younger sister?" I question, watching Calina closely even though she doesn't need my supervision any longer./p
p class="MsoNormal""Damn, I was hoping I would finally get a sibling." Emmett sighs, joining me in watching Calina and Jasper./p
p class="MsoNormal""Well, she does look like you." I laugh, holding out my hand to Emmett "Now, Mr. McCarty, I want a dance."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;". . ./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"Calina/p
p class="MsoNormal""Thank you, for tonight, Jasper, I had a really lovely time." I smile up at him, biting down nervously on my lip as I walk into my room slowly, turning back to look at him./p
p class="MsoNormal"He stands in the doorway, his arms tucked behind his back, looking as stiff as possible. For a moment, I consider making him use his own gift on himself, but figure it would backfire in some way, and instead I beckon him in./p
p class="MsoNormal""Are you sure?" he questions, looking around my room as he steps in./p
p class="MsoNormal""I wouldn't ask if I wasn't sure." I joke, but he just looks more awkward in my large expanse of a room./p
p class="MsoNormal""I have to admit, I spent a lot of time in here after Alice remodeled it for you. Even if you had never lived here, it felt like you. It felt like home." Jasper sighs, pausing briefly to look at a framed picture of my family./p
p class="MsoNormal"I nod wearily at him, unsure of how to even begin to feel from his remarks. A large part of my chest has been set alight with pride in knowing that he feels that his home is with me, the other feels empty knowing that we both felt so alone and solitary./p
p class="MsoNormal""Let me get changed, then we can talk, but not about what happened, that would be too much for tonight." I hurry into my closet without waiting for his response./p
p class="MsoNormal"I unzip the dress quickly, all too aware of the boy pacing outside the closet door in a quick rhythm that's almost quite unnerving./p
p class="MsoNormal"When I'm done, I throw on an oversized hoodie that must be Jasper's, and hurry back out to him./p
p class="MsoNormal"He's stopped pacing and is back in front of the picture of my family, gazing at them with intensity. I clear my throat and his head snaps up robotically, features sheepish./p
p class="MsoNormal""Will you tell me about them, about everything?" he asks lowly after a pause./p
p class="MsoNormal""Yes, you'll have to sit, it's quite the story." I sigh, eyeing the picture he has become so enthralled with./p
p class="MsoNormal"I curl up in the corner of my couch and he sits as far away from me as possible, still holding himself so tightly that I fear he could just combust if he concentrates on being any more rigid./p
p class="MsoNormal""You want to know everything?" I ask, and he nods vigorously./p
p class="MsoNormal""I was born when Allison was eight, in Alaska, obviously." I smile "She practically raised me, my dad worked long hours as a developer, I suppose that's where Allison's passion for those kinds of matters began. My mom was a lawyer at his firm, it's where they met, and fell in love."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Jasper nods, encouraging me to continue./p
p class="MsoNormal""I've never met a more enchanted couple. They looked at each other like the sun rose and set behind each other's heads. They loved each other well, but their jobs were demanding, and Allison and our housekeeper Diana really raised me." I pause thinking of what more I could say./p
p class="MsoNormal""When I was, younger I used to want to be a dancer, and I danced all day long and all night long. I just kept on dancing straight up until Allison left, and then I quit. I always regretted that. Although I never was very graceful off the floor." I laugh, and Jasper cracks a smile./p
p class="MsoNormal""You had a little brother." He nods towards the picture, obviously interested in Sammy./p
p class="MsoNormal""I did, he was born a year after Allison left. His name was Sammy, and he was four when he died. He was my redemption. I was fighting with my parents constantly, always doing something wrong. I was a teen, and I thought I ruled the world, but my parents never truly allowed me responsibility until Sammy came along."/p
p class="MsoNormal""You don't have to tell me about Jared Grant." Jasper growls through gritted teeth, obviously upset by my attempted murder./p
p class="MsoNormal""I need to, I may not remember it for much longer." I sigh./p
p class="MsoNormal"My human memories have been fading as the days turn to weeks, and I fear that I will forget my family forever, and forget the people I once loved. I have already forgotten so much of my childhood, and I don't want Jasper to go forever without knowing who Jared truly was to me./p
p class="MsoNormal""We met when I was fifteen, he was living with his Aunt after being bounced from home to home. I don't know what it was about him, maybe it was because he oozed danger, and my friends were always calling me a teacher's pet. We locked eyes, and my life forever changed." I rub my arm self-consciously, too aware of Jasper's hard gaze as I recount my ex./p
p class="MsoNormal""He was great in the beginning, wonderful even. He treated me with kindness, was a gentleman, although you are ten times the more than he ever was. It wasn't a sudden change, it went so slow I don't even think I realized what was happening. His words got harsher, and eventually his fists did as well."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Jasper shudders, and I stop talking, just taking him in. He looks pained, and I frown understanding why I am so calm. He has harbored me from any kind of negative feeling I could have, and is feeling them too intimately./p
p class="MsoNormal""Calina, we have to take a break. I cannot hear any more of how this monster turned his fists loose on you. There is no excuse for hitting a woman." He seethes./p
p class="MsoNormal"I scoot closer to him, stopping when I'm practically right up next to him, and I grab his hand soothingly./p
p class="MsoNormal""I promise that I will never intentionally hurt you again." He finally sighs, the anger in him retreating./p
p class="MsoNormal""I know." I whisper, turning into his shoulder./p
p class="MsoNormal"I stand, holding my hand out to him./p
p class="MsoNormal""Come to the bed?" I ask lowly "Just hold me, for tonight?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"His face breaks out into a grin, and he follows me, still in his suit, and lays down next to me in the completely unnecessary bed. There are no words, or quiet murmurs, I just lay in his arms completely content to just be held by him, a man I swore I hated just days ago./p
