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Disclaimer: Twilight Characters and themes belong to the lovely S. Meyer, however, the plot is mine. Please do not translate or copy without permission.


Jasper

"What are we doing here?" Carlisle pulled the car up to the curb in front of his favorite jeweler. He told me he was finished with all of his Christmas shopping, and I really needed to get something for Bella that didn't cost nearly a grand. Besides, Bella wasn't like most women. Jewelry –without significance- no matter what the price, didn't mean anything to her.

"I need to pick something up for the girls. Don't worry, Esme's already ordered them, so it won't take me long. You and Edward are welcome to stay in the car if you like." I sat back in my seat and nodded at my uncle. Christmas time had always been hard for me. It reminded me of my parents. Esme or Rosalie always did my shopping for me. Walking through the malls, trying to fight the crowd, wasn't my thing. That Christmas was different though. I had Bella, and she deserved something special.

"Edward?" Carlisle raised his brow, opening the car door.

"I'm good, Dad. I'll stay with Jasper."

"I'll be back in a minute." He closed the door and headed into Uley's. It really isthe best place in Hanover to buy jewelry, but most people didn't know about or didn't care for the prices.

We sat in awkward silence for a while before Edward turned his head in my direction and huffed. Things had been strained between us, and I hoped that he wouldn't try to discuss it. I wasn't in the mood. I didn't want to shop and I most definitely didn't want to be away from Bella. It was selfish, but I wanted her all to myself.

"What's taking him so long?" he asked with annoyance heavy in his tone. I simply shrugged and averted my gaze. Edward sighed and turned around. I thought I dodged his attempt at small talk, but I was wrong.

"So, things with Bella are good, huh?" he questioned, nonchalantly.

"Yep." I sighed heavily. Bella was the last person I wanted to talk about with him.

"That's good. She's a great girl. You're really lucky." He smiled thoughtfully for a moment.

"I know." I smiled at just how true his words were. Bella was amazing. I didn't understand why she chose me. Edward was good looking, smart despite his outward appearances, and had clearly been making advances towards her. Sure, they probably wouldn't have lasted long. He would have gotten what he wanted and bailed, but still; Edward seemed to be more her type in the beginning. "What about you and Kate? She seems pretty nice."

"She is, man. She's beautiful and smart, too. She's not like other girls I've dated. Kate and Bella are a lot alike actually. I'm not surprised that they took to each other so easily."

"You're going to actually date her then?" I managed to ask through my shock.

"Maybe. I brought her home. I've never done that. I don't want to get too serious, but it might be nice to have someone around. It's my senior year; time to grow up." He shrugged, turning back around. We were quiet after that. The thought of Edward settling down was nearly comical. I didn't ever see it happening; not then, not twenty years from then.

Carlisle came back to the car and apologized profusely for the wait time. Esme wanted each of the girls, Bella included, to have something nice from her for Christmas and had custom, almost matching tennis bracelets crafted. I groaned, laying my head back on the seat. Bella was either going to be angry and slightly embarrassed by the generosity of the gift, or she would become overly sentimental about it. I was hoping for the latter. A teary eyed girl I could deal with.

We decided to head over to Tuck Mall since neither Edward nor I knew what we wanted to buy, and there were plenty of shops to choose from. On our way there I sat back and thought about my conversation with Emmett the day before.

"I don't even know where to start…" I twisted my hands nervously and glared at a nonexistent spot on the carpet. Why did I think talking to Emmett was a good idea? What was I supposed to say? I still think you're an asshole for not telling me you were fucking my sister for… oh…. three years? Thanks for jabbing the spatha into my spine?

"This isn't going to be good is it? Fuck. Man, you look like you're going to puke. Whatever you think I've done, I haven't. Shit with Rosie's been good lately. Real good."

"No, I'm-" I stopped to take a deep breath. In the process I also reminded myself that it was time to man the fuck up. "I just wanted to apologize for the way I've treated you. It wasn't right for me -or anyone really- to place the blame solely on you."

"Aw, shucks. Really?" He batted his lashes playfully. If it had been anyone else I would have been perturbed, but it was just Emmett being Emmett.

"Yeah. Don't get me wrong. You still should have told me. We were supposed to be f… friends. I am apologizing for the way I treated you, not forgiving the way you and Rosalie chose to handle things."

"Do you remember when we first met, Jasper?" I nodded. "You warned me off of Rose before I even knew your name. I didn't get it then. I honestly thought you had some freaky sister fetish, but I get it now. You were trying to protect her. What you didn't understand was that she didn't need protecting. Rosalie is a strong woman, but I knew that if I told you that would be the end of our friendship. I guess that happened anyway, but I won't apologize for loving her. I can't. I should've told you, and I'm sorry for that, but I can't apologize for the way things have turned out. I plan on spending the rest of my life with her, whether you approve or not."

After he finished his rant I didn't know what to say, so I simply nodded. I always knew he loved Rosalie, but I respected him for much more than that. I was her brother and despite the fact that most of her boyfriend could knock me out with one strike, they never stood up to me like Emmett had. It showed just how serious he was about being with their relationship.

We let the seriousness of the conversation die down. Emmett asked how I was making out at Dartmouth. He wasn't surprised to learn I found most of my classes tedious, and was already well ahead in studying for the upcoming semester. When he told me he was falling behind in some courses I readily agreed to tutor him, knowing his scholarship would be revoked if he didn't get some help. I couldn't very well let my niece of nephew be raised by two Dartmouth dropouts.

I steered clear of any topics that revolved around Rosalie, babies, or Rosalie and babies. Bella made a good point at dinner, and I was grateful for the interception, but still couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that my sister had given up on her dreams. Or, maybe I had it all wrong and she was. I wasn't sure. She seemed happier than I had ever seen her, that's all that mattered.

We circled the mall parking lot six times before finding a spot at the far end of the parking lot. Hanover held a population of around eleven thousand people and it wouldn't have surprised me at all to find that at least half of them were following our line of thinking.

Note to self: never shop this close to Christmas again.

"I'll catch up with you guys in an hour or so," I hollered over the crowd as we entered the building. Carlisle and Edward waved me off. They knew we well enough to know that I would want some privacy while shopping for Bella. I was nervous enough as it was, I didn't need their input.

It took way longer than I expected to find what I felt like was the perfect gift. My girl was about simplicity. She probably would have preferred a ten dollar journal to the three hundred one I settled on, but she deserved the best. Besides, she would never know how much I spent. I also picked up a small Lladro in the shape of a kitten, perched on a log with flowers, gazing down at a butterfly because it reminded me of her. It wouldn't have to be for Christmas, rather something I just wanted her to have. I hoped she liked them. Her journal was nearly full and tattered. It needed to be replaced. I considered having something imprinted in the leather, but thought a few simple words, discreetly written inside the jacket would personalize it to my liking, and hopefully hers.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialed Carlisle. He and Edward were sitting in the food court waiting for me. When I found them, I sat down my bags at the table and hurried to the Chinese counter. The line was longer than I'd ever seen it, causing me to grumble. One glance around the square told me I'd be waiting at any of the other five acceptable restaurants as well. I sighed, pushing my glasses further up on my nose, and waited. It didn't take as long as the long line led me to believe it would. Fifteen minutes later I was back at the table with Edward and Carlisle.

"I have no idea what to get Rose. The baby's almost here, so I don't want to get her maternity clothes, but I don't want to assume she'll get her figure back and buy her something she'll never fit into again. It's probably not a wise idea to remind her of that anyway, huh?" We all chuckled at how right he was.

"Why not buy her a pair of shoes? Or, how about that fruity stuff she buys from Bath and Body Works? She would like that."

"I didn't know that's where she shopped. Do Alice and Bella shop there, too?" He cocked his head to the side, seeming to have been in deep thought. I groaned. He always seemed to be concerned with Bella.

"No. Bella doesn't wear anything and showers with body wash from the grocery, and Alice wears Heaven." I stated.

"Huh. How do you know all of this?" he questioned. I shrugged, shoveling a pile of fried rice in my mouth. "Bella wears nothing? She always smells so sweet. Like strawberries or something."

My fork dropped out of my hand, onto the table. Why was he paying close enough attention to Bella to know what she smelled like? I was infuriated. It took me a minute to see through my angry haze. He said she smelled like strawberries. I wrinkled my nose. She didn't. She smelled like honey and chocolate and fucking sun after the rain. Carlisle was looking between the two of us with a worried expression. Perhaps he was thinking the same thing I was. Edward should not be commenting on Bella's scent. MY BELLA!

Mine, mine, mine, I mentally whined.

The smug look on his face told me he knew he hit a nerve. I needed to keep my cool. Too many times he'd gotten the best of me.

"Tastes like them, too." I smirked. Carlisle chuckled before regaining composure and giving me a stern look. He was aware that Edward deserved to be brought down a few pegs. The grimace on his face told me he indeed had, and that we would be moving along to a different topic of conversation.

Three extremely long hours later we were headed home. Edward bought all three girls Japanese Cherry Blossom body wash and lotion, plus gift cards to Urban Outfitters. It didn't escape my attention that he bought nothing for Kate. Carlisle informed him that Esme wanted a new gardening smock, and that was what took the longest. We ended up finding something that resembled what she already had in her shed, and hurriedly grabbed it. Esme could be hard to shop for. I was grateful for the pair of Cole Haan's, stored in my closet that had I had bought two months prior. She was very fashionable, but as she aged, she began to appreciate comfort as well. The shoes were perfect for her.

Rosalie, as Edward observed, was harder to shop for that year. I got lucky when she emailed me a picture of the bassinet she wanted and didn't receive at her first baby shower. It wasn't so much a gift for her, but she would be pleased.

Alice had done so much for Bella that I wanted to show my gratitude. I didn't have a lot of money, but dipped into my savings to purchase her a membership to one of the local runners clubs, a timing watch, shoes and an outfit to get her started. She expressed her interest in running the New York City marathon. I figured my gift would give her push in the right direction.

Carlisle was the easiest. Every year he was gifted a new pen. He easily could have refilled the one from the year before, but it had become tradition, and he seemed to look forward to it – as did I.

We pulled into the driveway and the first thing I noticed was that Esme's car was still absent. I was both relieved and a little disappointed. I missed Bella, but didn't want her to see my gifts. Edward, Carlisle, and I parted ways and I made my way up to my room. I shoved the bags containing the presents into the closet with the others before sitting at my computer desk and booting up the system.

It had been a couple of days since I logged on, and wanted to check my favorite Wars forum. I needed a way to pass the time until Bella got back and knew from years of experience that it would keep me entertained. I scanned the boards for anything interesting. The majority of current topics were nothing I hadn't read before, so I glanced at one or two interesting photo threads and moved on. I came across a question that I couldn't ignore because it was both trivial, and easy to answer.

Thread: FryLives1984 Didn't Luke use Qui-gon's green lightsaber crystal in ROTJ?

BMU007 re: Didn't Luke use Qui-gon's green lightsaber crystal in ROTJ?
:
No, it explains the process of Luke going back to Obi Wan's looted homestead and finding a hidden cache with, among other things, plans for building a new Jedi lightsaber and the supplies in the book Shadows of the Empire, which takes place between Episodes V and VI. He stays there for several weeks and constructs a new one.

I refreshed twice, waiting to see if anyone would dispute my reply. Of course they did, and of course it was the moronic author.

FryLives1984 re: Duuuuudddeeee! It says so on the movie poster. Look it up bro. His lightsaber was blue as the ocean deep!

WOAH! What? Hmm… Did he not read his own question?

I tried to think of a rebuttal, but quickly gave up when all I could think to do was edit his post. I looked over a few more posts and found an interesting debate on "Who shot first – Han or Greedo?" I didn't comment, I would have been there all night, but it was rather enjoyable watching the three –obvious "warsies"- go at it.

Bella got home a couple hours later. When she walked in the room I glanced over my shoulder. I could tell she was exhausted from a full day of shopping. I turned around in my computer chair, pushing my glasses further up on my nose, and opened my arms to her just as she dropped her bags to the ground. She immediately took my offer and fell into my embrace.

We didn't talk for a few moments. I took the time to take in her scent. It was stupid, but I needed to prove to myself that Edward was wrong. He was. Undoubtedly. She smelled better than fucking strawberries, even I was wrong in my assessment. She just smelled like Bella.

"I missed you," she cooed, nuzzling her face into my neck.

"I missed you, too, a lot. Did you have fun?" I pulled back to look at her face. A wide grin spread across her cheeks.

"Mhm. Esme is a bargain shopper, man. I couldn't believe all the great deals we got. I spent more than I should have, but wow… I got a lot of stuff." She nodded vigorously as to emphasize her point.

I laughed. I couldn't believe how excited she was about shopping. It felt like one of those moments where you would ask the silly cliché question "Where's my girlfriend and what have you done with her?"

"I'm glad you had fun. I wish I could say the same, but I don't think I will ever find joy in shopping near Christmas. The mall was crowded; it took twenty minutes to find a parking space, and then another twenty to get my lunch. It was insane."

"Aw, poor baby," she teased. I poked her side playfully, causing her to bend over in a fit of giggles. Her vibrating, squirming body on top of mine reminded me of her tight body squirming as I brought her to her release the day before. Heat began to spread in my groin and before I could contain myself I was pushing my erection into her ass. She quit squirming and looked at me seriously. She was slightly panting from her giggle fit and her cheeks were flushed. She looked beautiful and so natural. I couldn't resist the urge to press my lips to hers.

She kissed back willingly, allowing her tongue to do a sweet, slow dance with mine. In the hundreds of times we kissed I don't think we had ever taken our time. It was definitely bittersweet. The antagonizing slow pace kept me wanting more, but the slow burn sent a warming sensation straight down the center of my cock. I could feel my boxers dampen from the pre-cum that had risen to the surface. My silent wish was to have her lick it off while I watched in anticipation for her mouth. I would never ask her, but still… I hoped.

Too soon for my liking she broke our kiss and climbed off of my lap. I narrowed my eyes and glared at her retreating form as she made her way to the door. Quietly, she closed and locked it. I let out a relieved sigh. There was no way I was going to last without touching her – not after that kiss.

Bella slowly sauntered back over. I got the feeling she was patronizing me purposely. A small smile spread across her face as she stopped halfway between the door and where I was sitting. She lifted her shirt above her head and tossed it to the floor right in front of me. I gulped, hard, never taking my eyes off of her. She continued stripping off her clothing, tossing each piece into the pile at my feet until she was completely bare. I sat frozen, unsure of what to do. What did she want me to do?

Thankfully she answered my unasked question when she came to stand before me.

"Unzip your pants," she demanded.

I fumbled with the denim flap covering my zipper. I couldn't get it down fast enough. Fuck the anticipation. I didn't think I was going to last past the first lick.

She stood straddling my legs, watching me with amusement as I complied with her request. I licked my dry lips as her tiny hand came down and freed my gorging erection from my boxers and out of the whole of my jeans. She pumped me in her palm three solid times before releasing me and sitting her ass down on my knees. Her hands ran up my thighs as she moved her body forward, aligning her wet slit with my erection. I groaned loudly. The vision of her sex so close to my cock was too much.

"I..I want you," I stuttered.

"Soon," she whispered, leaning forward to place a chaste kiss on my lips. Her hand found its way back to my throbbing erection. "But right now, there's something I want to try."

She spread her legs further apart and placed a hand on my shoulder. The tip of my dick slipped between her folds. I took a deep, audible breath. She was so wet. I was ready cum before we even got started. My eyes were glued to our touching centers. Bella's head fell back as she guided my head around the circle of her clit.

"That feels so fucking good," she said, her voice was an octave lower than normal.

I was speechless through my agreement as she continued working her clit while simultaneously pumping my cock. Never, never in my life had I seen or felt anything so stimulating. I felt like begging to be inside of her.

She tightened her hold around my length and slid my tip up and down her slit. My sensitive skin pressed hard against her allowed me to feel every single crevice. Her pussy was so warm, so soft, after having a taste I knew I would never get enough.

I finally tore my eyes away to look at her face. She hadn't moved since we started. Her lips were slightly parted and her eyes closed. The position of her head gave me a nice view of her creamy white neck. In the three seconds I explored it I found a mole I didn't know existed. My eyes raked down her chest, over her breasts, to her hardened pink nipples. They looked so inviting. I needed to taste.

I leaned forward, moving my hands from her hips up to the underside of her breasts. I pushed them up to allow myself easier access to her peaks. My tongue darted out and teased as my hands kneaded gingerly. She cried out, bucking her hips. The sound boosted my ego, and caused my balls to tighten and ache at once. I pulled away from her breast and lay my head on chest.

"God, Bella. I can't… I'm so sorry. Fuck…" I cursed as my release found me and I climaxed against her bare pussy. Panic welled up inside of me briefly. Would she be upset? But my release only egged her on. She continued grinding her hips back and forth, using my cock as her own personal toy. I was so sensitive. It was heaven. It was hell. It was everything.

"I can't wait to feel you inside of me." She lifted her head to look into my eyes as she spoke.

"I can't wait to be inside of you." That was all it took for her to break. Her orgasm shook her body harder than I ever felt. I sat up straight and watched her bask in her orgasmic high. She released my cock, but continued moving slowly against me as she came down. Her hand winded around the back of my neck. She pulled me to her, kissing me – tight lipped and forcefully.

When she pulled away, she laid her head against my chest and sighed.

"I had a lovely time with you today, Bella. We should shop together more often," Esme said, smiling brightly as she passed the green bean casserole to Carlisle.

I turned to give Bella a sly wink. I was so pleased that my family had taken to her so kindly. It even seemed as if Rosalie was beginning to warm up. She didn't go out of her way to speak to Bella or anything, but was cordial none the less.

Conversation flowed freely around the dinner table. For once everyone was in high spirits. I found that even I was happier than usual. Of course, my afternoon contributed to my mood, and I'm sure Bella's, but it felt good to sit around the table with my family and actually feel like a unit. It had been a long time since we thoroughly enjoyed each other's company.

"Oh, I'll grab that. I'm expecting a call," Edward exclaimed, jumping up from the table. Carlisle and Esme both gave him disapproving looks, but if he noticed he ignored them.

"Um, Bella, it's your mom," he announced as he walked back into the room with a shrug.

"My mom?" Bella asked aloud to no one in particular. I gave her a small smile as she got up. She hadn't talked to her or about her parents since we'd arrived. I hoped that whatever Renee had to say wouldn't break her mood.

"Hello... I'm sorry… I've been so busy I haven't even charged the stupid thing… Oh my God… oh my… Where is he...? Oh my God…" I could hear her panicked voice calling out from the kitchen. I began to stand when Rosalie spoke up.

"Please, let me?" She gave me a pleading, knowing, look that caused dread to wash over me. Something was definitely not right. I nodded, but she was already pushing away from the table.

"Bella? Fuck. Carlisle!" she hollered. Worry began to sit in, but I held my place. Rose asked to go, so I wouldn't intrude. "Hello… this is Jasper's sister Rosalie… THREE DAYS... no I don't think she is…My uncle is a doctor, Mrs. Swan… I have it on the caller ID… okay…"

"Her father's been in an accident. She's… shit… she's on medication." Rose explained to Carlisle, but her words made no sense. Renee was on medication? Bella was on medication? No. I would have known. Right? Alice tucked her hand in mine and gave it a squeeze. She could sense my trepidation and nodded her head in the direction of the kitchen. I stood, excusing myself.

As Carlisle ran out of the kitchen I walked in.

"What's going on?" I asked looking from Rose to Bella's trembling form. She was gripping her chest and breathing heavily. Her eyes were closed, but the look on her face was pained.

"She's having an anxiety attack. She'll be alright, Jasper, but we should probably find a way to get her home."

Was she kidding me? She was dismissing Bella from our home because she was having a panic attack? Anger rose in side me. I shook my head furiously.

"I'm not sending back to the dorms. It's Chri-"

"I meant Forks, Jas."


A spatha is a type of sword

Han Solo or Greedo?

O.O Washington State?

Ever use your husband/boyfriend/girlfriend as a toy?

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