Slightly later than I anticipated - stupid internet provider... - here is chapter 28. Just a simple family day together... but nothing is ever that simple, is it? Enjoy!
Chapter 28.
All six of them moved down the corridor; out of the building and into the nearby trees. They were lucky; it was a rainy day so there was no problem with them going outside. They had decided to, at least for the first few hours, go and hunt; none of them really needed it but it was something they wanted to do while there wasn't anything to inconvenience them; be it constant supervision or the timescale of the second task. They all split up but Jasper and Bella remained together; again deciding to hunt together rather than alone. To the rest of the family it was probably viewed as simply because Bella was still a newborn and she needed someone there to ensure she didn't run into difficulties but really the reasoning was much more than that; Bella simply didn't want to be away from him and it was same for Jasper. They ran from the rest of the family and then slowed to a walk.
"What do you want to hunt for?" Bella asked him.
"Whatever you want; your choice this time." He smiled at her and squeezed her hand.
She shut her eyes and opened her senses to see what she could smell; there was an interesting aroma that was coming from somewhere to the east of where they stood and she could feel her throat begin to burn more intently. "What is that?" she whispered; hoping Jasper understood what she was referring to.
"It smells like elk; do you want to go and investigate?"
"It smells great. I want to taste it."
Jasper smirked down at her and they turned and began to run again, now in the direction of the prey. Within a couple of minutes they'd closed in on a relatively large herd of bison; several large adult creatures along with younger versions of them. Bella licked her lips as she watched them from a distance; the burn had increased the closer they'd got and she could feel the venom pooling in her mouth. "Go for it, darlin'," Jasper whispered.
She set off at a run and pounced on a huge beast and took it to the ground; breaking its neck quickly and continuing on to take another three to the ground. As soon as she'd appeared the herd had began to dissipate but there were a few stragglers that she was able to catch. Once all four were dead she pulled herself back to her feet and turned to face Jasper again. He was walking towards her and Bella could see desire in his eyes, "An all you can eat buffet," she said; smiling at him widely.
"Very impressive, angel." He was eyeing one of the victims with interest, "May I?" he asked; gesturing at the one he wanted.
"Please." Bella said; watching as he crouched by it and then sank his teeth into it and closed his eyes as the liquid poured into his mouth and down his throat. She saw him enjoying the blood and her own arousal spiked at the look of pure pleasure on his face. She was so caught up in watching him she didn't even think about consuming some herself until he lowered the carcass and opened his eyes; looking at her intently; his eyes dark even though he'd just fed.
"Are you going to join me? They're getting cold." He said, smiling at her.
If she'd been human she'd have been blushing and she knew he could feel her embarrassment. She lowered herself to the ground and pulled the last one she'd killed into her lap; swiftly repeating what she'd just watched Jasper do; feeling the heat of his gaze as he watched her this time. They both quickly grabbed the last two beasts and drank from them both quickly. Once Bella was finished she tossed the body to one side and her eyes once again met Jasper's. He was also sitting on the ground now and she moved over to him on her hands and knees; her need to be close to him more important than anything else.
Even after the few months she'd been a vampire she was still a messy eater but there was one thing she enjoyed more than ever about this fact. Jasper's eyes were sparkling as she crawled nearer to him. Bella could feel his emotions; directed straight at her and they only intensified her need to be by him. She smiled at him; a smile that grew as she moved to sit on his lap. "Hello beautiful." She whispered to him.
An arm wrapped around her waist and his other hand took her chin in its fingers. "I should be saying that to you." He whispered.
"I'm a mess, Jazz." She said; as she looked down at herself.
"You're stunning," he said firmly as his mouth brushed across her cheek; his tongue pushing between his lips and lapping at the blood that covered her face; a purr came quickly from her chest as she felt it touch her cheek. He continued his exploration of her face; taking his time to remove the remnants of her meal from her face. Her purr increased in volume as he worked diligently at his task; her hands clutching at his biceps as he moved to her jaw and neck. Jasper knew she loved it when they did this; he could feel the desire pouring from her as she shifted in his lap; she would be able to feel how much he enjoyed this experience as well.
The first time they'd done this had been after they shared the bear; just before the encounter with the human. Then it'd been Bella that'd licked and kissed the blood from his mouth as they gave into the desire between them and ever since then it'd been something they regularly did; both enjoying the way it brought them closer. More often than not it was Jasper who had to clean up Bella and there was a small part of him that suspected she purposefully got herself messy when she ate because she enjoyed it so much when he did this for her. If that was the case, who was he to complain…? If this was what it took to keep his mate happy then he was more than eager to do it; anyway somehow the blood tasted even better when it was from the surface of her skin. The sound of her purr was enough to make him hard; but it was almost as if it reverberated through her body when she did it so he could feel the sound as much as he could hear it.
Finally his mouth settled on her lips and the kiss they shared was hungry; the need for blood gone completely and a different hunger building between them. In barely the blink of an eye they were both naked and he was pushing into her; it was his turn to purr as he relished the feel of her around his cock. He'd never experienced anything as good as making love to Bella. His times with both Maria and Alice were nothing like as good; although it was only recently he could admit this to himself without feeling the overwhelming guilt. Each time he got to do this with Bella it was as if it was the first time; the heat between them never seemed to lessen and he hoped it never would. The time between them ignited his senses and his emotions were always blasted to anyone who happened to be in the vicinity; what she was feeling seemed to affect him even more; just adding to the heady mix that pulsed from his body in a steady stream.
Jasper moved beneath her; turning them so he was now lying on top of her; his movements becoming more erratic as the passion they were feeling escalated. He released his hold on her body and his fingers clawed into the ground as he strained to get them both to where they desired to be do badly. Bella was murmuring his name now; a constant litany of moans as her body tightened around him.
Both of them knew it wouldn't be long until they both came; it rarely was; the intensity between them not letting it last too long. Sometimes they both wished it would last longer but then they'd get caught up in it and by that point it was too late. Neither of them really regretted it that much; the joy of being together outweighing everything else.
Jasper collapsed on top of Bella as their names still rang through the trees; their voices echoing in the sky. For a while they both lay there; regaining their unneeded breath and composure. "We should be getting back to the rest of the family." Bella whispered.
"We should but I really don't want to."
"We'll have later, Jasper. We said we'd spend the day with them. As great as that just was, we should be meeting them shortly and if we don't turn up they'll just come and find us. Does that sound like something we want?"
"I'm sure Emmett would get a buzz out of it." he said; smiling at her softly.
"So you have no problems with our brother seeing everything that is yours?" she said; a smirk appearing on her face as he looked at her sharply. Apparently he wasn't so keen on that idea after all. It soon spurred into action.
Jasper quickly got to his feet and held out a hand to Bella; pulling her upright as soon as she took it. "You're right." He said simply; bending down and reaching for her clothes; throwing them in her direction and then quickly re-dressing himself.
*B-o-B*
Their parents and siblings were waiting for them as they walked across the field. Maybe it was Bella being paranoid but Emmett had a knowing look on his face as she saw caught his eyes. "Have fun?" he said cheekily. Bella chose to ignore him and took a seat next to Esme.
Carlisle looked at his children, "I thought that we might have a game of baseball. We're far enough away from everyone that we won't be heard and I think a storm is brewing; there's been thunder rumbling in the distance for the last hour or so."
"Cool." Emmett said enthusiastically.
Bella could feel the excitement radiating from Jasper and knew he was as excited as her brother was; she wondered if she'd be any good at this; maybe she should just watch. She remembered the last time she'd watched them play baseball and knew, given her history, that sports was not her forte; in fact that was probably the biggest understatement ever made. There was a pretty good chance that, given her newfound strength, she could probably do some serious damage; to herself or others. "Stop worrying, Bella. You'll be fine." Jasper said to her softly.
"Did Edward never tell you about my gym classes? I'm a danger magnet, remember." She was smiling at him but her words were serious.
"You'll be okay." He reassured her again; kissing her cheek tenderly.
Bella watched as the rest of the family walked across the field; Carlisle twirling a bat in his hand that he'd pulled out of a bag he'd brought with him. "Would it be okay with you if I just went back? I could do with some time on my own; I don't think I've really spent much time on my own since I was changed." She whispered to Jasper.
"We can do something else, if you'd prefer. This was supposed to be a day where we all spent it together." His eyes were focused on her face; studying it and Bella could sense his concern about her.
"It's just a few hours, Jazz. Spend it with your family. We can meet up again later and all do something together then."
Jasper stared at her; still looking deep into her eyes. Whatever he was looking for he seemed to find it because he smiled at her, "Okay. Have a nice time. Do you want me to go back with you?"
"I think I can make my own way back. I'll see you all later." She leant forward and kissed him softly. "I'm looking forward to spending more time alone with you too, baby." She whispered in his ear; kissing the scar just in front of it before standing and walking away from them.
Jasper walked over to the rest of the Cullen's; all of them looking at him in concern. "Is Bella okay?" Rose asked.
"She's fine. She just wanted to spend some time alone."
"She just didn't want to get whooped by us." Emmett said, teasingly.
Jasper looked at his brother; wanting to explain her reluctance to take part. "She's not really that sporty. Gym classes were apparently a disaster when she was at Forks."
"We don't have to play." Carlisle said. "We can go back and spend the time with her, if you'd prefer."
"She wanted us to still play; in fact she insisted on it. I think she wants to think about a few things; she'll be okay," Jasper said; not sure he really believed what he was saying himself.
"What do you say to Cullen versus Hale? Mum, you'll referee, right?" Emmett said. The family quickly split into their respective teams and soon the sound of the bat cracking as it came into contact with the ball could be heard for miles around.
*B-o-B*
Bella was walking in the grounds of the Volturi palace; mulling over the events of the last few months. Her life had completely shifted and although it was sudden she couldn't really say she regretted any of it. She'd never suspected the changes that would impact her life so substantially when she relocated to live with her dad all those months ago. Even that first day of school she hadn't realized how meeting the Cullen family would change her life; Edward's reaction to her in that first Biology class had heightened her senses to them; hell, the first time she'd seen them she'd been drawn to them all. It hadn't just been Edward, although he definitely drew most of her attention.
Alice had been just what she'd needed as well; a true friend and sister; Angela was a good friend too and as Bella sat there she realized she'd missed her since 'dying' but with Alice it'd been different because she could talk to her about anything; she didn't have to always lie about things because Alice knew; in fact some of the time she didn't need to talk at all as Alice just told her the answers; that was the beauty of a friend who could see what was going to happen before it did.
As Bella thought of the two closest girl friends she'd ever had and how she'd lost them both in different ways just a few months ago as she sat under the shade of a tree; remembering them both fondly. Her life had shifted even more dramatically when Alice and Edward died; as she thought that she also realized that to all extent and purposes she was considered dead too.
As a result of all this she was involved with the member of the family she'd probably known the least. She smiled as her thoughts turned to Jasper and she knew, in her heart, that while the circumstance wasn't ideal she was happier now than she'd ever been; even when she'd been with Edward.
She looked up at the sky and her thoughts drifted to the letter the family had received from their lost family members; how they'd explained about the visions they'd been privy to; even before they knew her. Part of her wished she could see what they'd seen; although she knew some of it would've been distressing to witness; she did wonder how they managed to influence the future so dramatically; what was it that made the whole family going up against James, Laurent and Victoria so devastating for them that they'd all end up dead? What would make such a difference that they would be overwhelmed by three nomadic vampires? The only thing she could think would've been her presence but then she was there in every eventuality. It was very confusing.
She was glad she'd managed to get this time alone; the day had been really good so far but it was nice to have some time to herself and much as she hated to say it she needed the space; events were beginning to get too much for her and she wondered what else was in store for her before this was all over. She shook her head to try and clear her thoughts and looked to her left as she felt the presence of someone nearby; she was somewhat shocked by who she saw.
"Bella, I hope you are well?"
"I'm fine, thank you, Aro." She said quietly. She was completely surprised as she'd never expected to see him anywhere other than within the confines of the palace.
The elderly vampire nodded to the guard who trailed behind him; who looked almost perplexed about the fact they'd stopped to talk to her as Bella was sure she did. Aro sat beside Bella under the tree and the guard, who Bella realized was Felix, backed away from them and stood on the far side of the expanse of grass. "What's taken you away from your family this afternoon?" Aro said, startling Bella back to her new companion.
"I just needed some time on my own." She said; turning her attention back to the panorama before her.
"You seemed deep in thought."
He seemed concerned about her and she was again surprised by the man beside her. "I was just thinking about everything that's happened over the last few months; well since I moved to Forks really. So much has happened and I'm just beginning to take it all in."
"I feel I should tell you my brothers and I are very impressed with the level of control you have, considering you're still a newborn it's quite surprising to see. Once you've complete control of your gift, I believe you'll be a remarkably powerful vampire."
Bella turned her head and stared at him, "You really think that?" She wasn't so sure she liked hearing that; was that what she wanted?
"We do."
"That is, of course, assuming this bond thing words and I don't end up dead." She said; again turning her eyes to the distance. "How do I go about getting control of my gift; my family has been helping me but I don't really know what I'm doing when it happens and it's just really confusing."
Aro chuckled softly at her words; although Bella saw very little humor in what she'd said. "It'll just take time, Bella. Normally a vampire's gift doesn't make itself properly known until they're out of the newborn phase; this may be because a newborn is so uncontrollable it's difficult to get past that. The fact you're showing signs of it already shows how different you are to a normal newborn; never mind the fact you possibly had this ability in a fairly advanced form when you were human. I'm glad you've come to us and we've had the opportunity to see you. It's refreshing to see something different."
Bella couldn't help but think that Aro sounded quite sad as he spoke and for the first time he didn't seem as frightening as he had the first time she'd met him. "I wish Alice and Edward could be here to see it. I miss them both a lot."
"Edward must've really loved you deeply for him and Alice to take this step."
"He did; they both did. The whole family loves me and I love them. I'd do anything for them; I've known that since the first time I met them and it only grew when I found out what they were."
He thought about what she'd said and there was a silence for a short time. "You're right, they do love you; and the feeling is mutual, they would do anything for you too. I've seen it, in both Carlisle's and Jasper's thoughts how important you are to them and I'm sure I'd see no different in any of the other members of your family. It is this love that makes me think the bond between you and Jasper will work." She stared at him again; surprised by his admission. "My brother, Marcus, told us of the love he can see between you and Jasper; I wasn't surprised when I saw in his memories that you'd only been together for a few weeks; but to see that before their deaths you hardly knew Jasper at all." He paused as he seemed to think some more. "Marcus says it's been a long time since he's seen such a connection that has formed so deeply and so quickly." Bella remained silent again; sensing there was something else he wanted to say, "I saw that Edward and Alice kept the two of you apart before they died; that you only really interacted with Jasper during the trip to Phoenix."
"Yes, Edward always told me Jasper was too dangerous to be around me because he struggled with the diet." She paused slightly; staring across the horizon as she thought about it, "I'm not convinced he was telling me the complete truth." She finally admitted; uneasy to voice that thought.
Aro smiled at her. "I may not have seen Edward's memories but I don't think he was either; Jasper's memories were pretty illuminating and I'm sure you still don't know everything that happened."
"Can you tell me what you saw?" she whispered; intrigued to know about how Jasper had seen her.
It was Aro's turn to look at Bella; he seemed to be really studying her face, "Jasper was aware of you the very first day you were at school; he liked you; he may even have had stronger feelings than that but he didn't admit it to himself. I think he may well have pursued a relationship with you if hadn't been for Alice and Edward."
"You think so?" His words shocked her and yet at the same time they filled her with joy.
"Oh yes, his memories of you that first day were quite intense; on the day when Edward protected you from the skidding van; Jasper very nearly intervened himself. The main reason he didn't was because he was scared he may not get there in time and then he'd drain you if you were injured. He didn't trust himself."
"I never realized his feelings for me were so strong."
"I think he tried to fool himself into thinking he didn't care; he even went so far as to plan to kill you after the accident at school but I don't think it was a serious plan. I think he knew, in his heart, that he could never kill you. Even the fact you were human didn't put him off."
"I'm confused because he said it never would've happened if I hadn't become a vampire. We discussed it."
"I think a lot of his memories of the past were subconscious thoughts rather than conscious decisions. His feelings for you were stronger than for someone who was destined to be your brother anyway; there was an attraction there."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"I want you to understand what the relationship you have with Jasper could be; I really think the bond will work and the two of you are exceptional vampires so together you'll become even more."
His words scared her a little and suddenly she wondered what the future held for her. "I hadn't expected you to hold Jazz in such high esteem when we came here. I didn't think you'd have heard of him." She tried to change the focus of their conversation from her to Jasper instead.
"You do know about his past?" Bella nodded. "Then surely you can appreciate how special he is to our kind?"
Bella shrugged. "To me, he's just Jasper." She still didn't really understand.
Aro paused again; staring at her, "It takes a certain person to last that many years; to have seen what he's seen. The stories we've heard over the years of his exploits during those times; part of me wishes I'd been there to really witness it. Jane, Demetri and Felix were there; they went to watch the wars and to discourage some of the more… troublesome… elements in the area and they saw him; they saw the way he behaved in a fight; they watched him training newborns. He was savage and ruthless but at the same time controlled and there was a certain beauty to it. I saw their memories of some of the battles and it was breathtaking to watch." His eyes were sparkling as he took her hand in both his. "I saw that he showed you some fighting moves in the last month or so; once this is all over and before you see James again, get him to show you some more. There were things he didn't show you; things he held back."
"You really think we'll get through this, don't you?" She was hesitant to ask.
"Don't you?"
"I want to but I'm scared to get my hopes up; it scares me thinking about what will happen if we fail; about what I could lose."
"I don't think you need to worry. The next task should be pretty straightforward for someone of Jasper's caliber."
"So we should find it easy?"
"I didn't say that, Bella, but Jasper will struggle less than most other vampires."
"And we find out about the task tomorrow?"
"Jasper will, yes."
She didn't say anything for a minute and then absorbed what he'd said. "And me?" she asked.
Aro smiled at her gently before looking at Felix and nodding his head. "You need to go with Felix and he'll take you to prepare for the second task."
"What about Jasper?"
"You'll see Jasper soon."
Bella suddenly understood what he wasn't telling her, "He has to find me, doesn't he?"
Aro nodded, "If you leave with Felix now, he and Demetri will take you to a pre-determined location which has been set by my brothers and I. Tomorrow evening Jasper will be told a general location and he'll have to try and find you. He will face certain obstacles on the way."
"Can I see my family before I go?"
"I'm afraid that isn't permitted. I'm sorry, Bella. It needs to be this way for the task to be achieved."
She frowned and looked down at her lap, "Will you let them know I've gone tonight? I don't want them to worry about me; especially my parents and Jasper."
"Of course." Aro climbed to his feet and then reached down and helped Bella stand; his hand was at her back as they walked away from the tree and over to where Felix awkwardly waited for her; expressions of misery and disdain written over his face. "Go with Felix, my dear and we'll see you back here in a few days?" Aro backed away from the pair and watched them start to walk away from him, "Oh and Felix…" Bella's companion turned around; his face darkening even further as he looked at her, "Look after your ward, she's very precious to our guests and you wouldn't want to annoy the God of War now, would you?" Felix grimaced before turning and walking much quicker back towards the building, a flustered Bella scrambling to catch up with him.
TBC
A/N: So there you go. Bet that wasn't what you were expecting. Let me know what you think and send me a review. I wonder what Jasper's reaction to Bella going will be? Next chapter you'll find out. Later tonight (internet service withstanding). :-)