Here is the next chapter. I've really struggled with this one as I wasn't really happy with it and it's had a major re-write tonight; in fact it's now almost three times the length it was a few hours ago. Given the time this has taken and the fact I have work tomorrow, this will be the only chapter today but I will make it up to you tomorrow. I hope you like this because I've slaved over it. Enjoy!
Chapter 39.
Jasper could feel some tension emanating from the room and his instincts told him it was from Bella; he wasn't surprised; after all, they were about to enter into something that was pretty stressful; something that would potentially determine the rest of her future. Jasper hoped he got some time with his future wife before they were forced to separate for the night. He wanted to be with her one last time and he knew that would relax her in a way nothing else ever could.
He knocked on the door and it opened; his mother looking at him; a smile on her face. "You can come in now." She said; stepping back and letting him into the room.
"It's time, Bella." He said as she walked towards him. She nodded but didn't say anything and he didn't push her to. "Let's go and see the brothers." He said softly; taking her hand in his and leading them both back out of the room. As soon as he took her hand he felt better; it had been a long afternoon and the pain of their separation had intensified the longer it went on.
"You need to bring her back here later this evening; you can't see her after tonight until the ceremony tomorrow." Rose reminded him; her voice drifting down the corridor as they walked away from the room.
"Did you have a nice time?" he asked his fiancée.
"It was good." She said and Jasper wasn't sure he believed her; her voice held very little emotion and he couldn't sense much from her either. Both of those facts scared him; a lot. "How about you?"
"It was alright but I missed you," he said softly; squeezing her hand. She didn't say anything and he wondered if he'd done something wrong. He tried to sense what she was feeling but it was difficult to tell. He pulled on her hand and they came to a stop in the corridor. "Are you okay?" he whispered as he wrapped his free arm around her waist and hugged her.
"Just a little scared of what we're about to face." She murmured against his neck.
"We'll be okay. We've got this far." He said; trying to send her some confidence to ease the tension she was feeling.
They continued walking down the corridor again; both silent now as they both thought about everything. One of the guards who'd made the trip with Jasper was waiting outside the room they were meeting the brothers in. He opened the door for them and they walked through it; seeing the brothers waiting for them.
"Jasper, Bella, please come in." Aro said enthusiastically. They both walked forward but were a little hesitant. They were in a different room to normal and they took a seat next to each other on one of the couches. The three Volturi were sitting in an armchair each; all sitting, watching the two of them. "How are the plans for the ceremony going?"
"Most of it is done," Jasper said; "We do need to know how this will differ from a traditional marriage ceremony though."
It was Caius that spoke, "The whole ceremony will be split into two parts; the first part will be the affirmation of the bond between the two of you and then it will be a traditional human wedding ceremony."
"How come it's the human wedding ceremony?" Bella asked. The three men looked at her oddly, "What? We're vampires; why do a human ceremony when we're all vampires?"
"At one stage, Bella, we were all human. This ceremony is a reminder of that; we should never forget what we were." Caius paused; thinking about what he was about to say, "Entering into this union is something that shouldn't be taken lightly but the human ceremony is a nice service and it is a good continuation from the bonding part which is the vampire element of the ceremony."
"And what does that part entail?" Jasper asked.
Marcus leant forward and pushed an envelope across the table in the center of the room. "Everything you need to know is contained in there. You should read it."
"Can't you just tell us what it says?" Bella said.
"It would be better if you read it; there will be no confusion then." Marcus said, "We can't stress the importance of you both getting the ceremony exactly as it states. One slight deviation from what that says will mean the bond won't work."
"We don't want to add even more pressure onto you both but you need to realize the seriousness of the situation you both face." Aro said.
"We're more than aware of what we're facing." Jasper said tersely.
"We know Jasper but it would be remiss of us to not ensure we remind you." Aro said. He looked down at his hands as they were clasped in front of him. "We probably shouldn't tell you this but we want you to succeed with this. Not just because it's the first time this has really been tested but because of Carlisle. We have a lot of respect for your father and the last thing any of us want is for your family to lose any more than they already have done."
Caius got to his feet and nodded to his brothers; who followed his movement. "We'll leave you alone for some time; as we've said, read the information carefully. We will be back in a couple of hours and will answer any questions you have." The three of them filed out of the room and Bella and Jasper were left on their own.
Bella sat forward and reached for the envelope on the table; another envelope that contained information about their future. Would this ever stop? She met Jasper's eyes as she opened it carefully. There were several sheets of paper inside which she unfolded as carefully as she'd removed them. She began to read them slowly; passing the first sheet to Jasper once she got to the bottom of it. She carried on reading; the second sheet going the same way as the first. At the bottom of the third sheet Bella sighed and closed her eyes as her head fell back on the couch.
"It's going to be okay, Bella. We can do this." He moved closer to her and wrapped his arms around her body; pressing his lips against her temple in a gentle kiss.
"Did you read those sheets?" she said; a hint of desolation in her voice. "I'm never going to be able to remember all that and get it in the right order."
"Of course you will; you have a vampire's mind now, Bella. You'll do just fine; we both will."
"You heard what Marcus said; one slight deviation and we've ruined it."
He leant forward and kissed her again. "We'll be fine…" he whispered against her mouth.
She pulled away from him and when she turned to face him he could see the anger clearly written across her face; no empathy needed to ascertain her current emotion. "Stop saying that, Jasper. You don't know that. I know myself. I know that when everyone is watching me I'll panic; I'll do something wrong."
He pulled away from her slightly and stared into her eyes. He tilted his head to one side and then smiled at her crookedly, "Then we need to make sure you have it completely memorized." He was serious and they spent the next ninety minutes going through it over and over again; every time one of them made a mistake; and yes, Jasper slipped up every now and again too; they went back to the beginning and started all over. By the time the Volturi walked back in the room Jasper and Bella were both very tense and sitting in silence back on the couch; now both a little apprehensive about it. It wasn't as simple as Jasper had said it would be.
"Do either of you have any questions?" Caius asked.
"The paperwork told us what we have to do; is that it?" Jasper asked. "There's nothing else to it? After everything else it seems a little… easy, I guess." Bella looked at him in surprise; they'd just spent over an hour proving how uneasy it was.
"There is more to it; there are some things we need to do; we'll ask you both if this is what you want to do; those at the ceremony will have to state they aren't against you both entering into this joining; then the three of us will read some text which was scribed by the people who created this bond. The text is in an ancient form of Latin and we must all say it at exactly the same time and say it absolutely correctly. Then it will be your part of the ceremony; once that part starts no one else can say anything; there must be silence for the bond to work." Aro said.
"We have spoken to your father as there are certain things he has to do as part of the bonding ceremony; nothing major but he has to be present and take a small part in it." Marcus said.
"You've spoken to him already?" Bella asked.
"Yes. We have only told him about the part he will partake in; it is up to you both if you want to tell your family about the bit you have to do." Aro said.
Bella turned to look at Jasper, "Can we not tell them?"
"Are you sure?" Jasper said softly.
"If they know what we've got to do; it just adds more pressure to us than there already is."
"It's up to you; I'm happy either way." He said to her.
"Let's not tell them; I don't want them to worry about this any more than they are already."
"Good. Good. That's settled then. Well it's probably time for you to get back to your family. We will see you tomorrow." Aro said.
Bella and Jasper left the room and immediately Bella pressed herself against his body; needing the comfort of his touch. They were silent for some time but Jasper eventually broke the silence. "Dad wanted to see us once we were done. There's something he wants to give you." He said softly. "Then we have some time before you have to go with Rose and mum for the night."
"Can't we just skip the family meeting and go back to our room?" she murmured into his chest.
"I'm afraid not, he wants to give you something."
"You know what he wants to talk about?"
"Yes, he spoke to me about it earlier." He smiled down at her face and then kissed her forehead. "I think you'll like this though so don't worry." He pulled her down the corridor back to their parent's room; a smile on his face because he knew what was about to happen.
Carlisle opened the door after Jasper knocked on it and smiled at the two of them, "Come in." he said, taking a step back and waving them into the room.
Bella and Jasper sat on the couch and looked around at the rest of their family as they stared at the two of them. Bella was extremely self-conscious as she could tell she was the focus of their attention.
"I wanted to give you something before the ceremony tomorrow, Bella." She looked at him in confusion. "I've been meaning to give this to you for a while but with one thing and another it never seemed the right time."
"What is it, dad?" Jasper squeezed Bella's hand to reassure her; hearing her voice shake slightly as she spoke.
"When every member of the family has joined us I've always given them a token to let them know that I consider them a part of my family. I should've given this to you a long time ago; when Edward was still alive but I want to give it to you now." Carlisle reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a slim black box. "This is for you, Bella. I hope you know that you'll always be my daughter and I will be there for you through any eventuality you face. There is nothing I wouldn't do for my children and that is no different for you." His words were spoken to her but each of his other children could feel the sentiment he was also telling them. He handed Bella the box and then stared at her as he waited for her to open it.
Bella slowly opened the small box and found a beautiful bracelet nestled inside. She smiled as she reached for the silver chain and pulled it gently from where it lay. "It's beautiful, dad. Thank you."
Jasper reached over and took it from her hand; opening the clasp and fastening it around her wrist. Bella looked down at it; her fingers looking at the tiny silver and onyx decorated circle at the centre of the chain, "That's the Cullen crest; each of us wears it. I spoke to Jasper just after you got together and he thought a bracelet would be what you'd like to wear and your mother and I had that bracelet designed for you."
Bella could feel the venom pooling in her eyes as she looked up at the man who was her father in all but blood and venom. "Thank you. I'll treasure this, always."
Jasper wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her against him as he felt her emotions bubbling from her. It was the first time in many hours that she'd let him really feel what she was feeling; her shielding ability had grown much stronger over the last few days and Jasper had been feeling the loss of her emotions deeply. "Why don't we go back to our room for a while?" he whispered in her ear; his breath tickling her ear. Bella nodded and they both quickly left the room; their disappearance from the room not commented on by any of their family. Jasper lifted her in his arms once they were in their room and then they were lying on their bed; her body spooned in front of his as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her shoulder and neck. "I love, angel." He breathed against her skin.
"I love you too, Jasper." Her hand moved to his and she wove her fingers through his; squeezing his hand gently. "I want this to work so much; I don't want to leave the family; I don't want to leave you. It scares me to think this might be the last time we get to be like this; to do this."
"I promise we'll do this again; once we're married and before James arrives. I still think it will be a few more days before he turns up. This is going to work, darlin'."
Bella turned so she was facing him and pressed her face against his neck; inhaling deeply and absorbing the scent that was purely him. It sent her head in a spin and she couldn't help but kiss his skin; her tongue sneaking between her lips and brushing across the scar she'd given him. A purr ripped from his chest and she smiled as she felt it rumble through her body. That sound always had the same affect on her; in one way it turned her on but it also relaxed her. She was sure he could feel the lust climb within her and her thought was confirmed as his hand brushed down her back and then up her leg, slipping below her skirt and up her thigh. It was Bella's turn to purr now as his fingers tickled her skin. His hand moved quickly and tore her panties from her; her skirt being pushed up to her waist. Before she could say anything two fingers were pushing into her and by that stage words failed her completely. Her eyes closed as his hand worked its magic in her; hitting all the right spots.
Jasper pulled away from her so he could look at her face and he had to kiss her; his tongue sweeping into her mouth. His jeans were becoming tight and he longed for some relief but at the same time he didn't want to stop what he was doing now. He watched as her head tilted back further and she moaned his name; the sound echoing around the room. Another finger joined the two already deep inside her and her eyes opened; fixing on him as she bit her lip. "Jasper… take me. I want you now." She gasped.
He smiled at her but continued to touch her; wanting to see that fire in her eyes before he took his own joy. "Soon, sweetheart." He breathed. "Soon." His hand moved faster and he could feel her tightening as each digit thrust in and out. When she growled he knew it was the sexiest sound he had ever heard; his cock agreeing with him as it strained against the front of his jeans; eager to join in with the entertainment. "That's not playing fair, darlin'," he breathed as her hands opened his jeans and wrapped around his length.
"Who said I was supposed to play fair?" she whispered; her eyes widening as he pushed a fourth finger into her; his revenge for her assault of him working quickly. Bella moaned softly and pressed her forehead against his shoulder, "Do you think we can get to the main event soon? I can't wait much longer… I need you."
Jasper pushed Bella onto her back and hovered above her; kissing her deeply as she placed his cock at her entrance; his hand gracefully making way for it. He thrust into her and calmness washed over him; an emotion he shared with her, staring into her eyes intently. "It's like being home." He sighed before kissing her passionately. "I don't want to live anywhere else." He said; her eyes focusing on his face. She giggled at the ridiculousness of his words and he soon joined her; her emotions flooding his whole body.
"Are you going to be moving anytime soon?" she laughed at him. He growled huskily and his hips swiveled against hers; his length brushing against her in all the places she needed him to. A shiver ran through her at the sound he'd made and as the growl faded to a purr she wrapped her arms and legs around him and clung to him. His jeans were rubbing against her ass with each move he made and her skirt was up around her waist. She couldn't believe they hadn't even removed their clothing; it wasn't like it would take them a long time to do so but they were both so desperate for this moment they couldn't, or didn't want, to waste the time doing so. One of her hands brushed across the skin of his neck and then lay against his chest; feeling the rumble of the constant purring he was making, shake it. It was seconds later that she screamed as her body exploded in joy. Jasper's hips were moving much faster now and a few thrusts later he was pulsing within her; his mouth meeting hers in a brutal kiss that would've left her breathless if it had been a necessity.
Jasper collapsed on top of her and he nuzzled his face against her neck; his lips brushing the skin as he traced the column of her neck. He inhaled her aroma as his nose brushed into her hair; his tongue licking the curve of her ear before his teeth nipped at the base of it. "Isabella Cullen, soon to be Isabella Whitlock, I love you more than I could ever love anyone. I promise I will treat you the way a husband should treat his wife every day; that each day will be filled with love, passion and laughter." He whispered into her ear. "And there will never be a time when you feel disappointment or sorrow while I still live."
"Jasper Whitlock, part of the Cullen family and the person I love more every day, I will be by your side for every day of my existence, I will love you with all the passion I possess, I will fight by your side against anyone who tries to hurt us and I will die at your side because the thought of spending a second without you is more painful than death."
They stayed wrapped around each other; bodies entwined and joined for the next few hours until there was a knock at the door. Bella reluctantly dressed and after kissing Jasper deeply she left the room to spend her last night as a single woman with her mother and sister. Her groom watched her leave; the pain at their separation already hitting him hard; anchoring his body to the bed like a weight on his chest. Tomorrow could not come soon enough for either of them.
TBC
A/N: So let me know what you think and send me a review. Tomorrow there will be the wedding. I will respond to the reviews from yesterday when I get home from work, once I have posted the next chapter.
On a different note, I want to set you all a challenge. In a review I sent yesterday I pointed out that there is one more twist which is quite pivotal to this story and throws it wide open as to what might happen. All the information regarding it has been given to you and no one has spotted it yet. Can you find it? :-) The only clue I will give you is a vague location of the clues - one bit is near the beginning of this story and another was in chapter 36. If you don't get it - it will be revealed either tomorrow or Wednesday (editing permitting).