Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, any of the characters in Twilight, or anything related to the books and/or movies. If I did, I would be way too busy- doing dirty things with the Cullen boys- to sit down at my laptop and write this story. The scenes that I did borrow from Stephenie Meyer have been revamped to fit my story.

A/N: I'm switching back to Bella's POV now that Jasper had told his story.

Learning to Live Again

Chapter Twenty-One: Assurances of Love

I was staring up at Jasper, my body still wrapped together with his. I had listened to his story, registered everything he told me. I knew that he was worried my feelings for him would change. He was right. How could I still feel the same way for him after hearing everything he had done and gone through? I loved him even more now that I knew.

"You are nothing short of amazing, Jasper Whitlock. You are so much stronger than you let yourself believe, because others wouldn't have been able to walk away. They wouldn't have been strong enough to leave a lifestyle of power and thirst and to try and make themselves a better person and a happier person. I don't understand how you have gone through everything you just told me and still feel like the weakest link in our family. You're the strongest, baby," I finished.

I had unshed tears in my eyes, tears for Jasper's hardships and tears of happiness that I had someone that I loved so much. I leaned up and placed a chaste kiss on his lips. "Jasper, I know that you're concerned with not having the strength to deny me and to fight your thirst for me. I understand that, and I will do whatever it takes to make it easier for you because I don't want you to have to suffer because of me. But I really do believe that you are stronger than you think."

He looked down at me with shock on his facial expression. His hands were still on my hips, but they were hanging limply now. "How are you proud of me after hearing what I did?"

"Because that's not what you do now, Jazz. You're not a killer anymore, and the only reason you were before is because you didn't know any better. You thought it was the normal way of life for a vampire, and maybe in reality it is. But you chose to go against the grain and to find a better life where you didn't have to hurt and kill others. You may believe that you lost your humanity while you were with Maria, but I believe that you found it all on your own and that if you ever really did lose it that you've gained it back. You are so amazing to me, baby."

I pulled his face toward mine again and kissed him softly, slowly. This was difficult for him to do, to open up to me and share his story. I needed him to understand that I loved him no matter what he did or what he was. We both fell into the kiss for a few moments before I pulled away, placing soft quick kisses on his lips as I did.

"I love you," I told him.

"I love you, too, Bella. I love you so much," he admitted. He pulled my body closer against him so that I was half on top of him and clung to me.

I didn't have to be an empath to feel the relief and love that Jasper was experiencing right now. He had come clean about his insecurities; it was my turn now.

"It's so good to hear you say that. As unsure as you feel about yourself, it's just as bad for me. I know that Alice has seen my future, but it is subjective. I want to spend forever with you, Jasper," I told him.

"I want that too, Bella," he said as he grabbed my face in his hands and looked me in the eye. "All I need is you. I know that Edward was always very uncertain because he didn't want to damn you. I don't think that will be a problem, though. You'll be with our family, and we'll be there to help you and to make sure that you don't hurt anyone. There's still hope for you to avoid damnation."

"Jasper, I'm not worried about damnation. We'll just never die, okay?" I granted him a large, bright smile to ease the tension in our room. He chuckled and smiled back down at me. "What I don't understand, though, is how she doesn't hate me for what I've done to her."

"What are you talking about, Bella?" Jasper asked, his smile fading into a worried expression. He must have felt my self loathing.

Before I could answer him, our bedroom door opened and Alice stood in the entrance with a frustrated expression on her face.

"Bella, you have got to stop thinking about that," she chastised me. The pixie walked into the bedroom and sat at the foot of the bed. Jasper and I both sat up on the bed, looking at her and waiting for her to speak again. "I could never hate my sister."

"Some sister I am," I mumbled. "You were his salvation for decades. You taught him about love, and now I'm going to be reaping all the benefits."

She chuckled at that. "Nice wordage there, Bella. Jasper and I were very happy together. We were in love, but that changed somewhere along the way. Jasper and I were together because I saw it. But you know that my visions are subjective. It wasn't meant to be forever. I'm fine with that, and I am confident that there is something or someone else coming for me in my future." Alice grabbed my hands in her own and squeezed them. "I'm okay with this."

"I love you, Alice." I pulled her in for a hug and was grateful that she was able to stop us from falling off the bed due to my overzealous nature.

"I love you, too, Bella dear," she replied. "Good night," she said as she stood from the bed and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

"There's only one more thing that we have to deal with now," Jasper said softly, pulling me by my waist until I was leaning against him leaning against the headboard.

"Easier said than done, darling." I sighed as I began toying with his fingers in mine. "I know that he hurt me, but I don't want to do the same. And I don't want him to hate me," I admitted my fear to my over-understanding boyfriend.

"Edward could never hate you no matter what you do. Maybe it would be best for us to leave for awhile after we tell him. That way he can be with our family and not have to see us in his face all the time," he offered.

"You mean you wouldn't be able to stop yourself from holding me and kissing me in front of him?" I teased.

Jasper smiled and dropped a kiss on my forehead. "Never. If we're in the same room together, I think it's absurd for us to not be touching."

"I agree with you wholeheartedly, Jazz. It seems that I just can't get enough of you. Which is why I think that it's time for us to also come clean with Charlie about our relationship. I think he knows that something is going on, but I don't know how much he has figured out yet."

"He suspects that we're together, but he doesn't approve of it. The other day, when he found us together in your living room after you had broken the kitchen table with Jacob's back, he said something under his breath," Jasper admitted.

"I remember, but I couldn't hear him. What did he say, honey?" I asked.

"He hopes that you don't get tangled up with me, because he doesn't want you to get your heart broken again."

"Of course. Charlie is so protective of me, but he's going to have to see that won't happen. You'll never break my heart, just like I'll never break yours," I vowed. "So after we speak with Edward tomorrow, we'll probably want to get away from the house for a few hours. We can go see Charlie and then go hide for awhile because we will definitely be drained."

"I think we should skip right to the hiding part," Jasper teased. I laughed against his chest before leaning over him and lowering my mouth to his neck, planting a gentle kiss there. "Or maybe you would prefer to practice a little right now?" he asked. I nodded my head as an answer while I kissed my way down to his shoulder and then down his strong arm.

I dropped a tiny kiss on every crescent scar I could see. They were on his forearms, his shoulders, and there were a few on his chest as well. I assumed that these scars were received a different way than the others, but I didn't care. I wanted to kiss away all the pain that Jasper had ever had to go through.

Jasper and I got so lost in ourselves again that we never heard the front door open. I was too preoccupied helping Jasper rid me of my shirt to hear the footsteps on the stairway. The only thing I could hear was Alice yelling Jasper and my names out in warning as his hands started to lower my bra straps.