Thank you for your terrific reviews, faves, and alerts! You guys are all so fantastic! Jasper will scent all of you-except for my male readers. How about Rose or Bella?
As far as third base is concerned, I got many answers. The overwhelming consensus seems to be oral sex, but my favorite answer has to be "goldfinger." I couldn't stop laughing at that one. Thanks for the sex lesson everyone!
This chapter contains sex, Viagara, violence, and idiots.
This story is AU/OOC.
All characters belong to Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement intended.
Mature readers 18+ only please.
Carlisle's POV
It was two days before Christmas and I had yet to fully mend the rift that was between my daughter and me. Jasper and I had spoken on several occasions and our relationship was on it's way to being how it once was. Bella, on the other hand, had barely spoken two words to me since she mended fences with the rest of the family. On top of that, she and Eleazar were becoming very close. I knew for a fact that he was meeting her in Boston just to spend time with her and that she would visit the Denali home mid-week just to hang out. Part of the reason for her frequent visits was to work on her shield. Bella now had full control of both her mental and physical shield. Apparently, my daughter's shield was much more powerful than we originally thought. With her mental shield, she was able to block mentally invasive powers from any distance. Eleazar tested the theory using Edward. He had Bella block his powers in New Hampshire from Cambridge. Edward couldn't read a thing from anyone. That would explain why neither Edward nor Alice could get any read off of the family while they were in Europe. Bella was subconsciously blocking them. Edward was actually delighted at the peace Bella provided. He could still read people if Bella wasn't blocking them, but with our family—Bella chose to block everyone's minds for some reason or another.
The other reason for Bella's frequent visits to Eleazar's home was because she enjoyed the company of the Denalis, Bella was extremely close to Garrett, Rex, and Tanya. Of course, she had already been close to Irina and Laurent, but they lived with us now. Needless to say, I was ripe with jealousy. I knew it was ridiculous of me to feel this way, but I couldn't help it. I felt as if my best friend was purposely stealing my own daughter away from me.
I talked to Jasper about how I felt and he suggested that I visit them alone in their Cambridge home without Esme to talk. Jasper said that once I arrived, he'd find a convenient excuse to leave us alone for an hour. The time had come and I found myself standing outside of a modest two story home within walking distance to the Harvard campus. From the sounds of it, there were workers repairing one side of the house. I rang the doorbell.
"Can you get it, babe? I want to keep an eye on those workers, I don't trust them." I heard Jasper telling Bella.
The door suddenly opened and I found myself facing my daughter who immediately frowned.
"Bella." I said simply. "Jasper invited me, I wanted to talk to you."
Bella held the door open to let me in and motioned to the sofa in the living room area. We sat across from each other silent staring at each other.
Jasper suddenly appeared in front of us. "Erm...I have to go gas up the truck. I'll be right back. Dad, maybe you can help keep tabs on those workmen while I'm gone." With that, he was off.
Bella and I resumed our staring contest again. I broke our silence first. "Bella, this is ridiculous. You can't continue giving me the silent treatment. I was wrong. I shouldn't have sided with Esme on the wedding when I knew in my heart that you didn't want one. I should have stood up for you, but instead I let her control me. I'm sorry." My apology was long overdue and I knew it.
Bella ran to me, sat on my lap, and snuggled into my chest. "I missed you, Dad." She called me "dad." With that one word, all my jealousy towards Eleazar disappeared. No matter how close she was to him, Bella still considered me her father. I held her tighter and ran my fingers through her soft hair. I was going to relish in the feeling for as long as I could.
Bella looked up into my eyes and spoke. "I'm sorry for holding on to my anger for so long. I was just so mad that you didn't speak your mind to Esme." It didn't go unnoticed that she still hadn't referred to my wife as "mom"—neither did Jasper, for that matter. Esme still had a long way to go, as far as making amends with Jasper and Bella. Outwardly, they were friendly to each other, but the warmth that Bella once regarded my wife with was now all, but gone. I knew why too. Although Esme had apologized for trying to force a wedding on them, she hadn't apologized for using the riding crop on Jasper. Bella was deeply offended by that action. She felt that the only person who had a right to be upset was herself and she was correct.
"I was upset at myself too, Bella. Let's make a pact. From this moment on, you and I will never let anger get between us. If something is bothering us, we'll always tell each other. Does that sound fair?"
"Yes, it sounds fair." She smiled. I pulled my little girl back into my chest and simply held her. I knew that biologically, Bella was only a year younger than me, but I had over three hundred years on her in actual time on earth. I truly felt as if she were my daughter.
After a few moments, I said, "Let's go check on the workmen, what are they building anyway?"
"Oh, Jasper was trying to replace a window and he made a gigantic crater in the side of the house."
"Bella, this is very important. You are not to allow Jasper near anything that needs to be repaired—ever. Once, at our home near Chicago, Esme asked him to plaster over a small hole in the wall. Somehow, he managed to take out a supporting beam that was no where near the hole and the roof came crashing down on all of us. Fortunately, we weren't hurt because we're vampires, but the house was in shambles. We had to rebuild it from the ground up."
Bella looked horrified. "I didn't realize it was that bad. Dad, this is our second major repair. Three weeks ago, he was replacing a few tiles and ended up taking out the entire bathroom and plumbing."
Sounds like Jasper. The boy could take out whole armies of vampires with a snap of his fingers, but when it came to simple repairs he was completely clueless. Edward and Emmett were actually our go-to guys for home repairs. Emmett actually held a valid general contractor's license.
"Okay, baby girl, why don't you take me on a tour of your house and then let's make sure the contractor is on the straight and narrow." I said.
"Sure, dad."
Jasper and Bella had set up a nice little household. The house was tidy, but lived in. I envied them. Esme was very pristine with our living space. Every single room in the house looked as if it were a showroom. You could tell that they were quite content just being together. Although, I would have loved to have them both living with us, I could understand why they both needed privacy. Jasper's gift made it extremely difficult for him to be surrounded by other vampires. He felt everything from anger to lust and living away from us probably brought him the emotional calm he needed.
Bella, on the other hand, was an only child for most of her life. She was accustomed to living alone and having a sense of independence. Jasper explained to me how difficult her childhood with Renee was. I seethed with anger at the image of Bella as a child working to make ends meet because her mother had carelessly spent all the money Charlie had sent to support his daughter. I was glad that she was with Jasper. He was a caring soul and he had the means to support Bella so that she would never have to worry about money again. She deserved to be spoiled after her difficult childhood.
It was ironic how Riley was actually the one born out of wedlock to a teenager, yet his mother knew enough to work until her fingers bled in order to give him a happy childhood. Bella had worked from the time she was still in elementary school. When we were in Forks, I remember her working hard to pay for gas and to try to save for college at Newton's Olympic Outfitters. Edward and Alice were always trying to get her to quit stating that it was ridiculous for her to work for such a pittance in pay. Bella, however, was adamant in her resolve to keep working. She always had a firm sense of responsibility.
Riley actually approached me about Edward. He felt that rather than sending him out into the real world next year. It might be better to have him attend high school, once again, and have him work a minimum wage job in order to build character. He also suggested putting him on an allowance typical of a normal high school student for a couple of years and taking away the black credit card until he proved himself responsible enough to handle it. That way, he would really learn the value of money. I agreed with him wholeheartedly. I knew I had failed miserably when it came to teaching my children about money—each one had been overindulged.
As far as Alice was concerned, I planned on punishing her for her actions where it hit her the most. As soon as she returns to New Hampshire, I would be canceling all her credit cards and putting a freeze on her bank account. Unlike Edward, I didn't plan on giving her an allowance and she certainly would not be attending high school or college for that matter. No, Alice Brandon will be looking for a job. There would be no more extravagant shopping sprees and she would definitely be wearing her clothes more than once. Alice would also have to take care of her own expenses—including her vehicle and insurance. The money that I had initially set her up with had dried up long ago and I would not be replacing it.
Amanda was a different matter altogether. Bella and Peter were raising her to be a fine young lady. I know that she didn't look at me or Esme as her parents so I didn't plan on overstepping my boundaries. As soon as she was able to venture into the world, I wanted to start her off with an allowance typical of a high school student like I'd be doing with Edward. I would rethink everything else after she proved herself to be mature and capable. No, I will not be making any mistakes with her. I would make sure to consult Bella and Peter before making any decisions about Amanda, however.
Bella and Riley were two different ballgames still. Neither of them had spent a dime from either my bank account or credit card. In Riley's case, he asked that I take some of his savings and invest it for him so that he could build his own wealth. I was happy to do that for him. He explained that he didn't feel comfortable taking my money and neither did Victoria. Both of them made decent salaries and enjoyed their financial independence—especially now that they didn't have any rent to pay or have two college students to support. Frankly, I was amazed how Riley and Laurent, even with Charlie's inheritance, managed to put both Bella and Victoria through four years of a private college and live in an expensive city like Boston. They did it, though, and I was exceedingly proud of both of them.
In Bella's case, I wasn't too worried. Jasper had actually returned the black credit card to me stating that she already had his to use. I couldn't really argue with him as she is his wife. He tried to return the initial start-up funds too, but I explained that even though he's her husband—Bella is still my child. I told him to look at it as if it were a trust fund. We came to an agreement that I would invest and build up her start-up fund like I've been doing with his. That way, she would have it in case of a rainy day. I doubted she'd ever have one of those—at least financially, but it made me feel better all the same.
"How much longer is it going to take for you to complete the job?" I asked the foreman.
"Well, we should be out of here withing the hour. All we have to do is install the window now." He said. "Um, Mrs. Whitlock, I would suggest that you don't let your husband near any power tools anymore. This job was a doozy. He almost took out the entire frame of the house. Remember how he took out the whole plumbing the last time?"
"Yes, I remember and thank you. I think I'll take your advice and hide his power tools." Bella then turned to me. "Dad, do you think you could take Jasper's power tools home with you? I'm not so sure I trust him with them."
"Of course, sweetie. Oh, and next time you need something repaired, call Emmett. He has his G.C. License and he's actually very good. He's also used to coming in after Jasper and fixing his messes. While we're at it, don't let Jasper near any cars either. Not even for a flat tire. He can't fix those either. Just take it to Rose or Peter." I recommended.
A minute later, Jasper walked into the house. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to store the power tools in the trunk of my car. "Hey Dad, Bella. Did you two work things out?" He leaned over to give Bella a kiss on the cheek.
"Yes, we did." I said. "Why don't we spend the day together kids? I need to buy Esme's Christmas present. I was hoping you'd help me pick something out for her. Besides, I miss you both and we never get to spend time together with just the three of us."
Just then, the foreman walked downstairs. "Um, we're done upstairs if you'd like to come and check our work."
Everything seemed to be in order, Jasper paid the contractor, and the three of us left the house to find my wife a Christmas gift. I think I'll just go to Tiffany and Company and pick up some nice jewelry for her. I have no idea what else to get her—the woman has everything already.
Christmas Eve
Alice's POV
Tomorrow, I'm finally taking my mate home to meet the family. It was impossible to gage what everyone's reaction would be because I hadn't had any visions of them for months now, but I figured that because it's Christmas, the family would welcome me and my mate with open arms. Besides, I needed to get back because my bank account had run dry for some reason. Usually Carlisle replenishes it, but for some reason he only brought it back from the negative to zero. When I asked the bank for a cash advance, they said that they were not authorized to provide that transaction. I think it was pure, idiotic human error. I'm sure Carlisle will straighten the bank out for me.
I moved out of the motel room into my mate's Portland apartment about two weeks after we started seeing each other. When I told him about me being a vampire, he wasn't terrified at all. In fact, he said that he noticed there was always something creepy about my family. My mate was actually excited about being changed into a vampire. I would have to ask Carlisle to do it, of course, because I lack the control. Maybe when Carlisle changes him, my mate can wake up and eat Bella Swan for me. That would be a hoot and it would get rid of that slut once and for all.
Oh, well, I need to get packing. My mate is tying up loose ends over here in Oregon. We have a 4 pm flight tomorrow because I saw that it was going to be sunny. That means we should arrive in Boston around 10 pm and in Amherst about 11:30 pm. It'll still be Christmas though and besides, they're vampires—they don't sleep. God, I hope Bella the whore isn't celebrating along with the family. Maybe she'll be fast asleep and I can go upstairs and snap her neck. Anyway, we plan on asking Carlisle to change him as soon as possible. I'm not Edward. I don't have the patience he does and I certainly don't plan on waiting any longer than I have to.
Jasper's POV
"That's gorgeous, Jasper! How the heck did you do that? You're way better than I am at wrapping." Bella had a stunned expression on her face as she stared at the gift I had just wrapped.
"Years of practice. When you live with Esme, Alice, and Rosalie, learning how to wrap gifts like a pro becomes an essential skill." I explained. "Hey, how come you're almost done? I still have a ton to wrap."
"Oh this is the Bella Whitlock way of gift wrapping. I just put the present into a gift bag, throw some tissue on it, label it, and voila. Nice, easy, and pretty—no need for scissors, tape, or ribbons."
Huh. I never knew it could be done that way. Esme, Alice, and Rose always wanted everything to look picture perfect so the idea of gift bags didn't even cross my mind. Bella was so no-nonsense in her approach to gift wrapping, simple yet efficient—just like the way she did everything. "Did I ever tell you how much I love you?" I gave her a wet kiss on the lips. "Come on—let's finish this your way, then go upstairs to play. Fuck the Cullen style of wrapping—I like your method better."
Christmas Morning
"Merry Christmas, babe." I handed my present over to Bella to open. She smiled at me and carefully unwrapped the box. She took out the wooden box inside and gazed at it lovingly.
"Is it a jewelry box? It's really pretty." She said. "Is it an antique?"
"It was my mother's—my real mother, not Esme. She used to keep all of her little trinkets in there. My father actually carved it for her."
"Oh my goodness, Jasper! This is so precious—thank you! I'll treasure it for eternity." She jumped on my lap and gave me deep, lingering kiss.
"There's more, Bella. Open the box." She carefully opened the box and pulled out a single pearl. She studied the pearl and looked up at me questioningly. "During my first year as a vampire, I had a rare moment of tranquility while I was sitting alone by the water. I saw an oyster so I grabbed it and shucked it—that pearl is what I found inside when I opened it. Among all the chaos, I had found something so simple, so beautiful—kind of like you. I thought that maybe we can get a ring or a pendant made for you. What do you think?"
Bella's eyes were brimming with venom tears. "Thank you, Jasper. These are the best gifts I've ever been given. Well, second best. You're the best gift ever. Are you ready for your presents? They're nothing compared to yours. Open this one first."
Bella handed me a gift bag. I reached in and grabbed what was in there and started laughing—they were black Elvis Presley pajamas. She reached behind the tree and grabbed another set—this one in pink. "See, we match."
"Oh, we are so packing these for our weekend with the family. It'll annoy the fuck out of them." I said. "Thanks, babe."
Bella smiled in acknowledgment. It was weird, her emotions were all over the place this morning, but anxiety topped the list. I was just about to ask her what was the matter when the doorbell rang. Bella let out a deep sigh of relief and said, "I'll get it!" She, then, jumped up, ran to the door, and opened it.
"Merry Christmas! I have an Express Mail delivery for a Mrs. Isabella Whitlock. Would that be you?" The mailman wearing a Santa Hat asked.
"Yes, that's me." She was jumping up and down for joy and squealing in delight.
"Sign here, please."
Bella quickly scrawled her name and the mailman handed her an envelope. She tipped the mailman a twenty, wished him a Merry Christmas, and shut the door before he could return the tip to her.
Bella handed the envelope to me with a huge grin on her face. I could feel her anticipation as I opened it. I pulled out what looked to be two concert tickets. My eyes widened in excitement. "Two front row seats to Brad Paisley next Wednesday? Babe, you know how much I love his music!" I grabbed my wife and twirled her around the living room—plastering kisses all over her.
"I figured we were on winter break and you mentioned wanting to see him in concert so I hunted for tickets. Actually, Claude, the concierge at the Forum Shops in Vegas found them for me. Obviously, I just got them right now—that's why I was so jittery. I was worried they wouldn't get here on time. We'll have to go to Nashville though. I didn't have a chance to look for flights and a hotel. Is that okay?"
"It's more than okay, Bella, it's wonderful! This is the most heartfelt gift I've received since I became a vampire. Thank you! Alice always just gave me clothes. Hey, let's search online for plane tickets and a hotel in Nashville. We can stay for a few days and tour the Music City. The next term doesn't begin until the 25th of January." I said. "By the way, did you give Claude a big tip?"
"Yep, I gave him a thousand dollars. Was that too much?"
"Nope, that was actually perfect. Claude's good, so we'll keep him on hand and use his services again."
We searched online and booked the flight and hotel. I, then, took my wife upstairs and made love to her for a few hours until we both begrudgingly agreed that it was time to head over to Amherst to spend time with the family.
"Jasper, I don't understand why you have to scent me. We're only visiting family."
"Babe, I feel more secure when I scent you. They may be family, but they're still vampires. Besides, you never know who we'll encounter." I said. Bella still had trouble grasping the idea of scenting. We all did it though. Emmett and I tended to scent our mates more than usual, but we were more protective of our women than the norm. Carlisle surmised that it was because Rose and Bella would be considered extremely beautiful in our world, thus making them more of a target for eager male vampires.
"There—done." I said with finality.
"You're sure now? I think you missed a spot on my big toe." Bella said sarcastically.
"I could always start over, you know." I winked.
"Alrighty then, time to get dressed!" Bella said with sudden enthusiasm. I chuckled. I really drove her nuts with the scenting. "Um...Jasper? You were kidding when you said everyone dresses up for Christmas, right?"
"No, I wasn't. Just put on a pretty dress. You can throw some jeans in for later. Don't forget to pack our Elvis pjs. I want to piss the family off by wearing them—it'll remind them of our Vegas wedding."
Bella rolled her eyes at me. Hey, we may have made up with the family, but that didn't mean that I wasn't still pissed off about their reactions afterwards. We didn't get one fucking congratulations from anyone—male or female. Sure I went about getting her to marry me the wrong way, but for Bella's sake they could have at least wished us well after we all made nice.
"Hey, Bella, where are my ties? I can't seem to find them." I was searching high and low through the closet unable to locate them.
"They're in the top drawer of your dresser, Jasper—they can't move on their own." Bella snapped her fingers at me. "Yoohoo—in here. I said dresser, not closet."
Jeez! I'm helpless without my wife. "Bella, I need a pair of black..."
"...socks." She finished my sentence and handed me my socks.
"I also need my silver..."
"...cufflinks." She had them sitting in the palm of her hand. "You can get your own shoes, right?"
"Right." I gave her a kiss and when I was ready, I said. "Well, come on, aren't you ready yet?"
"Jasper, how was I supposed to get ready when I had to pack for both of us and get you ready?"
"Uh, right. Take your time, babe."
Five minutes later, Bella was dressed and ready to go. This is what I loved about my mate, she was no fuss, no muss. If it were any of the other women, it would have taken them at least forty minutes to get ready. "Is this okay? It's not too dressy, is it?"
Fuck me. She was wearing a pretty silk dress that flowed to about four inches above her knees. It was blood red. The men were gonna go crazy when they saw her. Thank fuck I scented her well. Shit! I can't take my eyes off of her.
"You look beautiful, Bella." I said and I meant it too. I sent her all the joy, trust, and adoration I could muster. I also sent her a little bit of lust. God damn it! I have a hard-on now. I moved in to give my wife a kiss, unzipped her dress, and let it fall to the floor. I picked it up and gently draped it over the chair because I didn't want to wrinkle it. She was going to wear this dress tonight and I was going to proudly show my gorgeous wife off.
"I can't help myself, baby. You look so intoxicating." With that I flipped her over and plunged straight into her dripping pussy. I fisted her long, wavy hair and pulled her close to me, caressing her beautiful breasts and stopping to play with her nipples.
"Oh God, Jasper!" She cried as I penetrated her core, making sure that she felt every inch of me. "More Jasper! Harder!"
"Your wish is my command, my mate." I thrust into her harder and harder as she moved a hand down to her clit and started furiously rubbing circles on it. She was panting and gasping for air as I continued fucking her the way she wanted it. I couldn't hold it in any longer. I shouted out her name as I released my seed into her, sinking my teeth into her neck and pumping my venom into her—claiming her, marking her as mine for all the world to see. Bella screamed in agony then pulsated onto my cock as she reached her own peak. I bathed her wound with my tongue and held her as close as possible to me. I was never going to let my mate go.
"Harryyyy!"
"Deloressss!"
The senior citizen neighbors next door screamed as they orgasmed. Holy shit! I think I may have projected a little. One by one, we could hear cries of pleasure from our surrounding neighbors—some alone, some together. Okay, maybe I projected a lot.
"Harry, that was the best sex ever. After sixty years, we finally climaxed together."
"Delores, that was incredible and I didn't even need my Viagara."
"Harry, ever since that young couple moved in next door, you've been like a sex machine."
"Well, we can't let them show us up, can we?"
Bella and I started howling with laughter. "Jasper, you're doing a public service and you inadvertently gave Delores and Harry a Christmas miracle."
"I sure did, didn't I?" I said. "Hey, baby, how's your mark? Does it hurt? I know I bit down harder than usual—I don't know what came over me." I ran my tongue over it to soothe it some more.
"It's fine, Jasper. It just stings a little. You know I love it when you take me like that."
Oh fuck—she did it again. Instant hard-on. Whenever she talks like that, I get turned on. I swiftly entered her pussy again, but this time I made love to her slowly—completely losing myself in my mate.
Two hours later, my cell phone rang. "Hello?" I answered.
"Are you two done fucking yet? For fuck's sake, we want to open our Christmas presents. We've been waiting for you all day, you know? It's fucking three o'clock in the afternoon already. Get your asses up here! Oh, and don't even think of scenting her again—I'm sure she reeks of you already." Rose was on a tirade. "Emmett, for the love of God—you've scented me three times already today. I'm only talking to Jasper. See! Now look at what you've done! Emmett's gone all caveman on me and is scenting me for the fourth time today! Yes I'm hanging up now, Emmett. Just hurry the fuck up!"
I was about to get dressed when the cell phone went off again. "Quit fucking my sister and get your asses up here! We get it—you two love each other, but, damn it, we want to open our Christmas presents too. Esme won't let us touch anything because she wants to take a family photo in front of the tree with all the gifts laid out underneath it. Now move it!" Peter hung up on me.
Buzz. This time it was Bella's phone. "Okay, sis, I understand your need to be with Jasper, but, honestly, aren't you two being a bit unfair to the rest of us?"
"Sorry, Vicky, I know. We're on our way, I just need to put my heels on." Bella lied—she was stark naked and I was currently lapping up ever inch of her pussy. "Aaaah...g...g...gotta...gooo."
Buzz. "Hello?"
"Is he going down on you?" Char chuckled at the other end.
"Char, now really isn't a good time. I'm trying to get ready here." Bella said.
"Uh-huh, sure. Stay on the phone, I wanna hear you both cum." What a fucking perv! I swear, Char is insatiable. No wonder she's Pete's mate.
"I'm hanging up now, Char. Go fuck Peter, okay?"
"Ooh! Good idea. Do you want to listen in?"
"No!" Bella said firmly and pressed 'end' on her phone.
A couple of minutes later, I had Bella crying out my name at the top of her lungs. We both quickly got dressed again, me in my suit and my wife in her fuckhot, red, hard-on inducing dress. The Christmas gifts were already loaded into the truck so we just grabbed our overnight bag and jumped in the cab. We were finally on our way.
When we pulled up in the driveway of the Amherst house, Bella did a quick check of her hair and threw some lipstick on.
"You ready?" I asked. She nodded in affirmation so we gathered up the Christmas gifts and went into the house.
"Finally!" Everyone cried as we walked into the living room. Amanda came bounding out in a Santa Hat wishing us both Merry Christmas. Geez! She was the only one with manners. Alright, maybe we were a bit rude for showing up so late, but we never gave them a specific time of arrival.
Esme took the presents from us and started strategically placing them around the tree so it looked picture perfect. "Okay, now that everyone is finally here. Let's take the photo so we can start opening up gifts."
Carlisle had the camera all set up on a tripod. He hit the self-timer button and we all smiled for the picture. We did two more pictures then dove in and started opening gifts.
"Fuck me! You look hot today." Peter told Bella as he eye-fucked her. "You sure, you don't want to share a bit of your sweet lovin' with me. After all, we do have a kid together."
I growled at him and got right into his face. Peter immediately took on a submissive pose and said, "Uh...maybe not. She's yours, only yours, Major."
Bella sensed a big brawl brewing between us and ran interference. "Jasper, come sit with me so we can open some of our gifts. Here, Peter, this is from us. I hope you like it." She handed Peter a gift bag and pulled me to the sofa and sat on my lap. "Shh...baby, calm down. He was only kidding. He didn't mean anything by it."
"I felt his lust, Bella." I whispered into her ear.
"You know something, though, it doesn't matter what he feels. I'm yours Jasper, only yours." She soothed, running her fingers through my hair. I could feel her love for me radiating off of her.
"Belly Mama, Little Major!" Amanda came bounding onto the sofa next to us. "I love the new iPod and the docking station. Will you help me set them up in my room later?"
"Sure, little one." I said, giving her a hug. A few weeks ago, Bella, Edward, Peter, and I went to Ikea and picked up some new furniture for Amanda. We packed up Alice's belongings and moved her stuff to a room in the unused servants wing of Esme's grand mansion. We then went about painting the walls pink and setting up the new furniture in her room. Esme even helped by rolling out a purple area rug and strategically placing the furniture so that the room had a better flow to it. Later, Emmett came in and installed a door between Edward and Amanda's room so that when the time came, they could freely go in and out between the two rooms.
"Hey guys." Edward came and sat next to us. "I got you each a gift." He handed two beautifully wrapped boxes to us.
"Thanks, Edward. Did you like yours?" We had gotten him original sheet music from the seventeenth century that we found at an antique bookstore in Cambridge. We also got him a Harvard University hooded sweatshirt since that seemed to be his new style now.
"Loved it! I can't wait to play it—it's extremely complex, but I think I can manage it."
Bella and I pulled out our gifts at the same time and both started laughing. "This is great Edward! They go with our new pajamas!" He bought us his and hers Elvis bathrobes.
"I figured it would remind you of your wedding." Edward said sheepishly.
"Belly Mama! Look what Emmy got me! It's a High School Musical Scene It game. Can we all play it together later?"
"Sure we can." Bella said.
"Sweetheart, can I talk to you and Jasper for a second. I have something to give you in private." Esme approached us both.
"We'll be right back, okay." Bella and I both stood up and followed Esme into her private office. Things were still strained between us. Much of it had to do with her use of the riding crop on me.
"Have a seat kids." Esme said pointing to two chairs in front of her desk. We noticed a photo album sitting on her desk. "I wanted to start off with an apology. Carlisle and Riley both spoke to me and I'd like to apologize for losing control and using the riding crop on you, Jasper. I was in no position to hit you at all. So, for what it's worth. I'm sorry."
Well, that was unexpected. I moved to the other side of the desk and gave my vampire mother a hug. "Thank you, Esme." I said simply, then retreated back to my chair.
"Well, now that that's over with, I'd like to present this album to you. Go ahead, look through it and tell me what you think."
I flipped through the album and gasped. It was our house in New York City. The first few pages were photos of our house as we had last seen it. Later, it showcased the apartment transformed. It was simply gorgeous.
"Did you design this all yourself, Esme?" Bella asked.
"Yes, I did. I know we discussed the renovations in my office and you seemed to like it. I hope you don't mind the personal touches that I added. I also found your jacuzzi pool and tree as you can see. They take up the entire top floor. I placed them in the same room as you can see. I went with a tropical theme—it seemed to fit the bill."
"This is so beautiful, Esme, thank you." I said. "Um, you'll have to send me a bill so I can reimburse you."
"Absolutely not. You are both my children and this is my wedding/Christmas present to you. After my behavior, I owed you at least this much. You brought me so much joy in allowing me to just toss some of my design ideas at you—it was a gift for me as well." Esme had unsheddable tears in her eyes. "You must know that I love you both so much and I know that a mother should never say this—ever, but I will anyway. You are hands down my two favorite children and losing you would be the equivalent of death to me."
I could feel the honesty in Esme's words. Bella was emitting a cocktail of compassion, love, and a bit of distress—probably in not knowing how exactly to respond to Esme's words. I decided to take the first step. I moved to the other side of the desk, looked Esme in the eyes, and said. "I love you, mom."
That did it. Bella zipped over to Esme, climbed onto her lap, and sobbed between her thank yous and I love yous. We all stayed like that for a while then Esme started describing the renovations made to our home. We agreed that she, along with Carlisle, should come with us in a few weeks to take us on a personal tour. After a while, we rejoined the family. Happy and content to all be together.
"Ahem!" Carlisle cleared his throat in order to get our attention. "Eleazar and I have some presentations to make. As you are aware, this Christmas we have been blessed with several new additions to both the Cullen and Denali families. We'd like to present each of you with our family crests. I'll start, if you don't mind Eli."
"Please, go right ahead."
"I'd like to start with Peter, Riley, and Laurent. You three have been welcome additions to our family. Each of you have added a unique perspective to our lives. Peter, your sense of familial loyalty and your sense of humor are unparalleled. Riley, you've brought our family back in touch with our human side. You've taught me to be a better father with your wisdom and you've made each of us strive to be better citizens. Laurent, while I am aware that you are a Denali, you are also a Cullen now that you are living with us. The brotherly love that you show each of the family members have made each of us appreciate the familial love that we each share. I'd like to present each of you with the Cullen family crest in the form of a ring."
Each of the men murmured their thanks and opened up the small ring boxes containing their crest rings.
"Now for the girls." Carlisle continued. "Charlotte, Victoria, Irina, Amanda, and Isabella. Welcome to our family. Charlotte, you have brought joy and happiness to our lives with your unique brand of love that you show us each and everyday. Victoria, you prove to us each day that through hard work and diligence—any adversity can be overcome. Your fierce protectiveness of our family is also one that cannot be matched and I am proud to call you daughter. Irina, you—like Laurent, are also a Denali. Having you live with us, my niece has been a great joy. The compassion that you show all beings through your humanity and volunteer work has made all of us hold you in great respect. Amanda, it has been miraculous watching you change into the fine young lady you've become. We know that coming through the transformation has been difficult at best, but you have shown us that we can all learn and grow at any age and that the mind is capable of many, great things. Isabella, your crest is long overdue. I have told you before and I will tell you again that I have always looked upon you as my daughter. Six years ago, you stepped into our lives and showed us what it was to love with no holds barred. You amazed us with your acceptance of the supernatural world and you've shown us that courage trumps adversity always. I'd like to present each of you girls with a family crest. Your rings are encrusted with diamonds and are made of either gold or platinum to match your wedding rings."
He handed each woman a box. They opened the boxes and admired the ring inside.
Eleazar stepped up to take his turn. "Well, I don't have as many new family members to welcome. I'd like to begin with Rex. Your intelligence and humanity have been a welcome addition to the family. I am awed by your capabilities as a military strategist and as a teacher. I'd also like to thank you for heeding my advice and waiting until next year to find a teaching job. I know that you're looking forward to utilizing your degree and I promise you that by next year. You will be able to do so. I'd like to present you with the Denali family crest." Rex opened up a box containing a gold chain with a pendant hanging from it. He promptly put it on and went to give a surprised Eleazar a hug.
Eleazar cleared his throat. "I'd also like to present a crest to Jasper and Isabella." What the fuck? Why? Bella had a stunned expression on her face. I'm sure I did as well.
Eleazar looked straight at us and said. "Why so surprised kids? You two have become important additions to our family. You bring a sense of joy and humanity, as well as, strength and fortitude to our family. We are proud to have you both as members of the Denali family."
We looked around the room and the Cullens all looked stunned. It was obvious that Eleazar hadn't mentioned a thing to any of them. Esme and Carlisle both looked anxious, but resigned. Well, we weren't going to leave the Cullens, but it was nice to be recognized by the Denalis as family all the same. We were extremely close and had a lot in common. The Denalis were a lot more reserved than the Cullens and that's how Bella and I were. At the same time, they knew how to have a healthy dose of fun. We also had come to respect Eleazar tremendously—he had a great deal of wisdom and words of advice to offer.
Bella and I both ran up to Eleazar and gave him a hug. He presented me with a chain and crest like Rex's except mine was platinum to match my wedding band. Bella received a beautiful platinum bracelet that featured the family crest encrusted with diamonds—it matched the ones sported by each of the Denali girls. The Denalis suddenly surrounded us and gave me, Bella, and Rex congratulatory hugs. Not to be outdone, the Cullens joined in and soon everyone was hugging each other and making merry.
I noticed that Carlisle had pulled Bella away from the Denali group and had a firm hold on her waist. I chuckled. Daddy Carlisle was jealous of Uncle Eleazar, particularly when it came to Bella. He had nothing to worry about, though, Eleazar wasn't going to take Bella away from him. He had a solid respect for boundaries. Carlisle, however, was still worried about losing his daughter particularly after the wedding debacle.
"Hey, Mom, "Emmett said, "it's 8pm now. Can we change out of these monkey suits into something more comfortable? I can't breathe in these ties."
"Emmett, you don't breathe." I said.
"Yeah, I know, but I always feel like I'm choking in these things."
"Okay, we're done with pictures so everyone can go change now." Esme decided. "Charlotte, no nudity—we have guests and if you're going to wear something risque make sure you put a robe on. Not a sheer one either—that big cotton one I bought you."
"Mom! It's so bulky. Everyone's seen me naked anyway."
"Charlotte!" Esme growled.
"Fine!" Charlotte stomped off to change with Pete hot on her heels. The guy never missed a chance to see his mate naked—pervert.
Speaking of naked mates. "Hey, Bella, let's go change into those new pajamas you bought us." Geez! I'm just as bad as Pete is—if not worse. At least he didn't scent his mate as much as I did.
Everyone ran up to their rooms to change into their pajamas—even the Denalis. They had packed their pjs knowing that everyone got super comfortable at the Cullens on Christmas evening. I have no idea why, but that's always how it's been. When Alice was here, she had the men dressed in silk pajamas and the women in silk nightgowns. This was our first real Christmas without her, thank fuck, I wanted to see how everyone dressed themselves.
Bella and I walked downstairs wearing our matching Elvis pajamas—we even donned Edward's robes on top of them.
"Tell me you guys are joking?" Rose scowled. She was dressed in white silk pajamas. "I can't believe you guys are actually wearing those!"
"Why not? They're comfy." Bella replied.
"Oh my God!" Rose exclaimed. She had just caught sight of Emmett and Amanda. They were both wearing High School Musical pajama pants. Amanda was fine, but when we saw Emmett we all started laughing. "Bella, I take back everything I just said. That's bad."
Riley was wearing Boston Red Sox pajama pants while Vicky wore a matching pair in pink. Irina and Laurent were wearing matching flannel pajamas with a snowman print. Carlisle, Esme, and the Denalis were all pretty conservative in their sleepwear. Rex was wearing black silk pajamas—figures! Tanya, however, was wearing Hello Kitty pajamas. What the fuck is Garrett wearing? Holy fuck—I haven't seen those since I was human.
"Garrett? Is that a union suit you're wearing? I remember those from when I was human." I said.
"I know, aren't they great? I found them when I went to LLBean with Katie. I'll pick one up for you when we go up again this weekend."
"Okay, thanks!"
"Rex, we used to have to wear those underneath our military uniforms." I informed him.
"No kidding? Really? Garrett, can you pick up one for me too?"
"Sure."
Peter and Charlotte came bounding down the stairs. Peter was wearing Star Wars pajamas and Charlotte was wearing a silk bathrobe with nothing underneath it. Esme just threw her hands up, exasperated at the sight of her. Edward was the last to join our group, he was wearing plaid pajama pants, but it was the graphic t-shirt on top that had us all rolling. On it, there was an arrow pointing up to his face with a message underneath that read "Mr. Right" and another arrow pointing straight to his dick with a message over it that read "Mr. Up All Night." Every single person in the room was laughing.
"We've got to take a picture of everybody!" Carlisle grabbed his camera and quickly set it up on the tripod. We all smiled for the photo as the flash went off.
"Um...Carlisle can we take one more please?" Esme asked. "Charlotte, dear, this time would you please leave your robe on? I'd like to frame the photo."
One more picture and this time Charlotte stayed dressed. That girl sure has a healthy sex drive. I wonder if it's because of my venom?
We spent the rest of the evening watching Christmas movies. Bella was snuggled up into my chest and I was relishing in the comfort of my mate. The other couples were in similar positions.
Riley suddenly stood up. "I have something to say." He got down on one bended knee in front of Vicky. "Victoria, five and a half years ago you came into my life and changed my life completely. I mean that, literally and figuratively." We all chuckled at hearing that.
Riley continued. "From the time of my awakening, you've been the steady rock in my life. You rolled through life's changes with me, from finding Bella to Charlie's death to moving to Boston. You made sure that our family stayed strong and together and helped me forge a successful career as a psychologist while you went to school and helped raise my sister to be the strong woman that she is today. Sure, sometimes your methods were a bit unconventional, but hey, that's what I love about you. So, with that, I have one thing to ask you. Victoria Biers, would you marry me again?"
"Yes." Vicky said simply as Riley presented her with a beautiful diamond engagement ring. "Oh, Riley, this is so beautiful! Thank you!" She looked like she was about to sob!
"Congratulations!" Bella said. "I'm so happy for you guys." She tumbled into Riley's arms.
Vicky pulled them both in for a hug. "You know I love you both so much!"
It was a beautiful moment. They had stuck together through thick and thin and somehow ended up stronger than ever. Irina and Laurent soon joined in. The five of them truly knew the meaning of the word family. Their love for each other was unconditional—it didn't matter whether they were Cullens, Denalis, Swans, or Biers. The five of them were a true family unit.
Everyone else soon chimed in to offer their congratulations and to admire Vicky's ring. Apparently, Edward had helped Riley pick the ring at the Jeweler's Building in Boston. Hmm...I'd have to go check the place out—maybe they could do something with the pearl that I just gave Bella for Christmas. Vicky gave Edward a kiss on the cheek. If the boy were human, he would have been blushing a hundred shades of red.
We soon resumed watching TV until Edward started playing Christmas tunes on the piano. We all started singing along to everything from Silent Night to Frosty the Snowman. We were hooting and hollering and dancing around when Edward started playing Burning Love on the piano. We were having a grand ol' time when, out of the blue, we all heard a high-pitched, whiny voice that none of us wanted to hear. "Helloooo family! I'm home!"
Edward suddenly switched to playing a few notes from Darth Vader's theme song from Star Wars before abruptly stopping. It was Alice and not one person in the room was happy about seeing her.
She stopped midway into the living room before speaking. "I've come home to my family. I thought you'd want to see me for Christmas. Why are you all dressed in those pajamas? You look ridiculous. Anyway, so much has happened in the last few months, Jazzy Pooh I have a mate. He's just unloading all of our bags. We have over a hundred pieces." She then looked at Amanda who was clutching onto Bella. Shit. Bitch has no idea that she's been changed or that we're married. "Amanda, get away from that whore! I told you she's a prostitute! What are you wearing? You look stupid...and what happened to your hair?"
Rage, pure unadulterated rage. That's all I felt emanating from my mate. Bella passed Amanda to Peter. In a flash, she was on top of my ex-wife pounding the shit out of her. Unfortunately, Alice is a decent fighter because stupid me taught her how to defend herself when I thought I loved her decades ago. Damn it! Alice threw Bella across the living room and into a wall.
"Don't take that shit from the bitch, Bella. Get the fuck up and beat the shit out of her!" Rosalie encouraged.
Undeterred, Bella got up and this time faked a punch and kicked Alice in the gut instead. Alice tried to land a punch to Bella's jaw. She was blocked by Bella who punched Alice straight underneath her chin, then tossed her into the front door—making it shatter on impact.
"God, I love chick fights!" Garrett exclaimed. He was eagerly taking in the scene in front of him.
"Does Alice count as a chick?" Emmett asked innocently.
"No, girls have boobies." Amanda answered him. Haha. That was funny.
"That's right Amanda." I couldn't help, but commend her.
"Little Major, this is just like that Charlie's Angels movie we watched together." Amanda mused.
"That's right, Amanda, Bella's the angel and Psycho Bitch is the villain." Edward pointed out then turned to me. "You think we should stop them?"
"Nah, Bella needs to do this. Let her get her aggression out." I said. I wasn't worried about my wife. She'd been trained by Vicky. She also took karate lessons from Laurent. Both of them were keeping a mindful eye on her and looked ready to step in, if necessary.
"Fuck her up, Bella!" Char cheered as Bella grabbed Alice from behind and shoved her head into the wall. Alice extracted herself and started wailing like a wild banshee. She ran straight into Bella and tackled her. Bella quickly got up and clocked Alice in the nose. The two were hammering at each other and landing punches left and right. Bella landed a solid uppercut to Alice's jaw. Alice tried to grab Bella, but my mate was quick and was able to land a left hook to the Pixie's eye. Alice was about to hit Bella again when Carlisle and Eleazar finally stepped in. Carlisle had Alice in a body lock from behind while Eleazar held Bella's hands behind her back.
"That's it girls! No more punching! That's an order!" Carlisle commanded.
"Yes, Daddy." Alice said sweetly. She then turned towards Bella with a smug smile.
Bella shifted her head towards us, rolled her eyes, then smirked. What the fuck is she smirking about? She grinned maliciously at Alice, then, with Eleazar still holding her arms behind her back, she impaled my ex-wife across the face with a karate high kick so powerful that Alice's head was hanging limply off of her neck. My ex-wife's venom was oozing all over the floor. Damn it! I have a hard on now!
Bella looked innocently at Carlisle and said, "You said no punching, Dad. You didn't say anything about kicking." Carlisle just rolled his eyes, holding on to Alice's head so it wouldn't completely fall off. I could swear I heard him chuckle.
We heard a whimper coming from Peter. He looked up at us, his eyes brimming with venom tears and said. "I just jizzed my pants. That was just the hottest thing I've ever seen in my life." Sure enough, Peter was sporting a huge wet spot on the front of his Star Wars pajama pants.
"Run upstairs and change now, Petey dear. Just put your pants on top of the washer, I'll get that stain out for you. I know those are your favorite pajama pants." Esme, ever the eternal mother, instructed Peter.
"Thanks, Mama." Peter said as he ran upstairs to change, pecking Esme on the cheek on the way.
Eleazar released his hold on Bella, but not before kissing her on top of her head and whispering, "Good girl."
I immediately grabbed my mate and started checking her for injuries. She was absolutely fine, not a mark on her—not even a rip in her pajamas. Her hair was a jumbled mess so I started running my fingers through her locks to smooth it out for her. The action was soothing, not only to her, but to me as well.
Victoria's eyes met mine. She turned her head slightly towards the Psycho Bitch, then back to me again. She was looking for approval from the Major. I nodded my head in affirmation and Victoria stalked towards her pet. Carlisle immediately handed Alice over to Victoria saying, "Here you go, kitten. Careful, her head's hanging a bit precariously there." Kitten my ass. Lethal Victoria was about to make an appearance.
"Oh my pet, what happened? Were you in a fight? Lucky for you, your mistress saw everything. You were a very bad girl. I'm not so sure whether I should reattach your head or turn you into ash. It's no bother to me either way, you know." Just to prove her point, my sister ripped off Alice's pinky.
Alice looked petrified. She was unable to speak because Bella had severed her voice box with that final kick. Speaking of which, I really need to start taking karate lessons from Laurent. "Are you going to be a good little pet from now on and listen to your mistress? Isabella is my sister, pet, she is completely off limits to you, as is Amanda. Hmm...I think I'll be nice and put you back together. I recall promising to teach you a few lessons once you returned. Lucky for you, I always keep my promises." Lethal Victoria cackled maniacally and removed Alice's other pinky.
Peter walked downstairs after changing into a new pair of pajama pants and immediately flanked Victoria. Alice cringed in fear. She knew how much Peter despised her and she was fully aware of how deadly he could be. She looked towards Victoria for salvation. "You don't like the Captain, pet? Does he frighten you?" Alice started furiously blinking her eyes. Psycho Bitch was at Victoria's mercy and she knew it. Scanning the feelings of everyone around the room, I felt a combination of awe and fear. Amanda was watching the scene unfold excitedly, as if it were an action movie. Bella was emitting feelings of sheer glee as Victoria reigned over Alice.
"Not to worry pet. Captain's just here to help mistress put her pet back together. You know, I'm not so sure I remember how to reassemble a detached head. Major?" Victoria turned her head towards me. "Do we use her venom or mine?"
"You definitely need to use your venom and the Captain's, too. Your pet looks pretty dried up." I answered with a smirk.
Alice's eyes widened in fear and she started shaking uncontrollably. Using Vicky and Pete's venom to reattach her head would be extremely painful and leave a scar. After the shit the bitch has pulled, she deserved that at minimum.
"Let's get started, shall we Captain?" Vicky suggested to Peter.
Peter started heckling. Alice started shrieking as they fused her head back on using their venom. Char stepped in and clamped a hand over Alice's mouth to shut her up. "I'm going to hold onto your pinkies, pet. You weren't able to stay quiet while I so kindly reattached your head." Vicky grabbed Alice's pinkies and threw them in her pocketbook.
"Thank you, Victoria." Alice said submissively. No sooner than the words were out of her mouth, Bella had Alice up against the wall by her throat.
"You're going to apologize to Amanda for those comments you made earlier, bitch!" Bella squeezed Alice's neck tighter.
Just then, a human loped into the house looking completely exhausted. "Alice, I unloaded all of the bags, but I haven't brought them in yet. What happened to the front door?"
"Fuck." Bella mumbled and dropped Alice unceremoniously to the ground.
We all looked in the direction of the voice and Edward, Emmett, Riley, Vicky, and I simultaneously said, "Oh, fuck!"
"Gross!" Rosalie added.
"Bella Swan? You're a vampire? I thought you were hot in Forks, but now...damn! Hey, Edward, are you still tapping that ass?" Edward and I both growled and immediately put Bella behind us.
"Alice, you never told me that Bella was with you guys and a vampire. Why not? This is like winning the fucking lottery. Bella Swan and Rosalie Hale in the same room looking all fuckable." The little prick continued talking. "So, Bella, are you with someone? I heard Edward's married. I'm still single you know. Maybe we can go out som..."
He was never able to finish his sentence. I felt a sudden surge of bloodlust that dropped me to my knees. All of us were taken completely unaware when Amanda lunged at Alice's mate and sunk her teeth into his jugular.
"Amanda, no!" Bella screamed. Alice tried to pull Amanda off of her mate, but she was promptly thrown into the wall for interrupting her feed.
Bella slowly approached Amanda, together with Peter and Edward. She was protecting her prey. "You don't want to do this Amanda." She begged. "Please don't do this, it'll only hurt you."
Amanda shook her head furiously at Bella. Amanda resumed feeding off of Alice's mate. In a move of desperation, Bella grabbed Edward and kissed him on the lips—in hopes of distracting Amanda.
"Look Amanda, she's stealing your mate!" Peter urged Amanda to look up. In a flash, Amanda dropped her feed and pushed Bella off of Edward. This time she was crouched protectively in front of Edward and snarling at Bella. Edward quickly restrained Amanda with Peter's help.
Alice went immediately to check on her mate. "Oh God! Oh God! He's dying." She cried. "Please! Please! Someone help!"
"Don't look at me." I said.
"Well, I'm not going to change him." Edward said.
"I don't like the prick." Emmett added.
Everyone was staring at Alice and her dying mate. No one was attempting to help.
"Please! Please! I'll be in your debt for life. If he isn't changed, I'll be without a mate for my entire existence. I'm begging you. I'll make a 'vampire's promise' that I'll forever be in your debt."
Hmm...a 'vampire's promise'...I could work with that. She wouldn't be able to break that promise until her death and she'd be in my debt forever. Maybe I should change him...
I noticed that Amanda was sobbing in a corner. She was sitting in Bella's arms allowing her to comfort her. "I'm a murderer. I'm a killer. I should be in jail." She whimpered.
"You are not a murderer. I won't allow that to happen—ever." Bella reassured. With that, my mate stood up and walked over to Alice's mate. She got a look of resolve on her face as she bit into the human's neck and pumped her venom into him.
"Noooo!" Alice cried. "Anyone, but her. I don't want to be in her debt forever!"
"Beggars can't be choosers, you fucking bitch!" Rose impaled Alice's face with an uppercut then leaned over the human and bit down into his wrists—pushing her venom into him. She was helping her baby sister so she didn't have to change the fucker alone. Rose had a heart of gold.
"Oh God! Not her too!" Alice screamed.
"You know, pet, you're acting very unappreciative to Isabella and Rosalie. Get down on your knees and thank them, NOW!" Victoria roared at Alice. "Remember, you're in their debt forever now."
Alice instantly dropped to her knees and started thanking Bella and Rose. Oh, this is going to be good. I'm so glad that Vicky decided to use the "master's bite" instead of just ripping her fingers off.
"I think you can both stop now." I said. "That's enough venom."
Rose and Bella immediately stopped, the human started screaming as the burn started, and that's how Mike Fucking Newton came to transform into a vampire in our living room. Ho fucking ho fucking ho!
So, you've all been asking for Alice's mate and most of you had already guessed who he would be. I bet you weren't expecting him to be transformed so quickly, though. I'd love to hear what you think about Mike, Alice and everything else that happened in this chapter. I love hearing from all of you and I promise to write back. XOXO