AN: Rose and Emmett get married, and then some. This is a multi pov chapter.
Chapter forty three: A Wedding and more…
Alice, March, 2011…
What Vicky wanted me to do was insane. There was no way this was going to work. I couldn't get to Jasper. Could I?
"Alice, it's simple. Just get to him and slip it in his drink," she said. "You're telling me you had the balls to cheat on him, but you can't drug him?"
"Well, it's just…"
"It's nothing!" she said a little too quickly. I wasn't sure why she wanted me to do this so badly. It was very suspicious. I don't know what happened between last night and this morning, but Vicky has changed. She used to be cool and unconcerned with me venting about Jasper and Bella. Now, it was all about me drugging Jasper and hurting Bella. I told her that I wouldn't be going anywhere near Bella, but she won't take no for an answer. She has been insistent since we got on the phone.
"Vicky, I can't do it."
"Why not?!" she shouted. "She stole Jasper. Don't you want to make her pay?"
"Yes, but not like this," I said. "When I attacked Jasper last night, I was mad. But I was also wrong. She attacked me for it and I can't say I completely wrong her."
"Are you stupid or something?" Vicky scoffed. "God, you and James are the same thing."
That was strange. Why would James and I be the same thing? "What are you talking about? You want me to teach Jasper a lesson, but what happens when he wakes up and realizes that I'm the one who hurt him. This plan is done. It got ruined last night, Vicky. I'm banned from the wedding, reception, the whole goddamn ranch!"
"There must be a way," she insisted and it was pissing me off. Didn't she hear me? There was no way. I wasn't about to go over to Jasper's and have him throw me out flat on my ass and I wasn't going to hurt him, drug him or whatever. It was done. He was right. We were through."
"He's right, Vicky," I resigned. "I have to learn to accept it. He's moved on. I probably won't believe it for a while, but it's the truth. Jasper is happy with Bella and they're going to have a baby."
"Don't remind me," Vicky sneered. "That's why you should stop being a dumbass and get over to Jasper's and slip him that cocktail I told you to make."
What was wrong with Vicky? What kind of friend was she? She didn't care about me. She just wanted me to do bad things.
"You did make it, didn't you? Please tell me you at least got one thing right."
"Yes, Vicky, I made it, but…"
"Good! Now get your ass over to Jasper's and use it on him," she chuckled. What was there to laugh about? She was telling me to go and drug Jasper. "Trust me, once you do that, they'll understand."
"What?" What the hell was Vicky talking about? "What will Jasper understand?"
"Do what I say and stop questioning me, you dummy!"
"Enough!" I yelled. "I'm through with you being rude to me. And you know what, that's it. I'm done. I don't want to talk to you ever again! I'm not doing it. I won't hurt Jasper! You stay away from me, Vicky! I'm not the stupid one. At least, I now know I'm fighting a lost cause and I'm throwing in the towel. What are you doing? You're pining away over James, who, by the sound of it, wants to get back together with his wife and once he gets her, he'll want nothing to do with you!"
I shouldn't have said that, but I wasn't about to take it back. She hurt my feelings and I was through with her and her bullshit schemes. I shouldn't have called her last night. But after that disastrous party where I learned of Jasper's betrayal and Bella being pregnant, and then the women of the family all wanting to kick my ass, I needed to vent and called Vicky. She was happy to learn about Bella's pregnancy. It was as if I told her she had won the lottery. But I was too distracted by my own anger to see that there was something in her voice. Something unnerving. When she got to planning, I was so pissed I went along with everything she said. I jumped around and got the necessary ingredients, and the cocktail was surprisingly easy to make. A few things from the medicine cabinet could do it.
Vicky said it would be painless. She said Jasper would be knocked out and that should give me enough time to have him to myself.
But that was last night. I didn't feel as vengeful this morning. I was sore as hell, at least my scalp was from Bella pulling on it, and Rose did a number on me. My mouth was heavy and I really wanted to avoid mirrors. I couldn't bear to see what damage had been done to my face. The women in Jasper's family were crazy.
"I'm going to make you wish you never said that to me," she said in a deadly calm tone. "Alice Brandon, you're going to pay for saying that to me."
"Whatever, Vicky. I'm through."
"You have no idea how right you are." She was too calm.
"I will not be threatened!"
"Yet, that's exactly what I'm doing," she chuckled evilly. "And when I see you, I'm going to have some fun. Just like I did with Bella. And when I'm through with you, I'm going to cut you up into little pieces, you bitch!"
"How…how do you know Bella?" How dumb am I? Why didn't I see it?
Vicky laughed. "I know Bella very, very well, Alice. Intimately well. She used to pretend she was tough too, until James broke her and then she became the perfect plaything. And when we come for her, I'm coming for you too. I think I'd love to see you two play together." She was moaning in my ear while I shivered like a leaf. I have never felt so afraid in my life. What was going on here?
"You can forget it!" I yelled and Vicky laughed at me. "You can't touch me!"
She ignored that. "Just so you know, I never had any intention of watching you and your country hick, Jasper, ride off into the sunset. That bastard is as good as dead."
"Jasper won't let you touch us!" Was I talking about Bella and me? Oh hell, who cares? This bitch was crazy.
Again, she ignored my threat. "Let me tell you a little story, Alice. Once upon a time, there was a girl named Bella…"
When I hung up the phone I ran to the bathroom and lost my stomach's contents in the toilet. Bella was James' wife. James and Vicky were deranged. What the fuck have I gotten myself into? They tortured Bella with sick games, beat her, and raped her. Oh my God. Oh my God. What have I done? Was this why? Oh no. I was so dumb. I was so blind. I still don't want to believe that Jasper loves Bella, but I understood him wanting to protect her from those sickos.
Oh no. What have I done? I have been talking to Vicky for a while. I told her a lot of things. Shit! How damaging has it been? I still didn't like Bella, but no one should have live through that.
It all made sense now! From how frail she looked when I first met her. To how healthy she got as time went on. Why Sam was always following her and Jasper around. He never did it as much when I was with Jasper. He was watching their backs.
A part of me wanted to blame Bella for bringing this danger into Jasper's life. While another side of me squashed it. Jasper was a grown man and if I was really going to let him go, I had to accept this. He was happy. He wanted to be with Bella. She wasn't working for Maria. They were all protecting her. His mom had a bad history with the man she was with before Jasper's dad. She must have realized what Bella was going through and jumped in to help.
Shit! I have to get to them. I have to warn them. But how?
I knew how. I just hope Jasper will let me say what I need to before he kicked me out.
With what I hoped was a good plan, I ran to my closet and got out a white pants suits and paired it with my Louis Vuitton heels. There was no need to look like shit even though I felt like it. Then I ran to the shower.
I had to do this. It was my way of saying 'I'm sorry' to Jasper.
When I got dressed, I hesitated, seeing the cocktail on my desk. Should I? Yes. I walked over and grabbed it. I needed it to explain. I knew he would hate me even more. It was oddly painful to beware of how everyone truly feels about you when you weren't deluding yourself into thinking that everyone loved you, and this shit hurt. But I had to do it. I was making things right.
I ran to the garage and smiled at the Porsche Jasper had bought me. I jumped in and started the car, took a deep breath and drove out.
I could do this. I was going to pull my head out of my ass and help. Rome wasn't built in a day but this was a damn good start.
Vicky, March, 2011…
"What an idiot!" I slammed the phone down and got up to pace the room.
"What happened?" James asked. He was eyeing me intently. I thought he would have blown up at me for threatening Alice, but he was oddly calm.
"You're not going to like this."
"What happened?"
"Alice won't give Jasper the cocktail. I think she changed her dumb mind and she's going to warn Jasper."
James chuckled. "There's something you're not saying. Why the change of heart in Alice?"
I gulped because he was going to lose it when I told him. I didn't say anything last night after I spoke to Alice, but oh well, here goes. "Be…Marie is pregnant."
James looked at me long and hard. His eyes were like fire and then he lost it. He screamed and shouted all the things he was going to do to Jasper when he got his hands on him. He broke things and screamed some more. His angry was usually a turn on, but not anymore. Something has changed in him. He was darker. Scarier. He worried me. A part of me knew that Alice was right, but I refused to accept it. James didn't love Bella as much as he loved me.
But still, he worried me.
"James, we have to think up something," I said with trepidation. He looked crazy. He wasn't my James right now. He was something else. Something way too sinister to be fun.
He looked at me like I was stupid and then broke out in a smile. "I'm going to disappear for a while."
He walked out of the room with his phone at his ear.
How the hell was he going to disappear when we were being watched? Wouldn't that cause trouble for him? But why was I worried? James went down to hick town, and Bella didn't see him. He got close and they didn't suspect a thing.
Oh Bella. She was so dumb. She and Alice could be sisters. The only smart thing Bella ever did was run away. She made the game more fun for me. I couldn't wait to get my hands on her. Too bad she wasn't going to be sticking around after that. It would be James and me like it was supposed to be.
People had accidents all the time. I smiled at my own devious thoughts while James yelled at Laurent over the phone. "Oh, Bella, once James rips that baby out of you, we're going to have so much fun."
James, March, 2011…
"Laurent, I need to disappear! I don't want excuses and fuck that country hick! I wanna disappear!"
"Calm down, James, we've got things in a good place right now," he reasoned. "They're watching but they're not getting anything. You've been playing it cool and things have been great. They've still got guards on Marie but I'm sure if you continue to play it cool, you can grab her in no time."
"That son of a bitch got her pregnant!" I yelled.
"Oh shit."
"Yes, oh shit. Not only did the bastard trick her, he knocked her up." I felt sick to my stomach to even say that. Whitlock tricked my Marie into bed and planted his insipid seed inside her. My precious Marie's body was now poisoned!"
"We've got to stay calm," Laurent said.
"Stay calm? No! We're doing this my way!"
With that, I told him my plan. Starting with that little bitch, Alice. She was going to pay dearly for not listening. Marie, well, she would be saved for last. I was going to rip that demon out of her. And Jasper was going to die a million times. Yes, I had it all worked out.
"I don't get it," Laurent said confusedly. "Why disappear for a while? Don't you have a doctor's convention coming up?"
"Yes, and I'm hoping that bastard attends. But that's in a few weeks so this will work perfectly."
"You're letting them think you're giving up?"
"In a sense, yes. I'm going to keep going until I feel like stopping. Marie will freak. I know she will. The longer I take to go for her, the more scared she'll become. I trained her, Laurent. I know her like the back of my hand. I want those idiots to think they're winning and then I'll give them the surprise of a lifetime. And when I'm through, Marie will be home where she belonged."
Bella, March, 2011...
Today was going to be perfect. It started out as a great morning despite my first bout of morning sickness, but Jasper was the sweetest thing. When I jumped up and ran to the bathroom, he was right behind me, holding my hair back. Then he was an overprotective papa bear telling everyone to back off until I was okay.
When I felt good enough to work, Tanya escorted me over to the main house. There were last minute preparations and I think the excitement cured my nausea. Just jumping around with Emily, Liam and Siobhan along with the team to get things ready was a blessing on my stomach. Not even the smell of prepared food bothered me like I thought they would. I was too happy to let them. I was in total control.
Liam and Siobhan sat me down so I could give them blow by blow about what happened last night and the altercation with Alice.
"That's what she gets," Liam cheered. "I hope she stays away."
"Me too," Siobhan added.
Around noon, Tanya and I headed over to Jasper's. It was time to get ready. When we stepped outside and started our trek from the main house, I took a deep breath and sighed.
"What is it?" Tanya chuckled.
"What do you mean?"
"You've been smiling since this morning despite being sick."
"I don't know. I just feel happy." And I did. I was extremely happy. It was a sunny afternoon, but it was cool. The wind was gentle and there wasn't a dark cloud in the sky. It was crystal blue like Jasper's eyes.
The thought of him made me smile wider.
"Okay, what are you thinking about now?" Tanya asked. "You're beaming!"
"I'm thinking about how great today is and how much I love Jasper."
Tanya threw her arm over my shoulder. "I'm so happy for you two. Words can't begin to express. I'm glad the Alice fiasco is over. You handled yourself well."
"I promised Jasper I wouldn't do anything like that again."
"No worries, Bella. I'll gladly whup anybody's ass for ya!"
We laughed the rest of the way over to Jasper's.
He was right at the front door, waiting to greet me. Tanya laughed and told me to meet her upstairs when I was through.
Jasper backed me up into the door with gentle kisses that ran from my mouth to my neck. "I missed you," he said, nuzzling my neck.
"I missed you too." It felt too good. I didn't want him to stop, but he did.
When he pulled away, his eyes were dark and saying exactly what my body needed. I wanted him too. But he sighed, "We can't."
I pouted. It seemed to work on Jasper most times. Except for now. "Bella, you're not being fair. We can't."
"I know," I sighed.
"Later?"
I pulled my sexy cowboy with the piercing blue eyes, tatted body, and taut muscles back to my lips. "Definitely."
We parted and Jasper pulled me to the dining room for lunch. I got an eyeful of his ass while he walked ahead of me. He didn't say anything besides telling me he knew what I was checking him out and smirked before going for my lunch.
God, that smirk did things to me. My mind quickly started conjuring up images of what I wanted to do to him while he came back to the table with my food. I boldly told him that he was a walking temptation who looked entirely too good in jeans and t-shirts. Hell, anything he wore looked sexy on him.
"If you expect me to apologize for checking you out, you can forget it," I said defiantly, making Jasper laugh.
"I wasn't going to chastise you for it. It's nice to be wanted. I especially love being wanted by you."
After lunch, we parted ways to get ready. The wedding was at two pm, and we only had about an hour and a half left.
Tanya and I were ready an hour later. And I was in love with my strapless gray and lavender gown. I wore the pendant Jasper left to go with the dress and I brought along the pair of black ballet flats for working and easing Jasper's mind he left in Tanya's room for me. Jasper thought they would be safer and less stressful to work in than the heels. I obliged him. I loved his concern.
"Are you ready?" Tanya asked.
I looked at myself one more time in the mirror and then I was out the door with Tanya. "Yeah, let's go."
Jasper, March, 2011…
Emmett and Edward were talking to me but all I could envision was how beautiful Bella today. I saw the dress she was going to wear, and I think the white gold pendant I got for her would go really well with the gown and I hope she brought the ballet flats so she could have something to walk around in if Emily needed her assistance.
"Hey!" I jumped at the sound of Emmett's booming laughter. "Where are you, man? I'm the one who's supposed to be nervous here."
"What do you have to be nervous about?" I cocked eyebrow at him. He better not be getting cold feet. I would kick his ass. "You're marrying my sister, and you've been saying for years that she's the best thing that ever happened to you."
"I know that," Emmett laughed. "And Rosie is. I was talking about you. You look like you're a million miles away."
"Thinking about how great Bella is going to look in her dress and wondering if she brought the flat shoes I left her."
"Quit hovering," Edward warned. "She's going to kick your ass next if you don't stop babying her."
"Bella likes it," I boasted.
"For now," Edward and Emmett said.
"What will Bella like, besides kicking Alice's ass?" Peter asked, walking into the room while fixing his tie.
Edward had to answer. Nosy bastard. "Bella's going to kick Jasper's ass soon if he doesn't stop hovering. Care to place a wager on it?"
"Nah, I'd win easy," Peter said. "Jasper's got a doctor's convention coming up in a few weeks and he won't want to go. But I'm betting Bella will make him, because she doesn't want him to stop his life because of her."
My mouth fell open. I forgot about the convention. Last year, I was keen on going to this year's convention, but not so much anymore. There were far more important things happening in my life.
"Bella and I will discuss it." I was sure I could make her understand my wanting to stay home with her.
"And she'll freak out and think you're doing this because of her," Peter said. "She'll take it the wrong way."
"We'll talk about it," I countered.
The other guys were laughing and Peter was smirking. "We'll see," he said.
I left them and headed over to the main house. We had gotten dressed at my place. Bella didn't know. I loved hearing her laughter while she and Tanya talked. I wasn't being nosy, I just missed her. I loved her.
I ran up the stairs and stopped at my destination. I patted my pocket and then knocked on the door. A couple of voices yelled for me to come in and I opened the door to the vision that was my sister standing among the ladies in her wedding dress.
"You look gorgeous," I told her and Rose had to be Rose. Straight to the point and demanding.
"Don't you dare make me cry, Jasper," she said strongly. "We worked forever on my makeup. If you ruin it, I'll mess you up."
The ladies giggled. Mom was standing off to the side with a proud mama bear look on her face. She looked beautiful in her crème gown. I winked at her and Rose asked what this was about.
"What did you two do?"
"I wanted to get something for the bride and Momma and I came up with the perfect things."
Rose nodded and I went on, "I wanted to go with that whole something old, something borrowed, something new, something blue thing."
The ladies laughed.
Rose smiled. "So what did you two do?"
I pulled my present from my pocket and Mom opened her clutch purse. "While I went with the something new, Momma took on the other three."
"Old, borrowed and blue," Rose said. I nodded and opened the black velvety box in front of her. "Oh Jasper, it's so beautiful!"
"It's not as beautiful as you, little sis, but it'll have to do." I handed her the pair of diamond earrings I had gotten her. I had the earrings and Bella's pendant picked up from my favorite jeweler in Houston. He knew my taste.
"While Jasper took the easy route," Momma laughed. "I wanted you to honor our family by wearing the family's heirloom, your great grandmother's blue diamond wreath necklace."
I left soon after that with Rose blaming me for her tears. I laughed and told her I loved her. She gave me the middle finger, making me laugh. Momma and I would be walking her down the aisle in place of Dad. He would have been happy today.
Sue met me at the bottom of the stairs. I walked her over to the wedding tent and found my beautiful girl talking with Esme and Carlisle. She was smiling radiantly and would occasionally touch her stomach.
"Happy for your sister and best friend?" Sue asked me.
"I am," I said while smiling as I saw Bella laugh at something Carlisle said to her.
Sue laughed. "Considering you wanted to choke the life out of Emmett when he confessed to you how he felt about your sister."
I chuckled. "Yeah, considering."
"Go on over there and say hi," Sue said.
I turned to her and smiled. "What makes you think…"
"Oh please, you began searching the crowd as soon as we came in here," Sue laughed. "I love what Bella has done to you, Jasper."
"I love it too."
"Head over there quickly!" Sue urged. "The wedding is about to start."
I kissed her cheek and followed her advice, heading to Bella. Esme saw me coming. She smiled and said something to Bella, making her turn to me, and I was lost in the beauty of her. She looked radiant. My heart thumped with happiness when I walked up and took her hand in mine.
"You look ravishing," I leaned in and whispered to her.
She laughed softly. "Promises. Promises, Mr. Whitlock."
God, that went straight to my cock. This woman was going to kill me. I pulled back and smirked at her, "I'll see what I can do about fulfilling them later."
Bella shivered slightly and smiled at me. I followed Bella to her seat. She was sitting with Esme and Carlisle.
Gentle music began to fill the tent and guests started to take their seats. "I'll see you after the wedding."
"I love you," Bella said with a kiss.
"I love you too."
I left her and went to the curtained entrance of the tent where Rose and her bridesmaids stood. Momma was already by her side and I took my place on the opposite one. The ladies began to walk in, and soon, it was the bride's turn. The wedding march began and three of us stepped forward. I found Bella in the crowd and smiled at her.
Rose whispered, "Soon, it'll be her turn. I can't wait to see your face as she walks to you."
I turned and kissed my sister's cheek. "I can't wait for that too. I love you, little sis."
"I love you, Jasper."
~~abt~~
Emmett and Rose's wedding was quite the event. He openly cried while she said her vows to him, and Rose grabbed him and kissed him before the minister could even finish talking. We applauded their antics. My best friend and sister were going to have a great life together.
I lost Bella in the crowd, but vowed to find her after the wedding party posed for pictures. Sam wasn't far away, so she was safe. After pictures, Tanya and I walked arm in arm to the reception tent. Edward stole her away and I went in search of Bella, finding her over by the food section. It was a pleasure standing aside and watching her for a while.
When I saw an opening, I snuck up behind her and snaked my arms around her waist and kissing her neck. She sighed and relaxed against me. "Hi," I whispered in her ear.
"Hi," she said before turning in my arms to kiss me.
I didn't leave for a while and Bella continued working around me. I noticed she was wearing the ballet shoes and I smiled. I tried to steal an appetizer, but she would smack my hand away. "You'll get it soon."
I whispered huskily in her ear. "Get what soon?"
The double meaning wasn't lost on her. She cocked an eyebrow at me and smiled, "The food, Jasper. Everything else will have to wait."
"For how long?" I liked where this argument was going.
"A little later," she sighed and used her butt to push me away.
I laughed and let her go. Emily walked by, giggling and shaking her head at me.
"Go to the wedding table," Bella ordered pointedly.
"Yes, Ma'am."
She smiled and rolled her eyes at me, mouthing 'I love you.'
"I love you too," I said to her. "Save me a dance."
"I will," she said and then shooed me away. "Now go."
Peter and I had fun at the wedding table. He had been one of the groomsmen and we were determined to cut loose and have some fun. Peter snuck a bottle of Jack from the bar, and Edward, myself, Peter and sometimes Emmett were having fun taking a couple of shots. Things were bound to get crazy.
Dinner was exquisite and dessert was heavenly. Emily along with Bella and the team had outdone themselves. I got a few dances with my girl. As did Peter, Liam, Emmett, Carlisle and Edward. She also danced among a group of girls including my sister and Tanya. She was having a lot of fun.
The cake cutting was a joke. Rose smashed the cake on Emmett's face, and he grabbed her and kissed her to get it on hers. Rose laughed it off. She was really happy. Usually, she would have bit Emmett's head off for that.
Rose threw her bouquet and Tanya caught it. Peter caught the garter and did a dance for Char before he put it on her leg.
Things were winding down and I had a good buzz going but Bella wasn't looking too good. We were dancing and I could feel her relaxing against me. She seemed sleepy.
"Baby, are you alright?"
"Yeah, I guess the day's finally catching up with me."
"You should be lying down."
I didn't wait for her to say anything else. I put her to sit in a chair close to us and went in search of Carlisle. Sam found me first. We went back to Bella, but she was objective about me following her home. She told me to stay and see Rose and Emmett off since she couldn't. I told her I would stay a few minutes and then I was coming home. It wasn't want she wanted but she compromised.
Sam took her home for me and I stayed just to tell Mom and Rose that I was heading home because Bella wasn't feeling well. They agreed that I should go.
I grabbed a bottle of water on my way home and gulped it down. I had to be ready for anything. Bella needed her rest and I needed to be there for her. I saw Sam out front and he wasn't too happy. I asked him what was wrong, and he told me to head inside. It wasn't dangerous, but I wouldn't be pleased. Sam was right. When I walked into the house, what greeted me left me both stunned and angry.
"What the hell are you doing here, Alice?"
Bella looked right at me and said, "We have to help her."
What the hell?