Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.
17. THE GAME
The clouds had darkened in the sky, heavy with the promise of the coming storm, though it had yet to really start. Of course my attention was soon torn away from the ominous clouds to Jasper giving a low, long growl as we pulled up to my house.
And then I saw the black car, a weathered Ford, parked in Dad's driveway...and then proceeded to curse fluently in three different languages. Jasper only turned a raised brow at me, lips quirking up slightly, involuntarily.
"Japanese and Korean?" He questioned, ignoring the Spanish swears. I shrugged at him, scowl on my face as I eyed the truck.
"I told you I watched anime and kdramas," I replied shortly, more focused on what was waiting. "Damnit, I forgot to see this one coming," I muttered moodily.
Leaning on the shallow front porch, Jacob stood behind his dad's wheelchair. Billy's face was impassive as stone as Jasper parked my car against the curb. Jacob stared down, his expression mortified.
"Jasper," I started worriedly, but not able to finish.
"No, Maddy," he cut off. "I'm not leavin' you alone with them. I don't care if he's not a damn wolf yet," Jasper finished with a sharp growl. I just sighed but accepted silently that nothing I could say would change his mind. He'd become highly overprotective in regards to my connection with La Push, no longer wanting me even a foot into the reserve's territory thanks to the revelation of Paul's past actions, not that I had much issue with it as I hardly went anymore anyway, but even a mention of it tended to leave Jasper in a foul mood until I pulled him out of it.
Welp, no chance of me doing that right now. I sighed and slumped a bit, already tired and not having even stepped out of the car yet.
"I almost wish I had let Bella come home first so she could deal with it," I muttered half heartedly, Jasper only wordlessly brushing my hair between his fingers before he got out and walked around to open my door for me. Well, we weren't going to give Billy any reason to believe his fears over my happiness and safety are founded, I thought as I unbuckled myself, taking Jasper's hand as he helped me out.
I refused to let his hand go even after it wasn't necessary, refusing to be cowed or pulled away from Jasper because of Billy's disapproving glower, hands clutched at the armrests of his chair as we walked up slowly.
"Yo, Uncle Billy, Jake," I greeted with a drawl and lazy salute. Yep, Uncle Billy. Unlike Bell-Bell, I actually did spend time with Dad and Billy fishing, camping, hiking etc. Jake came too sometimes so they might as well have been extended family, but damn if that didn't make things more awkward and tense now. "Dad's gone for the day, out relaxing like I told him to. Hope you haven't been waiting long." I said, not really meaning it at all.
"Not long," Billy said in a subdued tone, eyeing between Jasper and our clasped hands.
"Ah, right!" I said with false cheer. "Uncle Billy, my partner Jasper. Jazz, my uncle Billy," I introduced lightly, "but I think you've met before."
"Briefly," Jasper said tightly, mouth set in a thin line.
"Cullen," Billy greeted shortly.
"Black," Jasper returned just as curt. Jacob looked like he wanted to crawl under a rock, mortified at the situation.
"I just wanted to bring your dad these," Billy returned to addressing me, ignoring Jasper's presence completely, and indicating to a brown paper sack resting in his lap.
"More food," I smirked. "Well, I guess it's hard to get out of the habit of properly feeding my dad considering how long you've known him," I continued as I unlocked the front door. "Why don't you come in for a bit before it starts to drizzle."
And as if on cue, a light mist started to trickle down from the clouds. I just waved them in ahead of me in response.
"I'll take that, if you don't mind," I offered as Jasper shut the door behind us, eyes never leaving Billy's form. "In the fridge like always?" I asked.
"Yeah, it's some of Harry's homemade fish fry- Charlie's favorite," Billy shrugged.
"Alrighty, least Bella or I don't have to worry about his dinner tonight, though this is probably only the start of quite a few fish dinners depending on his catch today."
"Fishing again?" Billy asked with a subtle gleam in his eye. "Down at the usual spot? Maybe I'll run by and see him." I frowned as I straightened from the fridge, closing it behind me after I put the bag in.
"I doubt it," I replied casually. "He probably saw the clouds and is packing up to leave if he hasn't already." My words were light, but Billy knew me well enough to note my now guarded expression.
He took in the change, eyeing me thoughtfully. "Jake," he started, gaze never leaving me, "why don't you go get that new picture of Rebecca out of the car? I'll leave that for Charlie, too."
"Where is it?" Jacob asked, voice morose and quiet, speaking up for the first time. I gave the poor kid a pitying glance, but he was staring at the floor, brows furrowed.
"I think I saw it in the trunk," Billy said. "You may have to dig for it." Liar.
Jacob was prepared to slouch into the rain when he opened the door to see a startled Bella having been reaching for the handle.
"Bella!" Jacob squeaked, sounding as surprised as Billy and I looked. You'd think we'd have heard her truck coming.
"Er, hey, Jacob. Guess your dad's here too?" Bella questioned in the hall.
"Y-yeah, he's in the kitchen with Maddy and her, uh, her boyfriend," Jake answered nervously. "I'm, uh, I'm just getting something for Dad out of the truck."
"Ah, don't mind me then," she said as she allowed Jacob to walk by, leaving the door slightly open for him and shuffling reluctantly into the kitchen to take in the tense stand off. "Um, hi Billy," she greeted awkwardly with a weak wave.
"Hey, Bella," Billy greeted back. "I was just dropping off your dad's favorite fish sticks."
"Oh...thanks," she shifted slightly in place, rubbing her arm in discomfort.
"Why don't you head upstairs, Bell," I cut in before he could say anything else. "I'm sure you want all the time you have to get ready without feeling rushed."
"R-right, thanks," Bella stuttered, relieved at having a way out. "It was...nice seeing you, Billy," she managed as she was heading out.
"You too, Bella," Billy said somberly, gazing at her hunched, retreating back as if she was a child who didn't realize she was doing something stupid. I frowned openly at that.
"Thanks again for the fish sticks," I hinted. He nodded but made no move to leave. I frowned deeper and leaned against the counter, arms crossed. "I'll tell Dad you dropped by." Another nod and intentional avoidance of the obvious dismissal.
"Uncle Billy," I huffed in exasperation.
"Maddy," he returned sharply, actually surprising me. After all, he'd rarely, if ever, been harsh or even strict with me before. I'd never given him reason to...but I wasn't about to be cowed by it now. "Charlie is one of my best friends." I saw Jasper stiffens from the corner of my eyes at the growing tension.
"And he's my father," I bit back at him.
"Maddy, you and Jacob practically grew up together. You know the legends as well as he does, no, better than he does," Billy said in an urgent, hushed voice. "You know what they are."
"Yeah, and I don't care," I told him flatly, internally enjoying his slightly gobsmacked face. "Okay, well maybe I care a little, probably not in the way you or Jasper think, but the point is I don't judge them for what they are any more than I do the pack down at La Push."
"Hey now, that's completely-" Billy tried to deny, but I harshly cut him off.
"Don't!" I hissed angrily at my uncle figure, my temper snapping. "Don't you dare tell me that being around them is any less dangerous than being around the Cullens!"
"Humans are their prey, Maddy!" Billy tried to 'reason' with me.
"Humans are other vampire's prey!" I whisper-shouted. "The Cullens prey is the same as humans, other animals!" I threw up my hands in exasperation. "Gods above, the only danger from the Cullens is their thirst, something they sate with animal blood and is a part of their nature itself I won't hold against them or vilify them for! And the wolves? If they lose their temper anyone near them is in immediate danger, they can break me if they're not careful with me!"
"They would never-"
"Neither would the Cullens!" I cried. I took a deep breath to calm myself, sending silent gratitude to Jasper when I felt him help me. "Jasper would never hurt me, Billy."
"But he could! Don't you see that, Maddy? They're-"
"They're no more monsters than the shifters in La Push," I said firmly. "The wolves as well could hurt me, but you trust them enough to be able to control themselves because you know them. I know them as well as you do and I don't share that confidence," I told him honestly. "The Cullens I also know very well can kill me six ways to Sunday, but I trust in their control because I know them. You, however, don't know them and don't share that confidence." I stared sadly at my uncle figure as his face turned hard and grim.
"I see you won't be changing your mind. You're right in that I don't trust them. At all. I just hope you know what you're doing," he warned. I only scowled at him.
"Of course you don't trust them. You've grown up with stories depicting them as monsters that vilify them for a nature they can't help and paint them in the same brush as the rest of their kind." I scoffed then. "Besides, forgive me for trusting more in the centuries practiced control of vampires than the anger management of shifting hormonal teenage boys," I drawled sardonically. I was relieved when Billy actually managed a small smile at that.
"Fair enough," he acquiesced gracefully, the atmosphere immediately lightening at the acceptance of my discreet olive branch of peace. Just in time, the front door banged loudly, startling us out of the little world we'd made.
"There's no picture anywhere in that car." Jacob's whiny tone reached us before he did. The shoulders of his shirt were dark from the rain, his hair dripping, when he rounded the corner.
"Hmm," Billy grunted, sharing an amused glance with me before spinning his chair around to face his son. "I guess I left it at home." Jacob rolled his eyes dramatically.
"Great," he said flatly.
"Well, Maddy, tell Charlie...that we stopped by." Billy finally said.
"Of course," I sniffed haughtily, managing to pull another reluctant smile from him.
"Charlie's gonna be out late," Billy explained as he rolled himself past Jacob.
"Oh." Jacob looked disappointed. This time it was my turn to roll my eyes at how obvious he was. "Maddy, would you-?"
"I'll tell Bella you said bye," I sighed in agreement to his unfinished question and was rewarded with a happy, boyish grin.
"Thanks, Maddy! See you around," he waved.
"Take care," Billy warned for a final time.
"You know I will, Uncle Billy," I replied with a sad smile, his lack of trust in my judgement stinging all the more when he didn't look sure of my response. Jacob helped him out the door and I waved briefly, shoulders staying tense until they drove out of sight in the drizzle. Jasper's feathery touch on my shoulder snapped me out of the tension and I fell boneless against him as he wrapped supporting arms around my waist after closing the door.
We stood in the hallway for a minute, just breathing softly as Jasper soothed me with only his presence, letting all the irritation, frustration, and hurt wash away. I took one more fortifying breath before I spoke again.
"Thanks, Jasper," for being there, for not interfering, for helping me calm down. He responded with a fluttering kiss to my neck.
"Always," Jasper promised quietly.
The phone rang just as I was putting on my final article of clothing, an oversized adorable, soft panda hoodie over a black long sleeved inverted cross shirt and a black sports bra underneath that. Besides that I wore a baggy pair of white cargo pants folded a few times at the bottom to fit and held to my slim waist by a thick white belt. The folded ends were tucked into black pom-pom uggs*.
I smiled in wordless thanks as Jasper handed me my black leather angel wings bag, already packed with my phone, ipod, camera, and wallet along with a few snacks. I smirked at the inattentive Bella when I caught her on the phone with Jessica downstairs. She had already interrogated me about Billy's visit out of worry as soon as I was upstairs.
"I'm sorry, what?" Bella said sheepishly into the phone, caught. A short pause and, "that's wonderful, Jess." I snickered into my hand as I scooted Jasper and I into the kitchen.
"Your daddy'll be here soon, darlin'," Jasper whispered into my ear as he settled against the counter, easily pulling me back into him and twining his arms my waist.
"Nothing, really. I just hung around outside to enjoy the sun." Bella voiced blandly into the speaker. I snorted in amusement at Bella's skillful half lie.
"You've gotten so much better at lying ever since you started dating Ed," I smirked with a shake of my head as the sound of Charlie's car parking in the garage came. I smirked as Bella seemed to freeze and hold her breath, eyes darting between Jasper and I's form and the sound of the front door slamming and Dad banging around the hall as he put his tackle away.
"Um," Bella hesitated aloud. I just huffed and slipped out of Jasper's hold to greet Dad.
"Welcome back, Daddy!" I greeted enthusiastically, tackling him right before he could enter the kitchen.
"Hey there, sweetheart," he greeted warmly, happily returning my affectionate hug and snuggle. "You too, kiddo," he greeted Bella next after she eagerly finished her call.
"Hey, Dad," Bella returned. "Where's the fish?"
"I put it in the freezer," he answered as he let me go and moved to the sink, only to stop short when he finally caught sight of Jasper who was standing respectfully behind a kitchen chair. "And who is this?" He turned a raised brow to me. "Your mystery boyfriend?" I just rolled my eyes at him and pat his arm as I walked past him.
"Not much of a mystery, Dad. I've answered every question you've thrown at me about him since I told you we were going steady." He grimaced at the last two words, making me snicker into my hands. Typical dad reaction.
"It's nice to formally meet you, Chief Swan. I'm Jasper Cullen," my love introduced himself respectfully with a nod that showed he was serious but also took my dad seriously too. Just what you'd expect from a military man. Dad actually looked a bit put out that he had nothing to call Jasper out on.
"Can't say I entirely feel the same," he said only half joking, "but you seem like a good kid." I bit my lip to hold in a laugh at that.
"We're going on a double date today," I informed before he could say anything more, Bella looking at me in wide eyed horror as Dad turned curiously to me.
"Really? Who with?" Bella busied herself with preparing the fish sticks Billy brought as if to avoid the inevitable when I turned a pointed glance in her direction. Dad turned his head sharply to her as well at the obvious hint, wide eyed.
"Bella?" He breathed, disbelieving. Bella looked almost insulted at the incredulous tone, but you really couldn't blame him.
"I, uh, I kind of have a date with Edward Cullen," she rushed out as she just as hastily served us all the now ready food. Dad's head whirled around to Jasper.
"Your brother?" Jasper nodded seriously, lips twitching in amusement as he answered.
"The youngest brother," he affirmed. "He's in the same year as them."
"So Edwin," Dad started slowly.
"It's Edward, Dad," Bella corrected, glaring at me when I snickered. She couldn't exactly do the same to Jasper who was the same as me.
"He's the smallest one with the reddish brown hair?" Dad continued as if uninterrupted.
"Er, right?" This time it was Jasper's turn to snicker into his hand as Bella only shifted awkwardly at the description, not looking like she wanted to agree. Well, it was true that Edward was the smallest in comparison to Emmett's broad, buff build and Jasper's tall, wiry frame, both more broad shouldered than the eternal seventeen year old.
"Is this Edwin your boyfriend?" Dad struggled to ask.
"Edward, Dad," she corrected again.
"Is he?"
"Sort of, I guess."
"You said last night that you weren't interested in any of the boys in town." I hissed in a breath in mock sympathy, enjoying her floundering far too much to be sympathetic at her plight.
"Well, Edward doesn't live in town, Dad." The man gave Bella the disparaging look that comment deserved. "And anyways," she hastily continued, "it's kind of at an early stage, you know. Don't embarrass me with all the boyfriend talk, okay?"
"Maddy never seemed to mind them?" Dad couldn't help pointing out. Bella just scowled in my direction as I managed to shoot her in the foot without even trying. I only smiled cheerily back.
"That's because Maddy has a twisted sense of humor," Bella muttered.
"When is he coming over?" Dad questioned.
"He'll be here in a few minutes."
"Where is he taking you?" Bella groaned loudly as the interrogation kept on, making me hide a grin behind a hand.
"I hope you're getting the Spanish Inquisition out of your system now. We're going to play baseball with his family." I scoffed into my hand at the reply, her answer sounding like a terrible lie and by the way Dad's face puckered, he felt the same, finally chuckling as he absorbed the situation fully.
"You're playing baseball?"
"More like observing from the safety of the sidelines," I snickered, Bella glowering but not correcting me which told Charlie all he needed.
"You must really like this guy," he observed suspiciously.
"No kidding," I muttered, half amused at the accurate observation and half concerned with how unhealthy their infatuation with each other seemed on the surface. Bella only discreetly elbowed me, getting only a grunt and scowl from me before she rolled her eyes and sighed at Dad for his benefit. Like that'll do much in the long run with how far in she already is with her first guy.
Jasper had looked out the window long before the roar of an engine pulled up in front of the house, giving us some semblance of privacy for our little, awkward family chat, instead focusing on Edward's arrival, though judging by the amused smirk slightly tugging at his perfect lips, he was as amused as I was by the scene Bella made, who had hastily jumped up at the sound and started to skittishly clean the dishes.
"Leave the dishes, I can do them tonight. You baby me too much," Charlie dismissed as he got up, stalking to the door as soon as the doorbell rang, a very worried Bella only half a step behind him.
"This is gonna be good," Jasper murmured as he moved to my side, offering an unnecessary hand out of my chair. Really, he enjoys treating me like a princess way too much. He's definitely going to spoil me at this rate.
"My thoughts exactly, dearest," I grinned, eagerly tugging him into the living room, "which is exactly why we can't miss it."
"Come on in, Edward." I didn't need to see her to know my frazzled sister gave a sigh of relief when Dad actually got his name right. Honestly, she underestimates his sense of humor sometimes.
"Thanks, Chief Swan." Whoa, has Edwin got that goody two shoes tone down pat or what? Well...it's to be expected after decades of practice after all.
"Go ahead and call me Charlie. Here, I'll take your jacket." Translation?: you're not leaving so soon.
"Thanks, sir." Good call, never call them by their first name if they offer, it's a trap.
"Have a seat there, Edward," Dad stated, no room for refusal as hey entered the living room. I did nothing to hide my grin, Jasper doing nothing to hide his smirk from where we leaned against a wall, shamelessly watching.
Edward sat down fluidly in the only chair, sending a nasty look at the amused couple, us obviously, before returning his full, respectful, attention to Dad, who, by clever placement, had forced Bella to sit next to him on the sofa. Bella was quick to shoot her relaxed boy toy a dirty look, to which he only winked at her when Dad wasn't looking.
"So, I hear you're getting my girl to watch baseball." I suppose it wasn't surprising that he didn't include me in this specific scenario as such a thing would only be unbelievable in regards to Bella. As a kid, I didn't begrudge Jake his desire to play sports, those being football, bassball, soccer, and wrestling though he had become more weary of playing them with me since I often won (girl power!). I had also seen no reason to deny fanatic friends my company when they invited me to games, though the only ones I really enjoyed watching were soccer games, a carry over from personal interests of my past. I also loved to play in the rain as a kid for as long as I could before my fear of getting sick had me scampering inside so watching my partner play baseball when it was raining buckets outside sent absolutely no bells off inside any mind that lived in Washington.
"Yes, sir, that's the plan." She'd no doubt only find it interesting by virtue of the game being played by vampires, not that I can talk. Sure, I could get into a baseball game if I prompted myself, not fanatic status but enough to follow the game with mild interest all the way through. I doubt, however, that I would need any prompting period in order to get excited about my darling playing anything as long as I could watch.
Dad only kept up his indecipherable expression and silence for a few more unnerving moments, to Bella only of course, before speaking up. "Well, more power to you, I guess," he finally laughed, Edward shamelessly joining in. Ah, bonding through mutual teasing of the loved one in common. Always effective, I thought idly, lips twitching in amusement.
"Okay," Bella stood up. "Enough humor at my expense. Let's go." Bella said curtly, scowling as she sulked back to the hall and pulled on her jacket, the rest of us following her, grins on our faces.
"Not too late, Bell, Maddy." Dad couldn't help tacking on.
"Don't worry, Charlie, we'll have them home early," Edward promised. Jasper frowned at being spoken for but nodded sharply in agreement anyway.
"You take care of my girls, all right?" Unlike Bella, who groaned like a petulant moody teen, I got a bit emotional, as I usually did whenever Dad showed his care in small ways, reading the sincere concern in the lines of his face. I couldn't help but smile at him warmly and stepping forward to give him a hug.
"With my life, sir," Jasper swore to my father, completely serious. Dad only blinked at the solemn promise given before chuckling and tucking me into his side to give Jasper a friendly pat on the shoulder.
"Now, that's what I like to hear," he grinned, though his eyes were sharper as he took in the man that seemed so devoted to me.
"Bella will be safe with me, I promise, sir." Edward easily added his own promise, far more casual and less intense about it though no less serious in his intentions to keep it than Jasper.
Bella simply stalked out, making the rest of us laugh as we followed. We all moved around her as she stopped dead on the porch at the sight of two monster jeeps behind her truck and my little bug. There were metal guards over the headlights and taillights, and four large spotlights attached to the crash bars. The hardtop of the one behind Bella's truck was shiny red while the one behind mine was metallic blue.
Dad let out a low whistle. "Wear your seat belts," he manage to choke out.
"Yo, Ed!" Dad made a noise of surprise as he turned to the bulky vampire half out the window of the blue jeep. "Surprised to see you made it out in one piece!" Emmett jeered at his 'little brother'. "You must have gone easy on him, eh, Chief Swan?" He grinned toothily.
Dad seemed speechless at the boisterous, large male and I couldn't help but grin and rib at him.
"Must be glad I didn't go for the large one, huh?" I teased, ducking under his hand as he attempted to ruffle my hair, chuckling.
"Move over, Emmett, I'm driving," Jasper ordered, playfully shoving Emmett back in the jeep with a palm to his face.
"Wow, you don't have to go all 'major' on me just 'cause Maddy's gonna be in the car," Emmett teased, looking anything but annoyed or ruffled as he hilariously crawled into the back seat between the front seats with spider like agility. My grin didn't leave my face when I heard Dad laugh at the scene he made as Jasper easily lifted me into the passenger seat.
I simply stared at the off-roaring harness, wondering what about it confused Bella, though perhaps it was because I had experience with confusing harnesses in the form of rock climbing and go kart ventures with friends and our adventurous mother. Jasper seemed pleased that I had yet to buckle myself when he got to the driver's side, happily doing it for me and letting his fingers brush and linger in certain places.
"Whoa, older brother in the backseat. Keep it pg please," Emmett cut into the thick atmosphere, completely ruining the moment.
Jasper only let out an audible growl at the small 'cock-block'.
"Hey, hey," Emmett raised his hands defensively, though his highly amused grin made it seem mocking. "I stayed with you guys because I was hoping it'd be a less awkward drive than sharing a ride with Eddie and Bell-Bell."
"Pretty sure any other couple could achieve that, to be honest," I murmured to myself as I settled back into the seat, stretching a little under the harness, smirking when Jasper didn't take his eyes off me as he turned the key, the engine roaring to life.
Emmett laughed openly as he usually did at my regular commentary.
"But man, Emmett, you really like everything big, don't you?" I asked, referencing to the jeeps. "If Rosalie wasn't shy about informing how well you please in the bedroom, I would assume you were trying to compensate for something." Jasper openly laughed as Emmett made a wounded, affronted noise at the insinuation.
"I don't think I like what you're implying," he mock frowned.
"I wouldn't consider that 'implying' when she stated it so clearly," Jasper snickered. Emmett only pouted for a few more seconds before breaking out into a large grin.
"I knew this would be the fun jeep," he seemed to grin in self satisfaction as he settled himself to lay across the back seat, hands twined behind his head.
In response to his intruding, lax attitude, Jasper intentionally drove over a pothole to forcefully displace him from where he lay, smirking when the bulky vampire flopped to the ground of the backseat indignantly, arms waving comically as he thumped down.
"Maybe you should put your seat belt on, Emmett. The roads around here are pretty bumpy," Jasper smirked, the whole scene just making me laugh aloud.
The conversation after that was sparse but lighthearted and filled with good natured ribbing as Jasper drove through the gloom and downpour, easily turning on a side road that looked more like a mountain path. They obviously didn't come here by car enough to leave the telling marks of tire tracks on the ground. Emmett couldn't stop laughing when I started singing 'heading down the mountain' as the road got extremely bumpy, stuttering through it like no tomorrow as I was forcefully bounced up and down in my seat. Jasper himself was grinning and couldn't help chuckling whenever I stuttered particularly bad or was bounced particularly high thanks to my small, light stature.
And then we came to the end of the trail, the trees forming green walls on three sides of the jeep. The rain was a mere drizzle, slowing every second, the sky brighter through the clouds. I still pulled my hood up anyways.
"Hurry, before we're trapped watching Sam and Frodo bumble along," I said almost urgently as my hands hastily flitted over the harness, Emmett already out of the jeep and laughing.
"Yeah, good luck with that. I'm going ahead to meet up with my hot babe of a wife." Then he gave an outrageous wink and cheeky wave before disappearing in a blink.
"Traitor," I hissed under my breath, Jasper chuckling as he too disappeared only to reappear opening my door and unbuckling me in another blink. I eagerly slid onto the strong, cool back he presented me, not even letting me step foot on the ground as he turned us and delicately closed the door with our hips, making me laugh.
"Don't forget to tuck your head in," Jasper reminded. I only smiled and nodded into his shoulder and just like that, he took off between one heartbeat and the next, said heartbeat speeding in the thrill of the speed, the weaves, the turns. It really was like a Rollercoaster experience, just about three times better, and I had to close my eyes to keep the sting of the cold wind from them but that didn't stop me from laughing breathlessly in exhileration until we got there.
I could only huff in amusement when, rather than put me down, Jasper shifted me until I was in a princess hold in his arms, feet still yet to to touch the ground. I beamed at him when I saw his own boyish grin and couldn't help smiling when he leaned down for a chaste but fervent kiss.
"Your good mood is infectious, little dove," he murmured against my lips, also smiling. "I should take you runnin' more often." I pecked at his lips a few times before pulling back to grin back at him.
"You know, you probably should. It's way better than those measly rollercoasters at amusement parks."
"Does that mean we don't have to go to amusement parks in the future," he suggested with a knowing smirk, one I responded to with a sharp look and mock scowl that my precious only grinned at.
"Jasper Nathan Whitlock," I said with equally mocking severity, "don't you dare put such blasphemous words in my mouth!"
Yeah, Nathan. Never would have guessed that. Apparently the name came from the revolutionary hero Nathan Hale whose purported last words were 'I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.' I thought the middle name suited him well. That revolutionary hero also happened to be why Jasper and Rosalie were currently sharing said surname of 'Hale', an inside history joke for Jasper. My precious was such an adorable history nerd sometimes.
I was pulled out of my musings when we reached the edge of an enormous open field in the lap of the Olympic peaks, the very same one I'd seen in my visions, twice the size of any baseball stadium.
The others were all there; Esme, traitorous Emmett, and Rosalie, sitting on a bare outcropping of rock, were only a scant hundred yards away and it looked like Carlisle had just started marking bases...very far apart. Granted the regular lengths wouldn't provide them much of a challenge, would it?
When we came into view, the three on the rocks rose, Esme starting towards us with Rosalie and Emmett not far behind.
"Really hate enhanced vampire hearing sometimes," was the first thing Rosalie said to me, scowling in the direction we'd just come, making me blink as I easily put together that the other couple was right behind us, out of sight.
"Hello to you, too, gorgeous," I greeted back with a grin before it fell flat and turned blank as I faced Emmett, "traitor," I said just as flatly. Emmett just burst out laughing again. Esme just smiled warmly at the interaction, smile widening when she caught Rosalie's near unnoticeable upward tilt of her sculpted lips.
"I'm glad you and your sister could come, Maddy," the motherly woman smiled, patting the top of my panda hoodie, amusement twinkling in her amber eyes as she took the hoodie in.
"Nice hoodie," Rosalie scoffed, though her own amused smirk made it difficult to see the comment as any kind of insulting.
"Are you gonna put your princess down anytime soon, mighty Texas dragon?" Emmett asked, bringing to attention that Jasper had yet to set me on my feet since he unbuckled me, a position I did nothing to protest and shamelessly spoke to the others from. It was just an added benefit that I happen to be closer to the eye level of all the ridiculously tall vampires, really.
"Do us all a favor, Em, and dry up," Jasper said flatly, not even looking in the snickering vampire's direction, setting Esme to giggle prettily and Rosalie's smirk to become a bit more pronounced. Of course, not a second later the frown dissolved into Rosalie's default cold expression as soon as the other human-vampire couple made their appearance, the blond pointedly not looking in their direction.
I felt Jasper's finger pointedly twitch where it rested against my thigh, making it clear Bella felt a significant amount of unease when Rosalie didn't bother to be subtle about stepping away from her and closer to Jasper and I and otherwise ignoring her existence. Hmm, I wasn't sure how to feel about being used to hurt my sister in such a way, conflicted obviously, but it wasn't like I could really do anything to make Rosalie like Bella and I wouldn't give up my friendship with the statuesque vampire just to appease my sister either.
"Was that you we heard, Edward?" Esme asked, referencing to his amusement at Bella's previous actions out of sight in semi privacy. I was too busy scowling at the disapproving frown Edward sent my way after hearing my thoughts, as if I should sacrifice my relationship with Rosalie to make Bella happy.
Well, fuck you too, Edturd. I wasn't about to let Bella's small desires and whims dictate my actions, just like Bella wouldn't let mine affect hers. I hadn't made it a secret that I found her and Edward's relationship more than a little...distasteful and I certainly didn't believe that Jessica, Mike, or even Eric, if I were honest with myself, made good friends for my sister, all for different reasons of course but the point remained the same. Just because she was my sister, did not mean she could dictate who I chose to associate with. I could partner with a notorious triad gang leader and Bella couldn't do a damn thing about it unless I chose to listen.
Pft. Not likely.
"It sounded like a bear choking," Emmett cut into my mental tirade, pulling me back to the present and letting me catch the unconscious smirk that escaped him before he caught himself and turned it into a scowl, though it was probably taken as response to Emmett's jab at his unrestrained laughter.
Jasper, being the smart, handsome cookie he was, obviously caught onto the silent conversation as soon as it started and, despite not having a clear idea of the content of said discussion, still made it clear he took my side by discreetly shuffling a bit further away from Edward and cradling me a bit closer to his chest as he glowered warningly at his 'little brother'.
Bella smiled hesitantly at Esme. "That was him." I smirked as Jasper not only took my side, but Bella had encouraged his family's teasing right after the fact. Ah, adding salt to the wound. Always satisfying.
"Bella was being unintentionally funny," Edward explained, easily turning the tables, as should really be expected of him, really. I simply sighed as just a snippet of the next few moments flashed quickly through my mind and I made a point of staring up at the light grey skies.
"Looks like it's about time," I announced casually, making a show of squinting my eyes at the heavens as attention was turned to me. As soon as I spoke, a deep rumble of thunder shook the forest beyond us, and then crashed westward toward the town.
"Eerie, isn't it?" Bella said with easy familiarity, though shyness and unfamiliarity still tinged her soft statement. I was glad she found the confidence to make casual conversation with her boy toy's family, but I could have done without her mocking the gift she didn't know I had to do so, her voice tinted with that hurtful sibling derision and disbelief you'd expect whenever regarding something they don't believe you at all capable of.
The casual, unintended dismissal of my abilities, or lack thereof in her eyes, her subconscious refusal to believe that there was more to my 'knowing things' even after meeting vegan vampires, stung as much as it disappointed me, which thankfully wasn't as much as I expected. After 'seeing' their reaction to the last piece of news I debated telling them, or more specifically my desire to confide in Bella because she was my twin sister, left me little hope and a far more realistic idea of what I should expect from her in regards to delicate matters.
Rosalie was, surprisingly, the one to pull me out of my morose thoughts as she clearly spoke directly to me. "Maddy should referee so Esme doesn't have to and one of the rest of us has to sit out because of uneven numbers." I was thinking of how strange it would be to watch a two versus two game of vampire baseball or two versus three when a few seconds later what Rosalie said finally sunk in.
"I should what now?" I asked, blinking owlishly at the blond vampire who just shrugged at me.
"Uhm, can Maddy really referee a match between you guys?" Bella asked next, skepticism clear in her voice as she eyed me. The 'between vampires' was just as clear as the tone she spoke them in and so didn't need to be voiced.
For a few silent moments, it seemed as if Rosalie wouldn't answer, so intent on completely ignoring Bella's existence, but she did, just as Edward seemed ready to step in in defense of his girlfriend.
"If any human could referee this match, it's Maddy," Rosalie stated clearly, her arms crossed as she finally deigned to look at my sister, if only to look down her perfect nose at the poor human, but wow I was a bit too busy being touched by the words that just flowed from her mouth to react beyond blinking some more.
"Oh, wonderful!" Esme cut into the growing tension with a warm smile, though from Jasper's and Edward's tightened looks, it seemed the smile was slightly forced, an effort made to ease the situation. "Maybe Maddy can also pick out the teams? It's been a while since we had a three on three game."
I just shrugged noncommittally, still a bit lost in shock. "What teams did you pick last time you all played together?"
Esme seemed to think on it before responding. "I believe the last time we all played, it was Edward, Jasper, and Emmett versus Rosalie, Carlisle, and I."
"Wow, golden trio, seriously?" I couldn't help but reply. Rosalie simply raised a brow at that.
"Golden trio?" She repeated.
"Well, it's just that the mind reader/fastest, empath/major, and largest/strongest on the same team seems a little much, doesn't it?" I answered her unasked question with a disbelieving smirk and mirroring her raised brow.
"When you put it that way," Emmett laughed. "What do you suggest, then, little sis'?" I purposefully ignored Jasper's stiffening and the discreet look of cold calculaton he directed at my now blank faced sister and it wasn't difficult to guess that the niggling jealous feelings that she could easily ignore before had finally made it to conscious thought with Emmett's casual, familial term of endearment.
Edward stiffened not a heartbeat later in response to Jasper's sudden turn in thoughts regarding Bella, fluidly shifting himself between Bella and Jasper in a seemingly casual motion.
"I'd just switch Edward and Rosalie to better even the teams out," I threw out just as casually, waving one hand carelessly in the air as I answered, attempting to bring the attention away from the silent tension I'm sure the other vampires caught.
"Sounds good," Emmett smirked, turning to his wife then with a large grin and waggling eyebrows. "Looks like we can finally have victory sex after a game now, eh babe?" Rosalie just scoffed, but still smirked and expertly flipped her hair over her shoulder with a flick of her wrist, lust and confidence gleaming in her eyes.
"With the goddess of victory on your team, our win is guaranteed," Rosalie replied haughtily.
"I guess this means we're ready for some ball, then?" Edward asked, his eyes eager, bright.
Bella shook off her jealousy for the moment, trying and failing to sound appropriately enthusiastic. "Go team!" She fist pumped weakly. Edward, Emmett, and I only snickered, Edward mussing her hair and bounding off after Emmett and Rosalie, only Jasper and Esme lingering.
"Shall we go down?" Esme asked in her soft, melodic voice, making Bella realize she had been gawking over Edward's inhuman grace.
I snickered as Bella quickly reassembled her expression and nodded, but didn't catch anything more as Jasper only gave a short squeeze as warning before running(basically teleporting) me to the edge of the field, setting me down on my feet as if I was a delicate glass sculpture.
My smile turned sad then as I placed a warm hand over his still heart. "I already saw the conversation, but thank you for being so considerate," I murmured softly, leaning up on my toes to press a feathery kiss below his chin. Jasper only looked down at me with an equally soft expression, arms loosely wrapping around my waist and amber eyes swirling with conflicting emotions.
"Considerate?" Rosalie cut in to the tender moment, voice low and brows furrowed when I turned to her, startled by the sudden appearance.
"Ah, well," I gave the cold goddess a strained smile, eyes darting to Bella to ensure they were far away enough to not overhear, "your...condition isn't entirely...unique to female vampires," I replied cautiously, not wanting to outright say it, unable to confess something that was so difficult to speak of and too raw from my recent second telling, but Rosalie understood the vague hint immediately, too close to, thoughts too revolved around the 'condition' to not put the pieces together.
Perhaps it shouldn't have been surprising what she did next when such an intimate, hurtful issue was shared between us after having the (diluted) fear of rape already being confided, but suddenly finding myself tightly ensconced in Rosalie's emotional embrace still absolutely stunned me.
While it was no secret that Rosalie far preferred me to my sister, I didn't have trouble seeing that the cool vampire still kept a distance between us, literally. She never stepped within arm's reach, never turned her back to me, and never initiated the small but intimate touches the rest of the Cullens (minus Edward but I didn't care about him) gifted me with. Casual touches to my arms or shoulder, playful hair ruffles or head pats, teasing pokes and light shoves, and the occasional casual shoulder hugs and short embraces, Rosalie had never done any of them. It wasn't until my confessions regarding Paul that the secretly maternal, caring woman had even begun to hover over me, acting closer and more protective despite the distance she insisted on keeping...but this?
This one action certainly cemented in my mind just how deeply being unable to have children affected the gorgeous female vampire, apparently having been the one thing she could not compromise and kept her from fully accepting me as she had believed that I, like my sister, could have children, took it for granted, and would casually give that privilege up if it meant being a vampire. No matter if it was to spend forever with a loved one, to Rosalie it wold always be an absolutely heinous sacrificial act, something unforgivable.
But me? There was nothing for me to sacrifice. It was difficult to commiserate with fellow female vampires that have never had so strong a desire for children and/or have accepted that they would never have the opportunity and there was always that bitter thought for her of 'if only I were still human, I could'... Well, I was human, the very thing that made Rosalie more envious than anything, and I couldn't. I didn't know if that made it better or worse, but I had no desire to really think on it, instead struggling to not start sobbing at the complete and utter understanding and, dare I think, affection Rosalie was displaying with just the simple action of a hug.
It was Jasper that snapped the two of us out of our momentous bonding moment with a discreet clearing of his throat to warn us that Bella was near. The only indication Rosalie gave that she heard was slowly letting me go and taking a small step back, still within arm's distance I noted, before she sent a contemptuous look in Bella's direction, one that had my sister wincing before Rosalie sauntered off to her place.
Edward was far out in the left field, Carlisle stood between the first and second bases, and Esme glided to the pitcher's mound after a soft wave to Bella and I. Emmett was swinging an aluminum bat, whistling almost untraceably through the air, Jasper standing several feet behind him. Of course, none of them were wearing gloves.
"Alright!" I called in a clear voice, grinning, and vaguely noting Bella startling out of her observations for a moment. "Batter up!"
Esme stood straight, deceptively motionless, but if you paid very close attention there were some minute shifts in her form before she held the ball in both hands at her waist and her left hand flicked out, the ball reappearing with a smack in Jasper's waiting hand.
"Strike!" I chirped easily.
"Was it?" Bella asked skeptically, though more for her lack of sporting knowledge than my call.
"If they don't hit, it's a strike," I shrugged. Of course I'd seen which calls would be the right one and Jasper was happy to fill me in on their rules when I asked him.
Jasper hurled the ball back to Esme's waiting hand, getting a small, warm smile in return. And then her hand spun out again.
This time Emmett chose to take a swing of the ball invisible to we human's eyes, the crack of the impact echoing off the mountains and easily replicating the thundering in the skies. Understanding flitted through Bella's eyes.
The ball shot like a meteor above the field, flying deep into the surrounding forest.
"Home run," Bella murmured. I just rolled my eyes and clicked my tongue along with my wagging finger.
"Tisk, tisk, Bell-Bell. This no normal game. A bit of patience if you please." I simply grinned at the acerbic look she shot me for the comment, but looked to the field regardless and finally noticed the absence of her boy toy. "Out!" I called as soon as Edward sprang from the fringe of the trees, ball in his hand, and rolling my eyes at his wide grin.
"According to Jasper, Emmett hits the hardest," I graciously explained to my shocked sister, "but Edward runs the fastest."
The inning continued before Bella's incredulous eyes, along with it Bella was finally becoming suspicious of how I was able to keep up with a game so fast she and I couldn't actually see it, especially when the Cullens never once called me out to correct me which to Bella either meant that I was getting it right or the Cullens were humoring me, though Bella being Bella she probably chose to believe the latter despite her suspicions, if only because she so adamantly refused to believe there was anything supernatural about me.
Bella was soon distracted from her suspicions when she learned the second reason for the storm, coming when Jasper, trying to avoid Edward's fielding, hit a ground ball towards Carlisle. Carlisle ran into the ball, and then raced Jasper to first base. When they collided, the sound was like the crash of two massive, falling boulders. Poor, under-informed Bella actually jumped up in concern, brows furrowing when she saw the two were unscathed.
"Safe!" I called without missing a beat, completely unfazed by the event. Bella gave me a look that said she thought there was something wrong with me for being so calm about this all. I was well used to such looks and ignored it expertly.
Emmett's team was up by one - Rosalie managed to flit around the bases after tagging up one of Emmett's long flies - when Edward caught the third out. Both he and Jasper sprinted to our sides, Edward 'sparkling' with excitement. Figuratively.
"What do you think?" Edward asked her, the two already lost in their own world, making me edge away and closer to Jasper. I simply ignored them and wolf whistled at Jasper.
"Lookin' good out there," I grinned. Jasper only looked askance at me.
"My team's losin'," he commented dryly. My grin turned wolfish then as I pointedly looked him up and down, my eyes raking his form from top to bottom and up again.
"Who said I was paying any attention to that?" Both couple's 'fluff' moments were broken by Rosalie's scoff.
"Alright lover boys, break time's over," she called out rudely. Jasper gave me a kiss and darted off when Edward gave his own verbal farewell, heading for the plate.
Edward, admittedly, played smart, keeping the ball low and out of Rosalie's always ready hand in the outfield, gaining two bases in a blink before Emmett could get the ball back in play. Carlisle knocked one so far out of the field - with a crack that left my ears ringing - that he and Edward both made it in. Esme slapped them dainty high fives.
The score constantly changed as the game continued, and they razed each other like any street ballplayers as they took turns with the lead. I would only occasionally call them to order when Esme's disapproval became clear. The thunder rumbled on, but we stayed dry, as I predicted and knew.
Carlisle was up to bat, Edward catching when I choked out a gasp as the first vision hit me. I was no longer in the present with the others in the field, instead a few moments ahead and eyes going impossibly wide at seeing a fourth vampire in the group of approaching, curious red eyes, one so achingly familiar and yet foreign with the same red eyes that seemed so wrong, wrong, wrong on that terribly familiar face, and yet that familiar face was set in the blank, emotionless mask of a stranger.
"Maddy?" Esme's voice called me through the myriad of slowly evolving visions as I gasped and fully realized the implications of what I was seeing. It hit me with all the subtlety of a runaway freight train and I felt something inside me shatter.
"No," I breathed in horror as the visions came at more dizzying speeds in my fear, desperation, "no, no ,no, no, nonononono- I didn't know- I'm sorry- nononono-"
I could barely register when cold, marble arms wrapped securely around me, my thoughts and memories gushing forth too fast, too hard for me to stop from the trigger of the influx of haunting visions. I heard Edward's gasp and knew then that he saw most of what I did not want him to see, to know what I did not want to remember, what I wanted to leave behind. An old life, a well known book series and movie franchise...
"What is it, Maddy?" Carlisle asked with the calm voice of authority. Wrong, wrong, wrongwrongwrong-not that name, not the right name- my thoughts snapped into sharp clarity on one point, even in my growing panic and the chaos rampant in my aching head.
You have to get Bella out of here, Edward! I thought near hysterically. Now! I didn't care how he did it, but Bella, at least, had to- needed to be safe. I needed at least that security.
"What did you see, Maddy?" Esme tried to soothe and coo, her hand stroking my warm brow.
"Okay, what the hell is going on?" Bella demanded, sounding angry and panicked and demanding and I'm sure looking quite indignant if my eyes weren't still clouded with the visions running rampant through my mind, overlapping over each other, being erased abruptly before being replaced by another, always, always circling painfully back to that face.
"Hasn't your sister ever told you?" Edward asked almost snottily, getting a sharp hiss not only from Jasper but Rosalie too. "Madeleine can see into the future."
"What? No she can't," Bella denied immediately. "There's nothing special about Maddy," the heavily implied 'even though she wants to be' was an equally fucking heavy slap to the face.
"What the hell do you know, you fucking hypocrite!" I snapped, unable to hold back the years and years of slights and hurts she's delivered me known and unknown. "Thinking you're so much fucking smarter and more mature than everyone around you!" I snarled. "Well guess what, Bell-bell! You're not much better than our mother, callous, insensitive, and self absorbed as you both are, thinking you're so different from others, that you don't seem to fit in. What the hell would you know?!"
I felt tears stinging at my eyes as everything seemed to be crashing down around me, eyes still swimming with visions. Bella was, for a brief, blissful moment, too stunned to respond, the Cullens so silent they probably weren't even breathing, but that short, blissful moment was broken by the sharp sound of soft flesh meeting soft flesh in an echoing smack.
My eyes widened in shock as a shaking hand lifted to brush against the stinging skin of my cheek. Did she...did she seriously just slap me?!
"Don't you dare talk about our mother that way!" Bella intoned in an almost calm voice, tone cold and quiet and still tinted heavily with shock. What followed was a lot of snarling as the Cullens took sides, Jasper frightening Bella to stumble back and nearly fall on her ass if it weren't for Edward when he snarled angrily at her, pulling me back into his chest, and Edward retaliating by doing the same.
Rosalie herself took a defensible position next to us, also baring her teeth, with Emmett tense beside the neutral adult couple, ready to intervene.
"If you really can see the future, why the hell wouldn't you tell me?!" Bella shouted, apparently getting her fucking balls back from the safety of Edward's protective hold.
"Bitch! Do you not hear yourself?!" I spat in disbelief. "Even after you've been told by your vegan vampire boyfriend that I can fucking see the future, you still don't think it's fucking true! That I can't have some amazing gift because I'm just some nobody human girl! No, of course only precious Isabella can be different, can feel like she's the only one suffering in the world!" This time I literally did spit, pointedly in her direction, at her feet.
Bella's whole face turned tomato red in anger, up to the tips of her ears and travelling down to disappear in the collars of her clothes, not reacting at all to Edward snarling at my action and Jasper's responding one to him, her ears probably rushing with too much blood to notice.
"Take me home, Edward," Bella said tightly as if having to restrain herself from doing something drastic. I scoffed in disgust at that as Edward wasted no time scooping her up and disappearing back to the cars, before Bella could be set off again by my rude noise.
Jasper snarled again, low this time as he clutched me tight when the adrenaline of the biggest fight I've ever had with Bella left me from shaking and tense to shaking and boneless, not even able to stand on my noodle legs.
"As fun as it was to see you tear so masterfully into your sorry excuse of a sister," Rosalie drawled as soon as they were out of sight, "is there a reason you intentionally made her so angry?"
"I couldn't get both of us out of danger," I whispered quietly, only settling Jasper off to snarl again as he practically draped himself over me as if to completely hide me from the world.
"What exactly did you see, Maddy?" Jasper managed to growl out, semi-calm.
"A group of nomads were nearby," they all sucked in an unnecessary breath, freezing where they stood, "they heard you guys playing and want to join." Jasper snarled angrily above my head, holding completely still in order to avoid hurting me in his anger.
"I'll take you home, then," Jasper growled but the way he didn't move made it clear he knew without my telling him that it was too late.
"They'll be here in less than five mintes, Jazz," I whispered. "They're running, they're curious."
"How many?" Emmett asked.
"F-four," I stuttered over the number, still reeling with visions caused by the unexpected fourth.
"Four!" Emmett scoffed. "Let them come." The steel bands of muscle flexed along his massive arms.
For a tense second that seemed much longer than it really was, Carlisle deliberated. Only Emmett seemed unfazed, the rest staring unblinking and anxious at their leader.
"Let's just continue the game," Carlisle finally decided, his voice cool and level. "Maddy said they were simply curious." He spoke almost too fast for me to understand but understand I did.
"At least Bella is in the clear," I mumbled, though it only made Jasper growl angrily.
"That is not a comfort to me," he hissed as he planted himself firmly by my side. With Edward gone, there were uneven numbers and the teams were reduced to two each, no one daring to try and move Jasper away from me.
I was still unable to see more than snippets of the present with the visions still passing like a constant stream in my head, giving me a throbbing migraine and my only anchor to reality being the hard arms secured around my waist, protective, possessive. The others returned to the field, wearily sweeping the dark forest with their sharp eyes.
They didn't need to give me instruction, I already knew what to do. The seconds ticked by and the game continued with apathy now, no longer able to put their full effort into the game. Rosalie, despite having a good enough source to vent her anger on nearby (me), still sent varying nasty glares in the direction Edward and Bella disappeared to, apparently blaming her for this too, despite it not being her fault.
In the end, Jasper couldn't resist asking the dangerous question.
"Are they thirsty?" Jasper breathed beside my ear. I gave the smallest shake of my head in response, not daring to move much at all.
"Not...at the moment," I said with barely any volume, unable to even hear my own words but knowing he could. Jasper only gave a silent growl, his chest vibrating with it against my back, before his breath stopped completely, his eyes zeroing in on the right field.
He slid fluidly half in front of me, one hand never leaving my person. I simply struggled to keep my breath even as my visions sped a bit, numbered a bit more, grew slightly in intensity.
Carlisle, Emmett, and the others turned in the same direction, hearing sounds of passage too faint for my human ears.
AN: Whew, well, obviously this did not come out a week after the last...but hey! This is the longest chapter since the first! Possibly a teeny bit longer, though a tad is straight regurgitation from the book so sorry for that but it was unavoidable. Also! Hey, the story has officially begun to truly begin it's ascension to its climax and also...cliffhanger! Please don't kill me! (*cringe*)
Fortunately for you my friend/editor has made it clear that she wants the next chapter done by next week, no room for placating or procrastinating since she's dying to know what happens next (she's the biggest fan of this story, it's scary, nearly bit my head off when I read her the end of this chapter). She's also the reason this got done today with me doing it piece by piece before she set a deadline. I honestly didn't expect it to be his long, it didn't hit me that the story was really picking up until I had to write out the visions that hit Maddy.
Anyways, sorry for the long AN. As always thank you for reading, and I'd really like to read the reviews for this chapter so please feel free to tell me what you think! Already working on the next chapter, see you all next time! ,((^o^))/
