A/N wow we are sooooo close to one thousand reviews. I don't know what to say, I'm not complaining or anything, but I've never dared to hope that this story would attract so many loyal readers. Thank you all for reading and reviewing, and showing patience when I take longer to update.
Now back to the story, I know you are excited to find out if Bella is going to rip Emmett a new one or not.
Enjoy!
Chapter 26 Open mouth, insert foot
Jasper POV
I had my reasons why I didn't fight against Emmett's hold.
True he was physically stronger than me, but he lacked my fighting expertise. Even with the moves I'd shown him over the years he still had nothing on me. Needless to say but he hasn't been very receptive to my teachings, always insisting to relay on his physical strength rather than to put some effort into learning some new tricks. He probably didn't even realize how lucky he actually was, never having any reason to obtain any serious tactical and fighting skills to assure his very own survival (and that of his loved ones), not like us Whitlocks. In the past, fighting with me always had been just for the fun of it, to release some pent up energy.
But this was not the case right now. He meant business … well sort of. Emmett's grip around my neck was tight but not really painful, at least not to someone like me. Good thing we didn't have to breathe, though, because he put enough pressure on my windpipe to crush it.
Of course I could have freed myself with a simple move but I didn't. I knew it would have made things worse, if I'd fought back. I didn't know how I managed to fight my instincts, or to fool Emmett in letting him believe that I yielded to his authority, but I was glad it was working … so far. I did my best to keep my own feelings under control, pushing calm into him, as much as I was able to conjure up, but only enough to keep him at bay.
I didn't want to sedate him, because I still needed excess to his emotions. His anger was potent but it was overshadowed by the strength of his guilt and his desire to protect, and of course his wish to atone for what he'd done to my mate by abandoning her.
Good start, bro, attacking her mate … that will get you back in her good graces …
The poor bastard still had no idea what was going on, which was probably a good thing and part of the reason I let him manhandle me in the first place. But first and foremost I didn't want a repeat performance from the other day. I didn't want to put my mate in danger of getting hurt … yet again. Once was enough.
But maybe I deserved this treatment after all.
Of course I should have known there was no reason for acting all jealous. Peter would never betray me or his mate for that matter. The kiss was all Bella's doing. Peter had been just as surprised as everybody else in the room. His ensuing feelings had been the reason why I'd snapped. I just couldn't help myself. My possessiveness had gotten the better of me, and I'd acted on impulse.
Nobody touches my mate like that but me …
Now, being trapped between the wall and Emmett, I made a mental note to talk to Bella later, when we would have a minute to ourselves. She needed to know that she couldn't do things like that. Surely she thought of it as a harmless gesture, but it wasn't … not for me, or any other mated male vampire.
Given the circumstances, it was probably a blessing that I hadn't had the chance to claim her yet otherwise my reaction wouldn't have been so tame. I would have done more than just growling … much more. And no one would have been able to stop me from expressing my wrath.
Yes, I needed to talk to her and soon. I needed to explain the rules, so to speak. Knowing that she didn't like to be told what to do or what to quit, I knew I had to choose my words very, very carefully.
I wasn't planning on replacing Edward. Yes, I would guard her with my life, but I wouldn't hover, wouldn't try to control her. She had proven more than once that she was stronger than she appeared. She was smart enough to make the right choices. And I trusted her.
But nevertheless, she needed to know what she was getting herself into by mating with a vampire. We were possessive SOB's when it came to our mates. Even though I'd never experienced it for myself before, I just knew that there was nothing more important to a mated vampire than the safety of his mate, because that's how I felt about her.
True when I'd been with Alice I would have fought as well, because I'd cared about her.
But this, this bond I had with Bella was something else entirely, so much stronger, running deeper. I would kill thousands to ensure her wellbeing without feeling regret. I would do anything to make her happy. I was hers, undeniably and irrevocably hers. And she was mine. The love I felt for her was already so strong and overwhelming, and I knew our connection would only deepen after the mating … and even more so after her change.
I can hardly wait … for either one of them to come to pass …
Now that she'd gotten a first taste of what was in store for her, I only hoped that my possessive behavior wouldn't drive her away. I knew as long as she was still human she wouldn't truly understand the concept of vampire mating, what it truly meant. But after today and 'the talk' at least she would be prepared for the similar reaction next time.
Although I was glad that my brother had reacted quickly, grabbing hold of my mate before she could throw herself between me and Emmett, I didn't like seeing her restrained by him or anyone else. And apparently my mate wasn't thrilled about that either.
"Let go of me, Peter." Bella said. It was a command not a request. I was impressed how calm and confident she sounded, despite the fact that she was pissed. But she was in control of her emotions, not the other way around.
And to be honest the coolness in her voice was quite the turn on. Not the time …you need to focus …
Peter seemed to assess the situation for a moment, contemplating his options. I send him a wave of calm coupled with reassurance, with the desired result. He let go of my mate. Wise choice …
I'd expected Bella to come running towards me as soon as she was free, but she surprised me yet again. She remained cool, calm and collected, just taking a step away from Peter. Then she turned to face him. "Thanks. Here," Bella handed Peter the cup of coffee and the muffin, "Please, hold them for me. I want to finish them later." Even though I couldn't see her face, I was pretty sure she was smiling, at least a bit, because I could detect a hint of glee in her voice.
"Sweetie, please be careful." Char warned. I was pleased to see how much my sister cared for my mate, considering they didn't know each other very well. She was obviously concerned for the Bella's safety, for which I was grateful. And apparently so was Bella. She gave Charlotte a curt nod of acknowledgment, but didn't say anything in return. Then she turned away from them, towards me and Emmett.
"She'll be fine." I heard Peter reassuring his wife, but deep down he shared her concern. But for the time being he was willing to put his faith in Bella before his worry.
But there was something else, something that didn't sit quite well with me. Curiosity. The sick bastard wanted to see how this would turn out, that's probably why he gave in to her request so quickly. The only reason why I didn't act in response to his feeling of curiosity was his stance. Yes he didn't try to hold her back, but he was ready to step in, to pull her out of the line of fire if something went wrong.
Bella took in a deep breath, and then she slowly walked over to Emmett and me. There was a certain air of confidence around her that took my breath away. She was truly a vision. Magnificent, beautiful … mine.
True, Bella appeared to be calm, but she was only calm on the outside. She couldn't fool me though, not when her shield was down.
Right now there was a battle going inside her. Her emotions were chaotic, as usual. She was shifting through emotions like someone skimming through a tedious magazine, from one to the other, never lingering long enough, making it very hard for me to actually identify her emotional state.
She was mad, that much was clear … mad at Emmett, at Peter and probably at me too. But there was also a tinge of anxiety, and I was pretty sure that was meant for both of us, Emmet and myself. She was scared that I'd hurt Emmett and vice versa. Despite her anger and disappointment, deep down, she still cared for Emmett. She was sad and confused just like him, but she was very determined to set things straight.
But when her eyes met mine, I could also detect a flicker of possessiveness, a need to protect her mate. Well what do you know? She feels the same about me … possessive and ready to strike … that's my girl …
The entire time I'd watched the situation from the corner of my eyes. Thanks to my peripheral vision there was no need to take my eyes of Emmett to see what was going on around me, which was a good thing. I didn't want to draw his attention away from me, afraid it might make things worse. Somehow I knew the only person who was going to reach him in this state was Bella, and I was sure Peter had come to the same conclusion.
There was no indication that Emmett knew Bella was on her way over to us. His senses must be really out of commission. I didn't know how he remained oblivions, but I took solace in the fact. He was still too busy growling at me, drowning me in his feelings of anger. My answering growls were low but not less menacing. I would never surrender easily.
Bella came to a halt a few feet away. I didn't know if she did it on purpose or not, but I was glad that she kept some distance between herself and us, just in case.
"What the fuck is wrong with you, Emmett? Get the hell away from him!" Bella demanded, in a voice that left no room for interpretation. She was pissed. I couldn't help myself but I got a little turned on by the aggressiveness in her voice.
Emmett's head whipped around. He stared at Bella with a mixture of confusion and anger. "What do you mean? He was going to attack you … again." He retorted icily.
Careful there, bro … Another low growl escaped me, but this time it went unanswered.
Bella snorted, not very ladylike but I thought it was sort of cute. "Please, that's very unlikely. Jasper would never hurt me." There was no doubt in her voice, only conviction. God, I love this woman.
Apparently that wasn't the kind of reaction Emmett had been expecting. A frown appeared on his face. "But …"
Bella held up her hand, cutting him off. "No, I don't want to hear it. There are no buts, no ifs. You've made a mistake, misreading his growl for what it really was. End of story. You may not believe it but Jasper wasn't going to attack me. He wouldn't do that, not after …" She trailed off. I was sure her mind had gone to the same place in time as mine, but she didn't linger on the ugly memory of her disastrous birthday party and neither did I. We had both agreed to put that little incident behind us, leaving it in the past, where it belonged. But she still gave me a sad, little smile, like she was begging for my forgiveness, for bringing it up. Completely unnecessary, but sweet nonetheless, just typical Bella behavior. As far as I was concerned she didn't have any reason to feel bad or guilty, and I let know through my gift that I wasn't angry or sad. I sent her my love and support, along with some strength, with the intended result.
Bella straightened up and returned her full attention back on Emmett. She wasn't finished yet, far from it.
"Look at Jasper's eyes, Emmett. There are still as golden as yours or Rosalie's. He'd kept up his diet even after you guys had left him high and dry. Turns out he doesn't need any of you to keep him in line. He is so much stronger than you know … hell even he doesn't seem to realize how strong he is. It's a shame that his so called family doesn't show him the same kind of respect and trust you all ask of him … a family should be supportive, no matter what, and let's face it … you've failed him. It's that simple." Emmett flinched at her harsh words, and I could hear Rose wincing.
"And just for the record, no one here means me any harm, not even Jasper's human blood drinking friends, who in theory should pose the greatest threat to me," Bella turned her head, giving Peter and his mate a small smile, "No offence …"
"None taken." They both replied at the same time, not the least bit offended by her statement. They were both enjoying her rant, immensely. I almost pitied Emmett for being at the receiving end of her anger … almost. But he had it coming … sort of.
"… but they don't." Bella finished her sentence, with a certain kind of finality in her voice, thus closing the subject. She took in another deep, calming breath, before continuing, "I trust them, just as I trust Jasper … and I'd used to trust you. So please, Emmett, let go of him … Right. The. Fucking. Now." Her order left no room for discussion. Everyone in the room knew that, including Emmett. He let go of my throat, and stepped away, with his head hanging like a scolded child, who had just been caught with both hands in a cookie jar. Poor guy.
I sank to the ground, more or less gracefully. Bella lost no time, rushing to my side. I grabbed her arms and pulled her down, right into my lap. And she went more than willingly. It was where she belonged after all …
"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" She asked. Her voice was layered with anxiety. She leaned in, checking for injuries by gently caressing the cold, hard skin of my throat with her warm, little fingers. Of course there was no evidence of Emmett's harsh treatment to find, no imprints of his fingers, no bruises on my skin, nothing. I was sure she knew that, but she was too worried to think rationally at this point and to be honest I didn't mind her reaction. How could I? The way she cared about me, about my physical wellbeing, though needless, made her that much more endearing in my eyes. First and foremost she saw the man in me, not the vampire. And that was something I still had to get used to. But I liked it, I liked it a lot.
"I'm fine, Darlin'." I reassured her, pulling her into a tight hug.
I was more than fine actually. With my beautiful, loving woman in my arms I was blissfully happy. I didn't know how she did it, but whenever I was around her she made me forget what I was, where I was … just like now. I didn't care that we had company, because all I saw, all I sensed, all I needed was her. I buried my face in Bella's dark hair, sniffing it. She still smelled like me, at least a little. The warmth of her body was seeping through the layers of our clothes, at once making me want more.
Skin on skin contact … just like before … that's what I want … to finish what we've started upstairs … her soft, little hands on me, caressing, exploring, feeling my skin … and healing my soul …
An involuntary, but unmistakable moan of desire escaped my mouth, when I felt her hot breathe washing over the skin of my neck, followed by a lingering kiss on my throat. Then I felt the tip of her tongue and I nearly lost it. Sure enough, my jeans suddenly felt very tight.
A loud gasp of shock called my immediate attention, snapping me out of my stupor. It was coming, no surprise there, from Emmett, followed by a groan of exasperation. Before either one of us could say or do anything, Peter decided to intervene. He stepped right in between us, still with the coffee cup in one hand and the muffin in the other. He looked ridiculous, like some yuppie-guy, only lacking the right kind of clothes and a newspaper, preferably the New York Times.
"Okay, guys, time out. I think we all have enough of this little pissing contest of yours, am I right ladies? Emmett, Bella is fine and in no danger of getting eaten by any one of us. Got it?" Peter gave Emmett a meaningful look, and received a bashful nod of acknowledgement in return. I was a little taken aback that Em was so easily swayed. They hardly knew each other. They hadn't spent half a century living together. So how was this possible? Was Peter more trustworthy than me? It appeared that way. But then again, I had been the one who had screwed up, the one who had tried to bite his little sister, so maybe he had every right to doubt me.
Before I had the chance to explore this any further, Peter turned his attention to me. "And you Major, keep it down a notch, please. We get it. Bella is yours and no one wants to get between you two. I seriously doubt that anyone here has a death wish. Alright? And I'm also pretty sure that Esme would be freaking out if she knew what you are doing with this place. So I think we should put a moratorium on the indoor fighting. We certainly don't need another hole to fill." He grinned at the end. Of course his sexual innuendo didn't go unnoticed by me. I flipped him off.
Peter just chuckled and then came over, kneeling beside us. Anticipating that he'd want to speak to her next, Bella shifted her position in my lap, so that she was with her back to my chest. In the process, she inadvertently brushed against my half-hardened erection. I didn't know how I managed it, but somehow I was able to stifle the moan that threatened to escape my throat … but only by biting hard down on my lower lip, almost breaking skin.
"And as for you, hot lips," he addressed my mate with a leer on his face and in his voice, receiving another warning growl from me, which he chose to ignore, of course. He lowered his voice, trying to create a sense of privacy, which was pointless of course in a room full of vampires with extraordinary hearing capabilities. "You better keep your hands, lips and tongue under control, unless you want to give us all a free show."
Even with her back to me, I could sense that Bella was mortified. The rise of her body temperature told me that she was probably blushing like crazy, a rare reaction these days. I was starting to miss it, what with her newfound inner strength and all that. Her reaction was understandable though, Peter had practically called her a brazen hussy, which she wasn't.
I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her closer. She rested her head against my chest, and I leaned down, nudging her hair out of the way with my nose, whispering in her ear. "Don't mind him, Darlin'. He is just jealous he won't get a second chance at this." I placed a lingering kiss on her cheek, while keeping my eyes on Peter. He got the message. Hands of my mate, or else …
He rolled his eyes at me. "And what a pity it is …" He winked at my mate, sighing theatrically. Of course Bella reacted just the way he'd intended, by sniggering.
"Don't push it." I warned, half heartedly.
"Yeah, yeah I get it ... Here you go, little lady. Why don't you have some of that stinking beverage? I bet you can use some refreshment after all this drama." He said in a normal volume, shoving the coffee cup and the muffin into her waiting hands, more than glad to get rid of both items. She took them with another snigger and a mumbled thank you.
"It's probably cold by now, sorry." Peter said, getting on his feet.
"I don't mind." She shrugged, taking a sip. "Luke warm, just how I like it." Peter laughed at her attempt to ease his mind, but I could tell it wasn't a lie … well at least not a complete lie. She might prefer her coffee hot and steaming, but she would never lie or act disrespectfully. She was still immensely grateful for Peter's gifts, much to my dismay. Bella kept drinking and when she bit into the muffin, she moaned in appreciation. This time her reaction was one hundred percent legitimate.
My brother smiled down at her, happy that Bella was enjoying her snack. Then he turned and walked over to Charlotte, who had taken a seat on one of the chairs. He kissed her soundly on the mouth, making a clear statement, before he positioned himself on the floor between her open legs. He leaned back, with his legs stretched out and his arms crossed, waiting expectantly.
He didn't have to wait long.
"Would anybody please tell me what is going on here?" Emmett threw his hands up in frustration, still standing in the middle of the room, a mixture of confusion and irritation rolling of him.
Rose got up from her seat on the couch and went over to her mate. "Why don't you sit down, honey and let them explain. I'm sure we can sort this out … in peace." She emphasized the last part, grabbing his large hand and dragging him back to the couch. He went with her more or less willingly, plopping down like a petulant child. He was still radiating anger, but the need quench his curiosity was stronger.
Emmett turned to his wife. "Explain what? Wait … Are you trying to tell me you knew about this?" He accused.
Rose's anger spiked. "First of all, don't use that tone with me, mister, if you know what's good for you." She growled, and Emmett actually flinched. God I've missed this. "And secondly, no, I didn't know … at least not until a couple of minutes ago. Just take a look at them. Isn't it obvious?" Rose's patience was running thin, that much was obvious, and not just to me.
Em shifted his gaze back to me and Bella, narrowing his eyes. It was easy to tell that he still wasn't comfortable with me holding Bella in my arms. I could feel and see him fighting the desire to come over and pull her away, only to keep her safe. That much hasn't changed, always the overprotective brother. But he stayed put, more thanks to Rose's tight grip on his thigh than his own self-restraint.
I held his scrutinizing gaze evenly, concentrating on reading his emotions. Hostility, confusion, guilt … but no realization yet. The obvious still seemed to evade him. How was it possible? Or maybe he didn't want to believe it.
I was glad, Bella wasn't the least bit phased by Emmett's scrutiny, just continuing to finish her muffin and her coffee in peace. The physical contact helped us both to stay calm. She sat the empty cup down beside us, leaning back in my chest, letting out a satisfied sigh.
Since nobody was saying anything, Rose took it upon herself to shed some light on the mystery. "You are mates, am I right?" She looked at me for confirmation. I simply nodded.
Emmett's shocked expression was priceless. "Mates. What do mean, mates? They can't be mates. Alice and Edward …"
He didn't get to finish his sentence. Upon hearing the names of her former boyfriend and my ex-wife Bella went rigid in my arms. More than one growl filled the air, and to my surprise one of them was actually coming from my mate.
Sexy … Wow, for a human she really has the vampire thing down. Growling … check, beauty … check, supernatural ability … check, staying (almost) immobile … check … The only things left are speed and strength … I can hardly wait … okay I'm getting sidetracked here … back to the subject at hand …
Bella's anger was back full force. "Alice and Edward," she seethed, "Alice and Edward … How can you still believe that they are our mates? After they'd left us, after all they had done …" She startled trembling in my arms, pain joining her anger. Then I could smell them, tears, and that wasn't sitting well with me.
Instead of lashing out at my brother for upsetting my mate, I decided the best move right now was using my power to comfort Bella. Peter was right, fighting would get us nowhere. I squashed my own anger and concentrated on Bella. I tightened my grip, careful not to hurt her, of course. I pushed as much calm into her I was able to conjure up under the circumstances, but it didn't seem to have the desired effect this time. She was fighting me. I didn't know if she did it on purpose or not, but it didn't matter. I started to rock her back and forth, making shushing sounds. "Shhh, Darlin', calm down. Emmett doesn't know … he didn't mean to upset you … right?"
"Of course not. I'm just … this is all so confusing … I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I still love you, little sis." Emmett's voice faltered. I was sure if it were possible he would be in tears too.
"I AM NOT YOUR SISTER." Bella yelled. Emmett visibly and audibly flinched. And so did I. The pain of rejection felt like a stab with sharp knife right into my dead heart, with a little twist, leaving me utterly breathless. I did my best to stay in control, but even with Bella's shield up, I was still exposed to Emmett's emotions, and they were quite potent. "You gave up the right to call me that when you'd walked out on me, without a word of goodbye, if memory serves. You left me, Emmett. What did you expect? That I'd forgive and forget? Just like that? Not bloody likely. I'm not the same Bella anymore."
"That much is painfully obvious." Rose commented dryly. Tact has never been my sister's strong suit. I could tell that Bella wanted to respond, but Rose shook her head vehemently, beating her to the punch. "Oh no, Bella, you've said your piece. Now it's my turn." She stated calmly but with determination. She reached over to grab one of Emmett's big hands. She held it tightly, drawing soothing circles on the back on his palm, with immediate result. Emmett's and therefore my feelings settled down some. I exhaled loudly.
Rose's emotions and her tone of voice told me that she didn't blame Bella for lashing out at her husband, but at the same time she was ready to stand up for Emmett, a normal reaction for a mated vampire. "I get where all your anger is coming from, I really do …"
"I highly doubt that." Bella scoffed, completely belittling Rose's display of sympathy. I could have told her that my sister was telling the truth, but I didn't. Somehow it didn't feel right to act as a go-between, not this time. And Bella probably wouldn't have believed me anyway. The best thing right now was for them to get everything out in the open. They needed to move past their resentment and abandonment issues. We all did. "Like you'd care what I'm thinking or feeling or what I've been through after you'd left … I know that you hate me." Bella spat.
Rose smiled sadly. "That's where you're wrong, Bella. I might not particularly like you but I don't hate you. I never did. I don't know what Edward has told you about me and my thoughts, but I don't hate you. And how could I? We barely know each other." Bella shrugged, still not believing her. Rose seemed to realize that, choosing a different approach. "Did you by any chance read the letter I'd left for Jasper?"
Clever move there, sis … I smirked inwardly.
For a moment there was complete silence in the room, apart from Bella's slightly erratic breathing. And just as suddenly as she'd closed herself off, Bella allowed me excess to her emotions again. Thank God …
"Yes." Bella answered in a subdued voice, clearly remembering its contents. Her anger had waned, but it was replaced by a negative feeling of another kind … guilt. Great …just great …
"Then you know none of us wanted to leave Forks … or you for that matter," Rose said, amending, "Well apart from Doucheward and the evil gnome, of course. This was all their doing, especially the part about leaving you behind without giving any one of us the chance to say good bye or explain things." Bella nodded once, imperceptibly to a human, but not to a vampire eye.
Rose ignored Bella's reaction and went on. "True, I didn't care less about that at the time, but Emmett certainly did. And so did Esme and Carlisle. You might think that they didn't care about you, but you couldn't be more wrong. Believe what you will, Bella, but they truly loved you like a daughter, and they still do." Rose smiled warmly, patting Emmett's hand caringly.
"All I'd wanted to do was to say good bye to you in person. I thought that was the least you deserved. I didn't want to leave you behind to begin with … but most importantly I didn't want you to think that you didn't mean anything to me. The Cullens are my family, but …" Emmett said, his voice cracking with the strength of his emotions, "but so are you. I know you are angry with me and I'd understand if you don't want anything to do with me anymore. But … but you'll always be my little sister if you like it or not."
Bella's heartbeat quickened and her breathing hitched. She was deeply touched by Emmett's words. "That's … that's nice." She muttered, obviously lost for words. She was still reluctant to forgive him completely, but she was willing to try.
Of course, Peter chose to be an insensitive idiot by chuckling, loudly. Bella's head snapped around, and even though I couldn't see her face, I just knew she was glaring at him. Her reaction had the opposite effect, causing him to lose it completely. He started laughing like a maniac.
Instead of yelling at him, for upsetting and embarrassing her yet again, she called out his mate's name in such a calm, serene kind of way that didn't bode well … for Peter. They seemed to have a silent conversation, which only lasted for a few seconds, and completely went unnoticed by everybody but me. Then Char nodded her head once, smirking, and then her arm moved. She smacked the back of Peter's head so hard that the sound of the impact vibrated through the almost empty room. The force of the blow caused Peter to slump forward.
"What the hell … that actually hurt, woman." Peter complained, rubbing his head.
"You had it coming." Char said, smacking him again, less hard this time, just for good measure. I had a hard time not to burst out laughing.
"She is right." Bella agreed. For the first time she was really annoyed with my brother. "You had it coming, Peter … I'm only sorry for not being able to do it myself."
I could feel Emmett's and Rose's confusion at Bella's statement. "Char and Bella have an agreement. Whenever Peter acts out, Char will hand out the punishment in her place … since Bella would only hurt herself in the process." I explained, placing a kiss on Bella's head.
Then I lost control of my power, and everybody including Peter started laughing, and suddenly the mood in the room changed, and part of the earlier tension was leaving the room, making it easier to breathe. Just what we needed, a little distraction …
"That's hilarious." Rose commented, still sniggering. "And quite clever. Better Char than you, huh?"
I chuckled. "Yes, this way I don't have to fear any ramifications. I'm pretty sure it won't be the last time, you'll witness this. He can be quite the idiot." I said, ignoring Peter's low growl of protest. But at least he didn't complain in words, apparently knowing that now was not the time to continue acting like a fool. And I had a feeling that Bella and I weren't the only ones interested to hear the rest of Rose's story. "But I think he's got the message and will remain silent from now on. Please continue. I assume you weren't finished yet."
Rose nodded and picked up where she'd left off. "Yes … well … Emmett, Esme and Carlisle argued with Edward for hours after he'd come home that night. Believe me when I say that they were doing their best to sway Edward, but my idiot brother simply wouldn't listen to reason, stubborn son of a bitch that he is. I guess his mind was made up the moment everything had gone downhill at your birthday party. Of course he blamed Jasper for losing it over a simple paper cut, but I'm sure he was mostly angry with himself, and rightfully though, considering he was the one who'd caused you any damage." I still didn't like to be reminded of Bella getting hurt because of me. I still felt somewhat responsible.
But Bella, God bless her, hurried to defend me. "Jasper isn't …" She began, but Rose cut her off.
"I know, Bella, I know that he isn't to blame for what'd happened that day, and neither are you. Maybe none of us are. Cutting yourself was a mere accident and our reaction was to be expected. Try as we might, but there is no use to downplay the truth. We are bloodthirsty vampires and you are a human … our natural food source, for crying out loud. The scent of fresh blood isn't something we can simply ignore. None of us can, not even I and Carlisle, who've never tasted human blood in all those years, are completely immune to it. It is what it is." Her words were almost the same ones that Bella had used the other day. They didn't even know it, but they were so much alike. No wonder I felt the way I did about them. I loved Bella as my mate, and Rose as a sister. Both were fiercely protective and utterly honest. Truly one … or two of a kind …
"I'd realized pretty fast that it has been our combined bloodlust that had driven Jasper over the edge. But in the end it didn't matter what I'd thought. It was Alice who turned the tide. She convinced us that a cold break was in your best interest, saying that she had a vision, thus backing up her claim." Rose seethed, and Bella let out a snort. "Yeah, I'm right there with you. Quite obviously she'd lied. I don't know how she did it, but she managed to fool us all. Even Edward couldn't tell that she was lying, probably too blinded by his own guilty feelings to pay enough attention. Or maybe she was simply too clever, who knows." Rose shrugged. Her feelings of anger were rising again. "We've never had any reason to doubt Alice's words or her so called good intentions, so of course we trusted her, moving along with her plan to leave Forks and you as soon as possible, not even waiting for Jasper's return. But believe me we've paid for both mistakes dearly. You see, Bella, you are not the only one who got hurt in the process. It's true and I'm a little ashamed to admit that in the beginning my only concern was for Jasper's wellbeing, understandably though, since nobody else seemed to give a damn about him at the time and considering the fact that you and I had never been that close. But that doesn't mean I didn't sympathize with your situation. And if you'd read my letter very carefully, you know that I don't think it was the right decision to make … leaving you behind with no way to contact us, cutting of all ties. Edward had brought you into our family, making you part of it … and suddenly you were what … disposable? You didn't deserve to be dumped over something that was nobody's fault … even if it was inevitable to happen at some point." Rose said, putting it bluntly as usual.
But Bella wasn't offended, quite the opposite. I smelled tears again. "Thanks, Rosalie." She sniffed, gripping my arms like as a sort of anchor. Rose's words did have a similar effect on me. I was touched and glad at the same time. Rose cared about my mate more than she was willing to admit, and vice versa. They didn't seem to notice it … yet, but Rose and Bella shared a mutual bond of respect, one that could easily evolve into friendship or even sisterhood. I certainly would like that.
I wasn't able to tell if it was just the influence of my projective power or not, but Rose's demeanor softened even further. There was even the slightest hint of a sob in her voice, when she continued. "It has become quite obvious that your absence, Bella, was the reason for our collective suffering. Everybody missed you in one way or another … Well everybody except for Alice …" She mused. I wondered where she was going at with this short but certainly significant statement, but unfortunately she didn't elaborate. Later …
"Anyhow, as I was saying, things haven't been exactly peachy since we've left Forks … quite the opposite actually. Everyone was brooding 24/7, for different reasons, of course. We weren't talking to each other very much. Actually we barely spend any time as a family, at all. Carlisle busied himself with work at the local hospital, while Esme was distracting herself with redecorating our house in Alaska. But I doubt very much that it was working." Rose shook her head. Sadness was rolling of her in waves. Emmett's expression matched that of his wife. I could imagine how hard it must have been for all them to live under such awful emotional stress. Wanting to reconcile, but not really knowing how, that must have been pure hell. Quite frankly, I was pretty glad that I hadn't stayed with them. Just having access to Emmett's and Rose's feeling right now was enough to bring me down. "Edward and Alice kept to themselves, avoiding everybody, even each other. They had left weeks before we did, separately, but according to Carlisle they are together now, God only knows where. But honestly, I don't really care. Whatever they are feeling … they brought it among themselves." Rose wasn't really gloating, just hitting a nail.
"The last time Alice and I had spoken to each other, I'd discovered something rather interesting, maybe even unsettling." Rose was looking straight at me now. "I'd asked her about you and your whereabouts … for the umpteenth time, I might add. I was still giving her the benefits of the doubt, believing that she still needed time to recover from all the drama. I still believed that sooner or later she going out to find you, I still thought that she and you were still … you know mates …"
"Oh." Emmett exclaimed, clearly having some sort of epiphany. "I remember. Alice said that you and her … that you have never been mates … Oh dear Lord, that would explain a lot, wouldn't it?" He turned to look at Rosalie. "Do you think that she knew about them all along?"
A/N Oh crap, another cliffi. *shrugs* You know me, I like them.
So it's finally done. The family is back together, partially reconciled and ready to deal with all the problems looming on the horizon. So what's next?
And what do you think? Did Alice know about Jasper and Bella?