Chapter 24: My Promise To My Princess

~Jasper POV~

We'd been at the new house for almost a month before we finally had a breakthrough with Daisy. She hardly spoke to us, spending her time alone in her castle on the phone to Ellie, or playing with Ness and Emmett.

On this particular day, it was only Daisy and I in the house. Bella was taking Renesmee to the hairdressers, and Alice had insisted on going with them to make sure Bella didn't "do anything crazy to that poor girls hair". Daisy had been invited but had curtly turned down the offer. Edward and Emmett had made some bet with each other and were both off trying to win it. Carlisle was at work, and Esme had gone to see him during his lunch break.

Daisy was sat at the table, doing homework and watching TV simultaneously. I offer her a smile as I sit opposite her, but she doesn't return it, "Are you getting a lot of work at your new school?"

She shrugs and continues to watch spongebob on the TV, "Bout the same as before."

"Is it easy stuff or are they setting you challenges?" I asked. At her last school she was set special advanced work as she was so far ahead of the rest of the class.

"They're setting me challenges." Daisy said, "But it's still easy."

"Can I see?" I asked. Daisy sighed and slid the work across to me. I scanned it, finding the algebra to be familiar and indeed easy. But not for a nine year old - a normal one, anyway. It was the kind of work that a fourteen year old might be set. Daisy had completed half of the sheet already and from what I could see she'd got it all right.

I passed the worksheet back to her, and she began to fill it out again, hardly even looking at the questions as spongebob danced across the screen. I try to catch her attention again, "Is that all the homework you've got for today?"

"Yep." She said.

"Well, as you're doing so well at your new school, do you fancy going out when you've finished?" I asked, "We can grab something to eat, maybe see a movie, do some shopping?"

She looked up at me; it wasn't often I offered to take her shopping. She took after her mother.

"I guess so." She said casually, "Since I've got nothing else to do."

Half an hour later, we were in the car driving towards the nearest mall. It was lunchtime when we arrived, so I took Daisy straight to the food court, where she picked a huge burger which she couldn't finish. As we walked past the shops afterwards, I could see her eyes wandering from item to item, recognising the same look of longing that I always saw in Alice during shopping trips. She didn't ask for anything, though, and I think it was because she was still mad.

When we came to the shoe store and she didn't even ask to go in, I sighed, "Daisy, what's the point in shopping if we're just gunna wander round the mall all day without buying anything?" She shrugged, "Why don't we go look at some shoes?"

She shrugged again, but started walking pretty quickly towards the shoe store. Her face lit up once inside, and she wondered from shelf to shelf looking at all the different shoes. I lost track of her pretty soon, and when I eventually caught up with her she was chatting away to a girl who worked in the store. They were both admiring a tiny pair of sparkly silver high heels. The girl was smiling at Daisy, "You'd look absolutely adorable in them!"

"They're beautiful." Daisy agreed, "But my Dad says I'm not allowed heels. I'm only nine."

I come to stand beside her, "Why don't you try them on?"

She looks at me in disbelief, "Really?"

I nod and she squeals, sitting down on a chair and slipping her feet into the shoes. They have complicated buckles, so I kneel down to help her. "They're very pretty, Daisy."

"But I'm not allowed them. You said-" Daisy began.

"I know." I cut her off gently, "But maybe it's time you are allowed them."

She frowned, "You can't buy my love with shoes. I'm not going to suddenly be happy here because-"

"That wasn't what I was trying to do." I assured her, "Sweetheart, you're very grown up for your age and sometimes we forget that you're only nine years old. We've asked you to do a very mature thing by leaving our old house, and it wasn't fair of us to ask you to deal with it like we did. It was necessary for all of our safety - including yours - but we can't expect you to understand or accept that. You've been very grown up about it all, considering, and grown up girls get grown up heels."

I'd finished buckling the shoes so I stood up. Offering her a hand, I pulled her to her feet and she wobbled on the shoes a little, but then smiled and stood balanced. I stand back and admire her, "Beautiful."

"They are." Daisy agreed.

"I meant you, Darlin'." I tell her with a soft smile, "You've been beautiful since the day you were born; even when you're glaring and throwing a tantrum." Daisy giggled a little at this, "You've not been easy to live with the past month, Daisy." I sit down and pull her down next to me, "Is this really just about leaving your friends behind, or are you upset about something else?"

Daisy looks for me for a second and then starts to cry. It breaks my heart a little, but I let her. It's the only way she'll get it off her chest. "Everyone keeps slipping away from me and I don't want it to happen again!"

"What do you mean?" I ask with a slight frown, confused.

"Aunty Rosalie left before I even really knew her, but I still miss her like crazy." Daisy told me, "And now Ellie and all my friends are gone, and I miss them too. And Nessie said that in a few years she'll go to college and I'd hardly see her any more, so I'll miss her too. I don't want to be alone."

I hug her for a long time then, stroking a hand through her silky hair. When her sniffling subsides I finally find my voice, "You will never be alone." I pull away and look her directly in the eyes, "You will never be alone. Ever." I lift her wrist to show her the Cullen Crest bracelet, "Remember this? "Forever, you are ours". You will always be ours, Daisy. We will always be with you. Forever. I won't let a day go by when you are alone."

"What if you can't help?" Daisy asked, her sniffling starting again, "What if you have to move again but this time it's me who's left behind? What if you all leave and I really am alone?"

"I made a vow when you were born, Daisy." I told her, "I vowed to always make you happy, no matter what. I intend to stick to that, and I could never ever leave you. I love you far too much - we all do. You don't ever need to worry about being alone, because none of us could ever give you up."

I gently wipe her falling tears from her cheeks, "I also vowed to always make you smile, so enough tears now." I take her hand, "Let's go buy some shoes."

We buy the heels and Daisy wears them as we walk out of the shop, "Thanks for my shoes." She paused, "And...for everything else. I love you all too, that's why I get so scared."

"That's my friend Freya." Daisy says, pointing to a girl across the room, "Can I go and say hi to her?"

"Yes, of course." I said, "Actually, would you mind waiting with her for a few minutes whilst I run and get something?"

"'Kay." Daisy says, and she walks across to Freya.

I find them ten minutes later sat by the fountain, "Ready to go, Princess?"

Daisy nods and stands up, "Bye, Freya. See you at school."

We walk out to the parking lot and get into the car. Before I start the engine, I turn to Daisy. "I got you a present."

"What is it?" She asked, her face betraying her excitement. I pass her a little box and she opens it, "A ring?"

"This ring is a promise that I will always be there for you, that I will never leave you, and that I will always keep my vow to make you happy." I told her, taking the ring from the box. It's a gold ring, with a small ruby gemstone and two small diamonds either side, "See the red ruby is because we are tied by blood; we are family and that it important. I will always stick by you. The diamonds represent purity because it is an unconditional love with no imperfections; I ask nothing of you, and I will love you no matter what you do."

"Whenever you get scared or lonely, just look at the ring and remember that I will always be yours, and forever, you will be mine." I tell her.

She started crying again, but this time they were happy tears.

When we eventually get home, the rest of the family are back. Daisy rushes straight into the living room where Alice is and hugs her tightly. Alice shoots me a look of surprise, but I just smile at her.

"Mama, look what Jazz bought me!" Daisy steps back and flashes her heels at Alice, who slowly turns to look at me. I'm surprised to see a glare on her face.

"You took my daughter to get her first pair of heels without me?!" She's shrieking by the end of the sentence.

Man am I in for a long night.

A/N: Aww I got all emotional writing this one! I thought there was some pretty cute father/daughter bonding going on there...what did you think? And of course, I needed to end on a lighter note of Alice getting mad about Daisy's firsts heels...it was all getting too serious for me to handle.

Anyway, I really hope you liked it and please leave me a review to let me know if you did :) As always, anyone who reviews will get a sneak peak of the next chapter.

Speaking of the next chapter...would you rather me do another chapter at 9 years, or skip straight to 13? Because I have stuff planned for 13 years old, and I don't really have anything for 9 years old but I'm not sure if I'm ready to move on yet...?