A/N: Thank you, all of you, for reading:)
Take care, M. x
Edward Falls to Pieces
Always a man of his word, on realizing that his mate had been injured due to Edward's temper, no one had been able to stop Jasper before he had Edward in pieces.
Not that anyone actually tried to stop him.
Emmett, more than willing to inflict some pain of his own on Edward, had rushed into the yard to help Jasper but ended up just standing still, watching the scene with his mouth open. Jasper moved so quickly and with such brutal accuracy, that there was nothing to actually help with. In barely the blink of an eye, Edward was missing an arm and a leg - from opposite sides of his body - and Jasper had tossed them far out into the woods that bordered the house. Just as he was turning to make his way back to his mate, he changed his mind and bent down to snap Edward's remaining foot off.
"Because I know you'd try to run like the pussy you are," Jasper sneered.
Emmett clapped a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing. He didn't think his humor would be appreciated by anyone at the moment. He still gave Jasper a wide smile when he caught his eye, though.
"Want me to hold onto that for you, Jas?" he asked and nodded at Edward's foot.
"Sure, Em, thanks," Jasper nodded and tossed it to him and then ran into the house to check on his mate.
Emmett stayed right where he was, twirling Edward's foot by the laces of his shoe, to ensure Edward didn't try to drag himself away like the dog he was.
When Rosalie caught Bella, she'd immediately taken her inside and laid her gently on the couch. Esme was sitting on the arm of the couch by her head, gently running her fingers through her hair while Carlisle looked her over.
Alice hurried to Jasper's side. "She's okay. She'll likely have some bruises, but she's okay. He thinks she fainted from the shock. There's no head injury, no concussion, no broken bones. She should wake up on her own soon," she explained quietly but quickly.
Jasper nodded and moved to stand beside Esme, who reached out to take his hand.
"Alice is right, Jasper," Carlise said as he continued to check her over. "Thanks to you and Rosalie, Bella's going to be just fine. She'll be sore for a few days, but she's fine."
"She's not fine. She's in pain because that asshole can't control his fucking temper," Jasper snapped.
"I know," Carlisle nodded. "And we will deal with him. But considering the circumstances, this could have been a whole lot worse."
Jasper couldn't deny that. It could have been a lot worse. Seeing Rose standing in the doorway, Jasper walked over to wrap her in a hug. He let her feel everything he was feeling in the moment - the gratitude, the love, the anger, the fear and worry and relief… he let her feel everything.
Rosalie tightened her arms around him. "You're welcome. She'll be okay. We'll make sure she's okay. Neither of you have to do anything alone. We're a family," she whispered.
Jasper nodded and just let Rosalie hold him for a minute while he calmed down. After a few deep breaths, he pulled away. "Thanks, Rose," he smiled and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. Rosalie just smiled and tousled his messy hair and then the two walked to join the others.
Alice smiled at Rose and shot her a wink. She knew that was exactly what Jasper needed to hear.
Esme was tucking a blanket around Bella and Jasper lowered himself to the floor by Bella's side and reached for her hand. Esme rested her own hand on his shoulder as she passed and let him feel her love for him and Bella, and her gratitude that he'd helped protect her from worse harm.
Jasper nodded and gave her a small smile and then turned to Carlisle. "We need to do something about Edward."
"And before you say Edward's probably feeling terribly about this and we should give him a break, don't," Rosalie jumped in, voice hard.
Carlisle looked surprised. "I wasn't going to say any such thing. Edward used violence against a member of this family unprovoked and caused another member harm. I have no intention of giving him a pass on his behavior."
Rosalie looked at him skeptically, not sure if she believed him.
"Rose," Carlisle said gently. "Everything that happens from here forward in relation to Edward and what happened tonight will be done as a family. I won't make any final decision without everyone's agreement. Does that sound acceptable?"
Rose nodded after a moment. In her mind, Jasper and Bella were the ones who should decide what to do with the asshole she no longer considered a brother. If Carlisle was willing to listen to them, that was all she could ask.
"Why don't I stay in here and keep an eye on Bella and you all can go deal with Edward. The sooner you make a decision, the better," Alice said. Jasper waffled for a minute, unsure if he should leave Bella's side. "She won't be waking up for another forty-five minutes, Jas. That's plenty of time. If she wakes up before then, I'll holler for you. I promise."
Jasper reluctantly nodded and stood up. "Alright, let's deal with this."
Alice settled herself down by Bella's head as the others walked outside and she reached over to crack the window open so she wouldn't miss a single whispered word in the discussion. She saw Edward leaving Forks but she didn't know how that came to be decided.
As the rest of the family walked out to the front lawn, Jasper paused on the top step of the porch. With Bella not quite conscious, were their thoughts still shielded? When Edward glanced up at him, anger and fear both fighting to be the dominant emotion, Jasper looked him straight in the eye.
I've known Bella was my mate since before the family moved here.
When Edward had no outward reaction and his emotions didn't change, Jasper smirked at the asshole. Just to be sure, he pulled out his phone and texted Rosalie:
Think something at E that he'd definitely react to, doesn't matter what. I want to make sure we're all still shielded. I am, but that might just be B's connection to me.
He waited for Rose to look at her phone, then smiled when he felt her vindictiveness. She looked right at Edward and after a few seconds her satisfaction skyrocketed. She shot him a quick wink and he nodded.
His mate was still shielding them. Good. Carlisle's mind was the only one he could hear. Edward couldn't use anyone's thoughts to figure out how to get himself out of this mess by his usual method - manipulation.
Jasper hopped down the rest of the steps and was beside the family in a few long strides.
"Before we start, I want to say something," Jasper said quietly, waiting for the others to nod their agreement. "When the family left Forks, Alice saw that Victoria was going to be a threat to Bella. When we knew we couldn't track her, we approached the wolves ourselves and I personally trained them to fight. And as soon as Victoria showed her face, we killed her. We didn't hesitate. We didn't wait for a family decision," Jasper told them, then looked at Edward. "If you become a threat to Bella in the same way, we won't wait for a family decision. We'll take you out all on our own."
"I'll help," Rose smirked.
Inside the house, Alice nodded to herself. When they spent time in Texas to plan, keeping Edward alive and unharmed was part of their considerations. They both loved and respected Esme and Carlisle and didn't want to hurt them, and they knew both would be irreparably harmed by Edward dying. Now, however, Alice wouldn't hesitate to remove Edward from the situation permanently if he became a threat. Not after everything that had happened in the last week. Any loyalty she'd ever felt for the boy was gone. Bella and Jasper would get their happily-ever-after.
"And let me remind you, Edward," Jasper added. "You're laying in our front yard in four pieces. That was with all the family right there. There isn't a single scratch on me. So don't think you have any hope of escaping me."
"Carlisle! Are you—"
"Close your mouth, Edward. Am I what? Going to let him speak to you that way? Let him threaten you? Yes to both, Edward. You harmed a member of this family because of your careless disregard and your temper. And she's physically the most fragile of us, which means you should have been more careful with her, not less. It wasn't an hour ago that you sat on that step and told us all that you loved Bella. But what you did by trying to attack Jasper when he was sitting beside her shows me that you most certainly don't love her. You never would have put her in such jeopardy if you did."
"Jasper and Rosalie attacked—"
"Enough, Edward!" Esme growled. "Jasper and Rosalie 'attacked' you after discovering that you were willing to let Bella die instead of changing her. That is appalling. I was struggling not to 'attack' you. And when Jasper restrained you on the lawn earlier, you had just stormed out of the house in a rage and were walking towards Bella. He was protecting her. Again. How many times is he going to have to protect her from you?"
"I would never hurt Bella intentionally! I do love her!" Edward protested.
Esme gave him a hard look. "You have a strange way of showing it, Edward. I'm not sure your definition of 'love' is the same as mine, or anyone else's in the family."
Edward scowled but remained silent. Without the use of his telepathy, he was essentially blind and had no way of knowing how to manipulate the situation to his advantage in his usual manner.
Carlisle looked at every member of the family. "I will tell all of you now that as long as Bella wishes to be changed, she will be. Whether that is here or with Peter and Charlotte, her choice will be respected."
"Carlisle! You've never changed anyone who wasn't dying, how can you agree to this?" Edward asked.
"Because if Bella isn't turned, she will die. The Volturi will not leave her alive if she decides to stay human," Carlise said. "It is your actions that have brought us here. What did you think was going to happen when you walked into Volterra and gave Aro your hand, Edward? Did you honestly believe they wouldn't send someone to confirm whether or not she was dead? Did you think they would just leave her in peace if they found she was alive? Did you think they would've given our family a pass for telling a human our secret and leaving her behind, even if it was temporary? And I'll remind you that at the time Aro read your thoughts, you believed it was a permanent separation. You are the one who made the choices that forced our hand in this."
For the first time since they initially sat down to the family meeting, Jasper felt genuine regret coming from Edward.
"I'm sorry. I didn't think it through. I was just so devastated that Bella had died that I… I was desperate and I wasn't thinking clearly."
"Which brings us right back to the beginning," Rosalie snapped. "You didn't think about anyone but yourself."
The group stood in silence for a few minutes as Carlisle thought through what options he had in front of him. Eventually he sighed and looked at his telepathic 'son'.
"Edward, I think what is best for the whole family right now is for you to take some time away. Your recent behavior has been unconscionable. I'm sorry to say, I don't have faith that you can currently control your temper enough that our newest family member will be safe. You have already caused her harm, both physically and emotionally."
While Jasper felt Edward's angry indignation, he also felt the pride and gratitude and relief from the others that Carlisle was putting Bella's well-being above Edward's. Jasper caught Carlisle's eye and tipped his head to the group, letting the man feel what the rest of the family was feeling, that they all agreed with his decision.
Carlisle gave him a small smile as he nodded. "Does anyone have anything they'd like to add?"
Emmett gave Edward a hard look. "Know that I will always be on Jasper and Alice's side when it comes to protecting my sister."
Edward looked around the group but saw on their faces that no one was going to come to his defense. Even Esme was nodding her agreement. Being the self-absorbed asshole he is, Edward was shocked that no one would stand up for him. He scowled at his 'family' but kept his mouth firmly shut. Anything he said to try to justify his actions would be overruled.
Seeing no one had anything else to add, Carlisle nodded. "You have three choices that I can see, Edward. Just because we are asking you to leave for the time being, you are still a member of this family, so I am not cutting you off from the family's finances and you are welcome to stay at any of our other homes. You could even go to Isle Esme and spend some time reflecting on your recent actions and how you can change both your attitude and your behavior. You also have the option of contacting the Volturi to see if they would agree to you spending some time there. Perhaps they can help you learn how to coexist in a larger group without expecting to always be the most important one, whose feelings are the only ones that matter. And you are, of course, always free to live as a nomad for a while."
"For how long?" Edward asked incredulously. None of this was turning out how he planned.
"At least until Bella is fully healed. How she feels about this is the most important consideration. But I'll tell you right now that if I don't believe she is safe from you as a human, you will not be welcome here until after she is changed."
Edward looked around at his 'family' again. They were all nodding their agreement. "Fine," he sneered. "Give me my limbs back and I'll leave. I wouldn't want to live with a family who is so willing to cast one of their family members aside."
Rosalie rolled her eyes. "And yet that's exactly what you expected us to do when you demanded we leave Forks and Bella."
"You all agreed!"
"We did," Rosalie nodded. "But it was a mistake. We should have followed our own hearts, not the demands of the most immature among us. It's not a mistake we'll make again."
Emmett had gone to collect Edward's arm and leg, and dropped them on the ground next to him alongside his foot.
"Thank you, everyone," Carlise said. "I'll help Edward with this. I believe this family meeting is officially over."
With that, Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett, and Esme turned their back on the telepath and walked in the house to wait for their newest coven member to awaken.
Bella slowly blinked her way back to the surface, her body protesting as she shifted. It took her a second to remember why she felt like she'd run face first into a wall with force, but as soon as she did her eyes snapped open in a panic.
"Hey, shh. Everything's alright," Jasper's quiet voice spoke from beside her, gently squeezing her hand.
"Edward?" she whispered.
"He's gone," Jasper assured her. "And he won't be back for quite some time."
Bella breathed a sigh of relief. She knew Edward hadn't intended for her to be hurt, but the fact that he'd forgotten there was a human between him and the vampire he was lunging for didn't leave her all that confident that he wouldn't hurt her again. She felt much better knowing she wasn't going to have to see him anytime soon.
"And the rest of the family?"
"Some of us are right here, Bella."
Bella turned her head to see Alice's smiling face. Right behind her were Emmett and Rosalie. It was only then she realized she was laying on the couch in the Cullen's living room. Her brain still felt a little foggy.
"How long have I been out?" she asked through a yawn.
"Only about an hour," Rose answered.
Hearing the blond's voice was the trigger Bella needed to remember that it was Rosalie who got her out of harm's way so quickly. She used Jasper's shoulder to help lever herself up into a sitting position, only giving a slight wince at her aching body.
"Thank you, Rosalie," she smiled at her. "Thank you for the ninja-like reflexes. And you too, Jasper," she said, turning to the empath. "It seems like you're always saving me."
Jasper gave her a beautiful smile. "You're welcome. And I have no doubt you'll return the favor."
A laugh bubbled out of her. "Me saving you? Jasper Whitlock doesn't need saving. Certainly not by me."
"No? You know my story, you know I've needed saving in the past," he said, eyebrow arched as he tilted his head towards Alice.
"Don't forget Peter and Charlotte," Alice smiled.
"True," Jasper agreed. "So who's to say I won't need saving again some time in the future? And why not you? I've been as happy as I've ever been in this life since we met you. Seems like you'd be just as likely to save me as anyone else in the family."
"And you've already saved me, Bella," Alice added. "You may not have noticed because you were distracted by Aro, but after Jane released Edward from her gift she turned her eyes to me. It didn't take her long to realize she couldn't hurt me. Aro may not have realized you were able to shield anyone else, but Jane certainly did. So thank you, Bella. For saving me."
Bella felt herself tearing up at her two best friend's faith in her. "I can't really move properly, so maybe you guys could just come to me for a group hug," she sniffled.
Jasper and Alice laughed and moved to sit on either side of her and the three held onto each other for a minute. "I'll always try to protect you. All of you," Bella whispered, looking at Emmett and Rosalie.
"Aw, can we get in on that?" Emmett pouted.
Bella laughed and nodded and was soon lifted off the couch and plopped onto Emmett's lap as he sat in her spot. Rosalie walked to the back of the couch laughing and the four vampires surrounded the human in a hug.
"I love group hugs!" Esme said brightly as she walked in the room, making Bella laugh. She sat on the floor by Emmett's feet and rested her chin on his knee. "How are you feeling, sweetheart?"
Bella reached down to take Esme's hand. "I'm fine. A little sore but nothing too bad. The Hale twins kept me safe."
Rosalie laughed. "I'm glad we're attaching my name to the badass defense of the human."
"I know I never knew you as the Hale twins, but Emmett wasn't kidding. It was like you and Jasper were moving in perfect sync with each other."
"Rosalie and Jasper are both protectors, each in their own way. Family and love and loyalty mean everything to them," Esme smiled at the two. "I look at the five of you and feel so lucky that fate decided we should all find family in each other."
"Esme… Jasper told me Edward is gone. I'm sorry if—"
"No," Esme shook her head. "No apologizing, Bella. None of this is your fault. Edward put members of this family at risk and that is not acceptable to Carlisle or myself. If Edward is able to show us that he can be more thoughtful and considerate of others, he will be welcome to return. But not until then. We are a family of eight, Bella. Every single one of you matter just as much as the other seven."
Bella smiled at Esme but couldn't help that little bit of doubt. "Carlisle's not here. Is he upset with me?"
Emmett snorted. "Definitely not. He's only upset with one of us right now and he's taken him hunting to help him heal so that he can be on his way faster."
"Help him heal?" Bella asked. She wasn't aware anyone but her had been injured.
Jasper gave a casual shrug. "I might have warned Edward that if you were hurt because of his temper I'd have him in pieces before anyone could stop me. You know I always keep my word," he said, shooting her a wink and a smile.
Bella tried to keep her laughter in. She did. It was not appropriate to find humor in the dismemberment of her loved one's son or brother. So she really, really tried to keep her laughter in. But she failed miserably. First a little huff came out, then a snort, followed by a few giggles, and before she could get a hold of herself she was laughing so hard she couldn't catch her breath.
"Sorry," she gasped, but then Emmett started laughing and you know laughter is contagious. Especially with an empath so close by. Soon all of them were laughing, even Esme was fighting giggles.
Bella eventually managed a few deep, shaky breaths. "Okay. I'm okay. Sorry about that. It's not funny. It's not," she said, resolutely shaking her head as she attempted to calm down.
"It's okay, sweetheart. A little relief from the tension isn't necessarily a bad thing," Esme assured her. "Edward is fine. Nothing a hunt or two won't fix."
"Right," Bella nodded. "All I see when I look at you are my friends and family, so sometimes I forget how different vampires are to humans. We don't do so well with dismemberment."
Emmett barked out a laugh. "Thanks for the reminder. I'll have to remember to be careful until you're changed."
"Definitely no limb ripping," Bella smiled.
"No limb ripping," Emmett agreed.
Jasper was eyeballing the two something fierce. "Y'all are weird."
Bella shoved his head with a laugh. "That's not the first time you've said that about me. As my best friend, what does that say about you?"
"Hey, I never claimed to not be weird. I've been alive for more than a century and a half, I live on blood, and I can change anyone's emotions on a dime. I already know I'm weird."
"Fair enough. Think you could take me home, weirdo?" Bella asked with a smile. "My dad'll be wondering where I am soon."
Jasper stood up and lifted Bella off Emmett's lap, keeping his hand on her arm after he set her down to make sure she was steady on her feet. "Of course," he nodded. Seeing her wince, he kept his hand where it was. "You good?"
"I'm fine," she sighed. "Just a little sore."
"Carlisle said to take some ibuprofen. A warm bath wouldn't hurt either," Esme said.
"Yeah, both those sound like solid plans. Thanks, Esme."
The other vampires all stood up and hugged Bella goodbye. Alice and Bella made plans for the pixie to come over the following day, the two extending the invite to include Rosalie also. After that, it was back to school for the human. Oh joy.
Jasper let Bella lean on him on their way to his truck, then gently helped her get settled before hopping in himself. The two rode in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Bella let out a heavy sigh. Not wanting her head to lead her down unpleasant roads, Jasper reached over to take her hand.
"Wanna hear something cool?" he asked.
Bella turned and smiled at him. "Always."
"Even when you were unconscious you kept us all shielded."
Bella's shock and delight practically lit up the truck's cab, making Jasper smile.
"Are you serious?" she asked, smile a mile wide.
"I am," Jasper laughed. "Rosalie and I both tested it. Edward wasn't getting any of our thoughts while you were out."
"That's… wow. I was always so happy he couldn't read my mind. I'm glad I could do that for all of you."
"See? You're already saving us."
Bella gave him a soft smile. "Thank you, Jasper. Thank you for always believing in me."
He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "I always will."
The two settled back into a comfortable silence, Bella feeling lighter than she had since she got the call from Alice and Jasper about Italy.
Her life the past seven months had been mostly filled with happiness. She had great friends and was finally learning to be comfortable in her own skin. She didn't regret going to save Edward, but she was certainly glad the last week was behind her. She didn't like the… heaviness Edward brought to her life.
He was always a ghost in the back of her mind that she hadn't wanted to acknowledge was there, and she wasn't sure how she would feel if she saw him again, if she still loved him.
Now she knew. No doubts. She was ready to move forward, the weight of her former boyfriend finally lifted. She didn't need to spend a single minute more questioning her past or future.
Yesterday was gone and who knew what tomorrow would bring. Today, her present, was pretty fucking perfect.
She gave Jasper's hand a gentle squeeze. She was exactly where she wanted to be.
