Thanks for all the reviews! I'm so happy there are people liking this story. Now to address some questions.
Sarah0406: I completely agree that Blair was a bit too harsh and manipulative, but it won't happen often as it's not in her innate personality. Let me put your mind at ease that Blair did mean the compliment to Rosalie. She used Peter's advice to her advantage but it's also why I had her recognize the designer, because she actually did like them. She just never would have thought to compliment them. In my personal opinion, Edward would have never noticed Bella if it hadn't been for her blood and her ability. Blair isn't entirely aware that Edward can't read her mind, only that Peter said it wouldn't be a problem. And the manipulation might just blow up in her face…and Peter…well hell hath no fury like when Blair finds out about his actions. Thanks for the review!
Chellekathrynn: I'm not entirely sure why you find her turning at the age of 21 disturbing but thank you for the review! As to why they chose that particular age, it was because, at 16 when they decided, it gave her 5 more years with her family. She gets to mature mentally and emotionally, and she really doesn't want to be stuck as a teenager for eternity. Jasper was changed at 20, not that she knows that's a factor. She wants to experience every human experience, including legally going to a bar and buying a drink. At this point, Blair really can't imagine going through life in high school forever. Thanks again!
I don't own anything you recognize. I hope you enjoy and it's going to start picking up here soon in pace.
Jasper rolled his eyes as the family gathered in the living room. Not only were the two Swans immune to Edward's gift, but the younger one was his singer. It was a clusterfuck of a situation that had the whole family scrambling to keep some normalcy in their lives. Alice sat to his right, attempting to convince her best friend to stay.
Alice had saved him all those years ago. He'd walked into that diner and there she was. She spoke of a future where they were both happy and loved, so he'd followed her. The pixie became his tether to the world, and at one point he'd fancied himself in love with her. It hadn't lasted. Ten years after they'd joined the Cullens it had just…ended. It wasn't dramatic nor did they love each other any less, but one day their eyes had met and they both realized it was never going to work. He was never going to be what she needed, and she was never truly going to accept that the effects of his past didn't come with an expiration date. She was just too bright, and he was too broken.
"I can't stay here. I WILL kill her," Edward argued passionately. Jasper could almost understand his distress. The vampire had only ever really fed on the guilty Taking an innocent life was something else entirely. It was one that burdened his conscious daily.
"You've got amazing control, son. You can work through this," Carlisle said in a calming tone.
"No, I can't. Not with her. I almost drained her in a classroom full of people." Esme, so motherly in her ways, laid a hand on his shoulder in support. Jasper couldn't help but feel a slight satisfaction at Edward's internal struggle. As the newest to this life, he struggled daily while being around humans. Even though Edward tried to remain nonjudgmental at Jasper's past, he could never hide his horror whenever something would trigger a private memory. After a particularly brutal vision, the mind reader tried to stay out of his head.
"Maybe he should just drain her and get it over with," Rosalie said with a slightly smug expression. She didn't mean it, of course. The blonde liked this town and didn't want to move.
"Rosalie!" Carlisle reprimanded when Edward made a noise of agony. Jasper couldn't entirely understand what the boy was going through. He'd only just begun to differentiate one human's scent from another. If he'd ever come across his singer, he'd most likely drained them so fast that he wouldn't have noticed a difference in the spike of bloodlust.
"I'm going to stay with the Denali coven…at least for a little while." There was no point in arguing at that point. The vampire wasn't going to change his mind. Edward went to pack, leaving his family behind.
"Why do you think he can't read either of their minds?" Emmett asked, directing his question at Carlisle. The coven leader looked contemplative.
"I don't know. I'll ask Eleazar when I call about Edward's arrival. Maybe it IS for the best that he gets some distance from the girl."
"As long as he comes back," Esme murmured before turning to Alice, "What about your visions, Alice? Have they changed?" The psychic shook her head.
"No. If anything they've become more solid. I still see her as a vampire."
"What about the eldest one? Have your visions of her become clearer?" Alice nodded with a considerate look.
"She's not near as blurry, but my visions of her aren't really telling. I saw the moment she decided to compliment Rosalie's shoes, but not much else of substance. Jasper has a class with her though." Carlisle turned to him.
"What do you think of her, Jasper?" The man in question thought for a moment.
"She's definitely interesting. She wouldn't even look at me until I talked to her first."
"Maybe she was intimidated," Esme suggested, almost pitying the girl. Jasper's aura was sometimes hard to tolerate even for a vampire.
"No, that ain't it. She was almost…challenging me. Like she knew I wanted her to talk to me but wanted me to make the first move. And the girl's got a scar that looks exactly like a vampire bite."
"Do you think she knows?" Esme asked alarmingly. Jasper shook his head.
"No. If she was attacked by a vampire, she'd have more fear for us. That Swan has balls of steel and a will to match. She didn't look up no matter how much curiosity I blasted her with. If I hadn't seen her fist clinch, I would have thought I wasn't effecting her." Alice smirked at him, catching the slightly put out inflection in his voice.
"We should keep an eye on the two," Carlisle decided, "Even with Edward gone."
"She asked me to tutor her in Calculus. The girl is fucking awful at it."
"Language," Esme chided absentmindedly. He didn't bother correcting her. He tolerated her mothering, despite being older than her. It was just nice having someone care enough to mother him in the first place.
"Are you sure you can handle being alone with her?" Rosalie asked gently. Normally, she'd be staunchly against them tutoring any human, but there was just something endearing about the girl that she couldn't quite put her finger on.
"He'll be fine," Alice said with conviction.
"Her smell is pretty mellow anyway," Emmett pointed out. Jasper nodded, determinedly ignoring the nagging instinct that the Swans were about to change everything.
/
Blair wasn't sure why she couldn't sleep. All she did know was that she was already drinking coffee when her father came down at 4:30 to go to work.
"What are you doing up?" He asked, voice still gruff from sleep. She shrugged and sipped her coffee. He poured himself a cup and sat down across from her, "How was school yesterday?"
"It was fine."
"Make any friends?" Blair paused before continuing. Her father would need to know that she was bringing a boy over, even in an unromantic sense.
"Not really, but Jasper Hale is going to tutor me in Calculus." Charlie choked on his coffee and cleared his throat.
The town was lucky that a doctor like Carlisle Cullen had taken a job at Forks Memorial Hospital; but he worried that the man's children would be trouble, especially the big one and the aforementioned boy. He'd been pleasantly surprised when they turned out to be great kids, abnormally good-looking, well-behaved kids. The thought of one of them being alone with his oldest daughter was daunting. Study session or not, they were still teenagers. He blanched at the possibility of a sex talk if she ended up dating the kid.
"You're getting ahead of yourself, Dad. We're just studying," Blair said, interrupting his fatherly breakdown. She'd easily guessed his thoughts and hid a grin behind a sip of coffee, "You know I don't believe in high school romances anyway." Her father cleared his throat.
"Well stay at the kitchen table and out of your room," Charlie said sternly.
"Of course, Dad." He nodded, satisfied. Charlie kissed the top of her head before leaving for work.
Blair still had hours until she had to leave for school and that, unfortunately, left her alone with her thoughts. She didn't particularly feel bad for putting Jessica in her place, but going after her so harshly had been unnecessary, and even she knew it. Maybe she was a little oversensitive. Charlotte had long accepted that she would never have children, but it had taken a while. The vampire came from a time when it was practically a woman's job to provide children, only to have it robbed from her.
Blair, herself, had considered what becoming a vampire would mean for her. Her fate was sealed at the age of 15, an age when children had never been factored in. Looking back, when she'd imagined her future, kids had never been a part of it. It just made things easier to accept. Blair tried to think of all the things she was gaining instead of all that she would have to give up.
Jessica wasn't the only thing eating at her. She didn't want to go to through such underhanded techniques to get to know the vampire family, but she doubted they'd notice her any other way. She didn't want to know Peter's maker as a human at all. The playing field was just too uneven. Vampires were predators, and even with her knowledge, she just couldn't compete with that.
They would eventually find out that she'd known about them the whole time, and Blair didn't even have to wonder that their reaction might not be favorable. She sighed into her coffee. She'd just have to worry about that when it happened. Damn Peter for doing this to her.
/
Bella was silent on the way to school. Blair knew it had to do with the copper-headed vampire and her impending confrontation with him, and maybe her obvious attraction to the man. Bella had never really shown interest in anyone, and now felt a strong attraction to a boy who seemingly didn't like her back.
"You ok?"
"You should really apologize to Jessica today." Blair sighed. Of course, her sister was going to focus on something other than her own inner turmoil.
"I know." Bella's mouth dropped open.
"That's great. Jessica will really appreciate it. It's a really mature…"
"Bella, don't push it." Her sister's mouth snapped shut and remained quiet for the rest of the ride. Looks continued to follow them as Blair walked Bella to her Government class. She'd probably be doing it until her sister got more comfortable with her surroundings. Bella had objected, not wanting to be seen as a little girl who needed her older sister to walk her around but was secretly glad that Blair did.
Adam seemed to think that ignoring Blair might garner more interest. The girl found the silence welcoming, trying not to think of the impending apology that would come at lunch. She hated eating crow. Besides, the teacher was going over the Civil War, and she found herself trying to tell the difference between the vampire massacres and the human ones. Would her teacher mention Jasper? He was the youngest major in the Texas Calvary, a significant enough fact for history to remember. Maybe she could research it on her own.
Lunch came before she wanted it to, and Bella was waiting outside with an expectant look on her face. Blair held back a grimace as they headed towards the lunch line. She grabbed pizza this time before groaning as Bella drug her over to the junior table. No one would look at her, especially Jessica, who was looking determinedly at the table.
"Jessica, may I talk to you for a moment?" The girl looked surprised before nodding. Blair led her over to an empty table and sat down, nodding for her to do the same. She sat down slowly, a wary look on her face.
"I wanted to apologize for how I jumped on you yesterday." Jessica looked surprised for a moment before turning relieved.
"Oh, it's ok. I shouldn't have said what I said." Blair couldn't tell if she meant it but moved on.
"No, you shouldn't have, but I shouldn't have gone as far as I did. However…" The girl tensed, "I really think you should think about what you say before you say it. Those words could be incredibly hurtful if they ever got back to them." Jessica looked embarrassed for a moment.
"I know." Blair nodded, satisfied that her words seemed to resonate. Jessica picked up her tray, "You can come sit with us if you want." Blair shook her head.
"I'm ok here. Thank you. Can you send my sister over here? I need to talk to her about something." Jessica nodded. She was relieved that the senior girl wouldn't be sitting with them, so she had no problem passing along the message. Blair still didn't like the girl and wasn't going to pretend like she did. The Cullens had come in during her talk. Edward wasn't among them and Bella's look as she approached showed that she noticed and was bothered by it.
"So, you apologized?" She asked as she sat down.
"Yeah. I still feel like it needed to be said, but I shouldn't have brought her virginity into it." Bella agreed wholeheartedly.
"Besides it's not like you can talk. You're a virgin too." Blair saw Jasper glance at them from the corner of her eye. She ignored it and lifted an eyebrow at her sister.
"Am I?" Bella blushed and opened her mouth in shock.
"But…when…"
"When I was 16."
"Why?!" Blair looked at her crossly.
"Well, Bells, my first thought was that we couldn't both be virgins. That would just be prudish." Her younger sister blushed again and gave her a glare.
"With who?"
"Paul," Blair said simply. Bella's eyebrows disappeared into her hairline.
"You always said you didn't like him like that!"
"I don't. Love and sex aren't always synonymous." Her younger sister looked slightly scandalized, which didn't surprise Blair. Bella had grown up on books like 'Pride and Prejudice' and 'Wuthering Heights', books where you had to love someone completely just to be alone with them.
"They should be," She hissed, "Does Charlie know? He'd never let you hang out with Paul again?" Bella found Paul to be intimidating. She'd only met him once, but his obvious temper issues and muscles to back it up had put him on her "to avoid" list.
"Why the hell would I tell my father something like that?" Blair asked with an annoyed look on her face.
"Well, why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I wanted to avoid that judgmental look that you have on your face right now."
"I'm not being judgmental," Bella replied petulantly. She glanced back at the Cullen table for the thousandth time.
"Stop looking for him. He's obviously not there," Blair said with a mouthful of pizza. Bella's gaze flashed back to her and she flushed deeper.
"I wasn't…" Her older sister gave her a look.
"Yes, you were. Although, I don't know why you're bothering if he was as rude as you say…maybe it was 'roid rage," Blair pretended to look pensive for a moment, "But considering how small he is, I doubt it." She heard a choking sound and looked over at the Cullen table. Emmett's shoulders were shaking and Jasper was pretending to pat him on the back, a smirk on his face.
"He's not small," Bella defended. Blair shrugged.
"If you say so." The younger girl glanced back at their table.
"Do you have any classes with them?"
"I have Calculus with Jasper and Computer Science with Emmett and Rosalie." Bella looked at her crossly when she didn't elaborate.
"And…are they nice?" Part of Bella hoped that his whole family was as rude as Edward just so the thought that she was the cause of his ire would go away. Her sister shrugged in reply.
"I didn't talk to Emmett and Rosalie. Jasper was nice enough, I guess. He offered to tutor me in Calculus. Sort of."
"That was really nice of him," Bella pointed out, slightly disappointed.
"I kinda guilted him into it."
"Of course, you did," Bella huffed with an eye roll.
"We can't all be naturally good at school as you."
"That's not what I'm saying, Blair, and you do just fine in school," She replied scathingly.
"Not in Calculus." She paused as Bella glanced back at the table. Peter had said that Bella's epically dramatic romance wouldn't end in death, and she had to trust that. It looked like her younger sister was determined to find out the reason for Edward's animosity, "He seemed really miffed when I wouldn't look at him. I didn't really take him as such a peacock." She saw Jasper glance at her in disbelief, while Rosalie hid a smirk.
"Traditionally, people introduce themselves to people they share a table with," Bella lectured.
"Tradition is just peer pressure from dead people." The younger girl frowned and wondered, not for the first time, how they were even related. Blair observed as Bella glanced back at the table yet again. She had to keep reminding herself that this wouldn't end in carnage. Bella's stupidly stubborn nature just wouldn't let it go.
"If it bothers you so much then I can ask Jasper about it next period." She might as well jump on the sinking boat.
"That wouldn't be weird?" Bella asked doubtfully.
"Of course it would be, but no weirder than you looking at their table every 5 seconds." The girl flushed.
"Shut up," She hissed. Blair smirked and wiggled her eyebrows, finishing off her pizza. The bell rang and they both picked up their trays before heading to class. Bella separated to go in the opposite direction while Blair headed to Calculus.
Her pace slowed as she spotted the vampires that had occupied her thoughts since before she'd arrived at Forks. Alice and Jasper stood closely together, murmuring to one another. Their relationship seemed to be an interesting one. The air wasn't entirely romantic, although she suspected it once might have been. There was an obvious kinship that left little doubt that they trusted each other. Jasper glanced up at her approach and their conversation stopped. Alice followed his gaze and smiled brightly at her. She moved towards her, her limbs in perpetual motion that was effortlessly elegant.
"You must be Blair. I'm Alice. Jasper said he'd be tutoring you in Calculus." Peter had warned her of the pixie's exuberant nature, but it was something else entirely to see it up close.
"Yeah. Unfortunately for him, I guess. I'm terrible at math." Alice smiled.
"I'm sure you're not as bad as you think," She replied brightly.
"No. She definitely is," Jasper murmured in an almost teasing tone. His sister elbowed him, while Blair lifted an eyebrow with an answering smirk.
"Careful, Hale. I might have it in mind to become offended."
"We wouldn't want that, would we?" He replied sardonically. Alice was looking between the two, a pensive look on her face. The warning bell rang, and Blair turned to go inside.
"It was nice meeting you, Alice," She said over her shoulder before heading towards her seat. Jasper followed a few moments later and sat down. He didn't say anything as class began, not given much of an opportunity as the teacher started going over the lesson. He finished half-way through class and passed out another worksheet.
"You'll have a test on Friday pertaining to the material discussed today. Use this worksheet as a study guide." Blair made a noise of frustration before turning to Jasper.
"Any free time between now and Friday?" Jasper looked slightly reluctant but nodded.
"Tomorrow at 4:00."
"Ok cool. My dad won't home until 6." They got to work on the problem, Blair quickly becoming frustrated yet again.
"Is it -14?" She asked.
"No."
"-6?"
"No." She rubbed her face and tapped her pencil against her cheek. Jasper sighed and took pity on her.
"You've got the problem mostly right except for here." He showed her how to correct the problem and she made a triumphant noise in the back of her throat. With 15 minutes left in class, she turned to him.
"Your sister seems nice."
"She is," He replied simply, a sliver of affection making its way into his voice, "Why did you and your sister move to Forks?" This was his chance to gather more information about the two who were immune to his pseudo brother's power.
"It's not really that interesting. My mom got remarried to a semi-pro ball player and she wanted to travel with him. Bella decided it would be a good idea to move in with our dad."
"She seems miserable with that decision," He murmured, having gotten a taste of the girl's emotions over the last two days. Blair snorted.
"She's miserable about most things. Speaking of which, why does your brother seem to have a bug up his ass regarding her?" Jasper made a choking sound before turning to her. She had her face resting against her hand, her expression curious.
"He doesn't," He replied sternly.
"She seems to think he does. And he's not here today."
"He's got some personal issues going on and went to visit some family in Alaska. He's coming back. But it's not really any of your business," Jasper replied sharply, almost hoping to reprimand her from asking any more questions. She didn't seem to take offense, although her eyes narrowed at his tone.
"No more than it was your business when you asked about my scar. That was pretty personal too," Blair fired back shrewdly.
"Which you lied about anyway." Jasper didn't understand why the girl challenged him so but couldn't help but rise to it.
"Caught that, did you? Regardless, you might want to give your brother lessons in the etiquette you're so fond of." The bell rang and she gathered her stuff. Jasper copied her actions with long-legged grace, "Besides, I might tell you what really happened one day. You never know." Jasper gave an irritated huff as she walked away.
It had been personal to ask about her scar, but the shock of seeing the teeth indentations had caused the question to come out before he could stop it. And Edward had acted like a twat towards her younger sister, not that Jasper blamed him. So, it was only natural that the older sister would inquire about his treatment of Bella. She should have been a little bit softer in her approach, he thought with a smirk. But so far, there was nothing soft about Blair Swan, only jagged uneven edges that had no desire to be evened out.
He seriously doubted she knew about vampires now. Who would be stupid enough to antagonize one when they were supposed to be alone the next day?
/
Bella was waiting by her jeep when school let out. Her expression was apprehensive as she got into the car. Blair's eyes followed her sister's as they watched the Cullens get into an ostentatious red car.
"So…did you talk to Jasper?" Bella stuttered out.
"He says his brother is going through some personal things and that it has nothing to do with you," Blair replied with a shrug. Bella bit her lip in contemplation, not entirely believing it.
"He didn't seem angry at lunch that day."
"I don't know, Bella. That's just what his brother said. Her voice was tinged with annoyance that she was trying to keep at bay. If she hadn't been aware of what Edward's problem was, she'd be curious herself. Her sister fell silent, no doubt still wondering what the boy's problem was.
"Is he coming back?"
"Jasper said he is." Blair pursed her lips at the relieved look on Bella's face. How could her younger sister be this obsessed so fast?
/
Dinner mostly consisted of Blair and her father's conversation since Bella sat lost in her thought
"Jasper is coming over tomorrow to help me study for our Calculus test." Charlie blanched slightly.
"Alone? I won't be home until six."
"Bella will be here," Blair said simply. Her father pointed his fork at her.
"Stay at the kitchen table," He said sternly.
"I know, Dad," She replied with a long-suffering sigh. He gave her a look and she winked.
Blair washed the dishes as Bella retreated into her room. She decided not to call Peter and Charlotte tonight, wanting to let them enjoy their alone time wherever they were. She went to her room and called Paul, only to get his voicemail. He was likely running through the woods covered in fur and would call her back later.
Blair thought about her interaction with Jasper earlier, which was more antagonistic than friendly. She wouldn't be surprised if he cancelled tomorrow. Something about him set her teeth on edge, like it was a game of cat and mouse and she wasn't sure which one she was. Reason told her that she was obviously the mouse. No confidence or knowledge could bridge that gap. Blair doubted that there were many vampires that could bridge it either. So why did she feel the need to challenge him when she could never win?
Maybe it was because, despite wanting to remain distant for the time being, she desperately wanted Jasper to like her. This was Jasper Whitlock. While Peter may have slightly biased her against Edward, although she didn't think she'd like him regardless, the opposite was true for Jasper. He spoke of the vampire with such respect, and with the affection and love of a brother. Peter would never admit that he might never have survived his time without his maker. His playful and baiting nature had almost gotten him killed multiple times by Maria herself. His gift probably helped his usefulness, but the vampire major had simply let them go when he ran.
Peter had once said that Jasper would never talk about the punishment he received for allowing it to happen. The only evidence was the knotted scars that were thicker than those caused by a venom-filled bite that breached the length of Jasper's limbs where the joint met the socket. Blair could only guess, and it wasn't a pleasant thought.
Then there was Bella and Edward. If her sister was this obsessed before having actually talked to the man, then what was their actual relationship going to be like? And when Bella found out about the vampire world, it would seal her fate just like it had Blair's. Her parents would lose both daughters in the span of a few years. The thought made her throat dry up. It was something she'd have to talk to Peter and Charlotte about. A vulnerable and childish thought crossed her mind. Maybe she could offer her parents the option of becoming a vampire without giving everything away. Could she ask that of them? Was it even allowed? Was that more or less selfish than letting them believe that their daughters are dead? Blair shoved her face into her pillow. Important decisions were going to need to be made soon, and she felt nowhere near ready.
I hope you enjoyed! Please read and review. The next chapter is their study session. The events that will be happening throughout the book will be changed because of Blair and Jasper's presence in some of them. I'll be trying to update by Sunday.