Thank you so much for all the reviews. I was surprised at the reaction that last chapter got. This chapter is kind of long and it reveals a lot. I've had several questions about whether or not Jasper has the alter ego, the 'Major'. The answer is: not in the traditional sense. While I do love reading stories with that, I decided to go a different way with this story.
I read once that "If you aren't capable of great violence, you're not peaceful. You're harmless." Jasper is the person he is because of his past experiences. HOWEVER, that doesn't mean he can't bring forth that part of him at a moment's notice. It's not buried, and he is completely aware of what he's capable of. And you will get to see it very very soon…like next chapter soon. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.
Blair felt significantly better the next day, only sniffling a small amount. She got ready for school, bundling up, and putting Jasper's clean sweater in her bag. She was tempted to keep it but wasn't going to embarrass herself further. She'd already fallen asleep on the man and wasn't going to wait for him to ask for it back so she could stumble out some piss-poor excuse as to why it hadn't been returned yet.
Bella insisted on driving again, as if Blair's cold had somehow addled her brain to the point where she couldn't drive. She only agreed after arguing that they would take her jeep all next week. She missed her baby.
"Do you think the Cullens are a bit odd?" Blair froze. So, her sister had noticed they were different. It shouldn't be surprising, considering how bull-headed Bella could be once she latched onto something.
"Define odd." Best to go with evasion.
"Like that they keep to themselves. They're all ridiculously beautiful, and they all have the same eye color. Even though not all of them are directly related," Bella paused, trying to gather her thoughts, "And I accidentally touched Edward's hand. It was ice cold." She looked down and blushed, as if recalling the feeling the contact had spurred.
"I don't know, Bella. Poor circulation maybe?" Her sister shot her a look.
"That doesn't explain everything else." Bella took Blair's silence as a confirmation, "Does Jasper feel like that?"
"He's a bit on the chilly side." She honestly didn't know what to tell her younger sister. Bella would find out soon enough, but Blair had been keeping this secret for three years. It was a hard habit to break, and part of her wondered if she should leave it up to Edward, her supposed mate.
"I'm just saying it's weird. They seem almost otherworldly. Like angels or something." Bella's voice seemed far-away, and Blair knew she was thinking of Edward.
"I think you're holding him on too high a pedestal, Bells."
"Have you seen him?" Her tone was incredulous. How could Blair not notice?
"I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Eh." She just didn't see the appeal.
"Like you don't feel the same about Jasper," Bella replied scathingly.
"Jasper looks all man. Of course, I find him attractive, and yet again, I have more respect for him than that. Edward has flaws just like everyone else." Blair just didn't understand how Bella could think that the man was infallible. His mood swings were enough to drive anyone crazy.
"I haven't seen one yet," Bella replied stubbornly.
"I guess acting like a childish prick to you the first day of class doesn't count." Technically, it didn't. Blair couldn't entirely blame the man for his reaction, if Bella's scent was as potent to him as Peter said. But there was something about him that rubbed her the wrong way. He had a 'holier than thou' air about him, like he had to be in control of everything and everyone in his life.
Bella pulled into the parking lot with a surprising amount of time left. Blair grabbed her backpack and met her sister at the tailgate of her truck. Bella didn't even look at her, her gaze concentrated across the parking lot.
Edward stood there, staring straight back, ignoring his siblings. She looked between the two before crossing her eyes in annoyance. So fucking dramatic. Jasper caught her eye next to him. Her heart sped up, and she discreetly motioned between the stare-off. Blair could see his grin from across the lot. She made a face at him and could tell he was laughing. She rolled her eyes and turned towards the school.
A screeching noise caused her head to snap towards the source. They say traumatic events tend to happen in slow motion, and they were partially right. A thousand thoughts swam through her head as she watched the van slide across the ice, careening towards where Bella and Blair were standing at the back of Bella's truck. She was supposed to have eternity, but it looked like she wouldn't even make it to nineteen. Peter and Charlotte. Her parents. Bella, who was about to join her in the afterlife. Jasper. Man, what she wouldn't give to have kissed him at least once.
But in reality, life didn't move in slow motion. Seconds before the van made contact, she closed her eyes. Her back slammed against the truck, and she waited for the end. Blair wondered if God would welcome her into the pearly gates, or if her smart mouth had banned her access. But the end never came. Instead, a body was flush against hers, a knee between her legs, and her back against the door handle of the truck door.
Jasper was looking down on her, wild look in his eyes. Blair could only stare at him in shock, her breath labored. The adrenaline started to leave her body, and her knees felt weak. It had absolutely nothing to do with how close he was…absolutely nothing. He'd just saved her life. She was brought back to reality when the screaming began.
"Where's Bella?" She asked frantically, looking around. Jasper backed up and let her go around to the end of the truck. Her sister was half-laying on the ground with Edward's arm around her. The van had a sizeable dent and it didn't take a genius to figure out what had happened.
"Shit." Blair whispered. Edward was broken out of his trance. He got up and quickly walked away towards his other siblings. Rosalie looked angry as hell.
"I'll see you at the hospital," Jasper whispered into her ear before taking off after him. Blair forced herself not to pay attention to her body's reaction at the loss of Jasper's against hers. She hurried over to Bella and helped her up.
"Back off," She snarled at the people swarming them. They gave her a wide berth, and she walked her sister away from the crowd. She wasn't worried about Tyler, who she discovered was driving. There were enough people around to take care of him. The lights of the ambulance became clear in the distance with the sound that accompanied them. Blair noticed Bella grab the back of her head and wince.
"You ok?" She asked. Bella nodded.
"What just happened, Blair?" She whispered.
"They saved our lives." Jasper had saved hers. He'd protected her, just like Peter said he would. Man, she wouldn't ever hear the end of this. He loved being right.
"He was all the way across the parking lot. They both were…how…"
"I don't know, Bells." While she'd decided that she was going to wait for Edward to tell her sister his secret, she wasn't going to make Bella feel crazy. The ambulance stopped, and the paramedics rushed towards Tyler and the van. The other students had idiotically pulled him out, not even knowing if they might have hurt him further.
Two checked on the boy, while she saw the third talking to Jessica. The girl pointed towards them. Blair sighed as the paramedic began to rush in their direction. It was probably best for her sister to get checked out anyway. She had hit her head, not hard enough to make her bleed, but head injuries were tricky. Bella argued that she wasn't hurt, despite her throbbing headache.
"Just go, Bells," She said sternly. Bella blushed red, horrified when they put the neck brace on. The paramedic turned to her and she waved him away, "I'm 18 and refusing medicals attention." He looked like he wanted to argue before turning and walking over to where Edward and Jasper stood.
Blair felt herself come to a decision as the brothers smoothly diverted the paramedic away. She couldn't lie to him anymore. It was time to tell him.
/
Charlie had shown up moments after they took Bella away. He checked her over for injuries, clearly relieved when she said they were both okay. He gave her a stern look when she explained that she had refused to go to the hospital. He rushed her into his cruiser, breaking every speed limit to get to the hospital.
"I'm going to check on Bella," He said as they walked through the hospital doors, "Are you sure you're ok?" She smiled at him.
"I'm fine. Go." Charlie hurried away, and Blair took a seat in the waiting room. Most of the school was there, but thankfully they didn't approach her. Her bitchy reputation worked in her favor. It wasn't long before someone took a seat beside her. Jasper looked over at her, his expression unreadable. He was no doubt wondering if she was going to question him, question how he'd gotten over to her so fast. But Blair wasn't going to ask him questions she already knew the answer to. After today, he would be the one demanding answers.
"You know, you're like the fifth person to ask me that."
"I saw you wave the EMT away," He said, his tone disapproving.
"Because I'm fine." He exhaled sharply and stood up.
"I'd feel better if you'd let my father look you over." Jasper held out his hand to her with an expectant look on his face. She rolled her eyes and let him pull her up.
"Alright, Dad." He grinned satisfactorily and elbowed her lightly for her comment. They walked in companionable silence through the hospital until she broke it.
"Thank you for what you and your brother did." When she didn't say anything further, he looked relieved, obviously preparing himself for her questions.
"Well, who would irritate me of something happened to you?"
"There is that." Blair had no idea as to how Jasper would react to her knowing his secret, but she wanted to enjoy his presence before he became angry with her. A blonde male began to walk towards her, who she could only assume to be Carlisle, if the unnatural beauty and lab coat were anything to go by.
"Carlisle, this is Blair," Jasper introduced when the man reached them, "Would you mind checking her over? She refused medical attention." Carlisle smiled at her, immensely pleased to meet the girl who could bring his son happiness.
"Nice to meet you, Blair. Did you hit anything during the accident?" She smiled and shook her head, "Ok. I'm going to shine a light in your eyes to check your pupils." He shined the penlight across her eyes, "Any headaches…nausea?"
"Nope. I'm good," Blair replied, sending a mock glare at Jasper. He shrugged unapologetically.
"Well, you seem in good health. You and your sister are very lucky."
"Yes, we are. Do you know where my sister is?"
"I'll take you to her." She followed Carlisle's lead, walking down the hall. They stopped short, catching sight of Rosalie and Emmett. The former looked angry, her eyes concentrating on something down the hall. Blair followed her line of sight and groaned internally. Bella had apparently decided to confront Edward and was currently in an intense conversation with the man.
"So, you survived?" Rosalie said, turning her gaze to the sister she could half tolerate.
"Don't sound so down about it. I might think you don't like me."
"I don't know if I do yet," Rosalie shot back, her lips tugging at the corners. Emmett balanced on the heels of his feet, clearly impatient.
"I'm Emmett," The large vampire said, dimples showing.
"I know. The famous brother-boyfriend." He let out a loud laugh, and Blair heard snorts coming from behind her.
"I take it back. I'm pretty sure I don't like you," Rosalie said sourly, although Blair could tell she wasn't really mad.
"We're not actually related, you know," Emmett said with a goofy grin. Blair gave him an obvious look.
"I hope not. That would make things awkward." She felt a hand on the small of her back and shuddered. Damn that man. Jasper was grinning, feeling the reaction his touch spurred, satisfied. Well, she might as well enjoy it. It probably wouldn't be happening again any time soon.
Her attention was drawn to a huff, and she noticed Edward storming away from her sister, heading their way. Bella looked to have tears in her eyes as she hurried off in the opposite direction. She fixed Edward with a glare as he approached. This was his fucking fault anyway.
"Let's go," He said tersely when he reached them, ignoring Blair completely.
"Thank you for saving my sister." He only nodded, turning to walk away. Her heart sped up. This was her chance. Here it goes.
"So, are you going to tell her you're vampires?" She asked quietly. Edward froze, his posture going rigid as he turned to look at his obsession's older sister. They all stared at her in varying states of shock and disbelief. Blair kept her expression serious. This was no time for jokes.
"You know?" Jasper snarled. Blair flinched slightly and nodded.
"Since when?" Rosalie demanded.
"Since the first day of school." Jasper's eyes flitted to her neck and he growled.
"I fucking knew it was a vampire bite. You've been lying this whole time. How the hell did you survive?" His tone was cold, and Blair desperately wished she'd been wrong about his reaction.
"This isn't the time or the place for this," Carlisle said gently, trying to defuse the situation and overcome his own shock, "Blair, would you be agreeable to coming over to our house to discuss everything. We promise we mean you no harm." She nodded, never taking her eyes off Jasper, who was glaring at her, "Thank you. We'll see you around six."
"You better not say a word about this to Bella," Edward said darkly. She narrowed her eyes.
"Oh, blow me." He opened his mouth to retort, but Emmett tugged him forcefully away. He gave her one last glare before leaving Jasper and her alone. There were silent for a moment, and Blair had to fight the urge to look away from him. His gaze was intense, betrayed. She hated that she had put that look on her face.
"This isn't fucking over. When you come over tonight, you'd better explain everything." His mouth went into a thin line, so she only nodded. He had the right to be angry. Jasper walked away, his back stiff and his stride long. Blair ran a hand through her hair. That could have gone better.
/
Charlie insisted they both stay home for the rest of the day, taking off from work himself. Bella gave her a look before mumbling about catching up on homework before disappearing upstairs. She'd no doubt be researching what the Cullens could possibly be, typing in their attributes like someone would type symptoms of some mysterious illness into google. She'd probably get the same exaggerated results too. She sat by her father, twiddling her fingers nervously.
"What do you want for dinner? I can order from The Lodge and go pick it up," Her dad suggested. Blair cleared her throat. He was definitely going to question this.
"Actually, Dr. Cullen and his wife invited me over for dinner tonight." Charlie's gaze snapped over to her, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.
"Why?"
"I'm friendly with their kids. I guess they thought it was the polite thing to do."
"Uh huh. Friends with that boy, you mean." She groaned, causing Charlie to smother a grin into his glass of coke.
"Dad, don't. There's nothing going on with Jasper and I." Her father snorted.
"Yet." Or ever, considering how today went, she thought. She shouldn't even want anything more than friends if she was being honest.
"Look, just don't tell Bella, ok? If she asks, just say I went out. She'll probably assume I went to the reservation." Charlie looked at her questioningly.
"Why don't you want her to know?"
"Because she's curious about the Cullens, and you know how she gets when she's curious about something. I really don't want an inquisition as soon as I get home." Her father made a grimace of agreement. He'd been on the receiving end of younger Bella's questions.
"Alright. Curfew is still in effect though. No later than ten." Blair sighed miserably.
"I doubt it'll take that long."
/
The text she received simply stated the address and nothing more. No reassurance that she wasn't about to be eaten. No fuck you. Nothing. Their house was at the end of a long-winding road, hidden by massive amounts of forest. Her eyebrows lifted as their house came into view. The sheer number of windows made the structure seem almost see-through. Did these people never get naked? Maybe they didn't care, but it made her think of a classier version of the house from 'Thirteen Ghosts'.
Jasper was standing on the porch, his arms crossed and feet apart. Blair wasn't going to hesitate, having a feeling he'd come down and get her if she made him wait. She squared her shoulders and got out of the jeep.
"Everyone is waiting," He said when she made it up the stairs. He turned around, leading her inside. The inside was beautifully decorated, and Blair was left wishing that she could explore as she tried to keep up with Jasper's long-legged stride.
The moment she walked into the living room all eyes were on her. Blair felt like she was being led to the guillotine. The stares ranged from open hostility from Edward to distrust from Rosalie. Alice gave her a small smile. The parents of the family didn't seem angry, only nervously resigned about the situation. Emmett sat next to Rosalie, a hand on her knee. He didn't look angry, but Blair doubted he ever did.
"Thank you for coming, Blair," Carlisle started gently. Jasper walked to the wall and leaned against it, crossing his arms. Damn, he looked sexy when he was angry. If only it wasn't directed at her, "This is my wife, Esme." He motioned to the woman that looked like a live-action Snow White. The woman smiled encouragingly, and Blair could see the kindness in her eyes.
"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Cullen," She said politely before looking at Carlisle, "Look, Dr. Cullen, I appreciate your attempt to make me feel more at ease, but your family seems to be getting impatient. We can get to the Q&A portion of this meeting." Carlisle cleared his throat.
"Yes, well…"
"When did it happen?" Jasper demanded, cutting him off.
"When I was 15. I was almost drugged at a party. My friends wouldn't drive me home, so I started to walk. I got about three miles from home before someone dragged me into an alley and slammed me into a brick wall. It wasn't hard to figure out after he latched onto my neck." Blair didn't particularly like reliving that night. It had brought her to Peter and Charlotte, so she'd never take it back, but she could still remember the terror.
"How'd you survive?" Rosalie asked, her eyes almost holding sympathy.
"Two other vampires showed up. They saw him attack me and pulled him off. I watched as they tore him apart." Jasper almost smiled in grim satisfaction, pleased that the vampire who had hurt her was dead.
"I'm so sorry you had to witness that," Esme said empathetically. Blair smiled grateful, sensing her motherly nature.
"I'm not."
"Why did they save you?" Emmett asked. Blair shrugged.
"I don't know. I was just thankful they did. I researched on my own afterwards, trying to learn more. When I saw you that first day of school, I knew what you were. The eyes threw me, but the physicality is the same." Technically, Peter and Charlotte had never told her the reason they saved her, the real reason. And she never asked again after that first day. A part of her was almost afraid of the answer, that it might change how she saw them.
"Does Bella know?" Edward asked, shooting daggers at her. Blair snorted, resisting the urge to flip him the bird.
"Honestly, Edward, it's a little weird how you manage to bring my sister into every conversation I've ever had with you." Emmett choked down a laugh, pretending to clear his throat. Blair swallowed a grin, "And the answer is no. I told them it was a mugging that got out of hand. But you've already messed up, Edward. She's curious now, and it'll only be a matter of time until she figures it out." He glared at her before getting up and storming out of the room. He'd gotten the only answer he cared about. Edward didn't give a damn about the girl Jasper was fascinated with, wishing she'd just go away.
"Your sister needs to mind her own business," Rosalie hissed. Blair gave her a look.
"Can you really blame her? Your brother keeps doing weird shit in front of her. You're vampires, and I highly doubt this is the first time someone has been curious about you. It IS the first time one of you has shown interest in return." Rosalie snapped her mouth shut. It was true. They did make people curious, but never had someone come so close to figuring it out on their own. Blair and Bella were different. They didn't particularly like each other, but she wasn't about to let Rosalie release unwarranted anger out on her. Blair was Bella's big sister.
"Will it be an issue if she does discover our existence?" Carlisle asked. She shook her head.
"No, she'll keep your secret. And I won't be the one to tell her if that's what you're wondering." He nodded, smiling a grateful smile at her.
"Thank you for honesty, Blair. And for keeping our secret."
"We're not finished yet," Jasper hissed, his eyes daring her to argue.
"Maybe Jasper and I should talk alone." Carlisle and Esme looked hesitant, but Alice hopped up immediately.
"It'll be fine, guys." She practically danced out of the room, giving Blair a wink and a beaming smile. Rosalie gave her a slightly smug look as she grabbed Emmett's hand.
"Good luck," She muttered, although it seemed good-naturedly.
And so, they were alone. Jasper lifted himself from the wall and stalked over to her. He sat on the couch and sighed.
"You can sit down." She did, facing him on the couch. They sat in silence for a moment. Jasper's thoughts were racing a mile a minute. Here he was, with his supposed mate, and she'd lied to him. But he'd lied to her too. Did that make it any better?
"Am I a joke to you?" His voice was icy, cutting through her like a knife. She frowned.
"Of course not."
"Then explain to me what game you are playing. You've known the whole time and you never said a fucking word."
"What was I supposed to say? Should I have shot you a text? 'Hey. I know your secret. Winky face. Vampire emoji. Hashtag- You Only Live Forever.' I had no real idea as to how you would react or if you'd perceive me as a threat to your family." He grimaced at the sense she was making. He probably would have seen her as a threat if she decided to tell him that first day.
"Then why tell me now?" The normally vocal girl looked down.
"You brought me soup and then saved my life. I thought that meant you might, at the least, care about me enough not to kill me if you knew the truth." He did care, and perhaps that was why he felt so angry. The thought that she'd only attempted to get to know him to satisfy her own morbid curiosity almost made him choke.
"So, you what…decided to place yourself in the lives of vampires to see how far you could get before we figured you out? How much do you even know about our kind?" Jasper thought she was stupid. The girl had no idea what she was getting herself into.
"Quite a bit actually," She replied snappily, catching his condescending tone, "They stuck around for a while after that night, maybe to make sure I didn't talk. But I like to think they liked me. I think of them as my friends." Jasper looked at her disbelievingly.
"What were their names?" He demanded. She looked him in the eye, a determined frown on her face.
"You can ask me anything and I'll answer, but don't ask me that. They saved my life, and all they asked was that I never tell anyone who they were." Jasper didn't like it, but he could respect that. He nodded, storing it away for another time.
"And you knew what we were the moment you saw us in that cafeteria."
"Yes. Although, I did find it interesting that a bunch of vampires, who might have seen centuries, would go to fucking high school."
"It helps us stay in town longer." Blair snorted disbelievingly. Jasper opened his mouth to lash out at her daring. She'd gotten herself into this mess, and now she was challenging the way they lived their lives.
"Bullshit. That may be why the others do it, but not you. It's your penance." His eyes widened.
"My penance for what?" He growled, his eyes growing darker. This girl was playing in the deep end now. Unbeknownst to him, Blair knew how to swim.
"You didn't get those scars from being peaceful, as beautiful as they are. You're proving to yourself that you can resist what you've always taken."
"You know nothing," He snarled, leaning forward in an attempt to intimidate the girl from speaking words that hit too close to home.
"They made you into a weapon and told you to find peace. But baby, you can use a spear as a walking stick, but that doesn't change its nature. And personally," Blair paused, looking him up and down slowly, "I don't know why you'd want to." Jasper sat back in shock.
Blair sat silently in return, giving him time to process all she had said. His eyes flitted across her face, looking for signs of fear. There was none, only acceptance. Edward had said that she could never accept him past, and a big part of him feared that as well. He was the deadly 'Major of the South', the Ares of his kind. He was a vampire who could bring men and vampires to their knees, had commanded a legion of newborns and survived. Jasper was a vampire of legend, and she seemed to be the only person who didn't care.
"Why did you attempt to insert yourself into my life?" He enunciated every word carefully, eyes closed and breath heavy. Her voice was soft when she answered.
"I didn't want to. I wanted to stay away from you because I didn't think you'd ever consider me an equal. But it's really hard…staying away from someone as wonderful as you." Jasper looked at her in surprise. Her emotions showed only honesty. "I've given you a lot to think about. I'll give you your space. If you decide you don't want anything to do with me, I'll understand, and I'll leave you alone. If you decide you want me to be a part of your life, I'd love to be there for you." Jasper didn't say anything as she exited the house, unable to speak.
Blair had to take deep breaths as she walked to her jeep. She hadn't lied to him the entire time. She'd kept Peter and Charlotte's secret just like they asked, but she made a promise to herself right then and there. If he allowed her to stay in his life, she'd never lie to him again.
Blair had bought herself some time, but Jasper would not be content forever with not knowing who had saved her. She'd tell him the truth and throw Peter under the bus while she was at it.
/
"He's really upset, Peter," Blair said exhaustedly. She was laying across her bed on her stomach, the phone cradled to her ear.
"He'll get over it," He replied glibly.
"Peter," She reprimanded, "I don't like this. Why can't I just tell him?"
"Because I want him to like you for you. Not because we love you." He sounded frustrated with her questions, and she frowned.
"Are you saying he wouldn't normally?"
"Would you believe that if he did know? Or would you doubt it?" Blair hesitated. She did want Jasper to like her for her. If she was honest with herself, she wanted him to more than like her, but denial seemed to be the better option than exploring that,
"I won't lie to him again. If he asks, I'll tell him," She replied stubbornly.
"Just let me do it. I'll take care of it when its time, I promise." Blair bit the inside of her lip, considering.
"Fine." Peter sighed in relief.
"I'll take the blame if he gets angry," He replied more cheerfully.
"I plan on throwing you under the bus anyway."
"Thanks," He replied dryly, "Are you ok?" His voice turned soft, worried. She'd nearly died, and he hadn't known. It was sobering when she'd called and told him what happened. Not only would Charlotte remove his appendages, but they'd be broken. Blair was theirs, their little smartass human. Life just wouldn't be the same without her.
"Not a scratch, thanks to Jasper. Where's Char?"
"Bringing back a meal. Do you want me to tell her to call you back?" Blair looked at the clock. It was just shy of ten, and her sister had just gone to bed.
"No. I need to get some sleep. I'll call her tomorrow, I have to get ready for the angry stares that will come at school," She replied scathingly. He sighed, and she could imagine him pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.
"You know, it's ok to be upset that he's angry. It's ok to like him." His tone suggested that he suspected she more than liked him.
"Stop being so pushy," Blair deflected, "You're like a damn mother hen."
"Cock-a-doodle-doo," He crowed.
"That's a rooster," She hissed.
"Technicalities. And you're terrible at defecting," He shot back. Peter knew her too well, and it annoyed the hell out of her at this point.
"Goodnight, Peter. I love you both." Best to just end the call.
"Love you too, B. Goodnight," He murmured as she hung up. Blair wasn't a liar by nature, preferring honesty. No matter how untactful, he thought crossly. Maybe it would be easier for her if she just told the truth. But his gift was telling him to stay quiet, and he always listened. He didn't know why, but Peter had a feeling that this secret would play an important part very soon.
/
Jasper wasn't at school the next day, not that she blamed him. He was avoiding her, and it fucking hurt. It shouldn't, she chanted in her mind. They hadn't known each other very long. Blair promised to give him space. If he didn't want anything to do with her, she'd respect that and pray that in the scheme of eternity, he'd forgive her when he found out about Peter and Charlotte.
Man, she missed them. Blair wanted them back, wanted her life back. She wanted to watch as Peter and Charlotte danced around the living room, pure love shining in their eyes. Blair wanted to argue with Peter. Or have him taunt her to fight harder as he taught her how to throw a punch. She just wanted them to be there.
Blair sat at her usual table at lunch. Her stomach was in knots, so she just grabbed some coffee and started on her history homework. Bella was sitting with her friends, sensing her sister wasn't in the best of moods. It was a wise decision. A shadow hovered over her face, and she looked up. Rosalie, Emmett, and Alice were hovering in front of her table, trays in hand, and an almost awkward look on their faces. She pulled the earbuds out of her ears and looked at them questioningly.
"You can sit down. I don't bite." Emmett began to chuckle, the awkwardness momentarily broken, "Where's Edward?"
"He decided to avoid the lunchroom today," Emmett said jovially. Blair doubted that there was much that could get him down.
"You should have told us," Rosalie said as she sat down.
"Like you should have told me?" Blair returned with a small smile.
"It's not the same. Your secret is that you know our secret," She hissed.
"No, my secret was that I was attacked by a vampire and it led me to know your secret," Blair countered.
"You're really going to argue technicalities?"
"You're really going to argue that the technicalities don't matter?" Rosalie gave a frustrated noise in the back of her throat. Alice and Emmett were glancing between the two, grinning.
"I'm starting to understand why Jasper is so frustrated around you. He's really upset." Rosalie observed Blair's flinch with satisfaction. Maybe the girl really did care.
"I kinda got that yesterday," She replied with a sigh.
"And if he decides not to have anything to do with you?" The blonde challenged.
"Then I'll leave him alone." Blair said with a shrug, ignoring the pain that swept through her at the thought, "I've kept this secret for three years. I have no intention of spilling it now."
"That won't happen," Alice jumped in with an excited smile, "I know it." The words reminded her so much of Peter that she blinked. She couldn't wait to see them.
"Well, I hope you stick around. Watching Jasper nearly pull his hair out after spending time with you is fucking hilarious," Emmett crowed. So much like Peter, Blair thought, shaking her head. Rosalie elbowed him.
"I don't frustrate him that much," She muttered.
"Yes, you do." They all said in unison.
"You're a royal pain in the ass according to him. But the good kind of pain," Emmett said, dimples showing. He seemed amused by the whole thing instead of upset.
"There's a good kind of pain in the ass?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. He nodded matter-of-factly.
"Oh, yes. There's lots of good kinds of pain." His grin took on a suggestive tone. Definitely just like Peter.
"We're still going shopping next week," Alice stated. Blair glanced over at Rosalie; whose expression had taken a pensive turn.
"Normally, I'd say we should kill you for what you know," The blonde felt her respect for the human grow as Blair met her eyes unflinchingly, "But you know our secret through no fault of your own. I, of all people, can't blame you for that." The wobble in her voice told the girl that there was much more to the vampire's story than she knew, but she wasn't about to ask.
"Then I'm all for a shopping trip." Alice clapped her hands in excitement.
"Great. We'll plan everything." The bell rang and they all headed to class. Blair noticed Lauren glaring at her, her expression a mixture of angry and disbelieving.
Both Emmett and Rosalie sat beside her in Computer Science, and she couldn't help the happy feeling that swept through her. It was almost like being near Peter and Charlotte. They were different, of course. But Blair could see that she could love them just like she did her own vampires if she were ever given the opportunity.
/
Saturday, Bella drug her to La Push beach, a trip her friends had conned her into. Blair agreed, but only after calling Paul to meet her there. She needed him after the week she'd had. They met up with Bella's friends early that morning. Mike Newton offered them a ride, emphasizing that Bella could have shot gun. Jessica's face turned sour. Blair enjoyed breaking it to him that they would be taking her jeep.
She loved La Push Beach…during the spring. Right now, it was just too chilly. She watched as Jessica, Mike, and Eric put on their wet suits. Blair wasn't getting near that water. She saw Paul's massive figure approaching and ran up to hug him, grateful to be in his overly warm embrace. He grinned and cockily hugged her back.
"You two know each other?" Lauren asked. What was it with the Swans and extremely attractive guys?
"Since childhood," Blair replied, not looking at her. His friend, Embry, stood by his side, and she nodded hello. She'd never gotten to know most of his friends. Jacob approached, making a beeline for Bella. Blair rolled her eyes at his obvious crush on her oblivious sister.
"You staying out of trouble?" Paul asked, a knowing grin on his face.
"Don't I always?" He shook his head with a laugh.
"Never." She looped her arm through his, tuning into the other's conversation.
"She asked Edward Cullen," Jessica said gleefully. Blair sent her a frown, which caused the girl to look down, her last confrontation with Blair still fresh in her mind.
"I'm glad she asked him. No one ever does," Angela said kindly.
"That's because Cullen's a freak," Mike laughed, his jealous of the more attractive male obvious.
"You got that right," Paul growled, and she felt his chest rumble. Blair frowned, having almost forgotten about the rivalry that vampires and shifters had. It was absolutely ridiculous in her opinion.
"You know him?" Bella asked nervously, not meeting Paul's eyes. The man had always intimidated her, and if she weren't so curious about Edward, she wouldn't have dared say anything to him.
"The Cullens don't come here," He said with a slight snarl. Bella's eyes narrowed and she glanced at Jacob, who looked uneasy. Blair could see the wheels turning, like a dog on a trail.
"Shut up, Paul," She muttered exasperatedly. He glared at her and she returned the look. Paul Lahote didn't intimidate her.
"Did you invite Jasper Hale, Blair? Since you're spending so much time with him lately," Lauren asked with a gleefully malicious smile. Paul stiffened beside her and she cursed internally. He gave her a look of muted anger that was brimming at the surface, moments away from boiling over.
"We're taking a walk. Now." He started to walk away without waiting for her to reply. Blair turned to Lauren, who seemed ecstatic that she'd supposedly gotten her in trouble.
"You're such a fucking cunt." Lauren's mouth dropped open, "Jasper Hale is never going to want that thing you call a snatch. Get over it," She snarled. Blair spared her sister's horrified expression a glance before jogging to catch up with Paul. His stride was purposeful, and he kept walking, leading her far away from Bella and her friends.
She spared the ocean a glance. The waves crashed against the bay, and she knew that the conversation she was about to have would be just as treacherous. Blair's secrets were coming unraveled faster than she could fathom. She'd lost Jasper, and she was probably about to lose Paul. He stopped suddenly and rounded on her.
"You need to stay away from Jasper Hale and the rest of the Cullens." His voice was unyielding, and Blair felt her temper flare.
"Just because you're my friend does not mean that you have the right to tell me who I can and can't hang out with." Her voice took its own unyielding edge.
"This time, I'm telling you," He growled, his own temper flaring. Paul felt his fingers start to tremble and took a calming breath.
"Give me one good reason why."
"He's not good enough for you," Paul ground out. There was no way he was allowing Blair, of all people, to be near a damn blood sucker. The girl meant everything to him.
"That's not your decision to make." Paul ran a hand through his hair, pulling at it. Blair began to wonder of Emmett's comment on Jasper pulling his hair out because of her had value.
"I'm not kidding, Blair. Stay away from him." She groaned. Her chips were already on the table, she might as well lay down her cards and accept defeat.
"Because he's a vampire? Or because you're a shifter and there's some bullshit mortal enemy's clause in your contract?" Her words sent a shock through him, and the trembling in his fingers stopped. She knew…she fucking knew?
"You…" Paul's eyes found the scar on her neck, just like Jasper had before, "I knew it wasn't some crackhead who lost his shit when you didn't have any money." The trembling returned, "How the hell do you know about me?"
"My life was saved by other vampires. When they found out I was from Forks, they told me about the legends so I wouldn't get myself killed looking for answers on my own." That was sorta the truth. Paul looked around wildly. This couldn't be happening. Sam was going to be furious. He felt a small amount of comfort however, knowing she still wanted to be around him after finding out his secret.
"You know and you still want to be around them. You still want to hang out with that blood-sucking leech. He's an abomination." His voice was a snarl, almost unrecognizable. The trembling took over his whole body.
"I didn't abandon you when I found out what you were," Blair replied sternly, not liking his words. Jasper deserved respect, not judgement from someone who'd never walked in his shoes; shoes that were filled with blood of the fallen, deaths he'd caused and some he hadn't. Judging Jasper meant judging Peter and Charlotte, and she'd never allow that, not from anyone. Not even Paul.
"It's different. I don't feed on innocent people to survive."
"You know they don't either." He shook his head, knowing he needed to get away before he lost his grip on his shift. Arguing with Blair Swan once she'd made up her mind was pointless.
"If you're honestly stupid enough to get involved with them, then have at it. But don't come crying to me when he hurts you." Paul turned and began to walk away, ignoring her when she called after him.
Blair ran a hand through her hair, stress building up in her body. She wasn't going to follow him, knowing it might be dangerous if he did lose his grip on his wolf. Blair didn't want to lose him, but she didn't want to lose Jasper either, if she hadn't already. He meant something to her, as much as she didn't want to admit it. And Blair Swan would be damned if she ever let anyone dictate who she could be around, mortal enemies or not. Paul would either have to get over it or lose the only person who'd ever been there for him completely.
Blair was silent on the way home. Bella, sensing her sister's turmoil, wisely kept quiet and didn't bring up the altercation with Lauren. She was practically dying to tell her sister what Jacob had told her but refrained, knowing that she wouldn't be receptive at the moment.
Blair went straight to her room, thankful that her father was fishing with Billy. She threw herself on the bed and screamed into her pillow. This was such bullshit. Both Jasper and Paul were angry at her. She should have just kept her fat mouth shut. A part of her had hoped that he would have been more understanding, or at the very least, supported her right to choose who she hung out with. Instead, he'd gone all caveman on her and caused her hackles to rise.
Now she felt hollow. Blair was caught in a web of her own making, and she wondered how long it would be before a spider came along.
Whew. That took a while to type. Please read and review. I spent a lot of time on this chapter and I'd really love to know how you guys feel about it. Next chapter should be up by Wednesday, hopefully.