#i just realized how much i really dislike bella and edward
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I have a friend who has recently gotten into Formula 1, and through texting with her I realized that a street racing AU for twilight could be really good.
> Carlisle is still a doctor, but in this case he specializes in plastic surgery.
> Edward comes from a racing family; both he and his brother Peter started racing young.
> Their parents both died of an H1N1 infection (fun fact this is actually a resurgence of the Spanish flu) because of their HIV positive status making them more vulnerable to infection.
> Carlisle had always been interested in racing, and so had met them through charity events organized by Mrs. Mason.
> Upon her death, Mrs. Mason asked that both her sons be adopted by Dr. Cullen, but he was only able to adopt Edward using the argument that he had inherited a genetic predisposition for AIDS from his father.
> Peter instead got sent to their aunt Maria, who was already a foster parent in Mississippi.
> Esme, in a fit of truly unhinged support for her new son, decided to indulge his desire to vent his emotions by joining a local street racing scene. She was, however, concerned about the relative safety of the practice, and pressured Carlisle to start his own scene in a smaller town to allow for a racing outlet with less influence from other illegal activity.
> After a few years in Chicago, Carlisle has successfully built up a scene in a tiny town in Washington, in a place where the two-officer police department for the region can’t do much to stop it.
> Before they move, Carlisle adopts Rosalie, a foster child who had been sneaking out to hone her skills working on the cars. He hopes to set her up with Edward, working on his car, but she ends up preferring to race her own cars, so Edward is still without a personal mechanic.
> The champions of the scene in Forks are called Vampires, because the prize is free plastic surgery from Carlisle, making winners appear ageless.
> Edward had always somewhat disliked racing, only leaning into it in his teens as a form of depressed rebellion. By the time he’s living in Forks he resents his Vampire status, resents that he seems somehow faster than the previous Vampires, resents that he feels he cannot just give it up without disappointing Esme.
> Down in Mississippi, Peter has also ended up street racing. It turns out Maria has been abusing her position in the foster care system to bring in new drivers, make money off the thriving betting scene while they’re still unknowns, then discarding them as they get too old, in collaboration with Jasper, who came back from Iraq with a silver tongue that got him out of many a field mission and gets the kids into racing.
> Little does Maria know, but Jasper has started dating Alice, the bookie who runs the betting on the races. She’s got him convincing Peter to throw races Maria had bet he would win, and so their business relationship is broken and Alice is run out of town.
> Peter tells Jasper about the new scene up in Forks, which he is aware of because he’s been following Edward’s socials, even though Edward fully burned that bridge in the immediate aftermath of their separation.
> After Jasper starts racing, and Alice starts taking bets on the outcomes, the races get more intense, and more and more local teens start to go out to watch and bet and even race.
> Of note are Bella, who was dragged out by Mike Newton, who thinks he is her boyfriend but is not, and Emmett, who took a fancy to Rosalie and has been following the races ever since she arrived.
> Bella takes an interest in Edward, but after she clears up Mike’s misunderstanding, has no way of knowing where the next race is to take place. She ends up enlisting her childhood friend Jacob Black, who has an interest in fixing up cars and so has been doing repairs for any kids on the res who want to race but can’t get a mechanic to help them out cause illegal.
> Jacob tells her about how the racing scene actually predates Carlisle by decades, and that the winners used to be called wolves. However, Carlisle wrested control of much of the scene from the locals who’d been running it by offering better prizes, and so the locals, Quileute and settler alike generally resented the Cullens.
> Emmett and Bella end up feeling the brunt of this, as their new friends grow distant as their relationships to the two Cullen children get more obvious. Edward is angsty about this.
> One particularly close race sees Jasper force Rosalie off the road, hitting Emmett. While she could have continued driving, her car being undamaged, she instead stopped to rush Emmett to the hospital in Seattle, a choice which saved his life according to the doctors there.
> Edward’s goes full New Moon over this, asking Carlisle to shut down the races and fully ghosting Bella.
> This simply causes the preexisting racing scene to resurrect itself on the res, with the Cullens as persona non grata. Jacob helps Bella get started racing (motorcycle races).
> A girl named Victoria from Chicago comes to the area, intent on getting revenge on Edward, who ruined her boyfriend James’ perfect racing record back when he was at his most depressed, coming off of his parents’ deaths.
> She brings in a bunch of new racers and in the significantly more crowded race Bella is wounded, which Edward feels responsible for and so confronts Victoria to an even more unsanctioned race, which he of course wins, even though he hadn’t raced in months because Rosalie was willing to work on his car, in large part for Bella’s sake, because Bella is worried sick about Edward, when Rosalie told Alice told Bella what he was planning to do.
> Finally, in a twist ending, Peter and Maria get into a huge fight, culminating in a high speed chase that kills both of them, leaving Peter’s secret daughter Renesmee, the reason he hadn’t left Maria, to his only living relative, Edward.
If anyone wants to write this, I’ll send it over to @twibunny Optional element to consider is the dynamic between Bella and Charlie as he hates the Cullens but also does not want his daughter doing illegal street racing. I’m sure there’s more I didn’t think of but I think the translation works better than it has any right to.
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Twilight Clown Takes—Part 5
In which yet another YT video comes out about how Twilight hate isn’t misogynist, actually, and so I must eat. Om nom nom
“Twilight Is Illogical!!1!1”
We literally have an in-canon explanation for how Bella’s shield works in Eclipse AND Breaking Dawn. Her shield only works against illusions and anything mental. Anything physical she is vulnerable. Jasper affects you physiologically, not mentally. Alice sees actions; she doesn’t actually get into your mind. Jane and Edward’s powers are mental, so they do not work on her. It’s literally the same logic as Harry resisting the Imperious Curse in Goblet of Fire.
(Also, Bella does have a Quileute relative, Molly Swan. Just strengthens my Jacob-as-socially-determined-mate headcanon).
“Twilight Is Pro-Life!!1!1!”
This is where Twilight clownery really delves into full-on deranged.
Every vampire in the Twilight Saga is harmful or potentially harmful to humanity, EVERYONE. The majority of the cast is (potentially) dangerous to humanity in some way, shape, or form. Calling Bella selfish for wanting her (wanted) child to be born is the height of misogyny. No mother who actually wants her child would choose differently. Bella had a plan to survive the birth—a very risky one, but she was willing to do it. And nobody and I mean nobody knew how Renesmee would turn out. This shit was unprecedented and über rare.
Bella was not willing to die for a baby. She was willing to risk her life for Edward’s child.
This was made explicit when Jacob in desperation (following a crazed Edward’s idea) offered to father her children in exchange for Bella aborting hers—only to have Bella LAUGH at him in his face. Bella dngaf about having children per se. It was because the kid she was having was Edward’s.
(Also. Rosalie wants more than a baby. Rosalie wants to be human, which to her basic-ass traditional 20th century mind includes getting married with children. A baby is part-and-parcel to that mortality. What is interesting to me is that, despite the fact that Rosalie is very trad wife and even pro-baby, the narrative still frames her as selfish and self-centered in her vicariousness. Jacob is absolutely disgusted with her for caring more about the baby than Bella, and Edward feels exactly the same way. That is one reason why Breaking Dawn is not pro life propaganda—it is above all a romance, in which Renesmee acts both as an obstacle and consummation).
Everyone was sympathetic to Leah until she became a werewolf and not only brought her baggage but would deliberately bring it up to hurt Sam. Yeah, no shit the Quileute boys would hate her, ditto Jacob. Only when she joined Jacob’s pack did she lighten up (because she was free from Sam!) and Jacob realized she wasn’t bad, just dealing with a broken heart. And honestly a very capable werewolf.
As for Rosalie, nobody hated her for her backstory either. Bella disliked her because Rosalie hated her and wouldn’t even stand to be in the same room with her! Edward hated her as a brother “hates” his sister with two very different personalities. Rosalie’s backstory was very much meant to humanize her.
Twilight Is Racist Round ♾️
Literally every major character is magical. This is a fucking fantasy romance novel! Had the Quileutes been the only magical entities, Clown OP may have had a point. But not in this literal supernatural romance where even regular humans can have magical powers! What is this deranged clownery?
Twilight Is Sexist Round ♾️
“I’ve only ever watched the movies, but—” 🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩
Bella didn’t feel like she fit in with her peers because she was essentially raised as a parent to take care of her mother. As in, paying bills. She didn’t have a normal childhood; that was denied her. Getting out of her parentification is part of her arc and drives a key part of her desire to be with Edward. Edward she never has to parent or take care of in the same way as her parents or even Jacob.
Also, her friends were canonically fake (Angela excepted). Jessica only was friends with her because of Mike’s interest and of the boys only Mike, Ben, and Tyler were interested. Lauren straight up didn’t like her.
“Twilight Is Mormon!1!!111”
Clown OP was this close to getting it. This close.
“Twilight Is ~~~So Ridiculous!!1!!”
Or it could be just basic-ass standard tropes for supernatural/paranormal romance. Y’know, since Twilight is a supernatural/paranormal romance.
…Yeah, this clown definitely hasn’t read enough romance novels, lol. Because let me tell you, Twilight is super sane compared to the shit I have read, i.e. bodice rippers.
And all those bodice rippers were nothing compared to the telenovelas I grew up with. Nothing.
#twilight clown takes#twilight clownery#i may make another just by that one video alone#after the contrapoints one it’s embarassing
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What is your opinion of Edward cullen?
So if asked "Team Edward" or "Team Jacob" I would say Jacob without hesitation. When I read the books when I was younger or even in the movies Bella seemed to actually be having fun with him, so I having fun watching them. With Edward it was always a struggle that caused this Shakespearian type tension that I as pragmatic person have no patience for.
That being said, I don't actually hate Edward. It might be from reading a lot of Leah x Edward fics, but I think in general I never hated him, just hated him with Bella. He's actually quite interesting when ypu take Bella out of the equation, but I think that's because it lacks the kind of balance I like from a ship. Bella is very extreme and so it Edward and together it's a disaster. I've been spoiled by some really great Leah x Edward fics that put that personality with Leah's no-nonsense attitude and because she's a character who is 1) BIPOC and 2) has actually faced adversity, setting him next her puts him in the right context where I can weirdly take him more seriously. I remember reading this one fic I really loved until it jumped the shark for me in terms of lore, but it had it where he could still read Leah's mind and it made me realize how much you kind of miss with him not being able to read Bella's mind. Once again it kind of showcases more of him in the right context where you get to see him less judgemental because as canon is he feeds into the "I'm not like other girls" of it all in terms of Bella and makes them both seem pretentious and rude.
However, I think the fact that I was reading him paired with Leah at all kind of cemented that I don't dislike him, and honestly the reason why I hate fics that bash him for the sake of a different ship is because it's so out-of-character. I like him in-character okay, but with Leah, I actually learned to love facets of the character which is what a good Ship does, making them more interesting individual characters.
I don't know if that answered your question since it was very ship-centric, but honestly because he's a character in a romantic book that's the only context I think of him in.
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The Casual sexism in the Wednesday Hate
There is a large faction of people who react negatively the moment something appeals to teenage girls.
I'm not saying Twilight is great literature (not by a long shot) but you see it a lot with the Twilight hate. half the things they hate about it contradict themselves.
For example: "Edward doesn't act like a vampire!" immediately followed by "He watches Bella sleep. It's creepy." Yes, vampires tend to do that. Do you know how many depictions of Dracula and Barnabas Collins do that? Angel in Buffy did that, no one made a fuss. Or how about "Edward's too old for her!" Yeah, I will reference you back to Angel from Buffy The Vampire Slayer.
Also even the romantic depictions of Dracula. He's five hundred years old and Mina is usually depicted between the ages of seventeen to twenty-one at the oldest. Again, I'm not saying Twilight is any good. Hell, I hate that when wounded they crack or shatter like porcelain plates. But when you start to notice the contrary complaints you start to realize it's not even really about the content. It's because it's something popular among teenage girls so that "Must mean it's bad!"
Getting back to Wednesday, Most of the complaints are strawman at best. Either saying things like "Wednesday wouldn't do that!" (with the Piranha). The Hell she wouldn't!
Or "Wednesday wouldn't defend Pugsley from bullies. She'd join in." Someone ACTUALLY said that to me! There are DECADES of depictions of Wednesday taking on bullies who go after Pugsley because "No one hurts Pugsley but me." That's actually an old line. It's not new. Even Cain has said it in regard to Abel in at least one of The Sandman spin-off comics.
Or "They made it woke. Wednesday was never woke!" clearly that one has never seen Addams Family Values or the Thanksgiving Pageant.
Or "There was never anything supernatural about the Addamses." Yeah, uh, huh. How many times are we told Grandmama and Aunt Ophelia are witches? And about about Thing and Lurch and Cousin it?
Or how about the fact that Uncle Fester has controlled electricity since the 60s? Or It's from Tim Burton. He hasn't do anything good in years. No. He hasn't. But this was actually really good. This was the best thing he's done since 2005's Corpse Bride.
Or even the self-righteous "It's racist because the black characters are antagonists." Once you point out they're really not you get a "Yeah, but it looked like they'd be antagonists and that's problematic in and of itself. Meanwhile it's a who-done-it. And everyone looked antagonistic in the first episodes, even Gomez!
Or the other self-righteous "It isn't queer enough!" Eugene has two mothers and Enid's mother wanted to send her to "conversion therapy camp." It wasn't overtly gay but it's a gay metaphor. And there will probably be openly gay kids. There's a lot that hasn't been explored yet. So far we've only seen two characters struggling with romances. Give it time.
Someone commented about Wednesday and how unrealistic it is for girls to fight each other for popularity or over boys. Umm...That's not in there... At all... No one fights each other over boys in this. There's no competing for a boy's affection. And the only time Wednesday fights the popular girl it's a duel in the Fencing class. The popular girl is actually nice and saves her classmates in the final episode.
And of course "It's just a rip off of Harry Potter." or "Riverdale" or "Sabrina" and pretty much the only similarity is "There's a school! And Supernatural stuff!" Yes, The Worst Witch beat you to it, and even Dracula made reference to Scholomance, a mythical magick school in Eastern Europe.
It's okay to dislike Wednesday. But I think some of the hate is nothing more than "Eww, teenage girls like it so it must be bad." or you assume it's only for teenage girls, never mind that Tim Burton's work has always transcended demographics.
#The casual sexism in the Wednesday hate#Wednesday Addams#Wednesday#The Addams Famiily#Addams Family
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Jasper Hale Headcanon
(No real warnings, just a small bit of want I think it would be like dating Jasper/Major)
~Jasper is not the jealous type. Not even a little bit.
•He is secure in himself and in your relationship
•He can feel exactly how you feel about him which means idiots like Mike Newton don't get under his skin when they flirt, and they always do
•It actually makes Jasper feel good to know that his girlfriend is so desirable, he knows his girl is beautiful, he's not blind
•Hands however. Hands is a different story.
•The moment it stops being innocent flirting and someone thinks they have the ability...The Right...to put their hands on you, that's when it stops being funny or sweet or anything but enraging to the ex Major of the southern armies
•One of the football players got his wrist snapped the first time he touched you and no one ever put their hands on you again
•Carlisle was called into the principles office to meet with the boys parents, his parents left scolding their son on the way out and Jasper went home with his girl.
~Rosalie and Jasper have become like twins over the years of playing them and she's very protective of him.
•She hates you at first
•Absolutely despises you
•Jasper actually has to put his foot down with her eventually as she scares you a bit too much and he will not have anyone frightening his mate
•It takes about 6 months but she does come around when she overhears you sticking up for her brother to your group of friends who seemed to think that because they were your friends they could talk about your boyfriend however they wanted. They pointed out how angry he looked, or pained, or how he never spoke to anyone asking things that were none of their business until one of them pointed out his scars having seen some on his hands in a class she sat beside him in and the moment Rosalie heard you Go Off on your friend was the moment she decided she actually approved.
~Speaking of his scars, he can't believe you don't care about them
•It is one of the few things Jasper can't stand about himself and the first time you actually saw them the feeling that washed over you from him accidentally projecting was sickening.
•He was shocked when you started yelling at him...yelling at him...
•You made it very clear how you felt about them and about his time with Maria, none of it being his fault. He did what he was taught and had no concept of another way of life for a vampire, he fed like he was taught and fought like he was taught and in your opinion it was 100% Maria's fault.
•You nearly made him cry when you took the time to kiss along every single scar you could see with your weak human eyes, moving from his arms to his neck and jaw before kissing him.
•That was your first kiss and it was perfect for the both of you, neither of you being able to imagine a more tender or loving moment and he never again spoke about his hatred of the scars on his body, at least nowhere you could hear him
~The Major was something that Jasper had briefly spoken to you about, not wanting to scare you with the idea of an alternate personality, promising you he had complete control of it, until of course he didn't.
•The first time you met the Major was in your bedroom when you were both alone in your house, which scared you at first but now you realize was a good thing, not needing everyone in his house to run in and try to restrain him from you.
•The Major was someone that previously only Rosalie could really deal with as she was the only person he didn't dislike, both Carlisle and Edward being too uptight, Alice and Emmett being too excitable and in your face and Bella being too...tasty. The only other person who never had to worry around him was Esme, who he found sweet and almost innocent in how kind she was to him the first time everyone met him when he tried to tear Emmett's head off.
•You had just come back from visiting the Rez with Bella and Jasper was unaware that it was happening until Bella came to their house that night to see Edward and casually mentioned it. He was at your house in less than a minute. By the time he got there he was aware that The Major was just as upset as he was but he needed to see that you were okay.
•'It's okay Jazz, it's not a big deal, I hung out with Paul all the time when we were kids and I visited Forks to see my dad, he was my best friend. Yeah he's a bit more...wolfy now, but it's alright and he got plenty far away from me when he got mad.'
'He shifted in front of you?! You saw him?!'
'Yeah but it's fine, he was just pissed when he found out I was dating a vampire but if he wants our friendship to continue he's gonna have to deal with it...Jazz? Are you okay? You're grabbing at your head like you're in pain, I didn't think vampires could get headaches...Ja-'
'Jasper ain't here right now.' It took him a second but he straightened up, his back almost rigid and his accent thicker than you had ever heard it before. 'Don't be afraid, I can feel how scared ya are Sugar, ya don't need to be. You're my mate as much as ya are Jasper's and I would never hurt my mate.'
•You didn't feel threatened by him at all knowing he was right, Jasper would never hurt his mate and that means The Major wouldn't either. You argued about him not wanting you on the Rez anymore but you stood your ground, determined to keep your childhood friend as long as you could, knowing he wouldn't be able to see you again once Jasper changed you. He clearly wasn't used to you like Jasper was, arguing much longer than he would have and eventually getting kicked out when he tried to put his foot down on the subject, only getting a chuckle from you at the idea of that.
•You waited into the night for Jasper to come back and around 10 o'clock your window opened again, your blond Texan emerging from the cold but as soon as you saw his body language you knew it still wasn't him.
•'I thought I told you to get out. I don't want a man that thinks he can control me in my room and I-'
'I'm sorry.'
'-don't-huh?'
He took a deep unneeded breath before continuing. 'I need to apologize Sugar, first time ya met me and I pitched a hissy fit. I'm sorry...I won't try and stop ya from seeing your friend anymore but...please be careful, I want phone calls when you go and when you're coming back, pick ya up at the border myself if ya need, don't hide it no more and I swear to god if one of 'em hurts ya there ain't a treaty in the world that'll stop me, I'll kill 'em all, I-' you shut him up with a forceful kiss and his hands grabbed your waist instantly, enjoying his first time getting to kiss you when you pulled back, looking at what you felt in his hand. 'Oh, I uh-I got ya this. Know ya like 'em stuffed animals, Jaspers gotten you like 20 of 'em but uh...I don't remember much from being human, I mean Jasper doesn't uh-anyway I remember huntin' with someone and black bears is one of the only things I remember and I tried to figure if ya had one or not and...well I got this one for ya.’
•That pulled at your heart strings and you took the stuffie, pulling him over to your bed and snuggling in with him for the rest of the night. Somewhere through the night Jasper came back to himself, actually waking you up to make sure you were okay, physically and with him all around.
•You are the only person that has ever accepted Jasper so easily in everything, everything he's insecure about and everything most people are scared of but you love him too much not to.
I got a little carried away with the Major bit but I have quite a few firm thoughts about him and what he's really like so, maybe more in the future if you want.
#vampire#twilight#cullen coven#jasper hale#jasper#jasper cullen#jasper whitlock#jasper hale x reader#jasper hale x oc#jasper hale x you#jasperhalexy/n#jasper cullen x reader#jasper whitlock x reader#jasper hale smut#twilight smut#twilight imagine#jasper hale imagine#jaspercullenimagine#jasper whitlock imagine
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I just watched the whole Twilight Saga and? I've never felt this fucked up.
#personal#i just realized how much i really dislike bella and edward#and how much i actually love jacob#altho he's kind of an asshole#and rosalie and emmett are such an underappreciated couple i swear#twilight#mg talks
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Hi! I was reading through your meta (which is reeeeally interesting) and noticed you said you don't like Eleazar? I was wondering why that was?
Tumblr ate this ask when I had almost finished it and I hate everything. Also, thanks for the compliment, I’m really glad you like my things.
Now to try and remember what I wrote about Eleazar…
I think Eleazar is a disagreeable person whose gift wasn’t useful enough to warrant a place in the Volturi guard, and Aro jumped on the Carmen-shaped excuse to give him an honorable discharge.
To start with the gift, we see him use it twice and neither time is particularly impressive.
Siobhan
Siobhan has the power of reality manipulation. Her gift is noticeable enough that Carlisle is certain she has it, so when he gets Eleazar and Siobhan in a room together he pulls Eleazar over to see if he was right.
Eleazar squints at Siobhan.
And he squints.
Finally he says, «I’ve got nothing.»
Now, gifts are an iffy, complicated matter everyone has their own theories about, but I think that at the end of the day we can all agree it’s a binary, you’re gifted or you’re not. Some gifts may be weak, but those are still gifts. And maybe someone will touch the gray zone of «is it a gift or is Johnny the vampire just really good at juggling?», but Siobhan has the power to manipulate reality, and she must do it a lot for Carlisle to have come to suspect it in the first place. She has a definitive and powerful gift.
And even if I’m wrong about gifts being binary, if Eleazar wants to be useful to Aro he should still be able to say: Yes, this person has a gift, or no, this person does not have a gift.
Sadly, he is not. When brought before Siobhan he says «She could have a gift, she could also not have a gift.» This means he hasn’t detected her gift, which is bad enough by itself. Being able to tell if someone has a gift or not should be a dealbreaker. The way he answers, though, that she could very well have a gift he doesn’t know about, makes it clear that people having gifts he couldn’t detect has happened enough for him to be open to the possibility that the gift there, and he can’t see it.
In other words, Eleazar isn’t reliable for detecting gifts and will give Aro false negatives.
Bella
This is an aside but as it’ll inevitably come up later in my blog I’ll just drop here that I think Bella’s gift is something more complex than a shield. She has prophetic dreams, hallucination!Edward, and there’s a weird inconsistency as to who is blocked by her and who isn’t. I think her gift is self-preservation, and the shield is one of its manifestations.
Anyway, onto discrediting Eleazar.
(I’ll be pretty closely paraphrasing what happens in chapter 31 of Breaking Dawn, but since the interaction goes on for several pages I’m not going to clutter this post by pasting all of it.)
To his credit, he does notice Bella right away, and he identifies her as a shield based on the fact that he gets this sense of nothingness from her. This is all he can do, however, and I can’t stress that enough. He assumes that she can block Edward, but he’s shocked to learn that she can block Aro. He’s just as surprised that she can block Jane and Alec. He has to interview her to deduce exactly what her gift does, which again has nothing to do with his gift. Anyone could ask questions, in fact Aro found all this out two books ago, without the help of Eleazar.
Eleazar then starts musing aloud about who-would-win in a Renata vs. Bella showdown (more on that later), which is as tactless as it is revealing. The guy genuinely doesn’t know, and it’s because he doesn’t understand their gifts well enough.
Eleazar’s power means he can tell Bella that she has a gift, and he knows roughly what it is. He muses that usually he can’t even tell that much, which again is quite damning. He can’t tell her exactly what she does without a game of 20 questions first. She gives him more information than he gives her, which he then regurgitates back to her with slightly different wording, and everybody claps. «My god, Eleazar, you’ve done it again!» (No, really, this is pretty much what happens. Eleazar brought no new information to the table, yet he blew Bella and Edward’s minds.)
It’s all fun and games to do this for Bella and Edward, as they for various reasons genuinely didn’t realize she had a gift. For Aro, who figured this one out on his own, one begins to wonder what Eleazar was bringing to the table.
Carlisle
Bonus bullet point!
I’ll make this one brief. I believe Carlisle in canon has a gift he’s unaware of (Yes, I have a post planned, but it will get ugly long so god knows when it’ll come), which makes him another one of Eleazar’s gift detection fails.
In short, I think he’s extremely charismatic, able to win over anybody. To list a few examples - he has an extremely diverse set of friends who in Breaking Dawn are willing to lay down their lives for him, Jacob muses how his instinctive hostility around vampires doesn’t apply to Carlisle, and vampires are terrifying to humans (don’t be fooled by the movies, people) yet Carlisle is able to work as a successful doctor, meaning his patients don’t mind being exposed to a killing machine even when they’re at their most vulnerable. He’s able to keep his family of sociopaths in line. There’s not a single person in the Twilight ‘verse that dislikes him. (Billy and Caius excepted, but Billy has no direct exposure to him until late Eclipse, and Caius is responding to a coven that’s potentially threatening the Volturi)
People are free to disagree with me on this one, but if I’m right (and I have a lot of book quotes as well as a theory on what gifts even are to back me up on this one. I’m right, damnit!) then Carlisle is another gifted vampire Eleazar failed to detect.
So. We’ve established that Eleazar’s gift will yield false negatives, and that he can’t tell you much about the gifts he does detect.
I think his power is to point out the obvious.
Which means that Aro’s eyelid was twitching slightly, but alright, Eleazar could still be useful.
Unfortunately, there is the matter of weighing up your pros with your cons.
The Volturi are, at the end of the day, a group of people who live in a commune together. Coven, guard, evil minions, call them what we like but they’re exposed to each other and some sense of agreeability is required. And Chelsea is not omnipotent.
More, I imagine that in a coven as large and old as the Volturi, they’ve developed a culture of their own. This means that newcomers will need social awareness and a willingness to fit in.
Eleazar, from what we see of him in Breaking Dawn, appears to lack both.
It’s in the way he speaks of the people he used to work with. It’s utterly impersonal. He tells us how their gifts work, no more and no less. When he speaks of Aro, he speaks only of actions Aro took and orders he gave, nothing about the man’s personality. Now, considering the context, he was speaking in a context where Jane’s thoughts and feelings were far from relevant, but it’s still notable.
Also notable is the fact that he has no issue contemplating a Renata vs. Bella scenario, even though this would mean the deaths of two people he worked with for years. Perhaps it’s a thought exercise, but it’s not a thought exercise I would have gotten into when it was days away from becoming reality. If Renata can’t deflect Bella’s power, she and Aro die.
I’ll put it this way - I don’t think he’d do a «who would win» like this involving Carmen.
At no point in the book does Eleazar show any concern for the eventuality that members of a guard he used to be a part of may get killed.
It seems he didn’t form personal relationships with the rest of the guard. I suspect he considered himself... if not quite above them, then still someone who could evaluate them. Their gifts is what he looked at in them. I also think it’s likely he asked Aro not to use Chelsea on him, which in turn would have made him stick out even more as there’s nothing making him and Volturi Guard Member X just click in the way I imagine Chelsea can be very helpful with. Which in turn means that the other guard members will feel close to one another in a way they’re not close to Eleazar.
Also… he’s just a douche. I’m sorry, but I don’t make the rules and the whole guy radiates douche. I can’t even point to a specific quote in the book, it’s just is.
I don’t think this guy never really fit into the Volturi guard, and his gift wasn’t useful enough to keep him. Aro was thrilled to have him at first, but as time went on and Eleazar proved to just not be all that, he eventually realized he had to get rid of him.
Because as others have pointed out before me, the Carmen excuse makes no sense. There would be no problem in one more vampire in the castle, yet Aro wouldn’t let her in and Eleazar had to choose.
It was a solution that sent Eleazar on his way with his ego intact, and no hard feelings towards the Volturi. More, Aro is on record doing this with it’s-not-you thing with at least one other vampire. Laurent wanted to join the Volturi, had nothing to bring to the table, and Aro used past association with the Romanians as an excuse for why Laurent couldn’t join rather than tell him to his face that he was useless. With Marcus, Aro, and Chelsea around, the Romanian connection isn’t a problem, meaning Aro was bullshitting.
TL;DR: Aro is the kind of person who’d lie and say his grandma died if he doesn’t want to go to your party, and Eleazar is the kind of person who’d say «My condolences».
#eleazar#aro#volturi#laurent#siobhan#bella swan#carlisle cullen#twilight meta#twilight renaissance#twilight#long post#Anonymous#ask
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Can I have a matchup for twilight, mha, Gravity Falls and fnaf? This is what I look like
Age: 19
Pronouns: she/her
Sexuality: bisexual and poly
Personality:I don't talk to people I don't know usually and can seem shy but once I get to know them a can be talkative and a little bit loud. I don't really hate people unless they give me a reason too. I don't get annoyed or mad easily. I make dark jokes sometimes there directed to myself. I try to be supportive of my friends but if I know what they're doing is stupid than one will call them out on it. I'm really into the emo style. I do suffer from anxiety and depression, I also am touch starved. I do have anger issues but usually only if I don't get enough sleep.
Hobbies: reading, drawing, watching anime/tv shows, writing, painting, going on late night drives, and going on walks.
Likes: anime, art, music, nightmare before Christmas, harry potter, the colors black and purple also green alot, scented things, candles, Halloween, fall weather, animals, and fuzzy blankets.
Dislikes: spiders, super hot weather, liar's, blend food, and people who can't clean up after themselves.
Thank you!! ❤
For twilight, I match you wtih... Edward Cullen and Bella Cullen!
Edward is pretty much the same when it comes to getting to know other people, he is quite and reserved but tends to open up once getting to know you
Bella also understands that you need to get to know people before opening up, and she is more than happy to ramble and talk with you 24/7
Edward was actually glad to see you more talkative and louder once the three of you actually became became closer
Edward try to see the true reason why you make dark jokes about yourself, and hopefully get you to love yourself more and not do it as much
They'll reassure you anytime you make those jokes about yourself, because in their eyes your perfect <3
Sometimes Bella and Edward just need someone to be brutally honest and tell them what they are doing/how they are acting is dumb, they may get mad about it at first but calm down and realize your right
Edward will get you the best therapist if you're willing to go to the appointments, he doesn't want to force anything on you but he does want you to be happy and healthy both mentally and physically
They both fully support and adore all of your hobbies, they also love to accompany you on late night drives and your walks
You will be spoiled with merch from all your favorite shows and movies
For MHA, I match you with... Shoto Todoroki!
Shoto is quiet, reserved, and blunt even after people get to know him so your shyness doesn’t bother him
though once you do open up to him he will point it out asking why you are acting different now that you’re closer.
He is an excellent listener, so whenever you’re in those talkative moods he is more than willing to listen to whatever you want to talk about
Shoto can relate to the dark jokes you make about yourself, since he unintentionally does that himself
He’s relieved to not be the only one who’s blunt and tells people how they are acting without a filter, especially when they are being dumb
Though sometimes you have to be the one to tell shoto what hes doing is stupid/reckless
Shoto is also quite touch starved but expresses it more when alone with you
That being said, he loves cuddling with you and holding hands <3
Would like to read with you or read your writing
He also buys you lots of scented candles and fuzzy warm blankets he thinks you’ll like
For Gravity Falls, I match you with... Stanford Pines!
Stanford always thought you were more of a quiet, shy person until he got to know you and your more talkative side
It surprised him but he wasn’t complaining, it was nice to see you more comfortable around him!
That caused him to open up more to you too, talking more and rambling about nerdy things
He brings you along on his adventures and creature hunts if you’re willing to go
It caught him so off guard the first time one of your dark jokes slipped out in front of him
Like he never knew someone as great as you would make jokes like that, it obviously meant you had gone through something and coped with humor to deal with it
He’s determined to help you cope in a better way :)
Stanford is reckless and sometimes needs someone to put him back in his place by telling him what he is doing is dumb and reckless, and luckily you’re there to do just that
Lots of dates with the two of you drawing, reading, writing, or just taking a nice walk in the woods
Please introduce this old man to modern tv shows, he barely knows how a tv works
For FNAF, I match you with... Roxanne Wolf!
Roxanne has major self esteem issues, that being said she is super understanding of the whole making dark jokes about yourself thing
But after hearing you say those things about yourself/what you’ve been through she’ll try to hype you up
Loves giving you compliments and completely melts if you praise her for literally anything
Racing dates happen pretty often, and Roxy even lets you win(sometimes)
She may act as if she doesn’t like or see the point in drawing or painting but she really likes to watch you paint, draw, or write
Roxy is also a fan of the emo style, but she prefers the rock star style she was designed with
Many compliments and praises from Roxanne if you dress in an emo or rock star style (Bonus points if you dress like her)
She likes to go on late night walks around the pizzaplex with you, thought you may have to dodge security unless you are a security guard
Roxy is fascinated by the anime you watch since her and the other animatronics don’t really get to watch tv
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The Imprint Saga pt. 1
Summary: Imagine finding out the supernatural exists. You manage to keep a level head and even give the whole Imprint business a go, but your poor wolf had no idea just how stubborn you could be when you felt he or anyone else was in the wrong.
Words: 8.2K
Warnings: This is absolutely ridiculous. I wrote it, loved it, edited it, and now I hate it. But I wrote three goddamn parts (currently writing pt. 3) and I refuse to delete any of it. With that said, the Reader gets a bit confrontational with those she doesn’t like and punches someone.
Moving to Forks for the start of your Junior year was not ideal, but your mom was in need of a better paying job and it just so happened that Forks General Hospital had a few open positions that needed filling. So after she gave you a week to pack up your room, the house, and have your high school transcripts transferred, your mom hired a moving truck to follow you over two hundred miles to your new home.
Everyone was curious about you and your mom, and it seemed like everyone knew everyone else's business so it was only a matter of time before the waitress at the local diner told everyone what she learned when she had made small talk with your mom. The town was also pretty dreary, but the beach in the next town over made up for it.
The first day of school has you waking up earlier than usual so you can drop your mom off at work before taking the car for yourself. Then after checking in at the main office to get your schedule and a slip of paper that needs to be signed by every teacher before being turned in at the end of the day, the day starts off exactly as you expected.
Every stare is immediately on you as you park your car, the murmurs starting as soon as you exit. Glancing around, unimpressed, you put your arms through the straps of your backpack and secure it snugly to you. Then pulling up the hood of your jacket, you head straight for the double doors.
Only halfway there, a student jumps out in front of you and snaps a picture of you. "You're Y/N Y/L/N," he grins, fiddling with his camera. "I'm Eric Yorkie, the eyes and ears of this place."
"Cool," you deadpan.
"Anything you need?" He then asks, clearly excited to be talking to you. "Tour guide, lunch date, a shoulder to cry on?" You can only blink in response and he readily continues on. "I'm on the paper and you're news, baby. Front page."
The clearly excitable and gossip go-to are people you tend to steer clear of, but something about this boy has you cracking a grin. He takes notice, practically shaking with excitement. "So long as you never call me baby again, I'll let you run whatever story you come up with."
"Yes!"
"And you have to dial down the eagerness from about a thirteen to a three. Take a breath, dude. I'm not that interesting."
"Nice." He tries so hard to seem cool and collected, but it's clearly not working. "Can I use that as a headline."
"Whatever." Eric keeps staring, almost like an eager puppy, and you sigh. "I'm gonna go. I want to acquaint myself with my locker and make sure I know how to follow this map. See you at lunch with those questions you no doubt are going to ask for that paper of yours." He seems like he's going to ask you something else, but you make a quick escape and leave him behind.
Finding your locker is fairly easy so long as you follow the numbers, but it's the classes that are a bit tricky. You're used to having all the classes in one building, either upstairs or downstairs, but the classes here are located in various buildings that make up the entire school.
You're not sure exactly sure which exit to take to find building E since apparently one side of the map ended up being cut off, so you walk up to the first couple you see standing by their lockers. The guy is pretty burly and the girl is ridiculously pretty for being a high school teenager. "Hey," the two teens tense, but you pay it no mind, "sorry to bother you, but can you tell me which way to go for building E? My map was cut off," you explain while showing them said map.
The burly boy blinks owlishly at you and the girl glares, but the only thing that pops into your head is that they have the most exotic eyes you've ever seen. "Oh. Uh sure." The boy takes the map from you, turning around to place it against a locker and finishes the map for you. As he hands it back, he says, "Just keep walking straight and take a left. Building E is that way."
You offer him a tired smile in return. "Thank you." Then glancing at the girl, your gaze falls to her feet. "Huh. Nice boots." Her glare softens, but you don't see it before you take your leave.
Classes then proceed to go exactly as expected, you getting your slip of paper signed before each class and then giving your name, the place you moved from, and a random fact for each teacher that asks you to introduce yourself to the class.
Lunch rolls around and you find an empty table, happily setting your tray down and tearing your hamburger to bite size pieces before eating them. That's where Eric finds you, Angela Weber in tow. The girl is someone you're most likely to befriend with her soft spoken nature and laid back personality. They ask questions about where you've moved from, your family, and your hobbies. You easily answer them, tossing in a crass joke or two that has Angela snorting milk from her nose and Eric taking a picture of the aftermath as you smirk at the poor girl.
Lauren, Tyler, Mike, and Jessica make their appearance at your table then, and you immediately dislike them. They're loud, rude, and obnoxious. The girls clearly have jealousy issues of some sort and the boys are only interested in what your dating life is like. But through them you learn about the Cullen clan.
"Oh my god," Jessica suddenly muses. "Don't look now, but Alice Cullen is staring at you!"
You frown when you realize she's addressing you. "Who?"
"Alice Cullen? Don't you know who they are by now?!"
"Uh no?"
Lauren smirks, leaning forward in her seat as if she's preparing to tell you the juiciest piece of gossip. "The Cullen and Hale twins are pretty much royalty around here, even if they don't give anyone the time of day." She gestures to the table in question and it's then you realize two of the so-called royalty are the couple you approached earlier that morning. "They've all been adopted by Dr. Cullen and his wife since she can't have any kids."
"Wow. Okay one, rude. All you had had to say was that Dr. Cullen and his wife adopted them. There is no need to tell anyone about Mrs. Cullen allegedly being infertile." Lauren, Jessica, and the boys gape at you, but Angela hides her smile behind her cup. "And two, why should it matter if they're staring? Are you really that starstruck over a bunch of teenagers?"
"B-Because they're the Cullen’s!" Jessica practically whisper shouts. "They're like together-together- Rosalie and Emmett, and Alice and Jasper- and they never pay attention to anyone, and- oh god, now Edward is looking over here!"
Jessica is on the verge of swooning and you roll your eyes, sighing. "Jesus Christ," you mutter. "You really need to pull yourself together. They're kids like you and I, albeit better looking, but still kids nonetheless. It's like you're desperate for their attention."
"Well yeah," Lauren scoffs. "You should feel lucky they're even looking in your direction."
"Gross," you utter. Jessica and Lauren are now looking at you in disbelief and annoyance, and the boys have clearly busied themselves with gossip of their own when the Cullen’s were mentioned. Lightly clearing your throat, you stand up and pick up your tray. "Well it was nice talking to you, Eric and Angela. I'll see you around. Maybe."
You dump your tray and then make your way out of the cafeteria building, easily finding your next class since Emmett Cullen had fixed your map. You then proceed to have a class with Edward Cullen- he nodding in greeting when you catch his gaze, a nod which you return- and a class with Alice Cullen who is practically bouncing in her seat when the teacher sits you next to her. She's a little too perky for your likes, so you merely grin before immediately pulling out your spiral notebook and taking notes from the board.
Your last class of the day is your history class which you end up sitting next to Jasper Hale. He's very tense and quiet, and seems both interested yet terrified of your presence, so you don't pay him much mind after nodding at him when you take your seat.
All in all, your classes are decent and you've literally only spoken to one person in the entire that you can find yourself wanting to spend time with outside of school. Angela.
It doesn't take long for the teens of Forks High to realize you're not afraid to speak your mind when they annoy you, and you found yourself only ever seeking out Angela. And out of all the Cullen’s it's Alice who seemed most interested in befriending you, but you weren't really interested. You were polite when she approached you, but you never really offered to hang out with her or take her up on her offer to go shopping. And while every other student found it offensive that you've turned her down, her family found it rather amusing.
Jasper eventually slightly warmed up to you since your teacher had partnered you up with him for a project, so you found it rather easy explaining to him that you weren't really the type of girl Alice needed in her life. He chuckled at your explanation of cheery people not being your cup of tea, but that you didn't have the heart to tell Alice yourself, and promised to let her down easy for you. You sighed in relief, thanked him, and then got back to taking notes.
Fortunately for you, Bella Swan came to Forks and Alice found a new girl to set her attention on.
It's the weekend, and you and your mom are feeling up to spending a day on the beach. And since it's chilly out, your mom makes a few phone calls to La Push to make sure that you won't be getting in trouble if you were to make a fire on the beach. So after purchasing a small shovel and some easy to light wood that would keep your fire going, she drives the two of you down to La Push Beach.
You find the perfect place to have your fire, next to a rather large piece of driftwood that appears as if it'd make the perfect backrest. You dig a shallow hole while your mom makes a teepee of wood before lighting it, and then the two of you plop yourselves down and just breathe in the salty ocean air.
"So how are you liking school, darling?" Your mom asks as she pulls forward a bag of snacks and drinks. "We haven't really had time to sit and talk."
You shrug. "School is school. Met a few people I can actually call friends."
"That's wonderful!"
"But I also made more enemies, so.."
"Y/N," she groans and you laugh. Eventually she grins at you. "What'd they do?"
"They were either too chipper for me to handle or they let their insecurities get the better of them which turned them into snarky assholes."
"Anything in particular you didn't like?"
"Oh. Loads," you say, "but I would rather not get into it. It's done and over with, and I'm perfectly fine with having Angela and Jasper as my only go-to friends."
"If you say so."
"I do. How's the hospital?"
"Oh I love it," your mom suddenly gushes. "I honestly think this might be the place we finally settle down. The only complaint I have about the hospital is that the staff is ridiculously obsessed with Dr. Cullen and his good looks."
You snort. "Seriously? Everyone at school, some teachers included, are freakishly obsessed with Dr. Cullen's adopted children."
Your mom giggles. "Are they pretty too?"
"Very pretty," you sigh. "I'm on pretty decent terms with all of them. Jasper, however, is the only one I tend to seek out if I'm in need of sitting in silence with someone. He's quiet, but he's got a wicked sense of humor when he's comfortable enough to show it."
"Oohh. Do I sense a future boyfriend?"
"Oohh," you tease back, "no." Your mom frowns and you laugh. "Dr. Cullen's children are all seeing each other," you then admit. "Jasper and Rosalie Hale are Mrs. Cullen's niece and nephew, and Edward, Alice, and Emmett were adopted by Dr. Cullen. Jasper and Alice are dating, as are Rosalie and Emmett. Edward's got this weird thing going on with the other new girl Bella."
"Oh. Um that's a bit-"
"Weird? I mean yeah, but they're not actually related so it's legal. I think." You chuckle, shaking your head and tossing a pringle at your mom.
The two of you lapse into silence, you eventually retrieving your polaroid camera from the car to take a few pictures. You both decide to dip your feet into the ocean water, squealing not even a second later when it proves to be too cold. Then when you and your mom have finally had enough of the beach for the day, she starts gathering your trash while you prepare to turn out the fire.
But before you can throw the first batch of sand on it, a voice calls out to stall you. "Wait! If you're done with the fire, do you mind if my fiancée and I use it?"
You turn around to find a rather tall, muscular and tan individual. The woman at his side barely comes up to his shoulders and she smiles timidly, her hair hiding some pretty fresh facial scars. "Not at all." You dump the sand off your shovel, smiling in greeting. "We just put some wood on, so it should still burn for a bit."
The man smiles. "I'm Sam. This is Emily." The woman waves, a wave which you return.
"Y/N. And the crazy lady who has yet to speak up is my mom [enter mom's name here]."
"Hey!" You smirk, glancing over your shoulder as your mom joins you. "I'm not that crazy." She winks as she joins you, introducing herself to Sam and Emily.
"So you guys new to town?" Sam wonders.
"To Forks," she says.
"Yeah. We moved here about two months ago now. But I love the beach, so we decided to make a day of it." Sam and Emily nod in understanding. "But we should be going now. You guys have a fire to enjoy. It was nice meeting you."
"You as well," Emily softly says. "I hope we run into each other again."
"You will," your mom says. "I swear Y/N was a mermaid in another life. She loves the ocean."
"Either that or a wild animal. I'm kind of drawn to the forests around here. It's.. peaceful."
"They can be," Sam says, "but they can also be very dangerous. If you go hiking, go with a friend. A group is better."
"Duly noted, my dude."
"And on that note," your mom says, "we really should be going. Hope you two have a nice night."
"You as well," Sam replies as you and your mom take your leave.
Days turned into weeks, weeks into months.
Your friendship with Angela had ended up leading you to being introduced to Bella, and you surprisingly found yourself with someone else you could call a friend. She doesn't tend to gossip or talk about anyone's insecurities, and she somehow manages to pick up on your moods pretty well. So when your mom can't make it to your beach trips, you tend to take Bella and/or Angela.
And on the days you go alone to the beach or your with your mom, Sam and/or Emily manage to find you.
The start of your Senior year is exciting and you're already looking forward to graduation. But not even two months into your Senior year, the Cullen’s decide to move away. You're sad to see Jasper go, but you completely understand and tell him and Alice to send postcards or knick knacks from wherever they make stops at. Healing crystals are your favorite just because they're pretty and you like to line them on your shelves, and Alice promises to send some really pretty ones.
Bella, however, seems to take their absence really hard. No amount of talking to her helps, so you give her some space. And in distancing yourself, you find yourself visiting La Push Beach more and more, and spending time with Emily.
It's there with Emily that you first meet Paul Lahote, Sam's newest friend.
"Hey Em, Paul and I are going to grill some burgers. You need anything from the market?"
"No, honey. I'm good."
"Y/N?"
Looking up from the crackling fire, you say, "Yes, Samuel?" Sam's friend snorts and you turn glittering eyes on him. "Hi. I'm Y/N."
Sam's friend looks right at you, his posture and expression going lax by the second. Your expression falters, even as you do your best to keep up a smile. Sam notices, frowns, and then smothers laughter as he elbows his friend. "Oh. Um, I'm Paul."
"Nice." You look back at Sam, grinning. "Can you bring some hot Cheetos?"
"Sure thing." Paul seems perfectly content looking at you, so Sam has to grasp him by the shoulder. "Let's go, Lahote. If Y/N doesn't get her hot Cheetos soon, she'll get cranky."
You don't deny his statement, only grinning wider and shrugging a shoulder. Paul huffs a laugh, but joins Sam, and you refocus your attention on Emily who's smiling a little too wide. "What?"
"So Paul, huh? Was it just me or did he seem a little too interested?"
You roll your eyes, chuckling. "Do all Quileute boys look like that? Because if so, I'm in trouble."
"I'm surprised you didn't bite his head off for staring."
"It's La Push, Em, I'm telling you," you chuckle. "There's just something about this place that makes me feel at peace. I feel.. connected almost, if that makes any sense."
"It does," she grins knowingly. "Believe me, it does."
Eventually Sam and Paul return to Emily entertaining you with changing the color of the fire by tossing driftwood into it, and they grill up some burgers on a small portable grilling pit. Sam and Emily are side-by-side, laughing as you suck in air between clenched teeth because you ate too many hot cheetos yet again. Nearby, Paul looks torn between laughing or getting you something to drink.
You can't explain it, but you immediately get on with Paul. He's talkative, which normally annoys you, but you find yourself relaxed around him. He's sort of a touchy-feely person, but you don't mind and even relax when he sits next to you and slings an arm around your shoulders when you end up laughing a little too hard at one of your own jokes. You don't see it, but Sam and Emily stare at you and Paul with fond expressions.
The night soon comes to an end and you leave the beach with a few new polaroids to hang on your wall, some of which you having departed with because Emily and Paul wanted them.
Another few weeks pass which leaves you looking forward to Christmas vacation after the shit day you've had at school. Your mom's already been informed of the altercation which took place, and after spending all day in In-School-Suspension since she couldn't leave work to pick you up you're more than ready to go home and nap the rest of the day away.
However, when you get home, you're all too aware of the grumpy mood you're slipping into when you're left alone with your thoughts. You feel mentally drained, you wish you didn't, and all you want to do is get away. So after tossing and turning in the comfort of your bed, you grab your cell phone which was lying next to you and scroll down to Emily's name.
The phone rings a couple of times before she picks up. "Hello?"
"Hey, Em, you busy?"
"Not at all. How are you?"
You gulp. "I've been better. Today was a shit day and I just- I need to get out. You busy this weekend?"
"Nope. What did you have in mind?" She chuckles.
"It sounds pretty juvenile," you say, "but I was wondering if you were interested in a girl's weekend? Starting tonight preferably? Obviously Sam will be there because we'll be at your house, but I much rather deal with you and him than anyone here in Forks."
"That sounds wonderful," she says. "Will your mom be okay with that?"
"Yeah. She understands how I get sometimes and she'll be happy that I'm taking the initiative to put myself in a positive atmosphere rather than sulking over what happened for the next three days."
"That bad, huh?"
"Not necessarily."
"Tell you what. Paul is actually in Forks on a job for Sam. I can call him and have him pick you up if you want to leave the car with your mom."
"That sounds perfect, Em. Thank you. I'll call my mom right now to let her know what the plan is."
"Okay. See you soon."
After hanging up with Emily, you call your mom. You tell her that you need a breather and that Emily's offered to let you spend the weekend with her starting tonight. Your mom agrees to the plan and assures you that she has a ride home after work so she doesn't need you to wait for her to get out or for you to drop the car off.
Your mom ends up keeping you on the phone a little longer than expected to talk about what went down at school, so you've only just hung up with her and made it downstairs to the hall closet to search for a duffel bag when there's a knock on the front door.
Opening the door, you're met with a rather sheepish Paul. "Hey, Lahote. You got here fast."
"Yeah. I was already done with my errand when Em called."
"Oh good. I haven't packed my bag yet, so come on in."
Paul enters your house and you shut the door behind him. "Emily mentioned a girl's weekend starting tonight. Don't you have school tomorrow?"
"Yeah about that," you chuckle nervously as you lead him upstairs, "I'm actually suspended tomorrow and have been instructed to cool off over the weekend."
"Suspended?" Paul snorts. "What the hell did you do?"
"Shoes off at the top step or you wait there," you quickly inform him. "The whole top floor is carpeted and I don't like shoes on the carpet." Paul hesitates, but he kicks off his shoes in the end. "And I might have punched Bella Swan."
Paul barks out a quick laugh as he follows you. "What did Bella Swan ever do to you?"
The whole upstairs level is a loft which your mom gladly let you have and you've fixed it to your liking so you're not hesitant to let anyone see it. You move to your dressers to grab three sets of comfortable clothes to lounge around in, underwear, and then grab a pair of jeans from your closet. "She, uh, she's been hanging out with that Jacob Black kid that keeps going on and on about Sam being in a cult," you say while setting your clothes into the duffel bag.
You walk over to your bathroom, quickly grabbing your toiletries and carrying them out to drop on your bed. "I don't know how she knows we hang out, but she had the goddamn nerve to tell me that I needed to stop hanging out with you because you and Sam were bad news. I laughed it off at first because she's a friend, but she kept pushing and I just- I snapped."
You plop down on your bed and when you look up, you find Paul standing in front of your book shelf which houses only two shelves of books while your healing crystals take up one shelf and geodes of various colors on another. "You really like rocks, don't you?"
You shrug. "They're pretty and most of those are from a friend who just moved away. I don't actually believe they have healing abilities, I just like the aesthetic of it all." Paul picks a couple up, examining them. "I was gonna learn how to make a necklace with some of the smaller ones, but then I got lazy. Maybe I'll learn soon."
As Paul moves on from the crystals to standing in front of the polaroids stuck to your wall, you smile and fix the contents of your bag. "Sam and Emily are in a lot of these," he says while grinning over his shoulder.
"Because I like them. It feels like I've known them for ages rather than a few months." Just as you've pulled the blanket from your bed to fold and take with you, Paul plops down on the edge of the bed. "No, no, don't!" Paul freezes and then his eyes widen, and you sigh. "Don't you dare get comfortable, Lahote."
"Jesus Christ," he groans. "What is your bed made out of?" He scoots up your bed, laying back fully. "If we ever get to that point in our friendship where we have sleepovers, I'm definitely sleeping in your bed."
You snort. "Keep dreaming."
"Oh I will." You're thankful his eyes are closed because his words make you blush.
You quickly get yourself under control, and once you have everything Paul takes your bag while leaving you to take your blanket and pillow. He easily slides his feet back into his sneakers and you follow him downstairs where you put on your own shoes. Then outside, Paul opens the passenger door for you before handing you your bag.
"All set?"
"Yep. All set."
Paul shuts the door, smirking, and you roll your eyes at him as he saunters in front of the truck to get to the driver side door. He chuckles as he settles himself behind the steering wheel and your thoughts the entire way to La Push are centered around how screwed you are if Paul keeps up with the flirty behavior.
Thursday night at Sam and Emily's proved to be exactly what you needed. You had attempted to help her in the kitchen, but she pushed you into the living room to find something on tv. Sam and Paul had left to run some errands, so instead you made yourself comfortable at the kitchen table and kept Emily company while she cooked.
The boys had reappeared with a friend in tow, all shirtless and barefoot. You were introduced to Jared who couldn't stop smirking at you and Paul, and you only had to threaten him once when he made a crass joke directed at you. It almost sounded like a growl had come from Paul, but Emily had distracted you soon after.
When Sam and Emily had found out why you didn't have school on Friday, they seemed rather amused but it was Emily who had lightly scolded you about violence not being the answer. You assured her you knew and that your mom had already gotten on your case about it, and then proceeded to help Emily around the house and do a bit of grocery shopping since it seemed she fed not only Sam, but also Paul and Jared. Then Friday night you and Emily watched movies as the boys ran some more errands, and the two of you barely complained when the boys crashed it.
Saturday morning, you and Emily had been making some breakfast when Paul showed up. He had greeted Emily with a kiss to her cheek and when he turned to you, you raised an eyebrow at him. He had huffed, but gave you a brief side-hug before joining Sam at the table. Then just as you were taking the coffee to the table, a heart stopping howl had ripped through the air. You shuddered, Sam and Paul perked up, and Emily attempted to distract you.
But before she could, Sam spoke up. "There's nothing to be scared of. The wolves don't go anywhere near our homes."
You had startled at the hand Emily laid on your shoulder and then realized you had frozen when you heard the howl. "Oh. I'm not scared." You had set the coffee down and then took a seat. "I actually like wolves. I just never heard one outside of a wolf sanctuary."
Paul choked on his bite of food. "W-Wolf sanctuary? You've been to one of those."
"Yeah." You had started to make yourself a plate when you explained. "When I was younger, I was really obsessed with wolves. Before my dad passed, he would take me every summer to the sanctuary. I visited so much that one wolf in particular remembered me. She would knock me down to greet me and then follow me around for as long as I was there."
Not long after you had shared that memory, Jared rushed in through the back door and Emily made him sit to have breakfast before he whisked Sam and Paul away. Then before Sam had left, he had told you and Emily to dress warm because there was a bonfire with Quileute Elders that he had wanted you to attend later that night. Paul had become apprehensive at that, but your interest had been piqued immediately.
Then later that night after you had dressed warm for the beach, Sam had driven you and Emily. Paul was waiting for you at the beach and you noticed he seemed almost nervous, so when he reached for your hand you let him take it without a word. There were a handful of people on the beach, sitting around a fire, and you smiled and shook hands with everyone Paul introduced you to.
Eventually, Harry Clearwater called for everyone's attention. He spoke of the Quileute legends- of the men long before their time and spirit warriors who chased away threats. Everyone listening was hanging off his every word, and you found yourself enthralled with the tale of the Cold Ones and the Quileutes magically shifting into wolves who hunted the Cold Ones down after one slaughtered half their village. He spun a beautiful tale that you left shivering when a woman sacrificed herself for her husband and something about the somber atmosphere afterward left you feeling off. It was almost as if everyone present believed in the legends.
Harry went on to explain that the Quileute legends were passed down from generation to generation, and that it was of the utmost importance no outsiders hear them. And that- that confused you because you were the very definition of an outsider. Yet it also didn't slip your mind that everyone you had met welcomed you with warm smiles.
Back at Sam and Emily's, Emily has instructed you, Sam, and Paul to take a seat at the table while she whisks up some hot chocolate.
But your earlier thoughts are still sticking with you. "Not that I don't appreciate being invited out tonight, but why was I?" You hesitantly ask. "I'm clearly not of Quileute blood."
Paul's gaze immediately darts to Sam. He and Paul share a look, the elder man nodding. Paul promptly stands and heads out the back door, and you frown as you watch him go. "Special circumstances made it so that we were able to bring in you in on the secret."
"Secret?" You wonder. "Your legends are really that secretive?"
"They have to be," Emily carefully explains as she makes her way back to the table, hot chocolate forgotten. "If not, the wolves would be hunted down."
"The wolves?" You quirk an eyebrow, grinning, but your amusement falters when a howl pierces the air. You gulp and your eyes immediately dart to the back door. "That was a coincidence."
Another howl echoes back. "Should someone go get Paul? That sounded awfully close."
Emily smiles sadly and you find yourself climbing to your feet to follow after her. Sam follows behind and you can't help the sharp inhale when a large gray wolf stands in their backyard. "That's no normal wolf," you mutter, shocked at the sheer size of it.
The wolf seems antsy, whining as it shifts it's weight from front paw to front paw. You can't take your eyes off it, nor it you, and you find your chest aching with how hard and fast your heart is pumping.
"The wolves protect our lands from the Cold Ones. Vampires," Sam says and you flinch, startled. "The Quileute legends were just that- legends that we were told growing up. But then a coven of Cold Ones settled in Forks and their proximity started to trigger our shapeshifting abilities."
"O-Our?"
Sam smiles sadly before walking off the porch and towards the gray wolf. Your eyes widen and you reach out for him, but Emily pulls you back. "It's okay," she tells you. "Watch."
From one moment to the next, Sam bursts out of his clothes and in his place is an even larger black wolf. You choke back a sob, your mind trying to wrap around what it is you're seeing. Emily tucks you under one of her arms, but you hold yourself tense. "I- I don't- what?"
"They're our protectors."
"But- but how?" You shakily point at Sam, then towards the gray wolf. "And who?"
Emily squeezes you a little closer. "I think you know who, sweetheart."
The gray wolf whines and takes a step closer, but the black wolf lowly growls at him. Your mind is going a mile minute and part of you is wanting to go searching for Paul. But surely if Paul had heard the howl, he'd have come back or called or something. And then it clicks. "Paul?" the wolf whines louder and lowers itself to its belly. You exhale harshly, breath stuttering as you try not to freak out. "I- I need-"
"Shh," Emily shushes you. "Let's get you back inside and-"
"Home. I need to go home," you say as you start walking backwards. The gray wolf whines louder, standing up and running towards the woods. The black wolf watches him go before looking back at you and Emily, huffing once before sprinting after the wolf himself.
"Come on, Y/N. I'll get you home."
You collect your belongings in a daze, meeting Emily by the kitchen. She smiles sadly at you, a smile which you return, and you follow after her to Sam's truck. Just as you've set your bag and blanket down, and are about to hop into the truck, a heart shattering howl rips through the air. You freeze and turn towards the woods, your heart aching at the sorrowful howl.
The drive is silent with the exception of the static-filled airwaves and all too soon Emily is parking outside your house. Your house is empty with your mom being at work, so you're in no rush to get out and Emily is in no rush to kick you out.
The seconds seem to drag on until eventually you ask the question that's been nagging you since Sam let the wolf out of the bag. "Why me?"
"Excuse me?"
"Why me, Em?" You sigh and turn in your seat to stare at the woman. "What were the special circumstances that Sam deemed it appropriate for me to know all this?"
She fidgets in her seat. "This is something you should be really talking to Paul about, Y/N."
"But I'm asking you. I don't- I need time. But I also need to know why you guys let an outsider in when it's clear outsiders aren't welcome."
You stare at Emily long enough that she finally caves. "The wolves have something that they call Imprints. Long story short, imprints are the wolves' soulmates. They live, they breathe, and they'll do anything for this one person."
"Okay..?"
"I am Sam's imprint," she breathes out a little too quickly, "and you-"
"And me?" You ask when she trails off. She looks at you, almost as if pleading with her eyes to not make her say it. Your chest aches with realization. "And I'm whose? Paul's?" At her hesitant nod it's like all the air is sucked from your lungs. Your eyes tear up and a noise that's a mixture between a laugh and sob escapes you. Emily continues to stare and you shake your head, sniffling. "I think I should go."
"Y/N."
"Please don't," you mutter. "This is a lot to take in and I just need-"
"Time," Emily finishes. "I understand."
As you grab your blanket and pillow a little tighter in one arm, you grab the strap of your duffel bag with the other. Getting out, you then stand by the opened door. "I'll talk to you soon, Em. I will," you assure her. "I just need to sleep on it."
Just as you're getting ready to shut the door, Emily stops you. "I know it's a lot to take in. Believe me, I know," she huffs a laugh. "And when you come back around, remind me to tell you all about how Sam and I first started out."
"Do you- would you mind telling me now?" You meekly ask. "My mom will still be gone for a few more hours and in all honesty I would rather learn of everything from a fellow imprint."
"A-Are you sure?"
"Yeah."
"Okay then. I'll just call and leave a message for Sam."
Shapeshifting wolves, Imprints, and Cold Ones. It's a lot to take in, especially learning just who the Forks coven was, but a lot easier to digest coming from Emily. Hers and Sam's story was heartbreaking, but watching the love and affection she held for him eased your mind and heart some.
You had Sunday all to yourself, not doing anything at all but lounging in bed and watching the cheesiest rom-coms you could find on tv. Your mom had lured you downstairs with some meatloaf and gravy, and then you had proceeded to shower and get in bed early for school the next morning.
Monday morning had a good morning text and an apology from Paul, and you did your best to pay attention in school. People were still talking about how Bella got her black eye, but they were let down when you and Bella ran into one another and all you did was nod before moving on. She was still in a slump since the Cullen's departure and it took everything in you to keep from telling her you knew about the Cold Ones. But you figured in doing so, she'd want to know how you found out and you couldn't tell her about the wolves. So you kept quiet and tried to figure out exactly what you were going to do about Paul.
Emily had explained that the relationship between a wolf and his imprint wasn't necessarily romantic, but more often than not that's how it usually played out. She tried her best to not persuade you into anything, so you assured her she had nothing to worry about. Things between you and Paul weren't exactly normal, but you were comfortable enough with whatever you and him had going on.
Then by Monday night the loneliness started to kick in and you couldn't hold back for much longer. So Tuesday morning, after dropping your mom off at work, you decide to skip school and head down to La Push.
It's not long before you're parking in front of Emily's house. You've only walked up the steps when the screen door opens and Paul steps out. His expression is stoic, hands tucked into the front pockets of his jean shorts.
"Can we- can we go for a walk?" You ask. Paul nods and you turn to head back down the steps. He follows after you and you cross your arms over your chest as the two of you walk down the road. "So wolves," you drawl. "And imprints."
Paul huffs, smothering his amusement. "Yep. Emily told us she told you everything."
"Yeah. Sorry about that. I just figured it'd be easier to hear from her rather than anyone else." You kick a stray rock, sighing.
"Do you have any questions?"
"Hmm? Oh. No. I just wanted to see you."
Paul stops and you continue a few steps more before turning around to face him. When you meet his gaze, you roll your eyes at his smug expression. "So you're not going to freak out?"
"That's what Sunday was for," you tell him. "And then I moped around a bit on Monday and caved this morning."
"So what are-"
"We?" You finish for him. He nods. "I'm not sure. I was just hoping we would take it day by day. If something happens, it happens. If it doesn't, it doesn't. So what do you say?" You ask, holding a hand out for him.
He glances at your hand, grinning. "Sure. Why not." Taking up your hand, you and Paul then head back towards Emily's.
Christmas came and went, you spending the day with your mom since she had the day off. Then New Years came and you spent the day on the Rez since your mom had to work. You learn about the pack dynamics since more wolves had started to phase and then raised the question about why they were phasing if the Cullen coven had moved away. It was Paul who reluctantly admitted that they didn't know why.
Then Jacob Black joined the pack and Bella fell back down the slippery slope into a state of depression. But something about this time around seemed different and you just knew it was going to be bad. And sure enough you were right. Mostly.
You're finishing up an English essay when the doorbell rings. You ignore it since your mom is downstairs, grinning when you hear her greet Paul. She had met him on Christmas Eve and if you hadn't called dibs, you were pretty sure she would have jokingly tried. Your mom stalls Paul for just a little while and then you hear him climbing the stairs just as you cross your last t's and dot your last i's.
"Hey there, smarty pants."
You smile and close your binder, capping your pen and turning in your seat. "Hey, wolf boy. Done with patrol?"
"Yeah. Sam gave me the night to cool off."
"Cool off?" Paul sheepishly pads barefoot over to your bed, falling in and scooting towards the wall. You get up, clicking off your desk lamp and plugging in the fairy lights above your bed. "What did you do?" You ask, falling into bed right next to him.
"Black got around Sam's gag order and that leech lover of his found out about us."
"Leech lov- Bella? Bella knows about the Quileutes?" You ask, eyes wide and voice lowered.
"Yep." You finally settle down, head pillowed on his outstretched arm while you drape an arm across his abdomen. "Bella punched me and-"
"She punched you?!"
"Yes." He chuckles at your outrage. "And I shifted in front of her. Jacob and I got into a fight, and Bella was let in on everything. Turns out that redheaded leech is after her because her leech killed her mate and now she wants to return the favor."
"Jesus Christ," you groan. "Bella's a magnet for them."
"Yeah. So until we get a handle on the situation, please be careful. Don't do any unnecessary wandering in the woods and definitely don't go anywhere with Bella fuckin' Swan."
You snuggle deeper into him, snorting. "Aye, aye, captain. You staying the night?"
"Yeah. Your mom wants the car in the morning because she has to pick up a friend. I'm taking you to school and picking you up."
"Sounds good."
And within minutes, with Paul idly tracing patterns on your back, you're fast asleep.
Waking up the following morning, however, is a lot harder when Paul's cuddling you. You have to drag yourself out from under his arm and then grumble unflattering words at him as he snuggles down with your pillow while you get ready for school.
There's coffee waiting for you downstairs courtesy of your mom and a note of thanks from her to Paul for not defiling you under her roof while she was sleeping downstairs. Paul's cheeks turn red and you giggled the entire drive to school.
The staring reminds you of your first day of school, but this time it's because of Paul. You roll your eyes at the females who seem a little too interested and scoff at Mike and Tyler who frown as you pass by. One stare in particular, however, catches your attention.
"You can let me out here," you say. "I wanna talk to Bella real quick."
"About?"
"Girl stuff." You grin at Paul, quickly rattling off the time you get out of school. Then when you hop out, you make your way towards Bella who's standing by her red monstrosity of a truck. "So I hear you learned about the boys on the Rez."
She blinks owlishly before jerking her head in a nod. "Yeah. You knew?"
"Yep. Since before Christmas."
She frowns. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Excuse me?" The nerve of this girl really grates on your nerves and your hand tightens its grip on the strap of your backpack. "Because it wasn't any of your business." She opens her mouth to no doubt explain her right in knowing, but she wisely shuts her mouth right away when she notices your white knuckled grip. "A word of advice, Bells, you touch Paul again and I'll blacken your other eye. Are we clear?"
Her eyes widen and when you quirk an eyebrow at her, she gulps and quickly nods. "Y-Yeah. Crystal."
"Good. Now let's get to class."
When you turn around, your curse under your breath when you realize Paul is still sitting there in his truck. He's smirking right at you and you just know he's heard what you told Bella. So after quickly flipping him off and grinning when you hear Bella snort in amusement, you and your sometimes friend head towards the school buildings.
You do your best to tune out those who would call themselves your friend, ignoring the questions about your mysterious morning companion. Bella, when around, had smirked through it all and only shrugged when the questions were then directed at her, she only telling them he was a guy from La Push.
Then when school lets out, you and Angela are walking side by side. She's going on about an upcoming article she's going to write when Paul catches your attention, he leaning on the tailgate of his truck. But when he catches sight of you, he pushes off and stalks towards you. You grin, Angela trails off when she realizes you're no longer paying her any attention, and Paul smirks just as he comes toe to toe with you.
"What are you doing, Lah-" Hands cup your jaw and feverish lips press against yours. You gasp before your eyes flutter shut, your hands grasping the front of his shirt as you lean up on the tips of your toes to press back against him. Angela giggles from beside you and you only pull back when a whistle pierces the air. You fall back so you're flat on your feet, gulping before licking your bottom lip. "So, uh, so we're doing that now, are we?"
"You started it when you threatened to blacken Swan's eye."
Angela snorts as you purse your lips to keep from laughing. "Whatever. Paul, this is Angela. Ang, this Paul. My.. Paul."
"Smooth," he chuckles, then glances at Angela and nods in greeting. "Hi. It's nice to meet one of Y/N's friends. She doesn't like to introduce me to any of them."
You punch his shoulder. "Not true. Most of my friends are your friends. Angela is the only one outside of La Push that I consider a friend and this is the first time you've literally come here. Don't be a dick."
Paul merely grins down at you, bringing you to his side and turning you so his arm drapes along the back of your shoulders. Angela smiles. "You two are adorable. No wonder none of the boys here caught your attention."
You roll your eyes, biting back a smile. "Yeah, yeah. This idiot had me hooked early on. No one in Forks even stood a chance."
"And on that note," Paul muses, far too smug, "we really should get going."
After telling your friend you'd see her tomorrow, you follow Paul to his truck where he proceeds to open the door for you. Then once he's settled behind the wheel and starts to carefully drive out of the school parking lot, he holds his right hand out in between you and you barely glance at it before grasping his hand with your own left. "So we're really doing this? No going back?"
He grins. "No going back."
#paul x reader#paul lahote x reader#paul lahote imagine#twilight imagine#new moon imagine#paul lahote#sam uley#emily young#angela weber#bella swan#twilight#new moon#fanficimagery#imagine
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Hiiii! Can you write Alice Cullen x Fem reader in which Alice prepares her a birthday party and they give each other their first kiss? Something like that fluffy and cute. 😻🤧
||AN||: Most definitely! I'm so sorry this is so late. Online Classes are a bitch.
||AN2||: My first request and I'm already fucking it up. Damn.
||AN3||: Thank you Anon for sending in a request! Sorry this was so many days late, I hope you liked it! I really had fun writing this, It’s a nice break from the part 2 of strings!
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Pairing: Alice Cullen x Fem!Reader
Summary: Just Alice being Alice, oh and the start of a cute mortal x vampy relationship
Warnings: ...Fluff, lots of them
Word Count: 1,752 words
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It was around 3 am on a Saturday morning when the local seer Alice Cullen got a vision she was not expecting,At all.
“Why didn’t she tell me?!” Alice shrieked
“Alice?” Jasper stared at Alice in light surprise. He was just reading when Alice suddenly shrieked
“Y/N’s Birthday! It’s today! She didn’t tell me!” Her body shook with excitement and giddiness
And as Jasper stared at his adoptive sister, All he could think about was: “Poor Y/N”
It was your birthday, yes, but you didn’t want anyone to know. Not because the day had some painful or sad memories, but because you were too socially awkward to tell people that it’s your birthday. And besides, you’ve made peace with the fact that most people in your life just forgets your birthday, to the point where you just felt like it was irrelevant and that your birthday did not exist.
But of course, Alice just can’t let that happen, She refused to.
“Y/N! Hey!” Alice’s bell like voice echoed in your eardrums as you walked into Forks High
“Oh, Hi Alice. Uhm...Uh? Rainy Weather we’re having?” You stuttered.
I mean, How could you not? Sure you’ve been friends with the pixie and her family for quite a while now and that definitely didn’t help the way your heart just stops and just takes off, running into Alice’s Hands.
Weather? Really Y/N? Out of all the shit you could have said? You spoke with yourself, forgetting about the resident mind reader.
Edward was about to scold Y/N when he was cut off by the bell, and when they looked toward’s Y/N’s direction, she vanished into the sea of hormonal mortal teenagers
“We’ll find her later.” Jasper reassures Alice
And as Jasper said, They did find you later. Humming to yourself while reading a book in the school library. If they weren’t vampires, they could’ve sworn they couldn’t find you.
You felt eyes on you so you looked up and saw the Cullen siblings there, you smiled and waved them over.
“Hi. Thought you guys were at the Cafeteria?” You ask them, curious as to why they were here
“Were you avoiding us?” Rosalie whispered
Contrary to popular belief, Rosalie was rather fond of you. She never really admitted it but you knew. You just did.
“No, actually, I was just reading a book. I’m not hungry.” you shrugged
“How’d you guys find me anyways?” you asked but then you mentally facepalmed when you realized
“Right. I forgot, I’m sorry.” You sheepishly rubbed your neck
“It’s alright, we were just wondering if you wanna come over later? Esme’s trying this new recipe and she needs you and your sense of taste.” Alice lies.
Well, half-lies, Esme did cook a new recipe, just not for the reason you think.
“Yeah, sure. I’d love to. Who am I riding with?” You ask, packing your things for you last period
“Alice.” They all answered together
“Well that’s not creepy at all.” You teased them before parting ways to go to your last class
Minutes went by fast and soon you found yourself sitting in Alice’s bright yellow car, sweating and nervous. You kept glancing on Alice’s hand that’s resting on the shift lever which caused her to roll her eyes. She grabs your hand, and placed it on the shift lever with her hand on top of yours so she could hold your hand and drive at the same time.
Your eyes widened for a second then you felt your cheeks grow hot.
“U-Uhm”
“We’re here!” She giggles making you look up and lo and behold, the Cullen house.
“Why are all your lights off?” You ask as Alice intertwines your fingers.
You noticed how she was barely containing her excitement since she’s shaking and also fidgets alot.
“We decided to let the sun illuminate our home” She grinned at you
“For a vampire, you suck at lying.” You teased her
“That’s not true! Maybe you just know me better than anyone else.” She winked at you
Was she flirting? She was flirting with you? No, that can’t be right? That’s just how Alice is to everyone. Right?
You were about to ask her about it but your thoughts we’re interrupted when a loud pop echoed throughout the room.
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY Y/N!” Everyone in the Cullen Household, including Bella, screams at your face as Emmett releases the Confetti Popper
Your face held visible confusion, How did they know? You made sure not to think about it since you knew about Edward’s abilities. They smirked at your visible confusion and Alice liked it so much she decided to take a picture.
You just nodded and tried to enjoy your birthday. Well, as much as you can with Alice out of your sight.
“For documentary purposes” She states while grinning and let her adoptive family whisk you away from her.
“If you’re wondering how we know, Alice had a vision of you celebrating you birthday pathetically with only bread and pancakes, so we decided to throw you a party.” Rosalie states as she poured you a glass of grape juice since Esme disliked the thought of you drinking alcohol.
You did admit it to yourself, just a couple months ago, that you indeed have a crush on the pixie-haired vampire. You liked everything about her, her smile, her bell-like voice, her cold comforting embrace, the way she knocks on your door when you miss school, the way she texts you asking if you wanna go shopping with her. Basically, you are completely smitten. And the thought of Alice is enough to make you smile.
But of course, like any other teenager, you decided to just keep your crush in and never think about it again.
“Y/N, It’s gift time~” Alice suddenly appeared by your side, linking her arm to yours before dragging you away, with Rosalie following you two, barely keeping her smile in.
She pushes you to sit on the couch before shoving gifts into your arms
You cast her a concerned look as you squeezed her hand, knowing she’s having one of her visions.
“That one’s from Bella and Edward!” She says pointing at the medium sized gift.
“This one’s from Rosalie and Emme...” She drifts off, a blank look in her eyes.
Jasper was the one who continued introducing the gifts to you as he helped you open them, since one of your hands are still intertwined with Alice’s cold fingers as she continued to stare into space.
“Is she okay? Her visions never stretch on this long.” You ask, noticing that 5 minutes have passed.
“She’s fine. I would say she’s enjoying herself.” Edward husks out, a smug smirk settling on his lips
“It’s not fair! How come you could see what she sees! I wanna be a mind reader too!” Emmett whines just as Edward widens his eyes and furiously shakes his head
“I did not need to see that.” He shivered, planting a kiss on Bella’s forehead before speeding off
“What happened?” You asked to no one in particular
“Maybe he saw something he didn’t want to see. He does that to get out of range.” Carlisle explains while he hands you his and Esme’s gift.
“What did you see anyways?” Emmett asked his sister, who’s now staring at you
“You don’t wanna know...” She grinned at Emmett
“...Now come along Y/N. I have to give you my gift.” She pulls your hand as she leads you outside
“Where are we going?” You ask her
“We’re taking a little walk into the woods.” She softly smiles at you and grips you hand
The two of you walked silently, just enjoying and basking in each other’s presence. It looked like Alice was enjoying herself, letting herself go as small rays of sun hit her diamond like skin. You stared at her, willing yourself to look away, but you just can’t. She looks ethereal, the way her golden eyes shine or the way her skin glows or maybe it’s just the way she’s talking to you. Yeah, she’s talking to you and you were barely listening.
“Y/N? Are you okay? You zoned out there.” She waved her free hand infront of your face.
“You’re beautiful.” You suddenly blurt out. Your eyes widen when your brain finally caught up
“I mean- it’s not like that! Well I do mean it. I mean- You look beautiful like this- I-” You rambled on but stopped when you heard her laugh
“It’s okay, Y/N. Really.” She giggled
“You’re beautiful too.” She smiles before pulling you down to sit beside her under a tree.
You laid your head against hear shoulder, staring at the nest of birds chirping happily.
“I can’t take anymore of this.” She suddenly blurts out, then turns to face you. Her face inches before yours.
“Can I give you your gift?” She whispers
“What?” You whispered back, stunned at how close she is.
She giggles at you flustered state before cradling your burning face in her cold hands.
“May I kiss you?” She finally asks, gold eyes meeting yours
“Yeah.” You nodded, in a daze.
Slowly you both leaned in and you were freaking out inside. Was this really happening? Is your crush really about to kiss you? What did you do to deserve an angel?
But all of your worries were silenced when soft, cold lips touched yours in a gentle, surreal way. Leaving your body buzzing with happiness as your heart clenched. Minutes felt like hours, and soon you had to pull away because sadly, humans need air. You stare at Alice’s golden orbs and admired how the stars seemed to swim inside her eyes, or maybe it was just her looking at you in awe.
I think it’s safe to say that this, was the best birthday gift you could ever have. Even though you had so many amazing gifts like Edward’s Old Classic Book that he wanted you to have, or Rosalie’s Necklace, not even Emmett’s Car Keys. (He restored a car for you) None of them could ever compare to Alice.
The two of you were too busy admiring each other that you don’t notice Emmett handing Edward and Jasper 50 bucks, since he bet on you making the first move and not the other way around, making him whine and pout.
And then suddenly, your birthday seemed really special, to you and your little family. And you just knew, that you’d be this happy for many, many, many years to come.
#twilight#anon#anonasks#alice x reader#alice/you#alice x you#cullens x reader#rosalie approves#twilight saga#alice cullen#alice cullen x reader
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The thing about listening to the Midnight Sun audiobook, having listened to the twilight one not long ago, is it really drives home that Edward is mentally an adult and Bella is a teenager
In Twilight when Bella thinks about Edward, specifically why she loves him, it’s mostly his looks and the fact that she perceives him as perfect. Occasionally she’ll say he’s talented and smart but that’s mostly under the “perfect” umbrella because he’s good at everything according to her. If you just went off of Bella’s descriptions of him all you’d know about the guy she’s in love with is “He’s hot, he’s smart, he’s basically great at everything”.
Whereas Edwards descriptions are “She’s thoughtful, she’s kind, she’s caring, she’s attentive, she’s gentle, she’s funny, she’s smart, she’s interesting, she’s beautiful, she’s stubborn, she’s brave” etc.
And you get so much more personality of Edward in his book than in Twilight. Scenes where he’s awkward and nervous and fidgety and from Bella’s perspective she’s just like “Oh my god he’s so hot” and doesn’t notice anything other than how hot he is. He’s smart because he’s perfect, not because he took the time to get two medical degrees because of his internal drive to care for others and overcome his nature, inspired by his father. He’s good at piano because he’s perfect, not because he’s passionate and driven.
There are so many scenes where he’s awkward and funny and goofy and it’s like wait was he always like that and Bella never noticed?
I’m tempted to do a full book to book comparison of what Edward portrays and what Bella notices, because most would be “I awkwardly look down, rushing over my words, not sure what to say but wanting her to like me” vs “He looks so pretty when he talks”
And considering how often he complains about people only ever being interested in his looks, I feel like if he could read her mind he’d realize she has the exact same thoughts as every person he says is dull and shallow. He just doesn’t know she’s like all the people he dislikes
For all twilight talks up Bella as mature for her age and “born middle age” she really is just a kid who finally got the attention of a cute guy and decided she was in love with him
Could say it’s a surprisingly self aware and nuanced take on the reality of the YA immortal romance fiction genre where realistically people with fully developed minds are falling for shallow teenagers who are interested in the first hot person to talk to them
Or more likely you could say it’s a decade more writing experience and a whole lot of fan feedback saying exactly what they didn’t like about the book so she was able to correct all the issues and create a more nuanced take than the first time she was a rookie author flying blind
But if these two books existed in a vacuum, that first one is certainly what it feels like
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Falling {j.h} chapter three
Warnings: poorly written description of drowning?? That’s about it, unless you count Bella and Edward being them awkward selves
Taglist: sleepy-whore geekysimmerthings mauvette268 treestarrrrrrrr kaleigh404 krazykatkay456 meganlikesfandoms darknacademia hi-my-name-is-riley vdtwsupernatural selmeuuh raindancer2004 wondersandtempests royale-trash-slytherin im-hella-bright bootylimpics livfg it-is-rebel-owl-ma-dudes
Fire spreading through your lungs forced you to snap your eyes open. All you saw was darkness. Coldness numbs your fingertips, a chill vibrating down your spine. You were suspended in a thick liquid, and instincts kicked in telling you to propel yourself to the surface. You stretch your arms out, but as you kick forward a sharp force yanks you back to where you started. Something teathers your right hand to the bottom of wherever you are. Opening your mouth to scream, metallic tasting thickness invades your tastebuds. It shoves itself down your throat, causing a squeezing feeling in your lungs. You know you need to breathe, but you can’t. You try to feel around for something- anything- that might help you escape. All that your fingers and toes feel is smoothness. A sudden wave of lightheadedness hits you, and the urge to breathe comes back stronger. A cough bubbles up from your throat and your mouth opens, you inhale, and you feel yourself suffocating. Your free hand flies to your throat, trying to physically make yourself stop trying to breathe. But eventually your brain realizes it's not going to get any more oxygen, and your body convulses once, twice, then three times. And then you’re gone.
You jolt upright in an unfamiliar bed. Your hand reaches for your throat, mouth open and gasping for air. Your heartbeat races, seemingly about to jump right out of your chest. Slowly, you release your throat, sure that the threat is gone. Your hands fall to a soft blanket, and you realize your surroundings- Bella’s room. You squint your eyes and make out Bella laying in her bed, covered in a thick blanket. Beads of sweat roll down your neck, but you still shiver. The alarm clock on the nightstand next to Bella claims that it’s 5:43, about an hour before it was set to go off. Today was your first day of school, so you figured that you’d get a headstart and take a shower.
Steam exposes itself as a thick fog, curling under the crack of the door that sheltered you from the cold world outside in the hallway. As the water drips down the small of your back, you tap your shaving razor against the cool tile to unclog the hair collected between it’s sharp teeth. Your armpits were shaved, so were your legs. You were almost out of things to shave. Almost.
After 45 minutes you figured that you needed to leave some hot water, or else you’d have to face the wrath of your sister, who desperately needed a shower in the morning to wake herself up. Rummaging through your half-unpacked suitcase, you glanced at Bella’s bed to make sure she was still knocked out. She was, as you expected. Grabbing onto a pair of embarrassingly bright pink underwear, some black leggings, and a bra, you walk back into the sweltering bathroom. After dressing- except for a shirt and socks- you walk back into the bedroom just as the alarm goes off. You flinch, glancing at the lump of blankets occupying Bella’s bed. It moves, a pale, feminine arm reaching out to slap the alarm clock.
“I can wake you up later so you can sleep in a bit more, if you’d like.” You offer, hoping to get on her good side. She sits up, a small yawn escaping her mouth. She runs her hand through her hair, then shakes her head.
“We’re leaving in ten.” She says. Taken aback by her excitement for school, you sit on your bed for a moment before reaching to grab a wrinkled t-shirt out of your bag. You put on some deodorant before pulling the (f/c) shirt over your still damp head. After slipping on socks and combing your fingers through your hair, you go downstairs. Bella stands by the front door, a granola bar hanging out of the corner of her mouth as she tries to slide on her boots while standing. You smile, then walk to the kitchen to grab some water and take painkillers for the headache invading your senses. Charlie is long gone, his cruiser pulling out of the driveway sometime after you got in the shower. You hear Bella shut the front door, then a sputtering cough of an old engine roars to life. That’s my cue. You exit the house- a safe space- and brace yourself to be exposed to hundreds of strangers in just a few minutes.
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Just as Bella had been, you were the talk of the town. The newest hot gossip in the small community of Forks. It was surprising when one twin returned, but when the second twin came two years after the first? What was the reasoning behind that? People could sense some family drama nonetheless. As Bella pulled into the parking lot, you could see that her whole demeanor changed. As if she was looking forward to something. Bella had always been the brains in your sistership, but she still disliked school as much as you did. After she pulled into a parking spot, she cut the engine quickly. As she reached for the door handle, you placed a hand on the center console.
“Wait.” You say, causing her to glance over her shoulder at you. She shuts her door, settling back into her seat.
“We’re gonna be late.” She sighs.
“Just a minute, I swear.” You promise. She looks at you expectantly. “I know we’re not on the best terms right now, but I just need to know before going in there if you want to- I don’t know how to phrase this. Are we going to hang out and stuff during lunch.. And stuff?”
She makes a face. “Sorry, I didn’t phrase that right. I just mean, am I gonna sit by you at lunch? I totally get it if you don’t want to, I know you have Edward and other friends and stuff and- you know what? Forget I said anything."
“Relax, I’m not gonna throw you to the wolves.” She says, a mischievous glint in her eyes as if you were missing out on an inside joke.
“Oh. Okay. Thanks.” You smile. She hops out of the truck, and you mirror her movements. She blushes as you both walk over to a tall, pale brunette. He smiles at Bella, and she bounds energetically over to him. He engulfs her in a hug and she tips her head up as they meet each other for a kiss. God, get a room. Something like a chuckle from Edward forces them apart, and Bella asks him something that you can’t make out. You walk over to them and raise an eyebrow.
“So you’re Dr. Cullen’s son?” You ask, but it comes out as more of a statement. He glances at Bella, then gives you a half crooked smirk.
“That would be me.” He answers. His pale skin compliments his eyes, a deep caramel whiskey color. His teeth are a bright white. Everything about this guy- or more likely, Greek God- made you shrink into your own skin, feeling inferior and self conscious. It was as if he was carved from marble, as if someone had spent hours and days and months chipping away at him until he reached perfection. You held out a hand for him to shake, but as he reached out to respond, Bella placed her hand on his.
“Um, remember about that cold you just got over? You’re probably still contagious.” She says softly, her eyes bearing into his, as if there was some sort of laser beam connecting their gaze. His mouth turns to a thin line for a split second, but then pulls back into a smile, and you'dve probably missed it if you weren’t already studying his face.
“Thank you for reminding me, how could I forget?” He says, false humor in his voice. A loud bell rings, interrupting the awkward conversation. Thank God. Bella raises her eyebrows and stares at her feet.
“Well, um, can someone point me in the direction of the office?” You ask. Edward walks with you and Bella, them lost in their own conversation as you debated whether or not you really needed to complete high school.
After receiving your schedule and getting directions to your first period class, you push open a door that says Ms. Garcia. First was English, and that was your best subject, so you were grateful you had it first thing in the morning to start your day right. As you entered the room, your stomach did flip flops. Suddenly your hair that was resting on your shoulders weighed one hundred tons and your feet felt like they were cured in blocks of concrete. Ms. Garcia’s voice stopped as soon as you entered, and it seemed that all eyes were on you.
“Hi, you must be Y/n.” An older woman with dark hair and caramel skin held out a ring-clad hand. You shook it, and the warmth of her skin only made you sweat more. Your heartbeat raced, and you could feel your shirt sticking to your lower back. Her voice sounded a million years away as she told you to take a seat next to a girl with dark hair. As you sat, she resumed teaching and you took the opportunity to scan the classroom. Everyone looked normal, just a bit paler than your peers in Phoenix. One boy stood out in particular, a mop of blond hair and pale, almost translucent, almost reflective skin, catching your eyes. He turned his head in that moment, returning your eye contact. A chill ran through you, the hairs on the back of your neck stood on end and your heart sped up. It was almost as if something deep down inside of you clicked, like a hole that you didn’t even know was there was stitched up by a golden thread. An overwhelming sense of tranquility washed over you and your heart slowed, you started breathing again, not that you ever noticed you stopped, and it felt like tiny little electric shocks traveled through your veins from your cheeks to the tips of your toes. Everything felt right. Everything was going to be okay.
#edward cullen#edwardcullen#jasper hale#jasper hale x reader#jasperhale#Bella Swan#bellaswan#charlie swan#charlieswan#chapter 3#twilight#twilight x reader#fanfiction#fanfic
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Merry Christmas @tragicallywicked! And SURPRISE! I was your Jalice secret Santa! 🥰🎄🙈
Now, let me introduce to you the 15k+ idea that was born last night and that I vomited up and edited in roughly 24 hours. Trust me, it doesn’t read like it’s a hastily-scrapped together fic; I pinky promise. I’m very proud of this fic. Sorry about the whump though. It wasn't unintentional; honest.
Summary: He contemplates telling Peter about Alice’s visits, but something holds him back from doing it. Perhaps because it doesn’t feel like Alice whenever she’s lying on his bedroom floor, curled in an old blanket that’s too small for him but perfectly sized for her, utterly still and silent even while awake. A part of him feels like it would be a betrayal to reveal this side of her to someone even as close to him as Peter is.
After all, Peter is his friend. And Alice is… well, not.
Title: No Friend of Mine
Words: 15,199
Rating: T
Read on: AO3 // or under the cut
He’s not friends with Alice Brandon.
Not really. But in the time it’s taken for him to even properly learn her name—Alice, not Mary-Alice, he hears her cheerfully inform a group of girls making nasty comments one day; comments designed to hurt, and to be overheard—she has apparently decided that Jasper is her friend, and that’s where things become a little confusing.
Maybe she’s just a glutton for punishment. After all, if she wanted an easy time of it, there was an entire list of things she could do to avoid it. That sounded mean, but it was true.
She’s just a weird girl. Plenty of those in the world. No crime about that. About girls who dance in the hallways between classes, or who talk to strangers with the friendliness of someone who’s known them for years. There is nothing wrong with the fact that Alice Brandon wears her hair in bizarre styles or wears clothes that... alright, well maybe that is something that he doesn’t understand, either. Not that he is an expert on fashion, but even Jasper knows her choices are strange.
Alice Brandon being weird doesn’t affect him in the way that it apparently offends most of the students in their tiny school. He can picture her fitting in better at a larger school in a different school district, perhaps. More students always meant more variety, diversity, and cliques. More students would’ve meant that there would have been a whole slew of other weird kids of Alice’s type that she could have hung out with.
But not in Fork’s high.
Which meant the day Alice showed up at his corner of the cafeteria, tray in hand as she grinned over at him and Peter, he felt something in him twist as she sat down beside him, making a remark to Peter he couldn’t quite focus on as he realized that with an absence of overt weirdos at the school, Alice was going to come to the next-best thing. Their little group of ‘misfits’.
He had glanced further down the rectangular table and made quick eye contact with Edward Cullen and Bella Swan, who had also noted the tiny dark-haired girl’s presence, but neither of them made a comment, and Jasper spent the rest of the lunch period wishing she’d sat down next to those two, and not himself and Peter.
It wasn’t to be mean. Truly. But Jasper preferred to go through life (and school) as completely unnoticed as possible. And for the first few weeks Alice Brandon had attended Fork’s high, it seemed that’s all she did: attract attention.
He’s not exactly friends with Alice Brandon.
After all, he knows so little about her. Only that she moved to Washington state about a couple months back with her family. That she’s a sophomore; a year behind both Peter and Jasper. And that she doesn’t need much encouragement, or participation really, when it comes to conversation. Alice can talk about anything and everything at length.
He knows, only because of the way she pronounces certain words, that she’s probably from the South. He knows, because his sister Rosalie has art with her, that she struggles a lot with simple tasks and often misunderstands requests from teachers. And he knows, because adults like to gossip when they don’t think teenagers are around, that the story as to why Alice’s family moved to that town is shrouded in some layer of secrecy.
Even when Bella, on one of the days Alice attempted to unite both ends of their lunch table in one cohesive conversation, had asked her a simple question about her ‘old school’ Alice had ignored the question entirely, before delving into an at-length explanation of the way she’d designed her favorite skirt.
Jasper had stood up and left lunch early that day. It wasn’t that he hated the girl, or even that he dislike her, but she bothered him so fiercely sometimes.
And they definitely weren’t friends.
So when she shows up unannounced at two o’clock in the morning on a Tuesday night, tossing tiny rocks up against his window, he doesn’t understand why.
He whispers down a series of questions at her, too shocked to understand what was going on.
What is she doing there? (She needs somewhere to stay for a few hours.)
Why? (Just because.)
How did she find his house? (School directory.)
Why did she come here? (It’s cold. Please.)
Later, he tells her she’s lucky his parent’s bedroom has windows that face the opposite direction of the house, meaning that they aren’t privy to their first conversation. But he shares a wall with Rosalie, he whispers to her as he leads her up the stairs, so she has to be quiet, he emphasizes the point with a look, as if doubting such a task is within her abilities.
Thankfully, it is possible for Alice Brandon to be quiet.
In fact, she doesn’t say anything that first night after he sneaks her up to his room and lets her curl up with an extra blanket on the floor beside his bed. Jasper isn’t even sure she’s slept; she’d been awake when he’d crawled back into bed, and then still awake when he’d awoken extra early the next morning. And when he explains that he can’t just drive her to school that day without getting in trouble—besides, Rosalie will have a fit (for more reason than one) if he emerges from his bedroom with Alice Brandon behind him—she only nods, asks for a drink of water, and thanks him as she sneaks out the front door, off back toward her house, he assumes.
Lunch that day is the same as any other. Alice’s bright smile greets him and Peter, her voice filling the space where comfortable silence and companionable conversation used to linger, and that’s when he starts paying attention.
To the fact that she rarely, if ever, eats anything. That her clothes, while layered strangely and often mis-matched, barely fit her small frame.
One day, a week after her first appearance at his house, Jasper is walking through the halls when he overhears Lauren Mallory loudly exclaim “God, do you know how to shut the fuck up?” Only to turn and watch Alice’s smile deflate.
He stops in his tracks at the sight because no ones comments have ever affected Alice like this. At least, as far as he’s seen. He even wonders if he should step in and say something, because Lauren isn’t finished with airing her frustrations at the tiny new girl, and each statement is growing more cruel than the last.
Before he can force his feet to move Bella Swan is already there, all stern words and deadly glances as she wraps an arm around the smaller girl and turns her away. Jasper can’t hear what she says but Lauren looks incensed and none of her friends are chiming in to help. And then Bella quickly whisks Alice away and Jasper realizes he’s still standing there, in the middle of the hallway, staring at their retreating forms.
He skips lunch that day, feeling like a coward for forcing shy, introverted Bella of all people to come to the harmless girl’s rescue, while he stood there, watching the scene alongside half a dozen others who happened to overhear the platinum blonde girl’s tirade.
Alice comes to him again that night, another handful of pebbles tossed to his window, but this time she doesn’t speak even when he does lean out his window to ask her questions.
What happened?
Is she alright?
Does she need a place to stay?
She nods at that question, and it’s all the reply Jasper needs before he’s closing the window and tiptoeing down the stairs, guilt and worry dancing around inside his brain.
But Alice is quiet as a mouse as he leads her up into his room. She quickly occupies the same spot on the floor next to Jasper’s bed. Like before, she has brought only a small backpack with her. Whether she owns a phone or not doesn’t occur to him—he’s never seen her use one before, even at lunch—but she never once retrieves anything from the bag.
With the pillow and blanket Jasper tosses her way, she’s curled up and asleep in minutes. This time, it’s Jasper who doesn’t sleep as he lays awake, his attention torn between this small schoolmate of his and his guilty conscience that makes him wonder if today would have gone differently if he’d come to her aid.
But morning comes, Alice leaves, and then when he sees her at school later she’s good as new. Talking and laughing and dancing through the halls like always.
He contemplates telling Peter about Alice’s visits, but something holds him back from doing it. Perhaps because it doesn’t feel like Alice whenever she’s lying on his bedroom floor, curled in an old blanket that’s too small for him but perfectly sized for her, utterly still and silent even while awake. A part of him feels like it would be a betrayal to reveal this side of her to someone even as close to him as Peter is.
After all, Peter is his friend. And Alice is… well, not.
It’s something he wishes he could tell Rosalie about. He loves his sister more than anyone else in this world but she’s too… involved in everything. He knows that she second she finds out it will mean the end of his privacy for the foreseeable future. It doesn’t help that he isn’t entirely sure that Rosalie won’t also say something rude to Alice. Nothing as cruel as Lauren Mallory’s blow-up, but still. Rosalie isn’t typically known for her warmth and consideration when it comes to outsiders…
It’s the night she shows up to his house for the third time, when things begin to change.
Her purple hoodie is pulled up tight over her head when he opens the window to get a good look at her. The material is certainly too thin for the weather she’s out in, but Jasper’s never seen her in anything warmer.
Alice tilts her head up toward him, and when his eyes fall upon her split lip, he doesn’t ask a single question. He almost slams the window shut and moves so fast down the stairs that he knows if he isn’t careful he’ll wake Rosalie and their parents.
She’s waiting on his doorstep when he finally swings the door open, ushering her into the house quickly and quietly.
The instant his bedroom door is closed he flicks his standing fan on it’s highest setting and pushes it close to the door. He’s going to need the white noise to drown out any noise their conversation makes. And he’s going to need her to talk tonight.
“Alice,” his voice is barely more than a whisper, but she ignores him. “Hey, Alice.” And when he ducks down to look her in her eyes, she averts her gaze. “What happened?” His head is swimming with thoughts and ideas and worst-case-scenarios, and as he looks at her face—the split lip, her bleeding cheek, and her swollen eye—he feels worry and fury at war within himself.
These are no ‘accidental’ injuries. Jasper knows with a sinking feeling that running into a doorframe, or tripping on the stairs, didn’t cause this injury.
(His mind is filled with images of the night Rose came home looking similar, and the rage that ignites in his body is hard to reason with.)
“Who did this?” Jasper’s words are slow and careful, but they are not quiet and he doesn’t know if he can be anymore. But Alice doesn’t reply, instead looking anywhere but him, as if she’s embarrassed or ashamed of herself.
But she came here, a voice in his head reminds him. And he doesn’t know if she’s aware of the weight of that—of this trust she apparently has in him—but he is.
He asks her to sit on his bed and then sneaks off to the bathroom in the hall, and then while Alice cleans blood off of her face with a damp rag he tiptoes downstairs to grab an ice pack from the freezer. When he returns she’s already pulled the spare blanket tight around her shoulders, and is lying on the ground.
“Alice,” he says softly, his chest aching at the sight of her, curled up so small on the ground, hurt and quiet. “Get up, I’ve got ice for your face.”
But Alice doesn’t movie, so he’s forced on the ground beside her. It’s when he places a tentative on her shoulder that he realizes she’s shaking with silent sobs. She only curls up tighter at his touch, and Jasper withdraws his hands immediately. He has the thought that maybe he should wake Rosalie, and let her come help. Surely, and despite all of his sister’s prickliness, Rose is better suited for a task like this. Jasper has never been good at comforting people with his words.
“Alice,” he doesn’t know what to say, and has less of an idea of what to do. But eventually she rolls over to face him and reaches out for the ice pack wordlessly. He hands it over and watches, speechless, as she simply presses the ice to her cheek, still not looking up at him.
“Will you tell me what happened?” He asks, feeling as if he already knows the answer, and when she shakes her head and closes her eyes tighter, the pain in Jasper’s chest throbs. “Okay,” he says, because no matter how badly he wants to know, he knows that her showing up here is significant. That there is trust here, despite the fact that Jasper hardly understands why. But it’s trust that seems so fragile that he’s terrified of shattering it if he pushes too hard.
By five o’clock she’s up and moving, and Jasper—who hadn’t slept a wink, instead choosing to lie awake and watch Alice, to make sure she was still breathing as she slept—is requesting that she stay. He offers to play hooky and encourages her to do the same.
She contemplates the offer before nodding to herself. But she leaves anyways, accepting a new ice pack on the way out of the door. She’s gone seconds before his dad is padding through the kitchen, ready to turn on the coffee maker, and Jasper’s heart is palpitating because he doesn’t know what to do.
“You’re up awfully early,” the man grumbles as Jasper wanders into the kitchen. Joseph Hale is a quiet man. A good father, despite how rarely he’s at home due to work. They aren’t alike in many ways other than disposition, but Jasper always enjoys when his father is around. During his absences, his mother often disappears for days at a time, only appearing to change clothes, or argue with Rosalie. With Joseph around Jasper can almost pretend they are a normal, happy family.
His father’s words rip him out of his reverie. “By god… what happened to you?”
Jasper blinks up at his dad before realizing he’s holding the bloody rag Alice used to clean up her face. He blanches at the sight, forgetting he’d even been holding it, and then just shrugs. “Woke up with a nosebleed.”
Joseph shakes his head, frowning as he gestures to the towel. “Your mom’s going to have a fit that you used one of her good towels.”
“I’ll clean it before school.”
Joseph hums, already moving on from this conversation to dig through the cabinets for a bowl for his breakfast. “There should be peroxide under the sink.”
Jasper spends twenty minutes dousing the hand towel with hydrogen peroxide in an attempt to clean Alice’s blood out of the fabric. And by the time the stain is just a faded brown against the cream-colored towel, he can hear Rosalie’s alarm going off.
The drive to school that morning is tense, and the hours leading up to lunch pass by in a blur. Jasper’s mind isn’t focusing on anything, and when Mrs. Chapel calls on him in math class he realizes he hasn’t even pulled his textbook from his backpack.
When lunch rolls around it’s clear to him, as he walks into the cafeteria with a mixture of relief and disappointment, that Alice isn’t there today. He isn’t the only one who has noticed her absence, and as he’s passing through the cafeteria he hears one of Lauren Mallory’s friends make a loud remark.
“Looks like the clown got stuck back at the circus today,” Carson Keys declares loudly enough for Jasper to hear him, three tables away. He turns to look at the dark-haired jackass, knowing that these are the comments they usually reserve for Alice’s eavesdropping ears. But Alice isn’t here today, and Jasper knows why.
And Jasper also knows that there’s a reason he’s never been the victim of any bullying at this school. Despite his misanthropic nature, he isn’t a very easy target. Maybe it’s because he’s one of the taller ones in the school, or maybe its the rumor that circulated last year when he was a sophomore, that he’d killed a senior for messing around with his sister.
But despite the very thorough beating he’d been given, Royce King was still very much alive, despite his swift disappearance from both the school district and social media. The King family had wanted to quiet the ‘incident’ as quickly as they could and had quietly moved somewhere East of Seattle.
The days spent in juvenile court and subsequent six months of house arrest had been worth it, in Jasper’s eyes.
It doesn’t bother Jasper one bit that many of the students are convinced Jasper has killed someone. Anything that keeps people away from him, and prevents others from harming Rose any further, is worth it in his eyes.
Jasper watches as Carson’s joke causes their table to erupt in giggles and head-shakes. Before he knows what he’s doing he’s walking over to the table, a twinge of fury forcing his feet forward.
He goes unnoticed until he picks up one of their textbooks and drops it from shoulder-level. The noise makes a sharp clap that causes the surrounding table to flinch and turn towards the source. Silence seizes most of his classmates as their eyes turn to bore into his form, and Jasper is almost thankful for this awful, unwanted attention. Their unease will certainly make this more effective.
Carson realizes it’s Jasper Hale standing beside him a few seconds after his friends are quiet and staring, and the grin slips off his face so fast it’s almost comical. “Hey Hale,” he says stupidly, and Jasper can almost feel the regret filling the air. “What’s up?”
Jasper doesn’t speak at first, and for a second he wonders if maybe he does have some sort of anger issue like his lawyer suggested, because watching Carson squirm in his seat while his other tough-talking friends are suddenly suspiciously quiet is very, very enjoyable.
He doesn’t issue any threatening quips or waste time with a joke of his own. No, instead Jasper leans in close, forcing Carson to back up a few inches, his eyes wide. “Say it again. Go on.”
Carson of course, doesn’t. Instead looking to his friends for help. It’s Whitney Barnes who chimes in first.
“It’s just a joke,” she says nastily, rolling her eyes at Jasper’s presence as she moves her attention to her phone, lying on the table. “It’s not a big deal.”
Whitney’s dismissal of Jasper’s actions seems to encourage Carson again. He pulls a grin back on his face, “We mean no harm, bro. Mary-Alice is a fun little thing.” He looks back to Jasper but something in his expression makes his smile fall again. “No harm, man,” he’s backpedaling again, lifting his hands up in front of him, as if to claim he doesn’t want any trouble.
It’s only Rosalie’s appearance at his side that keeps him from doing anything he regrets.
He can tell its her immediately by the way she grips the side of his shirt, bunching up the material in his fist and tugging twice. (Something she has done for as long as he can remember.) “C’mon,” her voice is quiet but annoyed. “Old man Bakers is watching.” She speaks, referring to the assistant principal that roams the halls during the student’s ‘free’ periods.
Carson’s face brightens at the appearance of his sister, but before he can open his mouth to say anything mindless, she chimes in. “I don’t want to hear it. Just keep your mouth shut.”
“But I—”
“No. Stop. I have a test next and I’m losing braincells. Shut up.” Rosalie is already walking away, Jasper’s shirt still gripped tightly as she leads him back the way he came. “You too, Miss Perpetual-Understudy.” Rosalie calls over her shoulder to Whitney, hitting the girl where it hurts. Always a very Rosalie thing to do; to say as little as possible while inflicting the most damage she can.
“I don’t know what you’re doing, but stop it,” she grits through her teeth once they’re out of earshot. “If you start a fight at school they’ll slap that ankle monitor back on you before Carson’s dumb face will hit the linoleum.”
It’s an amusing thing to imagine, but he doesn’t want to irritate Rosalie any further, so he just shrugs noncommittally.
“What’s that all about anyways?” She demands as she drags him to her table. It’s still mostly-empty, thankfully. Only Emmett is there yet, and a couple other members of the football team that are nice enough. He likes Emmett for the most part. Most of the guys in school had been afraid of Jasper, and too terrified to get anywhere near Rosalie after last year’s incident. Emmett, on the other hand, had cornered Jasper the day he’d been allowed back at school and thanked him for doing what he didn’t get the chance to.
Jasper tries not to have to many opinions on his sister’s dating life now, but some days he thinks that Emmett wouldn’t be the worst choice if Rosalie decides to reciprocate the big guy’s obvious feelings.
“Nothing,” he speaks quietly as Rose sits in her seat. He knows that she wants him to sit with her and fill her in, but Jasper has never been comfortable around her friends. And he isn’t about to entertain their companionship on today of all days; he’s far too wound up.
“I heard Carson say something rude about that Alice girl,” the boy next to Emmett, whose name Jasper doesn’t know, chimes in. “Loud as shit, of course. But I didn’t hear much else,” he looks up at Jasper and shrugs. “You gotta do what you gotta do man. I would fully support your decision if you clocked him. Morally support, I mean. I can’t physically or I’ll lose my scholarship to UW.”
“No one is getting ‘clocked’,” Rosalie shoots the guy a glare before turning to Jasper and tugging on his shirt again. “Also, if you tried intimidating every person who’s been mean to Alice you’re going to have a long list.” She tugs on his shirt a third time, “sit.”
As Jasper settles into the seat beside his sister, absolutely dreading the next half hour, Emmett chimes in. “She’s a funny girl,” the curly-haired guys speaks, taking an enormous bite of his sandwich, “she told me she’d make me a bracelet the other day because I told her I liked her hair.” The boy next to him snorts and Emmett laughs, “What?” He speaks, mouth full, “like I’m going to say no to a free bracelet?! You’re out of your damn mind.”
“She’s friendly alright,” Rose speaks, turning her gaze back to Jasper. “Don’t know why she likes your prickly ass.”
“I’m not prickly,” Jasper deadpans, accepting the bag of chips Rose shoves into his hands.
Emmett laughs at that one. “Because you’re so warm and cuddly.”
“Em, hush.”
“I’m just playing around. But seriously. I like her. She’s fun.” He takes a sip of soda and fixes Jasper with another look. “Besides, I don’t think she has an easy time of it. My little sister is in her sister Cynthia’s class down at the grade school,” Jasper’s attention perks up at that. Alice has a sister? “According to Jennie, some accident that killed their mom messed Alice’s head up. I think it was a car accident. I’m not sure. It’s really sad though.”
A few members of the table nod at that, a morose feeling falling over them as more of Rosalie’s friends arrive, and then when Daniel Langfield starts telling the story of his uncle’s life-claiming car wreck, Jasper feels his mind wander.
He supposes that’s the day he halfway ‘befriends’ Alice Brandon.
Of course it would be the day she’s not even at school.
If anything he feels less like a friend and more like a protector. Or a guard dog. Like someone willing to do what it takes to keep people off her fucking back, and out of her goddamned business.
Later that night, before he climbs into bed, he rips a piece of notebook paper out of his binder and scribbles a small message on it.
I’m here if you want to talk about it.
He doesn’t see her the following morning, but he slips the note into her locker anyways. It isn’t until he’s walking to his first period class when he realizes he never signed the paper, and up until lunch he kicks himself, feeling much like a weirdo or a creep for delivering such a cryptic, out-of-context note.
But Alice is already waiting for him by the doors of the cafeteria when he finally sees her for the first time that day. She grins up at him, like she always does at school, big and wide, and Jasper is nearly stunned by the fact that she looks completely fine.
Whatever makeup she’s painted her face with that day has made her look entirely normal. But when she chatters at him, walking at his side as they wander across the cafeteria, he notices that her left eye is still a bit swollen, and blinks a bit slower than her right. Her expertly applied lipstick has nearly hidden her fat lip completely.
Peter isn’t there that day. He’d had a dentist appointment and left during the last period, so it’s only them today.
He knows that no one is listening in; if anything, the students of Forks’ High have begun practicing the art of tuning out Alice Brandon’s voice, but he still keeps his voice low when he asks her how she is.
“I’m fine,” she smiles up at him, before she opens her sketchbook and asks him for his input on her current art project.
“Did you get my note?”
She pauses then, smiling down at the still-life on the paper in front of her. Then, she reaches out and grabs the top of his hand, squeezing tightly before releasing it. She doesn’t so much as glance at him while she does this, and in seconds she’s already back to discussing her day.
Jasper knows that he isn’t going to get anything out of her today, and instead he pays attention to her every movement, and every quirk, watching her closely as she explains her current portrait and pulls out colored pencils, slowly working while she prattles on about some anecdote from gym class.
And with each day that passes he finds himself more curious about her. She doesn’t reveal anything during the school day, instead using their lunch period to talk and hum and laugh. He sits at her side, forgoing his music or books to simply watch and listen to her. But as the days pass, her face heals, and Alice reveals nothing.
He knows its only a matter of time before she shows up in his yard at night.
But the next time it happens, he has some warning.
Alice isn’t in school for four days. He hasn’t heard anything from the other students, and why would he? He’s the one she spends most of her time around anyways. If anything, the other students probably assume he knows whether she’s sick or not. By Thursday, even Peter asks him if he knows where she is. Jasper hates how he feels when he wordlessly shakes his head, anxiously picking the bread off the burger in front of him.
It’s Friday when Bella Swan approaches him in the parking lot while he waits for Rosalie. She startles him at first; he’d been sitting in his car listening to music when she tapped on the window. And when he turns the music down and lowers the window, she swiftly apologizes. He just barely takes note of Edward standing a few feet away.
“You haven’t heard from Alice, have you?”
Jasper shakes his head. “No.” He says simply, and then, “I don’t have her number.”
Bella frowns. “She doesn’t have a phone,” she explains, “I’m just…” she straightens back up, folding her arms and she turns back toward Edward. The redhead nods and Bella turns back toward Jasper. “I’m really, really worried.”
“Why?” Jasper shuts the car off then. Something in Bella’s expression causes alarms to go off in his mind, and he’s climbing back out of the old sedan before he can help it. “What makes you say that?”
Bella looks back at Edward again, and the redhead sighs and approaches. “You didn’t hear this from me,” he speaks quietly, looking around to make sure no one overhears. “My dad asked me last night whether I was friends with Alice. And I didn’t even know that he knew who that was. I…” he looked a bit embarrassed then, “I sort of weaseled a little bit of information out of him. But I think something happened to her that put her in the hospital. My dad didn’t say much but, you know how adults get when they want you to befriend someone else or ‘keep an eye’ on them or whatever? It was really weird and… kind of telling.”
“Do you know anything?” Bella asks, and her voice is so pleading, her face filled with so much worry that eventually he starts talking. He tells them about her first visit, and then about her second. And he’s rambling by the time he gets to her third, and most recent visit. It isn’t until he’s talking about her bloodied face and the fact that she cried as quietly as she could, curled up on the floor of his bedroom, when a voice chimes in.
“So that’s where Mom’s good towel went.”
His blood freezes in his veins when he realizes that Rosalie has snuck up behind them, unnoticed. Emmett McCarty is standing behind her, looking nervous at the fact that they have just overheard Jasper’s hurried confession.
Bella looks nervous at their intrusion, and Edward’s face is stern. Rosalie is glaring daggers at her brother, and it’s Emmett that chimes in eventually.
“What can we do?”
When their eyes all drift to Jasper, he feels as if his chest is about to cave in on itself. He doesn’t know how to tell them that he doesn’t know what to do. “Bella says she doesn’t have a phone.”
“Can’t we pull up to her house? Check on her at least?” The concern scrawled across Emmett’s features make him look far less menacing than he usually comes off as—he’s the only one in the Junior class taller than Jasper.
“That’s the last thing we should do,” Rosalie snaps, her words quiet. “The second you try to white-knight your way into whatever situation she’s dealing with, you’ll immediately make it ten times worse for her.” Rose speaks her words with the confidence of someone who truly knows what Alice’s situation is like, and it shuts everyone else up immediately.
There’s silence, then, Edward speaks. “We still don’t know what she’s dealing with. Let’s not assume.”
Rosalie glares at him then. “If your dad was dealing with her at the fucking emergency room, it wasn’t just a check up or a misunderstanding. Don’t be an idiot.”
“I’ll talk to Jennie when I get home,” Emmett offers, referring to his little sister who is classmates with Alice’s sister. “See if Cynthia has said anything at school.”
Bella nods, “Kids see and hear a lot more than people give them credit for.”
Rosalie speaks only to Jasper. “If she comes to you again, that’s a good thing. I can help cover your ass if you need it, but if you push her too much you will drive her away. Whatever you do, don’t go getting yourself arrested again, or I’ll beat you to a pulp.” Then, to everyone else, “If you really want to help her, give her space and mind your business. She’ll either come around, or she won’t. You can’t force it.” She climbs into the passenger seat, “Let’s go, Jasper.”
The drive home is quiet, and painfully awkward. Jasper keeps waiting for Rosalie to snap at him, or for her attitude to catch up, but when she reaches out and grabs a fistful of his shirt, holding it in her hand, he understands.
“I’m sorry I didn’t trust you enough,” she speaks as he turns into their neighborhood, approaching the house. “I wish I had asked for help before it was too late. But,” there’s another patch of silence as he parks in the driveway before she speaks again, “Alice is trusting you with whatever is happening. Don’t take that for granted, and don’t fuck it up. She’ll decide what you can do to help her at her own pace.” Opening the door to the car she stands up as she gathers her things. “Don’t go trying to fuck your life up again. Please.” Then, she slams it and walks toward the house.
Alice doesn’t visit that night, but on Saturday night he’s restless. He picks up his phone and re-reads that day’s text messages. He’s comforted knowing that he isn’t the only person who has been plagued with worry over Alice that day. Bella confesses that she name dropped Alice in conversation with her father—the chief of police—who also pulled something akin to Edward’s dad, requesting his daughter to be nice to the girl and perhaps invite her over sometime.
It is confirmation enough that whatever is happening to Alice was known by both hospital workers and police. This information is enough for Jasper’s concern to turn into something far more nauseating. He’s not even comforted by the involvement of people outside of Alice’s situation, because if what was happening to her was severe enough for the police chief and Doctor Carlisle Cullen to be involved, it wasn’t good.
He’s up late, re-reading Emmett’s most recent texts, explaining that Jennie didn’t see Cynthia on Thursday or Friday, when the first rock knocks against his window.
He doesn’t even rush over to it, instead flinging his bedroom door open and zooming down the stairs as quick as possible—he’s never been so happy for his father to be on a work trip and for his mother to be off and absent once more than he is when he barges through the front door and runs to the side of the house.
The sight of Alice standing beneath his window, preparing to fling another pebble, her face wincing in pain, is both a relief as well as a worry.
She jumps at his sudden appearance, stumbling back as fear flickers across her face. It only takes her a second to realize who is rushing toward her, but by the time recognition calms her, Jasper has already slowed himself.
She’s wearing her purple hoodie again, and her face is black and blue. She reaches up to pull her hood tighter around her face and that’s when Jasper takes note of the pink cast encasing her forearm.
“Alice,” he breathes, approaching slower as he reaches out to her. Thankfully she doesn’t recoil from him and instead walks directly toward him. When she wraps her arms around him, Jasper doesn’t hesitate to hold her close. With her embrace he feels all the tension slowly seep out of him, and it’s when he feels her shivering that he steps back, keeping an arm over her shoulders as he guides her toward the house.
She’s as quiet as she typically is during all of her visits, so Jasper decides to fill the silence instead.
He talks at her mostly, prompting input here and there, but Alice is content to sit quietly on his bed as he rifles through his closet. He eventually finds a winter coat that stopped fitting him before high school and tosses it on the bed beside her. He tells her that it belongs to her now and that he wants to see her wearing it next time she decides to make the trek to his house at night.
He asks her how far she lives, and even when she doesn’t reply he informs her that he has a car, and can pick her up at a moment’s notice if she ever needs him to. He also asks about her phone situation, knowing that she doesn’t have access to a cell phone, but that if she has access to a computer, his phone dings when he gets an email. He can put her email in his contacts so that it rings loudly any time she sends a message his way.
He offers her food, and even when she doesn’t accept (or decline) he disappears for a few minutes, returning with some reheated pizza and a couple of glasses of water.
She accepts the water with a smile, and seeing the light in her eyes, despite how battered her face looks, does something strange to Jasper’s chest.
It’s when he asks her if she’s tired that she finally gives him a response, shaking her head.
“In that case,” he walks over to his desk, unplugging his laptop and carrying it over to the bed, depositing it in front of her. “We can watch a movie.”
He sneaks back into the hallway, and is rifling through the hall closet, retrieving extra pillows and blankets, when Rosalie’s door opens and he freezes, turning toward her with a look akin to a deer caught in headlights.
“Here,” his sister whispers as she tosses something his way, “she can keep these.” Before they can fall to the ground Jasper plucks the cotton pajamas out of the air, nodding toward his sister. With her voice low she then tacks on a threat, “and don’t eat all the pizza. I was saving some for lunch tomorrow.”
He smiles at her as she closes the door softly behind her, trying to decide whether its best to lie to Alice about the blue pajamas or to just tell them they’re a gift from Rosalie.
In reality, he doesn’t need to say anything, because when he presents them to her she smiles up at him, softly thanking him before placing them on the bed beside her.
“I’m serious,” he remarks as he turns the laptop toward him, opening and starting it up. “They’re all yours. They were Rose’s in like, freshman year before she got her growth spurt.”
“I doubt they’ll fit,” Alice’s voice finally rings out clear, and Jasper counts that as a win.
Jasper smirks over at her as he logs into Peter’s Netflix account. “Trust me, I wasn’t the only one who grew nearly half a foot freshman year. The money we spent on clothes that year was a little excessive.”
Alice excuses herself to the hallway bathroom a minute after that, and when she returns, dressed more comfortably now, Jasper smiles. “My uh, parents aren’t home by the way, so you can stay as long as you need.”
She doesn’t reply, but she does climb back into his bed, and when she wraps the old blue blanket around her shoulders—a blanket that Jasper is beginning to view as hers—she scoots herself into the corner of his bed, resting her back against his headboard and pillows.
Jasper is careful to keep his distance as he settles himself beside her, but Alice is quick to scoot closer, and when he asks if she has any suggestions or requests, she simply shakes her head, smiling at the screen, her chin resting atop her knees.
She is asleep twenty minutes into the movie, her head knocking against his shoulder as her exhaustion wins out. Jasper remains still for a while after that, barely paying any attention to the random animated movie, afraid of waking the girl up. Eventually he moves her carefully so that she’s lying down more comfortably. Closing the laptop he moves to place it back on his desk when her hand shoots out, gripping his arm tightly.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he speaks quietly, his heart breaking at the flash of desperation—of fear—in her suddenly-open eyes, depositing the laptop on the ground and climbing back into his bed. It feels strange, to lie down beside this girl that he knows hardly anything about, but when she wraps her good hand around his, Jasper turns toward her, wrapping his fingers tightly around hers, returning the gesture. She is asleep again within minutes.
Multiple times he attempts to remove himself from his own bed. After all, he shouldn’t be doing this. He shouldn’t be staring at this girl as she sleeps, entirely unguarded, her face swollen from what could only be a beating, and for a while he lies there, frozen in both anger and helplessness.
Because Alice is good. A sweet girl with nothing but a smile to offer and friendship to give.
When he wakes up late the following morning, he doesn’t know why he feels sour at her absence. Deep down he knew she wouldn’t be still lying beside him, but in some far off part of his mind, he’d hoped for it.
It’s when he’s sitting up in bed, orienting himself with his surroundings when he hears familiar laughter echoing from Rosalie’s room.
He’s up and in the hallway in seconds.
Rosalie’s door is propped open, and inside of her bedroom there are people. It seems during the few extra hours Jasper stayed unconscious, his sister had invited over company.
Emmett is sitting completely still in the chair of Rosalie’s vanity, far too big for the tiny white furniture, and looking ridiculous as Rosalie leans forward, carefully applying makeup to his large face. Bella Swan stands at her side, holding Rosalie’s iPad in one hand, displaying a picture of whatever look his sister is trying to achieve on the face of Fork’s High’s star linebacker, and in her other hand are a slew of makeup brushes.
Edward is standing closest to the door, recording the entire debacle on his phone while Alice, who is lying across Rosalie’s bed, still clad in her blue pajamas is laughing and laughing and laughing.
It’s such a strange group of people, he realizes abruptly. Jasper is only acquainted with Bella and Edward through the far-off lunch table they all share, since it’s the only corner of the cafeteria that offers an escape from the rowdiness of their classmates. Emmett, of course, he knows through Rosalie, and has always been a friendly, funny guy, but Rosalie has always been careful about who she lets into her social circles. Especially now.
And last Jasper knew his sister couldn’t stand the pretentious red-head in the grade behind them. But if Jasper knows anything, it’s to never underestimate Rosalie Lillian Hale, and quickly he realizes that in the time between her handing off pajamas to him last night, and this morning, she’s carefully calculated this entire thing. From the guests to the activity.
Because the only thing everyone in this room has in common, is Alice.
When she notices him, she sits up, grinning widely at him. The yellowing bruises on her face stick out sorely against her skin that is pink and flushed from laughter, but when she beckons him inside of the room, drawing everyone’s attention from Emmett’s face to Jasper’s presence, he can’t help but smile back.
He carefully turns down the invitation to be ‘next’, and when Rosalie remarks that there are plenty of photos in tucked away albums of their older cousins putting Jasper in makeup and dresses when they were small, the entire room of teenagers look delighted at that information.
“Oh, please tell me you have that album handy,” Alice exclaims, gripping his hand fiercely as she bounces on Rosalie’s bed.
“Hell no.”
“I’ll show you some other time,” Rosalie comments dismissively as she holds Emmett’s jaw tight in her hand. “Now, do we want to go more pink or orange-ish…?”
And that’s how their Sunday begins.
Eventually they make their way from Rosalie’s room into the living room and then soon they’re piling into Jasper’s and Emmett’s cars, after Bella’s stomach had rumbled and Emmett declared that it was time for food. Of course, he took every ounce of makeup off before they left, and Alice changed back into the clothes she’d arrived in the night before.
The day passes so quickly and it’s so fun that Jasper hardly realizes how much he’s enjoying himself until the sun is nearly down and they’re hanging out in the parking lot of the bowling alley they just played in. But Bella has a late shift at Newton’s and Emmett needs to take them back to his car, which is at Rosalie and Jasper’s house. Then Rose declares that she has a paper to finish tonight and suddenly the day is spiraling to a close.
“I’ll see you at home,” she nods at him as she climbs into the passenger seat of Emmett’s Jeep. He simply nods, waving at them as they pull away.
And then it’s just him and Alice left.
He turns toward her after Emmett’s car disappears into the night, only to see her staring after the Jeep, a deep-set frown in her face.
“What do you want to do?” He asks, because he knows it has to be her decision now.
She steps up next to him and grabs his hand tightly, and that’s when Jasper feels her shaking again. He knows it’s not because of the cold; she’s finally wearing the jacket he’d given her the night before. But she’s shaking now and he doesn’t know what to do other than pull her against his side and hold her close.
“We can go back to my house,” he offers firmly, but quietly, as she nestles closely against him, her face pressed into his own coat. “You can stay as long as you want. I mean it.”
She shakes her head after a long moment. “I have to go home.”
“Are you going to be okay?”
She doesn’t answer his question.
Turn by turn directions are all she has to provide for him; she’s still so new to the town that even despite how small it is she only knows her way around when they’re close to the school. So he loops back toward Fork’s High and then Alice begins directing him from there.
They’re only a few streets away—surprisingly close to his house—when she grabs his hand suddenly. “Stop the car.”
Jasper slows the car down to a crawl, pulling it over to the side of the road. He doesn’t see anything that would cause her to erupt in fear like that; they’re still several yards from the next turn, bringing them toward where Alice said her house was.
“Here is fine,” she says in a hurry, unbuckling herself swiftly. When she starts to remove his jacket he reaches out and grabs her arm.
“Alice, that’s for you. Keep it, please.”
“I can’t,” she says desperately as she shimmies her arms out of the sleeves. It takes her a while to yank her left arm, cast and all, out of the jacket, but when she pushes it unceremoniously into his arms, he’s so confused. “Please, understand.”
“I don’t,” he says honestly, a little hurt by her actions, “that’s… that’s fine. Just—” he frowns, “how do you usually get to school? The bus?”
She shakes her head as she lifts her small bag up and throws it over her shoulder. “I walk. It’s fine, I’ll see you in school this week.”
He reaches out again, careful not to grab her broken wrist, and his hand lands softly on her shoulder. “Not tomorrow?”
Alice is anxious now, her eyes looking for something out in the dark, and Jasper hates this. Hates that she comes to him at night but doesn’t let him help. Hates that she does so much talking, but doesn’t reveal anything. Hates that he can’t fix whatever is wrong.
“I’m worried about you,” he eventually says when she flings the door open and moves to depart.
The look she fixes him with then is stern, and Jasper worries that he’s said something wrong.
Alice leans back into the car, and with her good hand she reaches toward him, cupping his cheek warmly, and stunning him into silence. He’s frozen for a few seconds, watching her every move cautiously, and when she smiles up at him, soft and beautiful, any other words he was thinking are suddenly wiped clear.
“Don’t.” And she’s gone in seconds, running off into the dark faster than he can keep up with his eyes.
He doesn’t go directly home afterward. Instead he drives around for a little while. Alice wouldn’t give him her address, and he’s almost nervous to accidentally stumble across her house now, so he steers clear of the residential streets. He’s halfway to La Push when he realizes he needs to go back home, because Rose will be waiting for him.
Rose and Emmett are waiting for him when he returns. It’s something that sort of surprises him, because as far as he knows, his sister has sworn off dating. Not that the two appear to be an item. But again: it’s not a secret that Emmett McCarty loves his sister.
When he walks through the door they’re in the kitchen, and their conversation dies when they note his presence.
“How’d it go?” Emmett asks, frowning from where he sits at the kitchen table across from Rosalie.
Jasper shrugs, turning to walk toward the stairs.
“Jasper,” his sister calls, standing up from the table. “Did something happen?”
“No,” he finally speaks. And it’s true. Nothing happened. No progress in their ‘friendship’. No discoveries on his part. Instead the status quo remains very much unchanged. He still doesn’t know how to help Alice, and she is still unwilling to let him in.
It’s when Rosalie takes note of the small jacket under Jasper’s arm when she finally closes her mouth and nods, turning back to sit back at the table, looking strangely defeated.
He doesn’t sleep well that night, or the next.
The rumors start circulating quickly then. It seems that some senior was at the bowling alley with their parents on the same day they’d taken Alice out on her outing. Word quickly got around that the tiny girl looked like she’d been in a boxing match, bruised and broken and still missing from school.
The worst of the rumors made their way back to him through Edward. Some group of kids in the freshman class were apparently under the impression that her absence and physical state were due to Jasper’s actions. Of course, it is a widely-known fact now that Jasper has a ‘reputation for violence’; whether it’s misplaced or not isn’t for Jasper to decide. But that rumor makes him feel sick to his stomach.
It becomes so bad that, with his dad still away on work and his mom god-knows-where, Jasper stays home from school on Thursday. Rosalie doesn’t even attempt to rouse him out of bed, just accepting his keys and telling him she’ll see him after school.
It’s around noon that he forces himself out of his bedroom. He doesn’t have an appetite so he simply shrugs on his coat, pulls on his boots, and goes for a walk.
He wanders through the neighborhood for a while, down one street, up another, until he finds himself wandering through Tillicum Park. He used to come here more often when he was younger. It was the one place his parents would let him and Rosalie wander off to on their own. And then when he was in middle school a man in a van had pulled up beside some of his classmates and he and Rose had been forbidden from walking there alone after that.
It has been several years since he’s sat on the swings here. And as he wanders toward where he knows the play equipment is, he finds himself freezing in his tracks.
Because there is a little girl sitting by herself on the swings.
He looks around then, but it’s barely one o’clock on a Thursday afternoon, and this girl can’t be any older than seven or eight. He contemplates moving on with his walk—after all, it was barely a decade ago when his mother would shoo him and Rose out the door and off to the park—but something forces him to approach the child.
He doesn’t want to scare the girl, so he gives her a wide berth as he loops around to the front of the swings, approaching from where the kid can see him. And when she looks up at him, Jasper hates that her terrified expression is vaguely familiar to him…
But when she the fear disappears, relief is quick to take it’s place on her face. The girl smiles at him and releases her grip on one of the chains to wave at him. “Hi!” She exclaims, her legs dangling beneath her as the swing sways in the wind.
Jasper looks around then. “Hi there.” He doesn’t even see any cars parked in the lot across the way. “Are your parents around?”
She shakes her head as she starts pumping her little feet, and then she starts going higher and higher on the swing set. “No, my Mommy is dead,” she says matter-of-factly, and Jasper frowns at that.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” he says awkwardly, hands in his pockets as he keeps his eyes on the horizon, waiting for someone to come claim this child. Something in him tells him not to wander off. Sure, he doesn’t want to seem like a weirdo creep, talking to alone little girls, but he doesn’t want an actual one to come and snatch this girl up while she’s swinging here, all alone.
“S’okay,” she mumbles sadly as she swings back and forth. “I miss lots of people. And stuff. And my friends, too.”
“Is your dad around?”
“No,” she shakes her head, and a dark, angry look falls across her tiny features. “He’s at home being a jerk.”
“Are you supposed to be at home?”
“Doesn’t matter.” She kicks her legs angrily as she talks, “Not allowed to be at home. And I don’t wanna go to school.”
“You don’t like school?”
She shakes her head, still pouting as she swings back, and forth. “I told the teachers Daddy was being mean and then I got in trouble. And I told them not to say nothing!”
That revelation didn’t sit well with him. “Being mean?”
She’s quiet for a few seconds, her feet ceasing motion as she thinks to herself. Then, she’s pushing and pulling her feet back and forth again. “I’m not supposed to say things to adults, so you should go to your job or something.”
“I don’t have a job,” he offered, “but I didn’t go to school today either.” He looks around once more. “Is there someone I can call to come get you? Someone that’s not your dad?”
The girl shakes her head. “Alice isn’t allowed to. Dad says she has to stay at home so we don’t get in trouble again.”
Jasper’s entire world shifts with those words. “Alice?” He steps closer. That’s when he notices the little girls arms, full of brightly-colored beads, homemade bracelets that Jasper suddenly recognizes. “Is Alice your sister?”
The child nods, and when she pouts again Jasper suddenly realizes why this girl looks so familiar.
There’s a memory somewhere in his mind where Emmett revealed this little girl’s name, but that particular piece of information is out of his reach. “My name is Jasper. What’s yours?”
And then she says, “Cynthia Brandon” confirming his suspicions.
“Is Alice in trouble?” He begins to approach Cynthia then, but then stops and hesitates. Then, he walks to a swing several feet away and sits down on it. “I’m friends with Alice. We go to school together.” He digs around in his pockets then, knowing that he never had the nerve to actually attach it to his key ring, but when Alice had handed him a hand-made keychain a couple of weeks ago, he’d stuffed it into one of his jacket’s many pockets and forgotten about it. He finally wraps his fingers around the beaded thing and sighs in relief. “She made me this.”
The girl leans toward him, frowning as she studies the keychain he holds out toward her. “No,” she shakes her head, “I made that. Alice just takes them to school for her friends. But I definitely made that.” She sounds put-out by the idea that her big sister is stealing all the credit, and Jasper quickly backpedals.
“Oh, it’s very nice. Alice did give it to me though.”
“I know,” and then she’s smiling again as she kicks her feet. “When Daddy gets mad Alice puts me on her bed and lets me listen to all the music and make as many bracelets and keychains as I want while she talks to Daddy.”
“Does…” Jasper hesitates, “Is Alice alright? I’m very worried about her.”
“I’m not allowed to talk to people about what Daddy does.”
Jasper’s frown intensifies. “Because you’ll get in trouble?”
When Cynthia nods Jasper has to bite back a swear. He doesn’t know what to do now. It’s clear that something sinister is at play here, but with a little girl too afraid to say anything, and with Alice also refusing to give any hints as to what happens to her behind closed doors, Jasper is left lost.
But when his phone buzzes in his pocket, an idea strikes him. Retrieving it from his pocket he ignores the random email notification and, as quickly as he can, he types a message to Bella, placing as much urgency in his words as he can in a short text.
He stays there, sitting with Cynthia, chatting idly with the girl about her favorite way to braid and design her tiny pieces of ‘jewelry’, when Chief Swan’s police cruiser pulls up, parking in the lot behind them without the little girl noticing.
“Are you hungry?” Jasper eventually asks the girl, turning his head and nodding toward Bella’s dad when the man begins to approach, a random deputy at his side. “If I got you some food, would you eat it?”
“I’m always hungry,” she whines. “Alice was supposed to go to the market yesterday but then Daddy—” she slaps a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide when she realizes that two policemen are approaching. “Oh, no,” she hops off the swings and scurries closer to Jasper. “Please tell them to go away,” she says in a whisper loud enough for the two cops to overhear.
“Hi Cynthia,” Charlie Swan smiles over at the girl, “how are you today, sweetheart?”
“Going home,” she declares loudly, reaching out and grabbing Jasper’s hand, quickly pulling him after her. “I’m going home now mister police man! Thank you! Goodbye!”
Jasper takes a few steps after the desperate little girl, turning to look at Chief Swan with a confused gaze. ‘What do I do?’ He mouths as the girl begins to drag him toward town.
‘We’ll follow’, Chief Swan mouths back, nodding to where the little girl is heading. Then, he places a hand on his partner’s shoulder and they begin moving back toward where the squad car is parked.
The pizzeria Cynthia drags him into is one he used to frequent as a child. The amount of birthday parties he and Rosalie had attended in the establishment were most likely in the double digits. His grandfather had been best friends with the owner of the place, and for years Jasper and his friends had been allowed to bring their report cards to the restaurant every marking period. Each ‘A’ entitled the kids to one free slice of pizza.
He leads Cynthia into a booth, sitting her in the side facing away from the parking lot. And minutes later when he sees the squad car park at the opposite end of the lot, he pulls his phone out again and starts texting Bella again. Thankfully she’s quick to send him her father’s number and for the first time since his arrest over a year ago, Jasper is willingly talking to a police officer.
He half-focuses on Cynthia as he starts texting Chief Swan every bit of information he has. It isn’t until Marnie—a waitress who has been working at the restaurant for as long as Jasper has been alive—brings them their order, a small cheese pizza to share and two lemonades, that Jasper realizes he has more information than he realizes.
Marnie gives him a serious look, glancing between the cop car and the little girl, and Jasper has to subtly gesture to the older woman that she needs to be quiet. When Cynthia is distracted with emptying more sugar packets into her lemonade, Jasper flashes the woman his phone. When the woman sees ‘Charlie Swan’ on the top she frowns and then nods, before retreating back into the kitchen.
You have to check on her, Jasper emphasizes more than once in his text messages with the Chief of Police of their tiny town. You have to go over there and make sure she’s alright.
It’s nearly two hours later—and Cynthia is stuffed full of pizza, cookies, and one warm brownie sundae—when Chief Swan finally exits his vehicle and approaches the building. Jasper hasn’t heard anything from the man in over an hour, but he knows that they’ve sent a few of his people over to the Brandon residence to perform a wellness check.
Marnie and Steve—the owner’s son, and current manager of the establishment—cleared out the restaurant nearly an hour ago, so after the two policemen step through the door, Steve locks the door behind them and flips the ‘OPEN’ sign to read ‘CLOSED’.
“Hi Cynthia,” Charlie Swan speaks again, and Cynthia turns toward the door and lets out a pitiful whine. “It’s okay. Nothing bad is going to happen. I promise.”
“You can’t promise me that!” She shrieks before ducking beneath the booth and reappearing at Jasper’s side. “Go away! I’ll go home later! Leave me alone!”
Chief Swan leans down to eye level with the little girl, and when she grabs Jasper’s arm, hiding behind it, he doesn’t know what to do. “Well, Cynthia. I’m here to tell you that you aren’t going to be able to go home today. In fact, a good friend of mine is going to come by and talk to you, if that’s alright?”
“I want to go home,” Cynthia’s words began to wobble as tears begin to spring to the surface. “I want Alice. I want to go home.”
“Alice is getting some help right now,” and Chief Swan meets Jasper’s eyes quickly then, before looking away, “but when she feels better you’ll be able to see her, alright?”
“I wanna go home,” she cries, burying herself underneath Jasper’s discarded coat, where she continues to cry. “I wanna go home.”
It isn’t until Edward’s parents show up—somehow Jasper had forgotten all about the slew of foster siblings Edward had when they were young—and Esme Cullen spends a few minutes calmly talking to Cynthia, that the little girl appears more willing to go with them.
When Cynthia is packed away into some random car with a borrowed booster seat Jasper turns toward Chief Swan. “Please tell me she’s alright.”
The man nods, and Jasper feels his shoulders deflate, relief almost suffocating. “I don’t know if I would’ve been able to say that if we’d waited another day or two to check, but their father is in custody and Alice is at the hospital.” The man fixes Jasper with a long look then. “I don’t know why, or how it is that I always find you at the center of these situations,” he remarks, somehow looking down his nose at Jasper, despite the fact he was a shorter man, “but you’re good man, Hale. Just make sure to talk to your parents about this.” He turned to walk away, “And thanks for not going rogue again this time.”
The underlying message was clear: ‘thanks for not trying to kill Mr. Brandon’.
When he walks through his front door an hour later, dragging himself up the stairs with heavy feet, he’s met with an avalanche of people suddenly. And when Rosalie’s arms are wrapped around his neck, he almost feels himself break down then.
“Tell us everything,” she mutters quickly against his neck, and that’s when Jasper realizes that Emmett, Edward, and Bella are all standing behind her on the stairs or in the hallway above.
He gets through the story slowly, starting with when he left the house and stopping when he realized that he was talking to Alice’s little sister.
“I’m so glad you texted me when you did,” Bella sighs. “I don’t usually have my phone on me during school, but it’s my Mom’s birthday, so I’ve been waiting on messages from her all day.”
“I knew something was up when Bella ditched English last period,” Edward comments from where he’s leaning back against Rosalie’s wall.
“Bella ditching class at all should be a red flag,” Rosalie remarks from her spot on her bed beside Jasper.
“Your parents have her sister, last I saw,” Jasper turns toward Edward as he speaks, as if hoping the younger boy could provide more information.
Edward nods. “They called a few minutes after I got here. They’re technically still registered as foster parents, so if they can’t get a hold of any other relatives in the area, I’m going to have some foster sisters soon,” he shrugs as if it’s no big deal to him to have Alice and Cynthia moving in. And the idea of Dr. and Mrs. Cullen taking care of the pair of girls is enough for force Jasper to look away from everyone, afraid that he might start getting emotional again.
Jasper stays home from school again the next day, and Rosalie does, too. It doesn’t take long for news to travel through the town of Forks and Jasper knows that if he hears any disrespectful gossip at school, he’ll likely be disappointing Chief Swan much sooner than anticipated.
He tries to visit Alice at the hospital but since there’s an ongoing investigation they turn him away at the front desk.
Joseph Brandon eventually calls one of them—the school must’ve finally gotten a hold of him about their absences—and gets the full story from Rosalie, promising to be home within the day and giving them permission to use the emergency credit card to get a bouquet of flowers sent to Alice’s hospital room.
When Monday rolls around he doesn’t want to go to school, but his father and Rosalie force him out of bed and down the stairs. He’s sort of glad he’s pushed out the door that morning, because when he returns home that afternoon, Mom is back, which means he’s missed out on a huge fight, and he’s relieved that at least it happened while he and Rosalie were at school this time.
The news of the newcomers—John Edgar Brandon and his two daughters—is such hot gossip around town that when Jasper and Rosalie come home one day to their mother’s belongings packed away in a U-haul truck, and some strange man helping her pack, the news doesn’t even make it to his classmates. Because the story of Joseph Hale finally kicking his unfaithful wife to the curb is something that the people of this town have been waiting for him to do for years now.
But the story of the twice-widowed John Edgar Brandon being arrested for abuse, neglect, and suspected murder, easily trumps the news of any simple extra-marital affair. Jasper hates the relief he feels, knowing that his deadbeat mother isn’t going to be the talk of the town, and instead the fact that John Edgar beat his eldest daughter within an inch of her life, is.
He’s been back at school for a full week when he feels his phone buzz in his pocket. It’s nearly the end of the day; the bell is set to go off within minutes and he knows he won’t get a demerit if any teachers see him on his phone at this point on a Friday.
The first message is from Edward.
I told her not to go overboard. But he’s my apology in advance.
The second is from an unknown number.
hi jasper!!!!!!!!!!!!
He pockets the phone with a frown, staring back at the clock on the wall before realizing that his teacher is wrapped up in conversation with a few kids on the opposite side of the classroom. Trying not to be seen he ducks out of the classroom swiftly, pulling his phone out of his pocket to stare at the text message again.
It takes him two more seconds to realize who is texting him and before he can stop himself he’s pressing the ‘call’ button and rushing out the front doors as fast as he can. As he listens to the phone ring on the other end the knot in his throat is so thick that he’s afraid he might choke if he tries to say anything.
“Um,” her voice on the other end of the line sounds like a miracle, and Jasper finds himself clinging to his phone even as he strides into the parking lot, rain pouring down heavily on his head. “Hello?”
“Alice?” He can’t keep his voice from cracking as he makes it to his car, struggling with the keys to open the door and make it inside. “It’s Jasper.”
“I know,” and her voice sounds so small, so unsure that Jasper’s chest hurts hearing it. “Esme and Carlisle got me a phone.”
“That’s amazing,” he finds himself smiling as he talks, slamming the car door shut once he finally manages to climb inside and avoid the downpour. “Is it hard to use?”
“Kind of,” her voice sounds raspier than usual. Whether it’s due to misuse or injury, Jasper is still unsure. He hasn’t heard anything about her physical state, yet. “Edward’s helping me a lot though. Which is nice.” Theres another pause. “He’s nice.”
“He is,” Jasper agrees, leaning his head back against the headrest and closing his eyes. “It’s so good to hear from you, Alice.”
“Jasper,” she sounds sad, then, “I want to apologize.”
“What?” He sits up abruptly, his eyes open again. “Alice, no. You don’t have to apologize for anything.”
“I lied,” she whispers, “so, so much.”
“No, you didn’t. You kept quiet to keep yourself safe,” his words are stern but kind. “That’s different.”
“I’ve made everyone so, so miserable,” and when her voice cracks, Jasper feels something in his chest crack right alongside it. “I’m so, so sorry.”
“Alice, listen to me,” clinging to the phone with both hands he finds that he doesn’t know what to say. He doesn’t know what to tell this girl and he doesn’t know how to repair something that neither of them are responsible for damaging in the first place.
The entire situation is a mess.
“Are you allowed to have visitors now?” He asks instead. “I’d really like to see you.” There’s a slight pause. “And Cynthia,” he adds on. “I’m not sure if she��s told you about our adventure the other week.”
Alice laughs then, “Yeah. She keeps telling me she likes my tall friend with the pizza.” Jasper smiles at that. “I told her I do, too.” Theres the sound of shuffling on the other line, and then Alice speaks again. “I’m… not sure if I’m allowed…”
“Can you ask?” Then, he realizes what he’s requesting of her, and changes his mind. “I can have Edward ask, I mean.” The idea of asking a parent for permission for anything is something he’s sure Alice has no experience in.
“Um, maybe, yeah. That might be better.” After a slight pause, she sighs into the phone. “I miss you.”
Jasper’s stomach does flips then as he deflates back down into the seat. He can hear the sound of the final bell going off in the background, but he’s too focused on his phone to care. “How about I text Edward, and see if I can come over later?” The idea of inviting himself over to the Cullen household is as bizarre as it is bold, but Jasper doesn’t care. He wants to see Alice, badly. “Maybe I’ll bring some pizza for you and Cynthia.”
Alice giggles at that. “I think she’d really like that. Yeah, okay.”
It isn’t until minutes later when Rosalie wordlessly climbs into the passenger seat that he realizes he’s been crying. She gasps at the sight, leaning forward and grabbing his hand and demanding to know what’s wrong, and only when he wipes his cheeks with the backs of his hands and shakes his head, telling her that Alice is safe and home, does she deflate, pulling him into a hug.
Esme Cullen declines his offer to bring pizza, but is happy enough to see him when he and Rosalie walk through their front door that night. Cynthia is excited to see him and wants to show Jasper her new bedroom, informing him that it’s ‘full of books and shelves’, prompting Rosalie and Jasper to share a strange look with one another and prompting Esme to quickly explain that they were still in the process of packing up her husband’s study to convert into another bedroom for the young girl.
The house is huge—easily one of the biggest homes Jasper has ever seen—and when they eventually reach the kitchen in the back of the house, Alice is already sitting at the table, her eyes wide and smile bright as they cross the room toward her.
“Alice! Alice! Your friends are here!” Cynthia exclaims before climbing into the chair beside her sister.
Alice laughs and looks over at her sister, beaming, “I see that! I’m so happy!”
“Me too!” The girl giggles before hopping down off the chair and running after Esme. “Let’s finish dinner now, please, please!”
Alice looks better than Jasper expected her to, if he’s being honest with himself. One eye is still quite swollen and what used to be her ‘good arm’ is in some type of sling, but her smile is bright and there is color in her cheeks. Judging by the ill-fitting button down Jasper can tell it’s a collarbone fracture, and even though he can’t see her legs, there is a wheelchair resting a few feet behind where she sits.
“Good to see you,” Rose smiles at the small girl, leaning forward to wrap Alice in a light hug. Alice looks delighted at such a reaction from Rosalie, even grinning excitedly over the blonde’s shoulder toward Jasper, and when she lifts her pink cast to give him a thumbs up, he has to refrain from laughing out loud. “I’ll have to drag Emmett by sometime this week. He can’t wait to see you.”
“Oh, please do!” Then, Alice freezes, turning toward where Esme and Cynthia are across the room, “I—I mean, if I’m allowed to.”
Esme’s smile is kind and her words are steady when she calls calmly toward the anxious girl. “Guests are welcome any time before eight PM on school nights and ten PM on weekends. Carlisle and I will let you know beforehand if we have any exceptions on any days.”
And with the gentle setting of boundaries Jasper watches as Alice calms visibly, her shoulders losing their tension as she turns back toward Rosalie and smiles, nodding. “Yeah, I want to see Emmett, too.”
“He might be over sooner than this week,” Edward chimes in as he enters the room, waving his phone toward them. “He and Bella are on their way now, apparently.”
Rosalie manages to look a bit irritated at that. “He didn’t tell me he was coming.”
“I thought you didn’t care what Emmett does with his free time,” Edward speaks knowingly. It takes Jasper several seconds to realize that Edward is teasing his sister. And not only that, Rosalie hasn’t retorted; instead, she’s turning bright red where she stands.
Oh. Well, that was certainly a development.
“I’m glad I planned on having leftovers,” Esme laughs good-naturedly from the kitchen. “Dinner will be ready in a few minutes.”
Despite the unexpected guests, the dinner at the Cullen household goes like this: He manages to sit himself on Alice’s opposite side and hardly leaves it the entire night. She has difficulty picking up food with her fork, and even despite Esme’s insistence that she can help the girl Jasper insists on doing it. It’s when he realizes that most of the foods he’s scooping onto her utensils are soft, easily chewable things, that he wonders, as he helps her wrap her fingers around her fork again and again, what other unseen injuries she possesses.
Emmett and Rosalie insist on helping Esme clean up dinner, and Edward shows Jasper how to fold and unfold Alice’s wheelchair, before the younger boy helps Alice into it. Jasper feels nauseous as he sees that both of her legs are injured. Her left is in a cast up to her knee, and her right foot is in a black boot.
They’re ushered from the kitchen into a giant living room with a television so big that it makes Jasper wonder how they got it into the house.
As they wait for Emmett and Rosalie to join them Cynthia takes control of the remote as well as the trajectory of their night. Edward groans and Bella shushes him when the little girl announces they’re watching some animated movie Jasper knows nothing about, but after an hour into the film Emmett has declared that it’s his new favorite movie and Cynthia has declared that Emmett is her new favorite person.
They’re halfway through the sequel when the little girl finally passes out, one too many musical numbers zapping her energy. Esme laughs and Emmett remarks that his dance partner has underestimated her endurance as he helps collect the girl and carry her off to bed.
They turn the cartoon off after that and put on something a little more suitable for a group of teenagers. Some mindless comedy that Esme decides to forgo as she prepares to retreat to some other part of the house.
“Dude, your mom kicks ass,” Emmett whispers to Edward after Esme finally leaves them, bowls of freshly popped popcorn and pitchers of juice placed on the coffee table before them all. “What the hell?” He gestures to the TV and the popcorn. “HBO max and the gourmet buttered shit? You’ve been holding out on us, Cullen.”
“Edward’s spoiled,” Bella remarks with a grin as Edward turns to glare at his girlfriend, but when she pokes him in the ribs, causing him to jump nearly a foot in the air, they all laugh. “What? It’s true.”
The movie has barely begun before Jasper feels Alice begin to drift at his side. He turns toward her, hyperaware of her every movement, watching as she begins to nod off slowly, her head dipping and eyes fluttering shut every few seconds.
“Do you want to go to sleep?” He asks quietly enough that no one else hears him over the noise of the surround-sound in the room. But Alice shakes her head stubbornly before sitting up and adjusting the pillows beneath her arm in the sling. Then, she snuggles up close to Jasper’s side and lets out a long sigh.
“Not yet,” she mutters to him, even though her eyes are already fluttering shut again. “I want to stay here, please.”
Jasper barely pays attention to the movie after that. Instead he spends the next hour and a half letting his mind run rampant. His thoughts are so swept up in all things Alice that he hardly notices when the movie has ended and Emmett and Rosalie are standing up and stretching. Emmett starts to talk loudly before Rose smacks his shoulder, gesturing to where Alice is fast asleep at Jasper’s side.
They all slowly disperse after that. Rosalie hitches a ride home with Emmett, and before Edward leaves to drive Bella home he goes and fetches his mother to help Jasper move Alice to bed.
While Esme is unfolding the chair Jasper simply stands, maneuvering Alice into his arms as carefully as possible, all while trying not to jostle her too much. “It’s fine,” he whispers to Esme, shaking his head and gesturing for her to lead the way.
The room that has become Alice’s room is the only bedroom on the main level. Originally a guest room, Esme explains, it didn’t take much to transform it into the type of a room a teenage girl would love. In addition to the new cell phone, there’s a small desktop situated on a new-looking desk in the corner of the room, and there are pink and white twinkle lights cascading across where the walls and ceiling meet. The bedspread is also pink and white, and knowing that they’re Alice’s favorite colors, and that this room was hurriedly designed with her in mind, is enough to force Jasper’s throat to tighten up with emotion again.
The bed is low enough to make it easy for Alice to get in and out with minimal assistance, which means that Jasper has to bend down quite far to gently deposit Alice against the covers. Despite his care, she wakes up the instant his arms are back at his sides, sitting up with a gasp and then a wince, and when she cries out in pain both he and Esme are at her side.
“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Esme presses a firm hand between her shoulder blades, pressing forward until she’s sitting up straight. “There we go, good. Try not to bend sideways, that-a-girl.”
Gritting her teeth together Alice blinks up at the pair of them, visibly relaxing at the two people in front of her. “I need to pee,” she manages to rasp between pained gasps.
“I’ll go get her chair,” Esme says as she stands back up, swiftly exiting the room.
“Are you alright?”
Alice nods quickly, despite the pain apparent on her face. “Just hurts,” she wheezes as she closes her eyes. Reaching out she grabs for his hand, which Jasper is all-too-happy to give to her. Squeezing it tightly she manages a weak smile. “Thanks.”
“You’ll be alright,” Jasper sighs. And he means those words so wholeheartedly that it makes him emotional. Her injuries would heal, both physical as well as mental. It was so clear, in just the way that the Cullens had quickly outfitted their home to take in the two girls, that they would be safe here, and loved, and cared for.
Everything they hadn’t been afforded before.
“Is it after ten?” She asks, her eyes looking for the clock on the nightstand behind her. But when she tries to twist to see it and winces, she laughs. “I keep forgetting I can’t do that.”
“It’s nearly ten; 9:48.”
“That means you have to go soon, then.”
He nods as Esme enters the room, wheeling her chair in and helping Alice scoot herself off of the bed and into it. “We’ll be right back,” the kind-hearted woman smiles up at him as she wheels Alice out of the room. “Carlisle will be home any minute now.”
True to her word, the sound of the front door opening and closing brings Jasper’s attention toward the hallway as he watches Carlisle Cullen move carefully through his home.
Upon sight of the teenager standing alone in Alice’s room he approaches with a smile. “Good to see you, Jasper,” and when the older man offers his hand, Jasper takes it firmly, realizing this is the first time he’s actually spoken to Edward’s father. “I heard you all had a fun night.”
“Yes, sir,” Jasper nods, “Dinner, some movies. My sister and I appreciate the hospitality.”
Carlisle smiles warmly. “And you’re both welcome any time. Friends of Edward’s, and of Alice’s, are always welcome here.”
Jasper is taken aback by how much he dislikes that particular statement. Thankfully, Esme and Alice return seconds later, but the idea that he is simply that—a friend to Alice, doesn’t sit right with him.
It’s a ridiculous reaction to have, of course. And he continues to think this even as he helps Carlisle move Alice out of her chair and into her bed. It isn’t until Alice releases her grip on his hand that he realizes the cause of his disdain for the title.
He isn’t friends with Alice Brandon. Not really.
He cares about this tiny girl far, far too much to use the word. And when she smiles up at him almost shyly when Carlisle kindly reminds the two that ten PM is as late as guests can stay, Jasper can’t help the heart palpitations he feels when she turns to the older man and promises she’ll let Jasper leave after she properly says goodnight.
Jasper can see the unamused look Carlisle gives his wife, but Esme is hiding her grin well as she grabs her husband’s hand and drags him from the room, even closing the door behind them both; a luxury that even Jasper’s lenient father never grants to him and Rosalie when they have guests over.
The alarm clock on the bedside table blinks a bright pink 9:57 at him, and he knows his time is nearly up.
Alice reaches over and takes his hand in hers, tugging slightly until he’s sitting on the bed beside her. Carlisle already propped her up on the pillows and blankets she’ll be sleeping on until her collarbone heals, so Jasper has to nearly crawl across the bed until he’s sitting at her side. And even though most of her injuries are now hidden from him with a blanket tossed over her, he knows they’re there. That her bones are broken and her injuries are still too extensive to even properly see all of them. That the state of her body is far worse than it was that night she came to him, lip and cheek bleeding as she quietly sobbed on the floor of his bedroom.
“I have so much I want to say to you,” Alice eventually speaks, her eyes staring at his hand as she grips it tightly. “But I know I don’t have a lot of time, so I think ‘thank you’ is good enough for tonight.” She stares intently down at his hand as she speaks, and Jasper is so hypnotized by the way her eyebrows furrow and her lips pucker when she frowns that he has to force himself to focus on her words. “If you hadn’t found Cynthia that day, and if you didn’t do what you did, I would be lying in a pool of blood in the basement of that house, dead right now.”
The sorrow that fills him, upon hearing those words from her mouth, is something Jasper can’t even begin to properly sort through. So when Alice continues talking, he files that feeling away, knowing he’ll need to process it eventually, but that right now, Alice and her words are what is important.
“I owe you a lot; not just my life. But explanations. And stories and,” Alice swallows and forces herself to look back up at him, “and I owe you. All the answers I have to give.”
“You don’t owe me anything,” he needs to emphasize that before she makes up her mind. “You will never owe me a single thing, Alice.”
“Well, what if I want to volunteer the information? What if I want to tell you every little thing I couldn’t before? Every detail that was dangerous before?”
He stares back into her eyes, realizing for the first time that they’re a deep, dark blue color. “I’ll listen to any little thing you want to tell me, Alice,” he promises as he holds her gaze.
Alice releases his hand then, lifting her hand to his cheek, brushing her thumb against his skin as the palm of her cast presses against his face. “What if I tell you to kiss me?” She whispers, her gaze flickering between his eyes and his lips as she attempts to lean up.
“Are you sure?” He feels himself leaning down before he can even gather her reply, and the second she has enough of a grip on the back of his neck she’s pulling him down toward her.
“Please kiss me,” she whispers against his lips, and when he finally obliges her, she sighs against his mouth. It’s the most beautiful sound Jasper has ever heard.
The kiss is sweet, gentle, and far-too-short, as a sharp knock on the door forces him to draw back quickly, turning at the sound of Carlisle on the other side of the door, reminding them that it was after ten now.
Alice laughs when she hears Esme scold her husband, and then the two voices are far away when Jasper turns back down to look at her. “Oops,” is all he can think to say.
Alice’s laughter fills the room as she reaches up again. And when Jasper kisses her once more before pulling away, Alice sighs against his lips. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”
He presses a kiss to the tip of her nose before nodding. “Tomorrow.”
“If visitors are allowed as late as ten o’clock,” Alice muses softly as Jasper crawls out of the bed. “I wonder how early they’re allowed…”
Jasper laughs, walking over to the side of the bed Alice is on before leaning down, capturing her lips in one final kiss. “I’ll ask on the way out.” And when Alice pulls him closer, deepening the kiss, Jasper scoffs at his own train of thought.
He and Alice Brandon definitely weren’t ‘friends’.
And that was more than enough for Jasper.
#jalicesecretsanta20#twilight fanfiction#Jalice fanfiction#I LOVE THIS SO MUCH ANNA I HOPE YOU LOVE IT TOO!!!!!#twilight saga#its a drama-filled high school human AU so please forgive me for the whump and the sands#SADS*
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another twilight character tag game
by @sweetrosaliebahbahbah – “pick 5-10 characters and write your take on the canon version of them vs. fanon version of them. fanon doesn’t have to be what is generally accepted in the fandom, it can be your own idea of what you think a character is like. then tag the same number of people as characters you pick, if you can.”
i was tagged by @leahclearwaterdefensesquad & @witchyangela
bella swan:
i loved a lot of bella’s strength, stubbornness, and resilience in canon. i think what i love most about bella is that she’s normal. the reason why is that unintentionally on smeyer’s part, to ME she becomes a great example of what feminism is about. it’s about fighting for women to have the same opportunities to make choices. i think that the societal hatred towards bella from everyone (women included) is a great teaching point. because why is it that a normal young woman is considered weak? i’ve said it before, but female characters have to be unnaturally talented and strong to the extreme in order to be respected and accepted in pop culture. because bella isn’t a brilliant witch like hermione or an inspiring archer like katniss, she receives criticism that she’s weak, antifeminist, and boring. and what that tells little girls is that when you are normal, when you are sensitive, when you are loving, when you are sacrificial, when you are not physically strong, when you make choices in favor of love, you are not enough. bella has always made her own choices, and ultimately that’s what we should be celebrating as feminists. we should celebrate the right to make choices no matter what the choices may be, and fight for the women who don’t have the luxury of making choices.
also.... i love how we have amplified some of her traits to make her into this chaotic, adrenaline junkie who can finally let loose and enjoy life since she had to mature so young.
i just read through what i wrote on this and realized i essentially agree with kate lol! i’m saying basically the same thing! when you copy somebody else’s homework but change it up a little bit lmao!
rosalie hale:
i know a lot of people wish that rosalie was allowed to showcase more tenderness, more sweetness, but i like rosalie just as she is. though i don’t love how edward can rudely disregard her in his annoyance towards her, i kind of like the sibling tension of having SO much in common but finding the other so hard to live with. i just wish that we could have seen a fiercer love between edward and rosalie. like nobody pisses me off like you do, but i love you so severely and will always have your back. smeyer stated throughout the books that edward loved rosalie, but we never saw it nor felt it. i honestly wish that rosalie and edward had been closer even with their differences. i think it’d have been a much more interesting dynamic if rosalie and edward were very close before bella, but because of rosalie’s frustration at edward’s willingness to jeopardize and alter bella’s human life, they’re distant throughout the series but it eventually becomes resolved once it’s clear that it’s bella’s choice to join the cullens. i still think it was possible for rosalie to have no desire to be around bella and still have that awkward conflict of one of the cullens not loving her/accepting her, but rather than having the reason why be superficial, make the reason be that rosalie feels the way she does out of concern for bella. it’d just be far more complex if rosalie cared so much for this human girl that she didn’t even know that she becomes unwilling to allow herself to love the girl as much as her siblings do because she couldn’t bear it if their involvement in bella’s life resulted negatively for bella. like imagine the shock of that convo bella and rosalie have in eclipse if it involved rosalie revealing that she doesn’t dislike bella, but rather she actually loves bella despite herself and that’s why she’s so against bella being in their lives. because she doesn’t want edward to do what carlisle unintentionally did to her. she doesn’t want edward to steal bella’s humanity and thinks it’s unfair and unforgivable for him to have even given her the unnatural option of immortality. and this isn’t so that everybody would love bella for bella’s sake, but the alternative reason provided by smeyer is just so cheap. jealousy is natural, but it’s kind of silly for that to be the source of rosalie’s aversion. and when it’s one of the only intimate moments we have of rosalie, it provides so little depth.
leah clearwater:
some of what i’m about to say applies to rosalie as well, but it especially applies to leah which is why i chose to make the point under her name.
i have massive respect for anyone who decides to be the bitch. and no, this doesn’t apply to people who use being “blunt and real” as an excuse to be mean. i mean the people that are honest knowing that they will be disliked for it. and this respect extends especially towards women. the thing is, leah was stripped of so many choices by smeyer. while i appreciate the idea of the complication of a female wolf amongst a pack that has been all male for generations, smeyer robbed leah of her “womanhood,” her femininity, the privacy of her thoughts, the privacy of her naked appearance, her relationship, etc. and there was no consolation. but in the choices leah makes, it reveals a lot about her strength. she knows she could make life for the boys in the pack easier by being “kinder,” quieter, less “wounded,” etc. but she allows herself to be bitter because that’s the validity of her feelings. why deny herself the truth for the sake of being liked & making life easier for everyone else? she’s honest about her thoughts and feelings even when they’re not unwillingly broadcasted no matter the cost. she chooses to leave sam’s pack when it’s clear that it could be a better path for her, no matter how it hurts sam. i’ve talked about this with a few people, but it is not easy to be authentic the way leah is. particularly when you’re the only woman in a group of boys too. because whether it’s conscious or subconscious in their minds, every action of yours will reflect on their feelings towards women and every stereotype of what a woman should be will be reflected onto their feelings towards you. there is added pressure on your choices and behavior. they will be interpreted differently in a way that men’s choices aren’t. but again, leah doesn’t water herself down. she doesn’t soften the impact of her words. she doesn’t cheapen her feelings for anyone else’s sake. she chooses to be real even though she knows it will make her less “likable.” smeyer wanted leah to be the bitch so bad. but leah is not the bitch, leah is THAT BITCH.
also on the topic of leah’s womanhood... it’s fucked up. it was unneccessary & illogical when the male wolves can have children. there’s so much that can be said, but i do want to say that it’s not racist to give your POC characters hardships and “flaws” (i hate to use this word concerning this particular point but this is what smeyer treated it as), but when you offer those characters NO CONSOLATION but you give consolation to your white characters (rosalie finds happiness in emmett, renesmee, and her family).... then IT’S RACIST. it was also awful because when you make a character potentially barren, feel like less of a woman because of the fact, and simply leave it at wow, this is horrible, it suggests that women who can’t bear children or don’t want to are less of a woman. my points are kind of going all over the place now, but when leah and jacob had the conversation of leah feeling like less of a woman because of the implications of becoming a wolf and losing her period, it was wrong that smeyer didn’t have jacob or somebody tell her that her femininity isn’t tied to her period, to pregnancy, to childbirth, to anything. she is no less female or feminine just because she’s a wolf. the fact leah wasn’t given ANY resolution is inexcusable.
so i guess what i wish for leah is more CHOICES and RESOLUTION and CONSOLATION. i don’t even have ideas for the specificity of the choices because i just wish leah herself could make decisions for what her life looks like and what she wants. i just really wish she could have found some comfort and solace that she’s still feminine regardless of the transformation she went through. and that whether or not it’s true she can’t have children, there are other options if she makes the decision that that’s something she wants. and if she doesn’t want that, that’s okay too. she’s still a woman. there’s no criteria.
i was going to make a point for sue too, but i just exerted so much energy mentally on my last point lmao... so i’m cheating & leaving it off at three characters! maybe one day i can make a post on my thoughts on sue and some of the other women of the saga.
i tag @bellaskhakis @edytheelizabethcullen @howlonghaveyoubeenseventeen @bellasredchevy
#sorry this is so long hehe#also btw im not justifying any of the shitty stuff in canon in this post#i'm just making suggestions on how smeyer could have gone about some of the shit she did#twilight renaissance#twilight saga#the twilight saga#edward cullen#bella swan#midnight sun#leah clearwater#rosalie hale#new moon#twilight revival#eclipse#breaking dawn#stephenie meyer#jasperwhitcock
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“Why is there glitter everywhere” with Esme and her children and husband
Okay, so, this fic has been brought to you by that one scene in Parks and Rec that I’m sure y’all will recognize
*
It’s not often that Esme goes into town, she usually prefers to stay in, working quietly in her study, away from temptation, but it’s not every day that her daughter turns, well, 104, and while Rosalie doesn’t really like to celebrate her birthday, she’s not above allowing Esme to buy her some nice clothes.
To say Rosalie dislikes birthdays would be an understatement, actually, considering the absolute ban on celebrations she demanded not too long after being turned, and honestly, Esme can understand that. It’s an uncomfortable reminder of their unnaturally long life and if something as simple as not making a fuss can ease the tension on Rose’s shoulders, she’ll do her best to abide.
She still insists on paying for that dress, though.
Surprisingly, this year is different.
This year, they can hear giggling and shushing as Esme parks in their driveway. Rosalie’s eyebrows go up in inquiry. “I wouldn’t know,” she says, glancing at Bella’s truck parked haphazardly nearby. Perhaps, this shouldn’t be such a surprise, after all.
Rosalie frowns and a pang of concern needles Esme in the ribs. The girl wouldn’t know about Rose’s dislike of birthday celebrations, would she? Still, the others should have explained, they wouldn’t dare face Rosalie’s wrath.
Would they?
With a worried huff, she realizes that some of them would, actually.
But still. Carlisle is with them and he wouldn’t let things spiral out of control.
Just in case, Esme makes sure to step through the door first, ready to close it right back if needed. Not that anything could have prepared her for the scene that greets her.
“Why is there glitter everywhere,” she only half asks, too blindsided by all the glittery mess in her living room. Honestly, Edward is purple.
In fact, she had been so surprised, she had even missed Rosalie pausing in the doorway beside her until she breathes a quiet, what.
Which is fair, Esme thinks faintly, considering the six glitter-covered people looking at them and oh dear, that’s going to be a struggle to get out of the carpet. She meets her husband’s eyes across the room, surprised to find him in the middle of shenanigans, but finds herself relaxing at the steady calm there. If Carlisle thinks this will turn out alright, then she’s willing to give it a chance.
In any case, it would have been too late to do anything about it as Bella is scrambling up to her feet, brushing off crumbles and glitter from her clothes and completely missing the sparkly streaky on her cheek and the colorful bits of paper tangled in her hair. She steps forward, sheepishly looking at Rosalie, and Esme can hear the nervous beat of her heart. “Rose, hey,” she clears her throat, looking back pointedly, and Edward hurries to hold something up, “okay, before you say anything, I know you don’t want us to make a big deal or anything, but I– we have been meaning to do this anyway, so really, you’ll just be giving us an excuse here, so please don’t be mad.”
A scrapbook, Esme realizes, that’s what Edward had been showing, the others crowding behind him with nervous smiles.
To everyone’s surprise, Rosalie doesn’t immediately shut down or even glares, she just blinks at Bella, allowing herself to be guided to the sofa, to the center of the chaos, and opens the album. “Where did you get this?” Esme hears her asking, fingers tracing the pictures and the glittery lettering around, and finally, she unglues herself from the doorway, lets Carlisle greet her with a kiss.
“Trade secret,” Bella’s replying with a teasing smirk. Most of the pictures are polaroids, with a few older ones taken over the decades that must have been provided by Carlisle, but there’s a common theme– in all of them, they’re unfailingly happy.
Maybe that’s why there are more photos from the past year than anything; Esme hasn’t seen so many smiles in all the decades she’s known her family.
“And, well,” Bella goes on, “we might have gotten a bit sidetracked.”
“You can’t rush art,” Alice adds, eyes twinkling with far too much mischief, “and I stand by it.”
There’s a story there, Esme realizes and immediately decides she doesn’t want to know.
“I don’t think that’s how it goes,” Edward frowns, “isn’t it perfection the saying’s referring to?”
“Nerd,” she scrunches her nose at him, and makes a sweeping motion in Emmet’s direction, and– oh dear.
Is that–
“Okay,” Bella takes the box from a grinning Emmet and holds it for Rosalie to inspect, picking up one of the miniatures that has noodle hair and seems to have been dipped in glitter. “We found a bag of marshmallow in my truck– so look! We made a marshmallow house with marshmallow us, and this is you. See, she has her arms crossed because she’s mad at all the other marshmallow people.”
It’s all so ridiculous, childish even, but it’s been so long since Esme’s seen her children be the teenagers they’re supposed to be– she understands now why Carlisle would go along with it.
Especially when she looks at Rosalie and finds her taking all this in not with the angry snarl she had worn when tearing down the banner they made her that terrible first year, but with soft, lost eyes.
Rosalie glances at her family, at the terribly decorated scrapbook and the sparkly marshmallow vampires, and Esme knows she’s seeing them for what they are– a reminder of all the happy times she’s had over the decades and how known, how loved she is by these people.
“It’s not a big deal,” Bella insists, wavering under Rose’s silence, “it’s not even wrapped, see, so it can’t be a birthday gift and–
“Thank you,” Rosalie says quietly, voice strained, and Esme gets the impression that if she could, she’d be crying right now.
Instead, she smiles shakily and continues, “tell me about it?”
And that’s all it takes for everyone to settle down, relax, and the children happily begin recounting the tales of that afternoon, talking over each other and fighting over insignificant details.
Silently, she takes her husband’s hand and they slip away unnoticed.
With a mournful glance at the carpet, Carlisle gives her an apologetic smile. “It couldn’t be helped,” he says, “you know how they are.”
“It was for a good cause,” she nods, lips twitching into an answering grin. Anything that makes any of their children that touched, that happy, it’s well worth some easily replaceable decoration.
And with the excited chatter coming from the living room, Esme decides there’s something to be said about breaking patterns and finding happiness in unlikely places.
#twilight#twilight renaissance#rosalie x bella#rosalie hale#bella swan#esme cullen#edward cullen#emmet cullen#look an ask#twilight tag#rosalie x bella tag#cullen family tag
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Size doesn’t matter, buddy (Felix Volturi) part 1
Word count: 1370
Requested by: https://hiddlebatchship.tumblr.com/
You were waiting in the car for Alice and Bella, the engine turned on. You and Bella never really agreed with each other but none the less, you wouldn’t let her kill herself over your brother leaving her. You sat as still as a statue, listening for any disruptions. You could hear the whole conversation inside the house, thanks to your enhanced hearing.
"It was Edward." The words were just a choked whisper, coming from Alice. "He thinks you're dead." "Rosalie told him I killed myself, didn't she?" Bella said, sighing. "Yes," Alice admitted. "In her defence, she did believe it. They rely on my sight far too much for something that works so imperfectly. But for her to track him down to tell him this! Didn't she realize, or care?" Her voice faded away in horror. "And when Edward called here, he thought Jacob meant my funeral," Bella realized. "You're not upset," Alice whispered. "Well, it's really rotten timing, but it will all get straightened out. The next time he calls, someone will tell him what really." Bella trailed off.
Your eyes grew wide. “God damn it!” you cursed, realizing fully well what Alice meant. Your brother had a feeling for drama and your quick mind worked it out faster than Bella’s slower human mind. "Bella," Alice whispered. "Edward won't call again. He believed her." "I. Don't. Understand." Bella said. "He's going to Italy." It was quiet for a short while, probably Bella trying to comprehend what Alice meant.
"NO!" The half-shrieked denial was so loud after the whispered words, it made even you jump up. "No! No, no, no! He can't! He can't do that!" Bella shouted. "He made up his mind as soon as your friend confirmed that it was too late to save you." Alice explained. "But he, he left! He didn't want me anymore! What difference does it make now? He knew I would die sometime!" Bella shouted once more, pain in her voice. "I don't think he ever planned to outlive you by long," Alice said quietly. "How dare he!" Bella screamed. "Oh, get out of the way, Jacob!" Bella said, earning her a chuckle from you. "What do we do?" Bella begged Alice. "Can't we call him? Can Carlisle?" You assumed Alice shook her head before answering Bella.
"That was the first thing I tried. He left his phone in a trash can in Rio, someone answered it" she whispered. "You said before we had to hurry. Hurry how? Let's do it, whatever it is!" Bella pleaded "Bella, I don't think I can ask you to…" She trailed off in indecision.
"Ask me!" Bella commanded. "We may already be too late. I saw him going to the Volturi, and asking to die." You cringed at Alice’s words. "It all depends on what they choose. I can't see that till they make a decision.”
"But if they say no, and they might, Aro is fond of Carlisle, and wouldn't want to offend him. Edward has a backup plan. They're very protective of their city. If Edward does something to upset the peace, he thinks they'll act to stop him. And he's right. They will." Alice said. You cursed even more, ready to drag both Alice and Bella’s butts into the car and speed off towards Italy.
"So if they agree to grant his favour, we're too late. If they say no, and he comes up with a plan to offend them quickly enough, we're too late. If he gives into his more theatrical tendencies we might have time." Alice explained. "Let's go!" Bella chanted. "Listen, Bella! Whether we are in time or not, we will be in the heart of the Volturi city. (Y/N) and I will be considered his accomplice if he is successful. You will be a human who not only knows too much, but also smells too good. There's a very good chance that they will eliminate us all though in your case it won't be punishment so much as dinnertime." Alice said.
“Wait, (Y/N) is here as well? I thought she disliked me?” Bella asked. “No she doesn’t. She is just very protective over our family, and once again a human knowing about us is dangerous. She is waiting in the car, she didn’t want to frighten you or anything. She only wants to protect our brother.” Alice explained. "But, your fear is what's keeping us here?" Bella asked in disbelief, returning her attention to the topic. "I'll go alone if you're afraid.”
"I'm only afraid of getting you killed." Alice said, trying to reason with Bella. Bella snorted in disgust, earning her a growl from you. "I almost get myself killed on a daily basis! Tell me what I need to do!"
"You write a note to Charlie. I'll call the airlines." Alice said, knowing there was no way to convince Bella to stay. "Charlie," Bella gasped. "I'm not going to let anything happen to Charlie." Jacob's low voice was gruff and angry. "Screw the treaty." You rolled your eyes. The treaty was only set into place for the wolves at the time.
"Hurry, Bella," Alice interrupted urgently. "Don't go," Jacob whispered. "Please, please, please take care of Charlie," Bella said. Alice was waiting in the doorway with a bag over her shoulder. "Get your wallet you'll need ID. Please tell me you have a passport. I don't have time to forge one." Bella nodded and then raced up the stairs.
You watched Jacob with a close eyes as he and Alice were locked in some kind of confrontation in front of the open door, standing so far apart you. Neither one seemed to notice Bella’s noisy reappearance. "You might control yourself on occasion, but these leeches you're taking her to" Jacob was furiously accusing her. "Yes. You're right, dog." Alice was snarling, too. You were ready to step out of the car, to give this dog a piece of your mind, but Alice held her hand up slightly, signalling for you to stay put.
"The Volturi are the very essence of our kind, they're the reason your hair stands on end when you smell me. They are the substance of your nightmares, the dread behind your instincts. I'm not unaware of that." Alice hissed between her teeth. "And you take her to them like a bottle of wine for a party!" he shouted. "You think she'd be better off if I left her here alone, with Victoria stalking her?" "We can handle the redhead." "Then why is she still hunting?" Jacob growled, and a shudder rippled through his torso.
"Stop that!" Bella shouted at them both, wild with impatience. "Argue when we get back, let's go!" Alice turned for the car, disappearing in her haste. Bella hurried after her, pausing automatically to turn and lock the door. Jacob caught her arm with a shivering hand. "Please, Bella. I'm begging." His dark eyes were glistening with tears. "Jake, I have to." "You don't, though. You really don't. You could stay here with me. You could stay alive. For Charlie. For me."
The engine of Carlisle's Mercedes purred; the rhythm of the thrumming spiked when you revved it impatiently. Bella shook her head, tears spattering from her eyes with the sharp motion. She pulled her arm free, and he didn't fight her. "Don't die, Bella," he choked out. "Don't go. Don't." A sob broke out from her chest. She threw her arms around his waist and hugged for one too-short moment, burying her tear-wet face against his chest. He put his big hand on the back of her hair, as if to hold her there.
"Bye, Jake." she pulled his hand from her hair, and kissed his palm. "Sorry," she whispered before spinning and raced for the car. The door on the back seat side was open and waiting. Bella threw her backpack on the back seat next to her and slid in, slamming the door behind her. "Take care of Charlie!" she turned to shout out the window, but Jacob was nowhere in sight. You stomped on the gas and with the tires screeching like human screams spun the car around to face the road, speeding towards the aiport.
#felix volturi#demetri volturi#cullen#Marcus Volturi#twilight#twilight imagine#aro volturi#Caius Volturi#jacob black#jane volturi#alec volturi#alice cullen#bella swan#volturi#volturi imagine
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