Chapter Twelve

To say that our day went straight down hill after Demetri showed up would be an understatement. It didn't just go down hill... but it hit a rock at the bottom of that hill, tumbled over the rock and landed face first into a murky, muddy disgusting puddle of ice cold water and slush. Yeah. It was bad. Not only was it too tense to say anything to anyone in the room, Jasper wouldn't even look at me. He just sat there in the corner of the room and glared at the tile floor. Not only did his glare scare me but his eyes looked so far off. He almost looked like a lost little boy with no hopes in finding his parents.

I felt so helpless.

I didn't know what I could do to help him.

Around eight that night we told Sue, Charlie and Seth our good nights and headed back to the Cullen house. When Emmett pulled the jeep to a stop inside the garage Jasper opened his door, walked into the house, went up to our room and just laid there on the bed with his face pressed into the pillows. And yet again I felt completely helpless.

I wanted to go talk to him, get him to vent to me so he wouldn't keep everything bottled up; but when I told Emmett that he and Rose stopped me, telling me that this was Jasper's way of dealing and that he just had to work things through in his head before he would open up to anyone.

So instead of bothering Jasper I just grabbed some clothes from my suitcase and headed for our bathroom to shower.

I wasn't in the shower but ten minutes when I heard the bathroom door creak open. With my head still under the warm spray, I didn't bother to see who it was that had came in figuring that Jasper probably had to pee or something. When the shower door popped open, I jumped slightly feeling the extra body slide into the shower behind me.

“I am so sorry, baby.” Jasper whispered brokenly into my ear as he wrapped his arms around my body.

I turned in his arms so I could face him. “What do you have to be sorry for?”

“This is all my fault.” He sobbed, pressing his face into my shoulder.

“Hey now, pray tell how any of this is your fault? If my poor human memory serves me correctly, this is all happening because our ex's are completely fucking insane.” I exclaimed.

Jasper gave a throaty chuckled before looking at me with teary eyes. “What I meant was that if I would have kept myself in check at your party that night and waited to go after Edward, after you were at home and safe. Then Edward wouldn't have done anything stupid and we would have never left, you would have never jumped off that cliff and Edward would have never gone to Italy. Then I would have never been turned back into a defenseless human and I could have dealt with Edward and Alice and...”

I covered his mouth with my hand. I could feel the pout of his lips against my palm and almost laughed at how cute it was. “Jasper, nothing you did could have stopped this. Just think. If that party hadn't happened the way it did and somehow Alice and Edward got away with their sexcapades for who knows how long, you would still be with that manipulative pixie and I would probably be frozen at eighteen and being treated like a five year old for eternity.”

He tried to speak behind my hand but I shook my head.

“If none of that would have happened. We would have never found each other again. I wouldn't have found the only person that can make me smile just by looking at him. The one person that makes my knees go weak just by him smiling at me. The only person I can say that I truly love and they love me back.” I said, taking my hand from his mouth and pushing his now dripping wet hair out of his eyes. “You're my everything Jasper and I would not change anything that has happened so far even though we are dealing with those two crazy vampires.”

“But I cant protect you...” he groaned and I noticed a single tear slide out of the corner of his closed eyes.

I kissed his lips softly, “You do protect me. Just this once you are going to have to let the wolves and the guards help you out. Okay?”

Jasper nodded his head and pressed his lips to mine again. Walking me backwards, he trapped me between the wall and his body only to grab my hips and wrap my legs around his waist. We stayed there in that spot, kissing and touching for what seemed like hours.

I felt the water start to go cold but was distracted by Jasper seating himself fulling in my core. Carefully Jasper unwrapped my arms from around his neck and laced our fingers together, pinning my arms above my head against the tile wall.

There was something different about making love with him this time. He was more careful and almost clingy. Like he was afraid that I was going to run away or disappear or something. He brought me to the edge of my release more times then I could count but would still inside of me only to kiss me breathless and start all over again. By the time we both fell over the edge of our love making, I could barely keep my eyes open so Jasper carried me to our bed wrapped me up in the down-soft comforter. With a kiss to my forehead, the last thing I heard was Jasper asking me to promise to forgive him.

***

The next morning I woke up with my back and legs aching. I knew we were at it for awhile last night but I didn't realize that it had lasted that long. Rolling over all I found was an empty space that was untouched and cold. That worried me. Jasper hadn't been in bed at all by the looks of it. Then it hit me.

I remembered the words Jasper had said to me before I fell asleep.

“Please forgive me in the morning.”

I shot up out of bed, grabbing any clothes from the floor I could find, not really caring and ran down stairs.

No one was in the living room, or the kitchen, Jasper's study was empty, Em and Rose's room was also empty. I began to panic when I found Carlisle and Esme's room empty as well. My chest was beginning to tighten when I walked past Carlisle's old office and herd voices. Pressing my ear to the door, I listened.

“You shouldn't have done this!” Rose said in a raised voice.

“I only did as he requested me to do. If I wouldn't have he would have went to someone else to have them do it.” Demetri spoke, his voice even not letting Rosalie's harsh tone bother him.

“What about Bella?” Rosalie hissed.

My breath caught in my throat. What about me? What was going on? And who were they talking about?

It was silent for a few moment and then the door was open and I was falling right into the arms of Demetri. “It is not nice to ease drop, Isabella.”

I gave a humorless laugh. “Well, sorry but waking up and finding a practically empty house that brought back some memories that I didn't want to relive. I was on the verge of a full blown panic attack. Sorry.” I bit harshly.

“I'm sorry dear but we were having an emergency meeting. Although it was only suppose to be between Carlisle and myself, the rest of your family decided to join us.”

I looked at him confused before looking behind him. There was the entire Cullen family, well what is left of them, surrounding Carlisle's corner sofa. Esme was sobbing into Carlisle's and Rosalie was standing there glaring daggers at the back of Demetri's head. I stepped forward to ask what was going on when my eyes landed on who was on the sofa. Jasper.

“No..” I whispered.

The few steps it took to reach the sofa were more than I thought I could walk. I fell to my knees as soon as I reached him. My Jasper. He was breathing heavy, his brow and face was covered in sweat and a look of pure torture was etched into his features. “Why?” I breathed.

“He asked me to, Bella. I am sorry but I had to do it.”

I turned on Demetri, “So, you just bit him!? How could you?!”

“Jasper asked me the other day if I would. When I refused him he said he would call Aro himself to get the ruling from him. After finding out who might be helping out Edward and Alice, he came to me begging last night. He was in tears, Isabella. He wants to be able to protect you and he said that if burning for three days meant he could save you from the demons that are haunting your lives right now, then he would do so.”

“But he promised.” I whispered as a sob ripped from my chest. “He promised he wouldn't do anything stupid.”

“He is only doing what he thinks is best, Bella.” Carlisle tried to sooth me but it didn't help.

Fisting the edge of the sofa cushion with both hands, I rested my forehead best Jasper's head.

“Damnit,” I whispered sharply. “You weren't suppose to do anything stupid.”

I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see Emmett giving me a sad smile. “C'mon Bells. We are going to go stay at your house, it wouldn't be good for him to wake up with us in the house.”

“No.” I shook my head. “I'm staying here. Heidi and Demetri are going to be here and if they feel better about they can get me away from the house before he wakes up but please... just let me stay.”

“I don't think that is a good idea Bella. Remember he had trouble with his blood lust when he was over a hundred years old, but him going back to being a newborn will be so much worse for him. And if he hurt you, even if he didn't mean to, it would devastate him.” Carlisle said, his blue eyes full of worry.

I really didn't want to leave him but I didn't want to upset my family either. I know they were just as worried about him as I was but I...

“We'll take care of her.” A deep voice said.

I turned to see Paul standing there with Embry. I was stunned.

“As soon as his heart takes its final beat, we will get her out of the house and mask her scent with ours so he wont feel the pain from it.” Paul said.

Giving him a questioning look I asked, “Why?”

“You helped us hold onto what little bit of humanity we had Bells. I met you right after I phased the first time and I know we never really got along until later before you went away to college but I can say this for myself and the entire pack. You are family.” Paul shrugged as if he didn't just admit to loving me like a big brother, even though he is two years younger than me. “I know you care about Jasper as I care about Rachael. If you want to stay, we will take care of you while he goes through this and then I will get you out of here so he doesn't hurt you.”

I threw myself at Paul, hugging him close. “Thank you.”

“Your welcome Bella. You know we love you right, all of us?” he whispered in my ear.

“I know.”

***

I spent the next three days, sitting at the side of the sofa while Jasper groaned in pain. His jaw was locked the entire time and at first I was afraid he was going to break his teeth from clenching them so hard. Heidi had warned me that he was likely to scream during the change and that if I needed to leave that she was sure Jasper would understand. But he never screamed once. When I would touch him, his entire body would calm down; like he knew I was there.

I watched as his body changed. His sun-kissed human skin was now snowy white and all the like scuff marks on his knuckles his workouts and the roughness on his finger tips from playing his guitar were all smoothed now. The shaggy blond curls were now longer and more vibrantly colored. He was becoming too perfect, an angel, a god.. a vampire.

Now laying beside him, I held his hand as he gasped for breath, we knew it would be soon. Heidi and Demetri were in the living room, giving me this time alone with him and Paul and Embry were close by keeping check on the surrounding forest.

I wasn't prepared for it when Jasper's back arched from the sofa, a low gasp escaping his lips and then he fell back onto the leather sofa. Carefully, I placed my hand on his chest but felt nothing. Leaning in I pressed my ear to his chest next and heard nothing. It's time. I thought.

Quickly I got up from the sofa and started for the door, I had just opened my mouth to yell from everyone but I stopped dead when Jasper's head turned towards me and his eyes snapped open. My breath was caught in my throat as I stared into his vibrant red eyes. I couldn't move. I couldn't speak. He started to breath in but he stopped, his eyes wide and fearful. After gulping several times he spoke.

“Go.” he whispered.

That seemed to snap me out of whatever trance I was in. I turned my back to the love of my life and ran.