[Bella] Breaking the Tension

[Jasper Hale]

Jasper walked up to his sister and brothers cottage and let himself in. He knew that Bella seemed slightly tense about his remarriage and wanted to check in on her for himself even though he could clearly feel the tension that Bella was feeling at the time they had made the announcement. “Bella are you here? “ Jasper cleared his throat as his eyes darted across the room looking for any moment before he sat down and took a seat. He could smell her she was close maybe she was working on something.

“I apologize for letting myself in like that but I think we really need to talk.” He yelled looking around the room for a second time. He knew his sister most likely would not care, he was at least polite enough to wait in the living room after uninvitingly letting himself in which was very uncommon for him to do in the first place. If Jasper was right it felt like he had been doing a few impulsive things lately that were slightly unlike him as well. As he waited for Bella he thought about what he would say to her, he knew that whatever it was that was on her mind it had something to do which his sudden remarriage.

[Bella Cullen]

Bella hadn’t spoken to anyone in the family aside from Edward for a few days. With the sudden re-marriage between Alice and Jasper, a lot of different people had been feeling very strong and mixed emotions about it. She was positive that Emmett, Carlisle, and Esme were thrilled about it. However,.. she knew where she stood. And she also had lingering questions about how Rosalie would feel about it. The entire situation rubbed her the wrong way. There were a lot of things that Alice and Jasper needed to work through, and jumping back into marriage so quickly was a hasty decision, that quite honestly Bella feared would cause consequences that neither of them had expected. Hearing her brother come in through the front door; it was a bittersweet feeling. She was beyond ecstatic to see him, but she also knew that this visit would be tense and uncomfortable.

Bella was positive that her reluctance and hesitation was oozing from her pores as she left the kitchen where she had been working on a scrapbook for Esme. “ Hello, Jasper,”. She said quietly as she made her way into the living room. It was unnecessary for her to start off the conversation. He was the one that knew why he was there; and he also would be able to tell what sort of feelings she would have about his presence there. Bella adored Jasper with everything she had in her, all she wanted was for him and Alice to be happy. But she couldn’t help the feelings she had. Watching him for a moment, she finally broke down and smiled. Her emotions were suddenly replaced and overwhelmed with those of love. Wrapping her arms around her brother she squeezed him tightly. It was true that they had gotten closer during his and Alice’s separation, but that was more to do with her being able to understand more than anyone the feeling of not belonging with the Cullen family. “ I’m so glad you came to see me…” She said quietly as she buried her face into the side of his neck and hugged him again before finally letting go.

[Jasper Hale]

Jasper stood up from where he was sitting as Bella greeted him. His eyes followed her as she walked across the room. He could sense how uncomfortable she was and knew more than anything what was the cause of it. Jasper studied her carefully as he picked up emotions of reluctance and hesitation. Almost instantly Jasper wanted to control her emotions but reframed from doing so knowing it most likely was better to let Bella feel what she needed to feel. It only took a few seconds before Jasper was over come with feelings of love before Bella throw her arms around him. When Bella let go Jasper gave a small smile. “ It’s very nice to see you too.” He said as he beamed at her. He knew that She still loved him no matter what kinds of things were going on. She would always be his sister and he would always be her brother. “ I’m pretty sure you know why I came here.” He said bracing himself for what emotions he knew she would start to feel.

“ I don’t think you can really hide anything from me.” He said with a little laugh. “ So naturally when I pick up you are feeling uncomfortable when I announce my re-marriage I want to hear your side of the story and why you might feel this way.” He said softly looking in her eyes. “ I don’t want you to be upset or uncomfortable, and I don’t want any tension between us.” He added as his eyes darted down to the ground slightly knowing it would be hard to deal with things if something was to come between his family due to the recent decision. “ I know you may not be the only one that feels this way as well but for now I want to focus on why my sister is so uncomfortable.” He said looking up at her.

[Bella Cullen]

As Jasper declared that Bella knew why he was there and what they needed to talk about, she shifted uncomfortably on her feet. She never wanted to intrude on her brother and sisters life; and if they were alright with what they were doing, there was absolutely no reason why she should intrude. “ Jasper, I’m not sure it’s any of my business…”. She spoke quietly as she looked down at the ground. Hearing him speak again, followed by his whimsical laugh, Bella couldn’t help but give the faintest of smiles. “ I think that would be fairly difficult to hide anything from you… but to be fair, Jasper.. I think you know me well enough by now that you don’t even need your gift to know what I’m feeling,”. When he explained that he didn’t want there to be any tension between him and herself; she gave a small frown and looked back down at the ground. “ Jasper, I don’t want things to be tense because you’ve made a decision that makes you happy. If being…. married to Alice right now is what you want, it really is none of my business..” Bella placed her hands in her back pockets before she looked back up at him.

At times Bella had wondered if Jasper was using his gift to make her smile and be calm around him. But it had just started to become so natural due to their growing friendship, that she knew he wasn’t doing it now. Bella scratched the side of her neck out of habit as she tried to collect her thoughts. “ Disappointed isn’t the correct description for what I’m feeling, Jasper…”. Bella licked her lips and looked up at the clock, wondering how mucho f their afternoon would be spent doing this. She loved Jasper so much and it pained her that he felt there was tension between the two of them, simply because he was doing what made him happy. “ I am concerned.”. Bella lifted her eyes back to Jasper. “ Jasper, you went through so much… So much happened. It’s hard to just .. over night turn your back on that and think that a marriage license is going to fix everything. If you two are going to be together for the rest of your lives and forever,.. what is the harm in taking things slowly, and allowing yourselves to work everything out? Rushing into something like this shows a disrespect for what you two went through. You should be going through those feelings. You felt hurt… and abandoned.. And now you’re married. “ Bella bit her lip to keep herself from talking. She wasn’t sure how Edward would have felt about her spilling her guts, and she knew she had no right. Bella knew she would have said the same things to Alice.

[Jasper Hale]

Jasper listened as Bella spoke knowing that everything that she was saying was very sensible. Jasper understood why she might have felt that way knowing only a few months ago Alice and himself were doing everything in there possible power to avoid one another and the memories attached to what had happened. Jasper watched as Bella’s eyes drifted from the ground and back up to him. She was right even without his powers he would be able to understand that something was wrong just by her body language and the way that she carried herself. Jasper again felt the urge to want to control her emotions but kept himself from doing it even though her emotions were so magnified to him. Jasper was silent for a while as he tried to form the right words in his head. “ You know I cant really argue with what you just said.” Jasper said as he rubbed the side of his neck and looked at Bella. “ I mean one minute both Alice and I were heart broken and upset and the next we are back here married like nothing happened. And in a prefect world I guess forgiving and forgetting is all it would take to mend the wound but this world is by far not prefect.”

Jasper grew silent again trying to think of how he wanted to explain himself next. He did Love Alice and had no hard feelings against her at that moment but knew how right Bella was that those do not just go away automatically. “ I understand that maybe Alice and I will need to work through a few things seeing that you know as well as I do know that pain just does not slip through the cracks. I’m fine right now but this will all come back to haunt me, the pain will always still be there. the last thing I want to do it have another fight that splits this family up again.” Jasper looked back up at Bella hoping that maybe some of what he said cleared the air a little. “ I understand where you are coming from and your concern it makes sense.” He added before stopping to allow Bella to talk some more.

[Bella Cullen]

Bella leaned against the side of the couch as she listened to Jasper explain his feelings on the situation. He spoke the way she expected him to. To think that he would suddenly realize that they were rushing into things and want to slow things down would be stupid. Both he and Alice were passionate people; and it seemed in this case that they let it get out of control. Giving a small nod at what he was saying, Bella again tried to collect her thoughts. In no way did she want to influence his decision, and it would be naïve to think that she had any part in it. His life revolved around Alice; not their family. She knew that if she was in the same boat, she would pick Edward over the family. As awful as it sounded, they would all pick their mates. Bella tried putting herself in Jasper and Alice’s situation, but found herself only more irritated. She had been patient. When Edward left her, and he returned they both knew that they would be married at some point and together forever. But that didn’t pressure her into making an immediate decision. She still believed that they got married young, but at least they worked things through and thought sensibly about how it was going to effect them. And every year she waited, was a year she was older than Edward.

Giving a small sigh, Bella refocused on Jasper and Alice before she looked back up at him. “ I just think you may be rushing things. If you’re meant to be together forever in the future, then tell me what the harm is in taking time to make sure it’s done right?”. Bella crossed her arms over one another as she looked back at the brother that she had gotten to know so well over the last few months. “ You know I absolutely love you…. And Alice for that matter. I only want what is best for you,”. Bella smiled faintly. Not wanting this to be anymore uncomfortable than it already was, she gave a small grin. “ Bad time to try and use the ‘ You tried to eat me once, and forced my mate to leave me for an extended period of time, so you owe me one’ card?” Bella smiled at Jasper as she joked with him. She wanted him to know that she loved him, and even if they had differing opinions on a subject; it didn’t mean that she would ever love him any less.

[Jasper Hale]

Jasper smiled and give a short laugh as Bella joked with him. All he could really do was nod as she spoke more about her feelings regaurding the sudden re-marriage. He was not exactly sure on how he was supposed to make Bella feel more comfortable about things, he certainly was not going to turn around and tell Alice that they needed to get divorced and wait a while before marrying for a third time. Jasper loved Alice way too much and even the thought of that made him uneasy. Jasper loved his sister too and wanted to make her feel better in anyway he could without forcing emotions on her. If she was going to feel better he wanted those emotions to come from deep down within her and not from him. “Well you know that I love Alice dearly, and right now we are happier than ever but I also understand that things might not last that way for long since we never really talked things out about what happened and how hurt both of us were. I am not sure what all you want me to do, because I am certainly not going to turn around and break her heart by taking that ring back and telling her I need space. I want you to feel ok though so please let me know how I can do this.” He said looking at her.

“ Promise me you wont hold back on telling whatever you are thinking, I’m not like Edward and I can only read emotions.” He said with a slight laugh and smile. “ I don’t think you would hide anything from me, but don’t spend too much time choosing your words I want you to be honest and feel like you can be that way with me even right now.” Jasper knew that he wanted to hear her suggestions on the matter but also wanted to make it clear to her that he had no intension of hurting Alice at that moment in time even if he knew eventually the pain from the past year would come back and his feelings might begin to grow bitter again. “ Know that I’m not prefect and I make mistakes. I admit we did jump the gun but what is done is done.”

[Bella Cullen]

Bella shook her head at Jaspers words. “ I never expected you to get divorced. If you even thought about it at this point, I think I would have to kill you myself for doing that to Alice,”. Bella gave a small shrug of her shoulders. “ I just wanted to know if you realized that you made a hasty decision that wasn’t well thought out… at all…” Bella leaned forward to hug him again. It was strange being able to hug Jasper, when he was the one that she had to be so careful around as a human. Now she didn’t even think twice about embracing him. “ I understand more than anyone how powerful love can be when it motivates decisions… My decision to join this lifestyle got the same reactions. I just don’t want to be put in a situation where my family is being torn apart again. Because no matter what happens between you and Alice, you are my brother Jasper. You mean so much to me and I don’t want to see either of you hurt,”.

Stepping away after a moment she carefully looked back over her brother. “ I love you, Jasper,” she said quietly as she smiled up at him. She knew that she wanted this conversation with Alice too. To tell her to guard her heart and expect anything. Even though Alice could see the future, it was only with what decisions people had made for today. Things could always change, and Alice needed to be prepared for whatever may be coming. “ I don’t want to risk losing you again as a part of this family.. I don’t want to risk losing you,”. Bella lowered her eyes from Jasper and looked away from him. It might have been the most selfish thing she could have said at that point. Jasper and Alice had rushed into something; and as much as it would kill Bella to see either of them hurt if it turned sour, she also knew that it meant that they honestly would lose Jasper from their lives completely. That was something she wasn’t ready for.

[Jasper Hale]

Jasper embraced Bella after she admitted that she did not want to lose him. “ Don’t worry I promise that will not happen.” He said into her ear before letting go and looking into her eyes. Jasper knew that he was lucky he had the family he had. The Cullen’s had changed his life completely and Bella had given him so much joy. “ I think its nice to be able to be close to you without having to worry about killing you. I’m not sure how life would have been without you Bella, you really have touched the hearts of this family. I know most of all though I would not be here without Alice, she is the one that lead me here to this life.” Jasper gave a smile as he thought about that day again and how hard it was for him to live off something that was not human blood. “ I think most of all I am thankful that I did not kill you that day or else I would have missed out on having one of the greatest sisters in the world. “ he smiled.

“ I know you just want me to be happy and you don’t want anything to happen to this family. But I also want you to be happy and know that whatever happens between now and then with Alice and I will be worked out. We made a promise with one another and if we did tie the knot a little too early before all our feelings had been worked out well maybe that is something we have to deal with and it will be dealt with in the best possible way it can.” Jasper knew everything that he was saying to his sister was true. There would be a point when both Alice and Jasper were to face the feelings that they may have not completely gotten over and dealt with. Jasper wanted to let Bella know that he was prepared for that and would not let anything happen again.