Fic: Through The Open Door, Ch. 8
Summary: It was just a normal, stressful day. That is, until this Twilight fan walked through a door and ended up in the Twilight-verse. What would you do, if you ended up in Bella's life - if everyone in Forks thought you were Chief Swan's daughter - if nobody, not even the Cullens, knew the difference? How do you live someone else's life when you know what's going to happen?
Past Chapters: 1-3, 4, 5, 6, 7, MASTER POST.
Chapter 8
“Alright Jasper, what do you wanna know,” I asked as I folded my arms across my chest, already feeling defensive.
“You like Edward,” he stated bluntly.
“I like all of you,” I fired back, eyes narrowing. Why did he care about Edward?
“When you said he saved you - saved Bella - and that she joined our family after finding out who he was… you left something out,” he said in the same matter-of-fact tone.
I waited, saying nothing. He continued to stare at me, his eyes questioning. “That wasn’t a question,” I finally responded.
His answering grin seemed to say ‘oh yes it was.’ I glanced at Alice, hoping she’d give some indication of where this line of questioning was going or what my response should be.
“Your call,” she said in response to my look, making me wonder, again, how much she’d already Seen.
I looked back to Jasper and he was still staring at me with that annoyingly amused grin on his face. Something about this line of questioning, and that look, made me feel like he knew exactly what kind of facts I’d left out… and why.
“Come on,” he said, wriggling his eyebrows, his grin stretching. “You tell me what you know about him and I’ll tell you how he felt when he saw you.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at that, “I think his lunge already gave him away.”
“Ah, but there are layers upon layers of emotions that can tie into a lunge,” he joked back at me.
“I can definitely see why you’re described as charming,” I said with a grudging smile. “Fine,” I sighed. “It’s not really that big a deal, I just didn’t feel like telling everyone about it right away. It’s - I don’t know, embarrassing somehow and - and confusing…”
“Well, whatever it is, it has to be fair interesting. I have never seen Edward loose control like that before. Ever,” Jasper repeated flatly. “And before he left, he said something about not being able to hear you. He was not making a lot of sense and he could not get away fast enough, but whatever you did had him running scared.”
“I didn’t do anything,” I said with indignation, not realizing at first that he had baited me. “Well, not really. I knew - in the books, you see, Edward is attracted to Bella because of her scent. She smells better than any other human in the world to him. And on top of that, he can’t read her mind. It’s the perfect combination, actually. It causes him to loose his ambivalence towards humans enough to get to know her, and then once he knows her… they fall in love. They become inseparable and, after some struggles and turmoil, finally marry, Edward turns her, and they live happily ever after.” Feeling a little ashamed of myself again, I continued, “I didn’t know that he would react like that to me. I wondered, but…”
“So, Edward can not read your mind?,” Jasper questioned. I shook my head no. “And he can not control his thirst around you either?”
“Well, not exactly. He can control it. If he wants to. It’s hard… In the books, he first smells Bella at school and he almost kills her and all the surrounding students. The only thing that stops him is exposure and not wanting to disappoint Carlisle with a mass murder. Once he’s free of her scent, he’s able to think clearly again and he runs off to Denali, rather than risk exposing the family again. Um, maybe it was just the threat of exposure all along though,” I murmured, “because he certainly didn’t try to hold himself back today when he didn’t have to worry about such a thing.”
“So, you are saying that Edward is going to want to feed on you until he falls in love with you and then he will be able to control himself?,” Jasper sounded skeptical.
“Not me!,” I said emphatically. “Bella! He falls in love with Bella! They’re soul mates. Like you and Alice.” My voice turned forlorn then as I added, “So that’s the real problem with me being here. He’s supposed to fall in love with Bella and, now, Bella isn’t here.” I eyed Jasper and Alice, trying to see if they got the colossal significance of this.
No one was gasping in horror or moaning in sorrow, so I assumed they needed further clarification. “Don’t you get it,” I asked in exasperation. “I’ve taken something away from him - away from all of you. He was supposed to find his mate and become this wonderful, loving, caring person he always could have been - instead of remaining the brooding, depressed, and lonely person he is now. And you guys - you were supposed to gain a sister,” I said looking at Alice, “and a very powerful comrade in arms,” I finished looking to Jasper. “And now, you won’t have that. Edward won’t ever get to have his soul mate. I’ve ruined everything for you,” I said, almost in a sob.
Alice and Jasper traded glances. “I think you’re wrong,” Alice finally said to me. “About some of it, anyways.”
“What do you See Alice,” he questioned from his perch on the window, the curiosity on his face mirroring mine.
“I’m not sure,” she responded, her eyes going out of focus. “I See you as one of us,” she murmured and my eyes widened, “but I don’t see Edward there. It’s still a little fuzzy… there are too many variable still left to be decided. But, if everything continues on its current path, you will be one of us someday.”
A grin began to slowly spread across my face. I was going to join them someday! I’d get to be cool, kick-ass vampire Bella eventually. Maybe I wouldn’t feel so guilty about taking Bella’s place when I was strong and able to contribute to the family in some way. When I could protect them, instead of asking them for protection, maybe I would stop feeling like an intruder in their family.
“Can you see when,” I couldn’t help but ask Alice.
“No,” she responded slowly, both her and Jasper eyeing me as my excitement rose.
“You want to be one of us,” Jasper asked, a hint of disbelief present in his clear voice.
“More than anything!,” I gushed. “Alice, could I? Could you - would you change me now?”
“Woah,” Alice exclaimed, backing away from me a few steps. Her mouth opened and closed a few times as she tried to think of how to phrase her answer politely. Eventually giving up, she said plainly, “No!”
I felt disappointment flood my body as she stuttered, trying to come up with an appropriate explanation. “Firstly, I don’t think I could, even if I thought it was prudent. I don’t have that kind of control, despite what you may think. Secondly, it’s been a very hectic day for you and this isn’t a life to be entered into lightly! You really should speak to Carlisle about all this, not me. Ok? He can tell you more about the gravity of your choice. And, I think, if anyone is going to change you, it would end up being Carlisle. He’s the only one with that sort of strength. Talk to Carlisle, alright?”
I nodded, keeping my eyes downcast to hide the hurt I felt at her refusal. I knew she was right - Alice had said much the same to Bella when she had asked, and she’d known and loved Bella! As a stranger, I should have known better than to think she would want to act to keep me so soon.
At my nod of assent, Alice let out a breath of relief and inched towards the window. “We should get going now,” she said, seeming anxious to get away from me before I tried to press the issue again.
“Will I see you again,” I asked, hating the vulnerable tone of my voice.
“Don’t be silly,” Alice scolded lightly as Jasper slid out the window. “I’ll be here bright and early to pick you up for school tomorrow. You still need a chauffer until you learn how to drive that heap of metal downstairs.” I grinned at her in relief.
“Get some rest,” Alice ordered as she followed Jasper gracefully out of the window. “You look utterly dead on your feet. There will be plenty of time to discuss these things later.” Seeing the uncertainty in my eyes she added reassuringly, “We aren’t going to disappear on you.”
“Despite all your fretting about ruining the course of things, some matters remain unaltered,” Jasper added thoughtfully from his perch outside the window. In answer to my confused look he smiled warmly and said, “At the very least, our family has gained a strong ally today.”
“And I have gained a sister,” Alice said firmly. I had just enough time to return her kind smile before they both dropped from sight.