Waiting For My Real Life To Begin
by Laura Spudzmom
Chapter 37
“How’s she doing?” Damon entered the living room and headed for the sideboard to pour a drink.
Stefan adjusted the quilt around his sleeping niece and shrugged. “She cried herself to sleep. Didn’t take long.” He met his brother’s gaze. “I tried to talk her out of going down there.”
Damon smirked. “Pretty impossible once she’s made up her mind.”
“Yeah, I figured that out.”
“Elena and Bonnie leave?” Damon asked before settling into a chair and putting his feet up.
“Yeah, said they had some things to take care of. They’ll be back later.”
The sound of a car turning into their driveway caught their attention and Damon got up and headed for the door, closely followed by Stefan.
Peeking out the side window, Damon chuckled darkly. “Brace yourself, little brother. Daddy Cullen just arrived.”
“He bring anyone?”
“Looks like the blonde, her muscled mate, and Mommy Cullen.”
“You think they’re a threat?” Stefan asked as Damon reached for the door knob.
He arched a brow. “I guess we’re about to find out,” he said while pulling to door wide.
“Mr. Salvatore,” Carlisle greeted, his tone grave as they approached the door. Damon didn’t bother correcting him.
“Dr. Cullen. What can I do for you today?”
Carlisle wrapped an arm around his mate’s shoulders. “I think we both know why I’m here.”
Damon’s expression was puzzled. “No, I really don’t.” He glanced at Stefan. “You know of any reason why the good doctor would be here, little brother?”
Stefan stared at the Cullen patriarch, his expression closed, cold. “I don’t.”
Carlisle sighed heavily. “I’m here to collect my first childe.”
Damon’s expression went ice cold in an instant. “He was brought here for justice to be served, Cullen. What makes you think you have a right to retrieve him? No, scratch that. What makes you think there’s anything left for you to retrieve?”
Carlisle looked pained. “I had to try.”
“Let him in.” Jasper’s cold tone filled the entryway and Damon glanced back to see him incline his head, his unflinching gaze locked on the Cullen patriarch. “He can take what’s left of him.”
With a nod and a heavy breath, Damon stepped aside and motioned inside. “You heard him, Doctor. Come on in and collect your progeny.”
Carlisle entered the house trailed by the rest of the Cullens and followed Jasper to the basement door.
Jasper stopped and glanced at Esme before pinning Carlisle with a steely gaze. “You may want to ask your wife to wait in the living room.”
Esme whimpered and hid her face against her mate’s shoulder. “Esme, honey, why don’t you go with Rose while Emmett and I get Edward.”
Rose stepped up and wrapped an arm around Esme, leading her away while Carlisle turned back to his former son. “Let’s get this over with.”
“My pleasure,” Jasper snapped and opened the door.
“God,” Emmett choked at the overwhelming stench as they followed the empath into the basement. At the sight of his brother, he covered his eyes with a hand as Carlisle whispered, “Oh, Edward.”
“Dad?” the mangled vampire whimpered. “Is that really you?” His head tilted and turned, trying to locate his Sire.
“Yes, son, it’s me,” Carlisle managed through the heavy lump in his throat. He turned his blackened gaze on the empath. “Why didn’t you finish him? This…” he gestured, “this is beyond inhumane.”
Jasper smirked coldly at the blond doctor. “I’m not exactly human, am I? And that?” He pointed at the mind-reader. “That thing, that you created, killed my baby boy and took the joy out of my wife’s eyes.”
He stepped into Carlisle’s space, his tone menacing as he continued. “I consider you partly responsible, doctor. I want you to know that. You created that monster and didn’t think to train it or control it. You enabled it, indirectly though it may have been, and now, you will end it while I watch.”
Jasper heard a gasp and looked up at the entrance to see Bella standing there, tears in her eyes and a hand covering her mouth before she turned and bolted up the stairs. His Jaw clenched and he turned back to the doctor. “Pick it up, doctor, and follow me.”
Once outside, Damon showed them into the woods not far from the boarding house and into a small clearing.
The rest of the Cullens and Stefan had followed and formed a small semicircle off to the side as Carlisle gently laid his whimpering childe down on the ground. “It’s all right, Edward,” he murmured while smoothing a hand over his brow. “It’ll be over soon, son, I promise. You’ll be at peace,” he choked, his eyes misted with thick venom tears as he knelt there, the sorrow in his heart nearly choking him.
Jasper stood off to the side, shoulders square and hands clasped behind his back. There were tears in his eyes though as he said, “I didn’t get to say those words to my boy. Didn’t get to comfort him as he died. Didn’t get to say goodbye.”
Carlisle, still staring at his mangled childe, whispered, “I’m sorry, Jasper.”
Jasper dug in his pocket and tossed a lighter. “Do your part, doctor, and I want you to think on this every time you’re tempted to create another.”
“I’ll never create another,” he insisted with a sharp glance at Jasper.
“Let’s hope not,” the empath returned.
Resting a knee in the center of Edward’s chest, Carlisle wrenched off his son’s head and stood back, listening to his mate sob as he tossed the lighter.
The body burst into flames and he stared at it for a moment before turning to look at Jasper. “This was a tragedy for us all. So much sorrow on both sides. Time has taught me though, that pain fades eventually. I wish that for you. Live your life with Bella, Jasper. Find happiness again, and we’ll try to do the same.” He came alongside the stoic empath and held his gaze. “I loved you as a son once. That doesn't just go away, so perhaps someday…”
“Not so sure about that, doctor, but I know Bella cares for you, so I’ll relay the message and leave it up to her.”
“Understandable,” Carlisle said with a nod before pulling his quietly sobbing mate close. “We’ll be on our way.”
~o0o~
“How are you?”
Taking a moment to study him as he sat, propped against the tree trunk on the outskirts of the boarding house property, she sighed and took a seat in front of him, taking his hand as she answered, “I’ll be okay.”
His raised brow spoke of his skepticism and she smiled wanly. “Really Jay, I’ll be okay.” She studied him in concern. “How are you doing? I’m sure none of that was easy.”
He frowned and stared off into the distance before shrugging. “It’s over. I did what I felt needed to be done, now it’s in the past.” He met her gaze. “I’m more concerned with how this has affected us.”
Her brow furrowed and he continued.
“I felt you in there…when you were looking down into the basement,” he murmured. “Your revulsion, disgust, and fear.” He met her eyes. “Was any of that directed toward me? Were you disgusted by what I did, how I was?”
She frowned and squeezed his hand. “No, so get that thought outta your head right now. It was all toward Edward.”
He searched her eyes for a moment before nodding. “Good. I was worried. I didn’t want you to see me like that…or any of that, really.” He smiled sadly and lifted her hand for a kiss.
She leaned forward and cupped his cheek. “I love you Jasper Whitlock, and nothing’s gonna change that, got it?”
He smiled and turned his head to kiss her palm. “Yes Ma’am.”
Reaching out, he tugged her back against his chest, wrapping her in his arms. “So, what now, Mrs. Whitlock? Where do we go from here?” he asked, his tone a little lost, melancholy.
It made her heart ache and she hugged his arms that wrapped her waist while snuggling back into his hold. “Now?” she mused. “As painful as it may be at first, we go on living.” She turned and kissed his jaw, before turning in his hold to stare into the distance. “We figure out where we want to live, maybe buy a little house, with a picket fence, get a dog…” she teased with a wan smile.
“You can mow the grass on Sundays while I catch up on laundry.” She turned in his arms and laid her hand against his cheek while meeting his vivid green gaze. He frowned as her eyes misted with tears, but stayed silent as she continued, her voice trembling through a hesitant smile, “Because babies always mean a lot of laundry…”
His brow furrowed and his worry swirled around them. “Babies? Sugar, Jace is…”
“I know. I’m not in denial, Jay, if that’s what you’re thinking.” She leaned her head against his chest and murmured, “I know he’s gone.”
His arms tightened around her and he kissed the top of her head. “Then what are you talkin’ about, sugar? Can we even have more children? Is that even possible?”
She pulled back to smile at him, and the crease in his brows deepened as she took his hand and placed it on her belly. “It’s more than possible,” she said, vivid blue eyes meeting confused green.
Then she saw it: the moment it dawned on him, and her smile brightened as he
breathed, “You mean…?”
She nodded and a sob tore from him as he pulled her into a tight hug, his face buried in her curls as he choked out, “Another baby?”
“Yes,” she said, her voice trembling, “another baby, Jay.”
“How’s she doing?” Damon entered the living room and headed for the sideboard to pour a drink.
Stefan adjusted the quilt around his sleeping niece and shrugged. “She cried herself to sleep. Didn’t take long.” He met his brother’s gaze. “I tried to talk her out of going down there.”
Damon smirked. “Pretty impossible once she’s made up her mind.”
“Yeah, I figured that out.”
“Elena and Bonnie leave?” Damon asked before settling into a chair and putting his feet up.
“Yeah, said they had some things to take care of. They’ll be back later.”
The sound of a car turning into their driveway caught their attention and Damon got up and headed for the door, closely followed by Stefan.
Peeking out the side window, Damon chuckled darkly. “Brace yourself, little brother. Daddy Cullen just arrived.”
“He bring anyone?”
“Looks like the blonde, her muscled mate, and Mommy Cullen.”
“You think they’re a threat?” Stefan asked as Damon reached for the door knob.
He arched a brow. “I guess we’re about to find out,” he said while pulling to door wide.
“Mr. Salvatore,” Carlisle greeted, his tone grave as they approached the door. Damon didn’t bother correcting him.
“Dr. Cullen. What can I do for you today?”
Carlisle wrapped an arm around his mate’s shoulders. “I think we both know why I’m here.”
Damon’s expression was puzzled. “No, I really don’t.” He glanced at Stefan. “You know of any reason why the good doctor would be here, little brother?”
Stefan stared at the Cullen patriarch, his expression closed, cold. “I don’t.”
Carlisle sighed heavily. “I’m here to collect my first childe.”
Damon’s expression went ice cold in an instant. “He was brought here for justice to be served, Cullen. What makes you think you have a right to retrieve him? No, scratch that. What makes you think there’s anything left for you to retrieve?”
Carlisle looked pained. “I had to try.”
“Let him in.” Jasper’s cold tone filled the entryway and Damon glanced back to see him incline his head, his unflinching gaze locked on the Cullen patriarch. “He can take what’s left of him.”
With a nod and a heavy breath, Damon stepped aside and motioned inside. “You heard him, Doctor. Come on in and collect your progeny.”
Carlisle entered the house trailed by the rest of the Cullens and followed Jasper to the basement door.
Jasper stopped and glanced at Esme before pinning Carlisle with a steely gaze. “You may want to ask your wife to wait in the living room.”
Esme whimpered and hid her face against her mate’s shoulder. “Esme, honey, why don’t you go with Rose while Emmett and I get Edward.”
Rose stepped up and wrapped an arm around Esme, leading her away while Carlisle turned back to his former son. “Let’s get this over with.”
“My pleasure,” Jasper snapped and opened the door.
“God,” Emmett choked at the overwhelming stench as they followed the empath into the basement. At the sight of his brother, he covered his eyes with a hand as Carlisle whispered, “Oh, Edward.”
“Dad?” the mangled vampire whimpered. “Is that really you?” His head tilted and turned, trying to locate his Sire.
“Yes, son, it’s me,” Carlisle managed through the heavy lump in his throat. He turned his blackened gaze on the empath. “Why didn’t you finish him? This…” he gestured, “this is beyond inhumane.”
Jasper smirked coldly at the blond doctor. “I’m not exactly human, am I? And that?” He pointed at the mind-reader. “That thing, that you created, killed my baby boy and took the joy out of my wife’s eyes.”
He stepped into Carlisle’s space, his tone menacing as he continued. “I consider you partly responsible, doctor. I want you to know that. You created that monster and didn’t think to train it or control it. You enabled it, indirectly though it may have been, and now, you will end it while I watch.”
Jasper heard a gasp and looked up at the entrance to see Bella standing there, tears in her eyes and a hand covering her mouth before she turned and bolted up the stairs. His Jaw clenched and he turned back to the doctor. “Pick it up, doctor, and follow me.”
Once outside, Damon showed them into the woods not far from the boarding house and into a small clearing.
The rest of the Cullens and Stefan had followed and formed a small semicircle off to the side as Carlisle gently laid his whimpering childe down on the ground. “It’s all right, Edward,” he murmured while smoothing a hand over his brow. “It’ll be over soon, son, I promise. You’ll be at peace,” he choked, his eyes misted with thick venom tears as he knelt there, the sorrow in his heart nearly choking him.
Jasper stood off to the side, shoulders square and hands clasped behind his back. There were tears in his eyes though as he said, “I didn’t get to say those words to my boy. Didn’t get to comfort him as he died. Didn’t get to say goodbye.”
Carlisle, still staring at his mangled childe, whispered, “I’m sorry, Jasper.”
Jasper dug in his pocket and tossed a lighter. “Do your part, doctor, and I want you to think on this every time you’re tempted to create another.”
“I’ll never create another,” he insisted with a sharp glance at Jasper.
“Let’s hope not,” the empath returned.
Resting a knee in the center of Edward’s chest, Carlisle wrenched off his son’s head and stood back, listening to his mate sob as he tossed the lighter.
The body burst into flames and he stared at it for a moment before turning to look at Jasper. “This was a tragedy for us all. So much sorrow on both sides. Time has taught me though, that pain fades eventually. I wish that for you. Live your life with Bella, Jasper. Find happiness again, and we’ll try to do the same.” He came alongside the stoic empath and held his gaze. “I loved you as a son once. That doesn't just go away, so perhaps someday…”
“Not so sure about that, doctor, but I know Bella cares for you, so I’ll relay the message and leave it up to her.”
“Understandable,” Carlisle said with a nod before pulling his quietly sobbing mate close. “We’ll be on our way.”
~o0o~
“How are you?”
Taking a moment to study him as he sat, propped against the tree trunk on the outskirts of the boarding house property, she sighed and took a seat in front of him, taking his hand as she answered, “I’ll be okay.”
His raised brow spoke of his skepticism and she smiled wanly. “Really Jay, I’ll be okay.” She studied him in concern. “How are you doing? I’m sure none of that was easy.”
He frowned and stared off into the distance before shrugging. “It’s over. I did what I felt needed to be done, now it’s in the past.” He met her gaze. “I’m more concerned with how this has affected us.”
Her brow furrowed and he continued.
“I felt you in there…when you were looking down into the basement,” he murmured. “Your revulsion, disgust, and fear.” He met her eyes. “Was any of that directed toward me? Were you disgusted by what I did, how I was?”
She frowned and squeezed his hand. “No, so get that thought outta your head right now. It was all toward Edward.”
He searched her eyes for a moment before nodding. “Good. I was worried. I didn’t want you to see me like that…or any of that, really.” He smiled sadly and lifted her hand for a kiss.
She leaned forward and cupped his cheek. “I love you Jasper Whitlock, and nothing’s gonna change that, got it?”
He smiled and turned his head to kiss her palm. “Yes Ma’am.”
Reaching out, he tugged her back against his chest, wrapping her in his arms. “So, what now, Mrs. Whitlock? Where do we go from here?” he asked, his tone a little lost, melancholy.
It made her heart ache and she hugged his arms that wrapped her waist while snuggling back into his hold. “Now?” she mused. “As painful as it may be at first, we go on living.” She turned and kissed his jaw, before turning in his hold to stare into the distance. “We figure out where we want to live, maybe buy a little house, with a picket fence, get a dog…” she teased with a wan smile.
“You can mow the grass on Sundays while I catch up on laundry.” She turned in his arms and laid her hand against his cheek while meeting his vivid green gaze. He frowned as her eyes misted with tears, but stayed silent as she continued, her voice trembling through a hesitant smile, “Because babies always mean a lot of laundry…”
His brow furrowed and his worry swirled around them. “Babies? Sugar, Jace is…”
“I know. I’m not in denial, Jay, if that’s what you’re thinking.” She leaned her head against his chest and murmured, “I know he’s gone.”
His arms tightened around her and he kissed the top of her head. “Then what are you talkin’ about, sugar? Can we even have more children? Is that even possible?”
She pulled back to smile at him, and the crease in his brows deepened as she took his hand and placed it on her belly. “It’s more than possible,” she said, vivid blue eyes meeting confused green.
Then she saw it: the moment it dawned on him, and her smile brightened as he
breathed, “You mean…?”
She nodded and a sob tore from him as he pulled her into a tight hug, his face buried in her curls as he choked out, “Another baby?”
“Yes,” she said, her voice trembling, “another baby, Jay.”
DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended.