Margaret Allie Brandon (Jasper's Mate Story)

Chapter 52

Jasper's POV: (Dec. 26th-afternoon)

I was so happy that she was seeming to become more comfortable with me again. I wanted. No, I needed her to trust me. Every cell in my body was screaming to hold her in my arms and never let another thing hurt her, but I couldn't do that if she was still scared of me.

"Do you think you'll dream about everyone's deaths?" (Jas)

"I.....I might if I become comfortable enough and close enough to the rest of the family I will. I only have the rest of the guys to dream about don't I?" (Mag)

"There isn't anyway to stop them from happening?" (Jas)

I saw an almost rueful smile cross her face before disappearing and an overwhelming sense of bitterness and despair radiated off of her. She nodded no before she broke her gaze from the snow that was now falling outside and looked at me sitting in the chair next to the bed.

"I've only been able to avoid it by avoiding everyone." (Mag)

"That's why you didn't want to be friends with me at first isn't it?" (Jas)

"One of the reasons, but I was also afraid of you." (Mag)

"Afraid of me?" (Jas)

"Yes. It was nothing personal I.....I've just never met a man that was kind until you it....you were strange to me and I was afraid of you because of it." (Mag)

"Are you still afraid?" (Jas)

"Not of you no, but the rest, your father and brothers......sometimes yes. It was getting better, I was almost feeling like a normal person around them until....." (Mag)

"They'd never hurt you Maggie, you know that right?" (Jas)

"I know that you would be there to protect me even if they wanted to, right?" (Mag)

"Always. But what about girls, you could have had friends, the dreams just kept you from reaching out to others?" (Jas)

I watched as she closed her eyes and nodded, feeling waves of pain and loneliness roll off her in amounts I didn't think possible for a single person to feel. I gave her hand in my own a gentle squeeze, and when I did I felt the smallest amount of love and peace shoot through her emotions before the pain and loneliness flooded over it.

"That's no way to live though Maggie, not letting anyone get close to you just to avoid it. It had to be incredibly lonely. Isn't it?" (Jas)

"Maybe not the best way to live, but it's better than seeing and feeling how your friends and people you care about and love die knowing there is nothing I can do to stop it." (Mag)

I saw tears start to form in her eyes as she looked into my eyes, knowing that the pain she had felt with our deaths was the worst that she could have ever felt from a human's death. I let go of her hand as I stood up from the chair slowly before climbing up next to her on the bed as we had sat for most of yesterday. She just as slowly leaned into my chest as I opened my arms to her.

"You all die soon, I know it. You all look the same as you do now, and there isn't anything we can do to stop it." (Mag)

"Shh Maggie don't think about it. It'll be alright." (Jas)

"It's not fair though, I've just found you......it's not fair that the one person I love and that loves me is destined to die so soon." (Mag)

I felt the tears start to bleed through my shirt as she continued to cry and I started to hum an old confederate lullaby as my fingers brushed through her hair. I knew for certain that we had to tell her what we were soon, or she would only worry more and more about our approaching "deaths." I just didn't know how to tell her. It was in my arms, against my chest that her breathing steadied and her tears stopped as she fell asleep. Not thirty minutes later did I hear Elliot say he was coming in. I nodded in greeting to him as he shut the door gently behind him, before walking over and taking a seat in the chair I had been previously occupying this morning.

"Another dream?" (El)

"Mine. Again apparently." (J)

"Hmmm, I do ave a theory bout that if you want to hear it." (El)

"Go on then." (J)

"They happen when she trusts us, she's learnin to trust you again so she had it again then." (El)

Before I could respond his attention went from me to my mate still in my arms. It was then I saw she was awake and staring at him, starting to sit up from my arms as she looked at him. I could see she was tense, but seemed to be forcing herself out of my arms as she nodded to him in greeting.

"I.....I never thought of it like that. You may be right Elliot. It's.......it's good to see you." (Mag)

"Ah dove, it's grand seein you it is. We was worried sick about you before all this, tryin to drive me mad huh?" (El)

"I.....I'm sorry." (Mags)

I felt sorrow cross her emotions as tears started falling again before Elliot jumped up. I could have broken his neck for doing that as she immediately flinched away and nearly fell off the other side of the damn bed. He mouthed sorry to me before we both turned our attention back to Margaret.

"Dove......I....I won't hurt yeh, yeh know that right?" (El)

"I....I know, I'm sorry I just......sudden movements like that used to always to make me jump. Guess I've gotten worse at it." (Mags)

"Ah dove, after what tha bloody bastard did to yeh, none of us would fault yeh for it." (El)

I watched as she visibly relaxed some before holding her hand out towards him, a cautious smile on her face as he reached his own hand out towards hers. She took his hand in hers gently, her smile growing as his own did. The first true laugh I've heard from her since her attack left her lips just as one left his own. I sat there next to her, still partially in-between them both, absolutely dumbfounded at what just happened as they let go of each other's hands and he pulled the chair closer to the foot of the bed.

"I have missed you El, you're like the annoying brother I never wanted." (Mags)

"Ah dove, the pestering beautifully talented sister I always begged to never get. I've missed you too." (El)

I couldn't help the smile on my face as she began to talk more freely with him than she had with anyone else in the last few days other than Rose and more recently myself. They talked of every day things ranging from her artwork to his music preferences-all of which she said made it appear he was firmly stuck in the 80s. I couldn't help the snigger on my face she said that, we had been telling him that for years now. Maybe he would listen to her instead, as their bond as siblings was strong as it ever seemed to be before the incident.

We all spoke for another half hour or so before I felt her start to lean into me again as her eyes started to droop and a small yawn left her mouth. She was asleep again in just a few moments and as Elliot left, I was happy that her sleep seemed peaceful this time with no dreams to interrupt it for now. 

"I love you Margaret. For as long as I exist." (J)