Opal and Brass • Jasper Whitlock Hale

Chapter 13.

   That night, Jasper and I broke away from the large group of vampires.  We hunted, yes, but we truly wanted to be alone together.  No one, not even Alice, knew how our encounter with the Volturi would play out.

Tonight was for us.

"Do you remember it?" He asked me, his head resting on his arm as we looked up at the night sky.

I rolled over to face him, propping up on my elbow, "Remember what?"

"The day we met."

I chuckled a little, "Your mother was so embarrassed that you had dust on your dress shirt."

He grinned up at me, meeting my eyes, "Your Father took forever to get through that crowd."

"You were shy at first."

"Well, I was just sat down next to the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen," he smirked at me, and one hand reached up to play with a strand of my hair, "I knew within one conversation that you were the girl I wanted to spend the rest of my life with."

I leaned down, briefly resting my lips on his before replying, "I had never been in love before. I wanted to spend every second of the day with you. When you joined the army, I looked forward to every visit."

"I would've married you, Sarah Bell. Make no mistake. I wanted to get a little older, a little richer, and a little stronger to carry you over the threshold." He said distantly, as though remembering a past that wasn't given the chance to exist, "We would've grown old. Had children. I would've spoiled those kids to death."

I eased myself back down to the forest floor, resting my head on his shoulder.

My fingers turned the ring he'd given me around and around, "I would have given you a kiss every time you came home. Scolded you when you brought me presents, even though I would've secretly liked it. Things could have been so different."

"Our lives could have been good." He said. I felt his lips graze the top of my head and we were silent for a few moments.

"Our lives, if that's what you can call them, are good." I said quietly, "Could be better. Could be worse too. I could have stayed with my creator, been killed when the Volturi came to stop us. Maybe you and I would have met on the battlefield one day."

I felt him cringe at that, but I continued.

"We found family. Friends. People who make us better. We even found each other again after all this time."

He stroked the top of my head gently, "I guess some good has come from this after all."

I traced the crescent shaped marks running up and down his arm, eventually tracing them all the way to his bare chest, and across his stomach, "I wish you wouldn't have had to go through this."

He was quiet for a moment, staring up at the stars, "I don't."

"Why?"

"It's made me stronger. It's a part of me. I certainly learned what I don't want to be." He answered softly.

"But it caused you so much pain.  It still causes you pain, Jasper." I whispered, "I was so close to coming back, keeping my distance of course, just to make sure you were alright.  I didn't want to risk slipping, especially not near you.  If I had just checked every now and then, maybe I could have prevented this altogether."

"I spent most of my time surrounded by bleeding soldiers and wounded civilians.  It would have been dangerous had you returned.  We're here together now, Sarah.  No use in wishing we could change the past." He paused, "Though a showdown between you and Maria.  That certainly would have been an interesting fight."

I laughed halfheartedly, and turned my chin up so I could see him. "I love you."

"As I love you."
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A.N.  This chapter is a short little filler and I'm sorry! However, things will be picking up from here on out.  Stay tuned!

~Kate