Till Death (Volturi / Twilight Fanfiction)

8 1/2: And Then, There Was One

Edward's POV

"Get yourself together." Edward hissed, much too low for the humans to hear. It was getting difficult for him to concentrate with all the ruckus in Taylor's mind. What she was seeing, was beyond Edward's comprehension.

"Hey! Get the last one out!" Taylor yelled at Patty. Patty seemed incredibly flustered perhaps still in shock as well. Edward knew she overstated her abilities to Agatha when they met. She felt inadequate. This would probably be the last time she worked with spirits for a long time.

"I'm trying!" Taylor looked to the last spirit.

"Jasper, Jasper-" Edward said again so the humans couldn't hear. He slammed his brother down which seemed to help a touch. He only stopped struggling slightly though, still following Patty around the room with his eyes, teeth bared now. It was lucky he seemed so weak right now, probably from that thing. Taylor looked at the spirit closer, making it so Edward could also see him as she studied his face sadly. "Listen, Jasper. A boy, with sandy curls and a crooked nose. Looks young, maybe....fifteen?"

Jasper stopped.

"Sixteen." He mumbled back, his eyes were now far away. Taylor spoke to the boy, Edward decided to relay what he said to Jasper so that he only could hear.

"Hey..." Taylor said. "Can you speak?' she asked. The boy could not. He didn't remember how. He didn't remember his name.

Jasper flinched.

The boy only remembered he was angry. He remembered being sent out to fight by his sick pa. Being given a rusty shotgun before he knew how to use it. He never hit anything with it. He used his hands to fight later after he met the General and his woman. They made him feel strong. His pa wasn't the best kinda guy. In all truth, the boy was thinking of joining the fight before his pa made him do it. To just get away. The army wasn't pretty but at least sweat and dirt replaced the smell of cheap booze and bile that his father would smell like. He didn't have a pa, as far as he was concerned, when he joined the army. But when he found the group...he thought he...he remembered being scared of being accused of desertion. And of being ripped apart by the new people he fought. But when he felt scared, he went to his general.

Jasper was still. He placed his forehead on the ground, without the strength to pretend he was breathing.

The boy never had a pa, but he thought he had gained a big brother.

Jasper's choke was too soft for the others to hear. Edward thought about stopping, but Jasper wouldn't appreciate that.

The boy was wrong about that though. He never had anyone. It was all a lie.

Jasper let out the breath he was holding. Completely deflating.

The boy wasn't school-taught completely. He had to drop out to help on the farm. But he knew a few things. One of the things he knew, was that big brothers aren't supposed to kill their little ones. But the general did. He tried making the boy calm before, but the betrayal was too much. It hurts to see his big brother happy. He wanted to be happy.

"I'm so sorry." Taylor wanted to hug the boy, but she couldn't. The beast was still screaming in the corner as the woman simply stood over it. Edward didn't know who this was, but Taylor seemed to recognize her. It was why she was going to Greece. "Don't you have someone you miss dear? What bout your mama?" Taylor asked.

The boy shrugged. He didn't even hate his general too much. He wanted the general to die so that he could have someone with him. The general couldn't kill him now, so they'd do like normal big brothers. Maybe move on together. He was hurt but he couldn't tell him that, if he was still alive.

"That's a selfish reason to kill someone." The boy looked at Taylor, shocked at her tone. "To no longer be lonely. He's got someone here who loves him too ya know. You bout to make a girl cry because you wanna see your big brother?"

The boy didn't like this lady.

"No, no. I understand, I do. I also know you got people waiting for you on the other side. Lots of your comrades were thinking bout ya..." Taylor unfolded her arms to look less defensive. "I think, you got a lot more older brothers than you remember."

He did, he supposed. The memories past the general's betrayal were blurry sometimes. But he did remember getting noogies from the other guys. Even being hoisted on their shoulders when they killed and drained the blood of that nasty group of robbers.

"I'm sorry what?" Taylor deadpanned. Jasper chuckled lowly, remembering that night as well.

The boy supposed it was his time to go. After all, they had said they owed him a game of catch. Or a wrestling match. They'd been tormenting the general for hundreds of years, he supposed he had earned a few years of peace. Not that the boy wasn't still upset. But, his other brothers didn't kill him. If the general died anytime soon, he hoped he would apologize when they saw each other again.

"I am sorry Theodore, but that isn't enough." Jasper was still too quiet for the girls to hear. But the boy smiled.

So, Theodore was his name...

He gave into Patty's rites and faded to whatever's next. The poltergeist did not fade but rather shrieked profanities at Taylor as it writhed about until it tore itself apart. Then it was dust, then it was simply no more.

"Do you two need a moment?" Taylor asked. Edward looked down at Jasper, he was no longer holding him down.

"If you don't mind." Both girls went downstairs. When they exited the front door he saw a disheveled Patty spread her arms out.

"This house..." She stated. " ...is clean..."

"Patty shut the fuck up." Taylor snapped, clearly annoyed at her theatrics and the fact that they barely made it out alive because of Patty's overestimation of her own abilities. She couldn't even sense the poltergeist. And now she was so frazzled to be embarrassed by Taylor's snapping. She was done with ghosts for a while, for sure.

It was difficult for Alice to ascend the stairs at a human pace. When she got to the room she threw herself into Jasper, cradling him on the floor.

"It'll be okay my love." She whispered into his hair. He placed a hand on her face, gently moving it away so he could lift his own head. He faced her with a soft, sad smile.

"I'm gonna have a lot to answer for when I die." He mused. Alice smiled.

"Won't we all?" She sang. Jasper placed a thumb over her lip, stroking gently as he stared at her smile.

"If bein' near the angles makes you holy." He placed his forehead on hers. "I think I may be goin' to heaven, cuz I ain't leaving your side for a long, long time." 

"Flirt."

"Nothin' but the truth Darlin'."

Edward felt awkward. The two didn't seem to notice he was still there. Outside, Taylor was consoling Esme. Letting her know everything was alright. Carlisle was offering to treat the bite mark on Patty's arm (which Abigail in particular was extremely alarmed at). Taylor would be leaving in a week then, she was more determined now that the woman had helped them. Taylor didn't seem like the type to do well with doting or compliments. Edward guessed that gift-giving was awkward for her as well. But with how thankful Alice was...

She was about to spoil the hell out of her great-niece. 

***

I don't really have a set update schedule. Maybe if this gets to be a more popular story I will. But I don't like leaving large gaps between more actioned chapter. So here's a buncha updates. Thanks for sticking around for the slow burn, we aren't staying in America for much longer in the story. 

Vote if you like it, Comment to talk about it. But most of all, simply enjoy the story :)