Drowning

9

Safety

"Are you hurt?" Jasper was in front of me the second I stepped out of the airport, grabbing a hold of my arms and checking me over for injuries we both knew he wouldn't find. Instead of answering him, I pulled him into a hug, burying my face in the crook of his neck. Jasper held me tight as Edward and Bella got into the backseat of his car. I breathed in his scent and let out a shaky sigh.

"I'm okay, Jas." I breathed, holding him tighter.

"We'll talk about it at home." He told me, pulling open my door for me. I buckled my seatbelt as he started the car. The ride home from the airport was silent; Bella was asleep, Edward was watching her sleep, and I was playing with Jasper's fingers as he drove. When we got to Bella's, Edward woke her up and told her he'd meet her in her room after she spoke with Charlie. They both exited the vehicle with Bella's things and Jasper drove us home.

"Jasper?" I asked, spinning his silver wedding band around his right ring finger.

"Yes, darling?" He asked, turning onto the road that would take us to our driveway.

"I'm safe, right?" I questioned silently. Jasper grabbed a hold of my hand and nodded as he parked the car outside of our house.

"Of course you are." He answered, looking me in the eyes. "Why would you ask that?"

"I just," I sighed, leaning back in my seat. "Being in Volterra, seeing the Volturi, I just feel like I'm not safe anymore. Aro read mine and Edward's thoughts, he knows where we are. He could come for us."

"And you'll have the family to look out for you, darling." Jasper reassured, kissing the back of my hand. "They'll have to go through me to get to you, and I will never let anything bad happen to you again."

"I love you, Jasper." I whispered, leaning across the center console to kiss him softly.

"I love you, Josephine." He whispered against my lips, smiling as he did so.

====

A few days after our return home, Bella demanded a family meeting. She had Edward call us so that we could assemble around our living room. I stood beside Jasper in the back of the gathered family, resting my head on his shoulder.

"You all know what I want." Bella addressed, standing on the stair below Edward. "And I know how much I'm asking for. The only thing that I can think of for it to be fair is to just vote."

"You don't know what you're talking about." Edward sounded, looking upset by this whole ordeal.

"Shut up." Bella uttered, looking at him over her shoulder. I giggled lightly, and pulled my head off of Jasper's shoulder.

"Josephine?" Bella asked, looking at me with a smile. I peeled away from Jasper and walked forward.

"I already consider you my sister." I smiled, hugging Bella and catching Edward's glare. "I've already seen you as one of us. Yes."

"Your visions can be wrong." Edward muttered.

"Thank you." Bella said over Edward, and I returned back to Jasper. He wrapped his arm back around me and I laid my head on his shoulder.

"I vote 'yes.'" Jasper said, gripping me tighter. "It would be nice to not want to kill you all the time."

"I'm sorry." Rosalie sighed. I gently rubbed her arm as she spoke. "I'm really sorry to both of you for how I've acted, and I'm really grateful that you were brave enough to go and save my brother. But this isn't a life I would have chosen for myself. And I wish that there'd been someone to vote 'no' for me. So, no."