To Love and To Be Loved (A Jasper Hale/ Whitlock Love Story)

Show No Fear

As Christmas came upon us, I spent most of my time with my father. I felt bad for spending such a limited amount of time with him, and I desired nothing more than to be with him, just as I desired being with Jasper. It was wonderful. Indescribably wonderful.

Then, Christmas came and went, and I spent as much time with Jasper as I could on Christmas Day. We spent time just doing whatever felt right. Dancing, listening to music together, reading, talking... It wasn't until the sun was sinking low in the sky that we gave each other our gifts.

I had given Jasper a slew of books I had heard him mention, much to his immense delight.

But what he gave me meant so much more than anything I ever could have even thought of getting for him.

He had me close my eyes as he placed part of his gift upon my neck.

"Alright," he murmured, and I could hear the smile in his voice as I opened my eyes and held the pendant in my hand. It was a beautiful, simple silver chain with a tiny, delicate-looking key. It was the most beautiful key I had ever seen. It looked like it most certainly went to something, like it had a particular function, but it couldn't have gone to any door, unless it was a door to a mouse's home.

I almost couldn't breathe as I looked at it. It was so beautiful.

But then, there was something else. Jasper held out his hand, and in his palm was a small, ornate, and very beautiful, silver music box. I felt my heart skip a beat.

"It's the one thing I have from when I was human," he told me, and I looked up at him, shocked. "I went back home once I found Alice and Pat, just to see how everyone was, and I found it. My home was completely abandoned. But this was under the floorboards. It was my mother's... She was told that I had went missing, and no matter how many people told her I was gone, she never believed it." He pulled a small piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to me. "I found this with it."

"Jasper," I read aloud quietly. "I know you are out there somewhere, waiting to return home, waiting to return to me. A mother knows when her child is gone-and I feel it, in my heart, that you are out there somewhere. So I'm leaving this behind. If you ever come home again, I hope you find it and keep it close to you. I must go now, but never forget my love for you. Love always, Mother." I felt a tear fall from my eyes and onto my cheek. I looked up to Jasper, and he was smiling gently at me.

"It's been in my family since the seventeenth century. My great great grandfather spent his entire life's savings on it for his wife when she was dying. It's been passed down to the sons of the family, so they could place within it a song they felt expressed their love as best as a song could, and then give it to the person they want to spend their life with."

"Jasper, I can't take this," I insisted, more emotion seeping into me, more tears trailing down my cheeks, the love and adoration I felt becoming almost too much to handle, but he shook his head and walked forward, wiping the tears from my cheeks and tilting my chin up to look at him.

"I love you," he murmured lovingly, his eyes soft and filled with emotion like never before. "I want you to remember that. Always. No matter what happens, I will always love you, and only you. The only thing I ask of you, is that you let me change the song now and again. I could never choose only one song to express the way I feel about you. Not when we have eternity together."

"Jasper," I breathed, and he smiled at me, kissing my lips gently. "Thank you so much..."

"Thank you for being mine," he reciprocated, smiling slightly, and I let out a small, breathy laugh as he handed me the music box. I used the key around my neck to wind it up, and immediately, more tears poured down my face as I remembered where I had first heard this song.