Lifelines - Jasper Hale

Six - July 2003

The Cullen family had been in Alaska for just short of fifteen years. Well, they had moved between parts of Alaska for fifteen years anyway. It was possibly the longest they had stayed in one place for a very long time. Yet once again this had to change. They had been in one place for too long and it became difficult to explain things to the nosy neighbours in the area. So they were moving once again. The drive down had been excruciating. Two days of driving despite the inability to sleep was exhausting. Plus they had chosen to drive down in groups of four. 

Joan, Jasper, Rosalie and Emmet had been in one car with Carlisle, Esme, Edward and Alice in the other. Well, the journey had been fun for the first four hours of the trip but by the time the second day had come to a close, it was nowhere as fun. Joan had sat in the back of the car held tightly by Jasper. Her emotions were on overdrive as her thoughts whizzed around on the new people, new school, new village and new place. Jasper was trying his hardest to calm her down without speaking. Though Joan's highly irrational state of permanent panic was not allowing much of a change or adjustment from the southerners gift. 

"Jo-Jo, look at me darling" Jasper whispered. It was not so that the two at the front could not hear. It was more of an attempt to not spook the girl who was beginning to cling to him. "It's going to be alright. I promise you. Everything will be okay. I'll be right by your side through everything, okay princess" He spoke calmly rubbing small circles into Joan's arms as she laid her head on his shoulder. 

"I love you Jazz" Came Joan's small response as she tried to focus on anything other than their new situation. 

"I love you too Jo-Jo"

Not one of the family members could lie that they were unhappy to reach their new house. The drive had been long and tiring with no one wanting to spend any more time cramped in the cars. Joan had gotten out of the car and stretched her limbs. It was not quite necessary for someone who was undead, yet it made it seem as though she was still human in one retrospect. Once she had stretched she slowly moved her way back to Jasper. Her nerves had peaked once again. Yet being close to him and any small amount of physical contact made it so that the nerves were bearable. She knew she could get through anything with him by her side. 

The new house was something that Joan had begun to expect for the family after they had stopped growing in numbers. Well by 1975 they had decided that they would only grow by maybe two more not much more than that. The two would be both Edward's and Alice's mates when they eventually came around. Joan had a sneaky suspicion as that being as to why they had come to this location. For Alice had hinted her mate was living in a place named after a piece of cutlery. The house itself was massive with lots and lots of glass windows. It was weird to think it would have glass windows given how Vampires looked when they entered the sun yet technology had developed allowing for these windows to exist, where they were capable of hiding away from the rest of the world. 

"Now I understand that many of you are going to want to retreat to your rooms to get some space after that journey. But this is a reminder of the treaty where we cant go on the reservation and that the rest of your personal belongings will turn up tomorrow. All the furniture should be in your rooms but many of your personal artefacts are missing. We will all be finishing the house of tomorrow okay?" Carlisle spoke as he directed to Esme to show their children to their appropriate rooms. 

Esme beckoned the other six to follow her into the house. It was larger on the inside than it could have looked like on the outside. Just inside the front door, the first room visitors would come across was the living room. On the left, was the one room which would never be used but was for show, the kitchen. The living room was furnished with a set of three sofas and a large fireplace. Esme led them around the house dropping people off by their bedrooms on the way. Edward and Alice were dropped off first as their bedrooms were towards the front of the house. Emmett and Rosalie were the next to reach their bedroom it being on the left side of the back end of the house. Jasper and Joan's was across the hall from Rosalie and Emmett.

"Thanks Ma" Joan spoke before dipping into the room. Whilst she was studying their new room Jasper remained outside speaking to Esme.

"She'll be fine don't worry Jasper. My baby's a strong girl" Esme started. Her eyes staring at the door where Joan had walked through only moments before. 

"We're working on it" Jasper sounded before turning to enter the room. He smiled at Joan who laid on their new bed. She motioned him over with a small wave of her hand. He kicked his shoes off with ease before laying beside her. Joan moved herself so she laid on Jasper more. Their lack of sleep meant that this was the closest they would ever get to sleeping beside one another.