𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐎𝐍 𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐇 | J.H

TWENTY ONE

Eleanor couldn't bare to read anymore of Charles' words. His rantings put her on edge, made her consider her own dark fate - which was something she'd rather not remind herself of.

Bella bounded up the stairs and into her room just as she put the journal away, collapsing onto Eleanor's bed.

"We're staying at Edward's tonight, Alice said only Edward would be home but I'm sure Jasper will stay too."

Eleanor cringed at the thought of a double date situation.

"I'm not sure about that Bell, he's not too happy with me."

Jasper had kept his distance since Eleanor had decided to fight, which she understood. She broke her promise, she had no excuse.

Bella propped her face up on her palm as she watched Eleanor frown slightly before putting on her emotionless disguise. As much as Eleanor couldn't care less about the world, Bella knew Jasper was the exception.

"Elle, an army of newborns are coming - I doubt he'll go off into battle without so much as a goodbye hug."

She rolled her eyes at Bella's optimism, she'd love to believe Jasper would forgive her reckless decision and give her a proper 'goodbye', just in case things didn't end well tomorrow. But Eleanor knew he was scared, and that when he was scared he puts his walls up and his mask on. She supposed they were similar in that way.

"I hope so."

"Well, pack a bag or something, we won't be back until after the fight and we're leaving soon."

Eleanor couldn't help but pack the ancient journal amongst her clothes, as if she were bringing Charles with her. She hoped his tragic end would inspire her to fight for a different one.

Bella drove them to the Cullen's house as the sky dimmed to a midnight blue, the stars stark against the backdrop. Eleanor pointed out each constellation to Bella as they drove, although she wasn't too interested.

Light rain pattered against the windshield as they pulled up, Bella hurried towards the house but Eleanor enjoyed the brief feeling of the rain on her skin before she made it to the porch and Edward opened the door.

He stepped back to let them in, Eleanor saw Bella's loving look as she entered, and decided she should make herself scarce.

"I'll leave you two to it."

She headed upstairs to the only room she'd really known in the house - Jasper's.

Although it seemed different without him. The cold light of the moon beamed through the glass, casting an icy filter over the usually warm room.

Eleanor placed her bag lazily at the end of the bed before crawling onto it, enveloping herself in the duvet. It reminded her of the nights she spent there with Jasper, the memories made her smile - glad she had found him.

Her reminiscing lulled her into a restless sort of sleep, in which death stalked her dreams without Jasper there to ward him off.

She stood in the black purgatory, death opposite her. His bony hand reached out to her and a sinister skeletal grin on his dark face, the black bone of his skull shining ominously.

Eleanor found herself reaching forward, this was the easy way out - giving him her soul willingly and peacefully in her sleep, it seemed so simple, so obvious. Her pale hand was almost on his when she woke.

She woke to Jasper's heavenly face in the glow of the rising sun, he was perched on the side of the bed, watching her.

"Jasper."

Even Eleanor could hear the longing in her voice, it made her feel desperate despite having no right to. It was her decision which pushed him away.

"Darlin'."

She reached out for him, her hand slipping into his.

"Don't do it."

Her heart cracked even further as she heard his pleading words and heartbroken face.

"You came back for me, for us, I know it. You were meant for me, Eleanor, my heaven on earth."

Eleanor's chest caved with sadness, she cursed herself. She wasn't entitled to these emotions, it was her that had caused them, it was her that had inflicted Jasper with them.

"I didn't go to heaven Jasper, I'm no angel."

How could she be? When she was breaking his heart as well as her own, surely an angel wouldn't be capable of it.

He stood, his hand slipping from hers.

"I don't see why you're so hellbent on killing yourself - for what?"

"Jasper you know as well as I do that we can't stop death, I've been fated to die since that crash. I will die if it's tomorrow or the next day or the next month. I may as well use this wretched power to protect Bella."

Despite the melancholy seeping throughout his bones, his heart swelled slightly with pride in her. Her resolve to fight even in the face of her death - but it was overshadowed by the grief that already overwhelmed him, he could not and would not accept it gladly.

He was in the doorway in a second, stopping for a moment, as if to look back his head turned somewhat. Then he was gone.

It all seemed rather dramatic to Eleanor, her decision was final and despite the heartbreak they both felt, surely they should spend this time together. As much as she was grateful to Jasper for coaxing her emotions out, she didn't enjoy the pain that ran through her.

So she changed into a 'practical' outfit of a black pull-over fleece and some leggings before going down and seeing Bella waiting in the kitchen. She sent Eleanor an encouraging smile, noticing the glance she made around the room - Bella supposed she was looking for Jasper.

"C'mon," Bella took Eleanor's cold hand and dragged her out the house, "Are you nervous?"

"No. Everything will turn out the way it's supposed to be. That's how life works."

Despite the strange misery of Eleanor's voice, Bella found comfort in her words. And she remembered the wise girl all those years ago that would find the way when they were lost in the woods or offer her some solace when her sand castle would crumble.

No matter how much she had changed, she was still her Elle.

A/N;

Really can't decide about the Jasper part of this chapter because I think it's cute and shows how much their relationship has progressed but also can't decide if it matches their relationship :/