The Forgotten Sister | Jasper Hale | Twilight | Book One

Chapter Six: The Portrait

"Who was terrified, Jasper?" Esme asked just as confused as the rest of them.

"Daniella." Edward spoke for Jasper.

    The Cullen siblings looked to Jasper with pain filled eyes, but the 'Adoptive Parent's' wore confused expressions.

"Who is Daniella?" Carlisle asked.

"And why is she terrified, Jasper?" Esme asked in a loving, motherly tone.

"Daniella is perfect. Undeniably, unique. And completely frightened of me." Jasper said his eyes trailing down to the portrait. "Today in Art class, I watched her. It was like I suddenly couldn't control myself anymore. But then.." Jasper's brows furrowed as he continued his story. "Then she was gone. Physically she was there, but mentally she was somewhere else." Every Cullen in the room was listening to the words of the boy on the floor, hanging onto every word that left his mouth. "Her eyes were glazed over. She wasn't even looking at the canvas as she painted. When she was done, she ran for the door. I tried to talk to her, but she wouldn't even look at me before giving me this and running out of the school." Jasper finnished.

"What is it, Jasper?" Carlisle asked steping forward. Alice and Jasper got up from the floor and Jasper sighed looking at the portrait one last time. Then he turned it around and showed the painting to the rest of the Cullen's.

    The rest of the family took a small step away from the portrait in suprise. The portrait of Jasper was so accurate, except for the Confederate soldier uniform and blood red eyes. The cullen family knew bits and peices of Jasper's past, but not the full story. They all agreed to never push each other to tell their life story, but to listen when the time came for each person to reveal their past life.

"Jasper.. why would she draw this?" Carlisle asked taking a few steps closer to the boy across from them. Jasper sighed setting the painting down on the coffee table next to him before turning to his family.

"You all remember how I came into this family, correct?" Everyone nodded at the memory of gaining their new brother. "It was not as pleasant from my side of the story. I did not just run into Alice. I was running away from something. Someone." Jasper spoke, his back turned to his family so they couldn't see the emotion on his face. "I was not always so emotionless. Ya know." The smirk Jasper had on his lips as he turned around looked foriegn and out of place on his usual emotionless face he always had around his family. "I had fun, I laughed,..I loved..." He spoke, the smirk fading into a smile. Then that smile faded and the emotion was gone. "But then I met her." He said looking at the portrait in distaste.

    At first, the family thought that Jasper was talking about Daniella, but they realized that it didn't make any sense at all so they continued to listen to the confusing boy in front of them.

"Maria. Maria was the one who turned me. She made me into her own personal puppet." Jasper's words dripped with venom as he spoke of the women. The Cullen's knew she wasn't going to be a friend. At least not in the end. "And, boy, did I dance for her. Whatever she asked of me I felt privileged to do."

    Jasper started pacing the living room floor. His posture perfect as his hands were clasped behind his back. "I mean, she was my sire. I was supposed to do as she asked, right? I did everything for her. I thought what we had was love, but now I know that what we had was nothing but manipulation from her onto me. I was with her for years and she wanted an army of her own. So, I gave her one." He stopped pacing and faced his family once again.

"I left a few years after I was turned. I was running away from who I used to be. Everything I did not want to be again. I told myself that the next of our kind I met, I would let them kill me." He said, looking his family in the eyes. Jasper saw and felt how his words affected them. They were pained at the thought of their brother/ son being slaughtered willingly.

"But that's when I met Alice." Jasper said, his story coming to a close. "This petite, pixie-like, bundle of sunshine who scolded me for keeping her waiting at a coffee shop she couldn't even enjoy." Jasper spoke the happiest smile on his face as he looked at the smiling, spiky haired girl across from him. "I couldn't find the strength to get her to kill me. It was nearly impossible to get her to stop talking for two seconds. Let alone try to fight the woman." Jasper smirked.

"Hey! Watch it little bro. This petite, bundle of sunshine can kick your ass just as much as she can talk." Alice glared playfully at the blonde. Jasper smiled softly, then his gaze fell to the painting once again and he sighed. He walked over and picked it up.

"Sadly, during that time I wasn't a 'vegetarian'. So, I had red eyes. I don't know how Daniella knew about this. Or why she even painted it. But all I know is what I felt when I was near her." He said his head turned to the rest of the Cullen's his eyes filled with sadness. "She was scared. I don't know if it was because of me or not, but she was utterly terrified and only that."

"What do you mean only that?" Esme asked.

"When I feel her emotions. It's usually a lot in one. I've never felt anything like it before unless they were family. Like you all. With her it's... different. Like she's an open book, but with a few missing chapters." Jasper said, his feelings falling into place about the mysterious girl he, suddenly, knew was meant for him.

"She's special. I just don't want to scare her off." He shrugged his shoulders and let out a breath he didn't even need to let out.

"It's okay, Jasper. She'll come back to you. You just have to give her a little time. Trust me." Alice spoke laying a hand on his arm lightly to comfort the younger one. "I've seen it." She winked at the boy with a smile. Causing a small upturn in his facial features.

   And maybe things will work out for Jasper this time. Maybe he can be happy. He just has to give the one he cares for some space to work things out. Maybe tomorrow will be different, but next week could change everything..