45 | RED WEDDING |

(surprise update...you're welcome loves)

➖

"SHE DIDN'T JOIN THE DARK SIDE, SHE'S JUST THE MOST POWERFUL VAMPIRE IN THE VOLTURI," Alice Cullen argued from her side of the coffee table she was kneeling in front of in the living room, which had been turned into a wedding planning fest since the beginning of June.

There were only two weeks left until Bella joined their family officially—well, legally, really, the girl had long been considered a Cullen since basically moving back to Forks—and Alice was in the midst of yet again, another colorful discussion pertaining to the one and only Rory.

"I wish she was here—where she belongs," Bella sighed deeply. She was supposed to be the closest to Rory, and she was the last one to know the vampire's true intention coming back to Forks.

Sure, it would have sucked having to see her go back to Italy, but maybe they would have figured something out and Rory would come back for real after some time had passed.

Rosalie huffed. "I don't care if you and Edward claim she lied and manipulated us in order to protect us, she still chose to do it anyways and then return to that garish castle in Italy."

"It's pretty gorgeous actually," Bella muttered under her breath as she flipped through the binder Alice had made containing all the different flower arrangement options.

Rosalie's eyes snapped to her future sister-in-law. "Whose side are you on?" Bella didn't have a chance to respond to the childish question, before someone walked into the living room, and all three women frankly shut up.

Jasper's gaze fell onto his three sisters blankly. It was evident he had heard the topic of their conversation, he was coming back from another hunt.

"Hi, Jasper," Bella said quietly.

He nodded at her. "Hello," Jasper greeted them, his brow arching in interest as he took in their emotions, ranging from embarrassment (Bella), anger (Rose), and guilty (Alice). He sighed, "Don't stop on my account. Trust me, I'm not going to break if you talk about her."

Alice shot him an apologetic look. "I know, Jazz. It's just..." she trailed off awkwardly.

Jasper looked down at the ground. In truth, since the newborn battle and Rory leaving again, Jasper was struggling. He didn't have battle preparations and strategies to distract himself, only the crippling thoughts of what if's and why's. He had disappeared for a week, gone back down to South Carolina where Peter and Charlotte let him curse and rant and cry—as much as a vampire could attempt to at least. He truly had felt like he had lost Rory again, and he was sure this time, she wasn't coming back.

After nursing his broken heart with many dead animal carcasses trailing his path, Jasper had returned home to help get back to normal.

"I'm fine now," Jasper said to the three staring at him like he was a bomb about to explode. "Really."

"If you're sure," Rosalie frowned.

"So," Jasper sat next to Rosalie and Bella on the white couch, "Since we're on the topic—why didn't you send an invitation to her?"

Bella bit her lip, "Well, Edward decided that it wouldn't be smart for her to come. Everyone thinks she's dead dead, so yeah. I mean I really want her there, but it's too late now..."

"Edward doesn't always make the best decisions," Jasper snorted and shook his head. "She'll be insulted." Even though he knew it wasn't likely she would show up, Rory not being invited at all was a grave insult to everything she had done for their family.

Alice's eyes widened in agreement, "That's what I said! But, nooo, no one wants to listen to the person who can see the future." She pursed her lips as she checked off orders in her binder. The seer had attempted to sneak an invitation for Rory, but Edward had interceded.

Rosalie scoffed. "Alice, you also saw that Rory would choose us in the end, and look where we're at now. She's gone and she's not coming back. She made her choice—we need to stop treating her like she's one of us."

The sharpness of her tone silenced the room. Jasper inhaled deeply.

"Yo, ladies, the wedding favors you ordered came in," Emmett's deep voice boomed as he walked up the staircase into the living room, carrying in a giant box as easily as holding a feather. He noticed the tension that filled the room, and glanced at everyone's expressions. "Ah, bad timing..." he sucked in his teeth and retreated back down the stairs.

➖

"She must be related to them," Mike Newton insisted as he eyed the mysterious platinum blonde standing off to the side of the crowd.

It was well-past the wedding ceremony and Mike couldn't tear his eyes away from the woman. Something about the blonde was familiar, but Mike wouldn't forget a face like hers. She did wear heavy makeup—bold eyeliner that emphasized her honey colored eyes, bold crimson lips, filled-in thick eyebrows. None of the makeup necessarily fit her face, but damn did she still look gorgeous in her slinky velvet crimson dress and combat boots—not the most appropriate wedding attire, but the stranger pulled it off.

"Not every pretty person is a Cullen," Jessica rolled her eyes as she sipped at the champagne, glancing around the lavish decorations critically.

"Stop staring," Angela rolled her eyes, "she's gonna think all the people here are as creepy as you."

"Yeah," Eric agreed with his girlfriend while giving Mike an understanding shrug, "but it's like she's purposely staying far away from everyone while also avoiding the Cullens. It's weird. Like maybe she's an estranged family member."

The four friends glanced at the blonde again, who was forcing herself not to acknowledge her old high school friends who had no idea the face behind the mask was none other than Rory.

She hated the disguise she had put on, the fact that she had to use so much of her power to 1) stay inconspicuous 2) hide in plain sight. She didn't think it would be possible to disguise herself so well, to send a verbless command that forced everyone to essentially leave her alone. But, it had worked for the most part.

Only Stella and Billy Black knew she had returned—the previous night Rory had arrived to her stepfather and mother's open arms. And as Rory wished, they acted as they did not see the fake blonde lingering in the background as they mingled amongst the guests who had all gathered for the marriage of Bella and Edward.

It was difficult to get over 200 people to not remember her or approach her, but it was necessary. It was draining her energy even, but Rory was resolute. She didn't want to start any drama in the middle of the big day, she only wanted to be present for Bella and Edward's wedding.

She had told herself she would stay for the ceremony, that loitering would only get her caught because she had never tested her gift this way, yet she stayed past the speeches and first dance. She knew her facade was slipping by the way more and more people were tossing her curious glances—even her ability had it's limits. Maybe some part of her wanted to get caught.

Her original escape route through the woods was compromised—she sensed Bella and Jacob and the others pack members were doing something there—which meant Rory had to go through the main house in order to avoid the others. She made sure to make her leave as soon as the house was empty of all humans.

The house was quiet as Rory slipped in the backdoor while the party continued, the upbeat music faded slightly as she crept through the halls. Her only complaint about the home was that there were so many levels and staircases —of course, not as much as the castle—but, it slowed her down, having to maneuver around to the front door. She had made to the parlor room where the grand piano was when the distinct sharp click of heels on the hardwood floor met her ears.

"And what do you think you're doing?"

Rory stiffened at the voice behind her. Caught red-handed. She tried to disguise her voice, knowing the effort was futile, but maybe her ability hadn't faded completely. "Bathroom?"

"I know it's you, Rory."

She turned around with a sigh. "Hello, Rose."

Rosalie eyed her critically, not impressed by the wig and makeup Rory had donned in effort to hide herself. "You weren't invited," she stated coldly.

Rory's hand flew up to her chest. "I must say, I truly felt quite distressed in not receiving an invitation, but here I am," she smirked.

"Drop the act," Rosalie scoffed, seeing past the vampire's front. "Why did you come? You're only going to mess things up."

"I mean no harm," Rory raised her hands up innocently. "Just wanted to witness the union of our siblings for all intents and purposes."

Rosalie's mouth flattened into a line. "I suspect you've been here for much longer, and I'm not entirely sure how you managed to trick us all into not noticing you, but whatever you did has started to wear off."

She ran her hand through the pin-straight blonde locks of the wig frustratedly, nearly ripping it off. "I know, ergo me trying to leave inconspicuously," Rory rolled her eyes.

Rosalie crossed her arms. "Well, I'm not stopping you."

Rory nodded and turned back, heading towards the entrance again. She tossed the cold blonde a small smile. "It was nice seeing you again, Rose."

Rosalie's demeanor softened.

"Rose!" Emmett burst into the room with a panicked expression, "There's an intrude—THE FUCK?!"

"SHHH!" Both Rosalie and Rory hissed, but it was too late. Every vampire in the vicinity with supernatural hearing appeared behind Emmett with varying expressions of surprise. They had caught the scent of a vampire and had thought they were under attack.

"And the spell has broken." Rory pinched the bridge of her nose while the vampires filled the parlor room. A parade of questions hit her ears. She hoped the guests wouldn't notice the bride and groom's family holed up inside the house with someone who was supposedly dead.

"Rory?!"

"Did the Volturi send you?"

"You're blonde now?"

"When did you get here?"

"We've missed you so much!"

There were a few more vampires beyond the Cullens—judging by their golden eyes, the five strangers who had followed the Cullens had to be the Denali clan. They regarded her apprehensively, quickly realizing the situation at hand. Rory met each Cullen's stare steadily, pulling off the blonde wig and shaking her wavy hair loose to settle past her shoulders.

"Yes, I am here. Yes, I made you all incapable of noticing me. And no, I'm not here to spy again."

Her gaze stopped on Jasper, an electric energy passed between them like a strike of lightning. Time seemed to have stopped as their eyes locked onto each other.

"I don't care why or how, I'm just happy you came!" Bella ran up to Rory, tripping on her long white wedding dress to no one's surprise, but, her new husband was by her side in a fraction of a second. Edward nodded at Rory.

The pair of old friends hugged firmly, Rory being careful not to crush Bella, with Bella not caring and only squeezing Rory as hard as possible. The Cullens looked on happily and for a moment, it was like the last year hadn't happened.

"Congratulations," Rory said, stepping back after a long much-needed hug.

Edward smiled as he hooked an arm around Bella's waist. "I apologize for not sending the invitation. I wasn't sure if it would make things worse if Aro knew we weren't mad, since that was what he wanted anyways."

Rory rolled her eyes. "You could've at least sent a secret letter or something—God only knows how many envelopes I've opened in the last year. Seems I have a penchant for traditional forms of communication." Her gaze drifted over to Jasper briefly before she forced herself to smile at the newly wedded couple once more. "By the way—Bella will not be turned into a vampire until it is absolutely necessary. Like life or death. No one else's choice—not the Volturi's, not Eddie's, not mine's—but her's. Bella's choice."

The vampires all felt the shift in the air, those who had experienced Rory's peculiar gift were familiar with the strange sensation.

"Woah. Not even Maleficient could take back her curse," Emmett gaped as he felt the strange tingle run over his mind, knowing it meant Rory had taken back her previous command she had made at the baseball field. "You're so fucking cool, Rory."

The only male vampire in the Denali coven appraised Rory, his eyes lightening with curiosity. "Ah, you must be the newest addition to the Volturi—Aurora, isn't it?" The vampire had heard whispers of the ruling coven's extremely powerful newborn vampire. He, of all people, knew what power looked like and she was standing before him.

"I prefer Rory."

"You are very powerful indeed, more so than any others before, it's no wonder..." He trailed off, meeting Rory's sharp stare before shaking his head, "How rude of me. I am Eleazer, this is my wife Carmen," he quickly changed topic to everyone's confusion as he gestured over to the women he stood with. "Tanya, Irina, and Kate."

"It's a pleasure," Rory smiled at the coven as if nothing had happened. The three blonde Denali's eyed Rory suspiciously, while the curvy brunette beside Eleazer smiled warmly. Rory recognized that they were spanish—she was surrounded by way too many caucasian vampires these days.

Edward sighed, being the only one to know what had truly happened. He wondered why Rory stopped Eleazer from continuing, but chalked it down to Rory being uncomfortable under Eleazer's scrutiny, a virtual stranger to her.

"Won't the Volturi be furious with you?" Esme asked worriedly, concerned of the matter that had forced the family to plan a wedding before summer ended in order to beat the deadline of Bella's now unscheduled change.

"What they don't know, won't hurt them." Rory winked, she met Edward and Bella's thankful stares. "There's at least another half a year until the matter crosses their mind again, so you can enjoy human-vampire intercourse all you want, Bella. Just send them a letter that she joined the coven and that'll be enough. They won't check. Trust me—they have more pressing concerns at hand."

"Thank you."

"Consider it my wedding present."

"Your presence is a present," Bella began with a growing smile.

"So kiss my ass!" Both girls shouted in unison much to the confusion of the vampires around them. They giggled innocently, and for a moment once more, they were just two eighteen year old girls again, not an undead monster with a thirst for blood or a new wife with a giant diamond ring on her finger.

"You left the Volturi," Edward said as he caught a passing thought from Rory and what he gathered Eleazer had meant to bring up a few minutes prior to unexpectedly changing the subject.

Rory pouted slightly at Edward's quickness, she had wanted to reveal her big news herself. She was a free woman, dammit, she wanted to broadcast it herself. Men ruin everything.

"You're not part of the Volturi anymore?" Jasper, his baritone as smooth and slow as honey, looked into Rory's eyes as he spoke to her.

"Got tired of their old, boring asses?"

"Language!" Esme scolded him.

Rosalie narrowed her eyes at Rory. "This doesn't mean you can just come back."

"Don't listen to Rose," Esme placed her hands on Rory's shoulders in a motherly way, her lips curved in a warm smile. "You're always welcome here, Rory. We know what you did for us. We thank you."

"It was no problem..." Rory reassured them, but her smile faded, "However, I can't stay."

Carlisle frowned. "Why not?"

She smiled sheepishly. "Well, uh, I might be the pressing concern of the Volturi because...I didn't exactly ask to leave. Technically, I'm on the run."

➖

a few weeks ago

For Rory, the days passed in a blink of an eye. Going through the same routine every day was boring, but she had to keep everyone, especially the three masters, oblivious to her disdain. She could have asked to leave the coven, but she knew Aro would be less than happy and harbor more ill-will toward the Cullens than the masters already did. Once she was sure the Cullens were off the chopping block, Rory had stuck to herself.

She began to resent the walls of the ancient castle, putting up with a load of bullshit and corruption galore. The cracks in the Volturi's facade of fairness had become canyons in her eyes. However, she had nowhere to go, the Cullens clearly didn't want her back; she wasn't even invited to the wedding—Felix and Demetri had been brave enough to purposely gossip about it where she could hear them.

It had hurt, but Rory understood. So, she performed her duties, mind controlled anyone she was told to manipulate, painted, and went hunting outside the city once a week. That was another thing that had changed for Rory—she couldn't drink from humans anymore. Or at least, kill them.

Something had changed within her, ever since she had accidentally killed Lauren Mallory in a bout of no control, she was unable to feed on any of the tourists fished in for the daily mealtimes. She couldn't make it obvious she didn't feed on humans anymore, so she would buy blood bags from the hospitals and clinics, and keep her eyes red enough for them not to be questioned. Of course, the others asked why she never stayed for the meals, and she offered them the excuse of liking to hunt outside the city. And she would hunt. She had acquired a taste for the wolves that prowled deep in the Italian mountains.

"Alec, you can come out now," Rory said with a hard tone as she lifted her head from the wolf carcass and stood to her full height. She crossed her arms as she glared into the shadows of the trees.

"So, this is where you disappear off to every week," Alec drawled as he stepped into the light and out of the shadows. He curiously eyed the three dead wolves she had fed on that laid at her booted feet. He really didn't understand how vampires could survive on the bland taste of animal blood.

Rory pursed her lips. "What do you want, Alec?"

He shrugged, crossing his arms as he walked closer to her. "Can't I spend time with you?"

"I like my alone time," Rory stated dryly. He only looked more amused by her words, the arrogant expression painted him as the threat he truly was. "What are you really doing here? I'm not doing anything against the rules," she added, which only made her seem more suspicious, but she hated feeling unnerved by the vampire before her.

"You've become quite the actress, Aurora," Alec said seriously, his brow arching up high on his forehead and a knowing smirk on his lips.

Rory knew he would see past her bullshit again if she tried to play it off. She matched his expression haughtily, her blood red lips dripping with sarcasm. "I learned from the best."

"Touché," Alec chuckled, but his expression turned serious again. "What are you doing here, Aurora?"

Rory blinked. Aurora. He seldom ever called her by her given name, it was always 'luce mia' or 'darling'.

At her silence, he scoffed scathingly. "You don't like anyone in the castle, you certainly don't love me, and you hate that you cannot return to where your heart belongs," he continued in an emotionless tone, his dead eyes trained on her the entire time, watching as she tensed more and more by every word he uttered.

She flinched at the evident hurt in his voice that his blank expression couldn't mask. She didn't mean to hurt Alec, despite his selfishness, she couldn't deny that part of her did love him. He had been there for her since he found her that fateful night, her last birthday. Alec was just like her, that much was true and they couldn't not be more compatible, but she wasn't in love with him. Her heart had always belonged to someone else.

"I don't have any other choice," she finally answered, knowing Alec didn't want her apologies.

Alec raised his brow, "I didn't fall in love with you because you were submissive." He didn't bother to conceal his feelings anymore. There wasn't a point if they were both aware of it. At least now he understood she didn't reciprocate it. He still liked to make her feel a little uncomfortable and guilty over it.

"I have people to protect," Rory said firmly, wondering why he was basically encouraging her to leave.

"What about yourself?"

"I don't matter," she muttered, but he laughed loudly in response. She looked up at him in puzzlement.

He had stepped close to her, his knuckle tilting of her chin up gently, "Silly girl. You're the only person worth anything in this place. You're more than this—you are already great, but you could be magnificent if you were freed of this burden you placed on yourself. You deserve more than this—you deserve the world."

He had come to the realization long ago.

For Alec, the last few weeks, months really, was just his desperate attempt to hold on. To change her heart. But no one had the power to change destiny. At first he was enraged, but he had come to accept it just as much as the sun and moon were destined to meet, but never meant to be together. Almost would have to be enough. It was time for Aurora to be free to shine.

"What are you saying, Alec?"

"You are truly senseless," Alec sighed with a shake of his head. He smirked, but it was tinged with bitterness. "It's time I return to the darkness, luce mia."

Her brows knitted together as he tossed her an envelope—Rory was receiving too many envelopes these days. She caught the cream paper swiftly and opened it under his pressing gaze. Two things fell into her palm.

A single first-class plane ticket to America.

And a long-forgotten, delicate golden chain with an oval-shaped pendant bearing the Cullen crest.

She froze.

Immediately, any anger she harbored against him for turning her and anything else she had blamed him for melted away.

This one act of selflessness outweighed any previous selfishness.

Her mind raced with all the reasons it was a bad idea, the risks and trouble it would cause, but the singular thought of her being free won out in the end. Alec was willing to let her go, to help her leave. He wasn't an idiot, he wouldn't be doing this right now if there wasn't a possibility for it work. He must've been planning for a while now.

She looked back up to him, her eyes wide with wonder and disbelief and he flashed her a rare, genuine smile.

Alec lifted her free hand to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to the skin, his ruby eyes filled with goodbye. "Be happy, Rory."

➖

"—and now I'm probably being hunted down this very minute. I should really blast."

The Denali's had taken several steps back as if a few feet would save them from being indicated by the Volturi. Besides Eleazer, the Denali's had no idea why or what kind of power Rory possessed, but they knew it was something not to regard lightly.

Rory didn't pay them any mind.

"Well, shit," Rosalie shook her head.

"I didn't see that coming," Alice winced.

"Really, Allie? You saw all the shit I did, but not the one time where I now have to go all Leo DiCaprio Catch Me If You Can."

"Ah, so you're a criminal, criminal," Emmett nodded understandingly.

"Without a doubt. If they can't use my powers, I'm a threat to them." Both Eleazer and Carlisle nodded in agreement, they knew this nuance of the Volturi more than most. "They'll focus on finding me, not that Demetri will be able to—Alec and I made sure of that," Rory grinned playfully.

Rory didn't want to get into the specifics, but before she left, Alec had paralyzed Demetri so Rory could use her ability to stop the vampire from using his on her. They really did make a good team.

"You and Alec Volturi? He helped you?" Eleazer's brows shot up. From his own experience being in the Volturi for a few centuries, Alec had always been an emotionless shadow. He never helped anyone save for his sister and his masters. Eleazer grew even more curious about the young, powerful vampire.

"He gave me the ticket," Rory smiled faintly as she remembered saying goodbye, "But he's still with them. He won't leave Jane."

"Witch twins," The strawberry-blonde Denali, Tanya, hissed.

"More like bitch twins," The blonde next to her—Kate—rolled her eyes. The three sisters did not have very fond memories of Alec and Jane Volturi. Rory could tell revealing Alec's hand in her departure unsettled everyone—she couldn't blame them. Alec was known for being a complete dickhead at most times.

"How can you be sure they aren't playing a bigger game?" Edward asked conspiringly, "They wanted to think you escaped, but this is only the beginning."

"I trust him," she shook her head, leaving out adding 'again' because there wasn't time to explain their complicated relationship to the already uneasy crowd. "He's not as bad as he seems. Or as he could be. He's probably my best friend, now that he stopped being such an abysmal asshole."

"So you're not gonna go back to the dark side?" Jasper asked, his lips twitching in amusement, his intense stare holding nothing except Rory in them.

A wicked smirk played on her lips. "Honey, I am the dark side." She burst into laughter at the look on everyone's face. "Just kidding!" she waved her hand, "I'm on my own, for now at least. I can't come back here for real until the Volturi either forget me or find someone more powerful that they want." Most of them doubted the wishful thinking, exchanging concerned looks for the young woman before them. Rory shrugged, "Or I end the Volturi."

"Ooh. That'd be a real plot twist," Bella gasped, almost wanting to see it happen in real life.

"Eh, maybe in another alternate universe," she replied offhandedly. "Not really down for taking down a corrupt ruling government, that's way too much paperwork. At least for right now."

"What are you going to do?" Edward quirked a brow.

"Take on the nomad lifestyle. A lone wolf. Prowling the night for my meal and binge watching Netflix by day," Rory saluted them jokingly.

"I'm sure you can resolve this issue if you confront the Volturi," Carlisle encouraged her, worried for her wellbeing. He didn't like that she felt she had no other option than to go on the run. "They can be understanding."

"You could also just make them leave you alone," Emmett suggested with a waggle of his brows.

"I could," She seemed to think about it for a moment, before lifting her shoulders in a 'what can you do' way. "But where's the fun in that?" she smirked vivaciously.

Rosalie blinked. "You're crazy."

"Y'all love me anyways."

A knock on the wall and the sound of a beating heart caused the vampires to look over at the hallway entrance where Stella Black stood with her hands on her hips. "Sorry to interrupt this heartfelt reunion, but there's a wedding reception going on out here. The other guests are wondering what happened to half the party."

"That's my cue," Rory murmured. She smiled at her mother and hugged her briefly. "I'll be back, mama."

"You better, mija." Stella kissed her daughter's cold cheek.

"Come home soon, Rory," Esme said, giving her a comforting hug before following Stella outside. The others all began saying their goodbyes as well.

Carlisle pressed his lips to the top of her head fondly. He hated seeing his daughter leave again, but understood it was necessary. "Be careful, Rory."

"Nice meeting you," Tanya spoke for her sisters.

"Hasta luego," Carmen grinned brightly, happy to have another vampire to speak spanish with.

"Good luck," Rosalie tilted her chin down. It was easy for her to hold a grudge when she couldn't look Rory in the face.

"Don't be a stranger," Emmett ruffled her hair. "I'm down to kick Volturi ass any day, any time, just say the word."

Bella lingered back, pouting that she had to go back to the crowd. "I wish you could stay. Please be safe out there."

Rory smiled. "Always am."

"If you need anything, don't hesitate to call or come back here," Edward stated firmly. "Family protects family."

"Have fun, Rory," Alice winked as they embraced. "I'm always right, you know."

"You're always manipulative," Rory shot back teasingly. "Thank you, Alice. For everything."

Rory stood in place, watching peacefully as everyone made their way out of the parlor room. She turned to walk toward the front door again, but stilled when a hand wrapped around her bicep, stopping her in place.

"Rory, can we talk?" The one person who hadn't said goodbye asked.

"It's probably not the best idea..."

"Yes it is," chorused the whole family still lingering and not overly eager to get back to all the humans outside.

She felt nervous all of a sudden under his penetrating stare, like he could see right through her. "Well. Okay, then."

"Hi."

"Hi."

For a few minutes, they simply stared at each other. So much was between them, history, emotions, but they couldn't find it in themselves to break the raw connection of their eyes meeting. Gold and gold. Sureness and doubt. Jasper and Rory.

"Are you just going to stare at me or are you going to do something about this?"

He lifted his brow questionably. "This?"

Her lips pursed as she looked down at her boots, avoiding his eyes as she found the confidence to tell him, "I have been trying to tell you how I feel since you walked in."

And she was. She knew he could read her emotions, and she had been trying to broadcast what she felt for him and she had an inkling he was just being difficult by the twitching of his lips.

"You know that's always been hard for me."

She huffed and stepped forward boldly. "I'm trying to tell you that I love you, Jasper Whitlock Hale." Then she pulled his head down to hers and pressed her lips to his.

She had caught him off guard, but it only took a fraction of a second to respond. It was easy as breathing. Electricity surged between them, her hands tangled in his wavy hair, his hands holding her waist, their bodies like magnets, moving together as they were always meant to.

With their foreheads still pressed together, Jasper sighed deeply, happily, his fingers tracing the soft curve of her jaw. "I never stopped loving you."

"I know." She grinned wryly. "I read your letters."

His eyes widened.

"Alice," they said simultaneously in both explanation (Rory) and exasperation (Jasper).

Rory giggled. "So, we good?"

"Yeah," he chuckled, lowering his head to press his lips to hers once more, "we're Gucci."

"You know me so well," she beamed, her hand resting on his chest over the lapel of his suit jacket. They couldn't pull away from each other, not when they had been apart for far too long. Now, nothing was stopping them.

"So, where are you going to run?"

"Anywhere. Everywhere." She shrugged again, "I've barely seen the world. Immortal or not, I'm still only eighteen, there's so much I haven't seen."

Jasper tucked her hair behind her ear, "It's a big world out there."

"So I've heard." She reached up to wrap her arms around his neck, stretching on her tippy-toes in her combat boots. His hands wrapped around her waist automatically to support her.

"The Volturi has connections all over the world," he went on, but he didn't sound worried, "even without Demetri being able to track you down." His lips curved in amusement at her and Alec's cleverness. Jasper wondered about Alec Volturi, but that was a curious matter that could be brought up latter, now that they had all the time in the world.

She tangled her fingers with the curls at the base of his head. "I think I'll manage."

His golden honey eyes twinkled as a grin played at his lips. "It'd be real handy if you had a companion you could use as a personal bowling ball if you get cornered by the big, bad vampires."

Rory raised her brow, "Are you saying you're willing to be thrown at the wolves, so to speak, in order for me to make a quick getaway?"

"If you ask nice enough, ma'am, I'll do anything for you."

His charming southern-twanged words made her stomach flip and flutter. She thought it was impossible for her heart to ever beat again, but looking into Jasper's eyes caused a stampede in her chest. Some feelings never changed. He was the only person in the world that could ever make her feel this way.

This was paradise.

"You're more of a drama queen than I am. But if you insist," she rolled her eyes exasperatedly as her smile shined brighter than ever, her eyes as illuminating as the full moon. "Run away with me, Hale?"

"There's nothing else I'd rather do, sweetheart."

➖

other remarks; emmett remains my fav comedic break, alec is my bby, & i was just joking about the caucasian vampires thing!!

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