So here we are, final chapter of this story. Thanks to everyone who has sent me a review throughout this past month - your comments have really made me smile - in fact some of them have made me outright laugh. As a treat, this last chapter is probably the longest chapter of the story, there was so much I wanted to tie up before it drew to a close but at the same time I didn't want to drag it out too long.

Chapter 44.

It turned out they didn't leave immediately; the brothers wanted them to stay for a few extra days and after all they'd done for them both, Bella and Jasper didn't feel they could refuse. Aro spoke to Bella a couple of times; trying to help her get a better control of her gift; the shielding ability had obviously improved during her time in Italy but her other gift was still a mystery. Her time was also being spent with Jasper's brother and sister; the Whitlock's; as she'd been told they all used his last name. It was like discovering a whole new family she was part of and she'd had already fallen in love with both of them. Jasper seemed to love her even more when he felt her increasing emotions towards his closest family and Bella's rewards had been worthwhile; very worthwhile indeed. During her times with Aro, Jasper spent the time with Peter and Charlotte; reconnecting after many years apart from each other; while he loved being part of the Cullen family; Peter and Charlotte had known him through all the hard times in his life and he enjoyed the time they spent together. He could that Peter was struggling with something though and he was unsure how to get him to open up to him.

Two days after the wedding Jasper was standing at the top of the Volturi home; looking out over the city below as the day drew to a close; thinking about the previous few days. He felt the approach of his brother minutes before he stood next to him, "You okay, Major?"

"Fine." Jasper could feel his brother staring at him; intently gazing at the side of his face.

"You want to talk about it?" Peter asked.

"Nothing to talk about." He sighed as he looked into the distance.

"Cut the crap, Jasper, I can tell something is preying on your mind."

"I'd just like to leave; Aro seems a little too interested in Bella and it's bugging me."

"Bugging you how?"

"Before this all began he mentioned doing some testing on Bella; to work out how her shield works. She's got more than one power and I know he wants us both to stay here with them; to become part of their family. We've both said no but the longer we stay here the more I feel the silent pressure."

"Then leave."

"We said we'd stay until the weekend."

"You should talk to your wife; if she knew you were worried she wouldn't have any problems with leaving, I'm sure."

"She likes being here." He whispered.

"Do you think she wants to stay here?" Jasper was silent and Peter could sense he didn't know how to answer his relatively simple question. "What makes you think she might?" he asked; trying to get him to say something.

"She gets on well with the brothers; she's spent a lot of time with Aro. Even Caius likes her."

"That's a good thing, right?"

"I think so." He said hesitantly. More silence. "You're right. It is good they like her; I just worry they like her a little too much. They've said to both of us that together we're going to be powerful vampires. I'm not sure I want that sort of responsibility in my life; I've been there and done that. That part of my life is over."

"Have you told Bella that?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I don't want her to think I'm telling her what to do. Edward did that and I won't make the same mistakes he did."

Peter looked at his brother, "Sometimes saying nothing is as bad as saying something."

Jasper sighed, "Yeah."

Peter edged closer to his brother; his hand clasping his shoulder, "You just need to talk to each other; communicate with her. I'm sure if she understands how much you don't want to be here; how much you want to go home, she'll be okay."

"Maybe." Jasper snapped himself out of it; turning to face his brother, "We ought to go back downstairs." It was Peter's turn to look into the distance. "Are you okay?" As his brother stood there he could sense his discomfort and he wondered if he would finally open up to him.

"I wanted to speak to you about something."

"What?" Jasper asked; knowing it wouldn't be that easy to get a straight answer out of his best friend. "You know you can talk to me about anything, don't you?"

"Yes." Peter hissed.

"Then what is it?" A minute passed and Jasper could feel his frustration mount. "You know, as your sire, I could order you to answer my question."

Peter turned to look at him; wide-eyed and looking very much like the human boy Jasper had turned all those years ago. "I'm sorry." He finally whispered.

"What for?" Jasper asked; frowning at him in confusion.

"Everything." Was the quiet reply. "I should've told you what I knew."

"You did what you thought was right."

"I should've known about Alice. I should've been able to stop it."

Jasper turned back to look over the city; standing shoulder to shoulder with his brother; thinking about what he'd just said. "Part of me is glad you didn't." he whispered, "What I have with Bella is so much more than I ever had with Alice. She completes me in a way Alice never did; that no one ever has or could. I can't begin to describe what being with her is like."

"I can see how good she is for you; she's the only good thing to come from this." He was breathing deeply and Jasper could see the strain in his shoulders. "When Rosalie called and said about what had happened; it was the one time I've ever doubted my gift. I'd been so sure it was Alice that I'd seen; when I found out she was dead, I wondered if it was wrong; if what I'd seen had been a mistake." His voice broke as he finished talking, "I saw the image a couple of years after Char and I left Maria. It was what pushed me to come back and get you because I knew that was never going to happen if you stayed with her. Then once we were away from her you seemed so miserable but I never thought for a minute that it was the wrong thing for you. I knew you needed to do this; I knew you'd meet someone and she would be the one."

"If you saw me in Volterra, why did you not let me go with Demetri when he spoke to you?"

"I just knew it wasn't the right thing. I knew…" he tried to explain. "Then wasn't the right time."

"And I hadn't even met Alice then; so how did you know I wouldn't meet the right person here?" He gestured his hand towards the city below.

"I just knew." It wasn't much of an explanation. "When you called me and told me about Alice; about joining the Cullen's I was so pleased for you. Then you brought Alice to meet us and when I saw her it felt like everything was going to be okay. It never entered my mind; not for one second; that it wasn't Alice I'd seen in that image."

"How were you to know?"

"It's supposed to be what I do." They were going round in vicious circles now. "I was so riddled with doubt and uncertainty after she'd died that I knew I'd be no use to you if we came to you. I wanted to help so badly but I would've only hurt you more."

"Is that why I'm sensing guilt from you?"

"I should've been there for you. I'm your brother; I should've helped you through the pain of losing Alice."

"There's no need to feel guilty, Peter. Bella was there for me and really that was probably the best thing for me because we began to bond as she helped me." He smiled softly as he thought back, "I won't lie to you and say it was easy but being with Bella helped me in a way I didn't realize I needed. The letter from Edward and Alice said Bella would be the person that filled the hole left in our family and to an extent she was; to me though; it was like she glued me back together. She made me a better person and she showed me the type of person I can to be; not the monster I've been in the past."

"You seem much lighter than the last time I saw you." Peter whispered.

"She accepted my scars as part of who I am; she loves them as much as she loves any part of me. I've never known that before; everyone has either been scared of them or detested them. Carlisle was the only one who never felt those emotions; he always saw them in a clinical way and you know how Alice felt about them. Bella was different though; she sees a lot of things differently and the more I saw them the more I fell in love with her. Really, falling in love with her was the easy part of all this."

"I'm glad you found happiness with her, brother and I look forward to getting to know my sister better."

"She already loves you and Char; she did within the first couple of hours of meeting you both."

"What's not to love?" Peter said; smirking at his brother and dearest friend.

Jasper pulled him into a hug; sending him emotions that he hoped would dispel his guilt. "I don't hold anything you did against you, brother. You did what you thought was right for me and I can never ask any more than that."

"I've always tried my best to do what I can to help you; I love you Major." He whispered.

"I love you too, Peter." His emotions of love for his brother flooded from him; eagerly accepted by the man he held tightly in his arms. "We should go back down to our family." He eventually whispered.

"You need to speak with your wife." Peter said with a smile as they made their way back through the building.

*B-o-B*

The flight back on the private jet was quickly arranged and just two days later they left Volterra; all of the family was relatively quiet as they thought back to what had happened since they'd arrived in Volterra. Carlisle looked around his family; his wife had been happier in the last week than he'd seen her since Alice and Edward had died; possibly even longer than that. He never wanted to see her sad again.

His eldest children were sitting across the aisle from them and they were both wrapped up in each other; while they hadn't been through anything as stressful as his other children had; he could see the trip had had a marked affect on them both. He knew it was going to be a while before they left the family and for that he was grateful. The family needed some time together; time to rebuild what was left of the fractured remnants of it and deal with the events they'd been forced to face.

His eyes moved a few rows back; seeing the huddled outline of Peter and Charlotte Whitlock; Jasper's almost brother and sister who were rapidly becoming part of their family. They were returning to Alaska with them for an unspecified time and Carlisle hoped it would be for a while because he knew his youngest son and daughter would still need them. His respect for the two he was now looking at had grown in the last few days; he'd known what they'd been through and how it was almost as bad for them as it was for Jasper when they were with Maria; he knew if it wasn't for them his son would've never become part of his family but to know what Peter did for his brother all those years ago and how close his brave son had come to having a completely different future to the one he'd ended up living filled him with great warmth.

He turned his head a little further and looked at his two youngest children; the thought alone made him smile because Jasper was older than everyone else in the family beside him but he was still his youngest son and in some ways he was the one who needed a family the most. His pride for his son had grown over the last few months; seeing the way he'd dealt with what had happened made him glad to be able to call him his son. To see him with Bella now made him as happy as he'd ever been and it removed some of the loss he'd felt since Alice and Edward had died. He watched as he saw Jasper whispering softly to Bella and he smiled as he saw the adoration on both their faces; it reminded Carlisle of how he and Esme had been when they first got together and he hoped the two of them had as much happiness as they did over the length of their time with each other.

Carlisle could see the strength in his daughter as she smiled at her mate. To think she was less than six months old as a vampire amazed him now; he'd never witnessed another newborn like her. He was still a little surprised Aro had let them leave; he'd been worried when they first arrived that their gifts would be too tempting for him to be able to give up; especially now he'd lost Jane from his guard. He remembered the way she'd stood up to James and his coven and again he was filled with pride; her training from Jasper had really helped her and her level of control was something to see. He knew that once she mastered her gifts better; something he knew she was already beginning to do; she would be a very powerful vampire and combined with Jasper they'd be really strong. After everything they'd both faced recently he was glad they'd get some stability; they deserved some happiness.

*B-o-B*

"Well, Mrs Whitlock, I'm sorry I couldn't give you a better honeymoon but I promise I will soon."

"I don't need that, baby; I got everything I needed when I married you." She said softly; a smile gracing her face, adding to the beauty that shone through her eyes.

"I've got everything I could ever want as well, darlin', I hope you know that."

"I do and I believe it." She laid her head on his shoulder and took his hand in hers; feeling his thumb brush across the back of her hand. "I'm looking forward to getting back home; to just spending time as a family."

"Me too." His arm that was wrapped around her shoulder nudged her closer to him, "We need to work out how you control your gifts when we get home too."

"I know. I've been thinking about it a little; after my talks with Aro, I think I may understand how I got the shield to work a bit more."

"You do?"

"Yes, after the first task Dad said it seemed to happen when I was personally threatened and I think he was right. First there was Emmett and while my head told me he wouldn't hurt me I was extremely scared; you'd blindfolded me and I just didn't know what was going to happen. Even the next couple of times I was so tense because of when it happened before that's why it was so inconsistent. The next time it happened was during the first task and that time I was scared for you; I thought Jane was going to kill you and when I took your hand, my main thought was to keep you safe so it might be the reason for me being able to project my shield around you."

"You might have a point; when you were taken by the other vampires and were fighting that female; I think your instincts may have kicked in; I wonder if you subconsciously realized you were weak from not feeding and it snapped into place when she tried to attack you." He kissed her forehead; leaving his lips in place for several seconds, "I think it's definitely worth talking to dad about some more when we're home."

"I'm not so sure about my other gift; I don't know if I'll ever be able to control it; it's permanently there; there's nothing I can do to stop it; I don't even realize I'm doing anything."

"I don't think we need to worry about that, baby." He whispered to her.

"But I don't like causing you extra pain…" she murmured.

Jasper could feel her guilt and hoped his next words would make her feel better, "Since the bond has been in place I don't think it's been an issue; before that I could barely stop myself from projecting all the emotions I was feeling but now it isn't like that; my control has got a lot easier; so either something has changed to make it more manageable or you're controlling it without realizing it."

"Do you think the bond is what's made it easier?" Bella said; lifting her head and looking into his eyes.

"It could be." He smiled at her softly, "Of course I'm going to miss all the practice we were going to need to commit to."

"We could still practice… in fact I think it's your duty as my husband to do so." She smiled at him sweetly.

"I'll never let you down, darlin'," his eyes meeting hers in surprise when he feels her shudder in his arms. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing; just that was what James said. It just brought back some bad memories."

"I'm sorry." He whispered to her. "We're just going to have to make some new memories; good ones."

"I think I can live with that." She said; her smile growing. "I was going to ask you before but with James and everything, I kind of forgot."

"Ask what?"

"During the bonding ritual, did you notice anything?" she said softly.

"What sort of thing?"

"Well, I don't know… since I've become a vampire I noticed the lack of temperature difference between us but during the ceremony; when the brothers were reading that text; it felt like your hand was hot; as if you were human."

Jasper sat still and Bella could see him filtering through his memories and she sat silently; waiting for him to respond. "I didn't notice it at the time but now looking back, I think you're right. Your hand felt hot to me too; I can't believe I didn't notice."

"Maybe that means something; maybe that was the bond working. I don't know."

"It might've been part of it. I think the biting part did it as well; I did feel something happening when I bit you; I felt my connection to you intensify and then again afterwards when we were together." She smiled up at him as she remembered just where it was that they'd made love.

"I found it really difficult to look Aro in the eye's the next time I saw him; he never mentioned anything to me though; it's probably just as well he can't read my thoughts." She giggled; snuggling into her husband; his arms tightening around her waist.

*B-o-B*

The drive from the airport was quiet but relaxed; all of them keen to get home but after the emotional events of the last few days they were all deep in thought. The cars pulled into the driveway and once they pulled to a stop all the family quickly left the vehicles; Bella and Jasper hung back slightly. "Are you okay, darlin'?" Jasper asked her.

"Yeah, I guess it's just hit me that all the stress is over; we can just get on with our lives now."

"I know. How do you feel about that?"

"I'm not sure really," she saw his face fall at her words, "I mean, I'm glad it's all over but there's a part of me that wonders what now." He was silent; just staring at her. "What are you thinking, Jasper?"

His gaze lowered and it was then she noticed he was no longer touching her at all. "Do you…" his voice faltered and he closed his eyes. When he spoke again his voice was much quieter; barely a whisper, "It sounds like you regret what's happened." His eyes darted to catch hers and she could see the pain in them; she could feel his pain and she hated that what she'd said had hurt him.

"I could never regret anything, baby. I love you; more than I've ever loved anyone in my life. I've got everything in my life I've ever wanted. I've wanted to be living this life since the moment I found out what your family was; I wanted that since Edward confirmed you were vampires. I'm getting the opportunity to live with people I love, for eternity; what more could I want?"

Jasper couldn't look at her; or wouldn't, she wasn't sure which. She held her breath as he suddenly moved; away from her. He was almost out of the car before he spoke again. It was just one word and it made her wonder if there was ever any way to repair this damage. "Edward," he said softly; then left the car and disappeared at speed into the house.

Bella felt her heart breaking as she sat there. She couldn't move; or breathe and there was a pain developing in her stomach that was becoming difficult to ignore. It took her a few seconds to comprehend her father now sitting beside her, "What's wrong?" he said softly; his arm wrapping around her shoulder and pulling her against him.

"I just made a mistake…" she whispered. "I hurt him."

He didn't try to deny it; he'd seen Jasper as he'd run into the house; he'd felt his pain as he entered the building and saw the agony on his face as he moved past his family and into the kitchen. "I'm sure it's nothing that can't be fixed. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"How do I convince him this is what I want?" she whispered; a sob shaking her body as reality set in.

"I don't know… you just need to keep telling him, I think. Things won't be easy just because the bond is in place; you still need to work at your relationship. The bond just means that when you're apart you'll feel the separation; the connection between you both will be strong; probably even stronger after what you've been through to get to this point. Bella you need to realize you've changed Jasper in ways that nobody else ever has; not Maria or Alice; he's changed for you and because of you, but at heart there are things he still struggles with; his scars; his own insecurities; his past. He will try and push you away at times and it will take more work from you to reassure him. I'm sure there are things you will struggle with just as much and he will have to help you deal with them too."

"I've told him he's what I want but he doesn't believe me; he thinks I want Edward."

Carlisle looked at his daughter and he could see how badly this was affecting her. "Do you?" he asked her softly.

She looked up at him and he could see the answer on her face before she even spoke; she shook her head and the venom pooling in her eyes almost looked as if it would fall down her cheeks. "No." she gasped, "I want Jasper; since those first few days after Edward and Alice died he's all I've wanted. I love him so much. It hurts me to think he doubts that. He's everything to me and I can't imagine not being with him."

"Why does he think you'd want Edward?"

"I was trying to explain to him that I feel a little… I don't know, it's hard to put into words, I guess." She closed her eyes and tried to center her thoughts. "It's like, when you've wanted something for so long and you have to try really hard to get it and then once you've got it, for a while you wonder what next. Does that make sense? Becoming one of you was something I wanted from the moment I fell in love with Edward; ever since I found out what you all were; and yes, partly that was because of Edward and the fact I loved him but I loved you all just as much as I loved him; it was a different kind of love but it was no less important to me. Then I got my wish and became a vampire but they'd died and there was the whole bond thing to deal with; I had something else to focus on. Now it's different; we've got past the bond and we've faced James and I guess part of me is waiting for the other foot to drop; for something else to happen. And now I have to deal with what happened to Edward and Alice and come to terms with their deaths; I didn't have to face it before because there were other things to think about."

"I think I understand. It won't always be like it has been in the last few months; normally it'll be years before anything exciting happens. We try to live a pretty mundane life, Bella but we do what we can to make things more appealing; that's why we have the cars we do; it's why we spend the money we have; to make our lives a little easier to live; to pass the time. You'll get to spend time with your husband and really get to grips with being the amazing vampire your mother and I believe you will be."

"How do I fix this?" she whispered into his shirt.

"You already have," he said softly and she looked out of the car door and saw Jasper standing a few feet from the vehicle. Carlisle moved out of the back seat and pulled her with him; continuing to pull her until they stood in front of her husband. "I'll leave you two alone." He said.

"I'm sorry." She whispered once Carlisle was back inside. "I seem to be saying that a lot recently. I never meant to make you think I didn't want you; I just didn't word it very well. I was a little more clear the second time I said it."

"I heard."

She stared at him; trying to gauge what he was feeling through his eyes, "I am sorry, Jasper."

"I know."

"I only want you." She whispered; her eyes desperate as they met his.

He stepped forward and pulled her into his arms, "I know." He murmured; his emotions washing through her; the love and need he was feeling affecting her quickly. "Let's get inside." With that he picked her up in his arms and walked towards the door.

"Jasper! I could've walked you know."

"I'm just following tradition, darlin'," he said as he smiled down at her.

"Oh." She said and he could feel her embarrassment. He carried her through the door and she hugged herself closer to him.

"Bella," Esme said softly. Both her children turned their attention to her, "There's a letter for you… from Italy."

"For me?" she asked.

"It's addressed to Mrs Bella Whitlock." She replied, smiling at them both.

Bella took the envelope in her hands and walked over to the couch; sitting and staring at the cream paper; deep in thought. "Who's it from?" Jasper asked.

"I don't know." She whispered. There was a rush of air and then her husband was sitting beside her.

"You should read it." he said. "Do you want me to leave you alone?"

"Is that okay?" she said softly; looking into his eyes, not wanting to hurt him again.

"Of course. I'll get our bags from the car and taken them to our room." He stood up and then bent down and kissed her on her forehead; his mouth lowering slightly further to meet her lips.

He was gone in an instant; back to the car to retrieve their luggage. Bella stared at the envelope again; hearing Jasper walk back in and past her to their wing of the house. She took a deep breath and opened the envelope; pulling the sheets from inside it. Her eyes scanned the page and she heard a gasp; taking a few seconds to realize the noise was from her as she read the letter. Once she'd finished she had to read it again; unsure if she'd read it correctly. No, she was right the first time; it really did say that. "Can you guys all come here?" she said quietly; hearing her family all respond to her and begin to walk down to the lounge.

Jasper appeared at her side and looking at her with concern, "Is everything okay?" he asked.

"I just thought I'd share with everyone what the letter said." She said. Her parents, Rose, Emmett, Peter and Charlotte soon appeared and all sat looking at her. "There was a letter for me when we got home." She explained softly.

"From who?" Emmett asked.

Bella smiled, "Aro."

"But we just left there; couldn't he have told you in person?" Charlotte asked.

"He could; he says this is his wedding present to us both."

"What is it?" Jasper asked; intrigued by what Bella was saying.

"I'll read it to you all."

Dear Bella and Jasper,

I'm writing this to you just minutes after the ceremony uniting you to each other. I can't tell you how pleased my brothers and I are that the ceremony went so well and I'm convinced the bond took; there seemed to be an energy in the room while it took place; we knew the two of you were destined to be together. I've spoken to you both about how we've viewed your relationship and I know there will be little reason for us to doubt it once we know the bond has worked. I know, from the conversations I had with Edward that things have not gone quite according to how they'd envisioned it but I still believe this will have worked. I don't think Jane will have spoiled anything; James will not take you away from those you love, I know it.

It struck me during your visit to Volterra that there was something none of you seemed to realize or at least none of you mentioned and because of this I'd like to point it out to you; call it a wedding gift of sorts. Even when Edward and Alice contacted me the biggest threat they ever expected was what James posed to you and while they were right to a point and given the fact you'll shortly have to face that threat and hopefully overcome it; it was important to get the bond in place. The bond should alleviate that threat but there was always something darker lurking over the horizon; something Edward and Alice didn't consider.

This threat was an old problem that was likely to arise; especially once knowledge of the bond between the two of you spreads throughout our world; as it did before the second task. To be honest I'm surprised it has never been an issue before this.

I'm sure Jasper is beginning to realize what the threat is by now; when he reads this letter; but I'll tell you anyway; to confirm it to you. The threat is more deadly than anything James would ever be; an ancient problem that had the propensity to tear your family apart.

But hopefully now the threat is gone; the bond is in place and therefore she'll never be an issue to you. Maria will be unable to tear Jasper away from the family he belongs with; from the mate he cherishes and who feels the same about him. The bond between the two of you will usurp any power Maria may previously have had over Jasper; her God of War and believe me at one stage she had a lot of power over him; if she'd wanted him she still could've, up until the two of you became involved with each other. Before the bonding ceremony it would've been more difficult for her to pull Jasper from you but now it will never happen. We are almost certain of it.

I hope that what I've told you will enable you and your family to live happy lives; to live in peace for the years to come. That is my gift to you and your husband, Bella. In order to ensure this happens we've taken the liberty of sending Demetri to locate Maria; the guard will then be dispatched and she will be dealt with. This should've have been done many years ago but our respect of Jasper's talent and his ability to control her newborns was the one thing that held us back.

Finally should you ever wish to return to Volterra; and maybe take us up on our offer of joining our family; a place will always be open to you and your husband. If you ever need anything from us; please do not hesitate to call us. We consider you both members of our family now and we look after our family. I'm sure Demetri at the very least will be more than happy to aide his brother and sister if the need arose.

Anyway I must finish now; Felix is here and tells me that James and his friends have arrived. I'll mail this letter before I go there and I hope it finds you both well when you receive it. I'm sure the bond will work and I hope what I've just told you will make you both happy because it is something you both deserve.

You're a truly amazing vampire, Isabella Whitlock and yes, I did just call you Isabella. I look forward to a time when I get to see you again; I hope the next time I see you I'll be able to fully witness the gifts you're blessed with.

My best wishes to you and your family.

Aro.

The family sat in stunned silence as the meaning of the letter hit them all. "It never even occurred to me that Maria might be an issue." Jasper said softly.

"Me neither; I can't believe we were so short-sighted." Carlisle said; disgust in his voice at his own stupidity.

"None of us thought of it." Esme said; her hand brushing up and down her husband's arm to soothe him.

"I don't think even Alice or Edward considered it a possibility," Rose said.

"It sounds like she won't be a problem any more either." Peter said, his eyes looking at Jasper intently.

"Are you okay, darlin'?" Jasper said to Bella. She nodded her head; her eyes scanning the contents of the letter again; as if she'd find something they missed in it; that something might change.

"I just realized you're mine." She said; suddenly finding her voice.

Jasper smirked at her, "I have been for a long time, baby."

"Yeah but now its official." She said, the smile on her face growing with each word.

He pulled her onto his lap and kissed her face; peppering kisses wherever he could reach, "Maybe it's time we made it more official." He said; getting to his feet and pressing her against his body. "We'll see y'all in the morning," he called over his shoulder as he walked them to their room. He stared at her face; his eyes drifting over her beauty with a well honed skill once he'd shut the door to their room. "Isabella Whitlock, your husband is going to look after your every need for the next few days and all you have to do, is sit back and enjoy it."

"Now, that, I won't have any problems with, Mr Whitlock. You see, I love my husband very much and he's all mine now and I want him to feel how much he means to me."

"I shouldn't imagine he'll have any problems with doing that." He whispered as he lowered her on their bed; climbing on it and hovering over her. "He's very good at picking these things up."

"Really?" She smiled up at him.

"Uh huh." He whispered; kissing her softly.

"Prove it."

"Your wish is my command." He breathed against her lips. "Time for some practice with your second gift, darlin'." He kissed her again before she could respond; his mouth caressing hers then moving across her jaw and down her neck. He hesitated slightly at the base of her neck; his hands ripping her top from her body. His eyes settled on her shoulder; taking in the scar that he'd left on her. There was a part of him that filled with pride, knowing that he'd marked her for eternity but part of him abhorred the pain he'd caused her as a result. He kissed the spot reverently and he heard the purr begin to echo through her chest. "I hate the fact I had to do this to you." He whispered.

"Why? I don't." she said, lifting his face so she could see his eyes. "Talk to me."

"I never wanted you to have to wear a scar like this."

"You let me bite you."

"Scars aren't new for me. It's nice to have one I like."

"And it can't be the same for me?" she whispered. He stared at her and she was silent as he absorbed her words.

"I don't want to hurt you."

"Baby, do you know how much it means to me to have that scar on my shoulder and know it was you who put it there; that it's a sign of the love you have for me?" He shook his head. "I had one scar on me before you gave me this, Jasper and it was from James; it was a thing filled with hate and an act of spite that I didn't even realize until we faced him in Italy." She took a deep breath. "I know I've said to you about the fact I loved your scars and I do; nothing has changed my feelings about them but I do understand why you dislike them so intensely. I understand because I feel the same way about the one he gave me. This scar," she ran her finger across the mark on her shoulder, "means something different to me; I can't put into words how it makes me feel. I guess it's like I'm carrying a visible symbol of our love."

Jasper stared at his wife intently. He could feel the love for him pouring from her body and he knew it was going be okay between them. "I'm sorry for saying what I did."

"You should be." She whispered. "You can't keep doing this, Jasper. You can't keep pushing me away. You need to believe in what we have with each other. I'm not going anywhere, baby, whatever you do; I'm always going to be here." He kissed her again; trying to take away the pain he kept causing. He wanted to change; to be a different person for her; it's just difficult to break the habits of a lifetime or two. Suddenly she was pushing on his shoulder and moving from the bed. He stared at her as she walked over to the bags he'd brought in from the car; rolling onto his back as he saw her searching through hers. She smiled at him as she looked over her shoulder, "I'll be back in a minute." She said and then she was gone; disappearing into their bathroom and shutting the door.

He could hear her moving around the room and he wondered what she was doing; his interest definitely piqued. He zoned out for a few minutes until the door opened and she walked back into the room. "Wow." He murmured.

"Do you like it?" she said softly. He nodded his head. "I was supposed to wear it for our wedding night but we never got the chance." She walked gracefully over to the bed and as she stepped closer his mouth became drier; his eyes darkening as he took in the apparition before him. His wife was stunning; wearing green lace and satin; the tiny scrap of material that was supposed to be a negligee; hiding none of her figure and yet revealing nothing to him either. It was frustrating, enticing and one hell of a turn on.

"Come here." He growled; seeing her eyes darken at his words and smelling her arousal.

Bella smirked at him and then climbed onto the bed; kneeling at his feet. "Do you like what you see, Mr Whitlock?"

"You know I do." He moaned.

She moved forward towards him; looking down at him as she moved sexily up the bed; straddling his legs but not letting him touch her. "Would you like to unwrap your present?" she whispered.

His breath caught as she offered him what he'd been thinking of ever since the door opened. She smiled at him as his hands climbed her body; grazing the material across the surface of her skin and causing her to purr; her eyes shutting as she gave in to the emotions he was instilling in her. She held her breath as his mouth pulled on a nipple; his tongue then pressing against the peak; causing it to harden beneath the material. His mouth released her breast and then climbed higher until he was again at her shoulder; kissing the mark softly.

Bella finally became aware of his hands creeping up her legs; pushing under the material and sweeping over the bare skin of her ass. "I love you darlin'," he whispered as his lips repeatedly kissed the scar they'd just been discussing. She lost herself in the kiss; heat travelling through her body; a heat she never thought she'd experience again. She gasped loudly and the heat spread; she barely noticed his hands moving again and then he was pushing into her and she looked again into his eyes. Jasper pulled her down to his lap; his hands holding her in place for a few seconds.

Bella's eyes ran down his body and for the first time she noticed he was naked. 'When had that happened?' She asked herself. He began to move her, setting a gentle pace as he moved her on him. Her body was warm again and if she'd had enough time to think about it she would've been confused even further as the heat continued to intensify. In reality all she could focus on was her husband. Each time his cock moved within her it felt like she was coming apart.

The tension heightened between them as he moved a little faster and both of them were moaning as they climbed higher. It was only seconds later that Bella gasped and looked at her husband, "Bite me." She breathed, knowing he would hear her. She gave him credit when he only paused for only a few seconds and then his mouth was at her shoulder again. Bella doubted for a moment that he would do as she asked as she felt his lips kiss the scar tenderly; her hopes rose slightly as his tongue swept over the surface and she screamed his name as his teeth tore through the surface of her neck; his venom pouring from his mouth and into her body. His teeth were still clamped on her shoulder when she turned her head and kissed the back of his head; feeling the love pulsing through her body. Her body shook as she once again felt the emotions rise to a pinnacle.

Jasper pulled his teeth from her shoulder; his tongue licking the wound he'd once again created on her skin; the mark more pronounced now it had been made twice. He kissed it again and then smiled against her shoulder as he felt her purring restart. He knew already this was going to be something she would demand of him frequently and getting this reaction from her was certainly motivation for him to do it.

Bella tried to regain some composure but the fire was still burning within her. Jasper had pulled her close against him and she knew what she wanted to do. He growled as her teeth tore into his shoulder; her scar calling her as she took her turn to mark him once more. For a second she wondered if he wanted her to stop but his hand was brushing up and down her back and she took that as a good sign. She shifted on his lap and his growl turned into a purr and she quickly began to move on him; feeling his body react to what she was doing. His hands became more frantic and then he tore the gown from her and he was kissing any part of her he could reach. The venom had been pooling in her mouth and as she pushed it into his body she felt his reaction before she heard it. A roar rang from him that she'd never heard before but was desperate to hear again; the noise indicating his orgasm and triggering a similar outcome in his wife.

As she pulled her teeth from his shoulder she kissed the wound; her tongue then lapping at the mark inciting a purr from him. He pulled them both to lie on the bed; their bodies curving around each other as they caressed each other. They remained the same way for many hours; eventually pulling away from each other to disentangle and then change their position so Jasper was spooned behind her.

*B-o-B*

The morning sun rose in the sky and shone over Alaska; awakening most of its residents but not all of them. You can of course only wake up if you went to sleep in the first place and not everyone gets that luxury. That being said, the Cullen's and Whitlock's didn't feel hard done by; they had time they could dedicate to their mates and their family.

The sun grew stronger as it climbed higher and as it filtered through the window of the extra wing on the side of the Cullen house, small rainbows danced around the room; decorating the walls and ceiling as the rays struck the rooms inhabitants.

Both Jasper and Bella sighed as they watched the colored sparkles flit over the painted surfaces; creating different patterns as they did. Jasper quickly realized the shared emotions they were both experiencing and smiled as he kissed the scar on her shoulder; his smile growing as her body shivered against him and her purr broke the silence. Everything was right in the world; he had a beautiful wife who he would do anything for. He was part of a family that he felt part of for the first time in all the years he'd been with them and he was truly happy. Jasper hoped it would be a while before anything changed the happy equilibrium they'd finally managed to obtain because they deserved some time to enjoy what they'd all gained in the last few months; in the year since Bella Swan had been introduced into their lives.

THE END.

A/N: So there you go. done and dusted. Let me know what you think and send me a review. I'll respond to them but not until I'm back from my holiday in a couple of weeks. As I said yesterday I will be working on my next story while I'm away - which is another Twilight, Jasper/Bella story but again something a little different, I hope. I'm not sure when I'll start to post it and I doubt I will update it quite a frequently as I did this one but because I won't start posting it until I finish writing it, I won't make you wait too long between each posting. I still have a couple of ideas floating around my mind so I think I'm currently on a bit of a roll. Go me. Anyway thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoyed both the conclusion to this story and the story as a whole.