Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

The Road Back

By Mama4Dukes

Chapter 07:

A month had gone by since his golf date with Bella. Jasper was at the prosecutor’s office in Forks having his second interview. He had researched everything he could about the Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, studied Washington State laws, and gone through every potential interview question and had come up with good answers for them. He was reasonably confident that he would be hired. He was honest about his experience at his previous job, and he had excellent references. He had an additional recommendation from a local member of law enforcement, Police Chief Charles Swan, Bella’s father. On his lap, he had his fingers crossed that he would get the job. He also wore his lucky underwear for additional luck.

Mr. Jason Jenks, the Chief County Prosecutor for Clallam County, spoke, “Mr. Whitlock, you are, of course, aware that, if hired, you will serve under the jurisdiction of the Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, located in Port Angeles. That being said, Forks is the second busiest office after Port Angeles. The service areas for this office include Clallam Bay, Forks, La Push, Neah Bay, and the surrounding towns. Generally, the Port Angeles office handles Port Angeles and Sequim, but there are times when their caseload bleeds into Forks. Are you ready to put in the necessary time to complete your tasks?”

“Yes, sir. I frequently worked after hours and on the weekends at my previous position,” Jasper replied honestly. He knew that law wasn’t a nine to five job by any means.

Mr. Jenks nodded in approval. “We’ve checked your references, and we think you’d make a welcome addition to our team. Therefore, we would like to offer you the position of Junior Prosecuting Attorney. You will be working under the direct supervision of one of our Senior Prosecuting Attorneys. As a prosecuting attorney, you are not only representing Clallam County but the State of Washington.”

Mr. Jenks slid a document over to Jasper. “Please read the contract carefully and sign it if you accept.”

Jasper wanted to jump up and down for joy, but he didn’t think hooting, hollering, and hugging Mr. Jenks would be considered professional conduct. So instead, he took a deep breath and took a few moments to carefully read the paper placed in front of him. He quickly signed and dated it before returning it to Mr. Jenks.

“Welcome to our team, Mr. Whitlock,” Mr. Jenks said warmly, holding his hand out for him to shake. Jasper returned his handshake. “It’s going to be very different from your previous position. You’ll be busy, but according to Mr. Alton Brandon, you’re not afraid of hard work. I’m counting on you to make us proud.”

“I’ll do my best, sir. Thank you.”

“Excellent. I’ll be keeping my eye on you.”

Mr. Jenks led Jasper out of the interviewing room. The room led to a larger administrative office where many clerks and secretaries worked. He introduced everyone to their newest team member.

Suddenly, the door to the room opened, a woman walked in, dressed impeccably in a suit and carrying a file folder. She stopped at the reception desk and announced to the office in general, “If anyone needs me, I’ll be in Port Angeles for a few hours.” She then noticed Jasper and Mr. Jenks. “Oh, Jason. I was just going to drive to Port Angeles to see you, but seeing that you’re here, might I have a moment of your time?”

“Of course, Bella. I just finished interviewing our newest junior prosecutor. This is Mr. Jasper Whitlock.” Then, turning to Jasper, he said. “This is Miss Isabella Swan.”

Jasper blinked several times to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. Why the heck was Bella here wearing a suit?

Bella Swan smiled and held her hand out to shake Jasper’s. “Congratulations, Mr. Whitlock.” She turned to Mr. Jenks. “Mr. Whitlock was in my graduating class at Forks High School, so I know him quite well.”

“Well, that’s fantastic. I’m going to put him on your team then. He’ll do well under your direct supervision. He starts on Monday.”

“Welcome to my team, Mr. Whitlock. I’ll see you in my office on Monday morning at eight am sharp.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Jasper replied, still in shock at seeing Bella. He had questions, a whole bunch of them. First, why did she purport to be an employee of his father? She never mentioned being an attorney.

“Bella, I’ll see you in your office in fifteen minutes. I need to go over a few final items with Jasper and then take him down to human resources.”

“Perfect. I’ll see you then, sir. My business won’t take long. I just need your approval on a few documents.” She turned to the ladies in the office. “Scratch what I last said. I won’t need to go to Port Angeles. I’ll be in my office for the rest of the day.”

With that, Mr. Jenks led Jasper out of the office and took him across the hall to the human resources department. Mr. Jenks introduced him to Jessica Stanley, who he already knew from high school, and told him she’d handle the rest of the paperwork before going on his way.

“Jasper, it’s so nice to see you. Welcome to the prosecutor’s office,” Jessica greeted.

“It’s good to see you, too. How long have you been working here?”

“Oh, since graduating from college. I like it here. I’m sure you’ll like it, too. It’s going to be hard work, though. So many junior prosecutors quit before a year is up. He said he’s assigned you to Bella Swan. You certainly lucked out there. She’s one of the nicest attorneys here.”

“Wow. How long has she been here?”

“Oh, almost three years. Bella started off as a junior prosecutor like you, but there was a big employee shake-up after her first year, so she was quickly promoted. Fortunately, she had the brains and the gumption to handle the job, and she’s been doing it ever since.”

“Well, then. I’m lucky.”

“Yeah, you are. Anyway, I’m going to need you to fill out a few forms, and then you’ll need to go to the hospital to take a drug test.” She handed a paper to him. “Here is the request form to give them.”

“Sure.”

Jasper finished his tasks then went to the hospital to do the mandatory drug test. Afterwards, he contemplated waiting in front of the prosecutor’s office for Bella to finish work but decided it would be too creepy. So instead, he went to the gym to work out and then home for a shower. He walked by the Swan residence several times but didn’t see Bella’s truck in the driveway. Eventually, he gave up and went home.

---

On Saturday, Jasper awoke to sunny skies and warm temperatures. He decided to take advantage of the day and go for a run at the Spruce Nature Trail. He pulled into a parking stall next to a familiar red truck. Bella was just getting out of the driver’s seat.

“Are you here for a walk, Bella?” Jasper asked.

“I am. It’s gorgeous out today. You?”

“It looks like we had the same idea.”

“It’s a nice day out. Good for walking.” Bella said as she started towards the trail.

Jasper walked alongside her. “And talking.”

“What would you like to talk about, Jasper?”

“How come you didn’t tell me you were an attorney?”

“How come you never asked? You saw me working at your father’s service station and assumed I was a mechanic. But, Jasper, we were all helping your father keep his gas station open because he was laid up for a while after the accident, and he couldn’t move his arm post-surgery. With everything your dad had taught us, and with Jake and Rose leading us, we could help him by servicing vehicles he would have been unable to complete and taking in new ones. But, until we stepped in, he was considering closing the service bay.”

“I didn’t know, Bella. Truly, I didn’t’. I’ve been so selfish.”

“And arrogant. I know this, but you were given a major shock to your system at the same time. I can’t imagine what it must have been like to have put in all that hard work for a law firm, only to be told that you were no longer needed because the boss’s daughter no longer wanted to be with you. Then, of course, Alton Brandon neatly packaged things up by waiting until your contract was at an end. He’s a cruel man if you ask me.”

Jasper leaned up against a tree, dejected. “I was pretty arrogant, wasn’t I? I thought I was too good for Forks and better than everyone. But, instead, I’m surrounded by intelligent friends who all have excellent careers.”

“Oh, Jasper, you’re intelligent, too. You just needed to come back down to earth.”

“Thanks, Bella. Thanks for being understanding.”

“You’re welcome.”

“So, are you going to tell me how you ended up becoming a lawyer?” They were walking along the trail again. “I’m assuming you didn’t have a significant other telling you to become a lawyer.”

“No, I simply applied to law school, got in, and decided to go. You see, as an English and History major with a minor in theatre, I knew there were no job prospects out there for me unless I wanted to teach. Teaching was absolutely out of the question. During my junior year, I had the role of a lawyer in a play and thought maybe I’d do well in law school. So, I applied, got in, and went. It’s that simple.”

“So, where did you go to law school?”

“In Massachusetts.”

“Where? BU? BC? Suffolk?”

“Harvard,” Bella said dismissively. Jasper’s eyes popped open. He opened his mouth to say something but then decided to close it. “You see, this is why I never tell people where I went to school. They act like Yale and Harvard are a big deal, but in the end, they’re just colleges.”

“They are a big deal, Bells. I used to think I was a big deal because I went to Gonzaga and Texas A & M Law School, but those schools are nothing compared to yours. Mr. Alton Brandon would be salivating at the mouth to get someone like you working for him. Instead, you are a humble public servant, working as a prosecuting attorney for Forks. I have so much respect for you.”

“Jasper, forgive me for saying this, but that’s bullshit. It doesn’t matter where you went to law school. You still had to put effort into it. Do you remember James Tracker?”

“I do. Sam told me about he was disbarred for gross incompetence.”

“Exactly. James Tracker went to Stanford Law. He is proof that no matter what law school you go to, you need the ability to put your knowledge into practice. Mr. Jenks gave me your resume and reference letters. You have an excellent track record, and you clearly know your laws. I don’t think he would have hired you otherwise. And between you and me, James Tracker also applied for the position but was asked to re-apply after gaining a bit more experience.”

“I had no idea.”

“Over a hundred applicants were vying for three positions, Jasper, from around the United States. The majority of whom were not called for the initial interview. I think making it through two interviews is pretty impressive.”

“Thanks for making me feel good, Bella.”

“You deserve it.”

They finished walking the mile and a quarter loop while chatting about inconsequential things. Jasper didn’t want it to end, but he realized that now that Bella was his supervisor, getting involved with her beyond friendship was probably not a good idea.

---

On Monday morning, at eight am sharp, Jasper knocked on the door to Bella’s office and waited until he was bid to enter. Her office was warm and inviting, with a large bay window overlooking the street and bookshelves filled with legal books lining the walls. She sat behind a large wood deck that had seen better days but was clearly functional. Perhaps the only new item in her office was the office chair.

She motioned to the chair across from her and asked him to have a seat. “How are you doing this morning?”

“Fantastic. Ready to work.”

“Excellent. Let’s talk about your experience. What types of cases did you handle at your previous job? I was looking into the Law Offices of Alton Brandon, and it appears to be a huge law firm that has many divisions.”

“Yes, the firm employs over fifteen hundred attorneys alone.” But, in hindsight, when Jasper considered that number, he realized he had just been a number.

“Well, that explains why there are so many divisions. Specifically, what types of cases did you handle?”

“During my first two years as a junior associate, I moved around quite a bit. I mostly assisted with criminal defense cases stemming from traffic, DUI, and drug violations. Also, in my third year, I moved on to actually handling the cases, and then in my fourth year, I moved on to divorce.”

“Good. I’m glad you have experience as a criminal defense attorney. It’s actually how I started out, too, in Boston. Your familiarity will serve you well because we deal with many traffic matters, DUI, and drug violation cases. You just need to remember that you’re on the state’s side this time. We also deal with a good chunk of domestic and family court matters, so I’m actually happy you have experience with divorce matters. How much experience do you have with litigation?”

“During my third and fourth year, I gained a fair amount of courtroom time.”

“Perfect. That’s all I needed to know. You mentioned that there were over fifteen hundred attorneys at your last practice. In Forks, we have nine. Three senior prosecutors, each with two junior prosecutors assisting them. We handle thousands of cases per year in our district area.”

“Which means we’re a busy office.”

“Exactly.” There was a knock on the door. “Come in.” One of his high school classmates walked into the office. “Jasper, you remember Paul from high school, don’t you? He’s the third member of our team, and you’ll be working closely together.”

“Of course.” Jasper shook Paul’s hand. He knew Paul quite well. They played baseball together at Forks High School. “I had no idea you were an attorney.”

“It took me a while, but I finally got my law degree. I was hired last year.”

“I’m looking forward to working with you.”

“Same here. We’ve got a good group here.”

“Paul, why don’t you show Jasper to his desk? I’ll brief you both in a few minutes.”

Jasper followed Paul out to a large open area with six desks, in three rows, with two desks facing each other per row. “You’re right here, across from me. I’d highly recommend buying your own office chair and bringing it in. These things are ancient. Apparently, new chairs aren’t in the budget.” Sure enough, Jasper’s chair looked like the seat back was ready to fall off. He made a mental note to make it a priority to purchase a comfortable office chair. He sat in the chair and the seat back immediately dropped to the floor. He was definitely going to purchase a chair tonight.

Jasper immediately stood up from the hazardous chair and inspected his surroundings. There were file cabinets lining the walls and bookshelves filled with legal tomes. It was a far cry from the private office he had in Dallas. There was a lamp on his desk along with a box of files. Jasper hoped that those weren’t the cases he was being assigned.

He looked at Paul’s desk. It was clean and organized. There was a photo of his parents and a picture of Paul and a beautiful, Quileute woman. “Is that Rachel Black?” Jasper asked. Rachel was Jacob’s older sister by two years. He remembered every boy having a crush on her while in high school.

“Rachel Lahote now. We got married right after I graduated from college before I started law school.”

“You said you graduated from law school last year?” Jasper was curious now.

“Oh, yeah. I went to undergraduate school part-time, so it took me a little longer to get my degree. By then, Rachel was teaching, so I attended law school while she worked full time. We moved back here from Spokane after I graduated. I was fortunate enough to find a job right away. I heard about what happened to you. That must have sucked.”

“It did, but I think I’m in a better situation now.”

“That you are. You’ll be busy as hell, but Bella’s team is the best one. She really looks out for us. Anyway, they’ll assign a laptop to you and an initial batch of office supplies.”

Jasper pointed to the box of files. “Would you happen to know what these are?”

“Oh, yeah, that’s our caseload for this week,” Paul smirked at him. “Now you know why the turnover rate is so high. I think she went easy on us. We usually get one box each.”

“Well, you better show me what I need to do.”