The Road Back
By Mama4Dukes
Chapter 09:
Two months quickly went by. Jasper had officially been home for over a year and felt that he had made many strides in his career. Sure, his salary had declined by half, but his job satisfaction level had improved by leaps and bounds.
He declined to go on any dates, although offers to set him up were abundant. James Tracker, the attorney who was once disbarred, was hired by Jenks to take Maria’s old position. Word was Maria had left the state and returned to Texas. Jasper made a silent vow never to date any Texans again.
Today was Superbowl Sunday, and his dad decided to host a party at the house. Well, Peter Whitlock didn’t make the decision. The town collectively agreed because it was the only house with an 85-inch TV in Forks. People Jasper had not seen in ages crowded into the house. Even his boss, Jason Jenks, was there with his buxom wife, Tanya. Everyone brought food, and when the Swans showed up, there was deafening applause when they saw each family member carrying a crockpot full of chili.
“Yes! Chief Swan’s Famous Chili has arrived!” Austin Marks, the drunk who had given Jasper the advice of avoiding women before he went to serve out his fifteen-day sentence, hooted in appreciation.
“Austin, you need to slow down on those beers. You didn’t drive here, did you?” Charlie asked.
“No, sir. The judge revoked my license.”
“I had to, Austin. It was your third DUI offense, and for your own good,” Old Judge Quil Ateara the Third stated. “Now, pass me another beer.”
Jasper chuckled. There were no secrets in Forks. Everything was aired out in public.
The Swans placed the crockpots onto one of the tables that had been set up. Jasper counted about eleven separate slow-cookers, including the ones the Swans had brought. He was pretty sure all the appliances plugged in were a fire hazard. Fortunately, the fire chief was here in case something decided to spark.
It had been a long time since he had been to a party like this. The Superbowl parties he attended with Alice included dressing up for the evening and having champagne, usually at the Brandon’s country club.
“Bella, come and sit on my lap,” Jacob called. “There’s no place for you to sit.”
“Are you sure? You said I have a pointy butt.”
Bella went over to Jake and hugged him. Rather than sit on his lap, she slid in comfortably on the floor between Jake and Edward. Jasper wished he had called her over to sit by him instead. He was fascinated by her and wished there was a way he could ask her out. Both Edward and Paul kept suggesting he ask her out, too. They claimed she was lonely, though she’d never admit it. And apparently, Jake had told Edward that he thought Bella was ready to jump back into the game. Still, Jasper was unsure about asking her out. He didn’t want to ruin their friendship or their professional relationship.
The Whitlocks had two TVs going. Jasper’s TV was in the living room, while the other TV, Peter’s old 65-inch one, was temporarily set up on the covered back deck where the grill was going. Eventually, Jasper and his buddies meandered to the deck area, offering to man the grill. It was actually nicer than fighting the crowd in the house. Bella snuck back into the place and snagged one of the crockpots of chili, and brought it outside.
“This is so much better,” Bella stated. “I thought I was going to get crushed in the house.”
“Me, too. Thank God it’s not too cold out, considering it is February.”
It was an unseasonably mild day outside, and the temperature was in the fifties, even in the evening.
The group sitting outside consisted of his old lunch table members during high school: Lauren and Tyler Crowley, Jacob and Edward Black-Cullen, Rosalie and Emmett McCarty, and Leah and Sam Uley. Rachel and Paul Lahote were new additions but equally welcome. Bella and Jasper were the only single ones in the group, but they didn’t feel out-of-place at all.
“Oh my God, did you hear the news?” Lauren asked everyone.
“What news, and where the hell do you get news faster than anyone else?” Bella questioned.
“Bella, she works at the diner and the beauty salon. She’s going to get all the news first,” Edward informed her as he stood up to make himself another plate of food.
“This is true.”
“Okay, well, Mike Newton and Jessica Stanley called off their wedding.”
“What? Why?”
“So, Jess and I went to have lunch at Bella Italia yesterday. We meet occasionally. Mike was sitting in a corner booth groping a really skanky-looking blonde with overprocessed highlights when we got there. I mean, he had his hand on her boob and everything!”
“Gee whiz! In the middle of Bella Italia?” Leah cried in outrage.
“Anyway, we drove straight back to Forks and threw his shit out of their apartment and had maintenance change the locks.”
“Poor Jess! Where is she today anyway?”
“She’s probably at her apartment; although, I saw Mike here.”
“Did he bring the skanky girl? Maybe Jake or I know her.” Rosalie motioned her head to Jake, and the two of them took off to spy on Mike Newton.
Jasper took the opportunity to sit next to Bella. “How have you been?”
Bella rolled her eyes at him. “You see me almost every day at work, Jasper.”
“I know, but we never really get to talk about things, other than work stuff.”
“What should we talk about then?”
“Well, you’ve always liked the theatre.
“This is true.”
“Well, I found out Wicked has been playing in Seattle. Unfortunately, it closes after President’s Day weekend, but there are still a few tickets are left for Saturday’s matinée performance. So I was wondering if you wanted to see it.”
“Seriously?” Bella broke out into a grin. “Sure, I’ll go.”
“Okay, I’ll get tickets then.”
“That’s perfect.”
Jasper took his phone out and quickly purchased the tickets. “There, I got the tickets,” he said, with a smile, showing her his phone. He looked up to see Paul and Edward giving him a thumbs up.
“I can’t wait, Jasper. It’ll be nice to think about something other than work.”
Just then, Jake and Rose returned to the deck. “Mike actually brought the skanky girl with him. Can you believe it?” Rose announced.
“Did you recognize her?” Bella asked.
“I didn’t, but Jake says she works at the pizza shop in Port Angeles.”
“Wow, that’s pretty nervy of him. Poor Jess.”
They spent the rest of the time chatting, eating, and wondering how a guy could become so brazen like Mike Newton. Overall, it was an excellent evening.
On Saturday morning, Jasper picked Bella up early to drive into Seattle. Winter had returned in full force, and it was a chilly day, so they were both dressed for the theatre but bundled up in warm coats, scarves, and gloves. They made it with just fifteen minutes to spare before showtime and happily watched the performance with rapt attention. Of course, the only seats left were in the third mezzanine section, but they each had their fathers’ hunting binoculars with them. They looked funny peering through camouflage binoculars while dressed to the nines for the theatre.
“Oh my God. This is so much fun,” Bella said as she gave Jasper a hug.
“Can you see okay?”
“Oh, yeah, definitely. I didn’t realize how powerful these hunting binoculars are. It’s a good thing you reminded me to bring them with me.”
“Yeah, after I realized how far from the stage our seats were, I thought we should err on the cautious side.” Jasper looked down at his hands, embarrassed. “I’m sorry about these seats. They aren’t the best.”
“Are you kidding me? They’re amazing. We have this whole section to ourselves, and with these binoculars, we can see the entire musical as clear as day. Thank you so much for bringing me here.”
Bella was gracious, especially compared to Alice. She would have demanded they leave for the sheer embarrassment of sitting in the nosebleed seats. He hadn’t thought about Alice in a long time, but she came to mind in moments like this when the contrast between the two women was so apparent. “The seating is not a problem at all. I’m just jazzed up about being able to see Wicked.”
After the show, Jasper and Bella declared they were starving, so they hopped into El Gaucho-the same steakhouse Peter had taken Jasper and Charlie to after the game. They spent two hours having a leisurely meal and sharing a dessert.
Upon leaving the restaurant, they were met with a surprise. There was a full-blown blizzard outside. “Holy cow! When did this happen?” Bella questioned. “There wasn’t any snow expected, was there?”
“Not that I know of. We should head back to the car.”
Bella, of course, was wearing high heels and a pretty dress. Jasper had to catch her after she slipped. “Thanks, Jasper,” she breathed, relieved.
The couple made it to the parking garage with Jasper keeping Bella upright. They departed the garage only to be hit by the throng of other vehicles trying to leave Seattle. Jasper turned the radio on to the news to keep a close ear on the weather. Just as he hit the first traffic light, the newscaster announced that all inbound and outbound ferries in Seattle were closed due to unexpected weather conditions.
“Really, unexpected weather conditions? This is a blizzard. I can’t believe there was no warning.”
“Yeah, it is, and I think it’s safe to say we’re not going home this evening. Let’s find a hotel to bunk at for the night before they sell out,” Bella suggested.
“Good idea.” Jasper nodded and turned into the first hotel he saw.
“Are you staying the night?” the parking attendant asked.
“Do you know if there are any available rooms?”
“There might be, but I can’t be sure. There’s been a lot of inbound traffic with the ferries and airports both closed. Let me hold the car here for you while you ask at the front desk.”
“Thanks,” Jasper said and rushed to the front desk with Bella on his heels.
They were fortunate enough to secure the last hotel room, so Jasper tipped the parking attendant, grabbed his valet ticket, and had him move the car to the garage.
As soon as they got to their hotel room, Bella kicked off her high heels. “Oh my God! My feet are frozen!”
Jasper laughed as he watched her run warm water from the tub over her feet. She sat on the edge with her dress on, warming her feet up. “Well, why the hell did you wear heels on such a cold day?” he asked.
“I was dressing up for you, you jerk!” Bella laughed. “Since we were going to the theatre in Seattle on our first real date since the prom, I figured I should look nice for you. She swirled her toes in the tub.
The prom. Twelve years ago, in their senior year of high school, Jasper had taken Bella to the prom. They were young, carefree, and full of hope back then. They had dated for two years before that and had been in love as ever could be for two teens without any real-life experiences. But with Bella going away to college in Connecticut and Jasper staying in Washington, it didn’t make sense for them to stay in a relationship, so they went their separate ways after the summer of their senior year.
Jasper took his shoes and socks off before rolling his trousers up to his knees. He took a seat next to Bella at the edge of the tub. He swung his feet inside the warm water to absorb the heat. “You look gorgeous today. Thank you for putting the effort in for me, but you know, you never have to dress up for me,” he whispered, pulling her close to him. “I love you just the way you are.” He held her for a little while in that way.
He turned the water off and slipped his legs out of the tub. Then, after slinging a towel over his shoulder, he picked her up and carried her to the loveseat. He kneeled in front of her, toweled her feet dry, and bundled her feet up in the fluffy towel. “I’ll always keep you warm, Bella Swan,” he assured, settling in next to her.
“I know you will.” She smiled at him with adoring eyes, so full of trust. “It took you long enough, Jasper Whitlock.”
Jasper lifted her chin and captured her lips with his. She leaned in closer to deepen the kiss. He hoped the feeling of euphoria would never end. In fact, he planned on ensuring it would last forever.
Bella and Jasper ended up spending an additional night at the hotel. On Sunday morning, it was still snowing hard, and the ferries were still not operating. Fortunately, they were able to drive home leisurely on Monday, the President’s Day holiday, when the roads had opened up.
When Jasper walked into his house on Monday, Peter Whitlock took him aside and asked, “I really hope you took advantage of being stuck in a hotel room for two nights with Bella, son. If not, I’m going to have to ask Carlisle to check if your head is okay.”
“Peter! Leave Jasper alone. Our son is a gentleman.” Charlotte fussed over Jasper. “We were so relieved when you called to say that you were staying over instead of driving home in the weather.”
“Mom, Bella, and I are both grown adults. I think we’re both responsible enough to know when it’s unsafe to be out on the roads.” He sighed and hugged his mother. “Thanks for worrying.”
“Oh, you’re welcome. Now, tell me. Are you and Bella back together again?”
Jasper couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah, we are.”
“Oh, thank the Lord! Renee and I both hoped, but you were both so slow on making a decision, and….” She suddenly stopped mid-sentence, threw on her coat, and raced out the door. “I’ll be right back. I have to talk to Renee.”
Jasper went to his room to shower and change into his sweats. Neither Bella nor he had a change of clothes in the hotel room, so they had come home in the same outfits they had worn to the theatre on Friday. Then again, they didn’t really have much need for clothing all weekend.
Peter grabbed two beers from the fridge and sat down at the kitchen table. “Come and sit with your old man for a sec. We should talk.”
Jasper obediently sat down. His father popped the top off the beers and handed one to him. Peter Whitlock had a broad, mischievous grin on his face. “Now, you tell me, man to man, did you take advantage of that hotel room in Seattle?”
Jasper regarded his father with a serious expression before breaking out into a smile. “Of course, we did. We both took advantage of the hotel room several times-and enjoyed it.”
“That’s my boy!” Peter gave his son a pat on the back. “She’s a beautiful girl, son. Don’t let her go. Your mother will kill you. Hell, I’ll kill you.”
“The only one that’s going to be doing any killing around here is me.” They both looked up to see Charlie Swan holding a rifle, aimed squarely at Jasper’s forehead. He had an angry expression on his face. Jasper immediately put his hands up.
“Charlie, what the hell are you doing? That’s my son!” Peter cried.
“Yeah, and it’s my daughter he took advantage of in the hotel room.” He cocked his rifle.
“Charlie, stop being irrational.”
Jasper gulped. He remembered Charlie was constantly cleaning a gun or sharpening a knife when he picked Bella up from her house in high school. “Uh, Chief Swan, I’m really sorry.”
“I’m not,” Charlie laughed, putting his rifle down. “You should have seen both your faces! The look of sheer terror was priceless. I wish I had a camera. But, don’t worry, the rifle wasn’t loaded.”
“Sometimes I wonder why we’re friends, Charlie.”
“I got you, didn’t I? I got you both good. Admit it.”
“Alright, alright! You’ve had your fun.” Peter grabbed a beer and tossed it to Charlie. “What are you doing here?”
“Your wife is at my house terrorizing my daughter with Renee. Did you seriously think I was going to stick around there?”
Jasper kind of felt bad for Bella. Charlotte and Renee together were a force to be reckoned with. He wondered if he should go and rescue her for a second but then realized that he didn’t want to get caught in that quagmire. So no, he’d let Bella handle the mothers alone.
By noon on Tuesday, the entire population of Forks and La Push knew that Jasper and Bella had spent the weekend in Seattle together. Most people weren’t surprised about their relationship and wondered why the couple had taken so long to act on their feelings. In fact, Mr. Jenks, their boss, even congratulated Jasper telling him that it was about time because the sexual tension between the couple had been killing him.
Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction 
Leave a comment