This was Co-written with BBSapphire24 and Kristi28 (although she may not admit it) for the FicsForNashville Fundraiser

A Burning Love

Warning: Contains minor references to self-harm.

The bitter disappointment raged as The Guard left the clearing. Not only had the Cullens managed to escape prosecution for their blatant disregard of rules and tradition, they had embarrassed Aro with their display in front of the nomads. The bitter stink of dog would take a decade to wash off. Jane didn't understand how the Cullens could stand to live so close to the wolves, and had ached to test her powers on beasts of that size.

Instead, she was burning.

Aro quickly glimpsed the level of Jane's discontent. He had learned to coddle her to obtain her loyalty and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know you're disappointed, sweet Jane, but time is on our side. It is far better that we act justly here and retain our position of authority, rather than risk having the masses turn against us," he said. "Perhaps a snack for the road might cheer you up?"

The thought alone cheered Jane immensely. Though they were rapidly passing through the tiny town of Forks, she could faintly hear the voice of a young woman, apparently talking on a cell phone.

Aro gave her an indulgent smile, and inclined his head toward the direction of the human. "Don't take too long."

She wasted no time in moving toward the succulent sound, intent on making someone else feel the pain that had welled up inside her in preparation for battle. Just a touch of fear and agony before she drank always added to the flavor and provided the release she craved in order to feed with any sense of decorum.

Jane found her wandering along the edge of the forest, talking on a cell phone. She took a minute to study the girl, feeling conflicted for a moment about the decision she'd already made. Her prey's body was only a few years older than hers had been when she was changed, perhaps a little fuller in the hips, but still on the precipice of life. She almost felt guilty for what she was about to do, but the heat was building and becoming unbearable. She comforted herself with thoughts of the food chain and readied for the task at hand.

Her victim was completely oblivious to Jane's approach. This wouldn't do. It was better when they were afraid, the flavor of the blood enhanced by the heart's furious pumping. Jane smiled, anticipating the moment of her discovery, and purposefully took a heavy step into the brush.

The look of panic registered clearly on the girl's face, and Jane savored the moment, the moment when she would transfer the constant burning to someone else. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply to savor the scent of fear, which brought a glimmer of a smile to her lips, and released her fury. The relief she felt was immediate and intense, a soothing balm to her frayed nerves and frantic mind.

It took her a moment to notice the silence where there should have been screaming. She opened her eyes, curious at the girl's ability to remain silent during the torment. She expected to see agony on her face, but what she found was the face of ecstasy, and experienced a happiness she had never thought possible.

Jane stole her away without hesitation.

Jessica was glad to have been stolen.

~oOo~

The day Jane had found her, Jessica had spent the afternoon chasing patches of sun looking for a modicum of warmth in her parent's backyard, which, like all homes in Forks, met the woods at its periphery. The cold exacerbated the ache in her joints; it seemed to be ever-present these days. Despite visits to several specialists, none had pinpointed the source of the discomfort and fatigue, which plagued her but warmth seemed to ease it a bit.

She'd discovered accidentally, while curling her hair one morning that intense pain from an outside source could offer a measure of relief. When the hot barrel touched her skin it had distracted her body from its inner torment, and gave her focus. Despite the red welt it left behind, she had been pain free for several hours. Jessica had taken to hurting herself when the pain became unbearable, but it simply wasn't possible when she was around her parents.

The doctors' inability to diagnose her condition, coupled with her unorthodox method of self-medication, had left her feeling isolated and without any real hope for living a normal life. Her secret suffering had damaged her friendships and even more her romantic relationships. Truthfully, though, even those had never been more than superficial.

Jessica had tensed, preparing to put distance between herself and the approaching stranger. However, when the robed girl with the crimson gaze closed her eyes she was hit with a wave of intense agony. The initial shock left her unable to move. As her body became accustomed to the new suffering, her nerves began to hum exquisitely. Jessica took a deep breath and felt each cell expand. It was as if her body, having been pushed beyond its ability to receive the overwhelming message of pain, had instead interpreted only...pleasure.

As suddenly as it began, the sensation ceased, leaving only euphoria in its wake. With shocking speed, the girl had picked her up and they had run for miles.

With the intensity of the bond they had forged on that first day, it was only a matter of time before Jessica's heart followed her body.

~oOo~

Before Jessica, only Aro and Alec knew Jane's secret.

When the mob had tied her to the stake, intent upon burning her as a witch, they had sealed her fate. Aro had hoped to allow the talented twins to mature into adulthood but was forced to change them. Aro had the guard distract the crowd and remove the twins from the pyre, but not before the fire had begun its consumption, and for Jane the flames would be eternal. For three days the twins agonized as their bodies became indestructible, immortal, but when they woke, only Alec experienced relief.

Jane's body still burned in unending torment.

It didn't take long for her to realize the only options for relief: transfer the agony to another, or ask her brother to use his power to numb it. Transferring the pain brought a lingering release, which might last hours, during which her other senses remained heightened and intact. Alec's gift lifted the pain, but desensitized all her senses. Her choice was numbness or incendiary pain - with no in between.

Jane quickly realized that a weak vampire was not a valued commodity in the House of the Volturi but neither wanted nor expected anyone's pity. Aro was not without compassion and allowed her to exercise her power of transference frequently. But in his vicious lust for control, Jane's gift had an unforeseen benefit to him. In her torment she became a far more useful weapon, to be wielded against enemies or to keep the guard in fear.

Around others Jane showed no emotion, as if her ability to love left with the last beat of her heart. She cared for her brother, of course. He had always been her constant, and she his. Since acquiring Jessica, however, Jane and Alec's relationship had strained.

The reciprocal need between Jane and Jessica was to the exclusion of nearly all else. It was as if Alec ceased to exist once Jessica was with her. Jane knew he was watching them, waiting for her to lose control but she couldn't do it. No one had ever truly appreciated Jane's gift, but in Jessica she saw a whole new world of pleasure and peace begin to unfold.

~oOo~

Being the subject of a vampire's obsession was a heady aphrodisiac. In their first months together, Jane spared no expense in showing Jessica the luxuries which living among the Volturi afforded them. Jane showered her in gifts and allowed her to see the sites of Europe. For Jessica, it was like living a fairy tale, an entire world of opulent beauty and macabre mystery that only a select few were allowed to know existed. Any fear she felt about living among monsters was allayed by Jane's fierce protectiveness. No one would dare cross her. Jessica felt powerful being the only one, human or vampire, who could withstand Jane's power.

For the first time, Jessica felt chosen. While the experiences were grand, none of them compared to the feeling of being wanted. Before Jane, she had spent her life in second place; always a 'B' student, default prom date when Lauren or Bella turned someone down first. Jane made it clear to Jessica that she was the only person she had ever desired, the only one who could accept Jane's gifts.

From the moment she was immersed into the coven of vampires, Jessica knew her time was limited. She had noticed that any other humans in the house of the Volturi disappeared and eventually turned up without a pulse, or never turned up at all. She didn't doubt Jane's desire to keep her and she threw herself into her life with Jane, despite the uncertainty of the future and intensity of the environment.

At first, the thought of making love to a woman had seemed foreign to Jessica. She had always been attracted to men, or rather boys in high school. She had gone on some dates, but none of them really held her attention.

~oOo~

When Jessica explained to Jane what the pain was like, Jane worried that her gift had lost its effect. For good measure, she tried it out on Felix to make sure she was still capable of providing Aro with the muscle of the Guard. When Felix dropped like a stone, Jane knew that Jessica was special and came to believe that Jessica only tolerated her because she brought her pleasure. She was very wrong.

Jessica explained her theory to Jane once before their first kiss, "What we have is special, we were meant to be mates. You give me pleasure and I take away your pain. For that I am grateful."

With that, Jessica claimed the first and only woman she would ever love. Jane was not expecting the kiss. Her hands on Jane's face, Jessica placed a chaste kiss on her lips, but when Jane whimpered, she went back for more. Jessica knew that Jane wanted this, needed this, and it brought her a thrill to give it to her. They had shared lingering hugs and hours of conversations, but nothing sexual. Soon, chaste kisses turned into groping hands and whispered fantasies. Jane too care to be physically gentle so as not to cause any pain, and had wondered how her gift would affect them sexually.

The first time they made love it was urgent tongues and lips, hot mouths on cold skin, and icy fingers finding a rhythm in searing hot flesh. The proximity to Jessica's racing pulse tested every bit of Jane's restraint. They made love quickly, needing to feel the connection.

As time wore on, their subsequent intimacy was much different. Jane needed to hear Jessica voice what she was feeling, what she wanted. Jessica reveled in the way Jane would worship her, giving her everything she asked for, and even things for which she didn't have words.

~oOo~

Aro expected Jane to play, and had indulged her when she wanted to bring home her new pet. He had never expected it would turn into more, however. Aro tolerated Jane's distraction at first, amused to see the change in Jane's change in behavior. In truth, he was pleased to see some of her isolation eased, and when he touched her to see the contents of her thoughts, the change in her mental state was extraordinary. Looking at Jane's memory, witnessing Jessica's response to torment, he began to ponder what kind of gifts the girl might bring to the guard if she was changed.

Alec knew; he saw the glint in Jessica's eye and the reaction Jane had to it. He knew that she would want her for herself, forever. He also knew what she would ask of him. Through his gift, Alec was able to numb a newborn vampire to the pain of the change. Alec wasn't generous with it, as he felt a trial by fire was appropriate for anyone who was gifted with immortality. Because he had had to watch his sister suffer her torment every day for centuries, he had very little sympathy for those who complained about a few days of discomfort. He didn't feel that Jessica should be an exception. He didn't see the reasons that his sister had become so enamored, and felt a certain level of disdain for her ability to offer Jane a quality of life that he could not.

As time passed Jane's distraction began to weigh on him and he had taken to moping. Jane invited him along when she and Jessica would go out into the city, but he always refused. While Jane believed it was jealousy, which was partially true, Aro had seen through his memory that Alec was concerned about losing his control over his sister. Jessica's blood was too tempting to him, and he had begun to hate her for it, and for the distance she had created between he and his sister.

When Aro grew bored with Jane's antics his curiosity regarding her possible gifts and the power she could bring to The Guard got the better of him. He called Jane to council and issued an edict: "Jessica must be changed, or killed. Tonight."

~oOo~

Jessica holds back the sounds that threaten to escape her. The pain is excruciating, and yet she feels amazing. Her stifled screams only encourage Jane. With a devilish grin, Jane pumps her fingers into Jessica before abruptly cutting off her power, which leaves only the sensation of intimate touch. Jessica thrives on the pain Jane challenges her with, which makes their love making so much more intense. Jessica's body explodes and her screams of pleasure echo through the vast underground maze of the Volturi compound for all to hear.

Jane is always tender afterward, sharing soft touches and whispered encouragement. Tonight is no exception. No one else believes her capable of this level of intimacy. Finding Jessica on the Volturi's ill-fated trip to Forks has changed her.

When she recovers, Jessica reaches down to caress the cheek of the woman who masters her body. The sensation of Jane's cool cheek in the palm of her hand is a balm for her skin, which is still sensitive from its recent sweet torment. Jane moves slowly, climbing up Jessica's body while rubbing soothing circles along her flesh, kissing a trail along her belly and up between her beasts. Resisting the powerful urge to linger and lick, and the overt urge to bite and suck, she makes her way to the lips which have come to mean home. They kiss and are complete.

In these quiet moments with Jessica, Jane would be unrecognizable to anyone else. The peace she feels after quieting the burn is heady; to finally find this release from someone who welcomes her is intoxicating.

Jane says, "It's time, Baby."

"Let me take care of you before you change me," Jessica whispers against Jane's lips. "One more time, while I'm still warm."

The sensation that Jessica's touch brings is nothing short of a miracle. Here, in the quiet of their bed and aftermath of release, they share the simple physical quiet that has eluded them until now.

Jessica knows what the temperature of her body does to Jane, how her touch can send her to another place. Sometimes that place is ecstasy, other times that place is a haunting memory. She considers this as she touches Jane's exquisite body, starting at her feet and massaging them, before slowly working her way up. Rubbing slow circles, she makes sure not to linger too long, for the heat of her touch can set off Jane's memories of the moments before her change.

Jane is lost between the past and present as Jessica's hands glide over her hips, her fingers lightly tracing the curves. Jessica places soft kisses up the length of Jane's body. Jessica takes her time and worships the woman who has saved her. She needs to focus on making Jane feel good and when she has given attention to every inch of Jane's skin, she straddles her and lays her head on Jane's chest, listening to her unnecessary breath as she takes in the scents which linger in the room. Her position says the words they've yet to acknowledge verbally, a vow to love her forever.

The heat of Jessica's body envelops Jane, and for a moment Jane slips back to her last moments of humanity in the town square. She is bound tightly to the stake, the flames licking her skin. She remembers the faces of those who had come to bear witness, their rejection pouring forth in waves. The feeling of having no control, of being consumed by intolerable heat and hatred causes her to shake.

Jessica's warm mouth wrapped around Jane's nipple brings her back to the present. With gentle lips and intimate touches, Jessica replaces these dark memories with acceptance and tenderness. Where once there was only pain, now there is joy and warmth, healing.

Jessica's hand firmly cups Jane's breast and she arches back in pleasure. Jessica's face lights up with a smile, pride shining through her eyes. A moan escapes Jane's lips and Jessica looks up at her love whose eyes are closed as she bites her lower lip. With all that they experience, they revel in their gentle entanglement.

Releasing Jane's pert nipple, Jessica realigns her position. A desire to bring Jane to ecstasy quickly becomes Jessica's obsession. She wants to bring her to new heights, and convey her passion with her touch. Jessica slips two fingers into Jane, building her up just a little more before she removes them, causing Jane to cry out. Her eyes fly open in unspoken question.

A smile plays on Jessica's lips as she lowers her mouth to accompany her hands. The intensity increases as Jessica begins licking and sucking. Her tongue picks up the movements of her fingers and she hums in excitement over Jane's cries. Jane's hands fly to the headboard above her, gripping tightly, feeling the wood compress beneath her fingers. Jessica flicks her tongue over Jane's clit, using her hands and mouth to bring Jane to the edge, before pushing her over.

Jessica caresses Jane's body as her orgasm rocks through her. It is with effort that Jane keeps her hands off Jessica during this moment of bliss, but it is for her safety. She doesn't want Jessica to ever be truly hurt, and the passion she feels in that moment makes it difficult to concentrate on the amount of pressure she exerts in her grasp.

Jane is proud of her control. She feels a sense of accomplishment in knowing she has bested the temptation of Jessica's blood, even as she has become a slave to her body.

Jane quickly recovers, and flips with inhuman speed to straddle Jessica's hips.

Running her finger over Jessica's naked curves, body writhing underneath her; she is teasingly close to where Jess wants her most

Jane relaxes her mind and shares a moment of the burning intensity, which has already begun to build again. Jessica holds tightly to the gouged headboard above her as the pleasurable pain rocks through her body. She is completely bare for Jane. Where she was once uncomfortable, she is now confident. Jane drinks in the vision of Jessica naked form, running a finger along her jaw, outlining the lips she desperately wants to taste.

With Jane's control focused on denying the call of the blood she leans forward and gives in to the desire of Jessica's succulent lips. Their tongues mingle and twist together. Jessica wraps her legs around Jane's body, grinding herself in desperate search of release. Jane firmly pins Jessica back against the bed, registering her look of surprise.

Tonight, when everything will change, Jane wants to take things slow. She wants to taste and appreciate every inch of Jessica's body; to feel that heat beneath her lips. Jane slows down the kiss, pulling back, pressing her lips to Jessica's almost chastely.

"Shhhh, I want to take my time with you." Jane kisses Jessica's neck. "Don't make me rush. There's nothing so urgent that could keep me from loving you properly tonight." She trails kisses along Jessica's collarbone.

"Oh my God." Jessica practically moans as Jane's lips graze her breasts one after the other. Jane teases Jessica with her cool breath momentarily before sucking her nipple into her mouth, tasting the subtle salt of her skin. Wrapping her lips over her teeth, Jane lightly bites and pulls at the supple flesh before releasing it. Jessica arches her back at the sensation, but conquers the urge to pull Jane closer, letting her set the pace.

Jane closes her eyes and lets her hands roam Jessica's body, memorizing every dip and curve and crease. She trails her lips along each imperfection in the flesh knowing that after Jessica's change, Jane's memory of this moment will be the only evidence of their existence.

Through half-lidded eyes Jessica watches Jane profess her love with each touch. She feels indulgent, lying in repose, but allows herself to luxuriate in it, thinking only of the moment.

She sees the moment when the burning starts to build in Jane, she's learned her subtle tells: the tension in her jaw, a slight furrow in her brow. While she could spend eternity being this way with Jane, she aches to take the pain from her. She longs to feel the fullness of the fire within and Jane's cool hands on her skin.

"Please Baby, share it with me," she whispers.

Jane's breath leaves her in a sigh of complete surrender to this girl, to this moment, to their fates intertwined. In the blink of an eye she is pressed flush against Jessica, sharing her breath.

"Let me be inside of you," Jane replies, into Jessica's lips, her fingers already seeking entrance.

"Oh, please yes. I want all of you. I want everything." The words come out as a moan. Jane is already there, already moving within her. Like a flash of lightning, the fire moves to settle within Jessica, causing every nerve to hum.

Jessica threads her fingers in Jane's hair, keeping them connected at the lips and panting hot breath into her mouth. With every breath she asks for more.

Jane responds, slipping another finger inside as she transfers another pulse of volcanic heat to Jessica. In response, Jessica brings her leg up between Jane's thighs to their juncture and Jane has to concentrate not to squeeze Jessica too tightly in response to the pleasure she feels from the contact. Their bodies move together, Jane with a careful rhythm, and Jessica entirely without control, subject entirely to Jane's focused efforts to please her. The energy starts to pull tighter folding in upon itself, the intensity focusing to where they are joined. The intense burn Jane has gifted her with bringing out Jessica's pleasure in a way no touch alone possibly could.

Jane's own body begins to throb as her hand and tongue continue to grant Jessica's every request for more. With their position, every movement causes Jessica to rock against her, bringing Jane closer to her own release.

Jessica's throws her head back, sinking heavily into the pillow and moaning in between heavy panting breaths.

Just as Jessica is about to be pulled under, completely submerged in ecstasy, Jane transfers another wave of intensity. Jessica's head thrashes back and forth just as every muscle in her body clenches. Jane allows herself to be trapped in the temple of Jessica's arms as they contract around her, pressing her face into the curve of Jessica's neck. Jane surrenders to her orgasm with a soft moan, as Jessica screams out, hers rocking her from clenched fingers to curled toes.

The fire disburses at Jane's mental command, leaving Jessica gasping for breath.

Jane places a kiss where her face is buried against the pulse in Jessica's neck, indulging herself by gently sucking and licking the skin there, bringing a flush of blood to just beneath the surface; one last test of her control, before it becomes irrelevant. When she pulls away the mark she's left is obvious, and she kisses it reverently, before moving her lips to Jessica's face, placing gentle kisses along her jaw while she lets Jessica catch her breath. She can feel each muscle when it releases beneath her, as Jessica comes down from her orgasm.

Terror grips Jane as she steels herself for the moment she's been dreading. Jessica takes Jane's gift of mental torment like a lover's embrace, but the physical pain that Jane must inflict tonight will be an inferno, and she's uncertain how it will affect Jessica.

Without Alec's help, there will be no reprieve from the burning of the change. What frightens her the most, however, is the chance that in three days time, Jess's crimson eyes will open and look upon her with newborn disdain, instead of the love she sees gazing back at her now. If given the choice, Jane would keep her in this fragile corporeal form forever, rather than risk the loss of the only love she has ever known, but the choice is not hers to make.

Jane can hear Jessica's heartbeat start to gradually slow as she trails kisses down Jessica's neck. Jane ponders the irony that in that field back in Forks she wanted nothing more than to consume Jessica, and yet it is she who has been consumed.

She is pulled from her thoughts by a sound from Alec outside the bedroom door. Since Aro's decree he'd been warring the feeling that he was abandoning his sister, and his desire for Jane's happiness has overcome his reservations to become involved. With a soft whisper he grants Jane her one request; as a gift to his sister he will use his power to numb Jessica to the change. Jane relaxes, drawing strength from the quiet support of the only other person who truly knows her and finally allows herself to hope that the gift of a numb transformation will allow Jessica to come out the other side and still be… hers.

Jessica is lost in the moment, completely oblivious to the sibling's exchange. She's distracted once again by Jane and her cool lips. A smile spreads across Jessica's face just as Jane reaches the base of her neck, hovering over her pulse.

"I love you." Jane whispers like a prayer against Jessica's skin before sinking her teeth into the soft flesh and getting her first taste of forever.

A/N: Enormous thanks are due to our beta, Twanza, who saw promise in this and did amazing things to ensure that it saw the light of day.

Props to Einfach Mich and Wrietsiouxchef for all the work they put into the Fics for Nash Project.