Simple Exchanges

A/N: My first Twilight fic...I can't believe I chose Bella and Jasper...interesting. I wasn't even aware I liked that pairing until just recently. I still like Jasper/Alice, but there's something about Jasper/Bella that is just....way more interesting than any other pairing in the series. Anyway, I thought I'd start out with a friendshippy one-shot first, before I delve into any romance. I don't wanna just turn out a crappy, unrealistic epic saga...I want people to read it and think "Oh, well this could've really happened. I can see this happening." So yeah, sorry for rambling on about it, but I hope you enjoy it. I'm not really sure of the timeline this fits into...obviously it isn't after Breaking Dawn, because Bella is still human. Perhaps it is AU?

Disclaimer: I am not Stephenie Meyer, I am simply borrowing her characters and twisting things the way I want them. There's nothing obsessive about that, right? Right?

Summary: Jasper and Alice finally agree to renew their wedding vows, and a certain vampire groom encounters his brother's very mortal fiance before the ceremony. He always had thought simplicity was the best way to go. Jasper x Bella friendship.

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He had wanted things simple. His family were the only ones in attendance, which he had requested numerous times. He knew how his wife could be, no doubt wanting to make it a major event, as this was the only other time it would happen.

Jasper Hale and Alice Cullen were having a second wedding today, after much prodding from their adoptive brother Emmett. He and his wife, Rosalie, had done this countless times. They felt it customary every time they moved to a new place. This was often necessary, as the Cullen family had an interesting secret. The six of them were vampires, which meant they didn't age, which meant living in one place too long would give way to questions from concerned members of the community.

They had lived in Forks, Washington for a few years now, and would no doubt have to move on soon. Their status as drifters had been complicated when Jasper's other adoptive brother, Edward, had met Bella Swan, a mortal girl who had unexpectedly entered their lives after falling in love with Edward.

The family was very unhappy with the complication, and there was still some uneasiness, but they knew there would be no coming between Edward and Bella.

Jasper didn't dislike Bella, quite the contrary. He found her quite pleasant, and her acceptance of the fact that they were vampires interested him. Not to mention that she was very beautiful, albeit very clumsy. He also enjoyed this attribute. Her sheepishness and reluctance to be the center of attention often made her just that, at least in his eyes. She was entertaining without trying to be, and Jasper wasn't the easiest person to bring a smile out of.

Bella even had the uncanny ability to draw Jasper into a conversation, whether he wanted to talk or not, and it was usually the latter. He was a man of few words, but it changed when Bella was around. He was an empath, a vampire who could feel (and even manipulate) the emotions of others. When Bella was around, his ability kicked into overdrive. Her emotions were so powerful, it made him feel weak under the weight of them. He didn't normally use the manipulation part of his power, but when she was feeling upset, or negative in any way, he had to act, beause it made him hurt physically.

A bond had formed between them, unspoken, irrelevant and insignificant to everyone else. Even they had never brought it up, but they both knew it was there. Jasper noticed the positive change in emotions when she came around him, almost like the bond they shared spruced up like a flower in spring when they caught sight of each other.

"I'm glad you feel that way," said a voice from behind Jasper, as he straightened his tie in the mirror. Jasper didn't have to turn around to know who it was.

His brother, Edward, was a mindreader; a skill that both helped...and annoyed the rest of his family.

"Feel what way? Did I miss something?" A female replied, in a small, fragile voice.

This made Jasper turn around. Bella stood beside Edward in the doorway, a small, confused smile plastered on her pretty face. Jasper gulped, hoping his brother wouldn't embarrass him by telling Bella everything he had just thought about. Edward hid a smile, knowing he was in control here.

"Don't worry. The ceremony will be starting in about ten minutes. Just wanted to give you a heads up," he declared, his arm protectively around Bella, as usual.

"Thank you," Jasper answered simply, turning back around.

"Let me help you. I feel totally useless around here," Bella spoke up, before appearing beside Jasper, fidgeting with his tie.

"Useless?" Jasper repeated, feeling a bit awkward that Bella was standing so close. Bond or no bond, she was his natural prey, and he still wasn't sure of himself. Her scent was immensely powerful today.

"Yeah...turns out when you can run hundreds of miles per hour and lift fifty times your body weight, you don't really need some puny human to help you decorate for a wedding," she chuckled, and he did as well.

"Well, by all means," he replied, dropping his hands and letting her complete his tie knots. When she had finished, the tie was crumpled and it looked like a five-year-old had tried to do it.

Bella flashed Jasper her famous sheepish smile, and whispered an apology. He simply laughed.

"I'm not really good at this whole thing...Not really sure why I offered," she explained, wringing her hands together.

"It's all right," Jasper answered, righting her wrongs as the tie was concerned. He shifted to the side a bit, to see the doorway in the mirror. Edward was not there. He felt a rush of nervous feelings, and instantly knew Bella was emitting them.

"Something wrong, Bella?" He asked her, forgetting the tie and turning to face her fully, now. She looked at him with a surprised expression, before switching to one of understanding.

"Oh...empath...right."

"That's right," he continued, just trying to keep her talking at this point. He felt out of whack all of a sudden. Usually, people persisted in trying to talk to him, not the other way around.

"I just wanted to talk to you. I mean, I know that's not really your thing, but, it's kind of important. Well, not really important, but to me it's kind of important..." Bella trailed off, knowing she was getting nowhere. Her stammering was soon quelled, as a sudden calmness fell over her like a veil.

"Thanks," she said to Jasper, knowing it had come from him. He nodded politely.

"I know none of you expected for me to come barging into your lives...me...Some insignificant human, just screwing everything up. No wonder Rosalie hated me. Anyway, I guess what I'm saying is...I want nothing more than to be apart of your family. I never thought I could love something so much. Whenever I'm around any of you, even Rosalie, I just feel like I'm home. I never want to leave," Bella spoke, her words filled with the emotion Jasper could already feel. Though, he imagined that even if he wasn't an empath, he still would have felt it.

He waited for her to continue to her point.

"I guess what I want is...your permission," Bella concluded, her breath caught in her throat. It wasn't odd to catch Bella off balance, or in an imperfect moment, but this was surprising to him.

"My permission?" He repeated, the words confusing him further when he was the one saying them.

"To be apart of your family," Bella elucidated Jasper, her eyes clouded with the uncertainty of how this moment would end. Jasper mulled over everything she had said, and still, he was confused.

"You are apart of my family," he said simply. Bella smiled awkwardly at his words, but she still seemed unsure.

"I meant officially..." she mumbled, looking down at her feet.

"So did I."

At this, Bella's head jerked up. Jasper felt a slew of happiness so intense, it made him chuckle audibly, even though Bella was visibly trying to keep it under wraps.

"What?" She asked, referring to his uncharacteristic outburst.

"It's nothing," he replied, a strange smile seemingly stitched to his face.

Edward appeared in the doorway once more.

"It's time," he announced casually, his expression mirroring Jasper's.

"What is going on?" Bella asked, clearly knowing she was being left out of the loop on something, and it annoyed her. Neither of them answered her, Edward simply flashed her a brilliant and loving smile that made her knees weak, before turning to walk out. Jasper laughed again.

"Glad you're in such a good mood today," Bella muttered, unconciously linking her arm with Jasper's as he turned around to prepare for the walk down the aisle. He stiffened at the touch, and Bella noticed.

"I trust you, Jasper," she informed him, giving him a quick, but meaningful glance.

"That makes one of us," he said under his breath, though he made no advance to distance himself from her.

As they made their way to the source of the muffled voices and footsteps, Jasper relaxed beside Bella. He stiffened back up, however, when Bella leaned up and planted a soft kiss on the outline of his jaw.

"Here's to a million more years of happiness," she chuckled, before leaving him to take a seat beside Edward.

"Here, here."

A/N: I know...it was short and cheesy and stupid, but I really wanted to do a Jasper/Bella fic. I haven't read all the books yet, so I don't know everything there is to know about Twilight, but I'm learning, anyway. Hope you enjoyed it!