A/N

A long time ago, in a fanfic far, far away… I'm SO sorry about the EXTREMELY late update. :( I have run out of sufficient excuses to explain the reason for my tardiness. I hope that this chapter makes up for the year-long wait.

Has it really been that long?

Yes, Brianna. It has.

Oh… Sorry about that. :/

Now back to the show! :)

Previously on UnCivil War:

Insecurities are being brought to the surface. Bonds are being made and shattered. Wolves are dancing hilarious, anticipation-caused jigs and vampires are sitting around reminiscing. Fun times. Fun times.

? ? ?POV:

Hey, Jake?

What is it, Seth? If it's not immediately important, it doesn't need to be verbalized.

But… We aren't talking right now.

What is wrong with you?

I just really miss her shoes…

WOULD YOU LAY OFF THE SHOES? GOOD GREIF!

Sorry, Jake…

It's fine. I'm sorry, Seth. Let's just get something productive done, okay?
Okay!

You DO remember what Sam told us, right?

Uh…?

Fantastic. It's going to be a long night.

AlicePOV:

"She's only a vampire. How hard can she be to kill?"

BellaPOV:

"Oh, God! Yes! Right there…" He moaned. "A little harder and to the left. OH! Yeah… That's good." He sighed and relaxed into me. "Thank you for doing this, Isabella. I would do it myself, but – OH! That hit the spot. Mmmm…" His head lolled back and he looked up at me, smiling that lazy smile of his.

"No problem, love." I kissed his nose. "Is your back feeling better now?"

"Yes, thank you." He rolled his shoulders around and sighed contentedly. "I haven't had a massage that nice in over 150 years." I froze and he winked at me, thawing me back out. "That family always stresses me out. You know?" He got up and stretched.

"Yeah. I can't imagine how you lived with them for all these years." I let him feel my disgust and confusion. That made him laugh.

"Would you like to know how I got to live there in the first place?" Jazz quirked an eyebrow at me, making me melt. I nodded. Jasper took a deep breath and I felt him steady himself before going on. "Okay. It happened like this."

JazzPOV:

Flashback 51 years, diner in New Orleans, July 13, 1961:

I reread the note that was slipped into my mail slot that morning.

'Jasper Whitlock,

Meet me at the diner downtown this afternoon at four o'clock. We can talk about your future living arrangements over a burger and malt. I'll be the one in pink at the counter. I can't wait to meet you in person.

Alice'

I knew it was absurd to follow the directions I had been given, but hey. I could no longer be harmed by any mortal hand or weapon. So, why not? When I arrived however, she was anything but mortal.

Her beauty was the first thing I noticed. At the time, her black hair grazed the top of her shoulders, her bangs held back by a white headband. Her golden eyes were framed by dark, thick lashes and her curves were accentuated by the pink felt of her dress. She was sitting at the counter, just like she said, eating a burger and drinking a chocolate malt, just like she said. She didn't even look at me as I walked in, simply smiled and motioned for me to join her. I took my seat on the red leather stool next to her and couldn't stop staring, mouth agape. "Hello, Jasper. Nice to see my visions did you justice." Her voice was like bells, the echoes freezing me in place. I was unable to move, unable to respond. She laughed and I felt a pang in my chest. She sounded like you when she laughed. "Aren't you going to say hello at least, stranger?" Her beautiful eyes searched my face.

"Hello."

It was cold and harsh and it made me wince, but at least I said something. "You aren't exactly what I was expecting, Mrs. Alice." I shifted in my seat to better look at her laughing face. The pang in my chest happened again, stronger this time.

"It's just Ms. I'm not married." With that, she winked at me, making my heart leap into my throat. She winked just like you did all those days ago. "Would you like a burger? Maybe a malt?" I wrinkled my nose and couldn't help a small chuckle. She had the same sense of humor as you, too. "You're right. They aren't very appetizing. But I know something that is. And I know where to get it, too." Her elbows hit the countertop and she leaned in. "Would you like to know where that is, Mr. Whitlock?" Mesmerized by her boldness, I simply nodded. "Well then, follow me."

After 100 years of searching, I convinced myself in an instant that I had found your surrogate, someone to fill the hole your disappearance had left in my heart. Without a moment's hesitation, I followed her out of the diner, hoping for a future that was much like my past.

Back to present:

"It took me over 150 years to find you again, Ms. Swan, and now that I have you back, I'm not letting you go. You are my past, my present, and my future."

"Jasper…" She whispered the word softly, seeming to caress it before sending it to me and placing it gently on my heart.

"You were the only creature I have ever truly loved with my whole being. You saved my life in more ways than one that day in 1861 and I can never thank you enough for what you've done for me. I will never forsake you and I will always cherish every single moment of our existence together." She stared at me. Shock and love, in that order. I sat down next to her on her bed, taking both her hands in mine. "I love you, Isabella Marie Whitlock, forever."

"What did you just call me?" Hope and Doubt. That last one confused me a bit, but I refused to let her feel it.

"I called you Isabella Marie Whitlock. I would like to keep calling you that for all eternity, if you'll have me." Lots of love.

"Jasper Whitlock, are you proposing to me?" Excitement and happiness.

"Yes ma'am." I paused and looked at her hopefully, waiting for an answer.

"No." In an instant, my heart shattered into a million fragments, each one puncturing my soul, deflating it until there was nothing left. Automatically, my eyes filled with venom and I dropped her hands. I tried my hardest to not let her feel my overwhelming sense of dread and anguish, to no avail. She blinked her own tears away and finished hurriedly. "I'm not answering you until you do it the right proper way, Mr. Whitlock."

"What on earth are you spouting, Isabella? I figure I did everything proper." My pain was slowly turning to confusion and irritation. Maybe she wasn't shooting me down after all.

"Get on one knee and ask again. Then we'll see what my answer is." I looked at her.

"Are you serious?"

"Yes." She crossed her arms and smirked, pointing at the floor. I sighed and kneeled in front of her. I smirked at how ridiculous she was being but I would do anything for her. Unfortunately, she knew it.

"Will you marry me?"

"YES!" All my pain vanished as I was hit with her wall of excitement, joy, and love. "Oh, Jasper, you have no idea how happy I am right now." She whispered in my ear and kissed my cheek. I laughed full and deep, making her smile so wide I thought her face would split.

"I'm pretty sure I do. Empath, remember?" I quirked an eyebrow at her and she smirked and shook her head.

"I'm holding back. You don't want me to let it all out, trust me. I might fry your brain or something. And that is no way to treat your fiancée." I smiled at her use of the word.

"Fiancée, huh? I like it. A lot." I leaned toward her.
"As do I." She kissed me long and deep. When we finally pulled back I joined her again on the bed. "What about Alice? Aren't you two still technically married?" She looked at me, distraught.

"The last time we were married was back in 1990. And shortly after the wedding, we died in a car crash. Don't worry about it." Relief. She put her head on my shoulder and sighed happily.

"Yes, Isabella. Don't worry about it."

AlicePOV:

"What I mean by that is, don't worry about it because we're going to get married again soon. And you aren't invited." I glared at the whore hanging all over my man like she owned him or something.

"Alice, please contain yourself. I can taste your disgust from here and it's not something I particularly want to chew on." Jasper made a face and moved Isabella behind him protectively. "Besides, I don't think Emmett would agree to what you're proposing." I stopped dead in my tracks. Emmett. I hadn't even thought about him.

"You leave him out of this. I was confused and I know you were too when you left with this slut." I gestured behind his back to the crouching harpy.

"What did you just call me, hooker?" She got up and leapt at my throat. Perfect.

I grabbed her head between my hands and squeezed, making her wail in pain. "STOP," Jasper bellowed. "There's no need for this, Alice." I put more pressure on her head before moving on to her throat. I squeezed so tight that the veins in her neck began to pop out. I laughed.
"How's this then, darling? Is this to your pleasure?" He stood, fury in his eyes. "No? How about this then?" I flung her to the back wall and through the window. He charged at me, making to rip my head off. I let him beat me right up until the point of no return. Then I really let him have it. "You wouldn't do that to your first wife, would you?" Jasper stopped. "I mean, if you would, then I guess everything they used to say, everything you've ever thought about yourself, was true." I could feel his fury rolling off him in waves. "You really are a monster." That did it.

I felt him let go of me and heard him sink to his knees in disbelief. "Well, good to know. I'll just go back home and report my findings now. Have fun living with your harlot, monster." I loaded my voice with contempt and spat in his general direction before walking out the front door for home. Isabella was nowhere to be found. My exit was made especially epic by the soundtrack of Jasper's howls of anguish that followed me through the forest towards home. Even when the echoes died out, I replayed it in my head over and over until I got inside. I smirked to myself. That was almost too easy.

BellaPOV:

I crawled around to the back of the house and let myself in through the back door just in time to see Alice leave. Then I heard it. The pain tearing through the house was almost crippling. I forced my way to the stairs, pulling myself up with the railing. As fast as I could, I ran to my room. "Jasper," I whispered softly. I wasn't sure if he could hear me over his agony, but his gaze flickered to me and what I saw there tore my soul to shreds, filled my eyes with venom, and brought me to my knees. "I'm here, Jasper." I crawled over to him and reached out to put my hand on his shoulder. He squirmed away from my touch.

"Don't touch me. I don't want you to catch it." His voice had been hollowed out by his screams and his anguish. His self-loathing and hurt hit me like a brick over the head.
My voice was soft when I responded, not letting him feel my pain. "Catch what, love?" I put my hand down and looked at him with all the love and concern I could muster.

"Me. I'm a disease, Isabella. A monster. I always have been, no matter how hard I've tried to change it. It looms over my head like a guillotine. Each day, I'm worried that it's going to come crashing down and deliver the final, fatal blow. Now it has started to fall, it's coming hard and fast, and I don't want you to be caught in my demise." His eyes unfocused, seeing his past, reliving it all over again. Jasper became that beaten boy again, so frail and breakable. I sobbed into the back of my hand, hoping he couldn't hear me, knowing it was futile.

"You know what I see before me?" I scooted closer to him and he backed up to the bed. I followed and, before he could move, I placed my hand on his knee. His gaze pierced through my soul, making my whole body ache.

"A horribly ugly monster. Just like everyone else." His words hurt me more than anything.

"No." My voice was quiet but firm. "I see a beautiful, loving man who, a very long time ago, was forced into doing things he's not the least bit proud of. I see a handsome fellow who, if asked, would do anything for the ones he loved without a second thought. I see Major Jasper Whitlock, the silly boy I treated for a gunshot wound in 1861, the goofy guy I fell in love with the very next day after he complimented my bandaging skills. I see a hurting man who is still trying to come to terms with his past. I see my amazing fiancée and my soul mate for the rest of my existence. Do you know what this beautiful man thinks of himself? He thinks that what he used to do defines who he is now. He thinks that I care about who he used to be, that it makes any difference about how I feel for him now. This man has lived a very hard existence with no one there to help him cope with any of it. Well, not anymore. Do you know who this man is that I'm talking about?" He didn't answer, didn't even look at me, and just stared at my hand on his knee like it was the most magnificent treasure in the world. "His name is Jasper Whitlock and he is all the things I've told you about and more. I hope you get to meet him one day; he'd love to meet a guy like you." I squeezed his knee and got up to leave.

"Wait…" At first, I wasn't sure he had actually said anything, so quiet was his voice. I froze in the doorway, waiting for him to continue. "Don't go…"

JazzPOV:

My Isabella came back and placed her hand back on my knee. Slowly, I covered her hand with my own, still worried that she might catch it. For a long time, I couldn't bring myself to say anything else. I can't believe she really thinks all those things about me. Why does she cherish me so much? I'm nothing special, but she seems to disagree. Even though she said she loved me, even though she projected it to me, I was never really sure until this moment. I can't believe someone like her could get stuck on a guy like me, on a monster. Even as I thought the last word, something deep inside me knew it wasn't true. It was quite the opposite actually. Her words had affected me like no speech by any coat-tailed official ever had. With a still-aching chest and still-watery eyes, I faced the love of my existence and said the two words that meant everything to us both. "Thank you."

"There's no reason to thank me, Jasper. I meant every word. I wasn't saying it to make you feel better. I was saying it to let you know how I truly feel about you." She gave me a small smile that dried up my eyes. "I love you." The flood of sincerity that came over me washed through me, healing any damage done by Alice and Maria, or any other person that I had ever encountered. "A wise man once told me 'I will never forsake you and I will always cherish every single moment of our existence together.' Even this one. Especially this one. This was the first time that you really let me in and I can't thank you enough for letting me see you like this." Her words never failed to send a thrill through me. I even managed a small smile. "There you go." She smiled at me and my smile grew to a full blown grin. Isabella pecked me on the cheek.

"Would you like to hang out today, Mr. Whitlock? I mean, if you aren't too terribly busy or anything. Maybe we can talk over some deer. Or even a mountain lion if we manage to find one." She winked at me and my spirits soared.

"You always know just what to say." We stood and I all but tackled her back to the ground I hugged her so hard. She reciprocated the hug with as mush force as I did. "I promise I'll do my best to never scare you like that again, love." I pulled back just enough to smile at her.

"You better. I don't know that I'll be able to survive seeing you like that again." She gave me a chaste kiss on the lips, giving me butterflies in my stomach.

"You want to go eat now?"

"Yes!" Her enthusiasm made me give a great, loud laugh. "And he's back, ladies and gentlemen." My Isabella's fingers intertwined with mine and we went hunting together.

AlicePOV:

"No! It was supposed to work! He was supposed to be crushed! What the hell happened?" But I knew what had happened. Isabella happened. Well, she wasn't about to happen for much longer. Then he would be all mine and everything would be able to go back to the way things used to be. I just needed a plan and I knew exactly who to talk to…

A/N

And there you have it, folks! I hope that this sweet, healing chapter did something to compensate for the agitation you may have been feeling towards me. Click the little blue button and let me know how you enjoyed things (or hated them).

Until next time,

Brianna