Gently // jasper hale [Completed]

05.

14th October, 2001.

"my soul aches to be near yours,
like we were made to be together."

It was a gloomy Sunday when Jasper's world came crashing down. They were so good at pretending that Daisy was ok, that she wasn't dying. There were still rough days, days she couldn't get out of bed, some mornings she couldn't button her shirt, one day she even forgot who her mother was. But today was different.

She couldn't stand, her body had crumbled to the floor as soon as her feet touched the ground. Luckily, Jasper was there and quickly stopped her fall, scooping her up in his strong arms while she screamed and cried.

Now he was pacing the sterile hospital hallway while Carlisle was running tests on an unconscious Daisy. They had to sedate her because she was so hysterical, and no one could blame her. Jasper had felt every bit of her devastation, of her utter anguish, and it hurt.

He hadn't felt physical pain in decades since he left the ranks of Maria's army. But this was worse than anything he had been through; it wrapped around his heart and felt like it was crushing him from the inside. He just wanted to take away her pain, but her feelings were so strong, nothing he did made a difference.

Losing the use of her legs was another painful reminded that their time was running out. He didn't know how he would manage when she was gone. Was he brave enough to follow her? Got to the Volturi and hope they kill him for revealing himself to a human? No, they wouldn't be that merciful.

Could he do it himself? Starve himself, maybe? Hope he wastes away into dust? Surely his family wouldn't let him do that, and he knew they wouldn't end his life for him. He could run away, live out the rest of his immortal life in solitude, slowly forgetting the love of his life while the world moved on around him.

"Jasper?" His father's voice jolted him out of his miserable thoughts. He quickly turned on his heel and headed towards his father, who was standing in the doorway to Daisy's room.

"Is she alright?" He questioned frantically. He had to restrain himself from shoving past Carlisle to get to her side.

"She needs you, I'll be back when she wakes up," he squeezed Jasper's shoulder as he passed, hoping to give him some sense of comfort. 

17th October, 2001.

"how cruel must fate be to make you suffer so."

Three days. It had taken three days for her to wake, her body fighting to latch on to all the rest she could get. Even now, she was still struggling to keep her eyes open. Jasper was in the hospital bed with her, cradling her to his chest and stroking her tangled hair while they waited for Dr. Cullen to return. Her mom had visited while she was still asleep, but she not she was at work and wouldn't be here until her shift was finished.

"Good afternoon, Daisy," Carlisle said smoothly as soon as he entered her room. He offered a warm smile, and she returned it with a small one of her own. Jasper helped her sit up in bed, his arm draped over her shoulders.

"Hi, Carlisle," she greeted softly. "What's the news?"

His apprehension to answer was obvious, and his remorse was palpable. He shifted uncomfortably, flicking through her files on his clipboard.

"I'm sorry," he started, his voice already cracking. "It's progressing rapidly, faster than we thought it would. You have about a month left, sweetheart. I'm so sorry."

30th October, 2001.

"you violently etched your name across my heart,
your love so consuming and vehement."

Daisy retreated into herself, barely uttering a word to anyone. Her mother had been avoiding her, she'd rather be at work than be with her ailing daughter. Jasper had enlisted the help of Alice and Emmett to cheer her up, with their rambunctious personalities and lively energy, but she only managed to smile sadly at them before returning to her room.

She had eventually regained control of her legs again, but she was still unsteady on her feet, like a wobbly newborn deer. That meant Jasper couldn't invite her out hiking anymore, an activity she began to enjoy with him, and she had stopped attending school. So, Carlisle graciously let Jasper drop out too, and his other siblings soon followed. They all wanted to focus their energy on the sick young woman.

"Darlin'," he murmured softly into her hair. They were cuddled closely on her bed, his face buried into her neck while she played with his blonde curls. "Esme and Rose are coming to pick us up soon."

She groaned and shoved his chest lightly. He knew she didn't want to go out, but he wasn't going to let her wallow in self-pity a day longer.

"C'mon, Rose wants to do your hair and Esme is going to bake your favorite orange and poppyseed muffins," he knew bribing her with food was low, but she didn't leave him much choice. "Edward had a new lullaby to show you, too."

After a lot of convincing, she finally agreed to go and see his family. He had gotten into the habit of helping her get dressed when she couldn't stand, so he picked out a dress for her and matching sneakers. He took his time undressing her, being careful to pepper her fragile skin with loving kisses while his cold hands glided over her, replacing her pajamas with the dress. It was a routine that neither wanted to break.

"Good morning, Daisy," Esme cheerfully greeted her outside, bringing the girl into a cautious hug. She returned it gratefully, relishing in the feeling of maternal warmth. It didn't last long though, because Rose soon took her from Esme's grasp and pulled her into another embrace.

"Hi, sweetie." Rosalie had taken a strong liking to her once she saw how happy she made Jasper and had been heartbroken to find out she was sick. She couldn't imagine the pain she was going through, and she didn't even want to think about how devastated her faux twin would be when he lost her.

"We should get going. Carlisle has taken the day off and is insisting on helping me in the kitchen. You don't want to miss that, do you?" Esme earned a light chuckle from her children and a jubilant laugh from Daisy, her first real laugh in days. 

a/n: only 3-4 chapters to gooo. thank you all so much for the love on this book.