His Butterfly

xi. the storm

Mariposa watches with the rest of the Cullen family as Bella and Edward descend the staircase, led by Alice, into the beautifully decorated room. Candles and flowers cover the space, making the room smell and look divine, and it's all thanks to Alice's, Esme's, and Mariposa's eye for beauty.

Jasper wraps an arm around Mariposa, his body slightly tense against hers. He, as well as Sebastian, still struggle a little around Bella, though Mariposa's presence usually distracts him and keeps him calm. She places her hand over his on her waist, giving him an almost unnoticeable small encouraging smile.

"Sorry about all this." Carlisle says, giving Bella a hug as she makes it down the staircase. "We tried to reign Alice in."

"If that were even possible." Esme says, hugging the Swan girl as well. "Happy birthday, Bella."

Alice snaps a picture of the two hugging, startling Bella a bit. "I found it in your bag, you mind?"

Bella shakes her head with an awkward smile, making Alice grin.

Mariposa's ears distant from the chatter in the room, and pick up soft even breaths coming from her fiancé's old room. Sophia lays on the bed, napping, her dark brunette hair lays in different directions on the pillows that surround her. The little girl wore herself out by running around and playing with Emmett as well as eating a bunch of sugary treats, much to her mother's disagreement.

"Okay, time for presents." Alice's excited voice brings her back into the room. "Rosalie, you first." She hands her sister a small box.

Rosalie merely rolls her eyes, holding the gift out to Bella. "It's a necklace." She deadpans. "Alice picked it out."

"Thanks." Bella says, quietly, taking the gift from the blonde.

"Mari, your turn." Alice calls out to the brunette.

Mariposa holds out an envelope and a small box to Bella with a soft grin. "It's from Sophia and I. Sorry about the glitter."

Bella lightly chuckles as she pulls out a very glittered card with multiple colors on it, small pecks of the shiny plastic fall back into the box. The pale girl then takes out a white leather bracelet with a swan as a charm. "Thanks, Mariposa."

Alice then motions for Bella and Edward to pose for a picture before she grabs another present. "This one's from Emmett." She says.

Bella shakes the gift gently, looking at Emmett with a confused face when it's light and nothing in it.

Emmett grins. "Already installed it in your truck. " He says. "Finally a decent sound system for that piece of cra—"

"Hey, don't hate the truck." Bella interrupts him, prompting a few of them to laugh.

"Open Esme and Carlisle's." Alice says, handing a white envelope to the birthday girl.

"Just a little something to brighten your day." Carlisle says.

"You've been looking kind of pale lately." Esme teases.

Bella smiles. She struggles for a moment with the paper, and after a second she winces, looking at her finger. "Paper cut." She murmurs.

Everything happens in what feels like slow-motion.

Jasper tenses next to Mariposa, his entire body going rigid as the scent of Bella's blood hit him like whiplash. Mariposa immediately turns to him and Sebastian, seeing the new Cullen charge at Bella like a rabid animal. With quick movements, she pushes her arms in front of her, manipulating the air to push the blonde on the piano, crushing it.

Edward pushes Bella behind him, seemingly underestimating his own strength. She hits the wall hard, glass breaking at the impact as Bella falls to the ground and cutting into her arms. When Sebastian recovers from the hit and advances back to the human girl. Mariposa quickly focuses on the blonde and only him to remove all the air around him, and suddenly the rabid vampire starts to gasp, sounding like he's choking.

It gives Carlisle and Emmett the opportunity to grab hold of him, grabbing his arms as the brunette gives him back his air, and Sebastian starts to snarl again, his pitch black eyes set on Bella and her bloody arm.

"Sebastian, Sebastian, shh." Alice says, blocking her mate's view of Bella. "It's okay, it's just a little..." Alice swallows, the scent of Bella's blood seeming to hit and the rest of the Cullens. "Blood." She whispers.

"Get Sebastian out of here." Carlisle orders quietly, going to Bella's side.

A cry makes them all snap their heads up to the sound, and Mariposa's honey brown eyes grow wide. "Sophia." The young mother rushes upstairs, and into her fiancé's room to find the little girl sitting up on the bed with Jasper holding her against him as she cries in fear.

In the midst of the chaos downstairs, she didn't notice Jasper leave the room and come up here. His body's still tensed up but with the little girl in his arms, it's hardly noticeable.

Hearing the door open, Sophia turns to look at Mariposa, holding her arms to her. "Mama." She cries.

Immediately, Mariposa makes her way to sit down beside her, kissing her head tenderly. "Hey, sweetie. It's okay." She whispers.

"Mama, I scared. Loud noises." Sophia whimpers between her parents.

"Everything is okay." Mariposa rubs her daughter's back soothingly. "Do you wanna go home?" She asks gently.

In a silent nod, Jasper stands up and picks up his daughter, holding her closely. He feels almost numb, and guilty. He can't believe that he almost lost control and attacked Bella. But hearing Sophia crying, snapped him back in reality. Hearing her cries and feeling her fear, told him everything he would lose if he attacked Bella.

The drive to their cottage home is in complete tense silence, besides the sound of Sophia's shaky breaths after she stopped crying and fell back asleep.

Jasper pulls in the driveway, sighing quietly as he gets out of the car, and unbuckles the little girl from her car seat, taking her inside.

Mariposa watches her fiancé with sad eyes as she follows him inside as well. She sees him place their daughter down on her crib and covering her with a blanket before walking into their room.

"Jazz," She whispers quietly, watching as he walks into their walk-in closet, proceeding to take off his watch and unbutton the cuffs and the top buttons of his shirt, changing into a plain black shirt.

"That could have been me in there." Jasper quietly says, halting his movements.

"But it wasn't. You didn't lose control. I'm proud of you." Mariposa tells him, walking up behind him, placing her soft hands on his tense shoulders.

"I almost did." He remarks.

"But you didn't." She moves to face him and places her hand on his cheek. "Instead of...hurting Bella, you chose against it and went to Phia. You chose our daughter instead of hurting someone. That's what matters."

Jasper moves his face from her hand and walks past her. "I have to go talk to Esme. I felt her emotions and she feels bad for what happened. You should get to bed, it's getting late." He kisses her head, lingering there for a moment before pulling back. "I love you."

"I love you too." She whispers, watching as he vamp speeds out of the house and to the Cullens.