No P.O.V.
Jasper looked at the woman before him, and the silence between them felt somehow comfortable. He knew that she did not approve of his intrusion into her privacy and his meddling with her feelings, but he wanted to at least grant Georgiana a sense of contentedness, if not happiness. That she could only achieve herself.
Georgiana seemed lost for good, however - nobody would be able to draw her back from the black hole that had become her existence. She had been dwelling in grief and bitterness for too long.
Abruptly, she stood up and walked behind her desk, getting out a world map. "It might be useful to know how the allegiances are divided... and where we can get more support from."
Jasper thought it would be right to advise Georgiana to rest - vampires were unable to get tired, but nonetheless it was hard even for them constantly working. However, he had done without warfare for so long that he was almost starting to miss it, no matter how much it had cost him. His wife, his humanity...
Only now that he was so close to her, scrutinizing the map at her side, did he see that the sorrow was not only inside of her - her eyes were fierce, but she could not hide the inner destruction behind them from him.
"I can cover South America... Did not Carlisle say that he knew Amazons there?"
"Indeed."
Georgiana threw a sideways glance at Jasper. He certainly was no man of words, but she had never quite fancied those. She preferred men who acted, who stood their word, who were quick to react, and who didn't have scruples when it came down to it.... again her heart stung. She ignored the pain and concentrated on the actual matter.
"That would leave Russia, Scandinavia..." She kept on listing countries, and they discussed their likely loyalty. Jasper was impressed by her knowledge, her tactical skill - but he longed to know the woman Georgiana had been before all feeling had gone from her. Somewhere in his heart he was sure that she had been a passionate young woman, knowing what love was.
"I estimate that I can persuade around fifty to stand on our side. Whether they will merely witness Renesmee's growth or also fight if necessary, I cannot guarantee."
"There is still the slightest chance that the Volturi will lay down their claim."
Georgiana raised her eyes to Jasper, a faint smile on her lips. He wondered what shade of green her eyes had been before she had been Changed...and how she became a vampire. Who had Changed her and then left her alone?
"We both know that chance is near zero."
"Of course. But even the slightest chance is still a possibility."
Georgiana inwardly sighed at this confidence. Jasper was so much of what she missed... She shook her head to chase the feeling away.
"Let it be. We won't get any further tonight." Normally, concern annoyed her, as she saw it as a sign of weakness. Not now - Jasper managed to sound proud doing it, and she wondered whether he had been a general in his life time. She'd have to ask him one day. "Rest, Georgiana."
She hadn't listened to her children. But she listened to Jasper.
Bella came down the next morning as the last one, with Renesmee at her hand, finding the others in the living room. Except for Carlisle and Esme, who had left earlier to call on some friends.
It surprised Bella how modern, but nonetheless classic the rooms were furnished. She would have never accounted Georgiana such a fine sense of style.
"Good morning, Bella." Georgiana nodded at her and surprised Bella once again. Georgiana managed to make anybody feel like the most special person on earth, merely by giving them their attention.
"Good morning." She replied lamely, and readily let Renesmee go who jumped over to Felicity. If Georgiana's daughter wouldn't be so loveable, Bella would have nearly become jealous of the attention Renesmee was giving her.
"What'ya say, Renesmee? Fancy some breakfast?"
"Oh, yes, please."
As Felicity and Renesmee disappeared, Bella looked after them and when she turned around again, she caught Georgiana smiling ever so slightly. It was gone the next second.
"Antoinette and Jacques will arrive any moment." She paused, and somehow didn't look too happy. John meanwhile grinned and suppressed laughter, making the Cullen family wonder what there was about Antoinette to know. "You have to know that they're a little different. Just don't take them too seriously."
"Sounds promising." Emmet grinned.
Before Georgiana could retort, it knocked. With one last glance at them, Georgiana went to open the door. "I warned you."
Bella could hear the screeching voice from the living room, and yet it pierced her ears.
"Georgeeeeeana!"
Georgiana's voice was a strong contrast to it; calm, confident, steady. "Antoinette. Jacques. I thank you both for coming."
"Oh, it is nothing, mon chére! Eet has been so long, no?"
"Indeed it has been."
Footsteps in the hallway, then the three of them entered.
Antoinette was a stout woman of about forty years, with bleach blonde hair and rosy painted cheeks. Her husband was slight and small, and would surely be overseen wherever he went - especially when he was with his attention-attracting wife.
"Bonjour to all of you." Antoinette smiled sweetly into the room, then immediately turned to Georgiana. "Do tell me, mon chére, what it eees you have called us for?"
Georgiana leaned against her desk and then explained, also telling of her recruiting plans, which were new to Bella. She flinched slightly at the ruthlessness of this woman. Murder was no stranger to her.
"Interesting indeed, is it not, Jacques?" Antoinette didn't even wait for her husband's reply, but went on. "But a war eees a very drastic measurement, no? Georgeena, darling, all this solitude is not good for you."
"Antoinette. Will you support us or not?" Georgiana remained calm and focused, which surely was difficult with Antoinette's flutter, distracting air. The latter waved her hand impatiently. "I mean, when was the last time you had a man at your side?"
"144 years and 134 days. So, will you?"
"I can't imagine you could complain about a lack of men. They're not all in a relationship, you know." She looked around the room, then gestured towards Jasper, who eyed the lady suspiciously. He was glad that Georgiana had warned him. "What about this young man here, no? He seems a suitable mate for you-"
Georgiana massaged her temples. "Antoinette." She interrupted her sharply, staying remarkably calm for this situation. Her eyes were closed, and she missed the skeptical look Jasper threw Antoinette, not knowing what to think. He'd never quite met a woman like her - straight-forward women he's met, yes, but this kind? He let out a quiet growl at Edward and Emmet, who grinned amusedly at him.
"This is not the time to match-make. Will you support us or not?"
"Yes, yes." She continued waving her hand as if chasing an annoying fly away. "Georgeena, chérie." She scuttled beside Georgiana and patted her cheek. It surprised Bella that Georgiana let this pass uncommented - until she began to see that this was all one big act. Georgiana hated this - but she needed Antoinette at her side, and she knew the elder lady's quirks. Georgiana knew how to behave to get what she wanted.
Bella didn't know whether to be shocked or impressed at the cold calculation of this woman.
"You've been alone too much. You haven't had a man for too long, someone to take over the reins sometimes, to support you."
"I don't need anybody. Least of all do I need control taken away from me and my private matters discussed openly." Georgiana replied, calmly but with a hissing note to it. Antoinette was utterly unimpressed. "Nonsense. You've struggled all your life, Gina, and you've achieved things nobody would have believed possible. I admire that." A soft tone had crept into Antoinette's voice, and the Cullen family felt uncomfortable witnessing this scene in which more of Georgiana was laid open than she would agree to. "But I'm afraid that you're forgetting how to love, that there are other matters than war and power."
Georgiana stood at the window now, looking outside and turning her back on the others. She didn't respond to Antoinette in the least. "The Volturi will probably come in less than a week. If everything goes well, we won't outnumber them as badly as we are now."
"You can count on us, Georgeeena." Bella noticed how Jacques had not said one word so far - no surprise, since his wife seemed rather demanding... definitely the controlling part in the relationship. As soon as Antoinette had given her agreement, she immediately switched topic again."You know, it really does feel relieving to be free of any responsibility once in a while, and just hand over the reins to somebody else."
"And you would know that." Georgiana stated drily, skeptically.
"Why, naturellement!" The French lady seemed genuinely shocked. "My dear Jacques takes care of everything important, is that not true, chére? He has the command."
Jacques looked rather helpless, and didn't even have a chance to reply.
"See." Antoinette said.
But Georgiana wasn't even listening. She was bursting with laughter, surprising her whole environment. It was an honest laugh, and it made her look truly beautiful, free of any worry. In short; it revealed a completely different side of Georgiana, and Bella liked this one much more.
"Mom?" Felicity's head appeared around the corner, looking concerned. "Is that you?"
Georgiana laughed even harder. Felicity turned to Emmet. "What ye've given her? I can count the times she laughed in those 140 years off on one hand. Actually, two fingers'd be sufficient."
"Who'd have thought the girl could laugh?" Antoinette murmured with an amused smile.
Jasper felt a little sting as he saw this beaming Georgiana, and something stirred in his heart. In this moment, he wanted nothing more than to take her into his arms and never let her go again.
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