The Lambs Review Destiny Awaits by Midnight Seductress

Destiny Awaits by Midnight Seductress

After Twilight. When Alice leaves to find her future, Bella makes her a promise that will change everything. Jasper/Bella Rated T

JaspersBella

I completely love this story and have since the moment I first read it. I have actually read it several times because I enjoy it so much. I love that Bella is so much stronger than we see her in the books and in most other fics. She actually stands up for herself and what she believes in and she doesn’t take much shit from Edward. Edward is, of course, an asshole and he doesn’t like the idea of Bella helping out Jasper.

I hate the way Alice leaves and basically makes Bella pick up the pieces of those lives that she destroyed. It's nice to see a different take on Bella’s birthday and have it go in a completely different direction than what we are used to. I find that the whole story flows nicely and I’m dying for more.

I’m glad to see that Bella is able to help Jasper with his heartache and teaches him how to love again even if she doesn’t know it. The development of their friendship and then relationship is slow, and I’m thankful that Midnight Seductress doesn’t have them jump right into it. It’s funny to see how Jasper and Bella dance around each other and just can’t seem to reveal what they are feeling. Another great thing about this story is we really don’t miss Alice or even Edward. Once the two of them are gone, the remaining family grows closer together. And I really like that. I also love the fact that Jasper and Bella are quite literally thrown into a closet to finally reveal their feelings for one another.

I think that Midnight Seductress does a fantastic job with this story and I really do hope that one day she will continue it. Like I said, I’m dying for more and can’t wait to see where Midnight Seductress will take this story.

JaspersDestiny

Oh, Hannah...you’re beginning to make me worry. *whispers* I don’t know if you’ve read my segment Where in the world is...Midnight Seductress?, but I do know you’re the only author for whom I have done this segment who has not responded at all. I’m thinking you’ve maybe given up on your two stories? I have to think this (as best case scenario) because the alternative just freaks me the hell out. I don’t want to stalk you (although it appears that I do); I guess your fans are just worried that you’ve permanently gone *poof*

For me, Destiny Awaits is one of those stories that just sticks, you know? I’ve read a lot of J/B ‘come together’ tales where Alice abandons Jasper – some of which I hump (like Colliding Meteors), but most of which I go, “Meh.” Why “Meh”? Because I’m left bored most of the time as most of these types of stories have no build-up to the J/B romantic relationship.

Destiny Awaits is special PRECISELY because of its slow build-up.

The story begins with Bella approaching the Cullens’ home to celebrate her dreaded 18th birthday. Before she can enter the house to be tortured, however, Alice ‘pops up’ and leads Bella away to tell her that she’s had a vision of her true destiny and that she must leave Jasper. The kicker is that Alice tells Bella that only Bella can be the one to properly let Jasper in on this tidbit of information. Alice then promptly leaves after depositing Bella on the Cullen door step, and a lengthy story of friendship and love begins.

Jasper obviously does not take Bella’s news very well, and he falls apart, catatonic. But Bella is just incredible in this story, and she cares for Jasper during this catatonic stage – against Edward’s request to leave Jasper alone to take care of himself. I don’t like Edward – I haven’t for a long time now. And his callous behaviour towards Jasper – his blatant disregard for Jasper’s feelings – leaves a bad taste in my mouth. But Bella is strong in this story and she tells Edward what he can do with himself.

It is Bella’s compassion for Jasper and the way in which she befriends him that begins Jasper’s healing process. Bella goes out of her way to spend as much time with Jasper as she possibly can. Even the Cullens – minus Edward - can see the calming effect Bella has on Jasper, and they call upon her to come whenever Jasper is having one of his setbacks. One such setback occurs after Jasper receives a surprise phone call from Alice, and he hurts Bella when she arrives to sort things out. But Bella stands her ground, and she easily forgives Jasper – almost immediately. By the way, this is also one of those moments that was just HOT for me – Jasper is animalistic in his attack. And this is also the point in the story where the sexual tension begins, although it will be a long journey to mutual admittance between our Bella and Jasper. But this – for me – is the breaking point in Bella and Jasper’s relationship because Jasper can now see that Bella is - and will always be – there for him. He can trust her, and this paves the way for a beautiful co-dependent (and I mean that in the best of ways) relationship. You see, Bella is free to be herself with Jasper...and Jasper is free to be himself with her – without fear of judgement. What she has with Jasper (and what he has with Bella) is so far removed and different from what they each have or had with Edward and Alice, respectively. So, it’s easy to see why Jasper and Bella come to rely on each other, and they grow from this experience.

So, Alice is out of the picture, and Edward? Well, Edward does not deal well at all with Jasper and Bella's friendship. He doesn't deal well at all to the point of hurting Bella so badly that he has to leave the Cullens to sort himself out. Which means? Jasper and Bella time all the time! And, boy, do I love their together time!

What are some of the other things I love about this story? Besides the fact that Jasper gives me plenty to dream about…because he’s just so damn dreamy, I love Rosalie in this story - without Alice around, Bella and Rosalie's relationship finally has a chance to develop. And Emmett? My God! Midnight Seductress' portrayal of Emmett in this story is by far the best around, in my personal opinion. He is just fantastically funny as hell - green pigs and human food taste-testing. I just can't put into words how much I love Emmett-the-big-brother in this story. And as much as I love absorbing Bella and Jasper’s together time in Destiny Awaits, I almost equally love reading about Emmett. And I love how the family – and Charlie – rally around to support Bella and Jasper on their path to togetherness. Charlie sees the effect that Jasper has on Bella, and he goes out of his way to let these two bond – even allowing Jasper to sleep over most nights (something that would have never happened with Edward).

If you have not had the chance to read Destiny Awaits, I implore you to please do so. It’s one of my favourites, hands down. It’s comforting to read and you lose yourself in the story so easily. It’s a tale that shows how we might think we have what we believe is love, but until you actually come face-to-face with TRUE destiny you’ll never know how wrong you had it in the first place. It’s unfinished, and I truly hope Hannah comes back to it; but even if she doesn’t, this is one of those stories that should just be read and appreciated regardless of its lack of an ending.

Maelyn

There are quite a few things I love about this fic, much of which revolves around the characters. So I’ll work from them to do my review this time.

Edward is depicted as the overbearing, hyper-protective, controlling jackass that he is in the books. “Oh, no Bella. You can’t piss by yourself, you may cut yourself on a piece of porcelain.” For fuck's sake, Edward! I really hate this kind of Edward, so I kinda love when he’s used in fics where Bella finally says enough is enough and tells him to go blow. Sometimes he’s depicted as an ass in this sense. Other times, like here, he’s actually depicted as just a screwed up boy who still needs to grow up and realize he can’t control the world.

Bella is a joy to watch. I love that she grows into such a strong woman here without losing her compassion for others. The author has actually taken that overly compassionate nature of the canon Bella and tempered her with strong will and determination while keeping other bits like her inherent clumsiness and desire to please others. And it works. Most times, this kind of Bella makes me wanna smack her upside the head, repeatedly.

Jasper, unfortunately, isn’t my favorite type of Jasper. While I think he works okay for this fic, and I do find it interesting how his breaking down is the catalyst for Bella’s toughening up, I’m just not a fan of the weak, pussy-type Jasper. The whole first 20-some chapters are either him grieving for his lost wife or whining about if/how/when he should tell Bella he loves her. It isn’t until after they get together, with rare exceptions, that you see what I think are true Jasper qualities – usually scenes involving any kind of action.

Let’s ponder the Jasper/Bella dynamic here. I love the order in which the author does things. I just think the timeline is very…fast. I mean, how do you get over someone you were with for decades in merely a couple of weeks or months? Not only just get over that person, but move on and fall in love with someone else?

I mean, I realize Alice isn’t his ‘true’ mate, but still, it takes some time to get over someone - especially with the way Alice leaves him. And I see how the author seems to have broken Jasper down to his basest parts only to have Bella rebuild him into a newer, better version. I do like that idea and can see how they can fall in love from it. However, Bella is still with Edward and only just starting to notice his domineering manner, and then like a week or two later they break up. It just seems pretty fast for me.

This has always been a touchy subject for me and sometimes it’s done in a way that I can see happening and sometimes it isn’t. So while, like I said, I like the premise, I don’t like the super fast timeline.

Emmett is the epitome of what I think of as an older brother. I’ve never had one myself, but if I did, I’d love this one. Yes, he’s overprotective, a prankster, and can cause problems with his ‘zest for life’, let’s call it; but his heart is so big that you can’t help but love him. The rapport he and Bella develop is endearing to see. I love how he gets her out of her shell and makes her try new things – even stupid ones, no matter how comical they can be for the reader. *giggles*

Rosalie is the sister that Bella needs - someone who she can confide in, that accepts what she says and takes it in stride, but who will also just lay it all out there and tells it like it is to Bella. This is the relationship I think Bella needs the most because so many others tend to coddle Bella when what she needs is to be told the truth and taught how to think for herself. I think the following passage says a lot about Rosalie and what I think her thoughts on Bella tend to be – i.e. ones that make sense to me. I think the vain, bitchy Rosalie persona is just too simplistic and she’s so much more complicated than that.

"Half the reason Rosalie didn't like you was because she thought you were weak." Jasper laughed. What? She thought I was weak? "She hated the way you let Edward push you around and decide everything for you, she's probably only speaking to you now because you've started standing up for yourself."

"Edward said she didn't like me because I was human, and that made her jealous." It wasn't something I'd ever really believed.

"That's true to a certain extent." He said, handing me the plate, it looked perfect and I dug in as he talked. "Rosalie and Edward have never really been close, so he's just taking what bits of her thoughts he hears as fact. She does envy your humanity, but that's not enough to make her dislike you. Honestly Bella, she'll probably like you more for breaking up with him."

This Emmett and Rosalie combo is my favorite in fics and I love reading about them like this, especially paired with a Bella who finally stands up and either smacks sense into Edward or gets some sense on her own and kicks Edward to the curb. *grins*

As you can see, there are a lot of reasons I really enjoy this fic, and if the pairing and story/premise is your thing, I think you’ll love it too.

MerinaGreen

Hey there. Here I am, the newest lamb, giving my first review, AND my first Group Rec. Yeah, I'm not nervous, not at all. I'd like to say, though, that I couldn't have asked for a better story to pop both cherries with.

Destiny Awaits, by Midnight Seductress, was one of the earliest additions to my “Favorites” List when I started reading Twilight Fanfic. The writing is well done, the plot is great. The story moves along at a nice pace, and, at least for me, never seemed to bog down anywhere. Probably what drew me to the story the most, though, is her characterization of all our favorite people and the scene descriptions. You are right there, with them, in every scene. You can see it, hear it, smell it, right along with the characters. You can feel what they feel – not just in the big angst filled moments, but in all the little, everyday moments, too.

When the story opens, we're thrown IMMEDIATELY into a pretty intense scene that I think could pull in even the most adamant Edward/Bella shipper. Alice leaves on Bella's 18th Birthday, BEFORE the party starts (no paper cut angst here!), with a parting injunction to Bella to take care of Jasper. Jasper goes into a tailspin, and Bella takes Alice's words to heart. By the end of chapter 2, we have a heartbroken Jasper hanging on to Bella, complete with nuzzling, and by the end of chapter 3, he's purring. Don't get too excited, though, because Midnight Seductress appears to be the Queen of the Slow Build.

I liked Bella in this story because she's a strong Bella. Strong, but still caring and loving. She is pissed at Alice for causing Jasper pain, and when Jasper appears to attach himself to her, initially for comfort (and possibly the fact that she still has Alice's scent on her...a nice touch, I thought), she wants nothing more than to be his friend and help him feel better – after all, she knows how heartbroken SHE'D be if Edward just up and left her. This Bella just wants to help. The longer she's around Jasper, though, the more those feelings of friendship change – with all the accompanying confusion and guilt. Its all written with a very believable, realistic slow build.

Edward, of course, plays his part in all this. He doesn't like the time Bella and Jasper spend together, he doesn't trust Jasper's control (and not without reason, as we see in an early chapter), and he becomes increasingly jealous and angry. Again with a believable, slow build. Eventually he snaps, and it is one of my favorite “Edward loses his shit” scenes in the world of Jasper/Bella fics. Exit Edward, stage left. Or, in this case, stage north.

This leaves Jasper and Bella free to stumble through their growing relationship together. And stumble, they do. Bella may be stronger in this story than SM's books, but she's still very much an 18 year old, and still a bit insecure. Jasper, finding himself 'courting' a human female, is also more than a bit insecure. I really like this Jasper, though, because I feel we get to see a bit of the human he was before his change.

Midnight Seductress does justice to the other characters, too. Charlie's reaction to Jasper seemed a little OOC for me, especially his acceptance of Jasper's appearance in Bella's room. That being said, though, I really like him in this story. He is very supportive of their growing relationship, and, after initial hesitation, encourages it. Jacob and Billy make brief appearances, but VERY brief – which works just fine for me! Their big scene is pretty funny, and well worth having them in the story for that scene alone. Emmett in this story is one of the better 'big brothers' that I've read, and he has a lot of nice 'screen' time with Bella. Of course, he's a bit of a corrupting influence on her – especially once Edward's gone! Rosalie warms up, too, once Edward's gone. I liked seeing this happen, because I feel Rose gets the short end of the stick too often. We get to see Bella's relationship with Esme grow a bit, too. Unfortunately, we don't get to see very much of Carlisle. He seems to just be in the background. I would have liked seeing more of Bella's relationship with the Cullen patriarch, considering how well the other relationships were written.

The biggest drawback of the whole story is the fact that it isn't finished. There is some foreshadowing throughout the story, and, well, it's a bit traumatic to be left hanging when the last chapter closes. Its not a cliffie, thank god, but traumatic nonetheless. I worry about what might have happened to Midnight Seductress. I like to think maybe she is a very talented under-age writer whose parents found her story and confiscated the computer. I could live with that scenario – it gives hope that she'll be able to write again some day.

MissMaj

From the get-go, this isn't the typical vamp story we usually come across. Although it does start with Bella's 18th birthday party, the infamous papercut scene never occurs. Instead, Bella's so-called bff, Alice, decides to tell her that she's leaving and makes her promise to take care of Jasper. Best birthday present evaaar!

For those who are used to the "I'm a vampire, hear me roar!" premise, Jasper's behaviour may put you off in the first few chapters. Let's call it a role-reversal between Jasper and Bella - rather than Bella being vulnerable and needy, it is Jasper who suffers. And that is what I love about this story. We are so used to seeing them strong, impenetrable, and god-like. This story gives them humanity. Midnight Seductress shows us that vampires have feelings too, and that means they can suffer from a broken heart. It makes a lot of sense for Jasper to feel that way because Alice sealed his fate with her as soon as she entered the diner...and she breaks it just as easily. And as an empath, those feelings are multiplied tenfold.

The writer also reminds us that these Cullen kids were very young when they were turned. I really enjoy the way Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie act like normal teenagers. The brotherly-sisterly bond between Emmett and Bella is amusing. Jasper acting like a teenager in love is very sweet and adorable. The friendship between Emmett, Jasper, Bella and eventually Rosalie is really endearing. You almost forget that these are vampires and that people are quite intimidated by them.

Alice, as I mentioned in the beginning, is not around much. She does show up later on through texts and phone calls, though. As much as I hate her for being an ass and for leaving everyone just like that, her reasoning makes sense in the long run. Edward, on the other hand, is in the picture for quite a while. There is never the I'm-going-to-abandon-you-in-the-forest scene, but things do not end well between the two as Bella and Jasper's friendship grows stronger.

Esme, as usual, is wonderful as the mother. Her bond with Bella is very sweet. Carlisle, albeit having a small role, is an awesome addition as well. I love him in chapter 8 - where he isn't in his usual doctor/fatherly mode. Both he and Esme play the role of the cool parents very well.

I am also really fond of Charlie in this story. He and Bella may never have a very close father-daughter relationship, but he is very perceptive when it comes to his daughter.

When I re-read the story for our GR, I was reminded why I loved this story in the first place. I'm a bit saddened that Midnight Seductress hasn't updated in a while, but I have high hopes that some day she'll continue this story.