Sunday Selections for 9/12/10

catonspeed recommends

Sweet Tooth by MacFlan

*Creeps out of the basement and blinks at the bright lights*

OHAI, sheeples! Do you remember waaaaaaaaaaaaay back when I rec'd BellaFlan for her Emmett OS? Good shit, yes? Well, I've been so out of touch that I hadn't realised she'd written Becoming Bella Swan (insert fangirl style jumping up and down - the lovely, lovely lady emailed it to me to read on holiday - j'adore her!), which I motherfunking LOVELOVELOVED! But then it was over, and I was indeed a very sad panda.

Woe was me!

But then...

Sweet Tooth happened. And praise the lawd! I was saved from the monotony of a non craic lifestyle, and I giggled, and snorted, AND gigglesnorted my way through the six chapters I found up online. If you haven't found it yet and you can get down with a little AH diiiiiiirty, funny fuckery, then ZOMG are you in for a TREAT! A buttercream-peniscake-cannolipube-confectionary-treat!!! *disney sigh* Written as a collab between BellaFlan and Mac214 (of 'Relative Wind' dilfward acclaim - it's on the reading list, but you had me at the mention of Dilfward, woman), it's seriously cute, awkward fun and it'll have you chuckling away as the pair navigates you through their delicious world of dentophilla and just pure WIN! It's AH Edward and Bella, and other characters from the saga are popping in where you least expect them (Best Rose? I think so...), so don't go expecting traditional cannon (and who would want it with this? seriously? When you read it you'll see what I mean). I won't ruin it with spoilers, but I will tell you that I won't ever be able to say buttercream in a normal way again ha ha! Mmmmmm buttercream!

Words can't adequately describe how much I enjoyed reading what they have up so far, and I'm salivating like Bella over a bouquet of pussy cakes at the prospect of MOAR chaps, so I made them something involving the best that googleSPECIAL offers me:

Here's the official FFn blurb:

Sweet Tooth - Come to Pink Cookie, where porn never tasted this good. Erotic baker, Edward Cullen has a new obsession in the form of Bella Swan. Will his buttercream satisfy her sweet tooth? AH, OOC, Comedy/Romance.

And yes, that IS a sprinklepenis in the banner, and if you stare hard enough at the background you'll see what THAT is tee hee! *pats google and whispers sweet nothings in its ear*

Go read it! You won't be disappointed!

*scurries back into the basement*

Maelyn recommends

Real Relationship:

A Geeky Love Story

by booksforme

Twilight/Shop Around the Corner : AU Edward and Bella become friends on an online massive-multiplayer roleplaying game. What will happen when they meet in real life, but don't know it? BxE. Rated K+

I found this story in the first few months of reading fanfiction and I thought it was so cute and lovable.  For those who aren’t aware, I’m a bit of a gamer girl.  Of course, with my addiction to Twilight fanfiction and the like, the gaming has been on the back burner lately, but I still love it.  So when I saw this story summary, I just had to read it.

What I found was such a wonderful, fluffy short story that is well written and has such interesting characters and storyline.  I’ve been in relationships with fellow gamers myself, so it’s easy to see where Edward and Bella are coming from in the fic and how you can fall in love with someone’s mind before ever having physical contact.  In addition, some of my closest friends are girls I met online, so I can also see how ‘virtual’ friends can be just as important as ‘real’ friends, as some people term them. 

As the writer says: 

“You see, it doesn't really matter where you meet someone. Both online and real life, they're just the same person with a different face. I know this because I first met Edward on the internet, and together we're as real as real can be. Some of our other guild friends have also shown themselves to be some of the closest people to us we know."   

I guess I can empathize with so much of the story, it makes it mean that much more to me.  Of course, I’ve never had the instance where they end up being people I know in ‘real life’, but I do love the beauty of the story here.

Edward and Bella are still pulled together when they meet in person, even with all the misunderstandings, and that is what makes it beautiful.  Everyone wants to believe that when you meet your soul mate, you’ll just know them, be drawn to them.  And even though this story is fluffy, it still is able to bring that point to life.

So if you want a cute, contemporary story, check her out!

Merina Green recommends

Privileged

by Nostalgicmiss

When Bella's life takes an unexpected turn she's forced to find her estranged father, but not everything is as straight forward as it seems. Blood isn't always thicker than water. AU AH. B/E Rated M.

"Privileged" is an AH E/B fic.  I love this story.  I first found Nostalgicmiss's writing when I read "The Girl Under the Bed" (AH Jasper/Bella.  If you haven't read it, you should.).  When that story ended, I was a bit sad - Nostalgicmiss is a great writer, with well written stories and good character and story development. And she updates EVERY WEEK.  What would I have to look forward to on Tuesday mornings?  I mean, it was a habit!  And I'm a creature of habit!  Luckily, like a good drug dealer, Nostalgicmiss started another story, and sure enough, the updates come out every Tuesday like clockwork.  *sigh*  And don't think I'm reading this because I need a drug fix.  I'm reading it because it's GOOD.  It's set in New Orleans and various other spots around southern Louisiana, so I'm able to get a good mental picture of her scenarios, and that is always a good thing for me.  She's also got a really good handle on the way that certain, um, "social circles" work in the Crescent City.

The story's based on the premise that Bella has been raised in the Atchafalya Basin by her grandma (okay, that's the Louisiana swamp for those of you that don't know).  Flighty Renee, of course, took off long ago when she was a baby.  Charlie was there, too, but...well, you gotta read the story.  Upon her grandma's death, Bella discovers that her biological father is Carlisle Cullen - rich, well connected, New Orleans doctor. And of those three adjectives, "well connected" is the most important, followed by "rich", after which "doctor" trails far behind.  Bella decides to go to New Orleans to meet this father and see if she can figure out why she's just now finding out about him at the age of 17.   What she finds there is a shock to her poor Cajun Girl system, but she gamely decides to soldier on.  Because she's not a quitter, and she refuses to be driven back home like a beat dog.  Personally, if it was me, I would have said "Fuck you all" within the first week and gone home to retain my sanity.  But then, of course, there wouldn't be a story.  I keep telling Nostalgic this.  Almost every review, in fact.  She keeps telling me "Trust Me".  And I do.  And Bella does seem to be working through everything just fine.  But every obstacle overcome just leads to a bigger one, it seems.  

The story is wonderfully written, and Nostalgic has developed all the characters beautifully.  All our favorites are here, and there's a new one for us to hate.  I mean enjoy.  None of them start out where they 'need' to be, but we get to see the characters gradually shift and grow.  Hell, talk about Slow Build here for E/B, you won't even be sure it IS an E/B fic for quite a while.  In fact, you'll decide you don't WANT it to be an E/B fic at one point, because we ALL love J/B, and, well...just read the story.  It's got angst, mystery, romance, and a wonderfully written Bella trying to figure out the world she's suddenly found herself in.  And we get to try to figure it out right along with her.

(Make sure to check out the Privileged blog too!)

Lambs Review Conversations with my Killer by Oracle Vas

Conversations With My Killer by Oracle Vas

To me, life was a heartbeat in time and a breath of air. Jasper showed me it was truth, justice, faith, love, and fear. He dared me to be different. He encouraged me to defy the rules of my world and create my own. And on my last day, he took it all. Jasper/Bella Rated M

JaspersBella

I absolutely love Oracle Vas’ writing, so I was very excited to see that she had started a new story. Just the summary alone was intriguing, especially, "And on my last day, he took it all." I couldn't wait to dive into this story.

I like the fact that Cris took SM's story about what happened at the baseball field with the nomads and made it her own. That's exactly what should have happened, IMHO. I think I shivered when I read that Jasper had a look of pleasure on his face after he destroyed the nomads. I knew then and there that this was going to be good. Edward in this story is his typical overprotective self but he does let Bella spend time with Jasper. Jasper is supposed to be helping Bella adjust to the idea of becoming a vampire. I'm sure that if Edward knew some of what Jasper is teaching Bella, he wouldn't approve at all. 

With Jasper, Bella starts to see her world in a different light. He doesn't sugar coat with her, and he especially doesn't help when she falls. I think the methods that he uses with her are supposed to make her stronger. I think he wants her to be a leader and not a sheep, following others around. 

I can't entirely figure out Jasper and his real motives with Bella. I'm not sure if they are supposed to be mates and he wants her to live up to being HIS mate or if he indeed is playing a game with her, only to kill her in the end. Either way, I'm completely loving Jasper and really starting to enjoy the growing, stronger Bella.

One other thing that I absolutely love is that Cris gives me even more reasons to hate Edward. He really is a douche. 

This story is wonderfully written, very intriguing, and it opens my mind to a new way of thinking about Jasper, Bella, and the whole Cullen Coven. I have enjoyed every bit of it and I can't wait for more.

Thank you, Cris, for sharing this incredible story with us.

  

JaspersDestiny

It wasn’t such a difficult decision to choose Oracle Vas’ Conversations with My Killer as our Group Fic Pic this month. Typically, we all nominate stories individually and then blind poll to get our winner for the month, and to be honest, I can’t remember now which of us sent the email first about CWMK. All I know for certain is that on one of my rare times on Twitter, I saw a tweet run through the masses that Oracle Vas had published the first chapter in what would become a multi-chap Jasper/Bella VAMP fic.

Key word for me - VAMP.

You see, I simply hardly – if ever – read AH, and while Oracle Vas had always come highly recommended to me, there was always another vamp fic available to be read. But when I saw that tweet go out, I flocked – just like everyone else - to see what kind of goodies were in store for us fine readers.

From there began a, “Have you read CWMK?” email spree. We never actually voted this month for GR – we just naturally came to the conclusion that this was the story we would all use for our Jasper-focus – not just because it’s an incredible and incredibly-written story but because it caused and still causes much debate.

Right from Chapter One, Oracle Vas has held my attention. She is a very gifted writer, and I was struck immediately by how different her Bella and Jasper are from a lot of the stories out there. Actually, there are some very fine and original characterizations available to us by some very talented writers, some of whom I know and call friend, so it was just fantastic to read another author whose work is both respected and original.

The first thing that strikes me immediately about Oracle Vas is her writing style – sarcastic, witty, hysterically funny...and most of all, insightful. CWMK takes a different look at Twilight, where the baseball confrontation turns out to be eight shades of different from what we all know to be “true”. In this altered universe, Bella and Edward have just happily moseyed along in their relationship to the point where it is now post-graduation and they, or Edward rather, is planning their wedding. But Bella is at a crossroads, unhappy about her relationship with Edward, and she is questioning her sense of self. She wonders where the real Bella has disappeared to during the course of her relationship, and she is now trying to take a stand to find the girl who used to have tastes, needs, and desires all her own.

Jasper, who is Alice-less in this story (she’s always been out of the picture physically for reasons all her own, and thus Bella has never met her in person), makes Bella think in this story. He questions why she won’t do, say, or think what she’s really feeling. He tips Bella’s axis of the world with his caustic presence, and it is only with Jasper that Bella truly reveals herself. He unhinges Bella and is completely unpredictable. But through Jasper, Oracle Vas makes her readers think too. I personally look forward to each update simply because I want to see Oracle’s spin on life, the universe, and everything in between – and if it means the Mud Prophet brings me this insight...well, you won’t hear any complaints from me. As well, the sheer mystery of Jasper’s presence in the Cullen home – what his role is both there and with Bella – is truly intriguing. I have my own hypothesis, but I’m not sharing.

Now, based on the title of this story, you may wonder, “Um, will this story be angsty? Will there be an HEA? Do I want to read a story that may not turn out ‘well’ in the end?”

The answer?

Yes, you do. And Oracle herself gives us the reason why through a conversation between Jasper and Bella:

With that, the subject was dropped, and his capricious wanderings led him over to my desk. He picked up a book and thumbed through it. "Louisa May Alcott. I am unfamiliar with this one."

A Long Fatal Love Chase. "It wasn't published until over a decade ago."

"May I borrow this after you're done with it?"

I found it interesting how this time he was borrowing, not that I was going to complain. It actually seemed natural to share with him. "Borrow whatever you like. You can take the book now. I've already read it."

Jasper ran a finger over the lettering on the cover. "A title like this tells the whole story, yet people will still read the book. It's a curious thing."

"Not really. I want to know why she ran and why he chased her. I want to know how long she lasted and who died. The title may give a hint to the end, but the path to that ending is what interests me."

The main concern for many who might decide to read CWMK is whether Jasper is…well, just going to kill Bella in the end. But death can mean a human-vamp alteration, too, so the title is definitely open to much speculation.

But even if Jasper does do away with Bella and it’s not an HEA, which I highly doubt, I still want to know how Bella “dies” by the Mud Prophet’s hand, as well as the path to that ending. This is what interests me, and I believe it would – or should – interest you too.

 

Maelyn

One thing I must say for this fic, as well as the author’s other works, is that it gets some people talking.  She is original, imaginative, and always thinks outside the box, which is something that so many readers love about her stories. You can’t not feel something for her fics, whether it be love, hate, excitement, annoyance, frustration, anger, angst, whatever. She takes you in such directions that you always have a reaction of some kind.  And that is why her fics are so talked about.

With this newest story, she takes the canon characters, actions, events, everything and twists them into this original version all her own. Her characters are complex and intriguing and for the most part react as you would expect – imperfectly.  SM’s characters and story were so perfectly lined up sometimes that you could almost see the ruler she used to write it.  But something that I always enjoy is the ‘realness’ of the characters.  They fuck up and make mistakes and sometimes go through the hardest of times, but they tell an amazing story along the way.  This is what makes a great story.

Personally, I have trouble reading this one because I want to bash Bella’s head in.  While I have read all that is out there now, I may wait until it is finished so I can read it all in one go or something.  While it’s great writing, sometimes she pushes it a bit too far for me and I start seeing this whole yo-yo effect happening, like with Bella here. First, she’s whining about Edward and that not everything is perfect but she doesn’t do anything about it. Then when she tries to talk to him, she again lets him off the hook but still continues to whine.  So it drives me nuts waiting for her to grow some balls and stand up for herself, see? 

I guess the beauty of it is that you are learning everything as Bella does and feeling her frustration.  The problem is that I try to put myself in her shoes when I read and I can’t because I keep wondering why she doesn’t just ask certain questions or do certain things, etc. 

So, like I said, you can’t not have a reaction to this fic.  It’s original and crafty and makes you think, definitely – the trip to the pound shows you that in glaring colors.  So I urge everyone to give it a try and see what you think, then tell us!

  

MerinaGreen

Oracle Vas' new story is intriguing, mysterious, erotic, enticing... Oracle, who previously brought us First Love Lost and Last Love Found, two AH J/B fics, is in the process of writing an AU vamp fic for us. Set in SM's world and following SM's “rules”, Oracle's story veers away from Twilight at the baseball field. Actually, it veers a bit before that – Alice is not physically present in this one, having left the family before Bella arrives to pursue....something. And Alice and Jasper were only ever friends. But in general the story is going in the same direction as SM's.

Bella's marriage to Edward is fast approaching, orchestrated with Alice's assistance from a distance. After the wedding comes the Moment of Truth, when Edward will change Bella . Just like in SM's world, in Oracle's world it was a compromise – “Marry me and I'll change you.” Jasper has, for some reason, been 'assigned' to her to help her address issues and answer questions about her upcoming immortality. It's all very strange to Bella and to us the Reader. Everyone behaves very oddly when it comes to Jasper. Case in point – they will be moving from Forks when Bella is changed. Esme is, of course, already planning things for the new house, like...the room arrangements, and she doesn't have Edward and Bella, who will be honeymooners at that point, sharing a room. In fact, she has Bella sharing a suite with Jasper “Because he'll need to be nearby,” Esme explains, to have easy access and to deal with Bella's newborn-ness. Nobody, including Edward, finds this odd. Bella, however, finds it quite odd. In fact, the more she pays attention, the odder she finds ALL of their behavior concerning Jasper. And so do we.

Jasper seems to be taking his role as tutor quite seriously, and he forces Bella to think and to question her decisions – decisions about Edward, decisions about her choice, decisions about EVERYTHING she thinks she knows. It's a fascinating glimpse into vampire life and it makes me think about things I haven't thought of, either. The Mud Prophet is teaching Bella SOMETHING, but we're not quite sure it's what Edward had intended. In fact, I'm pretty sure if he knew what was going on that the “lessons” would end. No, they aren't fooling around behind his back, but Jasper is definitely leading Bella in a direction that will take her away from being Edward's easily-controlled pet. In the process, Bella seems to be starting to have what might be construed as inappropriate feelings for her teacher. And I get the feeling Jasper is starting to have some pretty inappropriate feelings himself. For instance, a grocery shopping trip to the local animal shelter, where Jasper is DETERMINED to force Bella to pick out his next meal, ends up with Bella finally growing a set, and by the end of the scene Jasper is threatening Emmett bodily harm if he even THINKS about touching “our dog”. Now, PART of me thinks – ooohhh, how sweet. But this IS Oracle Vas, so I'm withholding final judgment on THAT situation. I'm not sure the dog won't yet end up as Jasper's dinner, just to prove some sort of point.

The title just about tells us how the story will end...sort of. Maybe. “Killing” can have more than one meaning in the world of SM's vampires, so...I personally have high hopes that its not the sort of “killing” that is, well, of a more permanent nature. But you know what? If she DOES end up being killed dead, I don't think I'll mind. It's all about the journey – as Oracle has Bella remind us, point blank, at one point. And so far, it is one fascinating journey.

MissMaj

One of my favourite J/B authors has once again graced us with a new fic. To say that I was excited when I saw a new story alert from Oracle Vas in my inbox is an understatement.

I remember one of the Lambs saying that a good fic stays in your head hours after you've finished reading it. This is the same for CWMK. True to Oracle Vas' style of writing, this story had me wanting more from the get-go. The more the chapters that were presented, the more the questions that were embedded in my mind. Is it safe to consider this a mystery genre? Not really, but it does makes you think. Honestly, it confuses the HELL out of me, but not to the point where I was so frustrated I wanted to bang my head repeatedly against the wall. It made me want to google for more answers, it made me spam the rest of the lambs so we could discuss it. I am in awe of how Oracle Vas can affect her readers this way. 

Wednesday One Shots for 8/25/10

Maelyn recommends

101 Tales of Love, Lust and Desire; Chapter 4

by wonderwoundedhearers

Working for the man IS all it's cracked up to be for Bella Swan, secretary to Jasper Whitlock – he's the toughest employer in the city, and stars in Bella's nightly fantasies. How can one late-night chance meeting in the office change his strict work ethics? AH.

Now, wonderwoundedhearers is one of my current favorite authors.  I am astounded at how many fics she is currently writing and updating so frequently.  I adore them all.  She also has this set of one shots she’s been working on, all Bella/Jasper fics, and they are really good.  I chose this newest one to rec because it’s my favorite so far. 

Bella is a hard-working, dedicated secretary to the quasi-cruel but utterly sextastic Jasper.  But after a certain incident, she’s finally had enough of his biting remarks and irascible attitude, she decides to tender her resignation to him.  Her male co-workers try to talk her out of it, but as you can guess, her female co-workers swarm like flies on shit, vying for her position in the pathetic hope of seducing the gorgeous Jasper.

Meanwhile, Jasper runs off to ‘think’ and ends up in a crazy/funny conversation with Peter, who is telling him to just take the woman already.  Jasper has his excuses, of course, and blows Peter off for the most part.  But when Jasper returns to the office to find Bella ready to quit, he loses it and does the only thing he can think to keep her with him… Read it to see, although I’m sure many of you can guess.

It’s a sweet, cute, funny, sexy, little one shot that is a great read.  And while you’re at it, read the others, too, because they are all good!

Sunday Selections for 8/22/10

Maelyn recommends

Underneath Your Scars by HammerHips

Story begins after Bella jumps off the cliff in New Moon. Bella's life takes a turn for the worse and she must learn to cope while embarking on a journey of self-discovery. AU and OOC. Jasper/Bella Rated M

Wendy mentioned this fic a little while ago in emails, I think it was, and it sounded interesting. So this past week I came across it again and decided to give it a go. I must say that I was totally hooked within the first few chapters.

The first chapter captured me with the wit and style of the writing. And the second chapter just owned it for me, but I’ll let you read that for yourself because I don’t want to give anything away. Anyone who knows me will understand why I loved it though.

I really love her Bella, who you can actually see growing through the fic. She’s not the simpering little miss from the fics who only comes alive when she can find a way to try to get herself killed. She is REAL, and by real I mean she makes actual real decisions – some good, some bad, but at least they make sense.

Not only that, but after the traumatic event in Chapter Two, she really just snaps and stops taking people’s shit, thanks to a few good men and women. And she doesn’t just lay down and forgive everyone easily like in the books and many of the fics I’ve read. She actually gives them Hell for their mistakes, takes them to task for what they did, and makes them prove they mean what they say rather than just roll over and be all 'Oh, it’s okay.'  So I really love this Bella, who learns to stand up for herself and learn some self-dignity and self-worth.

Jasper is amazing as well. In a lot of ways he starts off as Bella, just doing what he’s told for the most part – how to dress, what to like, how to live. Then as events unfold and secrets start to be revealed, he finds himself. Of course, by helping Bella he helps himself too. As he tells Bella that she is worth it and to stand up for herself, she throws his words back at him. And so the teacher becomes the student of his own preachings.

In addition, the Jasper he grows into is the one we all know and love – the God of War-type persona, as given to us by Kay. He becomes the confident if dominant strategist that I think he should be, based on his past. It’s only his involvement with certain people who have twisted his fate askew. But that’s for you to read and discover on your own.

I absolutely MUST talk about one other person – Peter. Of course Peter! He is just amazingly fuckawesome in this fic. Again, a throwback to Kay’s Peter, but loveable just the same. He is a cocky know-it-all bastard who we absolutely cannot help but fall in love with. He is also real and as down to earth as he can be, but unconditionally loves his family and would do anything for them.

Peter also has some of the best lines in the fic, both inner monologue and dialogue. Here is just a sample from the most recent chapter:

“…I'm gettin' really tired of bein' thrown around, Major. I'm not a fuckin' frisbee! Every time I soar through the motherfuckin' air my balls retract and it takes 'em a good ten minutes to descend…”

With that, I will leave you to run off and read this fic yourself, because I, for one, cannot wait for the next update!

JaspersDestiny recommends

Long Way Down by forthelongestday

When Edward confesses his motivations for leaving Bella she realizes she cannot offer him a second chance. Her insistence for closure is met with the realization that one member of the family has no intentions of leaving her unprotected again. AU

I received this recommendation from one of our followers on Twitter, @xTullyx. Actually, she's been on a roll lately, sending us wonderful recs, so thank you, Tully!

Remember when Bella and Edward come back from Volterra, and Edward confesses to Bella how he had lied to her in the forest before leaving her? Remember how Bella forgives Edward? Remember how you screamed inside, knowing you would have totally reacted differently?

Yeah, THIS Bella does exactly what we wished we all would have done - even you Edward fans out there would agree she took him back too easily...I would hope). Bella is strong in this story, and she expects better - not only for herself, but also for her father, who suffered right along with her in New Moon. Bella makes a stand, and by doing so, she realizes the repercussions of her actions may again lose her the family she so very much longs to be a part of. forthelongestday really thinks through all of Bella's emotions - maybe her own emotions - and crafts an excellent breakdown of exactly why Bella makes such a difficult decision.

Hmm, but Bella is in for a shock at the Cullen house when she breaks the news to them, although Rosalie makes me proud in this story. Some repercussions are harder to digest, but with the help of our beloved Empath, Bella forges forward - and she begins to stand up for herself in a multitude of ways - at school, with Jacob, and even with Jasper.

And I have to say that one of my absolute favourite moments is the one in which Bella and Charlie talk about what happened in Volterra (an altered version, of course), as well as what transpired between Bella and Edward after coming home. Charlie is stunned a bit speechless - and when I write that Bella is strong in this story, I mean that she's so strong, even Charlie is left staring at her with awe. Oh, and another thing - when I write that Bella is strong, I mean that she's strong without turning into a trucker-talking, ass-kicking piece of trash (you have no idea how much I hate that kind of Bella).

Jasper... I love him to pieces in this story. Without the Cullens around, Jasper - who I suspect has always been strong in this story (ie including the back story) - sheds his previous image and unleashes his natural self. He's protective, he's loving, and he's a good friend to Bella. Their romantic relationship is going to be a slow burn in this story - we're only at Chapter 3 here - but we are treated to some beautiful moments, moments that place you in the scene with the characters, and you swear if you close your eyes, you can imagine Jasper doing those things to you:

I felt the weight of Jasper's forehead against the back of my head, and he breathed words into my hair, "I think she's afraid it would be too painful."

"What's painful is not talking to her." I closed my eyes and leaned my head back into his a little. The contact was nice, soothing. It helped to manage the pain that echoed just beneath the surface every time I thought of any of them. I had tried so hard to be okay, to not allow the events that took place last Wednesday bring me down, but it was just so much. I had come to terms with what happened after my birthday, but more recent events were harder for me to accept.

"For her, Bella...I think she's afraid it would be too painful for her if she called you."

I was being selfish, thinking I was the only one hurting. I really should call her, call Emmett, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. There was still a part of me that thought that they could have stayed, they should have stayed. Jasper did.

"It's okay to miss her, to miss them," he told me as understanding flowed out from his fingertips. "And it's okay to be angry with them, too. You don't need to feel guilty about these things."

"I can't help it. I basically told them to leave, I let them go. I have no right to be upset about it," my voice wavered and I forced a sob back. "I shouldn't be mad at them for staying with their family." I said the words even though I didn't believe them, they were just lies I told myself late at night to try and silence the hurt and anger that boiled inside me as I tried to sleep.

"You are their family too," Jasper countered. "We were all thrust between a rock and a hard place, there was no right answer that night, and I'll never stop trying to make that up to you."

The guilt he projected into me was so strong that if I hadn't had my hands braced on the counter top I would have slid to the floor. He couldn't possibly still hold himself accountable for what happened, he'd done nothing wrong.

"Don't," I said, my voice stronger that I thought I was capable of at the moment. "If I don't get to feel guilty neither do you."

Jasper propped his chin on top of my head, taking a moment to deliberate before replying, "I will never stop feeling guilty for what we've done to you, for what I've done to you—but you're right, this last time, that one's on Edward."

I reached up to lay my hands over his and squeezed tight. "Yeah, I guess it is."

Read this story now! Get into it and enjoy the journey! forthelongestday told me she has a lot of it already written, and she updates weekly so far, so it's definitely something wonderful to look forward to on a regular basis.

A little bit of Jasper gifted in your inbox each week is a beautiful thing, is it not?

Wednesday One Shots for 8/11/10

Jasper’s Bella recommends...

Chocolate Jasper by Mynxi

Jasper is sent as a gift from Mistress Alice. Bella is expecting Jasper but not everything he has planned for her.  Pairing: Jasper/Bella  Rating: M

So I was chanting with my ficwifey, HammerHips, tonight and told her that I needed to do a Wednesday o/s rec. I wasn’t feeling up to putting a whole lot of effort into rec’ing something because my ass is tired from a long day at work and FINALLY seeing Eclipse. You read right, no need to adjust your screen. This is the first time I saw Eclipse. I was pretty damn impressed with Jasper’s screen time. He looked yummy, and I freaking loved the Jasper/Maria scenes. I even liked the Jasper/Maria kiss better than the Jasper/Alice one. Anyway, back to the rec. I asked if it would be wrong to rec my own fic and, of course, HammerHips said it would be and sent me Chocolate Jasper to read and rec instead.

Oh, my fucking PETER! This is a fucking awesome o/s! It has Jasper, chocolate, naked Jasper, chocolate, and a bit of Domsper. How the fuck can you go wrong with that (other than the fact that he smells like cinnamon. I’m fucking allergic to cinnamon. The woman is trying to kill me!)?

Jasper throws in his sexy, Southern drawl, which can melt panties as it is but then he’s gotta go and give Bella a bath….with his tongue... You heard me - with his tongue! After her bath, Jasper jumps in the shower so he’s all clean for the pourage and lickage of the chocolate. That man is so sweet and considerate. Lucky, fucking Bella gets to drizzle chocolate all over his body and lick it up. Don’t worry about poor Jasper doing all the work to make Bella happy, though - he gets a little delight of his own. Apparently Bella is quite the sucker. Woman is really trying to kill me at this point. 

And then…oh fuck…Jasper tells Bella he’s gonna FUCK HER HARD and he also is going to bite her. Oh, hell! I’m panting by this point. Lucky, fucking bitch...and she doesn’t even need a paper cut! 

Wonder what happens next? Well I’m not going to tell ya. You’ll just have to go read and find out for yourself. All I can say is that I rarely like Alice, but thank God for her present to Bella.

Maelyn recommends...

Truth or Dare by VampishVixen

AH/OOC - A camping trip in the woods with lifelong friends turns into something Bella didn't quite expect. Originally written as a one-shot contribution for Fics for Nash, now posted for your enjoyment. You're welcome. Bella/Jasper/Peter. Rated M

Okay, so I find it kind of coincidentally funny that Wendy recommends a fic by Mynxi and I end up finding my rec by VampishVixen ...and they are ficmates.  We didn’t plan this at all either!

Anyway, so Truth or Dare.  Six of your best friends in the middle of the woods with you and no one for miles – check.  Four of them paired off and out of the way? Check.  The last two are some of the hottest men ever? Check.  Drugs and alcohol? Check.  A random game of Truth or Dare, where certain things come to light? Check.  Said game gets really out of hand in the most delicious of ways? Double check. Triple check even.  *smirks*

There isn’t really much more to say.  Bella is off camping with the gang and everyone is inebriated in some way. She ends up in a game of Truth or Dare with Jasper and Peter. One thing leads to another, and just WOW! Really, just wow!  It’s pretty fucking hot and you should really read it for yourself.

I especially like the end.  *snickers*