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Chapter Text

『𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐀』
An old-fashioned 𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘨 word for beloved.

❝How could you
love me?❞

❝How could
I not?❞

❝I'll give you
plenty of
reasons why.❞

❝Only more
reasons to love
you even more,❞

CORAZON CECELIA SALVADOR; A woman born in the Philippines in 1924 during the American Colonization.

Born into a wealthy family that gave her the privilege to access education and study at a university, learning English and Spanish is mandatory because the Spaniards also colonized the Philippines for over 333 years.

After universities were closed because of Japan's attacks, Corazon was planning to go home to her province in 1942, as many women's disappearances, forceful attacks, and abductions were because of the Japanese soldiers, and she was one of them.

Being a comfort woman, also called military comfort woman, is a Japanese jūgun ianfu, a euphemism for women who provided sexual services to Japanese Imperial Army troops during Japan's militaristic period that ended with World War II and who generally lived under conditions of sexual slavery.

A year. It was a year of suffering, agony, and confinement in the closed doors of the red house in San Ildefonso, Bulacan, until a Japanese soldier, a vampire, helped her escape and changed her into the creature of the night in 1943 at the age of 19.

Corazon earned the reputation and title of being called The Red Lady of the North because of her revenge, killing almost half the number of Japanese soldiers that resided in the Japanese military base and successfully driving them away from the country.
Japan colonized the Philippines for three years, and without the Red Lady of the North, it would've lasted longer. As the last of the American soldiers shipped and sailed off for home, she joined them, leaving her beloved family and motherland behind.

Meeting a pixie-haired vampire in a bus stop with a trailing honey-blonde vampire and a revelation of another way of living her immortal life, she took upon Alice's offer and joined her. In 1950, Corazon, Alice, and Jasper joined the Cullen Coven. She is still adjusting to the life of immortality, but with the help of her new family, she's slowly coming to terms with living life for eternity.

All that's left is dealing with the horrors that she left behind that continue to follow her every waking moment, healing the memories of the past while preserving the history that she has lived through, and remembering and honoring her roots while staying in a foreign land.

𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐙𝐎𝐍 𝐂𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐀 𝐒𝐀𝐋𝐕𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐑
Erich Gonzales

❝𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐄❞

❝Violent resistance is the answer that nobody is ready to talk about. Nobody in history gained freedom through peace talks because nobody listens.❞

❝The choices presented to us now can determine what we'll have in the future, and I know for certain that I choose you, Jasper, and I'll always choose you because I know that we deserve this after everything we've been through. I want you now, and in my eternity, to be by my side.❞

𝐉𝐀𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐊-𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐄
Jackson Rathbone

❝𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐑❞

❝Surely by now you know that I'll give you everything you want. All you have to do is ask. I'll be so good to you, my heart. I promise.❞

❝What I know is that a couple that preys together stays together.❞

𝐓𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓

❝𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐕𝐄𝐆𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐒❞

❝The first step when it comes to murder is have fun, and most of all, be yourself.❞

❝That's like some motivational quote you'll see in the bathroom or something.❞

With...

Nanao Arai as Aika Kitagawa
Erik Odom as Peter
Valorie Curry as Charlotte

━━━CORAZON
Cheri Cheri Lady: Modern Talking
Cheri, cheri lady Goin' through a motion Love is where you find it
Listen to your heart

Maneater: Daryll Hall and Hall & Oates
Oh-oh, here she comes
Watch out, boy, she'll chew you up Oh-oh, here she comes
She's a man-eater

More than a woman: Bee Gees
More than a woman
More than a woman to me
More than a woman
More than a woman to me

Sisters of the moon: Fleetwood Mac
Some call her sister of the moon
Some say, illusions are her game
They like to wrap her in velvet
Does anyone, ooh, know her name?

Buwan: Juan Karlos
Ang iyong ganda'y umaabot sa buwan Ang tibok ng puso'y dinig sa kalawakan At bumabalik dito sa akin Ikaw ang mahal, ikaw lang ang mamahalin Pakinggan ang puso't damdamin, Damdamin aking damdamin

━━CORAZON & JASPER━━

Close to you: Carpenters
Just like me, they long to be
Close to you

Lovers: ABBA
So lovers live a little longer, baby
You and me, we got a chance to live twice Lovers live a little longer, ain't that nice Lovers live a little longer, baby What a feeling when I hold you tight Lovers live a little longer, yeah

My love mine all mine: Mistki
Cause my love is mine, all mine
I love mine, mine, mine Nothing in the world belongs to me But my love mine, all mine, all mine

Maybe the night: Ben&Ben
Moon has never glowed this color Hearts have never been this close I have never been more certain I will love you 'til we're old Maybe the night holds a little hope for us, dear Maybe we might want to settle down, just be near Stay together

Mundo: IV of Spades
Aking sinta ikaw na ang tahanan at mundo Sa pagbalik mananatili na sa piling mo Mundo'y magiging ikaw Wag mag-alala kung nahihirapan ka Halika na sumama ka Pagmasdan ang mga tala

━━━JASPER

I wanna be yours: Arctic Monkeys
Secrets I have held in my heart
Are harder to hide than I thought
Maybe I just wanna be yours
I wanna be yours, I wanna be yours

Do I wanna know?: Arctic Monkeys
(Do I wanna know?)
If this feeling flows both ways?
(Sad to see you go)
Was sort of hoping that you'd stay
(Baby, we both know)
That the nights were mainly made for saying things that you can't say tomorrow day

Good old fashion lover boy: Queen
Ooh, love, ooh, lover boy What're you doing tonight? Hey, boy Set my alarm, turn on my charm That's because I'm a good old-fashioned lover boy

Wondering Why: The Red Clay Strays
She keeps on loving me, loves me the way I am She's not just along for the ride, she's my biggest fan Lord, it's a little piece of Heavеn when we lay down at night She keeps on loving mе and I keep on wondering why

Pagtingin: Ben&Ben
'Pag nilahad ang damdamin Sana 'di magbago ang pagtingin Aminin ang mga lihim Sana 'di magbago ang pagtingin

𝐂𝐂 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐄:

━━ copyright ©2024 | All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without prior permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐑:

━━ I do not own the Twilight Saga, that is all on Stephanie Meyer.

━━ I do own Corazon Cecelia Salvador, and any added/previous characters, storyline/dialogue.

━━ Part One will be a romance-driven and character-driven plot. Part Two will be following the plot of the movies and some scenes from the book.

𝐓𝐈𝐊𝐓𝐎𝐊 & 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐌:
━━ I make tiktok ship edits and character posts for my characters! ( @MysticPsyche.wp ) Give me a follow and love!

𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐓:

━━ I feel like I have to address this. If anyone is wondering, new or old readers, I will be straightforward. I will never write a chapter with smut scenes. I will admit that I do read books with smut. However, I do not feel comfortable whatsoever writing one, so if you added this story to your library and expect those kinds of scenes, you're in for a disappointment, darling, because I don't write those, and I never will.

And I know I made a lot of sexual references and built-up sexual tension between some of my characters, and that's a normal emotion to feel between them because they are a couple. They do it now and then like any other people that are ready to do it.

Did I explain my point well? I hope nobody gets offended. because I would like to warn the new readers because my old readers probably got my gist from reading my completed stories that I never have and never will publish smut chapters.

𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆:
━━ This story will contain gore, violence, and death. Read at your own risk. Please read the "disclaimer" chapter that has more explanation of what this fanfic entails.

━━ I am an amateur writer, I do this for fun, entertainment and to get my mind off of certain things (real life problems), so be nice and pretty please don't be a silent reader, those votes and hilarious comments actually gives me the motivation to write.

𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑:

━━ Jasper and Alice didn't have any romantic relationship. Jasper is Corazon's love interest, and Alice is Aika's love interest.

━━ The Cullens here have no regard for humanity. They don't care. They never really had, now that I thought about it. They just like not being isolated from the rest of human society like other vampire covens. (Read Midnight Sun to know what I mean)

━━ They have skin color, none of that venom shit that removes the melatonin in their body that makes them chalky white. They are all just so fucking gorgeous, the inhumane kind that you couldn't help but be attracted to them cause the vampire luring thing. (basically like TVD vamps, lol)

━━ They can taste food, the taste is even enhanced but they can't digest it. (Emmett takes advantage of that often.) I gotta make them taste Filipino food.😩

━━ Rosalie, Emmett, Alice, Carlisle, and Esme have more personalities than what is given to them. Rosalie isn't just a woman with a tragic background who hates her entire existence. Emmett isn't just a man for comic relief. Alice isn't just a woman who saves their asses all the time. Carlisle isn't just a man who tolerates Edward's behavior. Esme isn't just a woman who is treated like a literal maid for all of them.

━━ Edward bashing a bit, but it's understandable as the story progresses. It isn't hardcore Edward hate, just a reality check. (He's so annoying in Midnight Sun, honestly)

━━ Jasper isn't a C*nfed*rate cause what the fuck does it add to his character? Being a racist? That's not a good character trait. Some author reasons that they keep that background of his as some redemption arc that he regrets over, but darling, bad news, HE DOESN'T REGRET IT AT ALL. He's so proud that he's the youngest major in the c*nfed*racy when he tells Bella in the books.

━━ The twilight plot protects Bella's character. I'm sorry, but Bella will exist in this fic. LOL.

━━ I will tackle religion heavily as a Filipino myself, and based on experience, religion is something that has heavily influenced my life and generally Filipino's lives. (I'm not a hardcore Christian, so don't worry. I'm not homophobic, racist, and use the bible and Jesus to be fucking rude)

━━ This is a work of fiction and my story, I will do as I please, so if you didn't like whatever happens in this story, suck it up and leave.

𝐃𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍:
━━ To all the Jasper Hale lovers, I dedicate this book to all of you.

Each and every one of ya'll are the best ever.

Finally, to my fellow filos I am giving us the representation that we deserve in fics! Expect more filipinas to be used as a face claim in my stories! I hope ya'll will be happy with this story as much as I did when writing it. I want to make you all proud!

Also, I am returning back to my roots as a Twilight fanfic writer and the one who started it all, my beloved Jasper Hale. This is my way of returning the gratitude to my Twilight readers. When I started writing for other fandoms, I felt so out of place, my beloveds😭 (my comment section is collecting DUST like spiders are living in my TVD and Marauders fic😭) all of you are my safe place with your hilarious comments, and I hope y'all welcome me back😔-never should have left, spam the fuck out of this fic with your comments cause I miss it sm. Thank you with all my Jasper Hale heart. I hope y'all enjoy this as much as I enjoy writing them.🫶🏼

𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐒:

━━ I am establishing a new rule that I won't update any chapters until the previous chapter I posted isn't receiving the amount of attention/hype (comments & votes) I would have preferred, so this time I know that ya'll actually want to read my updates.

━━ I do not update upon request, I will write at my own pace to give you all the best chapters that I can write.

Chapter Text

𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐑:
In where the author warns the reader about the themes and contents of this story and also lays out trusted resources for the following PH historical background that will be written in this fic

To add to this. I'm a writer, of course, I fucking yap.

If you're going to be this type of reader who leaves these kinds of comments. Then leave, it's embarrassing. You can't be a reader if you complain about reading my reminders because I have endured many comments that MADE me write reminders in the first place. So it is not a me problem anymore. If you're reading an academic text, I would have understood this comment, but if you are reading a fanfic, would you rather not be warned of the content warnings of this book and be surprised to read triggering themes in a chapter? Jesus, stop complaining. I'm not getting paid to write fanfics to just let this slide. Having fanfic writers is a privilege that no one is ready to talk about. Without us, you won't have anything to read about your favorite characters.

Back to the other important matters.

I want to warn everybody before you proceed with this story. As you have read in the synopsis, this is a very sensitive, triggering, and heavy story. I suggest everyone proceed cautiously and in a good head space before reading this. This isn't a typical light and fluffy that I write.

This is not your average fanfic. It can get political. It also heavily criticizes my country and how it was/being governed. If it gets too much, respectfully leave and not leave your negative ass comments because I warned you if someone leaves a comment and doesn't read the disclaimer. That's on them.

If anybody reports this story and gets my account deleted, best believe I won't be coming back because this book is how I am expressing my support for the countries that are oppressed and deal with injustice and dictators. I am using the platform that I have to use my voice because I have the privilege to do so because a person's morals are seen to whose side of a conflict they are in. I always choose the side of the oppressed.

I may not discuss all of the contemporary issues happening around the globe. Still, the themes of this story are not only isolated but can be interpreted from a general perspective.

So, a word of caution: BE CAREFUL ON HOW YOU COMMENT.

I have to make these disclaimers because readers tend to comment before actually thinking. I have replied to so many insensitive comments in my three years of writing here at Wattpad, and it is fucking exhausting and disappointing to think that people dare to comment on what they commented. Think before you click.

That is all I ask.

Corazon's backstory is based on the actual events of what happened in World War 2 in the Philippines - when the Japanese occupied the Philippines for three years and the tragedy and violence they brought with them.

This is a historical fanfic that I won't deep dive into describing the events because it is very, very traumatic, disturbing, spine-chilling, horrifying, and full of abuse and violence.

Before you continue to read this, I first and foremost require you to read the articles I will provide for you to know what Corazon's backstory means.

I WOULD LIKE TO WARN EVERYONE THAT THE ARTICLES CONTENT WILL CONTAIN THE FOLLOWING THEMES:  Rape, sexual abuse, sexual assault, abuse, violence, death, abductions, torture, war crimes, and the like.

Articles:

Behind the Story:The Legacy of Comfort Women:

https://pulitzercenter.org/education/behind-storythe-legacy-comfort-women

Philippines failed to redress continuous discrimination and suffering of sexual slavery victims perpetrated by Imperial Japanese Army, UN committee finds:

https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/03/philippines-failed-redress-continuous-discrimination-and-suffering-sexual

Women made to be Comfort Women - Philippines:

https://www.awf.or.jp/e1/philippine-00.html

Why These World War II Sex Slaves Are Still Demanding Justice:

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/12/04/940819094/photos-there-still-is-no-comfort-for-the-comfort-women-of-the-philippines

Philippine activists push for  'comfort women'  in history books as Manila, Tokyo ally:

https://www.benarnews.org/english/news/philippine/activists-fight-for-comfort-women-japan-victimized-09012023153550.html

Philippine Survivor Recounts Her Struggle As A  'Comfort Woman'  For Wartime Japan:

https://www.npr.org/2020/11/29/939811000/philippine-survivor-recounts-her-struggle-as-a-comfort-woman-for-wartime-japan

The Bloody History of Bahay na Pula in Bulacan:

https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/bahay-na-pula-history-a1729-20190723-lfrm2

The Philippines Violated the Rights of WWII Comfort Women, the UN Concludes:

https://www.esquiremag.ph/politics/news/united-nations-philippines-comfort-women-human-rights-violations-a00203-20230309

Remembering the  'Bahay na Pula' :

https://opinion.inquirer.net/92401/remembering-the-bahay-na-pula

Gov't asked to declare  'Bahay na Pula'  as official WWII memorial:

https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/04/07/23/declaration-of-bahay-na-pula-as-official-war-memorial-sought

Youtube videos:

Lolas Reveal the Story of the Filipino  'Comfort Women' :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qL9NO2x6s8

Meet Estelita Dy: A Filipino Comfort Woman Survivor | STAY CURIOUS #13:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7FXmsLBqNI

Why did I decide to have my OC with this kind of backstory? Because it's my country's history, how colonizers abused and took advantage of Filipinos over their reign of oppression, and the result of their colonization in my country and how my country healed/is healing, now the Philippines is being reigned over by Filipinos in the government that only knows to corrupt and abuse their power over their countrymen-I know how sad is that.

But also, because I read an article that has resurfaced about this specific time in history, it's as if it's forgotten history. How the Philippines ignored the pleas of the women that was/is victimized by what the Japanese soldiers had done to them. Because it was already compensated in 1956, Manila and Tokyo signed a reparation agreement.

I am not whatsoever "hating" the said country, but you can't erase the history of what happened in the past. So, I am only writing based on the resources I have read over the years. This particular event in history has always been in my mind ever since I learned about it in our history class. This story/fanfic will not be historically accurate as I will also take creative liberties that suit my OC, but I will try. I am just retelling it, preserving history through my writing.

But I will cite more trusted references, resources, and texts about the colonization of Spain, America, and Japan because their reign contributed to and shaped why the Philippines is the way it is now.

I want to remind everyone to please be mindful and respectful of your comments about MY country's history. About my culture, that is all I ask.

This story has been in my drafts for two years. I have debated really publishing this for everyone to read because it's a different kind of writing vulnerability that I don't know if everyone will appreciate. After all, it's about my country. So this fanfic has a special place in my heart. It might be fanfic, but how I write Corazon's journey is my contribution to the resistance of the oppressed.

The following references will contain war crimes, oppression, literally everything that happens when a country gets colonized and in war, and what it does to the natives. If you are curious to know more since I won't be making this a broad history lesson. You can read the following articles if you would like to be more in-depth with the topics that I won't be explaining as a whole but briefly mentioned or touched on:

Spanish Colonization:

Philippines - Spanish Colonization:

https://www.britannica.com/place/Philippines/The-Spanish-period

The Philippines: An overview of the Colonial Era:

https://www.asianstudies.org/publications/eaa/archives/the-philippines-an-overview-of-the-colonial-era/

120 years after Philippine independence from Spain, Hispanic influences remain:

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/120-years-after-philippine-independence-spain-hispanic-influence-remains-n912916

The remains of Spain in the Philippines:

https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/spain-in-the-philippines

The Philippines under the Frailocracy:

https://scribblingblues.wordpress.com/2011/02/01/the-philippines-under-the-frailocracy/

Religion in the Philippines:

https://asiasociety.org/education/religion-philippines

America Colonization:

The Spanish-American War, 1898:

https://history.state.gov/milestones/1866-1898/spanish-american-war

The Philippine-American War, 1899-1902:

https://history.state.gov/milestones/1899-1913/war

America and the Philippines: Modern Civilization and City Planning:

https://www.asianstudies.org/publications/eaa/archives/america-and-the-philippines/

Philippines - US influence, colonialism, revolution:

https://www.britannica.com/place/Philippines/The-period-of-U-S-influence

American Imperialism in the Philippines:

https://library.csun.edu/SCA/Peek-in-the-Stacks/us-imperialism-philippines

American women in the Philippines:

https://philippines.michiganintheworld.history.lsa.umich.edu/s/exhibit/page/american-women-in-the-philippines

Japan Colonization:

The Japanese Occupation:

https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2021/12/27/2150296/japanese-occupation

Battle of Bataan:

https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/topics/battle-bataan-death-march

Japanese Propaganda in the Philippines:

https://dutytocountry.org/project/explainer-4/

Also, adding the British colonization that wasn't really focused on in Philippine history:

British Invasion of the Philippines:

https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2009/03/17/448880/british-invasion-philippines

Why did PH did not become a UK colony:

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/314271/why-ph-did-not-become-a-uk-colony

It's not too late to be educated! If the truth makes you uncomfortable, then quiver!

There will also be a brief chapter about Martial Law.

Philippines - Martial Law, Marcos, Dictatorship

https://www.britannica.com/place/Philippines/Martial-law

Five things to know about Martial Law in the Philippines

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/04/five-things-to-know-about-martial-law-in-the-philippines/ 

Chapter Text

𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄:
Far away from home
(1944)

AN:  Content Warning, War.

"I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE," Corazon whispered in Japanese, voice breaking as she and Aika stood side by side, their gazes focused on the moon.

The moon, a steadfast companion to Corazon since she was a child, the moon witnessed her dreams and witnessed her nightmares come to life. It listened to her hopes and listened to her cries.

Under the moon's gentle radiance, Corazon finds herself lost in thought, reflecting on life's mysteries, her dreams, and her place in the grand tapestry of existence—her existence that seemed to be a painful realization that she has to live forever.

Immortality was something she never thought she'd gained in her life. Living forever was never in her mind because all she ever thought was that she would die young, with an unfulfilled life full of pain and agony.

To die in tragedy.

"But you have to," Aika mutters after moments of silence. She looked to her side, observing Corazon. It's been two years since she changed her to be a child of the night. She'd seen her, watched her take her revenge on the people who gave her pain—pain that she'd soon learned to enjoy inflicting.

The Red Lady of the North, headline after headline in the papers, the Lady of Justice, as some say.

The great defender of wronged women and executioner of vile men.

"It won't be long until they know your true identity, Corazon," Aika continues as Corazon clenches her jaw and places her hands on her face, leaning down on the wooden railings. She's reached this far. She's endured this far. She has done so much, yet she doesn't know when she'll be satisfied with the justice she tries to do.

Killing is a sin that she cannot deny; she won't ever know if she'll truly be forgiven. After all, god has not listened to her crying plea.

The fact will remain that he'll always be god, and she'll always only be Corazon, a girl.

A girl losing faith.

"Only for a while, Aika." Corazon finally looked up as their gaze connected, pleading in her ruby-red eyes. "I've reached this far."

"Are you not tired?" Aika suddenly asked with a frown. "This is not the life I wanted for you. I wanted you to escape, yet you stayed."

"I'm not a coward," Corazon frustratedly tells her, running a hand through her silky black hair.

"I'm not saying that you are," Aika quickly assures. Aika thought that Corazon was the toughest and fiercest woman she had known in her four centuries.

"I'm not leaving my people to find a better life in America while they suffer." Corazon pressed, fumbling with her fingers, cracking her knuckles. Her family has been searching for her tirelessly ever since she was reported missing in 1942. They never gave up, never lost their hope that their oldest daughter would return to them, alive—alive, that's all that matters.

"You've given enough," Aika says as she places a hand on Corazon's hand that she removes carefully. Touch, she never liked being touched anymore. She trusted Aika, her creator, but when she looked at her, she could only remember why she's been so miserable and couldn't even be with her family anymore.

Ever since the night she disappeared. Corazon was never the same; her life was never the same. And as the night sky as her witness, she hated the wretched Japanese soldiers that touched her—she vowed to take revenge, and that was what she did.

She killed hundreds of Japanese soldiers.

"Is it?" Corazon asks with a painful smile on her ethereal features.

"It is," Aika firmly answers, "You've done enough. Japan is retreating, their war with China, they're losing numbers, it won't be long before they stop."

"Will it ever?" Corazon released a forced laugh. "We've been colonized by Spain and America, too! And now Japan? What foreign country is next to place my country into another destruction and devastation? Will the Philippines ever gain independence?" Her hands formed into a fist, anger evident on her face as Aika pursed her lips.

"That's why you'll leave, and I'll stay. I'll ensure that the Japanese will surrender." Aika tells her. It's why she was in the Philippines in the first place.

Aika has been alive for four centuries. She has witnessed wars from beginning to end, seen the outcome of battles—from maltreatment, torture, murder, and every other worst unimaginable form of scenario that they inflicted on innocent people, and how it leaves a tragedy to both the land and the people. She disagreed with what her country had done. Exploiting another country is against her morals.

How difficult it is to rebuild a country after the war. How the scars it left will never fully heal.

"My family..." Corazon trails off as she once again looks up towards the moon, once again witnessing her pain. Her father endlessly searched for his missing daughter, and her mother prayed. Her sisters remained in confinement for safety, and her brothers joined the resistance movement—the Guerillas.

"Visit them one last time," Aika answers, tone full of sincerity.

"Do you think I can control it?" Corazon worriedly asks. Her thirst for blood vengeance meant she had complete control over her senses when it came to killing, yet she never combined killing and feeding.

"You have to," Aika tells her, "Think of them as the people you love and want to protect. Control your urges. I've taught you well." Now, her tone is smug. A grin was directly placed on her lips. Aika taught her everything, including how to control herself on demand. How to kill without being noticed or detected. How to control her gift.

A gift, she needs to find out if it's a blessing or a curse. To take the pain and to also give it—to control the mind. It's one of the reasons for her successful vengeance. Control the mind, take every inch of control they had within themselves because they stole hers.

"That you did," Corazon chuckled, then sighed heavily. Corazon looked back at Aika once again. "How about you? After all of this?"

"I haven't thought of it. You know, spontaneous decisions are my favorite." Aika answers with a shrug. "After the war, I'll go to America, and we'll surprise each other." She wasn't concerned about what he'd do after this or where he'd go. She had experienced enough for the last centuries to know that wherever she may flee or be, she'll survive.

"Promise me that we'll see each other again," Corazon tells her. Aika nods firmly, "I promise, Corazon," Corazon smiles. After being away from her family for two years, the closest thing she ever felt to a feeling of familiarity was Aika, her sister, not by blood but by companionship and understanding.

"I'll leave by tonight. Some American troops are sailing back to the U.S. for supplies." Corazon finally says.

"I'll see you then."

"INANG," Mother, Corazon whispers, stepping inside her parent's bedroom, her mother kneeling by the altar in a quiet and contemplative corner. Above the altar table hangs a crucifix, an image of the Virgin Mary, and a small statue of Santo Niño—the Child Jesus. Her mother held a rosary in her hand as she muttered a prayer in the darkness, with the candle only illuminating in the shadows.

"Inang," Corazon repeats. Then she hears her mother cite a prayer in spanish, "Dios te salve, María, llena eres de gracia, el Señor es contigo. Bendita tú eres entre todas las mujeres, y bendito es el fruto de tu vientre, Jesús. Santa María, Madre de Dios, ruega por nosotros, pecadores, ahora y en la hora de nuestra muerte. Amen."

Her mother finally stood, turning around, facing her daughter, "An answered prayer," She took a step forward, so confident, so assured with her actions, continuing in Tagalog. "A miracle from God, my daughter's spirit, finally visiting me after two years. Have you come to guide me to heaven? Because I'll go with you, anak." She finally stood before her daughter, the darkness shading Corazon's body.

"I think I won't be welcomed in heaven, Inang," Corazon answers softly. Her mother released a 'tsk' as she shook her head in dismissal.

"Let me see you," Her mother says, touching Corazon's cheek. She didn't flinch from the coldness, only welcomed it further; all that mattered was that her daughter was alive. Corazon shook her head.

Corazon gently took her mother's hand, brushing the back of her hand on her forehead. "Mano po." Her mother hums, taking her hand away from her daughter as she turns around, taking the candle from the altar, the light slowly showing Corazon's standing figure as she returns to her daughter.

"Oh, anak," Her mother whispers. She stood before Corazon with a worried, painful expression as her eyes scanned her daughter from head to toe.

Her daughter looked more than fine from Corazon's smooth, light golden tan skin, long silky black hair that reached her waist, and perfect complexion. She looked like a goddess, an angel from heaven, but then her eyes, ruby red eyes that resembled the shade of blood, yet it wasn't the color that concerned her mother, but how Corazon's eyes were filled with agony.

"What have they done to you?" Her mother placed a hand on her cheek again, thumb caressing Corazon's face softly; her touch brought her comfort.

"Inang, I have sinned," Corazon admits as she closes her eyes.

"I forgive you," Her mother answered in an instant. "You are my daughter. You've been gone for two years. Whatever you did, I forgive you. As long as you're here now, everything will be fine." Tone full of assurance and understanding. Oh, how Corazon missed her mother.

"I'll only put you in danger," Corazon shakes her head. "Explain it to me, anak. We'll resolve it."

Corazon explained everything, from the day she was abducted in 1942—what they had done to her, what she had endured, to her being turned into a child of the night—to what in Filipino myths considered a Danag, a demon of the night, to what she did to avenge herself from killing hundreds and a thousand Japanese soldiers, her mother had read the newspapers, read about the Red Lady of the North.

In some way, she hoped that the Lady of Justice had done right by her daughter, but she didn't know it was her daughter.

Her mother took both hands in hers, "We'll make a way." She softly patted her palms as her mother stood up from her seat, taking a large leather bag from the wooden cabinet. Opening the last drawer from the cabinet with a key, her mother filled the bag with stacks of money and a framed photograph of their family.

"Inang?" Corazon questions as she follows her mother's movements, with her mother beginning to scramble around the bedroom. Corazon follows her when she exits the bedroom. Her sisters are asleep, and her father and brothers are gone for the night.

Corazon entered her old bedroom. A sense of familiarity brushed over her. She looked around, reminiscing. It looked the same as it was two years ago.

Her mother began packing her clothes, "You need to go to America." She placed all of Corazon's legal documents and an album filled with captured memories inside the bag.

"I cannot risk losing you again, Corazon. But this country has taken too much from you. As much as I don't want to be separated from you again. You'll be safer abroad." Corazon placed a hand on her mother's shoulder. Her mother's movement stopped abruptly, turning around and facing Corazon.

"I love you so much, Corazon. I can finally have peace, knowing that you're alive." Her mother tells her as she leans into Corazon's, hugging her, her head on the crook of her daughter's neck. Corazon's breathing halted. Calming herself as Corazon delicately hugged her mother.

"Paano sila Tatang?" What about my siblings and Father?, Corazon mutters.

Her mother pulled away, holding Corazon's shoulder, "They'll be okay. I'll make sure of it. But I need you to be safe, even if you'll be far away from here." Tears fell on her mother's cheek. She wiped it away, turning around, not wanting to show her daughter weakness because she needed to be strong for the both of them.

Her mother closed the bag, placing it on the bed. Corazon lay in her bed, smelling the bed covers. It smelled so familiar; it smelled like home. The burning sensation in her throat was overpowered by the scent of her childhood home, and her mother lay beside her, hugging her once again.

"Send me a letter when you arrive, anak." It wasn't a request or a command.

"Opo," Corazon laughs softly.

"Mahal na mahal kita, anak," Her mother whispers, and Corazon lets herself sink into her mother's embrace.

"Te quiero mucho, madre."

THE LAND OF HOPE AND OPPORTUNITY. Of course, that's what the Americans in the Philippines boasted about their beloved country, even though they stole the hope and opportunities of the natives.

The night sky appeared to be a vast tapestry of stars. In between cloud wisps, the fading crescent moon played hide-and-seek. The ship's ominous form seemed to carve a passage through the darkness, illuminated only by the far-off beacons of harbor lights.

The only sounds that pierced the obsidian sea's silence were the engines' repetitive hum and the waves' soft lapping against its hull. On board, American soldiers gathered around the ship's railings, their faces glowing softly from the deck's dim lighting from the lanterns. However, Corazon remained seated in the shadows.

The city's lights got brighter and more distinct as the ship approached the docks, showing they were part of a thriving metropolis. The waterfront, which had just been a distant flicker, had suddenly spread out before the ship's prow, exposing piers, cranes, and freight containers.

A symphony of sounds, including the quiet hum of the engines, the metallic clang of chains and cables, and the far-off echoes of city life, welcomed the ship's arrival. On the docks, harbor workers with lanterns were waiting to moor the vessel to its berth. The ship's horn blasted a deep, melancholy tone throughout the night to announce their arrival.

Passengers started to exit as the gangplank slid down with a groan and clatter. Corazon was the last to leave the ship, not wanting to join the crowd, nor was she excited to welcome this unfamiliar territory.

Alone, in a foreign country, who could've imagined. She'd been on board for weeks. She had a lot of time to think about what she'd do when she arrived but none that she was thrilled about, especially because she isn't fond that she can't wander around with the sun up and shining—on her skin, it's annoying.

Corazon carried her leather bag as she walked on the pier. The weathered cobblestone walkway stretched ahead is illuminated by the pools of light each lamppost casts. The tangy smell of saltwater and the distant murmur of the metropolis filled the air.

Corazon found herself stopping at a bus stop. A solitary lamppost stood guard over the small shelter, its light casting a warm glow on the empty benches. The sign displayed timetables and routes, though the information was meaningless to her with nocturnal wanderings.

Corazon sat on the bench, relishing the lamppost's solitude and quiet companionship. The world around her paused momentarily, allowing her to reflect on the journey that had brought her here. That leaving is the best choice for herself.

A subtle movement caught her attention from the corner of her eye. A figure emerged from the shadows, approaching the shelter with an ethereal grace that seemed almost surreal. Corazon's stance became guarded and rigid.

The woman that sat beside her wasn't human but like her.

The stranger moved with a silent elegance, her movements as fluid as a dance. Corazon couldn't help but feel a mixture of awe and curiosity at her presence.

Especially with the stranger's confidence to converse with a fellow stranger.

"Beautiful night, isn't it?" She remarked, her voice as melodious as a serenade.

Corazon, surprising herself, nodded in agreement, "It is. There's something beautiful hidden in the night's silence." Strangely, she suddenly felt comfortable with what seemed like a perfect stranger.

The stranger nods in agreement. "Oh, I couldn't agree more. The night holds its special kind of magic, full of secrets and possibilities."

As they shared this tranquil moment beneath the lamplight, the woman turned her gaze toward Corazon, her eyes filled with curiosity. "You know," she said, "I feel you're meant for extraordinary adventures. Life has a way of surprising us when we least expect it."

Her words resonate deeply within Corazon, igniting a spark of curiosity and possibility. "Are you clairvoyant? I couldn't help but notice that you're confident with your notions,"

"And if I tell you that I am?" The stranger laughs, almost melodic.

"I'll surprisingly believe you," Corazon, too, laughs, which sounded like the ringing of wind chimes.

"My name's Alice," She introduced herself, "Yes, only Alice, I don't know my full name. A story for another time," Alice continued as if she knew what Corazon would ask.

"And you're Corazon Cecelia Salvador." Alice continues, and Corazon looks at her, impressed. Alice suddenly stood up. Her movements were bouncy and cheery. She looked at Corazon with an enthusiastic smile.

"Why don't you join me?" Alice suggested, giving out her hand. "We can find a home together with our kind," Corazon didn't know what made her agree, but she took Alice's hand without a second thought.

"I'd like you to meet someone," Alice said carefully.

Corazon raised a questioning brow, "Who?"

It was then that another figure, tall and lean, emerged from the shadows nearby. His skin is a beautiful shade of golden tan. His rose-gold eyes intrigued Corazon. His hair, a honey-blonde shade, falls in artful disarray, adding a touch of wildness to his otherwise composed demeanor. He carries himself with a sense of restrained poise, his every movement deliberate and controlled as he appears before them.

"Good evenin' ma'am," His voice is a melodic blend of Southern gentility and calm authority. Corazon tilted her head, ruby red eyes connecting to rose gold eyes.

Corazon hesitantly answers politely, the same way he greeted her with politeness, "Good evening, sir."

"Please, call me Jasper. No need for formalities, ma'am." He refrained from grinning. When Corazon was talking to Alice, the pixie vampire tried to ease Corazon's discomfort with her presence. At the same time, he waited for Alice's cue before he made his presence known.

He first laid eyes on her there—a woman with an air of timeless elegance, her silhouette illuminated by the gentle glow of the lamplight. She had just stepped off a ship that had anchored nearby, and in the stillness of the night, her presence produced a bewitching atmosphere.

Her ruby-red eyes possessed a quiet intensity that seemed to reflect his own, and her hair, a waterfall of black waves, shimmered like threads of midnight silk. The white dress she wore flowed effortlessly with the gentle night breeze.

"Yet you can be formal, sir? How rude of me," Corazon remarked, and Jasper let himself finally smile. "Corazon, not ma'am, makes me feel old."

"Whatever you please, Corazon," Jasper tells her, and Alice looks between them, eyes almost sparkling. She looks giddy as she observes Corazon and Jasper's first interaction.

It was the night when two lost souls had finally found each other.

Chapter Text

❝Home is wherever the grief
washes off your hands with the
most ease.❞

— Hanif Willis-Abdurraquib

Chapter Text

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐍𝐄:
New faces and companionship
(1950)

BY ALL MEANS, Corazon is not a stranger to unfamiliarity. She tried to embrace it instead. It's one of the things Aika always reminded her about when she turned. That the constant and unwavering companion of immortality is change.

It's been six years since she's moved to America. It's a country that's not particularly great at all. Corazon expected too much when the American troops boasted about how great America was, how civilized the people were, and how their country was full of liberty and freedom.

Freedom? Corazon scoffed at the word; she had just read the morning paper that African-Americans spoke out against inequality and injustice. It has been that way for centuries.

Segregation and violence towards African-Americans and Southern Whites resisted the Brown ruling. They used violence and intimidation to prevent Black people from asserting their rights.

Speaking of Southern Whites, Jasper Whitlock is Southern and a white man if it isn't so obvious. When Corazon asked about the issue in the morning paper, he surprisingly understood. Much to Corazon's relief, she thought he was a racist—she was a bit judgemental, okay? It's an attitude that she needs to get rid of.

Jasper Whitlock was a Union soldier during the Civil War that started in 1861 and ended in 1865. Corazon knew about it briefly. Of course, they studied it in History in college—which she only had a year left before she disappeared. Their professor was a white man.

Jasper joined the Union army in 1861 at 17, rose through the ranks, and became the Major General two years later without seeing real battle. He'd risen through the ranks because he became a spy for the Union. He became the mole in the Confederate army, who informed them where and when the attacks would occur, where they camped, and where they hid the supplies. Jasper was the most respected soldier of the Union Army.

It was a significant loss when he suddenly disappeared in Galveston. He was evacuating women and children and on his way to the Confederate's new base, ensuring he had not left anyone behind.

It was the night he made a grave mistake; he was too kind and heroic, leading to his demise. He stopped by to ensure the three women he saw that night were evacuated and protected.

Maria, Nettie, and Lucy were their names.

Jasper recalled how stunned he was with their beauty. It wasn't like anything like he'd seen before. Their beauty was unnatural, purely ethereal, and a sight for sore eyes.

Then, the coven leader, Maria, turned him into a vampire at the age of 19. As he recalled, Maria is a selfish and manipulating woman with so much anger from what happened to her last Coven. Jasper said that Maria had used him for her selfish gain, for his powers that helped her manipulate the New Born Army they created. They fought ruthlessly and endlessly for decades until he gained the courage and left in 1938.

It was too much. Corazon recalled what Jasper answered when she asked why he left. Jasper's gift of Pathokinesis affected him greatly and drove him into depression. He said he mainly used his gift at the time to control the newborn vampire soldiers better, making him Maria's favorite. He could constantly sense the pain of those he killed. This experience made him emotionally damaged.

It enlightened Corazon on why Jasper acted and moved as he usually does. He exudes an air of enigmatic reserve, a quiet mystery, a little intense, with a hint of stoicism. His aura commands respect, and his movements are filled with discipline that Corazon secretly admires. His charming allure draws people towards him like moths to a flame—she'd seen him use his gift before. It was pretty impressive.

Jasper carries the burden of his past actions, seeking redemption for the innocent people he killed and the vampires he used during the Southern Vampire Wars. Corazon saw the scars; it was obvious where they came from. Besides, she has scars too, but unlike Jasper's, hers weren't visible anymore. Who is she to judge someone's past? Everyone has their own demons that haunt them.

It made Corazon think, should she seek redemption as well? She hadn't felt guilt for what she had done; it was the right thing to do, she reasoned.

"Mind if I join you?" Alice asks as she sits beside Corazon, who is holding a letter. The afternoon sun bathed the cozy living room in a warm, golden glow, casting long shadows across the polished wooden floor. Alice had rented a house in the suburbs for the week. She was waiting for a particular vision to show the so-called vegetarian family that Alice was so assured that she would welcome them with open arms.

Corazon asked Alice to wait. They were supposed to look for them six years ago, the moment Alice asked Corazon to join her and Jasper, but Corazon wasn't ready to be thrust into an environment of another unfamiliar territory. So Alice respected her decision, and they traveled around America for six years.

But it was time, Alice told her, when Corazon asked to extend their travels across the country. Corazon didn't want to deny Alice again, not when Alice had been so kind and generous with her. Alice helped her adjust to the foreign land, truly changing her perspective that there are still good people on this earth. Alice helped her trust again; she was never overbearing nor pushy; she let Corazon come to her at her own pace, and when she did, she listened with an open mind, all ears, and full of understanding.

Corazon gained a sister in Alice.

"My mother." As Alice looked at the letter, Corazon started, "She said that the Philippine government made a statue of me at the Department of Justice to commemorate me. It's just a statue of a woman with a scale and blindfold, like the Lady of Justice in every DOJ establishment, but it's my honor." Corazon chuckled, looking at the envelope postmark bearing the name of her small town in the Philippines.

The scars on the land may fade, but the memories remain etched in our souls like a haunting melody. Corazon recalled reading from her mother's letter. It's been five years since the Japanese surrendered, and her mother had been telling her about the current events back home. The Philippines was granted complete independence by the United States in 1946, much to Corazon's relief.

Now, she wondered where Aika was.

With a sigh of contentment, Corazon folded the letter again and held it close to her undead heart. Corazon told her mother to burn the letters she had sent after she had read them so no one could know that she was still alive. Alice reached out and squeezed her hand, offering silent support and understanding. Outside the window, a gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the trees, mingling with the faint aroma of blossoms that wafted in from the garden outside.

"Your family is alright. I've been watching over them. They've been healing." Alice informs her, and that makes Corazon's heart swell. It's what her family deserves after everything that has happened, after how much devastation her disappearance caused them.

"Thank you, Alice." Corazon softly smiles at her and hesitantly asks, "Are you sure about this?" Of course, Alice was sure of it, confident of her vision; their clothes were packed, and they were set to go where the Cullens resided. But she understands how Corazon needed assurance that they'll be accepted. After all, their pasts always follow.

Corazon has controlled her hunger since she changed to the animal blood diet. Her eyes are now the color topaz instead of ruby red. She wants to be committed to this diet but finds it difficult. Hiro assured her before that killing was a means to their survival; she learned to accept that, but it doesn't mean that Alice and Jasper shared her sentiments.

Alice changed diets because she wanted the Cullen Coven to accept her; she longed to have a family since she had turned alone without a single memory from her human life in 1919. and Jasper had a completely different reason. He changed diets because he didn't want to feel the pain and suffering of the people he would kill for their blood and his own gain—to satisfy his hunger.

Alice said the Olympic Coven isn't the same as any other Vampire Coven. They were tightly knit and had a close bond, like a family, while other covens still sought out independence but needed numbers, more of an agreement than companionship, and Corazon wanted a family more than anything because she missed her own back home.

"All is set," Jasper enters the room, dressed neatly with his navy blue open-neck collar short-sleeve polo shirt, brown chino pants, and black chelsea boots, his hair fixed in this array of golden curls that matched his eyes. He's always been so handsome, the way he presented himself with discipline, always dressed neatly, looked so clean.

Alice wore a short-sleeved sundress with a sweetheart neckline, the white, daisy floral dress that reached past her knee; she added a bit of her fashionista touch with a slender belt that highlighted her petite figure, paired with white ballet flats with a slight yellow ribbon decorated on top.

Corazon's dark green dress has front pleats and lines of mocked buttons at the front, a contrast collar, and trim along the skirt. The dress's bodice is perfectly tailored, featuring a modest yet flattering neckline with capped sleeves. A pleated A-line skirt that flares out from the cinched waist. Her silky black hair, which she usually wore down, is tied into a high ponytail paired with a dark green ribbon. She wore white kitty-heel shoes.

They were dressed to impress. To showcase the Cullen, they are civilized vampires in contrast to the rest of the nomads. Of course, they are far from nomad vampires; they were too well-acquainted with their cleanliness, way of clothing, and, of course, their way of living.

"Yup!" Alice exclaimed enthusiastically as she stood from the plush velvet couch. Her airy movements were poise and elegant as she exited the bedroom, leaving Jasper and Corazon in each other's presence.

"Are you alright?" Jasper politely asks with a Southern drawl. He didn't move from his spot beside the door. His hands were now clasped behind his back. Standing at around six feet, his tall frame that Corazon envied, she looked small when she stood beside him. His shoulders are perpetually relaxed yet exude a subtle air of readiness.

"Yes, I'm fine, just a bit nervous, is all," Corazon answered softly as she stood up from her seat, smoothing the fabric of her dress. She sighed. "I just hope all goes well."

"It will," Jasper answers with certainty and a firm tone.

"You sound so sure," Corazon remarks with a chuckle as she walks towards him confidently, with grace and fluidity. She was only a step away from him, yet she was peering up at him. Their height comparison was visible. She only stood at 5'6 height while Jasper stood with his 6'3 height.

"I am sure," Jasper replies with a deep voice, "If they don't accept us, I would like to think it would be their loss, not ours. We've been together for six years, and I think us as a coven is fine for me, but you know how much Alice longed to be part of a big family." Jasper looked down at Corazon with pure adoration, but behind that adoration was also longing.

Longing because what made him go with Alice in the first place was her promise that he'd find his soulmate—that she had a vision of them being content, fulfilled, expressing their pure love to each other, full of understanding, acceptance, and familiarity. But Alice told him, reminding him that it won't be a fast process. She'd inform him that his other half has been through so much pain and suffering and that her heart is filled with bitterness.

He'll wait, he waited before, and he'll wait again.

"That she does," Corazon says while Jasper offers his arm. It took only a second for Corazon to wrap her hand around his arm. In the past six years, she'd grown to trust Jasper. He was the epitome of a gentleman. He'd respected her boundaries, understood her silence, and listened to whatever she was saying.

Oh, Jasper Whitlock is the bearer of a honeycomb heart of how sweet he can be. He reminded her once again that not all men are cruel. Though Corazon always managed to avoid his adoring looks, how sweet and gentle he could be towards her, or the fact that she just didn't know, she was clueless. Clueless of the affection he held for her, clueless with his pinning, clueless with every gentle action, Corazon Cecilia Salvador was just oblivious because she had never been treated rightly before. She had no idea of the concept of any of it, really.

As far as she knows, courting someone starts first with asking permission to be courted. Well, Jasper never really asked. Hence, Corazon needs to be more knowledgeable about such notions.

For Jasper, he really needs to gain the courage to ask Corazon permission to properly court her.

"HOW CAN I HELP YOU?"

The man with blonde collar-length hair wore a white long-sleeve collar shirt with black slacks and black shoes with a white cloak folded neatly on his right arm. He's tall and well-toned. He looked like a doctor, so Corazon knew this was the man they were looking for.

Carlisle Cullen.

The Olympic Coven's leader, doctor, and husband of Esme Cullen adopted Edward Cullen, Rosalie Hale, and Emmett Cullen into their Coven. Alice hopes that they'll be adopted, too. She desperately wants to be part of their Coven. She's been waiting for this since 1919.

Alice smiled gleefully, stepping forward on her tiptoes like a fairy gliding along, "We've heard of your diet, and we'd like to practice the same," Alice informed with a cheery voice as she looked at Carlisle confidently, showing her topaz eyes.

"My name is Alice," She introduces, then she looks towards Corazon and Jasper, "These are Corazon and Jasper. You're Carlisle Cullen."

Carlisle nods, a smile coming to his face, impressed and slightly surprised. He then glances to Alice's side, far away from the cheery girl. Jasper and Corazon had let Alice do the talking. After all, she had seen this happen before with her vision.

Carlisle can see Jasper and Corazon's apprehension, yet he gave them a polite smile. He opened his front door wider, stepping aside with a hand guiding them, "I'd like you to come in. Let us talk about this matter further inside."

Corazon let out a mental sigh of relief. Jasper then glanced at her. She knew Jasper was using his gift towards Carlisle so that he would feel at ease with them. Alice stepped inside, already comfortable with her surroundings. Jasper let Corazon lead the way, with him following behind her with a guarded stance.

Alice timed their arrival without the two protectors of the Coven because they knew they'd be greeted with animosity by three strange vampires in their territory. She knew Carlisle was the one in charge and would welcome them with open arms without doubt. Because he believed in the strength of unity that a family can give.

The house wasn't just a display house. It was the definition of a home. It was filled with family portraits, living plants, and even a large aquarium in the living room. It also featured plush, tufted velvet sofas and armchairs in deep, jewel-toned colors. A grand piano sat in the corner, and antique Persian rugs covered the polished hardwood floors, adding a touch of opulence.

After telling Carlisle their reason for wanting to join his Coven, it didn't take long before he agreed. His family is expanding. It's what he has always wanted since the beginning.

"I'll take Edward's room," Alice announces, and Carlisle's surprised expression doesn't stop her; she opens the door of Edward's room and begins placing all of his belongings outside the door. Carlisle's expression is something in the words of oh, well, what could he do?

"I'd like to apologize for Alice's behavior." Corazon finally spoke up. Carlisle looked at her, shaking his head with a grin, "No matter. I find it endearing,"

"Thank you for accepting us to your coven," Corazon tells him, "It's not every day that one learns that a coven of vampires prefers animal blood over human blood." Corazon looks around, observant, another uncharted territory.

"I find it curious how you did find out that our family prefers a different diet?" Carlisle guided them towards the plush sofa. Corazon sat hesitantly while Jasper remained standing. Carlisle sat opposite of them. It didn't escape Corazon that Carlisle preferred referring to them as a family over a coven.

"Alice has a unique gift that I feel like it is not my right to tell," Corazon answers his question as she begins fumbling with her fingers. "May I ask where the others are?"

"My wife, Esme, and my son, Edward," Carlisle starts, and with the mention of his wife, content spread through his demeanor, "Are out to the market, buying new seeds for our garden," Corazon nods along as he continuous, "My daughter Rosalie, and her husband, my son, Emmett, are out hunting for the day, perhaps you'll meet them tonight."

"Are you going somewhere?" Corazon asks Carlisle, looking at his newly ironed and fresh clothes.

"Oh, yes. I am," Carlisle chuckles as he shakes his head. He stood up from his seat and said,

"But first, I should guide you to your bedrooms first, so you can arrange your belongings,"

"That would be nice. Thank you, Carlisle." Corazon gave him an appreciative smile as they followed Carlisle towards the second floor. Leading them into one spare bedroom, a bare room with white walls, and a balcony.

"Esme is still renovating this floor. There's only one bedroom available. If that's no trouble, that is?" Carlisle asks them. Corazon smiles, "No trouble, we don't sleep after all." Corazon then looks over her shoulder, eyes connecting with Jasper.

"Will that be alright with you, Jasper?"

"More than fine, thank you, Carlisle." Jasper gives him a curt nod while Carlisle looks between them, "My question may seem personal, but are you not together?"

Corazon couldn't help but release a soft laugh, "No," she answered, then looked at Jasper apologetically, "Goodness that came out rude. I'm sorry, Jasper," Jasper shook his head in response. He didn't mind; he heard her laugh, which was enough for him.

"No, we're not together," Corazon answered again. Carlisle nodded thoughtfully.

"Well then, I have a shift at the hospital in about thirty minutes. If it's alright to leave you by yourselves?" Carlisle politely asks, and Corazon smiles, "We'll be alright. Thank you again, Carlisle."

But before leaving, Carlisle said that he'd return in a few hours to introduce them to the family members, and the sound of his car engine began to fade. Jasper and Corazon entered the room with their luggage and plopped it down the floor. Corazon frowned at the bare white walls,

"Mind if I do the decorating?"

Jasper leaned against the wall, crossing his arms to his chest that accented his muscles. He said with a knowing tone, "I told you it'll be alright," Corazon smiled at him, which made his undead heartbeat.

"That you did,"

Chapter Text

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐎:
The past always follows
(1950)

(TW: Japanese Occupation, treatment towards Comfort Women during their time. Mentions of rape, abuse, violence, and torture. War crimes. Starts in the italicized fonts)

"YOU HIDE IT WELL, YOU KNOW?" Rosalie says behind Corazon, who sat on the stone-cold floors of her room, she was once again gazing at the moon and admiring its beauty.

"What do I hide well?" Corazon asks, not looking away at the moon while Rosalie sits on the floor beside her.

"Your pain," Rosalie answers, then Corazon looks at her, tilting her head, "It's not easy to live with a mind reader," Corazon shrugs, closing her eyes. She remembered the first time that Edward finally managed to read her mind. It was unintentional, of course. He tried to dismiss everyone's thoughts as much as possible for their privacy.

But Corazon's thoughts were too loud for him to ignore. It was one of those times when Corazon couldn't help but remember what happened to her. It's as if the memories never stopped to haunt her and ruined every progress she had made over the past decade.

Edward was visibly upset that day. He'd seen everything, everything that she had tried so much to bury and hide from everyone. His eyes followed her with pity with her every movement. Corazon hated every expression he made that day, and he couldn't help but keep his mouth shut that he had to say something. Corazon knows that he didn't mean any harm by it or was genuinely concerned, but meddling in her past was Corazon's breaking point.

"I'm sorry that happened to you, Corazon," Edward muttered. As his fingers stopped playing the piano keys, Corazon was caught off guard by his statement; she didn't know what he meant.

"You don't deserve what happened to you when you were human," Edward continued, and Corazon's body went rigid. She sat frozen on the sofa while all eyes turned to her, and all Corazon could feel was shame and embarrassment that Jasper tried to help her with her emotions.

Alice hissed in warning, "Edward, stop it."

The family knew Jasper and Alice's past; Alice told her story a week after they had joined the Cullens. It took Jasper two years to tell his past. As for Corazon, she never really intended to tell anybody what happened to her when she was human or what she did when she turned into a vampire. They respected her privacy; of course, the Cullens were full of understanding and sincerity, but Corazon knew they were curious.

"I just wanted to tell you that it's not your fault," Edward continued, and Corazon's jaw clenched, seething. Yet, she remained calm, hoping that Edward would take the time to listen to her thoughts and shut the hell up.

"I know you think you committed a si—-" Edward continues until Corazon cuts him off with a forced, painful laugh. "Of course, I committed a sin, Edward, but let's not act like you didn't make sins of your own when you strayed away from Carlisle and Esme." Corazon starts looking down at her lap, then her eyes connect to Edward.

"Since you opened a big can of worms and announced to everyone how sorry you are for what happened to me. I will spare you the time before you ramble to Carlisle about what happened to me. It's my story, my past. I have the right to tell it myself, isn't that right, Edward?" Corazon tilted her head, smiling at him tauntingly.

"In 1942, when I was on my way home from University, I was abducted by Japanese troops, and they took me to a house, a red house in the middle of nowhere; they took children too. I remembered the youngest being at the age of 7." Corazon announced it to the family. While they all listened, Jasper felt her every emotion. Multiple layers of pain, agony, and anger radiated from her.

"In there, I was placed in a dark room, where I was continuously raped by different men every night for a year; they abused me, they burnt me with cigarette butts, beat me half to death, used me, tortured me for fun, they cut my skin, used whips, branded me like a fucking cow in an auction. If I could prevent the sun from setting, I would because whenever night fell, they would start raping us," Corazon's voice shook as venom filled her eyes. She didn't dare to look at anyone. She can sense the horror in their features.

"I looked dead, I was thin—malnourished because they wouldn't give us food or water, they used us like ragdolls, they took every inch of my dignity and innocence that I wished that when they beat me to death that I would die and never wake up, but every day I woke up confined by those wood walls, never seeing the light of day," Corazon's hugged herself as she tucked her legs to her chest, now she stared blankly in front of her.

"I prayed to god every day just to kill me instead, but then one night, the Japanese soldier that finished his turn was drunk. He fell asleep when he finished and had the keys to my chain. I took it and escaped, but I was too weak to walk. I crawled. I could hear the other women's cry and plead to help them escape, but I couldn't. I hadn't even reached the exit when a Japanese soldier caught and beat me. He beat me so much that at this point, I considered death as kindness and mercy."

Corazon forced a chuckle, eyes still blank, "It was so stupid of him to think I was dead. He threw my body on the farm fields and didn't even bury me, but then Aika appeared. She was apologizing, and then all I felt was this agonizing and burning pain spread through my body. I woke up, then she told me I had become a vampire, my bruises were gone—any scar of torture and abuse were gone, my body was perfectly healthy again, I was beautiful, divine even, I looked like my old self again except, much more pretty, and so damaged at the same time."

"I remembered every face, every man who raped me," Corazon looks at Edward. She opened his mind and let him see every vile face that used her every night. "I hunted them down, one by one. I killed each of them with no mercy because they didn't show me any. I killed without a second thought. I killed every Japanese soldier I saw in the streets at night, I bombed their fucking camps, and I freed every woman they abducted and locked in those 'comfort stations' and 'comfort houses.' I destroyed every one of them. I made such an impression during their occupation that I was named The Red Lady of the North and The Lady of Justice."

"And the greatest sin of all is that I don't regret a single thing that I did, and I would do it again if I had the opportunity to kill those Japanese soldiers that not only tortured women in the Philippines but in Korea, Myanmar, New Guinea and in other countries that the Japanese occupied." Corazon stood up from her seat. "I killed because I had a reason, unlike you who wanted to know the taste of human blood because your true nature was so suppressed. If you wanted to drink human blood, you could have told Carlisle and resolved the miscommunication of your rebellion."

"So, yes, Edward, I know it's not my fucking fault," Corazon spat out with so much venom and hatred, "Because I didn't ask for any of this to happen to me, to happen to us women who were abducted! So thank you for your concern, but next time, know the time and place when to express your useless pity and guilt for your own sins." Corazon left abruptly, gone within an instant.

"Edward," Esme scolds, shaking her head in disappointment as she sighs and lets herself sink on the sofa, hand on her forehead.

"Jesus, man, you really have to keep your mind reading to a minimum here–tune it out," Emmett released a breath that he's been holding, "Maybe even keep it to yourself next time, for fuck's sake, dude,"

"Or maybe he shouldn't mirror his own guilt to anyone. Are you trying to advise Corazon on how to forgive herself for her so-called sins?" Rosalie shakes her head, "For goodness sake, Edward, not everybody shares the same belief that our soul is doomed!"

Rosalie exclaims as she stands up, "Stop pushing your faith on anyone, Edward. Give us all a break. Not everyone believes in god or in heaven or hell!" Rosalie scoffs as she rolls her eyes, turning around and following Corazon.

"Not everyone feels guilt, Edward," Alice whispers, "Especially when they did the things they did out of survival or revenge for what happened to them. don't make us feel guilty about the killings we had done because you feel guilty of your own murders." Alice then purses her lips.

Alice recalled when she first woke up as a vampire and killed the hospital staff out of pure hunger. She felt no remorse or guilt. She did it to survive. She went towards her bedroom. She knew Corazon too well to leave her alone. Emmett left the living room, upset.

"Edward," Carlisle released a deep, tired sigh, "Apologize to Corazon when she calms down," He, too, was upset with what just happened. He looked at his wife, who had stopped crying and decided to take her to the garden.

Edward and Jasper are the only ones left in the living. Jasper stalked towards him, expression with calm rage. He grabbed Edward by the neck, making Edward look at him with terror, his voice low and threatening, "You ever do that again. If you upset Corazon for any reason again. I will make sure to rip you to shreds until you're unrecognizable and unsalvageable and burn you to ashes." Jasper's eyes darkened. Edward read his mind, and Jasper envisioned him being ripped apart.

"Are we clear?" Jasper asks with a deep, commanding tone that Edward can't help but nod, "We're clear," Jasper lets go of his neck, and Edward takes a breath. Jasper cracks his knuckles as he turns around and walks towards their bedroom. Corazon chose not to change and retain their shared room arrangement, hoping she'd return in a few hours.

"I'm glad you killed them. They deserve it." Rosalie adds, "I would've done the same, maybe even joined you when I had the chance. Killing vile men has always been my specialty." Corazon only chuckled. She knows what happened to Rosalie. They have trusted each other since they share the sentiment of hating men with power, men who think they can do anything they want because they have the power to do it.

"I guess we have no souls, after all." Corazon teases.

"That's just bullshit," Rosalie rolls her eyes, "Edward and his religious beliefs. Carlisle and Edward believe that god and heaven exist, but only up to that point, Edward believes that our souls are damned, but Carlisle doesn't; if he did, he wouldn't have turned us. Carlisle even respects it if we don't follow the animal blood diet. It's not for everyone." Rosalie continues while Corazon nods thoughtfully. It's true. Corazon had heard Carlisle and Edward's discussion about religion. At the same time, Edward adapted to the traditional Christian belief that they, as Vampires, are damned and have no souls because their existence is a sin and that they have no afterlife.

Throughout his immortal life, Carlisle created his own philosophy for immortality and adapted to change, that a sin is to take life out of pleasure and not out of survival or righteous and justified justice—it's always their main disagreements with each other. Carlisle also told them countless times that he'd treat them the same no matter the blood diet; his endless compassion and understanding for them are what Corazon admires most about him.

Rosalie hesitantly looks at her, "Corazon,"

"Call me Cece. Alice first introduced me to the idea of a nickname since Corazon is a mouthful." Corazon tells Rosalie with a soft smile.

Rosalie nods with a smile on her own, "Cece, Emmett, and I have been doing this for a few years, and we'd hidden this as much as possible from Edward and Esme." Rosalie starts, and the last words of her sentence catch her attention, "We've been hunting rapists in every state we've resided in. Carlisle knows what we've been doing. He'd supported us in properly killing somebody without the post-mortem result as murder."

Interesting. Corazon could only guess they hid it from Edward to avoid his questionable and judgemental expression. They hid it from Esme so she wouldn't know how frequently they did it.

"If you'd like to join us, just tell me." Rosalie looks behind her shoulder, seeing Corazon already looking at her. All Corazon could think about was that she finally knew why Emmett and Rosalie's hunt lasted for four days.

"Do you mind adding three more to your murder-revenge duo?" Corazon finally asks with a grin, and Rosalie chuckles.

"The more the merrier, as they say,"

Chapter Text

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄:
Oh, Maria
(1960)

"NO, NO, Wait. Let me read your mind." Emmett squints, looking at Edward intensely, clasping his hands together, leaning forward. "Horny thoughts, coochie empty," Emmett says with a monotonous voice, but his lips betray him as he tries not to laugh his ass off the couch.

Edward rolls his eyes. Already used to Emmett's behavior. Corazon covers her mouth with her hand, looking away from the two. It has proven difficult not to laugh at Emmett's jokes, especially when Edward is his target. Especially when Edward scolds them for having loud thoughts, it's not like they can help it, right?

Of course, they can.

They spent years mastering hiding their thoughts from Edward, especially if they wanted to continue their secret activities. Edward couldn't understand her thoughts anymore because she was thinking in her mother tongue, Tagalog.

They all had their goals.

Rosalie's goal is to kill every known rapist in every town or city they've been staying. Or hunt in the neighboring city they took residence in. They watch every news and read every morning paper about legal court cases concerning rape, sexual abuse, assault, domestic violence, and the likes that failed to bring justice to the women who have been wronged by the so-called justice system that America held with high regard.

Jasper's goal is to burn every Confederate activity in the state, ruin those disgracious statues, accidentally create a mishap when Confederate supporters gather in one place, missing KKK members, fund and support every charity and protest relating to the unfair treatment of African Americans, and every discriminated race in America.

Alice's goal is to shut down every psychiatric hospital that still uses electric shock treatments for their patients. After researching more about the hospital she had woken up to, her file still existed after all these years, and she finally learned her true identity. She was only a girl who was accused and deemed insane to have unnatural visions. In that file, as soon as she entered the psychiatric hospital, she was to be announced dead. She tracked down every doctor who used those abusive treatments — it was not long before they met their demise. But she still doesn't know who her creator is or why she was turned in the first place.

Emmett's goal is to bankrupt every corrupt business in the state. Those who use unpaid and overworked workers in factories and companies. In his human life, all of the things that belonged to their family were taken away by a tycoon who bought their land in an unjust and illegal setup. All the hard work that his parents did was gone because of a man who thirsted for money and knew nothing but greed. With the help of Alice's vision, they are slowly taking away every cent of every man who was known to take advantage and exploit the less fortunate. They donated it to the families that are victims of greediness. Corazon also suggested investing in the properties that they had acquired, making the Cullens richer than they already are.

Corazon's goal is to kill and cause chaos in the lives of every person who extorts Filipino workers. Many Filipinos migrated to America in the 1920s – some migrated to Hawaii to work in pineapple plantations. The treatment of Filipinos in the United States has not changed since the years Corazon arrived in the country.

For example, they were not allowed to live in most neighborhoods or marry a white person. They did not have a union to help them demand better conditions and rights. Some of the most notable jobs that Filipinos are known for are nurses, nannies, factory workers, and farmers. Nurses are treated differently by their patients because Filipinos are known to be "stupid." Qualified nurses in the Philippines are treated as animals abroad. Nannies are either poorly treated, inhumane even. Factory workers are underpaid and underworked. Farmers sought justice against discrimination and adverse treatment in the United States; they wanted increased wages and better treatment but were ignored.

Carlisle knows this, of course, when Edward hunts to quench his thirst. They all briefed the head of the Coven on their plans. They don't proceed if Carlisle tells them not to. After all, they must be careful because of the Volturi, and so far.

Carlisle Cullen has approved every plan.

"How about a nice hunt for today, everyone?" Alice's chirpy voice interrupted whatever Edward was about to respond to Emmett. Rosalie looked up from her magazine with a raised eyebrow. They have different meanings for the words hunt for food or that hunt. "I think a bear would be delicious this time, Emmett?"

"Hell yeah!" Emmett stood up from his seat with a fist pump, "Bears are always good food, sis." Emmett grinned as he offered his hand to Rosalie, which she took graciously. They exited the living room but not before giving Alice a suspicious look in her topaz eyes, and they were gone. Edward soon followed. Jasper cracked his knuckles, looking at Corazon expectantly.

Corazon never really liked to hunt. She found it dirty and a bit barbaric. She dislikes wrestling deer and bears like Emmett or even carelessly snapping birds' necks or bunnies like Rosalie. So, in every hunt, Jasper offers to hunt for her. She never liked getting dirt and mud on her clothes or dirt on her newly polished fingernails and leaves in her freshly styled hair.

"Do you mind bringing a wine bottle with you? I'm not in a mood to hunt. Is that alright with you?" Corazon softly asked Jasper as she peered up at him from the book she was reading in her lap.

"I don't mind," Jasper simply answers, "I'll see you both in a few hours." He tipped his head as he approached the garden; Corazon and Alice heard his fading footsteps.

Alice suddenly released a deep breath she was holding. Corazon gave her a questioning look, "Good, good. Carlisle and Esme are out on a date tonight. Our siblings are out for a hunt, and we have a few minutes before our unwanted guest arrives."

"Unwanted guest?" Corazon confusedly asked with a bewildered expression, but before Alice could answer, her eyes blazed as she went into a trance. She suddenly snapped out of it, her expression alarmed and worried. Alice fiddled with her fingers, "She's here."

"Who's she—" Corazon was interrupted by a ring in their door. Suddenly, with the knowledge of an unwanted guest, Corazon stood up from her seat, stance guarded, expression unreadable as she sped through the front balcony. Alice followed behind her.

They see a woman with a messy array of black hair and toned skin, wearing a light blue long-sleeve dress that looks like it was made during the Renaissance period. The light in the front door illuminated her figure. Shadows danced underneath her feet.

"Maria," Alice called. The woman looked up. Her bright crimson-red eyes peered at them with a curious gaze. Corazon's head snapped towards Alice; the woman at their front door is Maria? The Maria who's been with Jasper during the Southern Vampire Wars?

"He's not here." Alice tells her, then continues as her voice never wavered; she must stay confident and assured, "If you'd like, I can rely on Jasper's message." Alice gave her a soft smile that is reciprocated by Maria with a forceful smile.

"I can wait," Maria answers – her voice almost a purr, as she places her hands on her back. Corazon never felt so much anger before. How dare she? How dare this woman so confidently barge into Jasper's life as if nothing happened, as if she hadn't done the things she did to him back then? How much pain, manipulation, and suffering Jasper had to endure because of her. This woman before them was nothing but selfish and power-hungry.

"You can, but you won't," Corazon tells her. Alice places a warning hand on her shoulder as Maria raises an eyebrow, eyes taunting, and then a grin forms on her lips.

"And who are you to decide for that?" Maria huskily asks as she tilts her head to the side, observing and analyzing Corazon from head to toe. Still, intimidation never worked on Corazon Cecelia Salvador, and it never will.

"As someone who knows why you're really here," Corazon answers, shrugging off Alice's hand on her shoulder as she crosses her arms to her chest. "And you won't succeed. Jasper finally gained a family with us. Would you be that selfish to take that away from him?"

Maria almost snarled but controlled her demeanor. "I'll give him a choice."

"Oh, so now you do?" Corazon counters as she leans on the silver railings. "You never gave him a choice when he was with you. If I recall, he had to escape your bloodthirsty Coven before he could make a choice of his own." If Jasper was here with them, he could probably touch her anger because of how much it radiated from her.

"Cece." Alice whispers-scolds but is ignored.

"What are you implying then?" Maria asks, then Corazon has no hesitation in answering her question, "That you're a selfish bitch that has no sense of respect but of her own and does not value anyone but her own."

Maria was seething, her lips curled as her hands clenched to her side. "Why don't you say it to my face then?"

Corazon only gave her a sinister grin. She hopped off the balcony and strode to Maria with ease. "Gladly," Corazon says. Maria gave her a glare, but Corazon had read her movements. Maria was about to grip Corazon's shoulder. She took two steps back, making Maria lose balance as Corazon grabbed the back of Maria's neck.

Then her gift worked magic, and Corazon gave Maria pain. Corazon made Maria face her, "I said. That you're a selfish bitch that has no sense of respect but of her own and does not value anyone but her own. You are severely mistaken if you think Jasper will join you." Maria was screaming and squirming, trying to remove Corazon's hand from her neck, but the pain was too much.

"Please, no more!" Maria screams in pain, body quivering.

"Beg." Corazon spat out as Maria's legs gave out, and she was kneeling to Corazon. Maria's hands were wrapped around her arms and felt numb because of the pain Corazon was emitting.

Maria's pleas were ignored until a gentle hand was placed on her shoulder. Corazon wasn't startled; she had felt Jasper's familiar touch before.

"Corazon." Jasper's deep voice whispered in her ear. "Let her go."

"Why?" Corazon looked behind her shoulder, meeting Jasper's eyes.

"I'll deal with her," Jasper answers. Corazon purses her lips as she pushes Maria to the ground, the woman landing with a loud thud as she rolls on the ground, still squirming from the pain.

Jasper moved in front of Corazon swiftly, covering her figure. His stance is more guarded and protective than usual. "Maria, to what do I owe the visit?" He asks with a clipped tone.

On her hands and knees, Maria said, "I came for you."

"Then your long travel is a waste." Jasper tells her, "I will not be going with you."

"Jasper, we belong together—" Maria softly says as Corazon scoffs in her mind, "Are you going to throw away all those precious years we've been at each other's side?"

Jasper purses his lips as he shakes his head. "Decades with you, Maria, yet you never sensed how miserable I was with you until you felt me dissociating myself with your coven, and you wanted to eliminate me." Jasper's voice is rough and stern, and Corazon silences a gasp.

Maria wanted to kill Jasper?

"That was my mistake." Maria stood up from the ground, stepping towards him; a hand went to Corazon's waist as they stepped back from her. Jasper raised a hand for Maria to stop her movements.

"And so is coming here is a mistake." Jasper tells her, "If you ever come near my family ever again, I will not think twice to kill you, Maria."

"You left me for them!" Maria exclaimed with a bewildered expression and a forced huff. "For that woman?" Maria pointed towards Corazon, and the latter only rolled her eyes.

"I already left," Jasper answers shortly.

"She will never give you what I can only give." Maria snapped, and Corazon raised an eyebrow; this woman had the confidence to throw whatever insult at her when she begged Corazon to end her pain.

In a blur, Jasper was holding Maria back to the ground, hand wrapped around her neck, Alice and Corazon could hear Maria's skin breaking like glass, and they both held their breath as they watched the scene before them unfold. "Never speak ill of her, never." Jasper's voice is hard and harsh.

He lets go of her, and Maria loudly gasps as she claws her neck.

Jasper's stern gaze is set to Maria, "Leave."

Maria was gone in an instant.

Corazon released a deep breath as she took careful steps towards Jasper, "Jaspe—"

Jasper turned around, looking at her from head to toe with a concerned expression, "Are you alright?" Jasper felt her emotions as if they were radiating from the house. He didn't go far to hunt, but he felt everything; he had a gut feeling from the beginning.

Corazon only smiles, "I'm okay." Jasper didn't believe her as he stepped forward to her, only inches away from each other. Jasper's hands were itching. He needed to ensure that nothing happened to Corazon while he was gone.

Corazon placed a soft hand on his cheek as Jasper instinctively leaned into her touch. "I'm okay," She repeatedly assures, her thumb brushing his cheekbone.

"I thought Maria had done something to you," Jasper whispers to her.

"Did you see what her predicament was when you arrived?" Corazon laughs softly as Jasper musters a smile, "I did."

"Are you alright?" It was Corazon's turn to ask as her eyes connected with his, confronting the person who took advantage of him for decades, that took everything away from him, his choice, his morals, his beliefs, his self-respect, his humanity — it would have never been easy.

Jasper shakes his head as he purses his lips, "Oh, Jasper." Corazon didn't need to be an empath to feel Jasper's feelings. Alice was grinning as she left them alone.

Corazon pulled him into a hug, her arms wrapped around his neck. At first, Jasper didn't know what to do; he knew how much Corazon didn't like to be touched unless she was the one to initiate it. But this, he needed this. He craved it as much as he craved blood, as much as his lungs needed air when he was human.

Jasper closed his eyes as he relinquished Corazon's presence; his left hand went to her back as he brought his right arm to the back of her neck, burying his face at the crook of her neck. The intoxicating and addicting scent of cherry and bitter almond invaded his mind. Jasper immersed himself in her. How his senses focused on nothing but her.

Jasper never felt at home until he felt what being in Corazon's arms felt like.

Chapter Text

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑:
Perks of being a vampire
(1965)

"JUST CHOOSE A FUCKING COLLEGE COURSE, CECE," Emmett grumbles as he dramatically plops down the sofa with the loudest sigh. Corazon ignores him as she writes down the pros and cons of what college course to take – again. For the third time.

She's not complaining, of course, not yet anyway. After all, Carlisle has the funds to send them all to prestigious universities, and Corazon was just taking advantage of it; not many have the privilege to study the college course they want or even go to college without worry of college funds.

Corazon loved academia – she loves learning. Something about the pursuit of knowledge, the value of intellectual curiosity, engaging in discussions, debates, and research endeavors that push the boundaries of current understanding is something that she anticipates when it comes to continuous learning. She likes how her brain is challenged in different fields to enrich and immerse herself across disciplines, cultures, and backgrounds.

The second time she went to college, Corazon took an Accounting major. On this demanding yet intellectually engaging voyage, she learned about the precise world of financial transactions, where every figure and entry must be correct. She grew skilled at evaluating data to develop workable solutions, whether for finding inconsistencies, balancing accounts, or coming up with cost-cutting plans. Three months after graduating in 1955, she passed the boards and became a licensed accountant. Now, she's in charge of computing, arranging, and safe-keeping documents, ensuring they are up to date for every property they have acquired. They also follow the mortal laws and the Volturi's to blend in with the humans.

Then, the third time, she was an International Studies major and graduated in 1961. She embarked on a four-year journey of exploration into the diverse cultural tapestry of the world during that period of intellectual openness. She acquired a deep respect for the diversity that characterizes the interconnected world through her studies of languages, traditions, customs, and history. She gained the ability to see problems in a broader light by considering how political, social, and economic events affect the world.

And she couldn't have done it without the perks of being a vampire – isn't it interesting how, being a vampire, their mind can consume and acquire limitless amounts of information? It felt so surreal; it's why she was taking advantage of it all.

When she was human, she didn't finish her studies. Given the circumstances, she was in her third year as a nursing student. Healthcare has always been her interest since she was a child. While studying to be a nurse, she was filled with excitement and eager curiosity.

Corazon remembered entering a summer program when she had her first clinical experience. Something about the practical exposure – especially in the Philippines made her highly disappointed. The healthcare system in the Philippines is nothing but a disappointment; they do not value their healthcare workers, hospitals are underfunded, and healthcare workers are underpaid and overworked.

At first, Corazon needed clarification about why healthcare workers were migrating abroad. She'd read the morning paper that day. When she finally had her first clinical exposure, she got her answer.

"I don't know if I should choose Nutrition and Dietetics or Chemical Engineering?" Corazon asks Carlisle, whom Corazon dragged from his office, to aid her in this crucial matter. Over the years, Carlisle Cullen is something Corazon considered a parental figure. Of course, no one can replace her biological parents. Still, Carlisle was the one who guided them all on how to adjust to their new life, and Corazon deeply valued his opinions.

Also, because he lived for centuries, he acquired wisdom and knowledge throughout his immortal life. Corazon would talk to him for hours about the history and different aspects of the medical field. She is a curious person, after all, and Carlisle is willing to answer every question.

Before he could answer, Corazon added as an idea popped into her mind, "Or! Should I double-major?" Carlisle chuckles.

"I'm quite biased given what field I am in; of course, I vote for Nutrition and Dietetics," Carlisle answers as Corazon taps the pencil on the table, lips puckered to the side as she ponders over the thought of taking the said major, and Emmett rolls his eyes.

"You're seriously the only one taking this seriously."

Corazon raised an eyebrow, "And why aren't you taking this seriously? We're going to study our chosen major for four years."

"It's because we'll graduate no matter what!" Emmett exclaims as if his answer is quite apparent.

"It's not my fault that I want to enjoy the major I'm going to study." Corazon releases a huff. Then, she focuses on Carlisle, who finds this whole ordeal entertaining. When they did this consultation of some sort when Corazon started arranging her first college application, it took her about three months to finally decide. Emmett begged Alice to make the decision for Corazon as they all know Alice had already seen it with her visions, but Alice refused – she wanted Corazon to decide herself and on her own.

"Besides, you're going to study Aeronautical Engineering for the third time. So, sincerely, shut up." Corazon shrugs her shoulders as she gives Emmett a side-eye. She knows that Emmett keeps choosing the major because he can just keep reusing the materials he already had – lazy ass.

"Carlisle," Emmett's eyes widened as he looked at their parental figure and pointed to Corazon with an offended look. Carlisle only grinned.

"Why aren't you considering a medical major? Like Pharmacy or Medical Technology?" Carlisle queries, and Corazon frowns, "You know that medical courses require RetDem that usually involves blood. And the people in the class would find it odd that a needle can't pierce my skin regarding assessments."

That's the cons of being a vampire, indeed.

Carlisle hums with a pondering expression as he places his hand under his chin. Rosalie enters the living room, striding towards her husband. "How is the college-major-choosing going?"

"Boring."

"Quite well."

Emmett and Corazon answered simultaneously. Rosalie released a small laugh as she sat beside Emmett, "Give her a break, honey. You know how much Cece likes going to college."

"Like is an understatement," Emmett grumbles, and Corazon rolls her eyes for what feels like a hundred times.

"You're such a hater, Emmett. Are you sure you're not one of those stereotypical American mean girls?" Corazon asks mockingly.

"More like a stereotypical jock, but I understand what you mean." Rosalie teases as Emmett clicks his tongue on the roof of his mouth.

But before Emmett could remark, Carlisle answered. "I could teach you, Cora. I can be your mentor if you want to choose a medical major. If you'd like?" Carlisle is qualified—over qualified even; he's studied every branch of the medical field over the centuries and is licensed to teach both pre-medical and medical students.

He'd suggested it because he has certain connections even in the field of education that would allow him to teach one student for college; after all, he lived for centuries, and he'd been in the field of academia for so long that he knew other civilized vampires that have been in the field.

Corazon's features brighten at his suggestion. "Oh, you are so going to regret you suggested it because I am going to be relentless."

"I weighed my decisions," Carlisle gives her an amused smile, "I guess being alive for so long, I could take on the challenge of teaching a know-it-all."

Emmett releases a booming laugh that echoes through the walls of the house.

Corazon released a mocking gasp, "I like being a know-it-all, thank you very much. I will take that as a compliment."

"Of course you would!" Edward yelled from his room. Corazon and Edward had an understanding of each other, an agreement. To try not to meddle with their thoughts or even voice it out when he accidentally reads their minds. The incident that happened with Edward reading Corazon's mind resulted in Corazon telling everyone about her human life. Edward has been – well, for easy understanding, sucking up to Corazon. He felt incredibly guilty for what he did until now, and he tried to make up for it.

Corazon has forgiven him – when she threw him out of the house they lived in then, shattering the glass windows that Esme installed. It was a great time. Corazon had never thrown someone out, literally. She was just glad that she had the opportunity.

"Nobody asked, but okay," Corazon says, not needing to raise her voice because she knows he heard it clearly. "So, now I have to choose my medical major." Corazon hums as she writes the list of the medical majors she knows of. Carlisle then looks at the paper while nodding along.

"For fucksake," Emmett grumbles. He just wants it to be over with. "Language, Emmett!" Esme scolds from the garden.

Corazon has been disturbing everyone for months, asking them why they are taking the course they will be taking in a few months and what factors they will benefit from their chosen course.

"Oh! How about a Medical Science major in Anatomy and Physiology?" Corazon eagerly asks Carlisle, and the doctor nods, "I think that's a good medical degree to start with." Knowing Corazon, this will not be her last medical degree.

"That's settled then!" Corazon smiles as she finishes her application.

"Finally!" Emmett exclaims as he claps his hands together; Alice pops out of her room, her voice smooth and cheery; she had seen this already, "Nice choice, Cece. I think you'll do great!" Corazon smiles and replies with a thank you while Rosalie scolds Emmett. Carlisle takes Corazon's application and tells them that he'll be submitting their applications tomorrow – probably to the university's dean they'll be studying at – who they know is a vampire.

Corazon then decided to head to her and Jasper's shared room after the whole Maria fiasco they had moved. The two still decided to share a room. It was a sense of familiarity and comfort that she unknowingly clung to.

Jasper is sitting comfortably on the plush sofa nestled within the intimate confines of their bedroom. His golden eyes, both piercing and contemplative, scan the pages with a quiet intensity as he engrosses himself with a book. The ambient light catches the subtle contours of his pale features, emphasizing the sculpted lines of his face and the tousled waves of his golden blonde hair.

Corazon couldn't help but think that he looked like a divinity that graced the earth. Over the years, being around Jasper, she'd learned how to control her emotions, Jasper had taught her how. He knows how much Edward irked her when he crossed Corazon's boundaries, and Jasper didn't want to make the same mistake Edward did.

Concealing emotions was a difficult ordeal, but Corazon managed. Besides, she never hid her emotions from Jasper. She'd consider him her safest place.

Jasper looked up as Corazon entered the room, and he gave her a small smile, "I heard all of it. Are you happy with the course you're going to take?" His voice is soft, like a velvety murmur with a touch of southern drawl.

"Satisfied more like it." Corazon shuts the door behind her as she sits beside him, inches apart.

Jasper hums, "I'm glad." Corazon purses her lips, contemplating, and Jasper looks at her expectantly.

"Do you think it's silly?" Corazon asks, tone soft as almost a whisper, a hint of insecurity in her voice. Jasper tilts his head, confused with her question. Then Corazon clears her throat and clarifies, "That I'm so meticulous with this? With choosing a college course and this whole ordeal of blending in with humans?"

It was strange that they wanted to blend in with humans in the first place; in the Vampire Community, their coven was deemed odd for wanting to live with normalcy and, of course, their choice of diet. It was unusual, as well, for a coven to have eight vampires that got along well. It was rare. But they don't treat each other like a fellow member of a coven like the others. They treat each other like family – that's what makes a difference.

The Volturi paid them no attention out of respect for Carlisle. Besides, many wanted to adapt their lifestyle because Carlisle greatly influenced their community. As long as they remain careful with suspicions of their kind. The Volturi won't meddle in their lives with their decision to live amongst the humans—they find it curious instead.

"No. You just want to make the most out of our immortality." Jasper simply answers. There's an underlying warmth in his words that soothed Corazon.

"Exactly, I—" Corazon stops as she releases an embarrassed laugh, "I just want to learn everything, to see what this immortal life has to offer. To learn and speak every language, to read all the books in this world, to learn every hobby, play every instrument, to listen to every kind of music, to admire every painting, to learn philosophy, business, politics, literature, the human body–the sciences, I want to be able to answer any question and know the answer right away—just everything!" Her hands were animatedly moving in the air, her tone filled with so much passion and eagerness with a big smile on her face; she didn't notice how Jasper looked at her as if she strung up the stars and gave him the entire universe.

Corazon finally looked at him again, embarrassed. Jasper was looking at her with a grin. "Do you think it's silly now?" Jasper shakes his head and deeply chuckles, saying, "I think it's admirable."

"Really?" Corazon asks with a smile as her eyes soften. Jasper almost melted on his spot. He could feel her emotions, which engulfed him whole, the immense joy, fresh enthusiasm, pure delight, and warm satisfaction. He liked the feeling more than anything. It brought him unyielding contentment.

"I think it's beautiful how you're so passionate about wanting to learn more. How enthusiastic you are about setting out a different outlook for our immortality. You..." Jasper suddenly stops, feeling flustered as he sees how Corazon anticipates and clings to his words.

"I, what?"

"You deserve to be happy. Happiness suits you."

Chapter Text

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄:
Under the mango tree
(1965)

"ATE," Sister. Carmelita calls out, releasing a child-like laughter, seemingly out of breath as she places a hand on her chest. "Maduga ka!" You cheated. She exasperatedly yells, releasing a huff as she stomps her bare, muddy feet on the ground. Her youngest sister was always a sour loser. Always easily annoyed and impatient.

"Asar talo ka lang," You're just a sore loser. Miriam teases as she pokes Carmelita on the waist with a teasing smile. She laughs triumphantly as Corazon and Miriam share a high-five. While Carmelita poked her tongue out and Elenita rolled her eyes as she wiped her hands on her dress, "Alam mo, kaya ayoko na makipaglaro sayo. Ang bilis mo mapikon," You know, that's why I don't want to play with you anymore. You quickly get irritated. Carmelita only shakes her head, a sour expression on her face with her lips puckered to the side.

The sisters' laughter echoed through the fields. Corazon is the eldest sister with three older brothers. Joselito is the oldest of seven, then Antonio and Theodoro, the identical twins, followed by Corazon, Elenita, Miriam, and Carmelita—the only gap between each of them is two years. Joselito is twenty-one years old and studying in Manila for University, same as the twins, aged nineteen. Corazon is seventeen and is only home for the weekend. She's in her second year of college as a nursing student. Elenita is fifteen and in her last year of high school. Miriam is thirteen, and Carmelita—their youngest, is eleven, both in high school.

Carmelita and her sisters were racing in the rice fields that their parents owned. "Si bunso talaga. Huwag mo nang pansinin mga ate mo, pero totoo nga na pikon ka." Our youngest. Don't listen to your sisters, but you're really a sore loser. Carmelita only rolled her eyes as she stomped towards the mango tree.

The sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm, golden hue over the vast expanse of the rice fields. The air was filled with the earthy aroma of damp soil, intermingled with the sweet fragrance of blooming wildflowers that adorned the edges of the fields.

The simplicity of it all and the unbreakable bond that held them together. It was a timeless moment. Underneath the shade of the mango tree, time seemed to stand still. The sweet aroma of ripe mangoes wafted through the air, tantalizing their senses.

Corazon began peeling the mango she picked from the tree, revealing the succulent, golden flesh within, and indulged in the sweet nectar that dripped down her fingers. She began distributing it to her sisters.

"Sana ganito nalang palagi." I hope it's always like this. Miriam dreamily sighed as she lay on the ground, hands beneath her stomach as her eyes wandered through the azure sky.

"Ang lalim naman ng iniisip mo, Miriam." You're overthinking again, Miriam. Elenita responds.

Corazon stood up from her seat and filled the empty bucket of water from the water pump, and they began to clean their hands and dry them off through their dress.

"Si ate Cora aalis na naman bukas," Cora will be leaving again tomorrow. Carmelita pouts, looking at her oldest sister with a frown. Corazon clicks her tongue on the roof of her mouth, "Hindi naman permanente, bunso. Babalik din ako sa susunod na biyernes." It's not permanent, Carmelita. I'll be back next Friday. Carmelita scoots over to Corazon as Corazon begins to braid her hair, placing a small white flower on every trail of her braid.

They nestled into its shade, the sunlight filtering through the leaves in dappled patterns on their faces. "Corazon, Elenita, Miriam, Carmelita! Uwi na! Tanghalian na!" Corazon, Elenita, Miriam, Carmelita! Go home! It's lunchtime! They hear their mother yell out from their house.

They all shared a look, and they began to stand on their feet and began to run towards the house. Their mother called out again, "Corazon!"

"CORAZON,"

A soft voice calls out once again. Corazon opened her eyes, greeted by the blazing sunlight and the gentle skies spreading through the horizon. The garden surrounding her, an oasis of colors and fragrances, unfolded before her like a living canvas. A symphony of flowers swayed gently in the evening breeze, their petals painted in various shades of pink, purple, and orange.

Corazon lay under the oak tree. A gentle breeze stirred the leaves, creating a soft, rustling symphony that serenaded Corazon into a state of tranquility. "Esme?"

Esme gives her a small smile, her caramel hair cascaded in soft waves, framing her face. Esme's eyes, pools of warm topaz, held a depth that hinted at both wisdom and kindness. Corazon always thought that even though Esme didn't have a gift like most of the family members, she regained it through her soft-spoken nature, calming presence, and warm and inviting demeanor.

Esme is everything a mother should be; in a way, Esme reminds Corazon of her own mother, nurturing and the very essence of love for her children, even though she did not bear them—her love for them knows no bounds.

"Here I thought the sun fell into my garden," Esme releases a soft laugh, the parasol on her hand shading her from the sun. Corazon looked at her skin, transformed into a resplendent display of diamond-like brilliance as sunlight kissed her skin. The air seemed to shimmer with an almost tangible luminosity.

"Oh, I forgot," Corazon shakes her head, a chuckle escaping her lips. "Joining me bask in the glow of the sun?" She asks, looking up at Esme as she uses her arm to support her head.

"If I removed this parasol, we'll both be blinded by our own skin," Esme muses as she gracefully sits beside Corazon. They watched as the breeze swept by the flowers, the bees collected pollen, the birds flew around them, and the clouds moved in the sky. "I miss it too, how warm it feels."

Warmth. It was a feeling they'd never experience again. It seems like it'll be a never-ending feeling of coldness.

"I didn't want to forget it, you know? That's why I'm doing this. There are some things about being human that I didn't know I'd miss." Corazon mutters, heavily sighing as she takes a deep breath as the fresh air seeps through her lungs, exhaling and closing her eyes in delight.

"Being human," Esme ponders as she tucks her legs to her chest, still a parasol in her hand. "I didn't know how simple human life is when I became a vampire."

"Living and dying are difficult for us now," Corazon says. Never staying in one place, never having the freedom to walk when the sun is at its peak, never eating human food and an endless craving for blood, never experiencing the different stages of life, never having children, never experiencing normalcy again, and never dying. Over time, Corazon understood how vampirism is both a blessing and a curse.

A blessing because, for them, life can be experienced to the fullest. Being human is like a clock ticking, with every tick a reminder that time for humans can stop—in the most unexpected way. Being human is knowing that life for them is short; there's this unexplainable rush of doing something worthwhile, something they'll be remembered by, wanting to experience something bigger than themselves because time is valuable; once it stops ticking, it can never be recovered or repeated. It just stops—forever. It can be exciting and scary, but that's part of the human adventure. Knowing that life is short.

For vampires, the concept of time is nothing of the sort because they have eternity; for them, the clock continues to tick and never stops. It just keeps ticking, ticking, ticking, and ticking. That it comes to the point that the ticking can drive one into madness because it's endless, never-ending, never stopping, forever ticking, forever reminding them that they are immortal and will never be the same again. It's a curse, knowing that everything that they've ever loved, seen, and touched will forget them, pass on, and continue—without them. It's painful. It's gut-wrenching and agonizing. The curse of immortality is knowing that loneliness will be a companion in every step. Realizing that time is a trap and one could easily get lost in the void of eternity.

That's the tragedy of immortality.

"Dying, yes. It's difficult for us. But living? It doesn't have to be such a burden." Esme says with her soft and soothing voice.

"It's haunting me—being alive. My memories wouldn't stop; just when I thought I had finally moved past them, it pulled me back in, reminding me at every moment. It won't let me forget." Corazon whispers as she feels a lump in her throat; her throat feels constricted, feeling ashamed as her shoulders slumped.

Esme's face constricted in worry as she connected to Corazon's eyes filled with pain, "It was insensitive of me. I'm so—"

"It's alright," Corazon shakes her head as she waves her hand in dismissal, "You were nothing but kind," Corazon fixed her posture, back straight, chin up, mustering a smile

"You can talk to me," Esme says with a hint of eagerness in her tone, "Let me help you ease the pain."

Corazon couldn't help but genuinely smile; at this moment, all she could think of Esme was how she embodied the soul of an angel.

"I don't want you to be burdened with my bearings."

"It will be no such thing; you're my daughter, biological or not; you're in my care. I will never forgive myself for not taking the pain away from you." Esme says with so much firmness and genuineness that it makes Corazon's undead heart swell. "Your parents, even without knowing. I want them to feel at peace knowing that their daughter is well taken care of,"

"How do you do it?" Corazon suddenly asks. "Make everything seem so light?"

Esme's features soften at her words, "I don't know. I just know that I feel fiercely maternal for all of you, that I'll do anything for all of you like a parent would normally do, turn the world upside down so that yours wouldn't feel that way."

"You're a great woman, Esme. A greater mother, too." Corazon tells her, "Both you and Carlisle have been so welcoming of us. So kind. You treated us from the beginning like you've known us for a long time."

"Kindness isn't difficult to give to those who need it in a world that sometimes seems cold and indifferent. Kindness can bring hope and acceptance. I want you to feel at home when you come to us."

Home.

Corazon once again closed her eyes as she reminisced about the feeling of home. The happy memories of home, with her parents, with her siblings—in her motherland before tragedy struck them, destroying their once comfortable home and filling it with agony and ruin. She missed them so much that it hurts that all the love for them that she has in her heart that she won't be able to express to them again. It's agonizing. To feel the love she has for them, and knowing that she can never see them again—to hold them.

Knowing that in time, her mother, her father, Joselito, Antonio, Theodoro, Elenita, Miriam, and Carmelita will move on to the next stages of their lives without Corazon.

It's frightening, it's...lonely.

It's painful to be the only one to remember them when the time comes. It's painful to be the one who remembers—all of it. The things she wants to forget. Oh, goodness, how she tried to forget every single memory of that year.

"I know it's hard, accepting strangers into your life and suddenly considering them as a family because you have to," Esme began, "But I hope that someday, when you see us, you consider us as your home, to be the ones who'll be there for you when you need it most. A shoulder to lean on. You don't have to be alone, Corazon—you have me. You have us. Hopefully, soon, that could be enough." Esme gracefully stood up from the ground, and before she could leave, Corazon called her name.

"Thank you. I really needed this."

"Anytime, dearest."

Suddenly, Corazon felt like she was under the mango tree again.

Chapter Text

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐈𝐗:
Whoops-a-daisy
(1968)

"I THINK I JUST HAD AN ORGASM,"

Rose blurts out, and Corazon furrows her eyebrows, bewildered. "From setting a building on fire?"

"Definitely the climax of it,"

"I have no right to question that,"

"Maybe a little,"

Rose and Corazon shared a look, and then a smile spread on their faces, and they burst into chimes of laughter. "No one will understand how twisted we are," Alice chirps as she joins them after being out of touch for a quick minute when she just had a vision.

"I should inform you both that there will be events that I won't be able to control, but it's good to know that what will be happening is in our nature," Alice informs them nonchalantly as her eyes focus on the burning building in front of them.

"Meaning we'll be killing someone," Rose acknowledges with a nod and a shrug.

"Or two," Corazon grins.

"Just one," Alice tells them, lips twitching into a grin, amused.

"Boy or girl?" Rosalie asks, and so the question begins. Minor details won't change the future or Alice's snippet of the future.

"A girl,"

"Redhead? Brunette? Blonde or Black hair?"

"Brunette,"

"Teen? Adult? Elder?"

"Middle twenties,"

Jasper and Emmett arrived, both holding a smug grin on their faces; they were the ones who set the building on fire. It was Emmett's task tonight. Another greedy company was destroyed in the name of justice.

"What are we guessing?" Jasper asks, intrigued, eyes instantly drifting to Corazon's form. She continues to take his breath away, standing before the burning building. Her silhouette is a striking contrast against the backdrop of chaos. The flames danced in the background, casting an eerie glow that painted the scene in shades of orange and red.

Corazon looks at him, answering, "Alice has a vision that one of us will be killing a human." The flickering flames are reflected in her eyes. The curls of smoke from the burning building twisted and twirled, wrapping around her like an ephemeral cloak.

"Nice," Emmett claps his hand. "When?"

"A few hours from now," Alice answers, looking at him over her shoulder.

Rosalie walks towards her husband, intertwining their hands, "Well, we should get out of here before the police link us to both crimes."

"Murder and arson. How exciting!" Corazon exclaims as she laughs as they run away from the burning chaos. They quickly changed their clothes in the nearby gas station restroom, the scent of the bitter essence of wood, plastic, and metal long gone.

"Who knew that committing arson could make me hungry?" Emmett pats his stomach as he releases a deep sigh.

"You always get hungry after we commit crimes, honey." Rose rolls her eyes as she folds their clothes.

"It's not a crime." Corazon begins, and Jasper finishes knowingly, "Only a redistribution of matter."

"Correct, and—" Corazon starts again, and Jasper cuts her off, "The cycle of human life, the world turning,"

Corazon huffs as she turns away from him, crossing her arms to her chest as she glances at him over her shoulder with an annoyed expression, "No one likes a know-it-all,"

But I adore you, Jasper suddenly blurted in his mind, yet he only shook his head with an adorning smile.

Emmett suddenly sniffed out loud, "That smells amazing," looking around until his eyes settled on a brunette girl loading her car with gas. He froze, hands clenched to his side as he was probably running different thoughts in his mind. He looked troubled.

Corazon looked at Alice, eyes wide, alarmed, "Fuck,"

Rosalie then suddenly realized what Alice's vision was, "Emmett, let's plan this through," she wrapped her hands around his arm with a firm grip, holding him in place.

"We kidnap her, or Emmett kills her right now in this gas station." Alice suddenly says, no panic in her tone. Looking at the brunette girl with a tilted head as she rocked her feet back and forth.

"There are too many people here to witness; it'll expose us," Jasper's eyes scanned the gas stations calculatingly as he noted how many humans they needed to dispose of if they chose the second option, but there were simply too many.

The neon lights of the gas station flickered to life, casting an amber glow on the gravel lot. The night air was thick with the scent of gasoline and oil, mixed with the distant aroma of fried food from a nearby diner. A group of teenagers pulled into the station in a sleek, chrome-laden convertible, their laughter echoing against the concrete walls. They gathered around the soda machine.

A truck driver pulled up and went to the store, buying himself a packet of cigars. A couple in their mid-thirties parked in front of the store, enjoyed themselves as they ate the fast food they brought, and had an easy conversation.

Alice informs, "After that girl fuels her car, she'll buy herself a drink, go to the bathroom, and then leave. We have plenty of time to create a plan," seeing the woman count the cash in her purse.

The rest of them nod at her words, "It's only safe that we kidnap her," Rosalie tells them, glancing at Emmett with worry.

"And how do we exactly execute that?" Jasper asks with a raised brow, tone skeptical as he crosses his arms to his chest.

Alice looks at Corazon with a knowing look. Corazon groans as she buries her head in her hands, mumbling, "You owe me so much right now, Em." Corazon only used her gift when it was only necessary.

"Will a thank you suffice?" Emmett tried to smile, but he struggled to hold his breath.

"No," Corazon says, giving him a deadpan look, then she rolls her eyes. "I'll compel her, go with her in the car while you follow us, and tell her where to go. Isn't your cabin nearby here, Rose?"

Rose nods in confirmation, "Only another town away,"

"Good, we'll think of how we'll do this when we arrive in the cabin," Corazon finalizes as she takes in a deep breath, then closes her eyes, gathering herself, as she exhales, opening her eyes and looking at them with a determined expression, "Shall we?" They all nodded once again.

"Join me, Ali. So I know which route I should take," Corazon offered her hand while Alice took it with no complaint as they strode to the bathroom. "So, once she goes to the bathroom, I'll compel her, and then we'll go."

"Whatever you decide, it'll work. I've seen it." Alice assures.

"That's good then," Corazon replies as they enter the bathroom. She looked at herself and began to fix her hair when the brunette woman entered the bathroom. Seemingly surprised by the two women in the mirror, entranced with their appearance. Corazon turned to face her; she gave the woman a polite smile, topaz eyes focusing on blue. Their pupils dilated.

"You'll be dear, won't you, and give us a ride to the next town?" Corazon asks softly, her tone melodic and polite as she smiles again.

"Of course," The woman answers instantly with a dazed expression.

"That's great!" Corazon exclaims as the brunette woman exits the bathroom with Alice and Corazon following behind her. She quickly glanced toward Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper, who were already in the car. Ready to follow the plan.

When they neared the car, they smelled something quite interesting. Alice and Corazon shared a look. Corazon was seated in the passenger seat while Alice sat at the back. The brunette woman behind the wheel. The smell was more potent and more prominent.

"What's in the trunk?" Corazon asks the woman, and again, the woman answers in an instant, "A chopped body part of a man that I had just murdered a few hours ago."

Corazon whistles as she releases a chuckle. "What a coincidence, a prey being preyed upon." Alice clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth, "At least we'll get rid of a murderer,"

"Who's to say this woman isn't a serial killer?" Corazon grins as the brunette woman begins to drive. Tall trees lined the sides of the road, their branches forming a canopy that seemed to reach out and touch the inky sky above.

Occasionally, the moon peeked through wisps of clouds, casting ethereal shadows that danced across the asphalt. As the car neared the outskirts of the nearby town, the distant glow of streetlights began to pierce the darkness.

"How many people have you killed?" Alice asks, and the brunette woman looks at her skeptically through the rearview mirror. "Answer her," Corazon demands.

"Five,"

Corazon released an impressive hum, "That's definitely in the criteria of the FBI to earn the status of a serial killer."

"Does that mean we are, too?" Alice curiously asks, and Corazon shakes her head with a laugh.

"We're vampires, Ali. I think we passed through the status long ago," Corazon answers. Looking forward on the narrow dark road. The headlights now traced a path through a tunnel of overhanging trees.

"You can tell her to stop here," Alice tells her, "The cabin is near,"

Corazon nodded and did what Alice told her to do. Her hand went to the brunette woman's cheek, guiding her face to look at Corazon, "Sleep," Her eyes fluttered shut as her head rested on the car seat.

"What do we do with the car?" Corazon asks Alice.

"I'll take care of it," Alice then exited the car, with Jasper walking towards them, "Emmett and Rose are already in the cabin," Then he nodded towards the brunette woman who was fast asleep, "I'll carry her,"

Corazon exited the car while Jasper carried the woman in his arms, and Alice started the engine again, driving away. They walked in silence in the dark woods. The air was infused with the scent of damp earth and pine. The silence was interrupted only by the occasional rustle of leaves and the distant chirping of crickets. They finally reached the cabin. Warm light spilled from its windows, casting a golden aura on the surrounding foliage. The scent of burning wood mingled with the earthy fragrance of the forest.

Rosalie greets them by the door, looking at the woman in Jasper's arms with evident distaste. "Let's get this over with." They followed her towards the basement, where an enormous black fireplace was already lit—assuming that's where they'd dispose of the body afterward.

"Okay, so what do we do?" Emmett asks anxiously, his hands clasped together as he sits on the sofa, leaning forward with his arms settled on his thighs.

"What do you want to do?" Jasper questioned with a raised brow. The woman was placed on the wood chair, still fast asleep.

"I just want to drain her dry," Emmett's jaw clenched as his eyes settled on the woman.

"Well, get on with it then," Rosalie rolled her narrow eyes as she sat near the fireplace.

"Now, don't be so irrational." Corazon suggests, "Why don't you harvest her blood? Store in a wine bottle or two." Corazon offers another solution to his dilemma.

"It's been so long since I had it from the vein," Emmett's eyes darkened as he licked his lips, standing up and circling around the woman, hands behind his back. Jasper cleared his throat. "I'll be outside. Call me when it's done," Corazon frowned yet nodded, concerned eyes trailing him as Jasper went up the stairs, closing the door behind him.

"Have at it, honey." Rosalie gestures her hand towards the woman. Emmett kneeled before the woman, taking her hand and turning it around until her wrists were presented to him. "I can hear it, the blood in her veins."

"Stop torturing yourself, would you?" Corazon scoffs as she plops herself on the sofa. Then Emmett finally sank his teeth into the woman's wrist; Corazon could see how he closed his eyes in delight. The woman was about to fall when Emmett caught her throat with too much force until he snapped her neck.

The sound of a bone crack echoed around the basement. Corazon looked at Emmett incredulously.

Emmett pulled away from the woman's wrist, mouth dripping with blood, and faltered, "Whoops,"

"Whoops?" Corazon repeated as she face-palmed.

"For fuck sake, Emmett." Rosalie sighs, shaking her head as she massages her temple.

"All this effort for you just to snap her fucking neck." Corazon groans in a scolding tone.

"It was an accident!" Emmett protests, turning around and looking at them with his now red eyes, staring at them widely, mouth agape.

"Goodness, you'll have to explain to Esme why your eyes are now red." Corazon looked at his eyes.

"You know that Esme accepts if we eventually drink human blood," Rosalie reminds her. It's true; Carlisle and Esme always reminded them that they could switch to the human blood diet; they learned their mistake with Edward when he strayed.

Before Alice, Jasper, and Corazon joined the Cullens. Emmett, Rosalie, Carlisle, and Esme accepted that drinking human blood is in their nature; there is no point in denying it—except for Edward, who always believes that their sin will never be atoned; nobody cares about his opinion anyway. He can't judge them if they do so. Edward went on a blood-crazed adventure when he wanted to explore the beauty of human blood.

Esme and Carlisle didn't realize how suppressed Edward felt when he wanted to truly know their vampiric nature; it didn't matter anyway because he regretted it since he couldn't bear the truth. That their kind kills to survive. So, he remained devoted to the animal blood diet.

Rosalie and Esme, much like Carlisle, never wanted to be isolated from human society like the Volturi. They needed to be inconspicuous, and with ruby-red eyes, they could easily be exposed to humans. Their topaz eyes are unique but never questioned. Besides, they are content with drinking animal blood; harvesting human blood is too much work—they aren't willing to risk Carlisle's career. They respected that donated blood was not for them because some humans need it most. Emmett followed the diet because of Rosalie.

However, with Corazon being in their coven and having mind-control abilities, In this instance, gathering human blood can be less of a chore but a choice. They are all aware of what they are doing when they kill. They don't combine drinking and killing because their motives empower it.

This is also the first time they encounter a blood singer; it's a rare occurrence they couldn't miss.

"Let me get my equipment in the car. I'll harvest her blood." Corazon finally says as she goes upstairs, opening the trunk of the car and seeing the tackle box that she used when she and Carlisle had lessons in the University, that they were permitted by the dean—a vampire, to use the laboratory.

Corazon sees Alice walking towards her with her usual chirpy expression, "I see that Emmett was too excited,"

"Unfortunately," Corazon releases a sigh as she closes the trunk. They both went inside and headed down the basement, seeing Rose wipe Emmett's mouth, removing the blood dripping down his chin that dripped down his neck.

Corazon inserted the needle in both wrists, performing a venipuncture as blood began to flow through the tube and into the two wine bottles. "Since the human body contains about 1.2-1.5 gallons of blood. We'll need more wine bottles. Maybe four more?"

"We have more upstairs," Rosalie says, looking at Emmett with a raised brow, "Get changed. You have extra clothes in our bedroom," Emmett followed his wife's orders.

"How do we dispose of the body?" Alice asked as she stood next to Corazon and placed her hands on both sides of her hips with her lips puckered to the side. Then Corazon's eyes settled toward the large metal fireplace.

"There's a fireplace here for a reason."

Chapter Text

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍:
Existence and free will
(1970)

IT'S ONE OF THOSE DAYS that Corazon felt good about herself. That serene feeling spreads throughout her body and tells her to just be.

It's a rare occasion, but it shouldn't be. Most days, she felt like she was just surviving the day to finish it and repeat it the next day. Her research kept her mind busy, her hobbies kept her body at work, and it suddenly occurred to her that she was doing it to feel the rush of time, to not allow herself to breathe, to think, and to feel.

Which, now, she reflected on. It was an unhealthy way of coping. It's no secret that Corazon is having difficulties keeping it all together; the façade she's been displaying for everyone isn't as believable as she thought it was. It's like they could see right through her. Is she so easy to read?

Corazon remembered five years ago how she was convincing herself that vampirism had given her so many opportunities that others couldn't have. Still, all she ever wanted to have is the privilege of having the peace of mind, and that itself is no amount of money could buy. No self-help book could solve her problem, and when it dawned on her that it was up to her and not up to the book to actually fix her problem.

And fuck did she hate it. Corazon fancied herself a problem solver as the eldest daughter in an ethnic Asian household. She handled the responsibilities placed on her shoulders to be the one her younger sisters would see as a role model. Yet, this time, she couldn't even fix herself. On other days, she felt numb, and on other days, she felt hollow, and on different days, she could even barely recognize herself when she looked in the mirror.

Corazon felt guilty; she knew Jasper could feel her persistent sadness, and Edward could read her unending thoughts of self-loathing, but she was grateful that nobody talked to her about it because, in all honesty, she wasn't even ready to face it. To confront her own problems because it's a lot of work that she isn't prepared to put an effort in.

She thought about leaving. She never did want to feel like a burden. She didn't want her emotions to get in the way and affect the rest of the family. She knows she's been closed-off, pushing everyone away, and she knows she's been worrying everyone, and being aware of her own behavior makes her feel bad.

Alice then saw it coming; they talked privately, and Corazon thought Alice deserved an explanation. Alice has always been there for her, never pushed her boundaries, and always knew that Corazon wanted to understand herself before even considering talking to one of them. She knew Alice only decided to speak to her when she'd seen the vision of Corazon wanting to leave.

Alice hadn't told anyone unless Corazon was sure about the decision, but Corazon had time to think. What would being alone bring to her? She knows if she leaves and is left alone to her own mind, she'll have difficulties clawing her way back out to the surface of her hopelessness.

Leaving would do no good, so she stayed.

Besides, after two decades of bickering with Emmett, Corazon thinks she wouldn't enjoy the silence she felt she needed. She would miss Esme's soothing company in the garden. She would miss picking Carlisle's brain for endless knowledge of various topics. She would miss Rosalie's sarcastic remarks and the sound of her scoffs. She would miss Alice's singing when she's painting by the patio. She would even miss Edward's melodic tunes of playing the piano, and most of all, she would miss Jasper's presence, which never seemed to waver. He's always there, either reading a book, writing in his journal, or just looking at the sky as the sun rises and sets on the balcony in silence, but his presence is so loud that Corazon couldn't help but feel at ease.

It took a while for her to finally realize that these people are indeed her family. No matter what, she always belonged. No matter the past or the scars, they will always be the ones who'll always understand the difficulties and the sudden feeling of melancholy of being a vampire.

But most of all, she felt safe with them, assured in a way that she wasn't battling with her survival anymore, she didn't have to, she didn't feel wary of her surroundings anymore, she didn't feel so anxious in the dark anymore. It took time, but her fears are finally slipping away from her one step at a time. Her body no longer feels the fight-or-flight mode. She trusted her family, and Corazon thinks that's the most significant step in her progress that she's proud of.

Corazon Cecelia Salvador is slowly accepting her reality; all she can feel is relief and lightness on her shoulders. She didn't have to bear all of it anymore alone, and it's assuring. She knows that this progress of hers will take time and have setbacks, but all that matters is she's moving and not standing still. She needed to do something that would help her because she's the only one who can allow herself to relieve herself of the shame and the questioning of her sanity and self-worth.

So, today, she decided that she's feeling good. She felt good about herself, which she hadn't in a while. Macrame is a hobby she picked up on when she read it in the daily magazine. How adorable it looked as decor. She remembered when her inang taught her to weave, and she couldn't help but feel a twinge of nostalgia for the patterns she had finished.

Corazon hums, following the rhythmic tune of a vinyl record of The Kinks playing in the background. Jasper and Corazon's bedroom is more of a half-library and half-crafting station. On one side of the room, towering wooden bookshelves lined the walls from floor to ceiling, showcasing an impressive collection of books with leather-bound classics and weathered paperbacks of mostly classics, thrillers, and psychological subjects.

Jasper prided himself on being a collector; he sought out antique books and timeless first-edition volumes. Beside the wooden bookshelf is a wooden desk, a well-organized stack of journals, and a mason jar of pens, and in the corner is a gray armchair adorned with one black pillow.

On the other side of the room, in the middle, is a wooden table surrounded by open shelving that holds spools of twine, skeins of yarn, and various earthy-hued paints. Beside a well-used easel with a canvas rested, a pottery wheel, baskets of yarn in rustic tones, and a shelf of neatly arranged pottery tools hinted at the potential within lumps of clay. A woven tapestry adorned the wall, adding texture and hanging potted plants that bring the room to life.

Large windows adorned with billowing curtains in their room allowed the soft daylight to filter in. Corazon sat cross-legged on the plush white synthetic fur carpeting, her black hair clipped updo with a few strands of hair framing her face. Engrossed in her new hobby, fingers creating intricate patterns, the strands of rope twisted and intertwined under Corazon's touch.

A soft creaking sound interrupted the room's tranquil atmosphere, but Corazon didn't stop her movements and asked, "Why don't you join me?"

Jasper, leaning against the doorway with his hands buried in his pockets, observed Corazon with a quiet intensity. A subtle smile played on Jasper's lips. "I think I'll just stay here. It looks rather complicated." He says with a gentle drawl and resonant. Corazon patted the empty space beside her. Jasper obliged her silent request, pushing himself off the wall and moving to sit beside her. Corazon hands him the circular metal ring.

"It's quite difficult in the beginning, yes. But it's easy once you've familiarized yourself with it." Corazon tells him as she guides his hands on how to continue the pattern, and Jasper ignores how her touch ignited his soul.

"What is it that you're making again?" Jasper asks as he looks at the pattern with a puzzled expression as he tries to follow how to rightfully intertwine and knot the cotton.

"The tree of life," Corazon answers and elaborates further, "The tree of life has different meanings to different religions, mythologies, and folktales, but it represents the cycle of life and death or a force that connects all lives. But in my religion—or was, it represents eternal life, until Adam and Eden ate the fruit from the tree, thus, removing their eternal life."

"If only they knew that vampires exist, then eternal life isn't going to be a problem after all." Corazon muses as she watches Jasper's hands flex as he continues to follow the pattern. Corazon subtly shakes her head.

"And why the tree of life?" Jasper asks curiously.

Corazon tilts her head as she brings her legs up to her chest and wraps her arms around her legs. "I honestly don't know. I just saw it in the macrame pattern booklet." She chuckles. Over the years of her human life, she and her family are brought up to believe in god; faith was like something that was placed on her to just follow and believe in with no questions asked. She went to church every Sunday with her family and prayed to him every day and night. Corazon admits that believing in god during her human life, in a way, made her consciousness feel at ease. Knowing that a divine being watched over her, protected her, and created her fate.

But that night changed everything. She cried, cried for him, begged him to save her, to end the pain and suffering, to hear her plea. But the sky was empty.

Then again, what's a woman's agony to god anyway? How could a man know anything about a woman's pain?

For Corazon, losing faith was one of the most difficult challenges to face; she lost her sense of self and sense of belief. She felt utterly lost, believing in someone all her life and only ending up abandoned in a way that she had never felt before; she felt angry and betrayed in the first two years of her vampire life. She was always taught to believe in his plan and to trust him in the process of it all. But all she could think about was whether this was the plan he had laid out for her.

Religion is a fickle thing.

That Corazon accepted over time. Which seemed more manageable, "I think about my religion once in a while; you know how I overanalyze things."

"I do," Jasper answers amusedly, lip twitching into a slight grin.

"I just think that believing in someone should be a choice, you know? Or not believing in anything at all. Anyway, religion is quite a personal discussion." Corazon waves her hand ever-so-slightly as she sighs.

"I believed in god too," Jasper suddenly says, not looking at Corazon but focusing on the macrame project. "My mother always dragged me and my brothers to church every Sunday, and we said our graces before we ate and went to bed. My brothers and I thank him for the day." Corazon listened to him intently, sitting cross-legged again.

"And when I turned, I contemplated my existence on this earth for a long time. Until that is when I studied philosophy." Jasper hums, and Corazon lightly bumps her shoulder onto his.

"Of course, philosophy," Corazon rolls her eyes, "Because the search for truth only leads to more questions than the answers to some questions lead up to something that only you can answer—which you can by thinking outside the box and ends up to a never-ending search for the truth,"

Jasper chuckles as he places the macrame pattern on the ground, "Exactly. But, atheistic existentialism believes that a person came from nothing and that they won't be anything at all until they make something of themselves, to just be."

"The matter of a person's existence will only attain itself when you know what you want your purpose to be. To create it yourself with your own free will. It doesn't all have to be god or religion." Jasper's tone is calm as he spoke, but his voice, Corazon couldn't help but be captivated by him. He spoke with a haunting quality, almost as if his own existence was infused with his answers. Of course, he lived for a long time and knew and accepted the contemplation of life from his own perspective.

Corazon smiles at how much certainty and genuine intellect in the way Jasper spoke. She and he had always had these discussions that she never seemed to get enough of. How they understood and leveled with each other so quickly, like a perfect piece to a puzzle, "Look at you, be all philosophical. Maybe I should study philosophy next?" she hums.

"You can always do whatever you want as long as it makes you happy," Jasper looked at her with so much intensity that she felt it in her bones. Still, there's softness in his topaz eyes that Corazon only noticed now. She didn't know what to say, so she only nodded. But Jasper spoke again, his voice almost a whisper that brushed her skin.

"Don't shut me out again." His voice came out as a plea and a tone that held a vulnerability that shocked Corazon. She blinked rapidly but soon recovered that she spoke without even registering it herself as she held his gaze—that she now only fully truly noticed up close.

"I won't."

Chapter Text

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓:
Hope Blooms
(1970)

JASPER WHITLOCK lost a sense of his humanity when he became a vampire. When he was human, he recalled how difficult it was for his mother to make ends meet. At the mere age of 12, he helped his mother sell her home-baked goods and her sewn fabrics and worked in the farm fields while working in the horse stables to feed his siblings.

As the eldest of three, he had a duty and held a certain responsibility to raise his family; he became the man of the house when his father couldn't take the role because of his intoxicated state–his father never managed or cared enough to stay sober. Living in poverty was not what Jasper wanted for his family, so he aspired to do more.

Jasper had grown bitter over time; whenever he saw his father lay a hand on his mother, he felt he had no control to protect the only parental figure in his life. He felt helpless and defenseless. He had no choice but to endure. Yet his mother continuously reminded him to never lose hope or grow cynical of the world and of love because living a life of bitterness was not what she had wanted for him.

He held that hope in his calloused hands and encased it in the four chambers of his heart, never daring to let it go.

When the Union Army gathered and recruited troops in their town of Houston, Texas, he didn't hesitate to volunteer. His mother opposed it because when it comes to war, there's no certainty that he'll come back alive; though Jasper knows he can do more, he is not ignorant of the treatment of African Americans in the South. Jasper worked alongside them for well-heeled families who did not receive the same respectful treatment as him even though they served the same. Jasper couldn't see the difference because there was nothing; the color of one's skin should never be the reason for indifference because they bleed, breathe, feel, and hope all the same.

What Jasper saw within his peers was determination and perseverance. The firm will to fight for their rights. Jasper wanted their liberty for them because they treated him with nothing but kindness when they aided him in permanently extracting his belligerent father from his mother and siblings' lives. So when his peers informed him of the upcoming war, he wanted to be on the right side of history, and on the right side of the war, there was no time for neutrality. He tried to fight for what he believed in—that one's morals reflect one's life and how one will view, respond, and interact in the world from one's righteous perspective.

He always had a distinctive charisma and effortless persuasiveness, even at a young age; he managed to lie to the recruiters that he was twenty years old. He was tall and mature enough to get away with it. Though his military career grew short-lived, he learned enough to teach himself to read, write, and familiarize himself with map coordinates and Morse code. He is, to this day, a quick learner.

Jasper now knew why, at the time, many seemed to like him, always listening and attentive to what he had to say. He was a natural-born leader and a warrior. With his skills and knowledge in battle strategies, he was quick to be promoted to spy for the Union, which he accepted with honor. The Confederate army was new and scrambling to organize itself; he rose through their ranks and was considered the youngest Major General in Texas, not even acknowledging his actual age and motives.

They never seemed to unveil the true identity of who was the one who betrayed the Confederates and managed to uncover and relay their strategies to the Union, which resulted in the Confederacy's defeat.

Jasper finally had the means to support his family; he always managed to visit his mother and siblings for a short amount of time; he didn't even know that it was the last time he'd ever get to see them again. After the Union told him to evacuate the women and children from the city of Galveston. He was prepared to go back home to Houston.

Until that night altered the course of his life forever. He lived a life full of vengeance, bloodshed, and hatred, and he loathed his existence more than anything because Maria told him that it was their only form of life and that none existed outside of it. He knew nothing of their kind when he was turned, so he listened to her, to his creator. Some part of him was afraid of knowing the truth about their kind—the terror of truly settling with the fact that it is nothing but agony and misery.

In the Southern Vampire Wars, time passed quickly. Weeks felt like a second, a month felt like a minute, and a year felt like a day. He lived a life of violence, and he wasn't fond that he earned the title of the God of War during the Southern Vampire Wars, not when he gained it through killing thousands of innocent lives—of how many vampires he turned, how they too were human and had a family waiting for them to come home, and how he felt emotionless when he disposed of them once their existence was no longer needed.

He again felt the warm burning feeling of hope when Peter arrived and proved himself worthy to be part of the army. Jasper liked him because of his civilized nature, and they became friends.

Jasper knew that Peter had found his mate in Charlotte. He felt it. He also felt how miserable and grim Peter became as Charlotte's time shortened. He tried to persuade Maria to keep Charlotte, but the woman didn't see anything special about Charlotte and ordered him to eliminate all the newborns. So when Jasper told them to run, Peter and Charlotte didn't hesitate to leave.

Mates are not welcomed in the army; it's considered a weakness, but Jasper craves it more than anything. The thought of being destined to someone, to love, understand, and accept with no qualms, was what he always wanted. He clung to the idea of it.

Without Peter, Jasper had grown deeper into his depression. He was tired of living and feeling devastating emotions—this alteration of emotion alerted Maria. Jasper knows Maria more than anyone; he knows her mind and her every thought, tactic, strategy, and move.

Jasper planned to destroy Maria first, but Peter came back for him and informed him that he and Charlotte had peacefully been living in the North for five years and that several covens coexisted. Jasper immediately left with him, but not without the tremendous amount of money he made while he dealt with the business he managed in their territory—he couldn't care less if Maria learned that he stole from her because he was the one who earned the wealth they acquired throughout the century.

After all, the Volturi was slowly closing in on them. It was only a matter of time before they decided to eliminate Maria's coven and the other covens in the South that sought constant brutal battles, thirst to acquire territories, and never a moment of truce. A simple plague or disease won't cover the large number of deaths and missing persons in the area anymore. Humans were beginning to think a supernatural entity was involved—the Volturi would not be pleased.

Jasper didn't want his second life to end in meaningless tragedy. Peter gave him hope that there was more to immortality than what Maria instilled. He felt immensely proud of himself for breaking away from Maria's grasp of manipulation and control. But it doesn't mean that he had moved on from what he felt whenever he eliminated the innocent newborns that Maria used in their battles or the innocents that he killed for blood.

He sought redemption for the things that he had done and what he didn't do. Jasper is grateful for Peter's aid, but he knows that Peter and Charlotte want to live in peace, and Jasper doesn't want to disrupt it with his misery. Even though Peter and Charlotte assured him he was welcome, Jasper didn't stay with them and wandered independently, wanting to find new ways to survive. He failed by trying to kill less often, but the thirst was too overwhelming to ignore, and he resulted in killing criminals instead.

He soon accepted that being a vampire, the only means of survival is to kill for blood.

His only regret was not leaving the Mexican Coven soon enough, resulting in going against everything he believed in. He felt utterly lost and alone in the world and wanted a soulmate, a companion. He wanted the love that Peter and Charlotte shared.

A love that would bend heaven and hell.

A love that his mother described when he was human.

Jasper wants to feel love because he has already felt everything else.

When he encountered Alice in a cafe in 1943, she approached him like they had been lifelong friends. At first, he was wary and bewildered, but then he felt her emotions. She wanted a friend as well. Alice told him that ten years after she had transitioned into a vampire, she saw him and his mate live a life of contentment, satisfaction, and full of burning passion, but it wouldn't be an easy feat.

Jasper didn't particularly care for the coven that Alice desperately wanted to be in. He was hesitant. After being part of the Mexican coven for decades, he had doubts about a coven with a large number and no animosity and territorial instincts, but he was proven wrong. He's glad he had been mistaken because even until now, he held no attachments to them; he respected and held them in high regard; in a way, he found a true family in them that he didn't know he was looking for in the first place.

He agreed to join Alice and change his diet, even though he sensed the shift of his gift—his grip on his gift had loosened when he switched from drinking human blood to animal blood.

But he didn't waver from it. In fact, Jasper made it his mission to be a better man for his soulmate. He found that his existence mattered because of her. That his purpose in this universe rotated on her. He understood why Icarus was so drawn to the sun because, for Jasper, the sun is in the incredible and brave form of Corazon Cecelia Salvador that grounded him to the earth because of her he wanted to live again, and he felt accepted. She understood the pain of war and the damage it left in his life because she, too, knows the challenges of dealing with the aftermath of surviving a war—even though they weren't supposed to be survivors in the first place. When they first met, Corazon wasn't bothered by the bite marks that littered his skin; she was more interested in his morals and values than anything.

He is perfectly more than okay being at her mercy even though Corazon knows nothing of the scale and essence of his devotion to her. At the very first moment, he was already hers, the familiar and caressing warmth of hope that bloomed in his human heart that reminded him that there was more to the life that he had been living. Corazon is the beacon of hope that he has been feeling all along. Having her near, for the first time in his life, he felt content as the hope in his heart scattered and embedded itself in his bones, marking him undone as it consumed and devoured him whole. god, Jasper found his redemption in her.

Chapter Text

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐄:
A love that makes life complete
(1970)

ROSALIE AND EMMETT ARE GETTING MARRIED AGAIN.

Corazon wasn't exactly sure how many times the two got married over the years they'd been together, but Corazon found it endearing—she knew that when their kind found the mate of their choosing, they mate for life. Rosalie and Emmett and Carlisle and Esme are a testament to the belief that when they love, it never fades, but it has to be acknowledged by both parties.

After all, they differ from werewolves. Corazon had read different texts, myths, and legends about werewolves with different contexts and information. Still, one unchanging feature is that the moon goddess had bestowed werewolves with a companion. This bond instantly snaps into place once they look into each other's eyes.

Corazon will never know any recent facts and information about werewolves. The Volturi made sure to eliminate and eradicate every piece of their existence as they were considered a threat—they believed that vampires and werewolves could never coexist because of the natural-born rivalry. As always, the Volturi want an upper hand. The textbooks that Carlisle acquired over the centuries are the only source of knowledge Corazon had for Werewolves. It was a shame. She wanted to know more about their mating bonds.

The earth has existed for thousands of years; Corazon believes that Vampires and Werewolves are not the only supernatural identities that coexist with them, and like Vampires, they have hidden their existence from everyone. Though Corazon is curious, there are limits when it comes to curiosity, especially when it involves other supernatural entities.

Vampires are given a choice to whom they will be bound forever.

Corazon didn't know whether it would soothe or frighten her. Sure, the thought of being fated to be connected to someone's soul has always been overwhelming. Who would ever really understand and be in sync with one's soul?

But as she deeply thought about it more, there was someone who calmed her soul better than anyone. She hadn't seen it before. Had she been so ignorant? So clueless? Corazon suddenly felt embarrassed. Had she strung him along without even knowing? Goodness, she felt utterly stupid.

Corazon was only made aware of it when Jasper looked at her with so much vulnerability and plead in his eyes not to push him or any of them away, but it was him who seemed pained as if he bore her pain. Corazon prided herself in being the most intelligent one in the room with common sense, but this, this she hadn't expected, not even a bit.

She released a huff of frustration, closing her eyes and crossing her arms to her chest. She inhaled deeply as she felt the fresh scent of pine and earth seep through her lungs; she exhaled, feeling herself relax, muscles loosening, as she let the sounds of nature be in pace with her body.

All of these thoughts have been making her unnecessarily tense. When thoughts consumed her mind, she needed to be alone to process everything. To be clear and have her own mind. She doesn't like going blindsided. She always needed to be in control and prepared. Never assume. That's what she and Rosalie agreed on: bluntness, straightforwardness, and the voice of the truth of reality in their family. It has always been their trait.

That's why Rosalie is the person she needs right now. Someone who would slap her back to reality with no hesitation. Don't get her wrong, she can always go to Alice. The woman has always been a romantic at heart, filled with so much optimism and positivity that Corazon is fond of, but she was always an enigma regarding her vision. She believed that it all needed to fall into place naturally without disruption of pacing. Alice was always superstitious when it came to her gift. In her own words, "I didn't want to jinx it by meddling." When Alice chooses to, she can always keep her vision sealed tight.

Alice is as patient as she can be regarding the future, but Corazon is not, especially if the now can determine her future to shape it to her desire.

Corazon opened her eyes; she knew Rosalie was near the moment the air shifted as it wafted with the rich and frosty fresh scent of Chanel N°5; she then heard Rosalie's graceful footsteps behind her, heels clicking on the ground, "Cece," Her tone soft, yet calculative.

"Have you noticed the way Jasper looked at me?" Corazon didn't want to beat around the bush; she wanted to know now, and she had always been patient—not really. When she wants to know something, she wants to acquire it immediately. She would if she could do it with a flick of her wrist. Where there is a will, there is a way.

Rosalie releases an amused hum, and Corazon turns around to face her. She isn't surprised to find Rosalie fashionably dressed, with a white ruffled sleeveless top tucked in the bell-bottom jeans that accented her curves, with a thick leather belt paired with black high-heel peep-toe heels featuring crisscross straps. A diamond necklace and matching diamond earrings compliment her overall look. Her golden blonde hair was perfectly styled in loose waves. She looked beyond gorgeous.

Rosalie gives her a raised brow, dusty rose-painted lips shaped into a grin. "And you haven't?" she counters with a mocking tone. Corazon groans as she buries her head in her hands; she feels a gentle hand smooth over her shoulder.

"It's alright. It took you a long time, but jesus did it take way too long." Rosalie teases further, removing her hand from Corazon's shoulder while Corazon grumbles in response, almost a whine, "Why didn't you tell me."

"I thought you knew," Corazon removed her hands from her face, eyes slanted as she scowled, exaggeratedly crossing her arms to her chest, head tilted upward. "Would I be acting like this? If I knew?"

Rosalie shrugged, but the teasing expression on her beautiful face didn't waver. "You always respond so naturally to his actions. Like I do when it comes to Emmett." Corazon felt foolish once again with what Rosalie pointed out to her. It was true. She always reacted so instinctively to Jasper's every movement.

"What do I do?" she whispers, but Rosalie hears it clear as the water streams in the river before them. Rosalie's expression turned soft, eyes looking at her with understanding and empathy. "I think you know already. Your body only followed your heart. Your mind has been denying."

"Allow yourself to be free, and everything will fall into place." Rosalie wraps her arm around Corazon's shoulder, lightly squeezing her in firm assurance, "I know how difficult it is to allow yourself to be loved. I had a hard time accepting our life, and I don't want you to feel that what happened to us lessens our value as a woman. Allow yourself to be happy; believe it or not, we deserve it."

When Rosalie Lillian Hale was human, all she ever wanted was a happily ever after, to have a husband by her side during the hard and joyous times, to have a child of her own to bear and hold, for her mother and father to retire, for her siblings and nieces to have a contented life, and to live in a big house. But when she was human, she viewed the world through rose-tinted glasses.

The great depression didn't affect and impact their family's life the way it did to the less fortunate, but that does not mean she should have stayed ignorant about what was happening around her. She admitted to herself that she was self-centered and selfish, but she was naive and had a certain optimistic approach to having the perfect life she always wanted because she was determined and resilient to have it.

She had everything, supportive parents—who used her beauty and youth to open the doors of high-society circles. Though, at the time, she enjoyed being prided for her looks, now she viewed it from a different perspective. She acknowledged the privilege she had when she was human to learn and unlearn, which is part of the growing process.

She learned that beauty is superficial, but she still enjoyed being vain and having a sense of self-worth—she's blessed with beauty and a certain terror and basked in it. She's gorgeous, and she knows it and carries it confidently.

She now knew better; no life is perfect, even for a vampire, and it was a façade when they said it was. They are the embodiment of perfection and beauty, but they were all perfectly imperfect in their own ways because their human life ended with tragedy, which is why they're immortal in the first place.

Rosalie never regretted what she did. If she can raise Royce and his pathetic friends from the ground to kill them all over again, she would do it in a heartbeat, and to any abuser attacker that has no good intentions for women or to anybody, because she wouldn't want the same thing that happened to her, happen to others. If she can do something about it, she will. It's a continuous fight that she's willing to participate in.

But she couldn't ask for a better family than what she had now; she forgave Carlisle for turning her into a vampire; she knew what he did was nothing but help her out of the pure goodness of his heart. She's fiercely protective of her family because it's the family she has longed to have since she was human. Though she accepted it, she would never wish someone vampirism.

It took her time to deal with immortality's conditions, but if asked, she would live eternity as long as Emmett is by her side because everyone needs someone to love, cherish, hold, feel appreciated, supported, heard, understood, and believe in.

In Rosalie's opinion, one needs to feel love in one's lifetime and experience real and genuine connection.

It is why she and Emmett remarry every two decades: their love is something to be remembered and celebrated, a love that compliments them wholly. Rosalie thinks that Corazon, Jasper, Alice, and the vampire in her vision—even Edward!

Deserve a love that makes life complete.

Chapter Text

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐄𝐍:
To honor the dead
(1970)

SOME TRADITIONS ARE NOT ALWAYS MEANT TO BE FORGOTTEN.

In a way, traditions are what rooted Corazon in her culture. It's one of the things that she had difficulties adjusting to when she came to America. Growing up, she embraced tradition as it weaved its way into her life and shaped her characteristics. It's difficult to live in a foreign land, build a life, and aid the humans that are in need while she can't do it for her own country and countrymen—one of her many regrets is not doing more for her motherland and leaving, even if it's for her own sake.

It felt like a betrayal of some sort.

Corazon always wanted to maintain touch with her roots. Still, she finds it difficult to practice her traditions while surrounded by vampires who don't share the same beliefs. She didn't want to make them uncomfortable, so she always did it alone. She knows deep down in herself that they wouldn't mind and would respect her practices—it's not the same, not like it used to be when she did it with her parents and siblings.

These are traditions that the Spanish have introduced over their three hundred and thirty-three years of colonization in the Philippines. They were the ones who embedded the teachings of Roman Catholicism and its rituals to the natives.

During their pre-Spanish colonialism, the native tribes worshiped deities and divinities. Of course, they had their own religion, practices, beliefs, customs, and rituals, but as any other colonizer, they erased any identity and replaced it with their own. The Spaniards ensured that the Filipinos practiced their laws, followed and believed in their religion, and wrote and read in their language. They had excessive control of every way of life and every order.

Consequences are followed if not.

But Corazon wasn't alive during the Spanish rule; she lived through the American colonization, but the traditions that the Spanish taught them are so deeply rooted in their lives that the only change they can emit is the modern Westernized way of civilization. The Americans introduced English as the official language, the education system was reformed, port, rail, and building programs were initiated, and urban planning reforms and ways of equal governance—they viewed the Philippines as needing grave and massive improvement in all aspects because of their uncivilized backgrounds.

How could they be civilized when, for three centuries, the Filipinos were treated inhumanely by exploiting, suppressing, discouraging, and abusing their rights as human beings?

Corazon might have been born into a high-class family, but when she learned of their history, she couldn't allow herself to ignore what colonizers had done to their country. She couldn't find it in herself to remain ignorant.

It's one of the reasons why Corazon finds herself so defensive with her own intellect. When she learned that the Spaniards justified their expansionist aggression by reasoning that the people they conquered were inferior, during their reign, the Filipinos were not considered Filipinos.

The order of the social hierarchy during the Spanish occupation was Peninsulars, the Spanish born in Spain. Insulares or Criollos are full-blooded Spaniards born in the Spanish colonies in Asia. Mestizo a person of half-Spanish descent in the Spanish-ruled areas. Lastly, the two bottom ranks of the social hierarchy, Indios, the native Filipinos of Malay and Chinese descent, and Negrito, the indigenous people including the Agta, Aeta, Ati, Ata, and Batak peoples, it's their classification before it was changed and designated into Filipinos.

That hierarchy resulted in the discrimination of races.

If asked where in the social hierarchy she is in, Corazon is a Tornatra. A mixed ancestry from Spanish, Filipino, and Chinese. She couldn't do anything about it, really; her grandparents from her Father's side are Spanish and Filipino. On her mother's side of the family, her grandparents are Filipino with Spanish and Chinese ancestry.

Even her name is derived from Spanish. Corazon's translation is heart, while Salvador came from Spanish origins. In a way, it couldn't be avoided; three centuries worth of colonization can erase any sense of true identity, and it shaped the way Filipinos live to what it is now.

One thing that heavily influences Filipinos' lives is religion. The Philippines is the only country in Asia where Catholicism predominates.

It's a delicate topic; she always said she didn't believe in god anymore, but she always gets pulled back. It's been years, but this time, she didn't argue with herself by questioning her own faith. She accepted it. It gave her a sense of peace. Being in battle with her faith is like battling with her own self. Acceptance gave her the peace and rest that she needed.

Suddenly, life didn't feel so distant anymore when she forgave herself for being so unkind to herself. When she finally freed herself from the world's burden, all that was left was resiliency, strength, and perseverance. She believed in god, but unlike before, she let it just that, a belief without the oppressive scriptures, toxic teachings of the bible, capitalist oppression, the hypocritical mindsets that use religion to hate, a belief that god loves everyone, regardless of sexuality, race, and religion, and for her case, supernatural entity.

A progressive way of thinking.

Besides, Corazon couldn't stand that some use their religion and faith in god as an excuse for being sexist, racist, or homophobic acts. The bible has been revised and edited to mankind's liking anyway. One doesn't even know if it is a word of god or a word of a sexist, racist, and homophobic man.

She can't tell Edward that anyway, or he'll rage about sinning again. He doesn't know the word boundaries, and she would rather not touch that topic again because it was a long process for them to get along.

Is it possible to be a vampire and have faith? Yes, because when humans need food and water to live, vampires need blood. To kill. It's not like they murder innocent humans. It's not their fault they were vampires either; just like humans, they wanted to survive—they were once humans, after all, and they had their own beliefs and customs even before they were turned into vampires.

Corazon accepted their way of life. She thought she had before, but she truly knows what it means to be immortal this time. Though she can't say the same for Edward but, oh well, some take time to accept reality more than others. It's why he's so brooding all the time. Corazon makes sure not to cross paths with him while he's mood swings—he can get really annoying.

Even for a mind reader, he is close-minded.

He also tended to undermine them to make himself feel better, but whatever worked out for him. Corazon wouldn't get in the way. As long as he doesn't get in her way, then they can live peacefully together while sharing a depth of understanding and respect of having a found family within each other.

To honor their dead. Undas, Dia Delos Todos Santos, Araw ng mga patay. It is one of many traditions they had inherited from the Spaniards through their Roman Catholic influences and infused with their own Filipino traditions. It is celebrated for two days. November 1, All Saints Day, celebrates all the saints and martyrs of the Catholic church, while on November 2, All Souls Day, araw ng mga Kaluluwa, commemorates the departed loved ones.

Corazon remembered going to the cemetery with her family, with food, candles, and flowers, cleaning the mausoleum where the graves of their grandparents were, and even visiting the graves of their extended relatives. They lit a candle and prayed the novena and rosary for their souls to rest and guide them to heaven. Sometimes, they stayed overnight while she and her family recalled their memories with their departed loved ones.

It's a celebration of life over death.

So when Corazon lit a candle in a white metal candle holder in hers and Jasper's room, the old and tarnished photographs of her grandparents that she had brought from home were displayed and arranged on a wooden table with a white lace tablecloth. She was surprised when her family stood behind her. She remembered they were once humans, too, with mortal relatives that passed on.

Esme placed a photograph of her late son on the table beside the photos of Corazon's grandparents. Rosalie did the same when she put a photo of her late parents. Emmett placed a necklace that belonged to his mother, who had just died of leukemia. Edward placed a photograph of his late mother. Alice put a photo of her sister, Cynthia—the one she had recently discovered that had passed with the help of Corazon and Rosalie. Carlisle made the sign of the cross, remembering every patient he lost.

Jasper remained behind his usual stoic demeanor, so Corazon walked towards him, standing beside him as their shoulders brushed. Corazon then intertwined his hand with hers, grasping his hand in assurance. Jasper visibly relaxed. Jasper looked at her, and she looked at him. She smiled, and he smiled, too. She rested her head against his shoulder, reminding Jasper that he wasn't alone.

They honored their dead while they cherished and remembered the ones who lived.

Chapter Text

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍:
The mistletoe motive
(1970)

CHRISTMAS HAS ALWAYS BEEN CORAZON'S FAVORITE HOLIDAY. When she thinks about Christmas, all she can remember is a household full of joy, boisterous laughter, the wonderful feeling of unity in the community, and, most of all, love.

And maybe because when she was a child, she always received plenty of aguinaldos from her ninong, aunts, uncles, and sometimes from her parent's closest friends, and her inang always advised her to save the coins that she had received in her coconut alcancia—though Corazon also managed to sneak a centavo off of her savings and buy candy, which now that Corazon thought about it, her mother must have known because she's close with the woman who sells the candy.

Then, when she became a teenager, aguinaldos were replaced with paper bags filled with fruits, nuts, and candies since she was too old to receive money, so her younger siblings were left to enjoy the feeling of being gifted money for Christmas. Corazon soon understood why her brothers constantly tried to bribe her to exchange, but she never fell for their schemes.

Even if they were from a prominent family, her inang and tatang never let it go over their heads that they were wealthy and well-established in their community. Her parents always reminded them to be humble and that being arrogant would get them nowhere, gaining and earning respect above all else, never being consumed by material things. Only when Christmas is near do they receive new clothes, shoes, and toys, so Corazon and her siblings are equal regarding new pairs of items. That's why Christmas stood out the most.

Her parents always take several days to prepare their home for Christmas, Corazon always helped with the general cleaning of the entire household, her mother made new curtains for the doors and windows, and their hardwood floors are polished with coconut husk—then they would get scolded because they were racing around the house using the coconut husk.

Her tatang and older brothers would be busy making lanterns hung in the windows and maintaining the lights, starting on the first night of simbang gabi until the new year. These lanterns were far more fascinating than the electric lights of nowadays since they were shaped like stars, flowers, fish, airplanes, boats, and other objects. Some of them even had moving figures inside of them.

Christmas trees weren't really an essential decoration in their home. It has its charm, of course, and Corazon adored decorating them. Alice is the one who informed her more about the Western culture and the American ways of celebrating occasions like Halloween.

But the brass band, goodness, it was a different sort of magical and whimsical.

During the night of Christmas Eve or Noche Buena, the band would stop in front of each house together, their instruments shining in the glory of the holiday lights. The air would be filled with the mesmerizing sounds of trumpets, tubas, and trombones, beckoning neighbors to their windows and doorsteps. Corazon remembered dancing with her siblings in the streets as they followed the vibrant notes and lively tunes, while her parents enjoyed each other's company in each other's tender embrace while watching their children through the window.

Then, on Christmas day, their community church would send the brass band out in the peaceful early morning hours on a mission of harmony: to wake the town from its slumber for the holy mass. The melodious sounds of the brass instruments softly permeated the streets, creating a melodic tapestry that roused the pious from their restful sleep.

After the evening mass, her family always stopped by the corner of the Church with long rows of crude tables and wooden benches standing under canopies of cloth. The wafting scent of Bibingka never failed to tantalize Corazon as they entered the Church, making her stomach grumble and mouth water with the fragrance of the creaminess and sweetness of the coconut milk. The aroma of the banana leaves, which nestle around the bibingka while it cooks, adds a hint of herbal flavor and a natural touch to the overall fragrance. Until this day, Corazon never wanted to forget how warm, luscious, and delectable it was.

Christmas supper was prepared in the early morning, but Corazon missed the taste of lechon or roasted pig. Her tatang always took that task seriously because roasting the pig takes about five hours or more. It's a scrumptious sight, the browning and crisping of the pig as it slowly turned on a long bamboo pole above live coals—she was always the one whom her tatang asked to take the first taste of the succulent, crispy, and savory cut of the pig skin. Then, it's served on the table along with other delicacies that Corazon missed.

How comforting and warm Christmas is. It always manages to make her feel homesick.

So, Corazon promised to constantly remind herself of the good memories of the past — how her family always brought her peace and comfort because they were happy and content before the war. She's grateful that she has those memories and experiences. She always reminded herself that she needed to write every memory in her human life so she could relive and reminisce again, but there were specific memories that she just wanted to remain in the past where they belonged.

The Cullen household is filled with merriment and brightly colored Christmas decorations. The fireplace's flames cast a cozy and pleasant light, dancing against walls ornamented with holiday décor. Tinsel and garlands adorned the staircase, while delicate glass ornaments sparkled on the towering Christmas tree, which reached towards the high ceilings. Corazon made sure that the outside of the house had different colors and shapes of parols hung on their front porch. Alice meticulously hung delicate strands of twinkling lights on the ceilings. Rosalie and Emmett decorated the Christmas tree, and each of their personal ornaments was displayed. Rosalie hung Edward's angel ornament at the back of the Christmas tree so that nobody would see.

Edward played a festive tune on the grand piano, filling the air with classical melodies that echoed through the corridors. Esme ensured their presents were wrapped beautifully with satin bows and colorful gift wraps. Jasper arranged a selection of scented candles that filled the air with cinnamon, pine, and vanilla notes, creating a fragrant ambiance that added to the joyous atmosphere. Carlisle, ever the compassionate and generous, assembled different charities and orphanages so that they could joyously spread the Christmas spirit to those who need it.

Corazon had celebrated Christmas with the Cullens for two decades. Yet, it always seemed more special and memorable than the last. But before the Cullens, she celebrated Christmas with Alice and Jasper, and one particular Christmas changed a certain perspective of Jasper.

Christmas of 1946. Alice had asked Corazon to pick a Christmas tree. They weren't bonded and intertwined in each other's life the way they are now. After all, she and Jasper are mere acquaintances. She remembered feeling wary of his presence, and Jasper knew it too; that's why they never stayed in one room without Alice because Alice was the only one who connected them to each other. Until Alice decided to change that.

They resided in Portland, Oregon, at the time, and Corazon didn't mind being tasked with picking a Christmas tree; she hadn't done it before, and she wanted to explore the city. She didn't want to wander around the city alone at night, so Jasper accompanied her because Alice was far too occupied with decorating their house.

To say it was awkward was an understatement of the century; it was an uncomfortable symphony of unease that manifested in every hesitant glance and strained smile exchanged between her and Jasper; small talk was never her strong suit. Eyes darted around, avoiding direct contact as if seeking refuge from the awkwardness that seemed to have settled like a heavy fog; Corazon remembered Jasper trying to ease their presence.

A series of awkward exchanges replaced the usual easy flow of conversations when Alice was present. Each attempt at conversation met with the challenge of tiptoeing around sensitive topics and navigating unfamiliar social dynamics between Corazon and Jasper.

But then Corazon heard music from the Jazz club, and her interest was piqued. She wanted to see it herself, so she asked Jasper if they could. She only got an answer with his curt nod as Jasper followed her in his usual stance of preparedness, hands clasped to his back, shoulders straight, chest a bit puffed. His golden blond hair fell in delicate waves that framed his face. Corazon wasn't blind; she always thought Jasper was way too handsome for his own good.

They didn't enter the Jazz club, Corazon still wasn't comfortable in a space filled with men, so they remained outside. Corazon didn't stop her body's natural reaction when it came to music. It reminded her of the theater that featured Bodabil, which Corazon made her family go to whenever they visited Manila.

She always danced along to the tunes. She moved naturally, navigating the small space with precise steps; she'd forgotten that she had company alone. Eyes closed, lost in the intoxicating melodies, and she laughed for the first time in a while. She was enjoying herself and a feeling she hadn't felt in a while.

She opened her eyes, squinting with mirth with a bright smile. Then she looked at Jasper, who looked at her with quiet intensity in his topaz eyes, Corazon would have melted in his gaze, and she suddenly felt shy and embarrassed; she would have been red as a tomato if she was human, though she can still feel it, the rush in her core, rubbing her hands together as she sheepishly smiled at him.

Then Jasper suddenly extended a hand as an invitation to dance. Corazon's eyes were a mix of uncertainty and intrigue as she contemplated the prospect of dancing with him. Jasper, sensing her hesitation, offered a reassuring smile. His hand extended, patient and inviting, waiting for Corazon to decide. After a moment's pause, Corazon finally relented, placing her delicate hand in Jasper's.

Jasper's warm embrace warmed Corazon, and his firm yet tender grip gave her a sense of security that calmed her initial fears. Jasper led their movements while Corazon allowed herself to be swept away by the enchanting embrace, placing her head against his chest where his undead heart resided. They twirled and swayed, and once again, Corazon was reminded that sometimes, giving someone a chance could lead something to this.

After exchanging gifts, Corazon decided to spend her time on the balcony. Snow was something she was fascinated by at first; it added more to the allure of Christmas, but she couldn't help but think that something was missing. As delicate snowflakes descended from the heavens above, she felt a sense of longing.

She heard Jasper's footsteps behind her, always deliberate and subtle. Her surroundings suddenly clouded with the scent of his perfume, a slight hint of pine, a whisper of eucalyptus, and rich cedar that invaded her senses. It was addictive, intoxicating even, and Corazon always liked the freshness of his scent. 

"Can I join you?" Jasper asks. His voice is a low, velvety cadence, and the softness of his accent that Corazon always swooned for. Corazon only managed to release a hum for an answer as she leaned against the silver railings, hands clasped. She felt Jasper beside her as their shoulders brushed, and she felt a shocking wave of electricity on her skin that she thought she could no longer ignore.

She felt something on her nose; it was cold; she scrunched her nose as she released a soft laugh. Jasper was already looking at her with nothing but pure admiration. He smiled, filled with adoration. She looked towards him with a timid smile as Jasper's hand cupped her chin, wiping the tiny snowdrop with his thumb, and Corazon felt herself suck in a breath. Jasper didn't remove his hand from her chin.

Then Corazon blinked rapidly as she tried to look anywhere but his eyes until she looked up, seeing a mistletoe hanging above them. She sighs, defeating Alice. Jasper looked where Corazon's eyes settled, seeing the mistletoe. Corazon mustered up as she finally looked at Jasper, placing a gentle hand against his chest; Jasper's eyes connected with hers, hand still on her chin that sled to her nape, cupping her jaw.

"Corazon," he utters her name, the syllables flowing effortlessly from his lips like a melodic tune. Corazon is entranced with his touches; it's gentle and safe. He held her delicately, and she liked it. His voice takes on an even softer quality—a whisper that only they share in the intimate space between them. "May I?" Corazon feels her undead heart flutter.

Corazon nodded mindlessly, a hand slipped on her waist, his mouth dipping to brush a sweet kiss over hers. She closed her eyes, and suddenly, her surroundings blurred. Her senses focused on nothing but how his lips felt against hers. She wrapped her hands around his neck, deepening the kiss, as her other hand slid to the back of his head, softly grasping his golden blonde hair on her fingers as she felt him pulling her closer to him, consuming, as if time stood still. She could do this forever. Jasper projected everything that he had constantly been feeling for her. It wrapped Corazon in a gentle cocoon, and she knows it now.

Jasper pulled away and rested his forehead against hers, nose brushing. Their eyes remained closed. Corazon rested her arms around his shoulders as her thumb continually soothed his skin; she felt it again, warmth like the sun that brushed her skin, but this time she felt it in her bones; she liked it; she liked the feeling of being in Jasper's arms. They molded into each other's bodies like two perfect pieces in a missing puzzle.

Corazon slowly blinked her eyes open, looking at Jasper's lips. She whispers softly, "What do we do now?" There was a hint of uncertainty and doubt. Because of what they did, there's no going back. Until Jasper replaced it with his certainty, contentment, and overwhelming adoration.

"I can never be your friend," Jasper mutters under his breath, placing both of his hands on her face as his thumbs smoothed over her cheeks, eyes now open and looking at her with the same intensity that he always does, "After that, I want more than just be a friend. When I look at your eyes, I see you with me. Please allow me to court you, and if you don't see anything beyond it afterward, I can be your friend. I can be whatever you want as long as I'm in your life." His tone is firm and confident.

Corazon slowly pulled away, her breath hitched. The admission was unexpected, but she welcomed the feeling of him. She placed her hand on his cheek, looking at him with a tilted head and a smile.

"Yes. You can court me."

Because Corazon has known for a long time that she wanted Jasper more as a friend.

Chapter Text

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐕𝐄:
The language of you
(1971)

WHEN CORAZON IS NERVOUS, she never entertains it. She prefers to keep both her mind and body busy because being nervous tends to take a toll on her because her mind keeps rising with thoughts of everything that could go wrong that she knows will never happen, but still, it makes her anxious to no end.

Besides, why would she be nervous? It's not as if it's the first time she and Jasper went to do something alone together. Jasper drives her to Carlisle's research laboratory every weekend. Corazon accompanies Jasper whenever he goes to a bookstore or meets with a professional bookseller to bid on the latest collection they acquired. They share a room together, for goodness sake. They've been good friends for almost three decades.

Now that she thinks about it more, wow, it really did take her a hell of a lot of time to figure it out when it was right in front of her all along! If her inang was here, she probably would have scolded her, "Kung ahas lang yan, natuklaw ka na!"

So Corazon isn't nervous.

She's not nervous.

She really isn't nervous.

Not even a little bit.

"I don't need to be an empath to feel how nervous you are," Carlisle teases with a shake of his head and a sly grin on his lips. His blonde hair was neatly combed to the back. He was wearing a cotton-cashmere light gray collared long-sleeve shirt with a black tie, black pants, black leather belt, and a white lab gown with royal blue embroidery on the upper right side of the coat, Carlisle Cullen, MD, Cardiology. It's the specialty he decided to practice in the current hospital he's working in.

It's been two years since they've been on the outskirts of Anchorage, Alaska. It's one of the cities that Corazon favored for their residency location because they were surrounded by the snow-covered dense pine forests with the high mountains as their view. The long nights offer an ideal environment for them. The vast expanse of untouched wilderness provides them with ample hunting grounds. Their house's strategic remote location, nestled amidst the pristine wilderness, allows them to move freely without exposing their supernatural abilities.

They were supposed to stay with another coven, the Denalis. Carlisle considered them cousins of some sort because of the same diet. Still, Edward isn't particularly fond of the coven leader, Tanya. So he persuaded Carlisle somehow to reside in Alaska, but not with the Denalis. It was a shame Corazon wanted to meet them; before Alice, Jasper, and Corazon arrived at the Cullen's primary residency in 1950, their previous residency was with the Denalis. So it'll be some time before they move back.

Rosalie especially liked the winter darkness and a bit of isolation from the humans. Their low-profile lifestyle allows them to coexist with humans without arousing suspicion. Also, in college, night schedules are what they prefer the most. They tend to switch from every move; sometimes, they are in college and work as freshly graduated undergraduates. But, like now, their isolated location allowed them the liberty to do whatever they wanted.

Alice is working in a boutique. She's always the fashionista in the family. Corazon and Rosalie were often the models in the designs she drew, and she sold the sketches to high-end fashion brands at a hefty price. She's always in the loop regarding new styles in the market. Alice has always had an eye for the adaptability of recent trends.

Rosalie always had a fondness for collecting and fixing cars; Emmett was always the front man because no one ever trusts a woman's opinion when it comes to cars; they have an auto-tune & repair shop in the city, and she is not one to shy away from getting her hands dirty. Corazon often finds her in the garage looking exactly like a mechanic who enjoys spinning wrenches and starting motors, dressed as if she were a mechanic herself in a pair of faded trousers and a top covered with grease. Rosalie was also the one who taught her how to drive; it wasn't an easy driving lesson; Corazon was more scared of Rosalie's scolding than hitting the car; she never saw the point in learning how to drive when Jasper always offered to drive her to the place she needed to be, it took some time, but Corazon realized that she doesn't have to know and do everything—she's still working on it.

Esme works at home in her home office and always prefers staying home. She was quite happy to let the rest of them bring the world back to her as needed, but when needed, she often responded to consults in the architectural firm in the city. She's a brilliant architect, and Corazon saw the blueprints that she had made. Her grasp of form, space, and function is evident in every plan, which is a beautiful balancing act between the style and functionality of a visionary. She's always the one who designs or chooses the houses they'll be living in whenever Alice has a vision of the new location of their move.

Edward chose to study for another law degree. He can get pretentious with it because he has studied it before. He liked being the intelligent one in the room. For once, he and Corazon are so competitive regarding their excellence. He sometimes tutors piano lessons with kids, but it hasn't been as progressive as he hoped when he can't tune out their thoughts; his ego was quite hurt when all the kids could think about was how miserable he looked.

Emmett, well, he tends to go along with the flow. He believes in the, live in the moment phrase; it's why he's always so easygoing. That as long as Rose is by his side, everything is as perfect as it should be. Corazon thinks Emmett is the only one who accepts vampirism with no qualms.

Jasper stayed at home as well. He still had difficulties when it came to controlling his thirst, so he decided to take a break from every other move. Esme enjoys his company; he's often quiet and always keeps to himself, except when Emmett forces him to spar or race. Emmett's good company for him, Corazon thinks Emmett reminded him of Peter. He also visits his friends for a week when he needs time away from his family or to calm his eagerness for Corazon. He always seemed so happier and lighter after his visit from his old friends, and sometimes Corazon thinks that maybe she wanted him to always be like that when he's with her, that he could be himself.

"I'm not nervous," Corazon confidently says as she scribbles in her research journal. She could feel Carlisle's eyes on her, and she looked at her side, looking at Carlisle with a firm tone. She repeats, "I am not nervous,"

Carlisle raises both hands in the air with a surrendered look and a shrug on his shoulder, "You're not nervous," He says, a little unconvinced, raising an eyebrow.

"Really, I'm not."

"Then you aren't."

"I'm perfectly calm."

"Okay,"

Corazon gives him a pointed look, shaking her head as she scoffs, placing the pen on the table and closing her journal, facing Carlisle as she crosses her arms to her chest. "I'm not nervous,"

"I think we established that you are indeed not nervous." Carlisle lightly chuckles as he smiles, leans on the table, his hips supporting his weight, and crosses his legs.

"Good. Because I think I need to convince myself more." Corazon releases a deep breath, "Tell me something about courtship in your time."

"When you put it like that, it makes me feel old." Carlisle remarks, and Corazon releases a gracious snort. "You are old, Carlisle," Corazon teased, "Don't worry, you don't look a day over thirty. If you are, I don't think the nurses would stop their endless flirtations to attempt to win you over,"

Corazon had witnessed it herself. How much attention and admiration Carlisle gains in every hospital he's worked in, though he never cared for any of it because he's only doing his job. He's married—which many are disappointed in once they see his wedding ring.

Carlisle dismisses what she said with a roll of his eyes, "I don't remember much of the courtship when I was human. The memories seemed to slip away over the centuries." He said it so casually, but Corazon could see the longingness in his eyes. Being alive for so long is such a difficult ordeal in the first place, and for most of his immortal life, he spent it alone. Corazon understood him in a way; she wouldn't want to live forever alone, too. She knows how difficult it was for him to turn Edward and the others into a vampire.

Carlisle never really wanted to place them under the burdens of immortality, but the way they had died, they never fully lived at all. Carlisle knows he is no savior; yes, he never considered himself as one, but Edward, Esme, Rosalie, and Emmett deserved so much more of what life can offer, but sometimes, he wonders if he ever did the right thing. He is no saint or god. It's not his decision on who gets to live or die; he's been wandering the earth for so long, looking for another outlook on immortality, and when he found Edward, he knew it was selfish beyond compare, but he was lonely, it's no excuse, but he had no other reason. Until he found Esme then, everything seemed to fall into place.

He vowed to himself that he would never give immortality to another again, but then he found Rosalie. Of course, he'd heard of her; the Hales are the talk of the city and the papers; he'd read her engagement to Royce and seen her in the hospital because her older sister worked there. All he could think about was a girl with so much potential and a promising future ahead of her. He wasn't expecting Rosalie to be the woman bleeding heavily in the dark alleyway and the unmistakable marks of a woman who had been severely wronged, and he thought that she didn't deserve any of it.

Carlisle blamed himself when he saw how much Rosalie resented what she had become. She often made it clear that he should have let her die, and Carlisle couldn't find himself deserving of her forgiveness. He tried all he could to make Rosalie feel any comfort or relief. He even told her that if she couldn't face him anymore, he wouldn't take it to heart if she decided to leave their coven, but Rosalie stayed and made a simple request.

Revenge.

And Carlisle couldn't refuse. Now Carlisle believes that he has no right to take another mortal's life, but sometimes, death is such a justifiable action when the person on the receiving end isn't someone who's innocent. Royce stole Rosalie's life, her hopes, and her dreams. So he let her be; it's surprising that being alive for so long, he continues to open his mind further; he considers Rosalie as his own daughter, and she had been wronged in the worst way possible that men like Royce deserve his own special punishment in hell.

That not all life deserves to live.

Not long before, he relented and remembered what had happened to his wife. He made sure that Charles Evenson's disappearance was kept quiet. Neither Esme nor Edward knew what really happened; all they knew was that he was called away to another city for a doctor's conference. He asked for Rosalie's help, and she was more than happy to aid his endeavor.

After Rosalie found Emmett, Carlisle was relieved. It was a silent indication that Rosalie had forgiven him.

Carlisle always remembered his oath as a doctor, but he was a vampire first. He had a particular attachment to human life as a man of medicine. He is fond of the science of it, the medical practice of it. But human life itself, again, he'd been alive for centuries, and his philosophy is that humanity is more damned than they ever could be than vampires. Humans had seemed to progress in the rottest way possible—so much cruelty, violence, selfishness, and inhumane qualities that he had witnessed over the centuries that he lost faith in humanity for a long time but denied it to himself.

"Not even a tiny bit? Don't tell me you never fancied anyone when you were human?" Corazon prodded further. Corazon only knew how Carlisle was turned, how he stayed with the Volturi for a few decades, and how he left because Aro kept testing his control of human blood, Carlisle told her that he wanted the Volturi to adapt his lifestyle, but he understood when they did not, the Volturi Coven had been drinking human blood for millennia it's no question that they would never give it up for a less satisfactory blood.

Carlisle sighs, but there is no sign of irritation in his features; he ponders as he says, "There was a girl in the village that I remember courting; my father was ecstatic because she was from a well-established family in our community; they also preferred me because I was the pastor's son. I never really knew what happened to her after the raid. I was too afraid of myself to pay her a visit."

Corazon listened carefully to his words, tinged with sadness, "Did you love her?"

Carlisle pondered again as he grabbed his chin with his thumb, "I think I did."

Corazon frowns, "Do you really just forget memories?" seeing how much Carlisle looked like he was struggling to recall his human life.

"Over time, some memories of my human life faded over the centuries. I like to think that to create new memories, you need an empty space to fill it with." Carlisle fixes his posture as he removes his lab gown, folding it neatly around his arm.

"That's one way to cope with it," Corazon musters, eyebrows furrowing as she fumbles with her fingers, looking down on the floor as her shoulders slumped, "What if I don't want to forget?"

Carlisle answers softly. "Then you write it down and read it when you need reminding that there are so many more memories in store for you, a life ahead of you, and note how far you've come despite the trials and tribulations—your progress throughout the years."

AGAIN, CORAZON IS NOT NERVOUS.

Okay, maybe a little bit. Something about Jasper Whitlock makes her nervous. She doesn't even know why, perhaps because he can see the raw vulnerability that she rarely expresses to the others, even Alice, but Jasper, she can't seem to escape his intense and lingering stare as if he can truly see right through her, understood her better than anyone— and that itself made her nervous, terrified even.

"Hey," Such a simple greeting brought a soft and gentle caress upon her senses.

Corazon almost lost a breath at how much she felt his voice soothe her. She turned around, facing him with a small, wobbly smile and a tilted head, rubbing her fingers together—as a nervous habit. "Hi," She mustered.

Jasper only gave her a knowing look, lips slightly twitching into a grin. "You're nervous," He points out confidently like a fact, which it is. He didn't give her a chance to answer, "You don't have to be so nervous, it's only me,"

Which is why Corazon is nervous; it's Jasper Whitlock. The man who knew her better than anyone else. What if he decided that he didn't want to do this? What if he loses interest in her in the long run? What if he decided that she wasn't interesting at all? What if—

Corazon didn't notice that she had spaced out. Jasper walked towards her in only a few strides, standing before her, towering over her, looking at her with so much sincerity, "Stop thinking so much. We haven't even started yet." He buried his hands in his pockets. Corazon blinked rapidly as she shamelessly let her gaze wander up and down his body.

He's wearing a simple black long-sleeve turtleneck shirt, gray trousers with a thin black leather belt, and brown oxford shoes. He wore a signet ring on his right hand, another silver ring on his pinky, and a Longines watch with a leather band in a black tone on his left wrist. His hair was still in a mix of disheveled and smooth, golden locks just above his collar.

Jasper always looked so beautifully handsome like always.

"Like what you see?" He chuckled, his voice taking on an even more velvety quality.

Corazon hummed as a teasing smile finally on her lips, "I would be a liar if I said no," He laughed softly, and Corazon almost felt herself shiver. Then it was his turn for his eyes to wander, and Corazon summoned all the confidence she stored for the night; Alice was the one who arranged her wardrobe for their date.

A sage green lantern sleeve sweater of polyester knit, soft draping sleeves, and mock turtleneck that has a wide ribbing, nubby textured front and back styled for a close fit, white trouser pants with a high-waist band in a woven blend of rayon and polyester with cuffed wide-flare leg styling and a vinyl belt, paired with a brown leather rattan platform mule sandals—it's why she almost leveled with his height. Small pearl earrings and a gold pendant with a dainty ruby stone.

"You're captivating." The deep timbre in his words made her undead heart flutter.

"I could say the same," Corazon replies; Jasper offers his hand, which she takes with no hesitation as Jasper leads them outside, but not without Emmett teasing them.

"Enjoy kiddos and no funny business," Emmett warns with squinted eyes as he points his hand between them, with his other hand perked on his hip, left foot forward. Jasper opened the car door for her, which is Jasper's car, a midnight-black Maserati Ghibli 4.7 Coupe that he and Rosalie ordered from Italy, while Rosalie purchased a silver Berger Camaro SS/RS.

"Emmett," Corazon calls him while leaning on the car window.

"Yeah?" He answers with a grin as he crosses his giant arms to his chest, and Rosalie walks to his side with an amused expression.

"Shut up."

"Never."

At that, Corazon only rolled her eyes. Then she heard Alice's fast footsteps and hopping, almost gliding toward them with a camera in hand. "Something to look back to." She only said with a smile, and Corazon knew what she meant, something along the lines of 'for proof that your doubts are wrong.'

"Have fun," Rosalie tells them as Jasper tips his head and Corazon waves goodbye while Alice re-enters the house and Rosalie forcefully pushes Emmett inside. Jasper starts the car, and the night drive towards the city is peaceful and quiet. Corazon is thankful that Jasper washed her worries away with his gift; she is finally enjoying herself with him.

The scent of buttered popcorn wafted through the air as they approached the drive-in after paying for their tickets. The flickering lights of the giant screen. Jasper parked the car and turned the engine off. Corazon looked around, noting that only a few cars were parked for the drive-in theater for tonight. A low-budget horror movie played before them, and Corazon couldn't help but laugh at how ridiculous it was.

Her hands settled on her lap, her body leaning in Jasper's direction, eyes focused on the screen; she didn't notice that Jasper's observing eyes noted every expression on her face. He felt nothing but content, his hand itching to hold hers as if the gods were listening to his wish. Corazon gasped in surprise as she leaned more to his side, instinctively grabbing his hand. She didn't remove it from his grasp and settled it there, and Jasper didn't wish to pull her hand either. Then he felt her head nestling on his shoulder, so he fixed his position to make her feel comfortable.

Jasper breathed in, the scent of cherry wafting in his nose, and he knew that he was a goner.

Then they both heard heavy groans and breathy moans as the sound of a creaking car. They both looked at each other, and they both laughed. Jasper said, "We should ditch the movie."

"I think we should. It feels like we're invading their privacy." Corazon agreed as Jasper started the car and maneuvered, exiting the parking lot. "Where to?" He asks. The distant murmur of classic rock tunes played softly on the radio as the empty roads, and the flickering neon lights of the opening bars accompanied the streets.

"Maybe the field? Somewhere, we can lay out a blanket." Corazon suggested, and Jasper only nodded in response. They arrived at their destination. The empty fields surrounded by the dense forest are perfect, in Corazon's opinion, as the cold breeze sweeps over them and the night sky is blanketed with countless twinkling night stars.

Corazon took the folded mustard-colored wool blanket in the back seat; she placed the blanket there because she always barrows Jasper's car whenever she decides to drive alone and have a pleasant leisure in the park, and lay a blanket like what they are doing right now.

"I like it here. It's so beautiful." Corazon says while looking around, and Jasper only answers, "It is," Looking at her. Corazon then sat on the blanket laid on the ground; Jasper followed suit; their only source of light was from the car, which was more than enough.

"I like this more than the movies," Corazon tells him. Jasper softly laughs. "Of course, there's no horny teenagers here."

Corazon was about to make a joke until something in her smart brain seemed to malfunction as she opened her mouth, but no words came out; she snapped her fingers, and her hand covered her face, voice muffled. "It's so difficult translating the words in my brain before I can say it. It's been three decades of practically speaking English all the time, and I still have difficulties. You know I'm much funnier in my native language."

Jasper gently placed a hand on her wrist, removing her hand from her face, looking at her with a tilted head, "So teach me," His soft yet deep voice, a blend of serenity and profound understanding, touched her soul.

"Really?" Corazon asks, blinking her eyes bewildered. "I'd like to learn," He responds shortly. Then he could feel the rush of excitement in her emotions as she stood up from her seat, opened the car, and took a small notebook and pen from the compartment.

"Well then," Corazon cleared her throat as she sat back down next to him, "To learn a language, you first must understand the history of it, the root of it." Jasper nodded along.

"I think in history it's often mistaken when it's said that the Philippines was discovered by Spain, not really it was rediscovered. Before the colonization of the Spaniards, the natives and their tribes already had their own language, beliefs, etc." Corazon scribbled down in her notebook.

"Filipinos are of Austronesian ancestry, so Malay, but the language grew distant when the Spaniards came and made Spanish the official language. You know what colonizers do to a country? They erased and destroyed every bit of roots that my ancestors had. Replacing it with their own, hence why we are the only Catholic country in Asia, while it should have been Anitism or Bathalism." Corazon gave him a pointed look.

"After three centuries of colonization, the original language died, and numerous Spanish terms were borrowed into Tagalog. Among these were the terminology from Spanish households and religions and the widespread use of the Spanish number system, particularly when handling money. There actually became a fusion of mainly Tagalog or Cebuano and Spanish. Chavacano is a Spanish-based creole spoken in Zamboanga and Cotabato City in Mindanao."

"The original Filipino writing system was based on the Baybayin alphabet before it was replaced by the Latin Alphabet, then the Americans colonized the Philippines. Our official language and alphabet turned into English—the Japanese tried to change our language again, but their reign was short-lived." Corazon tells him with a shrug, and then Jasper asks, "Do you know how to write Baybayin?" The word sounded so foreign in his mouth as he tried not to butcher it.

Corazon's shoulder slumped as she pursed her lips, "Unfortunately, I did not. It's difficult to find any books with the manuscripts of the alphabet, but I would like to know how to write in Baybayin." Jasper thoughtfully nodded as he went quiet again while Corazon continued,

"Learning Tagalog is much easier than learning English because there are no silent letters. So, a word in Tagalog sounds exactly as it looks like it would sound. But let's start with the pronunciations of consonants and vowels—Katinig and Patinig."

"There are twenty letters in the Filipino alphabet called Abakada, which have five vowels and fifteen consonants." Corazon wrote a column for each consonant and vowel, then placed it on Jasper's lap. She pointed the pen at the written vowel, pronouncing each letter fluently and accurately. "Now you try,"

Jasper looks at her hesitantly with furrowed brows as he grabs the notebook. Doubt is present in his features, and Corazon urges him with a smile. His tone is soft and curved? In a way, it was as if he was eating the words out of his mouth.

"It's okay, but for a particular vowel sound, no part of your mouth should move while voicing it. The pronunciation is more stressed and a little rough." She repeated the correct pronunciation, and Jasper repeated it.

Jasper enjoyed learning her language because he felt closer to her than before and because it made Corazon happy. As for Corazon, she felt closer to her roots, which is what she had needed for a long time.

━━ This chapter is literally this:

Chapter Text

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍:
On the dancefloor
(1971)

"WHY RED?"

Alice asks as she continues to sew the silk fabric material that Corazon is currently wearing on her waist, Alice wants to bring her designer vision to life, and she had thought of an innovative design of a corset top, but unlike the original corset design in the past centuries, what Alice made isn't a rib torturer. Corazon could only describe Alice's room as an organized mess of some sort, multiple fabric rolls on the ground and on her bed, her drawing table filled with art materials, sketches, and numerous fabric rolls scattered around. Three mannequins at every corner with unfinished projects, different styles of hats, and brands of shoes out of their boxes, and her jewelry boxes are opened.

Surprisingly, it looks organized in an unexplainable way, but that's just Alice's way of doing things.

"Red looks good on my complexion," Corazon answers as she looks at herself in the mirror; it really does; red does look good on her, there's no doubt about that. "I think it brings a bit of color to my skin," Corazon always has light tan skin with cool undertones. Even when she was human, given her European ancestry, she didn't have the beautiful warm brown complexion. She always noticed how rich Jasper's golden tan skin was, how divine he looked, and how much of a he looked in one of those movies set in the American West wearing cowboy hats and boots.

Jasper doesn't like watching those Western movies. He said it was a bit stereotypical, but Corazon liked it. She kept listening to Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash and made Jasper sing the song with her and requested to accentuate his Southern accent further, and it was an electrifying sweep on her skin as the deep timbres of his voice cradled her undead heart.

"It does," Alice didn't deny that red is Corazon's color. It always has been. "Is it why they called you the Red Lady of the North?" Alice looks at her with a needle and thread in her hands. Corazon slightly tilts her head and purses her lips to the side with a thoughtful look as she hums.

"One of the reasons, yes." Corazon places her hand on her cheek, pointing her finger and tapping her cheek, "But because the house I...stayed in was painted red." She chose her words carefully to not dim a good day. "I needed a reminder of why I was doing the things I did back then, something that would haunt them, a color that would be imprinted in their mind, and once they see it, they'll think of me." Corazon's voice was confident, but Alice could hear the slight tremble in her voice.

Alice nods, giving her a meaningful look. She can only think of how difficult it has been for Corazon to sacrifice everything and get nothing in return. Alice knows that Corazon has stopped keeping up with the Philippine news; it makes her homesick with longing. Alice always knows how sad her best friend has been when Corazon told her mother to stop writing to her because it is getting difficult to send in letters without her family discovering that she is indeed alive all this time.

"And they still think of you. You changed the course of history for the better, something you should be proud of." Alice adds with a cheery tone as she takes a shoe box underneath her bed and places it beside Corazon, removing the wine-red double crystal buckle Mary Jane pumps from the box.

"Oh, Alice! They look gorgeous and chic!" Corazon exclaims as she leans down and takes the pair of shoes to her hands. Smiling so wide that her teeth showed, Corazon was never the one to purchase unnecessary apparel items. She guesses that she never really left that habit behind; whenever she buys clothes, shoes, or bags, she only purchases them when needed for practical reasons; she owns two pairs of shoes, one pair of flats and pumps, and three bags with different sizes and styles of the occasion. She relies on Rosalie, Esme, and especially Alice if she needs something out of her wardrobe.

But when it comes to jewelry, that's where Corazon invests her money because jewelry's worth can increase over time. Jewelry is always a timeless piece.

"I knew you'd like them!" Grinning, Alice turned around and skipped towards her jewelry box, taking a matching set of diamond jewelry and placing it on Corazon.

"What's the occasion? Are you going to sell this design of yours?" Corazon curiously asks as she touches the diamond necklace around her neck.

Alice shrugs, "Nothing. I just wanted to see if you'll like it enough to keep it."

"And you haven't seen it in your visions?" Corazon clarifies.

Alice then tips her head up, crossing her arms in a scolding manner, "I told you,"

Then, they both said in unison, "Reality is better than visions."

Alice chuckles, "Besides, I have so many visions that it's difficult to narrow it down to what will happen."

Corazon looks at her with a concerned gaze, "Does it get scary seeing the future?" Placing the shoes back on the floor.

"Sometimes," Alice answers with pure honesty in her tone and a light shrug of her shoulders. "But it's assuring in a way, knowing what's going to happen, and that if needed, I can interfere if it's not the future I want."

Corazon points out, "But you don't like interfering with your vision. You want it to naturally take its course."

"Yes, because that's what it's supposed to be. My gift is unusual. No one is supposed to see the future in the first place." Alice tells her that Corazon has always assured Alice that her gift is unique, something that should be wielded carefully, and that Corazon is glad that Alice is the one who possesses it in the first place because she knows Alice wouldn't take advantage of it.

"Well, I think it's given to you in the first place for a reason." Corazon says, and Alice prods,

"What do you think it is?"

"Because you can handle your gift. Seeing the future is difficult, but you're handling it gracefully with certainty." Corazon states, and it's true when Alice has her visions, she always handles them calmly and unpanicked. Alice always knows what to do and what to say when it comes to her gift because she knows it best. She had taken care of them multiple times, especially when it was time to move or to avoid unwanted accidents, and one of the main reasons why Corazon's life is so content is because of Alice, Alice is the reason that brought the three of them together, and Corazon wouldn't have it either way.

"I don't know about that," Alice doubts; she's always been insecure about her ability to see into the future, afraid that she might lead her family on the wrong path and make the wrong choice that leads to a difficult decision and dire consequences. They relied on her; it felt like a huge responsibility, their safety and assurance to live peacefully amongst the humans.

As if Corazon read her mind, she places an arm around Alice's shoulder, squeezing it lightly with firm assurance. "Give yourself a lot of credit; we'd be lost without you."

"I think you'll be just fine. You've always been so independent." Alice leans on her shoulder.

"But there's something that will always feel missing." Corazon adds, "I wouldn't have met Jasper without you."

Alice shakes her head in dismissal as she wraps an arm around Corazon's waist, "You would've, like twin flames, I just sped up the process."

Confused, Corazon asks, "Twin flames?" Alice nods enthusiastically, "Two souls that were always meant to find each other, but I think there's something more."

"And what is that?"

"That you two are soul mates."

With that, Corazon's breath hitched as she blinked rapidly; she recovered with a quick shrug of her shoulders, "Jasper's been only courting me for four months; I think that's a little quick to conclude."

Alice hums as she smiles knowingly, "Jasper looks at you, the way Carlisle looks at Esme, the way Emmett looks at Rose. How I saw my mate look at me." Corazon beams, looking at Alice with excitement.

"So, when's the time you're going to meet her?"

"Not yet. She's not ready, and I'm willing to wait." Alice removes her arm around Corazon's waist, removing the clip-on of the corset on her back, and continues to sew the ribbons for the corset.

"I hope she doesn't make you wait for long,"

"I could say the same for you." Alice chirps, and Corazon looks over her shoulder with a questioning look, "Give your relationship with Jasper an honest chance, and I can assure you that everything will be worth it."

EMMETT LOVES ROLLER SKATING. Corazon loves to dance, and that's the only thing they agree on. They like to groove to the music as it takes over their body, following the motions of the sound blazing on the rink.

"See you on the rink, losers," Emmett struts with his roller skates as he heads towards the rink, holding his skates through the ties thrown over his shoulder, hips swaying. Corazon only followed his figure with a raised eyebrow. What a drama queen.

They brought their own roller skates as well. Alice rented the roller skating rink for the night, so the only people—vampires in the place are them, except for the manager, who is creepily observing them from afar. Carlisle and Esme joined them as usual, but they sat by the lounging area, enjoying each other's company. They were more than happy to accompany them. Edward didn't want to skate, so he stayed in his usual broody state with their adoptive parents.

"Let him have this night." Rosalie shakes her head, rolling her eyes, but there's an unmistakable glint of amusement as her lips twitch into a grin. Emmett often asks them to do physical activities to satisfy his energetic body, such as hiking, hunting, skating, sparring, rowing, and even yoga. He's such a nature person as well, no wonder he got killed by a bear.

"Yes, 'cause this is the only night he doesn't lose." Corazon tells her, and she hears a scoff and a yell of disagreement from Emmett, who has both of his hands perched on his hips, already on the skating rink, "I never lose!" Alice then drags Rosalie towards the rink.

"Tell that to Jasper." Corazon tips her head towards him, and Jasper only lets out a chuckle as he tugs her hand towards the bench, "Sit," Jasper tells her, and she does without hesitation. Jasper kneels in front of her as he removes her heels, placing them on the side, and puts on the burgundy roller skates, tying the laces skillfully.

"You don't have to do this, you know?" Corazon asked with a smile, tilting her head, but there was no tone of protest, only amusement.

"I know," Jasper replies as he taps the sole of her roller skates, looking up at her with a small smile. His gaze is soft, and she could feel it, the adoration he felt for her, and it felt like a warm blanket over the winter nights. "But I want to," He retakes her hand and helps her to stand up.

"Why don't you ever join me to skate?" Corazon asks, and Jasper sighs, giving her a look, knowing that she already knows the answer, but he repeats it again, "I don't know how to skate,"

"I told you I'll teach you," Corazon pouts, looking at him with doe-like eyes, "It'll be fun!" She exclaims enthusiastically and eagerly, then looks at him through her lashes, "Please," Tugging his hand and wrapping it around her waist.

"You make it extremely difficult for me to resist you," Jasper groans as he throws his head back, then looks at Corazon again, moving her shoulders slightly, still a pout on her red-tainted lips. Corazon, on her tiptoes, leans towards him, placing a hand against his chest as he whispers in his ear, "Then don't," Jasper tried not to shudder as her lips ghosted on the shell of his ear; she then placed a peck on his cheek.

"Fine," Jasper relented, "Wait for me,"

Corazon says in a sing-song voice, "You know I will," Corazon looks towards the rink, seeing Alice looking at her with glee and a thumbs up, and she sends a wink in her direction. Mission accomplished. They've been trying to convince Jasper to skate for as long as they can remember, but it looks like Corazon has him wrapped around her dainty fingers.

Jasper walked back towards her with a pair of rented roller skates; he never joined them to skate, so he didn't have his own pair. Corazon noted in her brain that she'd buy him a pair of his own since this would be a regular occurrence. Jasper sat on the bench as he fitted his shoes and tied them securely, Corazon offered her hand, and Jasper took it. The carpet makes it easier for them to walk because of the rough and textured surface.

The disco ball suspended from the ceiling casts a dazzling display of reflective lights across the room, creating a mesmerizing kaleidoscope that dances on the walls and floor. The walls are adorned with psychedelic patterns and colorful murals.

Corazon took it upon herself to step inside the rink while Jasper tentatively looked at the shiny wooden floor. "Come on," Corazon urged with an assuring smile, and he did; she guided him, holding both hands; Jasper was still as a statue.

"Okay, so first, to control your balance," Corazon begins, "Step with your feet shoulder-width apart, crouch, and bend your knees. To create a comfortable squatting stance, lower your backside toward the ground and lean slightly forward." Jasper did what he was told, "Step slowly forward, first to the right, then to the left, and so on, with your heels together and your toes pointed out."

Corazon held his hand as he did so for guidance, "Yeah, that's it," Corazon encouraged with a gleeful expression, "Then to glide. Push off with one foot and glide with the other, switching your gliding foot. To prevent it from getting in the way of your glide, keep the other foot elevated as you glide on the other one."

Then, Emmett speeds towards their direction and does a spin. Jasper rolls his eyes, "Show-off," He scoffs, annoyed. They both moved slowly around the rink.

"Don't mind him. That's the only thing he's good at," Corazon laughs. Emmett stops in front of them with furrowed brows and pouty lips. He looks as if he's going to throw a temper tantrum, "I take offense,"

Corazon shakes her head, responding in a mocking tone, "Then I am sincerely apologizing, king of the rink," Emmett smiles, teeth showing, his chest puffed in pride, "Dang right I am," Then skates away towards Rosalie.

Corazon and Jasper took a few more strides around the rink, and then Corazon decided to teach him how to stop, "Skate parallel to each other to come to a stop. Continue squatting and incline your body slightly forward. Slide the right skate slightly ahead of the left, raise the right skate's toe, and apply force to the toe. You will stop more quickly the harder you press."

Then Jasper stopped, and Corazon enthusiastically clapped her hand, "You did well! You should be very proud of yourself," She gushes as she wraps her arms around his neck, with Jasper placing a hand on the small of her back.

"I have an excellent teacher," His voice, though gentle, possesses a magnetic pull that Corazon couldn't help but feel herself getting lost in.

"Am I?" Corazon hums as Jasper brings his hand towards her chin, his thumb tipping her head upward. Placing a kiss on her lips, the brain-melting kind, she nipped the bottom of his lip. A throaty groan rumbled from his chest. She felt her body mold with his; every essence of her depended on him like a lifeline.

"Enough, lovebirds. I took too many photos of you two smooching when you two should be dancing all lovingly!" Alice interrupts with a camera—a Minolta SRT-101. Corazon and Jasper pull away from each other with a laugh. Then Corazon looks over to Jasper's shoulder, waving a hand towards the manager. She yells out, "Could you play Respect by Aretha Franklin?"

The manager dutifully nodded, walking towards the back room. The unmistakable opening chords of "Respect" fill the air. Corazon then pulls Jasper towards the middle of the rink with a loud laugh. As she sees his surprised expression, she sings along, "What you want, baby, I got it," Corazon winks at him.

His topaz eyes are fixed on Corazon, captivated by the fluidity of her movements and the infectious joy she radiates. She sways her hand in the air, her hips moving along with the tune as Jasper follows her and watches with a quiet admiration for the beauty of carefreeness unfolding before him.

Jasper never wanted anything in his whole life except for this moment; she's right; everything that he wants and needs is Corazon.

Chapter Text

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍:
Weird Cult
(1971)

"YOU'RE NOT IN THE ZONE, CECE, YOU'RE MAKING IT EASY TO BEAT YOU IN THIS," Emmett teases with a grin, a playful twinkle in his eye, chest puffed out, and a proud expression as he held the billiard cue stick with his right hand and his left hand propped on his hip.

Corazon rolls her eyes, "Maybe it's just your lucky day," she sizes up the table, ready to take her turn. The sound of cue sticks striking balls fills the air, accompanied by the satisfying clack as they make contact.

They were playing billiards in their living room, and they were the only occupants of the house. Carlisle's at work–as usual. Esme has a consultation in one of the construction projects in the city—Edward's in one of his classes. Alice is working in the boutique, while Rosalie and Jasper want to look for new parts for the car that Rosalie is customizing.

Corazon had nothing to do; she had just gotten home from the university laboratory. Emmett was the one who did the honor of driving her home. He was bored, like always; Rosalie didn't let him join her because the car that she was customizing was for him, and she wanted to surprise him with the final outcome of the vehicle.

"Or maybe something is bothering you," Emmett prods, and Corazon gives him a dead-pan look. She shakes her head as she nudges her head towards the table; it is his turn now. Emmett leans over the table, and with his build, he towers over it with his body.

"It's nothing," Corazon dismisses with a light shrug of her shoulder. She takes the cue chalk and rubs the end of the cue stick.

Emmett looks at her worriedly; he fixes his posture, standing as his hands grip the cue stick, "You're not going to lock yourself up in your room again, are you?"

Corazon furrows her eyebrows, "No, I'm not," She tells him. He gives her a doubtful look as she repeatedly assures, "I'm not, it's just—" She releases a heavy sigh and places a hand on her forehead, "It's my sister's birthday today," specifically Miriam's.

Emmett nods, understanding what it means, "It never gets easier, trust me,"

"It really doesn't," Corazon purses her lips, taking a few steps as she sits on the bean bag. Placing the cue stick on the floor, "I'm here, they're not, they're probably celebrating right now, and I'm not with them."

"You should send her a gift," Emmett suggests as he leans against the table, legs crossed, his hands covering the end of the cue stick with his chin resting on top of his hand.

Corazon shakes her head, "I can't do that,"

Emmett raises an eyebrow, "And why not?" He asks.

"I stopped my letters to my mother because I wanted her to let me go. I know that being away from her pains her, and I don't want that. My disappearance left so many unanswered questions and possibilities. The money I sent had already drawn up conclusions if I was still alive, and I don't want to get their hopes up that I'm coming back because I'm not," Corazon explains as the feeling in her chest grew heavy. She unknowingly places a hand on her chest, drawing small circles where her undead heart resides.

She continues, "If something happens unexpectedly, they always think it's me. It's been years; I should give them the right to finally let me go, even if it is really hard for me, because they deserve that." Her throat felt restricted, almost raw, suffocating. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, her hands covering her face.

She hears Emmett walk towards her and sit beside her, gently holding her shoulder, "You don't have to let them go completely." He frowns as he recalls his family, mother, and siblings, whom he left behind. It's what he's been feeling guilty of until now, leaving his family.

When his father died of a heart attack, leaving him as the sole breadwinner of his family. He did his absolute best to provide for them and be the father figure for his younger siblings while also being the brother. They weren't rich or poor; they had a comfortable life where they had something to eat at the dinner table together as a family.

He loves his mother and siblings more than anything in the world. That's also why when he turned, he left because it was for their safety. But that doesn't mean he entirely agrees with it. He watched over them and provided for them from afar. In the beginning, when he was a new vampire, Edward offered to lend him money, something that he should leave for his family.

He did, and for that, he always held respect for Edward. When Emmett learned to invest and earn his own money, he made a way to ensure his siblings could attend college. He conjured up this plan of fake full-ride scholarships until they graduated; he paid for his mother's hospital bill and funeral and covered it as insurance.

Now his family is well. He has plenty of nieces and nephews and some grandkids from his siblings. He's happy; he did all he could and is satisfied with it.

"How?" Corazon asks, genuinely curious, as she removes her hand from her face and looks at Emmett.

"By loving them from afar, watching over them from afar. It doesn't have to stop. Send them gifts with no name or return address, or cover it up as a package from a company." Emmett suggests, and Corazon thoughtfully nods.

"You know, I thought that you accepted this life so easily." Corazon tells him, and Emmett answers, "I did because I thought it was cool; vampires were only stories, and I became one. Super fast and strong. Then Rose." With his last sentence, he sighs in contentment with a dreamy expression.

"But it doesn't mean I accepted what I had to do when I became a vampire." Emmett purses his lips, "But I had to accept it because what is there to expect? I had to leave no matter what because we never age. It's best if I leave early with no traces to find."

Corazon then slowly smiles as she wraps an arm around his big shoulder, "It's far more easy to tolerate you when you're not annoying,"

Emmett then rubs the top of her head, messing her hair, which she slaps away with her hand, "That's what big bros do; they annoy the youngest. It's in the sibling description when you joined this family."

"Really? I haven't read that part," She jokes, a small smile on her lips. "Ah, that's it, smiling, that means I did it right," Emmett points at her lips as she engulfs her in a big hug, his large arms squeezing her, and she releases a big laugh.

"Emmett!" She exclaims in surprise; he stands up, taking her with him as her feet lift off the ground, completely caging her.

"Love you, lil sis. Even if you're a know-it-all,"

"Thanks, love you too, bear."

"HEY, CAN I TALK TO YOU?" Edward's voice came from behind her. She turns around to face him with a book in her hand. She's in Carlisle's library looking for medical journals for her research.

"Yeah, sure, what is it?"

Edward looks hesitant, like the words couldn't come out of his mouth, and Corazon raises a questionable brow towards him, "Did you kill someone?" Corazon asks as she sits on the sofa, crossing her legs while Edward bewilderedly looks at her.

"What? No." Edward responds in an instant, standing before her like a lost child.

"Well, you look like you did," Corazon tells him, "Just asking," Then she raises both of her hands up, "So we can get rid of the body,"

"You think I can't get rid of the body?" Edward asks, and a look of regret crosses his face. He is about to dismiss it, but Corazon already has an answer, "Honestly?"

"Don't answer," Edward groans.

"No, I don't think you can get rid of a body," Corazon retakes her book, placing it on her lap as she flips the pages, "If anyone in this family can get rid of a body successfully, I would go to anyone but you,"

"Fair," Edward shrugs as he sits on the opposite couch, looking uncomfortable, clasping his hands together.

"What is it?" Corazon tiredly sighs as she gives him a look, "Just spit it out already,"

"I know what you and the others have been doing when you hunt," Edward tells her, voice calm, but his eyes betrayed him; she didn't need Jasper's gift to know that he was anxious.

"Oh?" That got Corazon's attention; she closed the book and placed it on the coffee table as she motioned her hand for him to continue.

"And I've been thinking about it," Edward purses his lips as he brings his hand to his forehead, rubbing it with his thumb rather in a rough motion.

"Do tell," Corazon tells him with a nod. She fixes her posture, prepares herself, and closes her thoughts from him. Edward is probably going to condemn them for sinning.

"I want to join,"

Corazon looked at him, surprised, but she didn't let it show. "Sorry, memberships are officially closed,"

Edward scoffs, "Really?" In a sarcastic tone.

"We retired,"

Edward frowns, "Since when?"

"Since we moved here. We like this town, and it would be a waste if we moved in such a short amount of time," Corazon answers with a shrug as she looks at her fingernails, which are in need of a new pedicure. She ought to ask Alice to do her nails again. Alice has been practicing nail art for quite some time.

"Why do you want to join?" It's her turn to ask questions now. Edward is against everything that concerns taking human life, so it doesn't make sense for him to join them in their hunts.

Edward suddenly stood up from his seat, motioning a finger for her to wait; he disappeared in a second and appeared in front of her with a rolled piece of newspaper; he placed it in front of her on the coffee table.

The headline greets her, which makes her mood instantly darken.

MISSING CHILDREN IN FAIRBANKS CONCERNS AUTHORITIES.

She took the newspaper and read the report at a fast pace. Missing children are reported every day; they suspect that it's a child trafficking scheme.

"I read the first disappearance last month, and I didn't know that it got this far," Edward tells her.

"Have you gotten any leads since then?" Corazon asks.

"Yes, actually, I know where the children are; I just need help," Edward tells her, and Corazon looks up; she blinks, impressed.

"Where are they?" Corazon asks.

"They've been taken to a cult,"

"Not surprising,"

She'd read about the Charles Manson case recently, how the man was convicted of first-degree murder because Charles and a few members of the cult headed to a Beverly Hills home and murdered five people, including actress Sharon Tate.

"And what do you plan for us to do?" Corazon asks as she hears Rosalie's heels clicking on the floor.

Rosalie opens the office door, crossing her arms together, eyes switching between Corazon and Edward. "He doesn't have one. That's why he's asking us to do it,"

"For help, I want to join you all when you rescue the children," Edward argues. Corazon and Rosalie share a look.

"We'll ask Carlisle first," Corazon tells him.

"Carlisle knows what you've been doing?" Edward asks with wide eyes.

Rosalie scoffs, "Obviously, who do you think instructs us with how to execute the murder plan?"

"Edward," Corazon calls for his attention, "I think you're the only one in this family that doesn't accept that we kill humans,"

"Oh, please, he went on an exploration phase with human blood," Rosalie rolls her eyes, leaning on the door frame, "He was so deprived of human blood that he decided to rebel against Carlisle. He went off on his own and drank bad people's blood. Then suddenly he regrets it, deciding that it went against his morals, blah blah," Rosalie waves her hand in the air as she finishes mockingly.

"He killed to taste human blood, while we killed to give the rightful justice to those who were wronged, and at the end of the day, we were the ones who sinned," Rosalie spat out with such venom, glaring at Edward, who looked away.

"Make sure you want to do this and don't back out at the last minute because we will be killing humans, whether you like it or not. They're more dangerous than us. We're not the ones placing children in cults," Rosalie pointedly looks at the newspaper, turning around as she walks away to talk to Alice.

"Let's wait for Carlisle to get home," Corazon tells him softly, "Don't worry, he won't disagree," Because he never does. Corazon takes the medical journal, leaving Edward behind. As she exits Carlisle's office, Jasper is waiting for her. Leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets, his corded muscles show, and his sleeves are rolled up. He's already looking at her with a grin, golden blonde hair tied into a man bun.

"I guess we aren't retired after all." Jasper offers his hand that Corazon took with no questions asked.

"I don't think we ever will be,"

"THE FIRST STEP WHEN IT COMES TO MURDER IS TO HAVE FUN, AND MOST OF ALL, BE YOURSELF," Alice tells Edward with a chirpy voice as she puts on a black jacket and a black hat. Edward was asking them how they were going to murder the humans without leaving evidence or any suspicions behind.

"That's like a motivational quote you'll see in the bathroom or something," Edward looks at her with furrowed brows.

Emmett snorts, "We totally should have that in the bathroom,"

Rosalie intervenes, "Let's go, we only have one chance doing this,"

They were in the middle of nowhere, endless fields and one mansion. It first looked like an ordinary house, with white picket fences, a beautiful garden, a restored house with white painted walls, and a beige painted roof.

It looked like an ordinary mansion.

They arrived at the location by running; taking a vehicle would be too obvious and loud. As the only house in the block, the house's residents would be suspicious immediately. Corazon took a look at the house's blueprint. It has fourteen rooms, five bathrooms, an attic, and a basement.

Suddenly, laughter and the sound of drums echoed in the air, burning wood and shuffling feet against the grass. They all looked at one another and quietly walked towards the white fences.

There was a large burning campfire in the middle; kids circled it, holding hands with a distinct crucifix necklace around their necks, wearing white cloth and bare feet. Three men were sitting on the ground, praying.

"What is this, jesuscon?" Emmett harshly whispers, looking at the scene unfolding before them.

Edward points towards the man wearing a black shirt with red ribbons around his wrists, "That's Damien Rosou, the leader; the other two are Froi Hugh and Gregory Portman."

"So, who do we kill?" Jasper asks, and Edward looks at him; Jasper shrugs in response.

"The other two joined recently; one is a molester and a child rapist."

"I want the rapist," Rosalie answers in an instant, "Then I'll take the molester," Alice nods.

"How will this go, Alice?" Corazon asks. They conjured a plan just now, and it's a decision.

Alice answers, "Froi and Gregory die by a suicide pack; Damien, we hand over to the police with a recording of his confession."

"Nothing will go wrong?" Rosalie asks, and Edward looks at Alice. He shakes his head. Edward then says, "Only that Cece will lose her temper,"

"I can work with that," Jasper tries not to smile as Corazon lightly bumps his shoulder with her own.

"So we'll wait until the children go to bed?" Emmett asks, still looking at the humans prancing around the campfire. He winces, looking at them oddly.

Alice nods, "We'll go as quietly as possible. Kill Froi and Gregory first with the pills Carlisle advised. Then Gregory is in the basement, and Cece will ask him to confess."

"Sounds like a good plan," Edward hums, then suddenly Emmett asks, "Are cults this weird?"

"Yes," They all quietly responded in unison.

"And humans say we're a cult, but we don't do weird shit like this," Emmett motions his thumb towards the humans.

Rosalie rolls her eyes, "It's because they think we get good plastic surgery from Carlisle. That's why they think we're inhumanely beautiful and our eyes are similar. Even though we're all adopted."

Corazon is working on the eyes part of the narrative, but they can't do anything about the beauty they gained from vampirism.

"Guys, they're leading the children back in the house," Emmett tells them, and Rosalie grins, a sparkle of chaos in her eyes, "We're back in business,"

The next day, the news was flooded with the missing children returned to their homes; Damien Rosou drove himself to the police station with the confession of his recording admitting to his crimes, and he was charged with a life sentence. Froi Hugh and Gregory Portman died of a suicide pack, leaving a letter of what they had done. There's always something good about serving justice.

Chapter Text

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍:
Be my baby
(1971)

IF CORAZON WERE ASKED IF SHE WOULD SIT THROUGH A FOUR-DAY ROAD TRIP WITH HER FAMILY, she would instantly say, hell no.

Cramped in a car with them is a no. They already get on her nerves quite a bit in the house. Imagine if they're all crammed together for hours—days, but if the road trip consists of only her and Jasper, she would say yes–gladly and happily.

So a road trip from Anchorage, Alaska, to Houston, Texas, is no problem at all as long as she's with Jasper. He'd asked her if he wanted to join him in visiting his old friends, Peter and Charlotte. Corazon was a bit nervous, but it's been five months since Jasper had been courting her, and she wanted to know more about him. What an excellent way to start to know who had been with him the longest time.

The road trip was no problem. They didn't need to stop over for food or the bathroom. They could drive for long hours. Corazon packed them animal blood in a wine bottle—the checkpoints didn't think to check it, so they were safe and had their papers ready, it was a smooth road trip by far, and most of all, fun. They decided to see some sights, take some pictures, and actually enjoy the stops.

Corazon loves it because of the great music on the radio and the stack of good books. She loves making memories with Jasper and every moment with him. Now, she's singing. The cool breeze danced through the open windows of their sleek, midnight-black Maserati Ghibli 4.7 Coupe, weaving through Corazon's black hair and gently tousling Jasper's golden locks. The city lights blurred into a kaleidoscope of colors as they sped along the winding roads, leaving the urban hustle behind. A crescent moon hung low in the indigo sky, casting a gentle glow on the road ahead.

The soft purr of the engine was accompanied by the timeless melody of Be My Baby by The Ronettes emanating from the car's stereo. With her infectious laughter and sparkling eyes, Corazon leaned against the door, reveling in the moment. She glanced at Jasper, his stoic demeanor softened by her laughter. Their fingers interlaced, the warmth of their connection contrasting with the cool breeze that caressed their faces.

Corazon couldn't resist the urge to sing along. With a gentle smile, she began to serenade Jasper with the lyrics. Her voice, a melodic blend of warmth and grace, filled the car with an enchanting atmosphere, echoing through the quiet night.

"Be my, be my baby. Be my little baby. My one and only baby. Be my, be my baby now."

Jasper's gaze remained fixed on the road, but a subtle grin played on his lips. He reveled in the moment, in her, drinking her presence in.

"For every kiss you give me, I'll give you three. Oh, since the day I saw you. I have been waiting for you. You know I will adore you 'til eternity." Corazon leans towards him with a teasing grin.

With his hands confidently on the steering wheel, Jasper stole glances at Corazon with a smile of his own. The moonlight highlighted the subtle contours of his face, revealing a sense of calm and joy as he savored Corazon's companionship by his side.

As the ending notes of Be My Baby by The Ronettes, it was replaced by the opening notes of At last by Etta James. The melody of Etta James blended seamlessly with the night, and the gentle caress of her voice made the breezy night peaceful and calm.

Corazon took their intertwined hands and placed a soft kiss on the back of Jasper's hand. He hummed in contentment, and then Corazon's eyes scanned the rings on his fingers, "I like your rings," Corazon told him as she twisted the signet ring on his right hand, index finger, and the other ring that resided on his pinky finger. The simple gold and round signet ring with a carved initial of his surname, Whitlock. On his pinky finger, a smaller yet equally captivating ring adorned him. A slender band of silver. "I never asked where you got it from,"

Jasper glances at her, then back at the road, a grin on his lips with a knowing look, and confidently expresses, "You like my hands," His golden tan skin is smooth as the traces of veins in delicate patterns beneath the surface of his hands.

"I'm not denying anything. You have very pretty hands," Corazon then brought his right hand to her neck as Jasper softly brushed. He stroked his thumbs across the base of her throat. Corazon could see it, the lust in his eyes, "You minx," He managed to utter as he gently pulled her towards him. As he brushed his lips onto hers, placing a deep kiss on her lips, he made Corazon smile against his lips.

Then she whispers, "Focus on the road, cowboy," Jasper shakes his head with a laugh escaping his lips. He leans back and places his hand back on the steering wheel while leaving his other hand on Corazon's thigh.

"The signet ring was given to me by my grandpa, and the eldest received the ring. I purchased the other ring during the '50s; no special reason behind it." Jasper informs her as Corazon nods alone; she takes off the signet ring of his finger and slides it to her own, then shows it to Jasper, the gold metal complimenting her skin beautifully. "I think it looks nice on me, don't you think?"

Jasper grinned, "Very," he then took her hand and gently kissed her hand where the ring resided rather perfectly. "Are you happy?" Jasper suddenly asks, and Corazon tilts her head, a subtle smile on her lips, and replies with a sing-song voice as she re-intertwines their hand together,

"The happiest,"

"Then I'm happy as well," Jasper nods in contentment.

"You make me happy," Corazon tells him, squeezing his hand gently, and continues, "The happiest that I've ever been,"

Jasper's eyes softened once again. Glancing at her, he could feel it radiating from her so that it hugged him whole. He could feel the adoration and happiness wrapped around his undead heart. It's the feeling that he knows that he will never get used to, and he is fine with that; it serves as a reminder that not all emotions are cruel; when there's Corazon, there will always be an endless feeling of hope in his life.

"I adore you, smarty pants,"

"I adore you very much so, my cowboy."

THEY ARRIVED IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. Right in time as the sun sets. Corazon could see two side-by-side figures standing in front of the house, Peter and Charlotte.

The house is beautifully painted in a beautiful light shade of brown—a welcoming porch adorned with a rocking chair and a swing. A lone wind chime swayed gently, adding a melodic whisper to the symphony of the evening breeze. Vast farming fields surrounded them. Rows of crops stretched towards the horizon. 

Jasper parked the car, turning the car engine off as he exited the vehicle. He was instantly at her side of the car, opening the car door for her. Corazon gave him a grateful smile as she took his hand, intertwining with hers. Peter greeted them with a large, welcoming smile.

"Jasper, my man!" Peter exclaims as Corazon lets go of his hand. Peter engulfed him in a hug, patting his back, and Jasper chuckled. Charlotte, only two steps away from Peter, looked a lot like Alice, but there was rigidness in her posture and a hesitant look in her expression. Jasper told her that Charlotte needed time to get used to a new company, and Corazon understood that. Then Peter lets go of Charlotte as Jasper approaches her with a smile.

"C'mere, Lottie, we're not strangers after all," Jasper persuades, with his hands out, preparing for a hug. Charlotte shakes her head in amusement and gives in, hugging Jasper; when their greetings are done, Jasper walks back to Corazon, giving her an assuring smile; he can feel her nervousness, and he takes her hand again, squeezing it gently.

"Peter, Charlotte, let me introduce you to the most beautiful woman in my life inside and out, Corazon," Jasper places a kiss on the sidede of her head as Corazon suddenly feels flustered; she gently slaps his chest, "Stop it," She scolds playfully with a sheepish smile.

"Call me Cece, I insist," Corazon offered her hand, which Peter shook enthusiastically.

Peter chuckles, "Jasper always has his way with words, but he's a lucky man for having you stick around," Peter teases, "He's always been so quiet and intense," Jasper bumps his fist to his shoulder, and Peter raises his hand in mocking surrounder.

Corazon softly laughs, "Intense is the right word," Peter lets go of her hand, and Corazon offers her hand to Charlotte, which the latter takes hesitantly; she nods with a tight-lipped smile.

Peter claps his hands together, "Well then, let's get you both settled in so Jasper can tour Cece around the house," Peter opens the trunk, taking out two luggage trunks. While Jasper took the lead and guided Corazon inside the house.

Stepping through the front door of the one-story house, a sense of comfort and simplicity enveloped its interior. The warm, honeyed tones of the hardwood floors echoed the rustic charm of the surrounding countryside.

"It's beautiful, Jas," Corazon took her surroundings in a well-loved sofa faced by a fireplace whose mantle is yet to be filled with photographs, a wooden coffee table surrounded by comfortable armchairs. Then, a small kitchen, wood countertops, and a four-person wooden dining table at the side. "A kitchen?" She asks as her fingertips graze the wooden countertops, feeling the smooth surface.

Jasper then places a hand on the small of her back, "I know how much you like to cook, even if we don't eat," That's true. Corazon always tried to cook some of the meals her mother made for her and her siblings. They may never eat the food, but there was a certain feeling of nostalgia and reminiscing once the food touched her tongue; the familiar taste and delicious aroma transported her to the good memories of her human life.

Then Jasper led her towards the main bedroom, which had its earthy tones and a plush bed adorned with handmade quilts–her handmade quilts- and two simple bathrooms with a tub and a shower that Corazon loves. The second room was bare with empty white shelves.

"I was planning that we both could fill these empty shelves with books," Jasper tells her, and she turns around and faces him.

"How long have you been arranging all of this?" Corazon asks with a giddy expression; the house is everything; it's perfect.

"A while now, I bought the land when I left Maria. I thought of investing it and bought the surrounding lands." Jasper informs her as he clasps his hands to his back, his stance proud with his chest puffed.

"You bought the farm fields as well?" Corazon asks in surprise. Jasper nods, "Peter has been using it for his farming business, selling crops. We share the sales."

"That's amazing," Corazon says with pure admiration, "Brilliant, actually,"

"Well, thank you, darling," Jasper smiles, feeling boastful and receiving all of the praises from Corazon, which makes him feel arrogant.

Peter then walked by the door with a grin, "I see it's a win,"

"Certainly, you both outdone yourselves." Corazon then takes a few steps and wraps her arms around Jasper's neck while Jasper places his hands on her hips, "I guess we have a vacation house to go to whenever we need a break from our family,"

"That's the idea," Jasper responds as Corazon quickly pecks on his lips. When she pulls away, Jasper follows her movements, and she raises a teasing brow as her eyes quickly move to Peter.

"Don't mind me, you lovebugs had a long drive. Lottie and I will be back tonight. The city is wonderful during the night." Peter tells them his accent is thicker and more accentuated than Jasper's; he shrugs as he walks away; they hear a car engine start and drive away.

"Let's arrange our things first, then I cannot wait to explore your hometown," Corazon tells him, and Jasper smiles, excited to finally have her here, in the city where he grew up; it might not have been what it used to be, but it felt familiar and soothing.

And Jasper could never ask for more.

Chapter Text

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐈𝐗𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍:
A cowboy in his element
(1971)

"A VAMPIRE BAR? IS THAT A GOOD IDEA, PETE?" Jasper asks with doubt and hesitancy. They were strolling around the streets of the city, bright neon signs and marquee lights adorned storefronts, beckoning passersby into record stores, vintage boutiques, and diners.

"It might or might not, but what good idea is fun anyway? All the bad ideas are known to be fun," Peter muses, "Besides, it's a southern vampire bar. I'm sure Cece hasn't seen anything like it," Charlotte remains silent by his side, like the rest of the tour around the city, only speaking when Corazon asks something that Peter urges her to answer.

Corazon hums, amused, "I haven't. Must be interesting," Corazon looks at Jasper; if he doesn't want to go, it's fine. The problem with vampire bars was not the territorial instinct; every vampire bar is known to have a treaty, an understanding of some kind that vampires come to have a good time and go whenever they please.

She understood Jasper's hesitancy. Vampires tend to get intimidated by his mere presence, like a certain aura in his wake that leaves them rattled. The bite marks on his skin indicate that Jasper Whitlock is no ordinary vampire like any of them. He's a fighter who had been through the depths of hell and emerged stronger and fiercer, making them quiver in response, but when it comes to Corazon, he held her tenderly and gently, unlike any other man that had touched her before; when it comes to her, he is no threat but a protector.

"We can always go home if you like. We had a long day. We can always go tomorrow." Corazon places her head on his shoulder as the arm around her waist tightens, his fingertips brushing her skin.

Jasper huffs, thinking, why is he so worried anyway? He's in his city with the woman of his dreams and old lifelong friends, so why not let loose? So he relents, "Oh, heck, why not? Let's have some fun,"

Peter then exclaims in excitement, "Whoop! Whoop!" Then clasps Jasper's shoulder, "You're not going to regret this, Jas,"

"I hope not," Jasper tells him as Peter leads them towards a dark abandoned alleyway, far away from the buzzing city life. Peter knocked a pattern. The little metal slide on the door opened, revealing a set of red eyes, "How many?" The man behind the door asks.

Peter answers, "Four of us," The man grunts, "Let me see the eyes,"

Charlotte comes forward and looks at the man; he slightly tilts her head to the side as Jasper and Corazon enter the man's line of sight; he grunts again, "Animal suckers," Peter chuckles while shaking his head. Corazon didn't find it offensive; it's true, after all.

The metal slide closed with a snap, and then the sounds of opening locks ensued. Finally, the metal door opened, revealing the man in charge of the entrance; he's a big man, but not as well-muscled as Emmett, good enough to stand guard against the coming visitors; he wore a black shirt and black leather jacket with dark high-waisted jeans. He stepped aside, letting Peter pass through; Peter grabbed Charlotte's hand. Jasper and Corazon followed through, but not before the man grunts again, "You know the rules, Peter,"

"Yes, boss," Peter salutes in his direction. They walked through a dimly lit hallway, but Corazon could see well enough because of her sight; graffiti littered the walls, and its colorful, creative style added pops of vibrancy to the rather gloomy hallway. It's also a bit confusing; they should have heard blazing music by now, endless shuffling of feet or yelling, but it's quite too quiet for Corazon's liking.

"What exactly are the rules, Peter?" Corazon suddenly got worried. What if they broke a rule? She's never the one to break the rules; it makes her too anxious. Jasper looked at her, pulling her towards him as her back rested against his chest; a sudden burst of calmness engulfed her, washing away her worries; she looked at Jasper, giving him a grateful look.

"Nothing big, no fighting, of course, no blood—it makes it a bit crazy, so they decided to remove it. That's all," Peter informs them, and Jasper asks, "There's no blood, but vampires still come here?"

"Of course, partying with the humans is difficult. It's like being surrounded by food but can't take a risk to feed, but in here, you'll understand why vampires still come here," Peter mischievously grins as he opens another metal door, and there is it; the sudden burst of loud music and bodies shuffling.

Corazon's eyes suddenly widened in shock; it almost looked like a rave, but it was clearly a disco bar; she let her eyes wander. The interior glowed with dim, crimson lighting that cast shadows on vintage red velvet wallpaper, like a vampire's lair in the stories.

The dance floor was bathed in the pulsating glow of multicolored lights, and the disco ball at the center hung above the ceiling, creating life with the reflections like a sparkling constellation. Vampires with impeccably tailored bell bottoms and flowing capes twirled alongside fellow vampires grooving in psychedelic patterns, a unity forged in the shared ecstasy of dance. In the corners, booths upholstered in deep red velvet, couples immersed in one another, passionately and sensually kissing one another.

The bar itself was a masterpiece of mahogany and stained glass, its bartenders mixing potent drinks. The air was thick with the mingling scents of bourbon, incense, and the faint metallic tinge of iron. At the other corner of the bar, a mechanical bull took its place. Laughter and cheers echoed as the bull gyrated and bucked.

"So this is a southern disco bar,"

"That's right," Peter tells them gleefully, guiding them towards an empty table. Jasper is completely bewildered as he takes in his surroundings. He felt every emotion, from lust to ecstasy and excitement, but there was one emotion that was missing.

"I can't feel any blood lust from them," Jasper tells them, and Corazon's eyes snap towards him; she didn't know that he could feel blood lust.

Charlotte finally spoke, "The owner of this bar is in cahoots with a witch that cast a spell on this place that can completely dormant our blood lust. Haven't you felt it? When you entered here?"

Now that she mentioned it, it did; there was no burning sensation in her throat; it felt completely normal, almost human. Corazon, still surprised, "That's amazing," It confirmed her suspicions that other supernatural creatures were living amongst them in secret.

"It really is," Peter agrees. He then says, "I'm going to get us drinks," then walks toward the open bar.

"Drinks?" Corazon questions, and Charlotte answers, "They created drinks that we can consume. It can make us drunk too,"

"I ought to meet the witch who thought of this. It's genius." Corazon enthusiastically says, and Jasper smiles, always the curious one, he thinks to himself. Peter then brings a tray filled with glass shots and different colored liquids with varying sorts of garnishes; Peter places them on the table and begins distributing each glass.

Corazon looks at her drink with a hesitant expression. She didn't expect that they could actually drink alcohol. Jasper gently nudged her side, motioning his eyes towards her drink; his pointing finger made a slight motion to pass it to him. Corazon slid it to him, and he drank it with ease. Corazon didn't want to dampen the mood by telling them that she doesn't drink alcohol.

"So how do we exactly digest these drinks? Surely we're not going to be handling this in the bathroom," Corazon asks Peter, and Peter chuckles, "Of course not! These drinks evaporate in our stomachs; we're certainly going to be passing gas plenty of times," Peter tells them, and Jasper shrugs.

Corazon could see he was enjoying himself; honestly, she was too. It's a rare feeling to feel completely in touch with everything, not to feel a certain hunger, not smell the tempting scent of blood all the time.

"Interesting," Jasper only says as the opening tunes of It's not unusual by Tom Jones. She looks at Jasper with a glimmer; Jasper raises an amused brow as Corazon takes him by the hand, seizing the opportunity to pull Jasper Hale into the heart of the pulsating dance floor.

With her radiant smile and graceful movements, Corazon led Jasper into a lively dance. While Jasper, initially reserved, allowed himself to be drawn into the captivating dance. Corazon and Jasper spun and swayed in a spirited dance. Corazon's laughter echoed as they danced, Jasper doing these funky movements that she found funny.

Suddenly, the enchanting chords of Stand By Me by Otis Redding began to fill the disco bar. The transition from disco beats to the soulful melody set a different mood that resonated with the essence of connection and intimacy.

Corazon smiles at Jasper; he leads her to a slow dance, hand in hand, movements in the sink, his hands placed on her waist as his thumb caresses and soothes her. With her hands resting on his shoulder, Jasper places a tender kiss on her forehead that makes her close her eyes shut in the warmth that seeped her body. Corazon rested against him with a sense of comfort and familiarity.

As the song's final notes hung in the air, Corazon never wanted to leave his arms, but Peter asked Jasper to join him and challenged him on the mechanical bull to see who could last longer.

"You're finally going to live up to the stereotype after this," Corazon teases as Jasper playfully rolls her eyes at him.

"Thank the alcohol; it's the only reason why I'm doing this," Jasper tells her, his accent thick with deep timbres. Corazon felt herself shivering in response, but she only smiled while Jasper walked towards the bull, sitting on the bull. "All that's missing is a cowboy hat!" Corazon gleefully laughs.

Peter beams as he takes the display hat on the wall and places it on top of Jasper's head. Before he can protest, the bull begins to move, so he can do nothing as his hands snap towards the handle.

"This is definitely a core memory for me!" Corazon claps her hands as she laughs even more; she takes a few photos with a camera in hand. Watching Jasper balance himself on the bull, he's quite good; his arms are firmer, sleeves rolled up, more muscular, his hips moving along the fierce motions of the bull.

Jesus, Corazon thinks to herself as she releases a deep sigh, suddenly feeling flustered. If she were human, she would feel the heat crippling from her neck and cheeks. Embarrassed, she looked at anywhere but his figure, but she couldn't seem to make herself look away; she wet the bottom of her lip with her tongue. Her eyes connect with Jasper's, and he winks in her direction as his hand tips the cowboy hat, cocky.

"Fine, you win!" Peter exclaims as he huffs, clearly annoyed. Jasper motions to the one controlling the mechanical bull to stop, and it does. Jasper hops back down on the ground with pride. "I still got it after all these years," He says as Peter grumbles, slapping a hundred-dollar bill in Jasper's awaiting hand. Corazon didn't know where bets were made but guessed bets always ensued with the two.

After a few hours of dancing, drinking, laughing, and getting to know each other, they decided to go home. It was three in the morning when they exited the bar. Jasper has his shoulder around Corazon's arm; they are still laughing.

When she exited the bar, she felt uncomfortable, like the unquenchable thirst in her throat was more intense and burning; she guessed the alcohol was helping Jasper not notice it. Peter told a story about what happened to him and Jasper during their time in the army. When they were bathing in the river, he stole Jasper's clothes.

A human stumbled in the street, a woman, drunker than her companions. Corazon closed her eyes; the feeling of unmistakable hunger filled her senses, and she stopped breathing. She held Jasper tightly, praying and wishing that this human would pass them without hindrance.

Then the woman yelped, and the air was filled with the scent of blood; Corazon's eyes snapped toward the woman, and they all froze. The human stepped on a shattered glass bottle. It all happened so quickly that Corazon is unable to keep up. Jasper disappeared by her side and was suddenly in front of the human. She couldn't even stop him as he snapped the human's neck and bit into the column of her neck.

"Jasper!" Corazon exclaims in alarm. She sped towards him as she tried to pry him away from the body.

Corazon looked at Peter helplessly, "Peter!" The two were still completely frozen, but with Corazon's yell of desperation, Peter immediately wrapped his arms around Jasper's shoulder, pulling him away, but not without a fight; he was thrusting around in Peter's hold, so Charlotte helped him.

Jasper's eyes are dark, primal, and hungry than ever. Corazon placed her hands on his cheeks, wiping away the blood from his chin with her sleeves; she couldn't even feel her own bloodlust; all she could feel was the worry she had for Jasper and how much he was going to regret what he did.

"Jasper," Corazon repeats, tone much softer as she looks deeply into his eyes, "You're okay; you can calm down," His body stopped thrashing, his face relaxed as his dark eyes slowly transitioned to their new yet familiar color, crimson red.

Jasper looked around, his eyes settling on the dead body in front of him and the taste of human blood on his tongue; he choked out helplessly, "Oh, god," Peter and Charlotte let go of him. Jasper's knees buckled, but Corazon held him by the waist.

"It's alright, it was an accident." Corazon tried to soothe him, but she knew it wouldn't work. A burst of sadness and guilt emitted from him, "Let's go home, I'll take care of you," Corazon wrapped his arm around her shoulder as she held his waist; Corazon looked over her shoulder and uttered, "Peter..."

Peter, the traces of laughter in his mouth and the glimmer of joy in his eyes disappear and are replaced with a serious expression; he nods, "Go, we'll take care of it." Charlotte is looking at Jasper with worry and nods, her eyes connected with Corazon's silent plea: 'take care of him.' Corazon pursed her lips as she sped them towards the car.

The drive home was silent; she kept glancing at Jasper, but he was only staring at his bloodied hands. This is the first time in a long time that he tasted human blood. He lost control, and Corazon knew precisely what he was thinking, that he had lost every progress that he had made over the past two decades.

In their missions, Jasper always made sure never to spill blood in his killings; fast and easy, poison, injections, and even suffocation can do the job, and the others made sure to do the same to make sure that things would be easier for him and his control.

Corazon didn't know what to do. They arrived at the house, and Jasper disappeared instantly and went inside. Corazon released a heavy sigh as she turned off the engine. She followed him inside, walking towards the bathroom. She stands beside the door and then sees Jasper roughly washing his hands. Corazon took in some courage as she placed her hand on his arm; he stilled; he suddenly looked at her, and Corazon held his gaze.

"Let me," Corazon insisted with a pleading look. She took a clean cloth and wiped his face gently and delicately.

Jasper only watched her, and suddenly, he blurted out, "I understand if you want to leave,"

Corazon looks at him confusedly. He continues, setting his eyes anywhere but Corazon, "I understand if you don't want me to continue courting you any longer. I lost control, and it's not acceptable. You must think me a fool—" Corazon places a hand on his cheek as she makes him look at her.

"Stop putting words into my mouth," Corazon softly tells him, "It's not your fault you lost control; the bar made our bloodlust dormant, and leaving the bar, we were bombarded with our thirst. You felt my bloodlust that made you even more hungry, and I'm sorry." Jasper was about to speak, but she placed a finger against his mouth, stopping him.

"There will always be an obstacle to every progress. One mistake doesn't erase any of it." Corazon assures, and then she continues to wipe his neck.

"You didn't lose control; I did; you don't have to apologize," Jasper mutters as shame fills his body.

"I didn't feel my bloodlust because all I could think about was you," Corazon admits. "I won't let you push me away. I know you, I know you'll make me leave, and I won't let you. I won't give up on you because you didn't give up on me," Corazon then places his hand against his chest where his undead heart resided.

It is as if a thread finally snapped in place, completing and connecting them more than before.

"I love you, Jasper. No matter what, because I couldn't see myself anywhere but with you. You're my soulmate, my endless love, my lifeline, my solitude," Corazon confesses as she pushes through every bit of love into him, and he did; he felt it in multiple layers of pure love, adoration, and contentment. "I wasn't looking for love when we first met, but you embraced me with such tenderness and a sense of security that I had never experienced before. You were kind, understanding, and gentle. I want you to know that you are a good person, especially to me,"

His hands suddenly cupped the back of her head; with infinite care and sweet passion, Jasper kissed her tenderly and softly, then he said against her lips, "I love you, I love you, I love you," He repeated like a mantra of a worshiper to the divine.

"My heart, I am so full of you that I don't want anything else but you. I've been searching for you my whole life and am utterly devoted to you. Surely, by now, you know I'll give you anything you want. All you have to do is ask. I'll be so good to you, my heart. I promise." Jasper gently swept a long lock of her black hair over her shoulder as his nose grazed the underside of her jaw.

For Jasper, Corazon is everything. To be accepted by her can be compared to the acceptance of the heavens above. She's an angel that calms his demons, and Jasper will be damned before he wastes the opportunity of finally being hers because that is what he always wanted—needed, more than anything, to be hers. No one understands him better than Corazon; she sees him for who he is, yet all this love she feels for him is genuine, sincere, and real.

He'll do anything for her because she'll always be by his side, and someone finally chose him for the first time in a long time. He considers himself the luckiest man in the world, and the one who graced him with such luck is Corazon Cecelia Salvador.

"I want to be loved intimately, romantically, properly, genuinely, and fully." Corazon whispers as she rested her arms around his neck, as their foreheads touched, eyes closed, "Most of all, I want you to forgive yourself,"

Jasper lets out a hum, and with a thoughtful nod, he promises, "Alright, anything you want,"

He means it because this is the first time he truly felt he belonged in her arms and this moment.

Chapter Text

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍:
Unwanted visitors
(1971)

"YOU'VE BEEN MAKIN' SOMETHING SINCE THIS MORNING," Jasper says as he strides towards Corazon, who had opened the freezer, "It's been smelling scrumptious," He continues as he wraps his arms around her waist, placing his chin on her shoulder.

Corazon only hums as she places the molding trays on the countertop. "And I think you'll love it," then she takes it out of the trays, slightly twisting her body so she is facing him. She requests, "Open," She places her thumb on his bottom lip, and he grins before opening his mouth. She placed the blood pop on top of his tongue, and her hand went to his chin, closing his mouth as Jasper sucked on the blood pop; she tilted her head slightly to the side, "Is it good?"

Jasper nods, impressed, "Surprisingly so," She then takes a blood pop for herself. The taste of blood has always been satisfying, and Corazon would compare it to something she had read from Greek mythology, like a nectar of the gods, nourishing, delicious, and utterly tempting.

"I made it for you," Corazon tells him as she turns around. Now he's completely caging her, hands locked on the edges of the countertop. She looks at Jasper, his crimson-red eyes transitioning to a rose gold color, and it has been a week since the incident. It hasn't been easy for him, but they're working on it.

After they confessed their love for each other, Peter arrived in the house profusely apologizing, telling them his misdoings of not warning them beforehand of the effects of leaving the southern vampire disco bar.

Jasper forgave him. What's done is done. Peter promised to make it up to him and left with Charlotte. They'd been visiting ever since; Corazon had gotten to know more of them, Charlotte was slowly warming up to her, and Corazon was glad that Charlotte and Peter had gotten along with her fairly well; she could tell it made Jasper relieved.

"Really now?" Jasper smiles, one of those smiles that he reserves for her and only her. "I'm flattered, my heart," He places a hand on top of his chest where his undead heart resided, his expression morphing into something soft with a pout.

"My heart?" She questions. He'd been calling her since the night that he addressed her with it. It's endearing; she never knew how pet names could make her mushy all over.

"Corazon, in English, heart. You're the one who occupies every space in my heart; I see it fit," Jasper tells her as he presses his hand to the small of her back and pulls her entirely against his hard body.

"You're obsessed with me," Corazon teases as she releases a soft laugh.

Jasper licks the bottom of his lips, taking the blood pop from his mouth. He lifted his hand from her waist to cup her face and pressed his lips close to her ear. He whispered in a deep and husky tone, "Obsessed, besotted, addicted, call it whatever, but you are all I could think about," She fisted a hand on his shirt as she felt the waves of his voice spread through her body. It made her tingle all over. She tilted her head as he swept his mouth along the nape of her neck, placing small yet lingering kisses.

Then they hear Peter barging inside the house, "Ah! Fine morning to y'all. Hope we're not interrupting," Jasper pulls away with a deep grumble from his chest as Corazon snickers.

Charlotte rolls her eyes, "We definitely are," She crosses her arms to her chest, sending an apologizing look to Jasper and Corazon. Jasper shrugs as he places the blood pop back into his mouth.

Corazon smiles at Peter as Jasper fixes his position, leaning against the counter with his wrapped around Corazon's stomach. "What have you been planning, Pete?" He asks with a raised brow.

Peter grins, "Signed us both for a race,"

"What kind of race?" Corazon asks as she places the molding tray back in the freezer.

"A horse race," Peter states proudly.

Corazon chuckles, looking at Jasper over her shoulder, "You're really living up to my cowboy expectations,"

"Only when I'm in Texas, my heart," Jasper muses, placing a kiss on top of her head.

"Well, you two better head out. It looks like the weather's agreeing with your plans. It's a rare cloudy day in Houston," Charlotte tells them. Corazon wants Jasper to spend more time with Peter while they're here. Charlotte agreed with that, so they let the two men make plans without them. Corazon wanted to spend time with Charlotte.

"I'll be back by tonight," Jasper tells her, and Corazon nods, "I'll be waiting," They both share a short kiss. Peter and Jasper drove away, leaving Charlotte and Corazon.

"So, what do you want to do today?" Corazon asks, throwing the popsicle in the trash can; she has to make more of those when they get home; she's sure that the family will appreciate the blood pops, especially when they're out in public; it'll help control their thirst for blood.

"Nothing much," Charlotte shrugs. Corazon opens the radio as the news becomes their background noise.

"So, let's just talk. Whatever topic you like," Corazon sits beside her on the sofa. Charlotte nods. With a thoughtful look, she says, "Thank you for taking care of him that night,"

"Oh," Corazon only managed to say as Charlotte continued, "As you know, I was a bit skeptical about you at first; it's only because Jasper's history with a certain woman has greatly affected him before. I didn't want him to be taken advantage of again,"

Corazon shakes her head with a small smile, "I understand, but I'm sure you know by now that I love him very much,"

"Yes, yes. I know that by now. I noticed it in the bar. When you both slow danced." Charlotte mentions with a smile of her own. "I've never seen him so happy before."

Corazon stayed silent, not knowing what to say, because she had never been happier, too, until Jasper became a part of her life.

"When Peter and I went back to Maria's territory to ask him to join us, he was so miserable, beyond depressed. We didn't know what to do, how to help him, or how to ease his pain. Peter regretted leaving him that night when we left, and he said that maybe if Jasper had joined us, it wouldn't have gotten worse." Charlotte looks down, her fingers fumbling together as she purses her lips.

"He still regrets it to this day. We owe Jasper everything. We know Maria wanted to look for us, but Jasper was the reason she didn't go on any further," Charlotte informs her, and Corazon nods along as she hugs her legs to her chest, resting her back on the couch.

"Then he told us he's going to wander off on his own. We were both so worried, but as you know, once he made a decision, nobody could stop him, so we let him. Then, a few years later, we received a letter from him telling us that he had found a new way of living through animal blood. We found it a bit odd, of course, but we supported him, whatever he found easier to feed without feeling others' emotions," Charlotte sighed, her accent getting thicker with each word. She was rambling, and Corazon didn't mind.

She knew that it had been a while since Charlotte had talked to anyone other than Peter. "He never did like feeling the pain of his prey, and the weight of guilt of how many innocent lives that he took during the army didn't help his consciousness,"

"He never told me that he could feel our blood lust," Corazon mutters, looking towards the window. It's still so beautiful and peaceful.

"He just didn't want you to worry. That's how he is. That's why when he stays here. Peter and I make sure that we're fed. So that it can be easier for him to be around us." Charlotte informs her, and Corazon takes a mental note that she needs to tell the family to always be sensitive when it comes to their blood lust, especially when they're around Jasper. She didn't want him to suffer because of them.

Suddenly, the phone rang, and Corazon looked at Charlotte, with her motioning to answer the phone. Corazon stood up from her seat and sped towards the telephone ringing in the kitchen. "Cece," Alice greets, her tone far from her usual one.

"Alice," Corazon furrows her brows, "Is something wrong?" She worries. Her tone piqued Charlotte's attention, and she was listening in as well.

"You'll be expecting a visitor in a few hours," Alice informs her, and Corazon purses her lips, dreading to ask, "Please tell me it's not that one I'm thinking of," She groans as she places a hand on her forehead, worry turned into frustration.

"It is," Alice sighs heavily.

"What does she want?" Corazon prods. They were having the perfect time in Houston, and Corazon should have known that someone is going to ruin it, especially since they were in Texas, her territory.

"The same thing she wanted to do back then, talk to him..." Alice tells her, and Corazon closes her eyes, thinking of a plan, and Alice goes silent over the phone.

"I'll call the Volturi after," Alice finally spoke again, "Good luck, Cece. Don't aggravate her too much for this to work,"

"I'll keep that in mind," Corazon says, then ends the call and places the phone back in its place.

"It's her, isn't it? "Charlotte panics, "To think that we were only talking about her. Goodness, I fully believe in the saying speak of the devil, and she shall appear."

Corazon snorts, "Maria is no devil." She walks back to the couch and sits, a heavy sigh escaping her lips. "You can leave if you want to. I'll deal with Maria,"

Charlotte furrows her brows as she instantly says, "I won't leave you with that woman. You don't know what she's capable of,"

"Believe me, I do. I dealt with her in the 50s in Calgary," Corazon tells her, and Charlotte blinks her eyes in realization and remembrance, "Oh, yes, you dealt with her before with your gift, Jasper told us."

"What's your plan?" Charlotte finally asks as she finally sits down beside her, calm in demand.

Corazon didn't say anything. She leaned back on the couch and placed her hand on her chin. Alice mentioned the Volturi; she knows that the Volturi has been monitoring the activities in the South, Maria's activities in particular. Because of that, they're also keeping a close eye on Jasper to see whether or not he'll return to the Mexican Coven, and that's one of the reasons why her family is keeping low under their radar.

The Volturi are paying attention to them, more specifically to Jasper. He made quite an impression on them during the Southern Vampire Wars, and they made sure they didn't categorize him as a threat. It looks like his animal blood diet made them more assured that Jasper isn't going back, but as long as Maria is obtaining and fighting for territories, Jasper will never stay away from the Volturi's radar.

Corazon needs to get rid of Maria, for her sake, and Jasper's; she doesn't want the Volturi watching their every move. Especially when they learn of Corazon's and Alice's gifts, they'll never know peace away from Volturi's watchful gaze.

"We kill her," Corazon finally spoke, and Charlotte's eyes widened, mouth agape in shock.

"Well, that's..." Charlotte trails off, "Some turn of events,"

"The Volturi will leave us alone—Jasper specifically once they know that Maria is disposed of. They'll also feel respect that we did the job of getting rid of the threat for the exposure of our kind." Corazon informs her as Charlotte nods.

"Alright, tell me what to do,"

"Nothing,"

"What? Why?" Charlotte bewilderedly asks.

"It's been years since you last saw her. Do you think you can face Maria after what she did?" Corazon softly asks, and Charlotte purses her lips as she looks down on her lap and whispers, "No, not really."

"Leave it to me. I'll take care of it." Corazon stands up from her seat, carries a chair to the front porch, and enters the house again, looking at Charlotte, "Stay in our room; don't make a sound once you hear that she arrived,"

Charlotte looks hesitant yet follows her instructions. Corazon takes the book that she had started last night and sits on the rocking chair by the porch. A few hours passed, and she was about to finish the book when she heard rapid footsteps on the road. Not a second then that Maria is in front of the house.

It looks like nothing has changed except for her attire; it looks like Maria is finally keeping up with the times. Black curly hair, beautiful olive-tanned skin, wearing worn-out jeans and a brown long-sleeve shirt. Maria is beautiful, that is certain, but Corazon knows that she's rotten from the inside.

"Maria, to what do I owe the visit?" Corazon closes her book shut and places it on her lap.

Maria snapped at her, eyes glaring like daggers, yet Corazon could see it, the hesitancy in her movements, "I'm not here for you,"

"Obviously," Corazon rolls her eyes. "He's not here; it's a wasted trip," Corazon tells her as she stands up, places the book on the wooden table, takes a few steps, and leans on the wooden post, crossing her arms.

"Well, then I'm here for you," Maria says, "Don't think I'll let you go after what you put me through,"

Corazon chuckles, "Is it the result of your consequences? You must be delirious to think that I'll let you disturb our peace. You're a threat to Jasper and to my family, and I won't allow that,"

Maria's lip curled in disdain as she glowers, "Jasper's not here to protect you,"

"I don't need his protection, as you know. I can protect myself fairly well." Corazon tilted her head, and she knew it before it could happen; Maria sped towards her as she wrapped her hands around Corazon's throat, raising her to the ground and without panicking, Corazon placed her hand on her arm as her gift worked on its own. Maria screams as her knees buckle to the ground, letting go of Corazon as she massages her neck.

"Now, now, no need to be so violent, Maria," Corazon teases. She leans down as she holds Maria down on the ground, "When I can be more violent than you," She forcefully grabs Maria's chin, their eyes connecting, "You will listen to my every command like a puppet on a string," Maria stilled, and Corazon lets her go rather harshly as Maria stumbles on the ground.

"Let's have a friendly conversation, just between us civilized women," Corazon tells her and continues, "Stand," Maria did without hesitation, and Maria looked at her questionably.

"What did you do to me?" Maria asks.

"Oh, I just compelled you to listen to my every command, nothing big. I can control minds," Corazon shrugs as she turns around, sitting on the rocking chair, "Sit on the chair," and Maria does what is commanded of her.

"It's a helpless feeling, wouldn't you agree? For your will to be taken away." Corazon asks, and Maria grits her teeth, not willing to answer. Corazon then smiles, sadistic, a glimmer of chaos in her eyes, "Answer me,"

"Yes!" Maria forcefully blurts out. Corazon, satisfied, leaned back on the rocking chair as her foot guided the rocking chair, moving back and forth.

"That's what you did with him. It's difficult to resist your creator and how unfortunate it was for him for that to be you." Corazon tells her, tilts her head, "You and I, we are so much alike. We were only girls who met a terrible end, but what I did to survive is justified, but what you did is nothing but thirst for power, greed, and glory. But the difference between us is that I'm Jasper's mate. I don't share."

Maria hisses, "He can never love you," and Corazon raises a brow, a cheshire smile on her lips, "Well, that's not what it felt like when he was kissing my neck this morning like he wanted to ravish me," She responds she licks the bottom of her lip, she bit her lip with a dreamy sigh escaped her lips.

"I already had him. You can enjoy the bits that I left." Maria snickers, and Corazon raises an eyebrow; Maria thinks she has done something there.

"You might have had him first. But I'm the one who left an imprint on his mind, body, and soul. Even before you, Maria, his soul has always been searching for me. You had him, but not completely, but superficially. You were a stand-in for me, but I'm here now, and I'm not leaving. I'm the woman he'll always want; I have him wrapped around my fingers so that I can ask him whatever I want. Even if that means to kill you in front of me." Corazon crosses her legs as she looks at Maria with a smile.

"He had just confessed his undying love for me last week. I can see myself getting married to him. I would invite you to my future wedding, but you'll be dead by then, so what's the point?" Corazon shrugs her shoulders. Maria's eyes widened at her last statement.

"What?" Maria fearfully asks.

"Do you think that I'll let you go after this? You continue to disturb our lives, and to be quite frank, It's getting very annoying," Corazon tells her with a scoff, "I'll kill you, burn your body, but I'll chop off your head first, send it to the Volturi with a big red ribbon with a pretty personalized note from me, and then they'll finally stop watching our every move. It's a win-win if you ask me." Corazon casually says with a smile, and Maria looks at her as if she has grown three heads.

"You're crazy," Maria's expression morphs into shock.

"Oh, you haven't seen anything crazy. This is a normal day for me." Corazon chuckles as she claps her hands together. "Well, you should stay here. Don't move. I'll dig out a hole where I can prepare the fire," she hears Charlotte's footsteps. She opens the door, her head peeking out.

"I'll do it; looks like you two are having a lovely chat," Charlotte offers, and Corazon sends her a grateful look. Then her eyes drift to Maria, her eyes hardened.

"Well, hello, Charlotte," Maria taunts, and Charlotte spat out, "Hello, dead meat," at which Maria snarled.

"Snarl all you want. You'll be nothing but ash on the ground later," Charlotte pokes out her tongue as she closes the door with a slam.

"Let's continue our conversation, shall we? Charlotte is right. It's quite lovely to discuss cold-blooded murder," Corazon sits back down on the chair. "Tell me, why did your mate die?"

Maria grits her teeth, answering with disdain, "He died when we were battling out for territories."

Corazon hums, "It's quite painful losing a mate, from what I've read about our kind anyway,"

"The most painful experience I have gone through," Maria admits, and Corazon nods thoughtfully as she looks at her in understanding, which confuses Maria.

"Maria, I understand that what you have been through is difficult. You lost your mate, and you sought vengeance, as to any vampire that lost their mate. But have you thought about how it's just a consequence of your actions? Your mate wouldn't have died if he didn't seek out power for taking over territories. If he had only done what was best for the two of you, you'd both be happy. He led you to something you didn't even want in the first place, but because you love him, you listened. That's not what love is; you both make decisions that would suit you best. I think what he did was nothing but the result of his careless decisions and actions."

Maria scoffs, "You speak as if you know him,"

Corazon replies, "I don't, but I know men like him, you're a victim that turned into him, and you continued it, that's your ruin, you could have the opportunity to turn away and leave it all behind, but no, you stayed and continued to do what caused the demise of your mate."

Then her eyes flashed in anger, and Maria had the urge to cower in fear, "Then you used Jasper, used his most vulnerable state to make him believe that he was your mate. Use your influence as his creator to deceive him, use him, and take every bit of his will to your advantage. You're the reason why the Volturi has been keeping a close eye on us from the start. Why does Jasper look over his shoulder with so much uncertainty."

"That ends now," Suddenly, a voice spoke from behind, startled. Corazon turned around, seeing Jasper and Peter. How did they manage to go unheard? Corazon doesn't know, but she's impressed. Corazon walked toward Jasper as he took her hand, pulling her towards his body; he leaned towards the column of her neck and took a deep breath, her scent overpowering his senses and calming him down.

"Maria," Jasper acknowledges her as he fixes his posture, "I would say that I appreciate your visits, but that would be lying,"

Maria tried to stand up, but with Corazon's command, she couldn't remove herself from the chair. She grunted as she struggled. Peter laughs, "You got her good, Cece. I'm impressed."

Jasper chuckles, placing a kiss on Corazon's cheek, "You understand, Maria, that I cannot risk Corazon's safety. I'll do anything to protect her. Getting rid of you will ensure that safety,"

Maria pleads, "Jasper," Her voice is soft as a purr, "Please, no. Think of everything that we had been together."

"I'd rather not," Jasper sighs; he looks at Corazon; they didn't need to communicate with words. Corazon leans on his chest as she crosses her arms. "Stand up," Maria did.

"Watch this, Peter," Corazon grins as Peter sizzles with anticipation. Jasper wraps an arm around her stomach, resting his chin on top of her head.

"Maria, rip off your head for me," Corazon commanded, and they watched as Maria brought her hands to her neck, her fingers wrapping around it. Her skin began to crack like glass; jagged lines started to appear all over from neck to face; then, with a last pull, her head fell on the ground along with her body.

Peter's jaw dropped, "Damn,"

"Indeed," Jasper responds as he taps his hand on her hip and removes his hold on her, "Let's burn her out back," he and Peter begin to pick up her head and body while Peter grimaces as he holds Maria's head by the hair.

Charlotte opens the door and walks towards Peter, her eyes set on Maria's body, which Jasper is dragging inside. "Fire is ready,"

"How did you know that she's here?" Corazon asks curiously. Jasper nudges his head towards Peter. Peter shrugs, "I just know shit,"

"Knowing shit is your gift?" Corazon laughs, "Basically, yeah," Peter finds one of the boxes that they used when they unboxed the furniture for the house and places Maria's head inside.

"We left my car in the parking lot. We'll head back out to get it," Jasper tells Corazon as they go to the backyard. Seeing the hole that Charlotte dug out and the fire that she started, Jasper throws Maria's body on the fire as it's engulfed by the flames.

"What an interesting day," Peter tells them as they go back inside, "I'm glad that we got rid of her," Charlotte adds, feeling relieved that they can finally live in peace.

The phone rang again, and Corazon perked up, "That's Alice," She said as she answered.

"The Volturi guards will be waiting for the package by the border tonight," Alice informs her, and Corazon shares a look with the three vampires listening in.

Suddenly, a shuffling of sound ensued, "Dang, sis. I would've paid a huge buck to witness that," Emmett greets, and Corazon chuckles.

"It's really impressive, Cece," She hears Rosalie's voice in the background, and Corazon rolls her eyes.

"Goodbye, you two. We'll be home in the next few weeks." Corazon tells them as Emmett is about to protest and place the phone back in its place.

"We'll deliver the package. It's me that they want to see anyway." Jasper spoke up, and Corazon looked at him in worry; she was more afraid of the Volturi guards than Maria. "I'll come with," Peter chimes in as he gives Charlotte an assuring look.

Corazon reluctantly nods, walking towards the box and taking a long red ribbon from the drawer. She placed it like a gift, tied it with a ribbon, and then she took a pen and placed a note.

Maria, head of the Mexican Coven. I can only hope that we have done a great service to you, my kings, Aro, Caius, and Marcus. From Corazon, a member of the Olympic Coven.

She then carries the box and hands it over to Jasper. "Here you go," She leans towards him and places a longing kiss. Stay safe.

Jasper pulls away as he sends out a calming wave of emotion that makes Corazon sigh in contentment. He and Peter headed out once again. After getting the car, Jasper and Peter drove towards the border, seeing three figures in the dark. Crimson red eyes, long black coats, and the V necklace around their necks. Jasper shared a look at Peter, and they nodded at each other. They exited the car with a guarded stance. They both moved cautiously. They finally faced the three vampires, Demetri, Alex, and Felix.

Demetri gruffly asks, "Is that the package?" His eyes look at the box in Jasper's hold, and he nods as he places it in the center. Demetri looks at Felix, with the man stepping forward and taking the box.

"The kings send their utmost gratitude for resolving the problem here in the South," Alex tells them. Jasper and Peter curtly nod. The air blew heavily with tension.

"Surely, you will no longer be monitoring my movements. Maria is disposed," His eyes went towards the box Felix is carrying, "I'm sure that is more than proof that I will no longer return to the Mexican Coven when it has seized to exist,"

Demetri hums, "I'm sure Aro will be more than happy to grant that," Felix tips his head toward their direction, "Gentlemen," Then they were gone. A sigh of relief left their lips as Peter placed a hand on his shoulder.

"It's over," Peter says, almost breathless. "It is," Jasper responds as if a huge weight over his chest dissolved.

"Cece's a keeper, brother," Peter muses, and Jasper smiles.

"She really is,"

Chapter Text

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍:
Mother of mine
(1972)

THERE'S FAMILIARITY IN THE LAND HER FEET LANDED ON, yet she couldn't help but feel like a stranger in another foreign land. The cool air gently brushed her cheeks, soothingly combing through her hair. The familiar scent of the salty ocean breeze and the sun's blazing heat coaxed her body. The beautifully unfamiliar sights her gaze landed on triggered her anxiousness.

Yet, a hand intertwined with hers, and suddenly, she isn't feeling so anxious anymore. She blinks rapidly, not noticing that she went completely out of touch for a minute. She looks at the man beside her, who is already looking at her with worry in his topaz eyes, but it's the complete opposite of what he says, "It'll be alright," Jasper assures. His voice is the familiar tone of gentleness and softness. Corazon couldn't muster an answer, so the answer she could manage was to squeeze his hand, a silent gesture that I hope it would be.

Her motherland. Her inang bayan. That Corazon thought she'd never step foot in when she left so many years ago. But when Alice had a vision of her mother, there was not any sort of discussion about whether she'd be going home or not because, for her mother, she'll break the rules of their kind to get the opportunity to say goodbye one last time.

"Are y'all ready?" Zane asks as he follows them. He's Carlisle's friend who manages their transportation when crossing countries. He has many connections around the globe and prides himself in being a traveler. Zane is tall, lean yet muscular, and has an interesting taste in fashion. The vibrant colors of his clothing complement his rich umber skin. His ruby-red eyes glanced between Corazon and Jasper. He met Carlisle in the mid-19th century. Carlisle was looking for a new residence somewhere in England, and along the way, he met Zane, who was fixing properties and acquiring land for vampires that wanted to have a discreet life amongst the humans. One of his businesses also includes transportation for vampires hidden as a trading ship.

As a vampire who loves to travel, Zane was not in favor of using their speed and strength to use it as a mode of transportation and also ruining his clothes by swimming in the vast and rough seas like the Atlantic Ocean because how could they ever manage to hold onto their baggage while also battling with the ominous waves? Carlisle helped him establish the business by loaning Zane the money he needed. Ever since then, they have been great friends. Zane was the one who suggested to Carlisle the property on the tropical island off the coast of Rio de Janeiro that Carlisle gifted Esme and is called Isle Esme.

Carlisle suggested that Corazon contact Zane, which would help them make their way to the Philippines. After one phone call, Zane was more than happy to help and accommodate their stay, which was for two weeks. Just enough for the five-day wake and the funeral. After the funeral for nine days, Corazon will pray the novena with the belief that her mother's soul is leaving the world and will be at peace in the afterlife. She'll continue to pray the rosary for the next 40 days, but they'll be back in Alaska by then.

"Yes," Corazon tentatively answers. So much has changed since she was last here. While she changed as her own person to leave the horror and pain of the past, it looks like the Philippines has changed either for better or worse. She doesn't really know. She stopped following the news years ago, stopped writing letters to her mother, and vice versa. So much has changed, yet so little at the same time.

Zane gave her recent newspaper articles, and she's not happy to learn that there's been no development in handling the barrelling down economy and state of the Filipino citizens since the war—it only worsened in every presidential reign, though the late President Ramon Magsaysay exceeded her expectation when she was still reading the news in the Philippines back in the '50s, Ramon's rule was considered corruption free, ended the Hukbalahap rebellion, and navigated the contentious reparations between Philippines and Japan. All presidents have their legacies, good and bad. There are no best, but it's their determination and good intention to govern a country to flourish and the people to be served justly, but it looks like it won't be happening any time soon.

Corazon is quiet, quieter than usual. Jasper couldn't help but worriedly glance at her at every second. He knew that she didn't like it, but he couldn't stop himself. He felt an emotion that he hadn't felt for a long time.

Grief.

She's already grieving, even if it hasn't happened yet. Grief is heavy and weighing, an otherworldly emotion that disconnects one from the reality of the truth and the denial of loss. It's a heartbreaking emotion that makes it hard to accept the fading presence and fleeting life of a loved one.

Zane drove them to Corazon's childhood home. As far as she knows, her parents moved to a much smaller house because they couldn't manage their way into the wood staircase anymore because of old age. After compelling the ground's keeper, Corazon couldn't help but stare at the house constructed with sturdy hardwood beams and intricately carved wooden panels. Its steeply pitched roof is adorned with terracotta tiles as it stands tall amidst a lush garden as it bathes in the afternoon glow of the sun.

Jasper was the one who led Corazon towards the grand wooden front doors. The interior is a marvel of intricate woodwork. The furniture is covered with white cloth. High ceilings adorned with elaborate moldings soar overhead while gleaming hardwood floors. After all these years, it's just like what she remembered. It's well-maintained and restored. Corazon is glad that her family didn't decide to sell their home. Moving through the house, she stopped by the familiar hall with lined-up wooden doors. Hesitancy is in her features as she stands before a familiar door with a carved initial of her name.

She felt a presence behind her; it was strong and assuring just what she needed. When she opened the bedroom, her bedroom, she removed the white cloth that covered the furniture with dust particles floating around. She swayed her hands in the air. Her breath hitched, still the same as she remembered, and she releases a shaky breath. Jasper wrapped an arm around her shoulder, gently pulling her in his arms as she leaned in his embrace, her head against his chest.

They stayed for that for a mere moment, soaking everything in as the memories of the past flooded in her mind like a film. In this bedroom is where her siblings all bundle themselves every night, filled with giggles and waves of laughter as if they didn't have their own bedrooms. It's where her mother told her stories of folk tales, and it's where her father told her that if she could put her mind on something, he was sure that she could conquer anything and everything that her heart desires.

Corazon opens the wood bedside table, and she releases a laugh. Jasper crouches down beside her as he looks at the items inside the drawer, "You've got treasures here have you?" Jasper's voice is filled with amusement as Corazon picks up the box, and her hands skim through the caricatures she collected as a kid.

Caricatures are often found in newspapers, magazines, and political cartoons, and she always made sure to cut them out and collect them. Her father, who had a ritual of reading the morning paper, made sure to give his eldest daughter the newspaper section with caricatures.

Artists utilized exaggerated facial expressions and body language to mock politicians and public figures, shedding light on issues of corruption, colonialism, and social inequality. Not only did she collect caricatures, but inside the drawer were some letters that aged with tarnished edges along with pennies, rocks that she thought were pretty at the time, and many random items stored safely inside the drawer.

Corazon's mother always scolded her to throw away her anik-anik, as she called it, but Corazon couldn't get rid of it, and she is glad that she didn't because she has something to look back to now.

"We're bringing these back with us," Corazon hums, and Jasper raises an eyebrow with a teasing grin, "Even the rocks?"

"Maybe not the rocks," Corazon chuckles. Then her mood suddenly dropped when she saw the darkness and quietness of the night that it all felt solemn. Jasper followed the shifts of her emotions as Corazon looked at him with a flat smile, "We should go. It's getting dark out,"

"If you're ready,"

"Inang doesn't have much time,"

With that, Jasper stood up from his position, lending him her hand as Corazon took it dutifully with a gentle squeeze of assurance. They went out along the familiar streets, passing a few houses until they arrived at the last house in the block. The house is simple, quaint, and exudes warmth. A light on the porch was the only thing that illuminated the front of the house. Corazon and Jasper made their way towards the backyard. The open window is her way of entrance to her mother's bedroom, where she lay on the bed, frail and sick with the fading fluttering sounds of her heart, the same slowness of how the candlelight flickered throughout the room.

Corazon's heart broke at the sight. She always remembered her mother as the strongest person in her life, but this her mother is fighting for her last breath, and Corazon knows that her mother is waiting for her. So Corazon approached her mother by the bed sporting a brave face because she needed to be strong for the both of them.

She sat at the bed's edge, Jasper remaining behind the shadows. Corazon gingerly took her mother's frail hand, eyes observant as she looked at her mother closely. Age has finally caught up to her. Tiredness is visible. Corazon's mother opened her eyes. She didn't seem surprised to see her. More like an expectant smile made its way to her lips.

"Anak," She says with a hoarse voice, eyes filled with joy.

"Inang," Corazon breathed out with a smile of her own. Corazon gently took her mother's hand, brushing the back of her hand on her forehead. "Mano po." Her mother hums.

Then her mother asks in Tagalog. "When did you arrive here?"

"Just this morning," She responds in her mother tongue.

"I'm glad you're here beside me and to see you one last time,"

"Inang," Corazon lightly scolded with a subtle shake of her head. "It won't be, you'll be alright,"

Denying the inevitable. Ignoring what's foretold.

Her mother clicks her tongue at the roof of her mouth, pursing her lips in dismissal. "Our life is only lent to us by god. I have lived my life, and I don't regret anything. It's time to move on."

Corazon only nods, not knowing how to respond. She looks over her shoulder and beckons Jasper. "I'd like you to meet someone," Jasper, with his arms crossed over his chest, standing broad and tall, walks towards them with precision and grace. A polite expression on his handsome face. Jasper stopped in front of her, and Corazon took his hand.

"This is Jasper, he's my—"

"Husband?" Her mother cuts Corazon off.

Jasper muses, "Not yet, but soon," He understands Tagalog a bit easier over the last year since Corazon has tutored him.

Corazon bumps him lightly with her shoulder as her mother watches the small interaction with adoration.

"He's also been with me since I moved to America," Corazon informs her, and her mother looks at Jasper with nothing but gratitude shining in her weak eyes.

"Thank you, Jasper."

"I wouldn't have it either way," Jasper responds, and her mother coughs roughly as her fists ball towards her mouth to cover her coughs. Corazon immediately helps her sit up, "I'll get you a glass of water," Corazon shares a look with Jasper that he needs to stay with her for a moment. While Corazon exited the bedroom, Corazon's mother instructed Jasper to open the bedside drawer with a silent gesture of her frail and bony hand. Jasper was confused but followed nonetheless.

There was a lone velvet box in the corner of the drawer, and with the urgency from Corazon's mother, Jasper opened the box. Seeing the ring, he closed it as he heard Corazon's footsteps and tucked it inside his vest. All confusion that he felt was diminished in a second, and all he could think about was that he had just received Corazon's mother's blessing for marriage.

Corazon sits at the edge of the bed again as she assists her mother in taking a sip of water, and her mother lays down the bed as Corazon fluffs her pillows and arranges the blanket over her.

Jasper could feel it, the fading emotion and Corazon could hear it, the fainting beat of her mother's heart. Corazon knows that her mother used all of her energy for her; she isn't ready to let go, but her mother is, and she has to accept it.

"I'm okay, I'm happy, and I'm better than before. You can rest knowing that I'm okay. I know I'm the one that's hindering you from letting go, but I don't want you to suffer anymore, Inang. Rest." Corazon assured as she held her mother's hand.

"Mahal na mahal kita, anak," Her mother whispers in response as her eyelids flutter shut. Corazon feels it again with the heavy weight in her chest, and this is the last time, their last moment, and their last hello and goodbye.

"Te quiero mucho, madre."

Chapter Text

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍:
You are loved
(1972)

"TABI TABI PO," Corazon says out loud with a confused Jasper beside her, holding her hand as Corazon guided them in a field of wild grass and banana trees, "It's excuse me in English, so you don't accidentally step on the elementals or unseen spirits of the earth dwell in the ground. so that you will not accidentally step on them, hurt them, or grievously offend them. If you do, they can punish you," Jasper thoughtfully nods.

Before them was an old ruin of a red house. Corazon's steps halted, and she had hesitancy in her eyes as she eyed up the structure. "We don't have to," Jasper assures with a light squeeze of his hand.

"But I want to, it's been so long. I have to pay my respects." Corazon looks at him with a tight-lipped smile. "It's in the past,"

"But it holds heavy memories," Jasper says as he looks back at the house with a hauntingly commanding presence. Its red hue is reminiscent of the bloodshed. As the sunrise casts its golden hues upon the crimson facade.

"Yes, it does. Horrifying ones, but I'm alive, and many aren't to tell the tale," Corazon continued her steps. They stopped in front of the house, and Jasper couldn't help but release a heavy sigh. "It's surprising that I could still feel the weighing emotions that happened in this house," Jasper says as if he's out of breath.

Corazon blinks rapidly as if she was transported back in time, the screams, the pleads, the billowing smoke, the creeks of the wood, the heavy footsteps—Jasper places a hand on the small of her back as his thumb soothed her. "I don't think this is a good idea,"

"It's uncomfortable, but it's what I have to do," Corazon shook her head, "The emotion you're feeling right now, it's the spirits who never left this place, forever bound in the horrors of the past, they never found peace," Corazon kneels down by the wooden porch as the creaks of the old floorboards echoed around them. Corazon took the candle from her purse and placed it in the middle, lighting it with a match. "All I can do is pray for them,"

Corazon made the sign of the cross and muttered a prayer as she stood up from her kneeling position and started tracing her fingers on the house's front walls. Jasper watched her movements observingly as he buried his hands in his jeans pockets. It's a different aura; it felt like he entered a different time, and traces of the past linger in every corner.

Corazon never thought that she'd be back here, where it all began and where it all ended. It's almost taunting her. Being in this house is a lingering reminder that everything was taken from her in this house. Then she looked behind her shoulder. She sees him, eyes trailing over her, watching her, worrying over her. She felt her body at ease, that she wasn't alone anymore to visit the horrors of the past, that there was someone holding her hand that was grounding her back to earth and not pulling her to the endless void of the past. Jasper's here with her, and that made her feel grateful.

"I think we should go before the groundskeeper arrives," Corazon says mindlessly, placing two fingers against her lips and pressing them on the wall. Jasper then walks towards her, intertwining his hand with hers, then placing a kiss on top of her head.

"I'm proud of you,"

KIDS LAUGHTER GREETED THEM when they got home. Kids with grinning faces are very sweaty when playing on the streets. Children dart across the road, their bare feet patter softly against the ground as they chase and evade each other with gleeful expressions. Their voices, a chorus of joy, echo off the walls of the surrounding houses, carrying the spirit of innocence through the morning air. Playing a game of langit lupa, a timeless game of tag.

Corazon smiles as she leans against the side of the window, crossing her arms to her chest. She thinks this is one of the moments that she had missed as a kid with her siblings, playing until they were called inside for lunch or dinner. They paused the game to either take a quick sip of water or wipe the sweat off their foreheads; being a kid is something she deeply misses; there's something pure about naivety. The only thing one looks forward to is seeing their friends in the early morning to play a game in the streets and, when the sun sets, do it again the next day.

Corazon's eyes set on another group of children playing another familiar game, tumbang preso. Tumba, which means 'to fall,' and preso, which means 'prisoner,' translates to 'fallen prisoner.' The children gather around a makeshift court drawn in chalk upon the pavement. At the center stands the preso, a tin.

One child steps forward, a worn slipper held firmly in hand. With a practiced flick of the wrist, they send the slipper hurtling through the air, aiming for the elusive target that stands before them. Cheers erupt as the slipper strikes true, sending the preso clattering to the ground in a triumphant crash.

"Look what I got here," Jasper's voice caught her out of her own bubble. He stood a few steps away from her with a wooden board with a cup of small white shells. Jasper sits by the dining table, and Corazon follows suit. "Mind telling me what this is?"

With a patient smile, Corazon gestures toward the board, her fingers tracing the intricate patterns etched into its surface. "This is sungka," she explains softly. As Jasper leans in, his eyes alight with curiosity, Corazon begins to demonstrate the game's mechanics. She scoops up a handful of shiny shells with deft fingers, placing them in the divots along the board.

"With each turn," Corazon explains, "You'll take the shells from one divot and distribute them counterclockwise, dropping one into each subsequent divot until you run out. The goal is to capture as many shells as possible from your opponent's side, gathering them into your 'store' divot here." She points to the larger divots at either end of the board, where the spoils of victory will be gathered.

As Jasper watches, his brow furrowed in concentration, Corazon continues to guide him through the game's nuances. With his keen intellect and quick grasp of new concepts, Jasper listens intently, his eyes focused on the board's intricacies. With each instruction from Corazon, he nods in understanding, his determination to master the game evident in the furrow of his brow and the set of his jaw.

"I think you're getting the hang of it," Corazon releases a small giggle as her eyes glance towards Jasper's face, who's quite serious with the game.

"We're definitely bringing this home with us," Jasper mumbles under his breath, and Corazon laughs softly but nods nonetheless.

IT'S MIDNIGHT. It's been nine days since Corazon's mother passed away. She wanted to visit her mother's grave. She and Jasper will be leaving tomorrow, after all. What she didn't expect was to see her father kneeling in front of her mother's grave. It's an empty graveyard in the middle of the night. Corazon knew her father well and knew how hard he had taken his wife's death; he couldn't sleep at night, so he went for a walk to visit her grave.

Corazon took silent steps to her father; he'd grown so old since the last time she saw him, and she was still as youthful as the last time he saw her. "Tatang," Corazon calls his attention. Startled, her father looks up with wide eyes and mouth agape.

"Corazon," His father rasps with disbelief. A hand went over his mouth, and he stood up with shaky legs, "If you're here to take me to the next life, then I am more ready than ever." Corazon shakes her head as she steps forward, placing a hand on his shoulder and helping him steady himself. Her father flinched at the coldness but didn't mention anything. "Mano po," She took his hand and brushed the back of his hand against her forehead, brought it down and held it closely.

"I'm not here for that, tatang," Corazon replies in her mother tongue. "How is it possible? To be able to touch you? Are you not a ghost?" Her father placed a frail hand over her cheek as his thumb brushed her jaw.

"I'm not a ghost," Corazon chuckles, "I'm here,"

Her father blinks rapidly, still in shock, "After all these years, you still look the same the day we lost you, how is that possible?" Her father then brushed her hair, eyes examining the condition of the daughter he thought he lost so long ago.

"I can't tell you," Corazon looks at him with sadness, her father nodding thoughtfully, "Are you okay? Is someone keeping you captive? Are you in danger?" Her father looks around with worry; Jasper isn't with her after she told him that she wants to go alone.

"I'm okay," Corazon assures, "I'm safe, you don't have to worry,"

"Where have you been all these years, anak?" Her father looks at her as tears start to gather in her eyes, Corazon purses her lips into a thin line as she hugs her father; her father doesn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her as he rubs her back with so much tenderness. Corazon started to sob, but there were no tears for her to shed.

"Shh," Her father wraps his arm around her, "Don't cry, anak. You know I don't like to see you cry." Corazon pulls away, "I missed all of you so much,"

"There's not a day that goes by that I have not thought of you," Her father tells her as he grasping her hand, "I never stopped looking for you, anak. You must know that, I never gave up,"

Her father started to cry, "I never forgave myself for not being able to find you, I'm so sorry," then he cupped her cheek with his hands, "I'm so sorry for failing to protect you," Corazon shook her head with disagreement as she places a hand on top of his.

"You didn't fail. I wouldn't like for you to carry the burden of my disappearance, it's not your fault." Corazon assures with a sad smile. She then took a handkerchief and wiped the tears from his cheeks as her father wrapped a hand around hers.

"Your siblings would like to see you, come," Her father started to tug her hand, but Corazon stood still, "I can't, tatang."

"Why not? They will be so happy to see that you're still alive," Her father reasons. Corazon took a deep breath and mustered up a smile, "I know they will be, but no one can know that I'm still alive."

"It won't be safe for all of us, I'm sorry." Corazon tells him, "But you won't remember that we had this conversation," she says as she places a hand on his cheek.

"Whatever do you mean?" Her father questions.

"You won't remember what happened in the past few minutes. You will forgive yourself and relieve yourself of the regret of not being able to find your eldest daughter. You will continue to live knowing that you are the best father a child could ever ask for," Corazon looked deeply into his eyes as her father stared at her blankly.

"To know that your eldest daughter loves you very much. To know that she knows that she is loved," she said, standing on her tiptoes. She placed a kiss on his forehead; with a heavy heart, Corazon left her father behind in the graveyard.

Corazon's father blinks rapidly. Looking around in confusion as the midnight breeze swept the trees. He looks down at the grave of his late wife. He felt a tear drape down his cheek and instinctively wiped the tears; he furrowed his brows; he didn't remember bringing a handkerchief with him; he looked at the cloth as he blinked in surprise at the initials sewn in the brown patterned cloth.

C.C.

Chapter Text

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘:
Count on us
(1972)

"MY COUNTRY MEN, AS OF THE 21ST OF THIS MONTH, I SIGNED PROCLAMATION NO. 1081 PLACING THE ENTIRE PHILIPPINES UNDER MARTIAL LAW."

"What?" Corazon's horrified expression didn't deter. Jasper placed a hand on her shoulder as they listened intently to President Ferdinand Marcos address the nation. It's only yesterday that the Defense Minister of the Philippines, Juan Ponce Enrile, was ambushed on his way home, but it was a different car for security reasons, but was this the justification for declaring martial law? Politicians of the government are threatened day-by-day by communists. It's an unlikely part of their job, but it isn't a good enough reason to declare the whole country under military reign. What of the innocent civilians?

They heard hurried footsteps coming their way. Not long before, Zane was in the living room, in a hurry, panic in his eyes, seemingly out of breath, "We have to leave now. Or else we'll never be able to. The government has been planning this for months. They already detained foreigners who tried to leave the country yesterday."

Jasper moved quickly, but Corazon sat still, disbelieving and shocked. Their luggage was packed for only a few seconds; Zane took it while Jasper scoped the place by arranging it the way they arrived; everything was covered with white linens; it was only when Jasper turned off the radio that Corazon snapped back to reality. Jasper crouched before her, taking her hand, his voice gentle, almost careful, "We have to leave, darlin'."

"I—" Corazon's eyebrows furrow, clueless on what to do, "I can't leave," Her quivering voice was accompanied with uncertainty and doubt. All she could think about was her family and how their life would change within the blink of an eye—all over again. She left before, but she can't leave them again. She has this unnerving feeling that this new reign will not be kind.

Jasper places a hand on her jaw, cupping her cheeks, "I know, I know how difficult this is for you, but this isn't your fight anymore," Jasper guided her as she stood up, "Your mother wanted you to leave for a reason, this country has taken too much from you, don't allow yourself to repeat it."

Corazon had heard that before, "I cannot risk losing you again, Corazon. But this country has taken too much from you. As much as I don't want to be separated from you again. You'll be safer abroad." Corazon finally looked at Jasper, who was already patiently staring at her.

"Okay, okay," She repeats as she releases a breath, "We should go,"

She had left before, but this time, it was too unsettling. Is this why Alice told them they'd only be in the Philippines for two weeks? Corazon asked Alice why it was such a short visit, but Alice couldn't see why. Alice only told her that Corazon would only meet her father and mother when she goes home then on the ship as they boarded, leaving abruptly. The events that would lead them to depart early are too broad for Alice to see.

Corazon and Jasper stood on the weathered wooden deck of the cargo ship, their faces etched with a mix of anxiety and an unsettling heavy weight of emotions. As the ship slowly pulled away from the bustling port of Manila. Corazon clutched the railing as she looked up in the blank night sky that accompanied the moon. She purses her lips, and the moon once again accompanies her, witnessing her departure.

Beside her, Jasper stood tall and resolute. Corazon knows that Jasper is trying to be strong for her. She couldn't help but feel devastated. All she could think about was the safety of her family. This is her fault; she should have never stopped reading the news in the Philippines and never ended the contacts she had from the inside, or else she would have learned about this much early on.

Jasper places his hand on top of hers, "This isn't a one-woman job," Jasper starts. He knows that Corazon was already arranging and planning the things she had to do to aid the people of her country: "The martial law places the Philippines under military rule, and all constitutional democracy will be put to a halt. Joining a cause would most likely get all of you arrested. Only you will be left alive."

"There's too much risk for you, Corazon. Not only will they know that you are not human, but there will be too many people you'll be up against, these aren't just soldiers anymore, they are humans that are powerful politicians with a high political agenda. Killing them will only result in deeper consequences, and we both know that you will not be the one on the receiving end, they will find someone to blame." Jasper tells her and adds with a heavy tone of knowing, "I know you won't forgive yourself for that,"

Corazon knows that her actions have consequences, and she feels helpless, but Jasper's right. This isn't her fight anymore. One would think after being freed from the steel grasp of colonizers that the Philippines would finally have the opportunity to heal the wounds that it left behind, but it looks like the countrymen are the ones who would bring the country to further destruction, that's the problem of power and greed. Once a person has tasted, felt, and had it, it's difficult to think about all moral values. There's no right or wrong, only money and hidden agendas.

Home-grown tyranny.

Politics has always been dirty; an optimistic new politician who enters the board with pure intentions of making the country great again and helping its people will be crushed into a thousand pieces by those who had the same intention but were replaced with rotten goods that infect from the inside and out. Polluted. Corrupt. Contaminated.

Corazon reminds herself that she left with a justified reason: she rebuilt a life for herself after surviving a horrid destruction. She healed her wounds but wouldn't dare to open them raw again.

THE RIDE HOME WAS SILENT.

Even the music on the radio wouldn't lift Corazon's spirits up, and Jasper is getting worried. Jasper hopes Corazon wouldn't pull herself away from him again. Everything came barreling down towards them again; he thought that after Maria was taken care of, everything would finally be peaceful, that they could start anew.

Jasper parked the car in the driveway while Corazon remained unmoving. Jasper called for her attention, "We're home," Jasper patted her knee, and Corazon nodded as she opened the car door.

Home. Corazon took a deep breath; her eyes widened, and a familiar scent engulfed her senses: citrus and eucalyptus.

The house doors opened, and Alice and the rest of the family were ready to greet them with bright smiles and open arms. But a figure wormed itself outside the house and squeezed her way to Alice.

"Aika," Corazon murmured in disbelief. Her hands went to her mouth, eyes wide as she stared at the woman, short jet-black hair, porcelain skin, and questionable taste in vintage clothing.

"Cora," Aika greets with a sly smile.

"Aika," Corazon repeated as she sped towards her friend, her sister, her creator, whom she hadn't seen for decades. Aika was surprised by Corazon's hug; she didn't know what to do; the last time they parted ways, Corazon didn't like to be touched. But Corazon's warmth against the cold welcoming grip around her makes Aika think that isn't the case anymore.

"Aika, it's been decades." Corazon pulled away as her eyes observed her. Not much has changed. "How did you find me? How did you even know where I live?"

Aika shrugs as she looks at Alice. Corazon can see the fondness in her eyes, "I don't, Alice found me, actually. In a bookstore in Denver."

"I'm glad you're here. Am I to assume that you're acquainted with everybody?" Corazon asks, seeing how Aika has already taken quite a closeness with Alice. "Not everybody," Aika looked at Jasper as she tilted her head to the side with curiosity.

With their luggage in hand, Jasper walks towards the patio, "I'm Jasper. It's nice to finally meet you, Aika. Cora told me a lot about you,"

"Only good things, I hope?" Aika bumped her shoulder to Corazon's. "By good, if you mean you're my mentor on how to get away with murder? Then yes." Corazon teases, and the family laughs in unison; this is her home, where she belongs.

"Then she should be the person we're thanking for how we perfectly executed our projects," Rosalie grins while Esme instructs Emmett and Edward to help Corazon and Jasper with their luggage.

It didn't take long for Aika to pull Corazon aside and discuss what happened when Corazon went back to the Philippines. Aika, with a dreaded expression, gave Corazon two newspaper cut-outs.

THE PHILIPPINES UNDER MARTIAL LAW.

It was published in the New York Times.

FILIPINO COMFORT WOMEN PLEAS FOR COMPENSATION OF JAPANESE WAR CRIMES.

It was published in the Manila Times.

"I thought it was over," Corazon mutters, almost speechless, "When they signed the reparations agreement in 1956, I thought it was over, I want it to be done, I wanted to leave it behind, that Japan has finally owned up to what they had done to us during the war—to me," Her voice cracked as she looked at the cut-out with glossy eyes. "I didn't even question it if it was true. I just want to move on, because it's worse that I have to live with what happened during the war for eternity. It's been twenty-eight years, but I don't think there's any amount of time to truly heal from it, it'll always be an open wound," Corazon releases a huff of disbelief.

"Is it so wrong of me to want to leave all of this behind? Am I selfish? To want to build a new life without traces of the past?" Corazon questions, looking at Aika with so much brokenness and vulnerability; she felt the ache in her chest, the tightening of her throat; it was suffocating.

"No, never." Aika purses her lips, shaking her head in disagreement as she places a hand on Corazon's shoulder. Still, she didn't remove it this time but welcomed the comfort of a friend and a sister. "You deserve the life you have here, you deserve to move on. You forget that you are the reason why the Japanese left without you, the war would have lasted longer, and more casualties would have occurred. You should be proud of yourself because I am, and I can see how much your family admires you for the strength and courage you possess."

Corazon then looks up, their eyes connecting, she questions, "Why are you really here, Aika? Be honest with me,"

Aika gives her a small, genuine smile, "I'm here to stay and make sure that we do all that we can to send help to the Philippines."

"And this time, it isn't just the two of us," Aika adds as she nods toward the vampires in the living room playing billiards. Corazon felt the weight on her shoulder lighten because, this time, she had her family to count on.